Evangelical denominations increase by 140 churches and 65,000 followers since 2000.

A report issued earlier this month by  ARDA of a religious census taken every 10 years shows that while Minnesota’s population grew by 8% in the past decade the number of Christians actually declined by 7%.

But within that number, a Star Tribune analysis of the census results noted that Catholic and Mainline Protestant churches have seen signficant membership declines while nondenominational and evangelical churches have seen membership growth and an increase in congregations.

Carl Nelson, President of Transform Minnesota  notes that one of the reasons evangelicalism has grown is the emphasis that denominational leaders have placed on starting new churches. “Many evangelical leaders acknowledge the best way to reach new people … is to begin new churches. Established congregations have a more difficult time of reaching new people.”

7 of the top 10 religious traditions that experienced net growth in the past 10 years were evangelical denominations (increase of 64,000 members since 2000) that led the way in starting new congregations (a net increase of 104 churches across 7 evangelical denominations).

Nelson also observed that while Americans in general attend church less often and are leaving Christianity, evangelicals’ teachings that Jesus is who he said he is, and adherence to the Bible as the Word of God is resulting in more followers of Jesus. Evangelicals’ emphasis on teaching an active, personal faith in Jesus that results in a life-style of compassion and service to the common good, combined with preaching that emphasizes Biblical truth and a focus on the supremacy of Christ Jesus is clearly producing spiritual fruit.

Membership Growth From 2000  to 2010

Other factors noted in the Star Tribune analysis of the census were:

• Minnesota had 1.15 million Catholics in 2010, down 8.7 percent from 1.26 million in 2000.
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Minnesota’s second largest denomination, saw membership sink to 737,537, a 13.6 percent decline from 853,448.
• Evangelical Protestants (including 130,263 attenders of Non-denominational churches) totaled 744,910 followers.

The ARDA report acknowledged that it lacked accurate data about attendance and number of congregation for Black Protestant churches.

The ARDA census included members and people who regularly attended the church. Another organization, the American Church Report, uses actual church attendance (and not membership rolls) to measure church growth or decline. That report (linked here) shows that 8% attended an Evangelical church, 7% attended Catholic church and 6% attended a Mainline Protestant church (and included Black Protestant as Evangelical).

The 2012 CCDA National Conference will be held in Minneapolis – St. Paul September 26-30, and people accepted as volunteers are able to attend the conference for just $49 (normal registration is $214).

Approximately 200 volunteers are needed, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all slots are filled. To apply as a volunteer go to the CCDA 2012 conference website at ccda.org/reconcile2012 and click on “volunteer” or inquire at volunteer@ccda.org.

Volunteers must be able to serve at least 10 hours immediately before, during or following the conference. The conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

Volunteer Roles

Priority will be given to volunteers who possess needed skills for specific areas of service:

• Childcare needs volunteers with current background checks and experience caring for kids
• Transportation needs volunteers from the Twin Cities who have a valid driver’s license and are willing to donate the use of their vehicle and gas; these volunteers must be punctual and flexible; they must know their way around MSP airport and Minneapolis
• Registration needs volunteers who work calmly and quickly under pressure and who are able to retain a lot of information in a short amount of time; accuracy is key in this role; preference will be given to volunteers who have served in CCDA’s registration before
• Workshops need volunteers who are comfortable making introductions to a room of their peers; separately, tech-savvy individuals are needed to augment the Audio-Visual staff (helping presenters with PowerPoint and tech setup)

About CCDA

The Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) is a network of Christians committed to seeing people and communities wholistically restored. We believe that God wants to restore us not only to right relationship with Himself but also with our own true selves, our families and our communities. Not just spiritually, but emotionally, physically, economically, and socially. Not by offering mercy alone, but by undergirding mercy with justice.

Many of us have a deep sense that the world is not as it should be. Broken relationships. Divided communities. Poverty and violence in our neighborhoods . . .

The good news is that God longs to work through us to help restore things to the way they were intended to be. In the language of the Old Testament, this wholeness is called shalom—a state where nothing is missing and nothing is broken.

CCDA History

The roots of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) stretch back to 1960 when CCDA Founder, John Perkins (along with his wife, Vera Mae) relocated their family to the struggling community of Mendenhall, Mississippi to work with the people there. The Perkinses devoted thirty-five years to living out the principles of Christian Community Development in Mississippi and California, leaving behind ministries and churches that are now headed by indigenous Christian leaders.

In 1989, Dr. Perkins called together a group of Christian leaders from across America who were bonded by one significant commitment, expressing the love of Jesus in America’s poor communities. Not at arm’s length, but at the grassroots level. An association was formed, and CCDA held its first annual conference in Chicago in 1989.

Coming Together is a leadership conference in Minneapolis – St. Paul for pastors, ministry leaders and volunteers, designed to equip local churches and organizations to create healthy, multi-ethnic communities and to provide opportunities to bridge the divides that separate us.

To learn more go to the conference website at www.ComingTogetherTC.org

Connecting & equipping faith-based communities to support service members, veterans and their families.

The Minnesota National Guard, in partnership with the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, is pleased to invite representatives of denominational and faith‐based organizations from around Minnesota to a one‐day Summit focused on practical approaches for providing care and support to service members, veterans, and their families.

You will learn about military/veteran culture, the Guard’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program, and suicide prevention. You will have opportunities to network with leaders and get involved on a personal, congregational, and community level.

See Flier: MN Guard Clergy Summit
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Leaders, staff, volunteers, and community members from denominational and faithbased organizations from anywhere in Minnesota.
REGISTER ONLINE
Registration site: www.wciconferences.com/minnesota‐2012
There is no cost for this training, but please register by June 4 to guarantee your space.
Questions? Please contact Chaplain John Morris at
John.Joseph.Morris@us.army.mil or 651‐282‐4291.

Wess Stafford at Evangelical Leaders Forum

Listen to Wess Stafford at Evangelical Leaders Forum with Transform Minnesota.

Dr. Stafford is President of Compassion International, speaking at Transform Minnesota’s Evangelical Leaders Forum on April 26, 2012 in Minneapolis – St. Paul. In his message he shared 10 leadership lessons he has learned in his lifetime of serving people in poverty.

The Evangelical Leaders Forum is an annual event presented by Transform Minnesota, to allow evangelical pastors and leaders to come together as one body for inspiration, fellowship and learning.

We are pleased to have the partnership of Bethel University to sponsor the 2012 Evangelical Leaders Forum featuring Wess Stafford.

Dr. Jay Barnes, President - Bethel University

Carl Nelson, Transform Minnesota

Guests at Evangelical Leaders Forum

The National Association of Evangelicals has prepared a Pastoral Letter seeking to provide guidance to evangelical Protestants in dealing with these challenges. The letter provides several principles for making decisions about pastoral ministry.

1. All human beings are created in the image of God
2. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
3. As Americans we exercise our First Amendment rights.
4. Pastoral ministry to those who are not married.
5. Mutual support in ministry conviction.

Click here to read letter: Pastoral Letter on Marriage Relationships Ministry

Schelli Cronk, Director of Operations

Schelli Cronk has been appointed to a new role of Director of Operations of Transform Minnesota. In this new role she will lead our Administrative Department and its staff, and have full responsibility to manage & direct all services  provided to our Affiliate Ministries.

As part of this role Schelli will continue to serve as Director of Human Resources (overseeing personnel policies and employment matters) as well as the Director of Member Services (supporting Transform Minnesota’ program activities for churches and ministries).

Schelli has worked for Transform Minnesota for nearly 5 years managing donation processing, coordinating special events and serving as Human Resources Director. Over the past year she has assumed more and more administrative responsibilities within the department.

This change is being made to allow Carl Nelson to focus more attention on board-directed priorities of growing the evangelical network, leading programs and initiatives serving our constituents and fundraising.

Transform Minnesota is the parent organization of three large ministries, and provides all of the “back office” administrative support for Damascus Way Reentry Center, New Life Family Services and World Relief Minnesota.

1. The One God Who is Three Persons in an Eternal Agape-Love Relationship
2. The Primary Job Description of Human Beings is to Live as the “Image” of God in this World
3. The “One Flesh” Relationship of the Male-Female Marriage Covenant is a Unique Expression of the “Image” of God
4. Human Sexual Intimacy as the God-Ordained “Sign” of the Male-Female Marriage Covenant
5. Kingdom Sex: Moving From Theology to Practical Questions:

Dr. Paul Eddy, is the Professor of Biblical & Theological Studies at Bethel University and Teaching Pastor at Woodland Hills Church

Kingdom Sex: A Trinitarian Theology of Human Sexuality