Knock, knock! Last week's CEN carried an article headed "Blame for declining attendance laid at the door of the clergy. "It cost a lot of money (at least as far as my budget is concerned) to tell us much that we might already know or guess. It didn't really leave anybody looking very good.

73% complained that Christan faith wasn't explained properly. ("A lack of apologetics" to be theological.)

80% cited the decline in home visiting and reduced pastoral care.

75% noted how many people who believed in God (the "vague theism" which forms folk religion in this country, perhaps?) thought there were no expectations of behaviour, faith or church attendance.

And as if that wasn't enough then there were problems with the nature of the services themselves - the way they were conducted, the liturgy, the teaching and the fellowship.

Why is this in my mind at the moment? Simple - because I've just been out doing one of those things that is tremendously important, but also near impossible: visiting.

I'm not going to roundly support the old cliche about the visiting pastor making the church-going people, though, because in my experience it isn't true. Or at least not enough to be quoted as the Golden Rule of Pastoral Practice.

I'm not going to deny that I enjoy visiting, either. I do - and not always for the coffe and biscuits that often appear. Visiting can do you good too - it can be a chance to receive from others as much as to give.

I'm thinking more about how difficult it is. Not so much the issue of having the courage to go - although for some that is true. More the fact that you can spend all day trying to visit and find no-one home. Is it any wonder that visiting by clergy has declined when most houses are empty during the day? In my patch the average age of residents is the early-thirties. While it is nice having a congregation and population younger than I am (and I'm still sub-40) this does pose difficulties. If they're not out at work then the chance is that they're off at yet another of the many Childrens and Toddler-related activities. If they are at work many don't even get in till after 8 - and who really wants the vicar to turn up in the evening?

I could go on, but it would look dangerously like whingeing, which isn't really the point. The point is about how we engage with both the church memebers and the rest.

Most, but not all, of the issues raised in the survey seem to come from the point of view of the Church-insiders. That is, they are issues of maintenance rather than mission - of maintaining what we have (in ever dwindling numbers) rather than going fishing and helping folks to realise that Jesus lves them, loves them for a purpose, and that it all matters.

There was some good news to the survey - churches with vision are growing, succesful (choose the words you wish). I have vision. I know where I want to be. All I need to crack now is the way to implement it... and a few faithful folks willing to take the risk in this bold, new venture that is Kings Hill. It may not look to "emergent", or heavy-duty "new way of being church" - but somewhat scarily it is!  ¶ 4:34 pm