Q: We seem to have three issues that resurface year after year: the length and placement of announcements in the service, our baptism policy for those who don’t attend regularly and finding volunteers for committees and events. What can we do?

A: You have just named the top three recurrent issues in churches. Here are my answers after decades of dealing with them.

Announcements: I think the best time is before the last hymn. That way, folks don’t feel like commercials are setting the tone for worship. If you have a lot of announcements or a person who loves to make long detailed announcements, give them a time limit and enforce it. Intercede when they pause for a breath, thank them and move to the next.

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• To survive, the United Church must let go of the past and welcome what’s next

Baptism: You can make all the policies you want and have parents jump through the hoops. But if all they want is to have their child baptized, then there is nothing you can do to get them to commit to regular attendance. For those parents, baptism is about doing the right thing for their child and that’s it. I know it’s frustrating, but it’s about grace. Be generous and leave the rest to God.

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Volunteers: The truth is, we are simply running out of people who are interested in volunteering for traditional church. So drop those parts that you struggle to staff. Instead, invite people into enacting a living vision for the church’s future and into outreach that is impactful.

My last words as the author of this column are these: our job as churches is to change and save human lives. Blessings as you do that.

***

Rev. Christopher White is a United Church minister in Hamilton. Do you have a query for Question Box? Email christopher.white143@gmail.com.

This article first appeared in Broadview’s April/May 2025 issue with the title “Save This Response to 3 Evergreen Problems.”

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