Prayer for a small church

[c_scherer123]

I am worried about the church I attend, and since prayer is always the first line. Please send out a prayer for the church I am attending.
I live in a remote farming town of 3000 people and 12 churches, many in the area are immigrants and are not Christian. All of the churches in this area have problems with few people showing up.
This church in particular has about 35 regular members. The scary part is that if you don't count the one lady's 3 children, I am the youngest person in that church and I am 26. About 7 of us, including the 3 children, are under 60, half are over 70.
Please send a prayer for God to guide us.

 

[Brad Huber]

The ages of the sheep is less important than who the sheep follow. I assume you worry about the continuity of the church with most of them over 70 and not enough young people to make it continue. Perhaps you should speak to the pastor about this and see if he has a desire for outreach to bring others into the fold, versus just feeding the sheep there. Praying for you sister.

 

[c_scherer123]

Thanks for your prayers. Yes, the continuity worries me. In the last 3 years, we have had one new member while 2 have moved away and 2 have passed away.
Our last pastor retired and moved away about 3 years, and we finally got our new ones in January, a husband & wife team who are on a 2 year term (simply because we aren't sure we have enough money to pay them past that point).
I am also praying for God to guide them.
I have spoken to them and they have been worried since they arrived. They have a few plans, such as bible studies like Alpha, but with so few members we lack volunteers to help make bigger plans work.

For the word "outreach", I am not sure I completely understand how you are using the term as I have never heard it used from a church perspective before.
Is it anything to involve someone in the community in some sense in hopes they will come to Jesus and God and join the church? Or am I off the mark?

 

[Brad Huber]

There is two types of feeding involved in outreach (reaching out to others in the community), one to people who are already christians but looking for a new church, and the other is non christians who need to need seeds sown into their hearts and hope to reap salvation to them and get them involved in the church. The second option is more important than the first, but they can both help in your situation.

 

[amadeus2]

I am praying for your little church. God is able to accomplish wonders, but He does expect something from us as well. Don't become weary in well doing.

 

[c_scherer123]

Thanks for your prayers.
Brad, thanks for clarifying. It makes sense now that you explained it.

amadeus2, you are right. God often wants us to try, and then either helps out or does it for us.
I try to do my best. I was asked to take over Sunday School when the original lady moved away (we have a 5, 3, and 1 year old all from one family). I am trying to do my best with them, asking God to guide my every lesson.
No one has time to look after the flower garden (or in most cases, they are not physically able to), and when God asked me to do it, I started caring for it (although God has been a great help, sending the rain and causing the right plants to sprout in the right places from plants that self seed every year). I find that I am enjoying caring for the garden more than I thought I would.

So many things to do to keep a church in good repair and running, and so few people.

The new pastors are trying to think of ways to involve the community, especially the younger people. But it is hard to get people to return, many go/return to other churches after the first visit. This church is... how can I say this? It is a church set up with a heavy focus on the older generation, which is great for the elderly. But it is hard to get members unless they are also looking for a slow paced church or are called very deliberately by God (as I was).

Any ideas on how to reach out in a small community? Or ways to shift our focus for all age groups?

Although I am not sure how much I want to push the changing idea in my church, the current members are used to how things are done (and prefer this setup) and don't want to anything to change. When I pray to God to ask if He wants us to change anything and what He wants us to change, I am getting an odd "silence", as if I am not the one who is supposed to make those changes.

As the years go by, there are fewer and fewer members.
Not too sure what to do at this point besides pray, and help out as needed, until God calls.

Sorry for the long post. There is no one to really discuss this with, and perhaps someone has some good ideas.