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By Bishop Robert Schnase

The word 'fruitfulness' keeps surfacing in church conversations these days. Scripture is ripe with references to fields and harvests, vines and branches, stumps and shoots, trees and figs. Indeed, the image of fruitfulness gives us a powerful language for understanding effective ministry.

What is the fruitfulness God expects of us and of our churches? Fruitfulness can take many forms. But we must be clear about the fundamental change we seek to make in human life through our ministry. The most important fruits are growing, vibrant congregations that are changing lives through Jesus Christ.

I was asked recently to imagine how the church would be different in five years if all our goals, hopes and aspirations came to pass. I realized these hopes could be made clear in very basic terms -- churches with more people, younger people and more diverse people.

More people. For some reason, we often hesitate to express this so directly. But if we believe that the Christian faith can help people grow in relationship to God, if we believe it can make a difference in the world, why would we not hope that more people experience the faith?

I pray for more people worshipping God in churches and homes; more people studying God?s word in classes and retreats; more people offering themselves in service and mission to others locally and around the world; more people speaking out for justice and on behalf of the vulnerable.

Younger people. Imagine a church that decides reaching younger people is vital. We must become intentional about adapting all our ministries and our methods to become more relevant and helpful to younger people.

Would God have it any other way than for us to give our hearts full of Christ?s love to those in succeeding generations?

More diverse people. So many congregations no longer match the communities they serve. Recently, a church discovered that nearly 10 percent of households in its community were headed by single mothers. But single moms comprised only about one percent of the congregation.

Knowing just that much information gives us a clear notion of how God might be calling that church to focus its ministry with greater intentionality toward single moms. The more a congregation slips away from matching the community it serves ? in terms of median age, ethnic diversity, income, and educational levels ? the more it turns in on itself and the smaller its impact for the purposes of Christ.

In many places, the challenges of expanding ministry are great. But remembering the Parable of the Sower, let us pray for those places where the ground is hard, the weeds are thick, and the rocks are real. Let us pray for those places where soil is good and the conditions are ripe, that pastors and laity may see the opportunities God entrusts to us. Let us pray that in every place, pastors and congregations may see possibilities and people whom God calls us to serve. And finally, let us pray that we may trust the ultimate end of the story in which the hundredfold harvest is promised as we work faithfully with an eye toward fruitfulness for the purposes of Christ.

Bishop Robert Schnase is resident bishop of the Missouri Area of the United Methodist Church. He may be reached at