Congregation

The congregation of Palermo United Church consists mainly of long-term residents of the Palermo area, their adult and grandchildren who have moved away from the area, as well as a few new residents to the Palermo community.  Most who attend worship at Palermo no longer live in the area.  The average age in the congregation is in the mid fifties to early sixties.  This being said, there is a handful of families with younger children.  Over the last year, six people (two couples one of which has two children, and two single individuals) who have moved into the new subdivisions have joined the ranks of the church.  Unfortunately, men are under-represented in this congregation.  While this congregation might be small in number, there is a handful of key leaders who are very committed to seeing Palermo United Church grow into a strong and thriving community of faith.  Overall, the church is looking to change so that it can grow (spiritually, numbers-wise, service) and it is looking for the right leader to help facilitate this.

 

            In terms of church life, attendance prior to 2005 averaged around 15-20 people on Sunday with 2-5 children in Sunday School.  Since then, attendance has averaged 20-25 people on Sunday with no change in Sunday School attendance.  Other than Sunday worship and UCW meetings, prior to 2005 there were no spiritual formation programs in place (such as Bible Study).  The church held a number of dinners throughout the year 2005 that acted both as a time of fellowship and as fundraisers.  Special services, like a Christmas Carol evening and Sunday School Picnic, were also held.  In due time, a Bible Study, an Alpha program, and a Meditative Prayer group were introduced.  Each program was well attended.  In all, 14 different people have participated in some kind of spiritual formation program and they have logged 402 hours of faith formation since January of 2005.  The order of service for worship was reviewed and slight changes were made.  Liturgically, the congregation now follows the lectionary and the different seasons of the church year are more formally observed.  The different church dinners and social events continue to be held.  Palermo United participated in the “Church Tours” event last October.  In addition, the church has committed to being a major site for the 200-year celebration of Trafalgar Township that will be held in the fall of 2006.  

 

            In terms of outreach initiatives, the church spent the summer of 2005 developing marketing materials that would be dropped off in the new local neighborhoods.  In time, about 6,000 families will be moving within a 2 km radius of Palermo United.  It is this massive influx of people that will, it is hoped, help Palermo United grow.  Going door-to-door at the end of September 2005, congregants greeted 500 new households in the area just south of the church and offered them an information package on Palermo United and the community.  Another door-to-door visitation to 500 homes was done again on November 26^th, 2005 .  At least three door-to-door visitations are being planned for the year 2006 with the most recent taking place prior to Easter.

In addition to this, Palermo has it’s own website so that newcomers can learn about the church in a non-threatening way (anonymously through the net).  In October 2005, congregants joined local residents in planting 200 new trees in a local neighborhood on the east side of Palermo .

 

All of this change has been difficult, especially on the more senior congregants, but there is a strong consensus that things must change in this congregation or else an inevitable closure will follow.