By Rev. James W. Moss, Sr.

Chuck and Penelope Shrine attended Smithfield Church regularly for a decade. Chuck sang in the choir. Penelope served on the Church Council. They began to miss a Sunday a month, then two, then three, and finally, after eighteen months, they were gone. Pastor Jacob Milden has a simple answer for his elders, "Chuck and Penelope are no longer interested in a close relationship with God or spiritual things!"

Many blame the people who stop attending or lose interest in their church. The burden of responsibility is placed on the absentees. However, much responsibility for drop-outs must be born by their church. Absentees are hurting people. They believe the church has failed to meet their needs. It matters not whether you believe they are receiving appropriate ministry. If someone stops attending your church or a new family begins to attend and then doesn’t stay, it’s not their problem, it’s the church’s.

Chuck and Penelope were going through an extended period of personal problems. The real root of their problems was the building frustration brought on by the increasing pressure Chuck encountered at work. Penelope’s pain was rooted in Chuck’s hurting. Both had sent verbal signals to the pastor and key members. One didn’t have to be extremely sensitive or observant to recognize the tension in the Shrine’s lives. A church, consciously or unconsciously, controls its make-up by eliminating undesired people through refusal to provide ministry.

It was the Shrine’s perception that all their pleas had been ignored. One day Chuck said to Penelope, "No one has paid attention to our pain. I wonder if they’ll miss us if we’re gone?" Pastor Milden didn’t call or visit. No other members of the church made any contacts with the family over the eighteen months it took them to drop out. Finally, the Shrine’s made a conscious decision to give no more money to Smithfield Church. They no longer considered themselves part of the church.

The story of Chuck and Penelope Shrine has been repeated countless thousands of times across America in the past decade.

(Implementing a "Bulletin Ministry" in your church)

The bulletin ministry begins by carefully recording individual worship attendance. A worship attendance log may be prepared on a computer with the names of everyone who attended worship in the last year. Persons would then carefully and quietly record attendance of all who were present.

A bulletin with a hand-written note is sent to any household that had no members present on that Sunday. The note is essential. A bulletin without a note loses about 80% of its impact. The note must be positive and should indicate something personal. It should imply the message was written only for them. This adds the personal touch. The person writing the note should sign it.

Carefully record who has been sending bulletins and who has been receiving them.

The bulletins are only discontinued upon the request of the recipient or when they have received bulletins for a full year without any member responding. Should a person receive a bulletin with a note even if you know they are sick or on vacation? Yes! Everyone who is absent receives a bulletin, regardless of the cause of absence.

Recruit persons who can write very positive notes to assist in this ministry.

How did the good shepherd know that there were only 99 sheep in the fold? He counted them! Not only did he know that a sheep was missing, he knew which sheep. Good shepherds not only know that sheep are missing, they know which sheep and go in search of them.

(This article appeared in the "Winter, 1996-97" issue of "The Herald.")