Meeting a Growing Challenge

Mary MacGregor, Leadership Development, Diocese of Texas

Fast fading from our churches are the faithful servants who willingly took on altar guild responsibilities, week in and week out with little expectation of being recognized or thanked. What has changed? Where are the faithful servants willing to fill the ranks?

American culture has changed at a dramatically faster pace than any time in our history. We now have five living generations due to the longest life spans ever. Each generation’s values have been greatly shaped by the economic and cultural pressures they experienced, particularly in their formative years.

The oldest among us were highly influenced by the Great Depression, World Wars, a simpler life style and predictable life expectations. Today, young adults have life choices their great grandparents never dreamed possible. The pace of life, extreme material wealth, sophisticated technology, and the emotional pain resulting from broken families have profoundly affected them. The three generations in between have demonstrated unique behaviors and values shaped by formative years, too.

What does all this have to do with the fact that it is getting more difficult than ever to find new persons willing to serve in our altar guilds? Research on the differences of living generations has uncovered some trends. The oldest among us will still volunteer at church but only for activities in which they are most interested, because they have less mobility and energy. Throughout their lives, they have often volunteered out of a sense of obligation, willing to participate in activities with out defined responsibilities or time limits.

Persons born between 1945 and 1964, commonly called “Boomers,” resist long terms and seek defined commitments of a year or less. The two youngest generations of adults, commonly called “Busters” or “Millennials,” prefer very short-term commitments of three months to a year.

What are the time commitments required of persons participating in your altar guild? Do members have a chance to rotate out of the ministry gracefully without having to “quit”? Are the members commissioned for this ministry, or just brought into the work as volunteers? Does your altar guild director have a limited term of obligation? Are there places for persons to enter altar guild ministry, or is it still being done by the same persons who have faithfully done this work for years?

An extremely thoughtful evaluation of your altar guild ministries should occur annually. New voices with fresh perspectives must be included. The Church is the Body of Christ, and just as a body must continuously create new blood cells, healthy church ministries need to bring in new persons and celebrate their presence.

Passing on ministries and trusting new generations to embrace them is central to the ability to recruit new participants. Younger generations will not participate in ministries if they are not empowered with a voice to help improve the ministry. And finally, younger generations will not participate unless they are personally invited, face-to-face, to do so.

Worship will always be central to the church. The ministry of the altar guild will remain essential. Trust that God will always provide faithful servants to do this work. It is up to us to be sensitive to the changes which will be necessary to maintain this work as a thriving ministry. Pray that God will show you how to invite, encourage, train and develop altar guild members who will cherish this experience to serve God as much as you do.