Is My Picture Printed Here?

Steve Cummings will lead a listening workshop at Hartsville Pike Saturday, March 9, 2026, 9:00-12:00.

This workshop was designed to help us improve our communication, especially in showing our concern to those who no longer attend services. It’s modeled after the work of Dr. John Savage. He became concerned about people who started missing worship, who had been consistent, faithful members of his congregation.

Contrary to popular opinion, he found that many hadn’t lost their faith in God, they’d lost their connection with the local church. Here is his basic approach summarized:

1. Personal outreach and listening
Savage found that most inactive members reported no one from their church ever asked why they stopped attending. His approach emphasizes intentional, personal contact—especially visits or calls focused on listening more than talking—so people feel genuinely cared about rather than persuaded or judged.

2. Recognize and respond to pain
People often drift away following hurt, disappointment, conflict, or unmet needs. Savage stresses that ministry to those who’ve left begins by acknowledging that pain and being present with it, not avoiding it. Careful listening helps uncover underlying issues and opens the way for reconciliation.

3. Reconciliation over persuasion
The goal of reaching out isn’t just to get someone back to church attendance, but to minister to them in their struggle. Savage argues reconciliation and healing come when someone feels understood and valued, and if that leads them back to church, that’s a positive outcome.

4. Training caring visitors
He encourages churches to train members with listening skills, empathy, and patient follow-up, so they can effectively reach out to those on the “dropout track.” Even a single well-trained visit can significantly increase the chance of someone returning to full participation.

Underlying Philosophy

Savage’s approach isn’t about statistics or attendance numbers, but about valuing each person, addressing their emotional and spiritual wounds, and helping them feel genuinely included and supported. He underscores that loving presence and understanding are central to encouraging someone to re-engage with their faith community.

As I was running Tuesday, February 24, I thought of a parable and composed a song that illustrates the condition we hope to improve as a result of this workshop. I first gave the parable and sang the song during our staff meeting that day.

Parable

I know a person who is a faithful, active, caring, and serving member of the church. This person has been sick for the past few weeks. No one from the church has contacted this person. This person has received no get well cards. No one has brought any food. No one has called or texted.

I then told the person’s name. This member of the congregation has been showered with visits, flowers, calls, get well cards, and food for her husband.

I continue to explain. This sister is a member of another “church.” It’s for people who are “called out” of inactivity and add to a place of regular exercise. She is an active participant in a water aerobics program at a local gym. No one has called her. No one has visited. No one has sent flowers.

There is another parallel. She hasn’t been in her local grocery store in more than two weeks. No one from the grocery store has called her. No one from the grocery store has visited. No one has sent flowers.

Neither she nor her family expected that from the gym or from the grocery store.

However, the same response is often experienced by brothers and sisters in Christ when they began to show a change in interest and involvement in the local church. It’s true they have a responsibility. It’s also true that we have a responsibility to be connected and concerned as much about those people as we are about members of our family who might go missing for even a short period of time.

If a member of our family didn’t come home when we expected them and we didn’t know why, what would we do?

Would we call?

Would ask others to participate in the search?

Would we file a missing person report with the local authorities?

Would we beg and plead our friends to help in the search until these people could be found and brought home safely?

That’s the purpose of this workshop. What is a good approach to those who have gone missing?

I wrote a song during the same run. I want you to know that it is copyrighted. Anyone who shares this song and receives a payment, I expect a generous royalty from each sale.

I think I’m safe on using the tune without violating copyright laws. Here’s what I found: “For new songs (created on or after January 1, 1978), copyright protection on a tune generally lasts for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years.” Barney Warren died April 21,1951. I’m safe by four years, 309 days. I haven’t recorded and distributed it yet. I’m waiting for the best offer from the best recording label.

Here is an a cappella solo of the song.

Is Your Picture Printed Here?
Number 666
Number Six Hundred, Sixty-six

by Jerrie W. Barber

My picture’s in the directory and that means I’m a saint.
I’m a member of the one true church and I’m what others ain’t.

My photo, my photo’s, in the directory, my photo, my photo’s, in the directory, 
My photo, my photo’s in the directory, and that means I’m a saint.

I haven’t been to church for weeks and no one ever noticed. 
I wish they’d come or even call the sheriff or the police.

My photo, my photo’s, in the directory, my photo, my photo’s, in the directory, 
My photo, my photo’s in the directory, and that means I’m a saint.

They’ve printed a new directory, and I have been deleted.
I wonder if I’ve saved or lost, but I know that I’m not needed.

My photo, my photo is gone for good; my photo, my photo is gone for good.
My photo, my photo is gone for good, and where does that leave me — and you?

— Copyright © February 24, 2026, 10:46 a.m.

I sing it to the tune of My Name Is in the Book of Life, written by Daniel S. Warner, 1893, melody written by Barney E. Warren, 1893

Let’s decide that no one in our congregation will ever wonder whether they matter, because we’ll notice, we’ll listen, and we’ll go looking long before their picture ever disappears from the directory.

Try not to learn very much

Dealing with difficult people