June-July 2026 Newsletter —
Hello Everybody,
On Sunday May 17, we did an impromptu poll of those attending the service and asked everyone to mark down their chronological age. I wanted a snapshot of who shows up based on age. I marked down 69.
The result of this poll was quite revealing. The average age of those attending? I know you’re curious: 67.15. Interesting number, isn’t it? The average age is nearly the same as the age of the minister! Is the reason “birds of a feather flock together” or is it we attract who we are? Although those adages are often true, I think the reason is more complex than that.
People tend to gather where they see others like them. It’s the principle of attraction. To move beyond that tendency requires other factors beyond one’s age group. Not everyone who comes to our church is in the same one. Let me break down the results in greater detail:
Number of attendees in their 20s: 1
Number of attendees in their 30s: 4
Number of attendees in their 40s: 1
Number of attendees in their 50s: 2
Number of attendees in their 60s: 7
Number of attendees in their 70s: 10
Number of attendees in their 80s: 8
Total respondents: 33
Surprised? Shocked? Alarmed? Well, there are a few younger attendees who are comfortable attending the church. I think this is awesome! They have inwardly bridged the age issue and probably come because they resonate with perhaps the music, message, principles, certain people, openness to diversity, other activities, the vibe! I don’t know for certain, but they’re here. But we can count them on just one hand. I say this not to criticize our lack of youthfulness but to simply state the facts, the obvious. We’re an aging church, and let me also say, we are not unique. I frequently attend webinars with church consultants, and the dominant issue is the aging and subsequent diminishing size of congregations and their potential demise. This is what happened to the Unity churches in Decatur and Quincy. They ran out of people.
In years past this ebb and flow process kind of evened itself out. Younger people came and brought their kids and joined in as others moved on. Churches grew or maintained their level of activity. I experienced this in the earlier half of my career. We always had robust youth and family ministries, and although they required effort the outcome was noticeable. Times have changed and we as a congregation need to open ourselves to how we can change to be relevant and current now and ten years ahead.
It has been two and a half years since I arrived as your minister, halfway through my five-year contract, and I thought an assessment of how things are going was a good thing. We continue to work actively and intentionally to reach out to younger generations. Jen Miller, our Youth & Family Ministry Director, has carried the lion’s share of this effort. She can’t do it alone. Thank you to those who are currently working with her! And, for our ministry to grow it is imperative that we each become ambassadors to the next generation of truth seekers who are looking for a ministry that speaks to their hearts. What could that mean? It could start by inviting someone to attend services or other activities with you. It’s a suggestion.
At the end of May our board of trustees will be having our third board retreat, where we will be doing visioning work about our collective future. Please share your ideas with us and, most importantly, hold us in prayer. It helps.
Abundant blessings,
Alden Studebaker
May 21, 2026
