How does a church grow and adapt in a changing world? It’s a question Soddy United Methodist and other small churches need to answer, said Soddy UMC Pastor Todd Kingrea.
To help, Soddy UMC is hosting “A Hope & A Future Weekend” Sept. 15 and 16. The free event invites members of the community, regardless of their denomination or what church they attend, to start a dialogue about how regional churches can continue to grow.
The event will feature guest speaker Eddie Hammett, an author and religious speaker who specializes in the issues Kingrea said he wants to address, such as growing a church without alienating an aging but established congregation.
“These are conversations we need to start having,” Kingrea said. “Soddy United Methodist is a fairly small church with a predominantly older congregation, and there’s quite a few churches in our immediate area that are similar.”
While churches don’t want to overlook their older congregants, he said, reaching a younger generation should be a top priority.
Soddy United Methodist Church has hosted large events before, such as holiday dinners and vacation Bible schools, but Pastor Todd Kingrea said the church has never hosted something as big as he hopes the “Hope & A Future Weekend” will be. (Contributed Photo)Kingrea said the goal for the weekend is for local congregations to come out of it hopeful and enthusiastic about the possibilities for how their church can grow and reach new audiences.
Soddy UMC has around 275 people on the membership roll, and Kingrea’s Sunday services average around 70 to 80 attendees, numbers he believes are similar to other local churches.
“I think the possibility of more churches partnering across denominational lines might be good,” he said. “I also think we’re going to have to get out of the church building more. If we want to attract younger families and young folks, more ministry may start happening at the coffee shops and restaurants of our community.”
Although the weekend won’t have a “magic bullet” answer, Kingrea said he’s eager to see what the community can come up with.
For more information and to register, visit soddyumc.org or call Vicki Hardesty at 331-3960. The church is located at 255 Depot St. in Soddy-Daisy.