Growing Younger: Welcoming Families into the Local Church

Front Cover
ReSource, Apr 30, 2015 - Religion - 134 pages

For many local churches the big question is ‘how can we attract families to our church?’ Nationally child attendance is in decline, and the average age of our congregations is rising. This book is the result not just of the author's own experience in ministry but of wide-ranging consultation all over the UK, and it includes many stories from churches which have found the key to growth. Drawing on his previous background in management consultancy, Roger Morgan identifies a number of simple steps that can be taken by any church wishing to grow younger.

From inside the book

Contents

Introduction
5
Safeguarding children
12
Start from where you are
13
Time for something new
17
Listen
19
Decide on a leader
22
Form a core team
27
A period of research and experimentation
31
Launching the new programme
74
All age services
76
Sunday schools
84
Outreach events for families
88
Small groups for parents
97
Social action projects
100
Ministry to young adults without children
103
Ministry to Dads
107

Targeting
34
Team meetings
39
The new programme
41
A proposal for the church council
48
Times and places
50
Identifying founder members
60
Baptisms
62
Church schools
67
Primary schools which are not church schools
72
Ministry to primary age children
110
Ministry to secondary age children Years 69
112
Ministry to secondary age children Years 1013
116
Ministry to mothers of preschool children
119
Ministry to mothers with primary age children
123
How to renew the church community
124
Useful books
132
Copyright

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About the author (2015)

Formerly a mathematician in the Engineering Department and head of the Management Studies department at Cambridge University, Canon Roger Morgan has spent 24 years in parish ministry, serving first as vicar of St Columba’s, Corby and then as vicar of Holy Trinity, Leicester. Whilst in Cambridge Roger built up a ministry among both students and townspeople, and worked in partnership with Daniel Cozens of Through Faith Missions, planning and leading parish missions all over the country. During his time at Holy Trinity Roger built up a staff team of 10, planted a new church, developed a multimedia outreach programme called Questions, and established a network of cell groups involving over 600 people. After leaving Leicester Roger worked with the UK charity ReSource. He is now the Director of the Mathetes Trust. Roger is a Life Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Roger is married to Alison, also a well known author.

 

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