FROM THE EDITOR
Marshall Shelley
October 1, 1990
Mitch and Brenda were newlyweds, without a church home, when they visited our church. Within a few weeks, they volunteered to assist in children's church, which at the time, my wife was directing. Susan was grateful for their help.
Mitch, a state trooper, made an immediate hit with the kids by modeling his bullet-proof vest to illustrate Susan's lesson on "the full armor of God." Brenda helped prepare the crafts and lead songs.
But beyond their involvement with children's church, Mitch and Brenda didn't seem to find a niche. At our house over dinner one night, they confessed, "We don't like the young marrieds class; the conversations center mostly on their kids, which we can't relate to. And we haven't found many other people or activities that quite fit us."
When Susan's stint in children's church was over, we tried to keep in touch with Mitch and Brenda, but we didn't see them very often. When we asked how they were doing, Brenda would say, "With Mitch's schedule and my work and everything, we don't make it to church much these days." They gradually drifted off.
What had happened? Or more precisely, what had not happened during that year Mitch and Brenda were attending the church?
They hadn't been assimilated.
On the other hand, Doug and Jeri began attending as singles, were married in the church, and plugged into the young marrieds class. They consider their church friends an important part of their lives. What had happened?
They had been assimilated.
Various church leaders define assimilation in different ways: regular attendance at church services, formal membership, becoming active in the church program, assuming some ministry responsibility, or some other indication that a person is truly a part of the church community.
In ...
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