A strange thing has been happening at my Church the last year or so.
Our Church had been made up of, primarily, blue collar workers, but mostly retired people. Older folks.
I had really hoped that our Church would grow and reach younger families, and that, at 60+ years of age, my wife and I wouldn't be "the youth department".
Well, we've seen growth.
A couple young families with children - who put on their "visitor's evaluation" that one of the aspects they like about our Church is that we sing HYMNS!
Then a few more young families with children.
Average Age of Congregation going DOWN.
Then, I noticed something else, and not sure what to make of it.
Two of the young families include a lawyer - one Assistant District Attorney and wife, and one Chief Prosecutor and her husband.
Then a medical doctor more my age.
Then a very young PhD from Texas A&M with his family of 4.
Then, my dying Pastor friend, who is also a PhD.
Then, a professor from A&M who is a PhD.
Then an eye doctor who's a real doctor.
Then, an honest-to-goodness rocket scientist (PhD) from NASA.
Some of these are new to the area, and have mad our Church "home".
Some of them have moved here from other local churches.
So far, it appears that the main reason for these professional people coming is - they like expository preaching and they love hymns.
We sing hymns every Sunday, but we also include some of the better choruses that actually have some theology in them.
The "Modern Hymn Movement" is a good source of our choruses and newer hymns, and we don't do 7-11 music.
We don't have a band, or a "worship team", or glitz or glamor.
It's simple preaching and good music.
I'm puzzled, primarily, why all the "new people" seem to be professional people with, in many cases, much more education than me!
I'm "the dummy".
The Professor from A&M started "filling in" as our music leader, as our regular music leader has literally been living in his wife's hospital room at Houston's MD Anderson while she (miraculously) recovers from cancer and very bad side effects of radiation and chemo for the last 2 months.
Mostly, I just typed this out cause I'm thinking this through, and it helps to "get it out there" as part of the "what is this all about" process.
Our Church had been made up of, primarily, blue collar workers, but mostly retired people. Older folks.
I had really hoped that our Church would grow and reach younger families, and that, at 60+ years of age, my wife and I wouldn't be "the youth department".
Well, we've seen growth.
A couple young families with children - who put on their "visitor's evaluation" that one of the aspects they like about our Church is that we sing HYMNS!
Then a few more young families with children.
Average Age of Congregation going DOWN.
Then, I noticed something else, and not sure what to make of it.
Two of the young families include a lawyer - one Assistant District Attorney and wife, and one Chief Prosecutor and her husband.
Then a medical doctor more my age.
Then a very young PhD from Texas A&M with his family of 4.
Then, my dying Pastor friend, who is also a PhD.
Then, a professor from A&M who is a PhD.
Then an eye doctor who's a real doctor.
Then, an honest-to-goodness rocket scientist (PhD) from NASA.
Some of these are new to the area, and have mad our Church "home".
Some of them have moved here from other local churches.
So far, it appears that the main reason for these professional people coming is - they like expository preaching and they love hymns.
We sing hymns every Sunday, but we also include some of the better choruses that actually have some theology in them.
The "Modern Hymn Movement" is a good source of our choruses and newer hymns, and we don't do 7-11 music.
We don't have a band, or a "worship team", or glitz or glamor.
It's simple preaching and good music.
I'm puzzled, primarily, why all the "new people" seem to be professional people with, in many cases, much more education than me!
I'm "the dummy".
The Professor from A&M started "filling in" as our music leader, as our regular music leader has literally been living in his wife's hospital room at Houston's MD Anderson while she (miraculously) recovers from cancer and very bad side effects of radiation and chemo for the last 2 months.
Mostly, I just typed this out cause I'm thinking this through, and it helps to "get it out there" as part of the "what is this all about" process.
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