One-On-One Outreach Needed

Dear Editor,

The Times has reported sparse attendance at local public school renovation and maintenance information meetings. Churches increasingly are dealing with the same thing: low attendance. Does it mean that no one cares? No, it doesn't. Some people really don't, but oth- ers simply are not following the conventional rules about civic participation, as was the case in past generations. This is not your grandmother's church nor your grandfa- ther's public school. This is not 1975.

According to last week's Times story on Dayton High School's proposed renova- tion, the small group that did show up to an informa- tion meeting two weeks ago proposed some creative so- lutions to "getting the word out": mass mailings, surveys, web postings, etc. These are merely updated versions of conventional methods. They still require the constituent to access the information, like showing up to a meeting. Most people won't. Mass mailings are junk mail. Sur- veys are impersonal. Why access a web site with facili- ties improvement data when there are more attractive things to do?

As the community of faith has always known (but not always effectively practiced), outreach is best done one person at a time. This costs no money, but it is costly. It requires persons with vision to spend the time and energy necessary to sit down with others, face-to-face; practice respect and genuine interest; build rapport and establish trust; listen and discern real needs; and find new partners in a vision of renewed educa- tion. This kind of thing takes time. The fundraising system as it now stands doesn't allow us the time. We're always playing catch up.

Neither Church nor School, as conventional insti- tutions, will find true renewal until there is a shift from data sharing to personal relationships. I'm convinced that it is the only language that will speak now. The lack of re- lationship and genuine connection in our communities is precisely why we see the social and family problems we do. We can't really afford to approach the updating of buildings as a separate issue from the question of what it means to be a community in the first place. If the institu- tion behaves as if it were an end in itself (facilities reno- vation always runs that risk), it will become more and more irrelevant in the eyes of citizens.

The older the system is, the more necessary it is to go back to square one. Who are we? Why do we live to- gether? What is our mission?

Michael Ferrians

Pastor, Christian Church ofWaitsburg