Concur with Pres Yeadon. Saddened that our decline is attributed in part to insufficient reproduction. That's not real growth anyway - that's simple survival. Saddened more that we lose our younger ones prior to confirmation. At the end of the day, it all comes down to seizing "the God-given opportunities" as stated in the article. I choose to look at the glass as half-full. The harvest is plentiful, especially given New England's statistics mentioned by Pastor Tim. If... If we are willing to roll up our sleeves and get after it with a relevant ministry anchored in the best (LCMS) articulation of the Gospel!