Newly installed as pastor of Sylvan Lake Lutheran Church in West Bloomfield on Sunday, Mary Duerksen said she is excited to increase the church's viability in the community, which may be necessary for it to survive.

A large congregation, including parishioners from the Lutheran Church of the Ascension, Sylvan Lake's sister church in Waterford, welcomed Duerksen and her family during a ceremony led by the Rev. Cherlyne Beck, who is assistant to the bishop in Detroit. The day marked the end of a yearlong process in which the two congregations worked together to find a pastor, Church Council President Sandra Blackwell said.

A committee co-chaired by Susan Ludwiczak and Cheryl White worked with the bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to figure out the best possible match. The bishop then connected the church with Duerksen, a 28-year professional who was most recently working between St. John’s Lutheran Church in Capac and Trinity Lutheran Church in Brown City.

Through work with the committee, Blackwell said she became extremely impressed with Duerksen's experience and her low-key, smart demeanor.

Duerksen, who has had the job since November, knows she wants to increase attendance and believes that meeting people "where they're at" is a good way to do it.

"We have to be more attentive to what the community’s needs are and be aware that the biggest mission field is right outside our door," Duerksen said last week. "I think people now have a broader view of what it means to be spiritual. … Outside of any denomination or faith tradition, they are looking for spiritual nurturing."

The church hosts a popular, weekly exercise session for seniors, as well as a weight management group and Al-Anon meetings. In December, Duerksen started Sylvan Lake Blogtalk (check out her first Patch blog post, Cure for the January Glums.) Duerksen also brings a musical element to worship — she plays bass in a praise band called Praise 150 — and the church hosted a Nagy Harp and Flute duo performance Christmas Eve.

Those areas of branching out are going well, Duerksen said, but the church has done even more to ensure its viability. She will split her time between the two sister churches, which are combining some resources in order to save money.

"We're two small congregations who have struggled financially and were able to combine resources," Blackwell said. "It's a great thing. We've been without a pastor here for a year and a half to two years, and we worked well together to find a pastor."

Sylvan Lake Lutheran's average attendance has dropped 69 percent since 1990, according to its most recent trend report, and Duerksen said she appreciated the membership's cooperation in order to survive. "It’s exciting. They’re recognizing that mainline churches really have to reinvent what it means to be a church in the 21st century. They’re willing to take some risks," she said.

But installing Duerksen as pastor is little risk, Blackwell said. "She's great. We're all very happy she's here."