More members getting involved, greater excitement found in Tennessee

November 16, 2018

First Presbyterian Church in Dickson, Tennessee, was in a rut. The pastor of more than 30 years had retired a year before, and the six-member session was keeping the church together. But they were barely surviving. It was all they could do to keep up with their regular tasks, let alone start any new creative ventures.

After identifying what needed to get done in the church, the First Presbyterian session restructured committees. This led to new energy within the church, especially among the children’s programs. Courtesy of First Presbyterian

Throughout this time of transition, there was growing confusion among the congregation about who did what. Who did a member contact to reserve the fellowship hall? Who did a person call to put an event into the newsletter?

Something needed to be done.

The session decided to host a churchwide retreat, beginning on a Friday night and ending Saturday afternoon. Young and old met in the fellowship hall and began discussing First Presbyterian’s history and current trends in congregations. On Saturday morning, they began exploring the responsibilities of the church.

With Post-Its on hand, members identified the various responsibilities found in the Book of Order — from the Great Ends of the Church to the jobs of pastors and elders. They then listed their own congregation’s jobs that involved tasks that were identified as the traditional domain of the women’s group, the men’s group and the deacons. After designating those and sorting through the rest of the Post-Its, they found other categories that needed attention such as administration, worship, education, property and membership. A communications category was added, too.

Over the next two months, session members took the Post-Its and organized committees and created committee descriptions based on the needs of the church. They shared those descriptions with the congregation and invited members to join the committees through bulletin inserts and Sunday morning chancel announcements. They made calls and wrote emails to those they wanted to personally invite to serve on committees. Eventually, each committee had its first called meeting and discussed goals, responsibilities and opportunities.

It didn’t take long for the efforts of the session members to bear fruit. The newly structured committees and members added energy and imagination to the everyday tasks of the church. It was now time to start new ventures.

For example, with the direction of the education committee, a new adult Sunday school class was started. A class that usually saw three to four participants in the past suddenly had up to 20. The children’s Sunday school teachers joined the education committee and created a churchwide education calendar.

The membership committee a form that collected contact information and asked where members had interest in volunteering.

The communications committee created a website to reach out to the city of Dickson. They even revamped the church’s Facebook page, allowing the children’s Sunday school class to post pictures.

The worship committee considered ways to make children and their families feel welcome and connected, creating a note to put in the pew racks that emphasized the church’s understanding of wiggles and giggles during worship. They created a welcome bag for first-time visitors. And the property committee opened some long-closed spaces for the children’s Sunday school classes and hosted a work day before Holy Week, tidying up the property.

As the work of the newly invigorated committees continued, something began to happen.

More members felt connected to the mission and ministry of the church and invested more time in the work of the church. Attendees started attending more regularly because they had been invited to be part of the work.

Another plus is that session meetings are now shorter.

“Committees report their efforts, seeking approval when needed. The session can focus on other tasks, like calling a new pastor, instead of agreeing who will call the plumber or who will pick up the graduation gifts for the youth,” Greer said.

In taking the time to identify the needs of the church and to create and re-create committees, the session of First Presbyterian has shared the load of running a church with the body of Christ.

This sharing of tasks has not only created energy that was lacking, it has helped the session to no longer look out at the congregation and see a dearth of leadership.

Now, they say, they see many leaders — and potential leaders — sitting in the pews.

Jeannie Hunter, pastor in the PC(USA) with training in interim ministry, served as interim minister at First Presbyterian Church of Dickson, Tennessee, during its committee transformation

Today’s Focus:  Thriving Congregation

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Martha Clark, PMA
Tim Clark, FDN

Let us pray:

God of challenge and opportunity, help us to demonstrate to all the many ways in which we are called to make a difference. Assist us in bringing the good news and bring opportunities to share that good news with others. Amen.

Daily Readings 

Morning Psalms 130; 148
First Reading Joel 2:28-3:8
Second Reading James 1:16-27
Gospel Reading Luke 16:1-9
Evening Psalms 32; 139