(Note: the blue horizontal menu bar directly above lists the subsections of "Your Congregation's Inner Life." Be sure to read each of these subsections before moving on to the next primary section, "Your Congregation's Public Profile.")

Your Congregation's Inner Life: Clues to Character

Even before the worship begins, you, the participant-observer, have gathered a long list of leads. All of these are routes into the congregation's inner life. The neo-Gothic building, the music by Bach, and the predominance of northern European complexions suggest that this congregation might have certain ethnic origins. The affluent neighborhood and the professional demeanor of the people present indicate something about its socioeconomic setting. Rich vestments, a processional cross, and the fact that the Lutheran Book of Worship is the only worship resource in the pew rack are clues about Faith's liturgical orientation.

The fact that the pastor personalizes the beginning of worship with a greeting and then conveys important news about members suggests that individuals play an important role in Faith's life, and that it is important to be known here, especially by the pastor. The full schedule of meetings and the carefully printed bulletin are indicators that order matters, and that this congregation is a busy place that tries to meet many needs. There are clues to the congregation's priorities in its array of musical resources and in its appeal for canned goods. The flowers and ushers are signals of a certain gentility and decorum.

Each of these clues can help you unlock the distinctive character of a congregation. They are signs of traditions and practices that the congregation has made its own. You move from your role as participant-observer to historian when you begin to ask how these things came to be. Why the Gothic architecture? Was the congregation originally all German, or were its leaders fans of the American neo-Gothic movement that overwhelmed church architecture in the first half of the 20th century? Why the bell tower with no bells? And whose idea was it to marry modem recording technology with this architecture so that the sound of the church bells could be heard without real bells and without the skilled, committed ringers they require?

Why did the congregation build on this piece of property? Was the idea to create a presence in this community—and did the strategy work? When did Faith get its processional cross, and why did the wheelchair ramp get built five years ago? As you begin to ask about changes over time—Have we always worshiped like this? When did the social action committee come into existence? Is Pastor Schmidt the first female pastor?—patterns and characteristics of the congregation's inner life begin to come into view. As you follow the various routes and as you struggle to fit together what you learn on these routes, Faith Church begins to take on its own distinctive character.

Augstana Synod Founders, Rockford, Illinois (1885)