Tuesday, September 04, 2012
And sometimes your church identity can change...
I have been talking about how every church has a certain identity. That is, things that make them who they are. It is a congregation's DNA. And remember, I am not talking about core convictions, but rather those things that become special for each church. At Southern Hills, it is missions, evangelism, youth programs, and our singing. There are lots of other great things that we could be known for and may be known for some day, but these are the ones that have been core to us for 50 years.
But sometimes your identity can change. It may be by design, or it may be that there is a gradual shift to something different.
Not any more. Someone reminded me that years ago, the Southern Hills visitation program was well known and respected. Almost everyone participated. It was part of who we were. We don't even have one now. Not good or bad. Just different, and no longer part of who we are.
Maybe not any more. For years we have been known as "the place" for university students to worship. That is not the case any longer. It was not always an intentional emphasis, but it was true. Not now. Again, it is not something we have chosen to change, but it has. It may change again. It may not. But I am reminded how much it is part of our identity because when the students are not with us in large numbers, everyone talks about it.
Will it last? We have a couple of recent things that seem to be becoming part of our identity. Don't know if they will last, but they have really gained momentum. One is our Children's ministry. It is not that we did not have this before, but I have people mention it to me when they find out where I go to church. So it is clearly something we are becoming known for. The other, and I have talked about this, is our reputation as a second chance church. This one is a little more intentional. Phil, our preacher, and I both talk about this a lot. It will be interesting to see if this sticks and becomes part of who we are long term.
But the point of this little series is to help everyone realize that churches, like families, have certain things that matter more than others. Things that make us unique. Knowing what they are make it easier to explain things to perspective members, make it easier to get the right fit with ministers, and help realize why it is so hard to change some things. And maybe helps us realize why change, or a real shift in emphasis, is difficult. Maybe not even worth it.
Thinking thru this was helpful for me as an elder. And reminded me of some of the reasons I love Southern Hills. I hope it helped you think about your church too. And reminded you of why you love where you are.
