Justin Lathrop, executive search consultant at the Vanderbloemen Search Group, recently suggested five ways churches can remain relevant:
- Leverage the strengths of church networks
- Engage social media
- Expand online offerings, including worship services
- Consider the possibilities of strategic church mergers
- Welcome the diverse population of the community
So What?
Many of the items on Lathrop’s list focus on structural matters: the possibility of belonging to multiple networks over the older model of affiliating exclusively with a single denomination, the reality of shrinking congregations and the potential of mergers to bring about new life, and the idea that church is a community that gathers both on a physical campus and in any number of virtual experiences. The remaining items focus on understanding who people are and how they communicate: interacting with social media rather than relying solely on old media and understanding and reaching out to the diverse populations located in close proximity to a congregation’s physical campus (or campuses).
- Is your congregation actively practicing or at least seeking the kinds of structural flexibility listed above? Does your congregation display a strong commitment to reach out to those who live nearby and an effective communication strategy (both internal and external) that includes social media?
- What additional items would you place on a list of ways local congregations can remain relevant in 2013?