THE WORD FROM RICK – “Following Up, Part 2”

Last week, I shared some extended information from my report to the February 6 presbytery meeting, and this week, I want to offer a little bit more. In this week’s “Follow Up,” I want to again share some of what Lillian Daniel, senior minister of the First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn, United Church of Christ, shared with us at the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) event in Chicago last month.

Lillian is the author of When “Spiritual But Not Religious” Is Not Enough – Seeing God in Surprising Places, Even the Church. Her presentation was part of the event’s overall theme – “God’s New Thing: See It! Hear It! Live It,” and as part of her presentation, we spoke with us about the growing number of “Nones” that are present in our society.

The “Nones” have become a shorthand that is being used to refer to people who self-identify as atheists or agnostics, as well as those who say their religion is “nothing in particular.” According to a 2015 Pew Research Study, “Nones” now make up roughly 23% of the U.S. adult population – an increase from a similar Pew Research Study, done in 2007 when 16% of Americans were “Nones.” The researchers further noted that during this same eight-year period, Christians have fallen from 78% to 71% of the U.S. population, and that the growth of the “Nones” is being fueled by those born between 1981 and 1996.

Daniel reminded us that we have always had the “Nones” among us, but we have not serious addressed their presence among us, perhaps believing that it was only a matter of time before they found their way into the faith community. However, that has not been the case, and in recent years, as they have become more numerous and more visible, they become a segment of our society that we cannot ignore.

Daniel suggested that there are four kinds of “Nones.” She labelled them as the:

“No Way” “No Longer” “Never Have” “Not Yet”

She explained that the “No Way Nones” are those who are angry at the church and religion. Something happened in their life’s experience that turned them away. The “No Longer” folks most likely made it through confirmation, probably at the insistence of parents, grandparents, or someone else, and seeing that as a “graduation ritual,” exiting believing that they had fulfilled all the expectations. “Never Haves” are most likely the offspring of the “No Longers” and “No Ways,” and influenced by their experiences. The “Not Yets” are those who are most likely seeking the experience and relationship the church has to offer, but have yet to either have someone seriously reach out, or to have taken the first step themselves.

Daniel told us that what those who characterize themselves as religious “Nones,” particularly the “Not Yets,” really care and want to hear about is God. They really do want to know who Jesus is, but instead of responding to their questions, she said, we “Protestants tend to send them to membership classes or invite them to join committees.” That I believe is not what will lead many of the “Nones” to beat down our doors.

We were charged by Daniel, as the church, to be “rigorous, reasonable, and real” in order to reach the “Nones” more effectively. We are:

  • To be rigorous because formation (faith development) matters;
  • To be reasonable because “just because we’re not fundamentalist doesn’t mean we can’t talk about what we believe and what we don’t believe"; and,
  • To be real with prayer requests that can include everything.

To understand what Daniel was trying to express, I came across a 2013 interview in which she said, “In my own leadership, I strive for a religious life that is reasonable, rigorous, and real. Reasonable in that you are not expected to leave your brain out on the sidewalk when you come into church. Rigorous in that it actually requires something of you, like contributing time, talent and even treasure to the mission, and even harder, involved worshipping something other than yourself. And real, in that it acknowledges that we are human beings, with sexualities, mental illnesses, financial worries, family problems, and all that should be acknowledged in the life of faith.”

We are surrounded by “Nones,” just like Paul and the First Century Church. They found a way to engage people in that age, and so must we in this age. How our congregations respond to their presence in our communities will go a long to determining what our faith communities will look like in the future. Lillian Daniel finished by suggesting that “The ‘Nones’ are going to change the church, either by their presence or their absence.” How will we invite and engage their presence? Indeed, it is a thought for us to ponder . . . and upon which to act.

Grace and Peace to you all,

Rick