Reflections and Ramblings--Assistant Minister Pastor Dan Wilkie  

          There have been a lot of questions raised lately about what constitutes a successful and vitality-filled church, and I think these are excellent questions to ask, especially when so many of our mainline churches are in decline. What I find troubling, however, is that so many of the answers coming from a great many of the leaders in the field of church growth point to size and numbers as being the sole indicators of a church’s success.
          As I pondered these questions and solutions and other topics relating to this subject, it became apparent to me that perhaps we are looking for the answers in the wrong places. Perhaps we had become caught up in “bottom line” trends of our present society and not what had helped to build churches over the centuries. This issue became even more clear as I was greeting folks during the reception after my installation when I heard their stories about how they were touched in some way by the service, especially from the people who were not members of our church family.
          People don’t come here to this church, or to any other church, or even seek faith for that matter, to become members in some sort of club or fraternity. They come seeking transformation, healing, wholeness, and peace, a chance to participate in something greater and more wonderful than what is found in themselves.
Jesus wasn’t successful because he advertised or promised some sort of exclusive membership; rather, he was successful and drew large numbers because he healed bodies, cast out demons and in doing so brought hope, taught love and served others.
          And if each one of us is truly honest, we didn’t come here ourselves to be members—we first came here for something else. Maybe you came as I did to watch your children in a Christmas Pageant, or came because you were invited to join a friend, or maybe you came to attend a memorial service, or maybe you were raised in the church and always loved being here. Regardless of whatever brought us here, the things we have experienced here changed our lives in some way, and we wanted to stay where we found comfort and security—long before we ever became members. The numbers were far less relevant than those things which transformed us.
          And so it is with others who join us. While there may be some places where size matters, the church is really not one of them for the sake of size alone. Our membership growth should come out of our faith, our hospitality, and our love for others.    Blessings, Dan

             Rev. Sharyl with RMC Rev. Tom Rehling