How a traditional church can grow again

I’m overwhelmed at the response to last week’s blog post, Why Traditional Churches Should Stick with Traditional Worship. As of today you’ve shared it more than 38,000 times on Facebook. My comments at Church for Men have lit up.

But a few of you have written to say, “We’re a traditional church – and we’re dying. We’ve tried various things but nothing works. What can we do differently?”

If you’ve got 14 minutes, I’d like to show you the answer.

Two years ago I produced a short documentary about a traditional mainline church in a small Midwestern town that has found a way to grow again – without abandoning its traditions.

At first glance this church would seem to be stuck in the 1960s. They play hymns on an organ. No praise band. The pastor wears the robe and stole. They use liturgy, sing the doxology and recite the Apostles’ Creed. There are candles, pews and stained glass.

And yet this church is growing by about 10 percent a year. The nursery is bursting with children. Their median age is 42 – compared to 57 in the rest of their denomination. They recently expanded their sanctuary and parking lots and added a third service to accommodate the crush of people. Their outreach to the community is broadening.

How has this little church found vitality? Click here or on the image below to watch the 14-minute documentary. And please, share it with your friends. (If you’d like to order it on DVD to show at your church, please click here)

David Murrow is the author of the bestselling book, Why Men Hate Going to Church. David’s books have sold more than 175,000 copies in 12 languages. He speaks to groups around the world about Christianity’s persistent gender gap. He lives in Alaska with his wife of 30 years, professional silk artist Gina Murrow. Learn more about David at his Web site, www.churchformen.com, or join the conversation on his Facebook page, www.facebook.com/churchformen. Don’t forget to share this page by clicking on the links below, or scroll down and leave a comment (right below those annoying ads that pay for this blog).