On October 5, 2023, Highlands Presbytery and a number of our presbytery neighbors were able to learn from the stories and life experience of the Rev. Mark Elsdon. He is the executive director of Pres House ministries at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry and the forthcoming Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition.

The Presbytery’s Church Development Team (CDT) had led a book discussion on We Aren’t Broke earlier this year, prompted both by the importance of the subject, and team members’ own experience of reading the book. Both energy to invite Mark, and connection to invite him were helped by the fact that Mark and several CDT members went to seminary together!

Mark opened his presentation with some of the hard realities facing the church, such as fewer members, problems in world and community to which the church feels led to respond, and that not as many people are drawn to the church as they once were. As a result, congregations can feel powerless, anxiously trying to do more with less.

But, Mark went on, there is hope, a future, and with God’s help we can sustain ministry in this time of major change. We may feel broke, but we actually have gifts and resources. He referenced the beginning of his book, of the seeming lack of resources that greeted him when he and his first went to Pres House.

While putting together a big box store desk, a student walked in to learn of the Pres House ministry. Admitting to his guest that at the time there wasn’t much, Mark invited him to help them start something new. To accompany a recovering addict in their journey to wellness led to creative ministries. Where once there were few people involved, Pres House now touches the lives of a thousand people a week. Where once there were few financial resources at their disposal, the ministry is now worth millions.

Sunday Worship remains central to the Christian faith, but mission, possible at all hours of the week, has the power to transformlives in variety of ways, and there are sustainable way to pay for it.

The offering plate is no longer sustainable in many ministry settings, and so it necessary to find new means of stewardship. With estimates that a third of church buildings in the country will be sold and transitioned into non-church use, the forthcoming Gone for Good offers insight into how churches can faithfully live into this new reality.

Importantly, Mark reminded listeners that people showing up is not a measure of impact. Not many coming doesn’t mean things aren’t happening. People are not connecting with what churches have traditionally offered, and fewer want to attend those traditional forms of church. But comparing the church today to the once-giant Blockbuster, people still want to watch TV and movies, but they aren’t looking for VCR tapes and DVDs when streaming is now available. The rise of “Spiritual but Not Religious” as a category shows faith and spirituality are still important. Additionally, the number of people volunteering and contributing to society speaks to the power of what we in the church call “mission.” These things are still vital, but the way the church tends to “package” them is less effective.

This is particularly challenging when it is so easy to compare ourselves to the mid-20th century, when so many people were going to church, and actively participating. As a result, huge churches were built and many programs developed. The post-World War II era, however, was an anomaly in the entire history of the Christian church. Too often the church of today compares itself to a very abnormal time, instead of what has generally been true for the Christian church.

The situation may feel bleak, but all is not gloom and doom. There are many different ways to use the church building, and collectively there are enormous resources at the church’s disposal, both in people with their gifts and talents, and financial and property assets. “There is more money in the church right now than ever before — how do we put those assets to work?” Mark asks.

A church or presbytery has to do the work to get over its fears and the tendency to be risk-averse. This is a cultural issue, not a church-specific one, but it holds the church back from acting boldly. Moreover, we need conversation-partners and big thinkers to inspire and challenge us.

A recording of the video is available below.

Those attending were also made aware of a variety of online resources, including:

Mark Elsdon       https://www.melsdon.com/

Rooted Good      www.rootedgood.org

https://www.rootedgood.org/post/what-about-taxes-a-guide-for-churches-starting-to-generate-revenue

https://www.rootedgood.org/good-futures