Sounds like it! time to get the young people in

"Turn out the lights, the party's over...."

Oct 8, 2009 -- 7:17PM, Kevinponeill wrote:

Oct 8, 2009 -- 5:52PM, mecdukebec wrote:

Oct 7, 2009 -- 6:18PM, Kevinponeill wrote:

I highly doubt those figures, unless it is referring to official membership records, and not attendance.  Sunday school should significantly drop the average.

The UMC does not count pre-confirmation members in membership figures.  The median age of confirmed members in the UMC is 58.

At our UCC Association this Fall Meeting, we welcomed two new churches into the Conference (by affiliation), and two new church-starts.  The UCC continues. 

Kevin, I don't know how much you know about Bishop Will Willimon (UMC) of the North Alabama Conference, but he states the same thing about the UMC's average age. 

Here is a UMC source that states that the average age in the UMC is 57: www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.asp...

William James believed that the Church of Christians Science would over take the Mainline Churches due to their growth rates.  It didn't happen.  

I believe that many of the new "Bible" denominations are reactionary, with no theological depth. 

 I wouldn't bet against us!

I thank God that the first congregation I pastored in the UCC, twenty years ago, this May, was a fine, old E and R church of the merger, and 200-years old.  An intergenerational congregation, with as much a large number of young families as older members.  That that church is still thriving, and living today, in effective ministry does give me courage for the future of the UCC. 

At the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in the early 20th-century, a variety of mainline Protestant denominations bragged that they were 'the future': That future, as you note, did not arrive.  That said, the kilometre wide and centimetre-deep theology of "Bible" churches has to have some need for thoughtful, educated, pastoral ministers, and that's where I see the Protestant mainline fitting in. 

Real men don't post using smiley faces.

Oct 16, 2009 -- 5:33PM, Kevinponeill wrote:

 Great!  Let us know about your worship experience.

Both UCC congregations there are thriving; in fact, there's First Cong'l in the centre of the downtown, then there's St John's at the end of the downtown, and both are engaged in vital ministry, have a table fellowship meal every Wed'y, and a wonderful music ministry, plus quite gifted preachers.  First is also ONA and is thriving.  Good stuff.