Christian Education
CEWeb
Welcome
to the Christian Education page of the American Baptist Churches of
Wisconsin Website!
This online
resource will serve as a forum to share ideas, get information and
the like.
Please share the Web address for
this site with Christian Education workers in your church. I would
also invite you to offer
suggestions of things which would make the site useful to
you.
Integrating New People into the
Church: Can Christian Education Help?
August 2006
Bringing new people into the core of a local church
is a challenging task. Since each congregation is unique in a whole
range of ways, being on the inside of one does not automatically get
one on the inside of another. Of course, no one can be an integral
part of a group that he or she does not know and understand. Perhaps
there is teaching and learning that could help with this part of integration.
What are your congregation's core values that affect both the shared
basic beliefs and the actions (or mission) of your congregation and
really describe your identity as a congregation? How well do the members
of your congregation understand these values, beliefs and mission
and can you describe them to others?
Another valuable piece of learning is to try to put
together the "story" of your church. By this I mean more
than just facts and figures. I mean the personal stories of some of
the folk that have contributed to the life of your congregation. By
introducing newcomers to some of the people that have shaped (and
continue to shape) the identity of your congregation, you can make
newcomers more comfortable. We need to introduce people to those things
that give meaning to your church and what it does in your community.
When newcomers are able to say, "This is 'our' story too,"
we have welcomed them into the family, not just made them members
who may attend and work but do not really belong.
Welcoming new members and friends to the core of
the church is often seen as both positive and negative. It is always
good to have additional workers, but these people will sometimes bring
different ideas about how things should be done and that brings about
change. I am firmly convinced that the best change, and the most acceptable
change to people involved in a community, takes place when it grows
out of the identity a congregation already has. If changes positively
reflect our values, goals and mission, it is easier to see it as positive.
If we are going to experience change as positive all members (long
term and recent alike) must know the congregation's values, goals
and mission, and appreciate the fact that congregational identity
is tied up in these things. In turn, this means it is important for
us to teach and nurture people as an ongoing part of the mission of
the church. And that is a function of Christian education! We could
identify a number of areas that will need to be considered as we attempt
to accomplish this important task. Let me name a few that I have really
already mentioned in brief.
Learning the content of our faith: Most American
Baptist Churches affirm the basic source of our values beliefs, and
missional goals as the Bible. We cannot assume that everyone who comes
to us will know the Bible or understand the basic tenets of the faith.
This is an area that cannot be ignored for those who have been in
our church for a long time or those who are new. It may be that we
need to find some new ways to teach these old truths, but we cannot
ignore them. We must continue to teach.
Forming community: This is not the sole responsibility
of the Christian education department, but there are many opportunities
there to help form community. Sunday School classes or Bible study
groups are a good source of time to get acquainted. There are also
opportunities for picnics, family nights, potluck meals, etc. One
activity may serve more than one function and community building is
often an outcome. It is important that new members be put together
with long-term members in this process and mentored by them.
Participating in acts of service inside and outside
the church: This will include both introducing people to the services
already a part of the mission of this church and encouraging people
to find areas where their gifts can be used. These acts of service
may include boards and committees, but it is far more than that. There
are many opportunities both inside and outside the four walls of the
church. Preparing people to do these acts of service may include some
skill training or it may be a matter of informing people of the way
in which mission is underwritten and people are mobilized for that
mission in the church.
It becomes clear that the task is a large one and that it needs to
be ongoing. Planning a program that will accomplish the task for us
is not easy. Part of the reason is that the individuals who come to
us are so diverse.
They come at different ages. Some grow up
in our church and we have to determine ways to teach them about their
church as they come to the age when they become members. Others are
adults and may have experiences in other congregations, but not with
ours.
They come with different backgrounds. Some
may come with much knowledge of church life. Others may be new to
the Church or to Christian faith.
They come with different gifts and interests.
Some may want to invest hours in the boards and committees of
the church. Others may want to be involved in mission outside the
walls of the church. Some may want to do practical things around the
building: caring for the grounds, fixing things, sewing curtains,
etc.
They come with varying outside responsibilities.
Some may be working many hours, have young children, or be students
in the evening while working all day. Others may be retired or otherwise
have extra hours and want to become involved immediately.
They come in different numbers. You may have
one new member at a particular time; or you may have a group come
at once.
Each church will need to develop a program tailored
to its own needs. Use your creativity to consider ways to include
these areas in your educational program. You may design and use written
materials or videos so that they can be given to people as they are
needed. You could use a mentoring program. You could use a small group
to cover the necessary materials. It could be part of membership classes
that are already in use. I think the end result will be worth the
effort put forth!
Maxine Ashley
Staff Associate in Christian Education
Christian.Education@abcofwi.org
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