Dear Service Reps:

Yet another survey announcing the rise of the nones, those who when asked their religious affiliation on a survey check the box marked "None". Because I am a pastor, most of the articles that come my way are laments over this rising tide of irreligiousness. FPCLG is not the only religious institution with a glorious future behind us; even mega-churches are on the decline, and there’s no shortage of finger pointing regarding the cause for abandonment. But my musing this Monday is not about the loss of faith-based brand-loyalty in America; I’m thinking instead about what made religious affiliation so important in the first place.

As more people choose to be non-aligned when asked about their religion, I suspect that decision has more to do with the institution than it does the church. It’s been a slippery slope for many years. We invite people to church with the deep motivation to maintain our economies of scale. We need more people because institutional maintenance requires a certain quorum of participation to remain viable, which has something to do with keeping the lights on and paying the pastor. Sadly, we overlook the more significant reason for people to arrive—the deep human need to be loved, to be whole and to belong.

I’m impressed by the number of commercials that tell me how much I need the product, some solving problems I didn’t know I had until the advertisement explained just how sad my life was without this gizmo. Imagine how successful a product would be if it was addressing a problem I know I have. Suggesting religious decline is a marketing problem may trivialize the issue, but consider Christ’s ministry and how he addressed his prospective followers. In many healing stories, Jesus asks what he can do for them, and they tell him outright that they want to see, to walk, to hear, to speak; they want to be whole. Who is not included in the call, “Come unto me all you who labor and are overburdened…”?

We all have friends, families, neighbors who are loosely aligned or non-aligned to a community of faith. We also know how when they express a need, we’re quick with a referral for doctors, barbers, dry cleaners, therapists, financial planners, painters, lawn-care services, tutors, realtors and mechanics; we’re all too happy to be of help. We refer others to the products and services that have been of help to us. Yet when it comes to the simple human need for love and welcome and joy, where is our referral?

The needs of the Nones are not fundamentally different from the rest of humanity, and so the needs of their spirits are still seeking fulfillment. I believe the church of Jesus Christ loses no members; they just reconfigure wherever there is love and grace. Of course, if we are to be that referred-to place, it becomes crucial for us by the Holy Spirit to follow through with service after the sale.

Thinking we’ve got things people need, I remain,

With love,
Jonathan Krogh
Your Pastor