Ready, Set... Growing, yet?

The first year of our Ready, Set, Grow pilot program in Congregational Vitality Initiative is winding down with a time of reflection and evaluation. What has been helpful? What is still needed in coming months?

A number of teams have indicated that the time together each quarter within their Association sharing resources and ideas for ministry has been well-spent. Folks get energized sharing the good news of various contexts, and they collect practical applications for their own context.
Others have indicated that the partner church relationships have been the strong suit. There is accountability and encouragement. Both reflections indicate the importance of our relationships with one another. Whew! Nice to know, since God created us for relationship, and the UCC is understood to be a collection of Christians whose polity is based on covenantal relationships.

These kinds of strengthening relationships need not be limited to the Ready, Set, Grow program participants. Let your discernment lead you to new and creative ways of adding vitality through your relationships with the wider Church.

Be encouraged to reach out to your sister UCC congregations, no matter who you are or where you are on the journey. Share your experience of vitality witnessed in your context.

Take a minute and post it here, too!
Thanks...and blessings.....
Carole

Bearing Witness to Vitality

We're at the halfway point for our pilot program of Ready, Set, Grow! in our conference. The Congregational Vitality Initiative Task Force will be meeting in a couple weeks to reflect on our progress, to celebrate the strengths, and to acknowledge needs.


Let's ask ourselves: How has our pilot been good news? Feel free to post here or email CVI Task Force members.




During plenary sessions, a number of folks have named our need in the UCC to lift up spiritual practices more in the life of our faith communities.....and particularly the practice of bearing witness. We are people of the story...God's story through the ages, and especially through the life and gift of Jesus. But we are called to tell the story, not just know it ourselves.




How would you share your faith story with another? Where has God been at work in your life? What difference does it make that you know Jesus Christ yourself?




One of the teams in our program attended an evangelism conference in late January, studying the work of Martha Grace Reese in Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism. Their energy following the conference is palpable! Participants spent time in prayer and in sharing their witness with one another. As we learn to name and claim our faith and tell our stories, we become real witnesses. Everyone has a story to tell - let us encourage one another and create safe spaces for that sharing!




When Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman at the well, he filled her with his grace and acceptance - made the well a safe space for her in spite of her exclusion by society. Then, that woman ran to tell others in town - she wasn't commissioned or ordained or highly educated - just had a powerful story to tell of Jesus' healing and transformational love.




Real people have real stories to tell. How might we facilitate the telling?




As we consider next steps toward congregational vitality, let's keep it real.





Blessings all,


Carole

Working Mission Statements

Module 2 of Ready, Set, Grow is underway. One of the first tasks of the day's meeting is to check in to see how things are going on the way to developing mission statements for our congregations. Each congregation is to bring back a working mission statement - that is, a mission statement in progress.
At the meeting for Eastern Association, several were shared, including:
Living God's love inside and outside the Church

Reach out to the community by supporting UCC ministries

A loving community in the Body of Christ
• bound together by tradition and fellowship,
• growing in faith through the Gospel,
• dedicated to caring for one another, and
• committed to reaching out in mission.

One was initially shared as : Jesus loves you, this we share. Following the day's conversations, including lifting up the United Church of Christ identity and the call to share the good news, this statement was revised to say:
Jesus loves you! This we share,

Notice the punctuation......it isn't simply what we say but how we say it that matters in the sharing of who we are in Christ!

As we discussed reaching out to our neighborhoods and how to do that, we noted the risk involved. One challenged us to change our thinking so we might consider it adventure rather than risk.
Someone asked the question of whether or not we are willing to do a new thing? An addendum came asking, are we willing NOT to do the old thing? Sometimes that is the risk.
One issue for all of us to consider is how to involve new members and visitors once we have welcomed them into our midst? What is it that truly creates community?

A parting topic was the power of testimony in our faith communities. Our mainline denominations have gotten away from the spiritual practice of bearing witness to our faith through telling our stories. Christianity For the Rest of Us by Diana Butler Bass was named as a possible resource lifting up this practice.

What is your faith witness? And how do you share it?

Extravagant Hospitality

In one meeting of the Ready, Set, Grow Project, extravagant hospitality was named as important. In the same chat, someone asked who gets to decide if the hospitality is really extravagant? Does everyone feel as welcomed as I do? As comfortable in a given congregation?
Perhaps we ought to engage our unchurched friends...ask them to do us a favor and come to visit some week, looking for things that help them feel welcome and those things which make them uncomfortable. Begin with a site visit.....what does your property say to folks who might visit? Are things clearly marked and accessible to all? Safe and inviting for young children?
Are colors and materials energizing or worn out? Furniture of a family room or leftovers from surplus bargain sale?
Is the bulletin board cluttered or organized? Do you have a list somewhere obvious of how folks can become involved in your faith community's mission and make a difference in the lives of others?

Think about the places you like to go and where you feel most welcome. What if your fellowship hall was turned into more of a coffee shop? Are there cards and games for folks to share? Imagine who might stop in to chat and build relationships. New people? Young people? Technologically-savvy people? Your cool friends who don't have a church home? All of these would bring gifts to the Church.

There is one congregation which has moved to invite newer neighbors to their church since our first module meeting. They decided to use some of their financial resources to provide pizza for young people who agreed to go door to door in several subdivisions and put out door hanger invitations! They were sooo excited to report this back to me. What resources do you have, and how might you use them to invite your community to do ministry with you?

One church began an early morning mid-week prayer time...and folks who are not regular worship attenders or even members will come to this time, giving thanks for the spiritual support and relationships formed.

Other ideas out there to share? Please do. You matter....and someone might need what you have to give.
Thanks in advance......Carole

Signs of Vitality?

Participants in the Ready, Set, Grow Project of our Missouri Mid-South Conference have named the need for better communications among churches of our Conference. The congregational polity can be a strength...but also a limitation. How might we chare our experiences with one another for the upbuilding of the Body?
Let us begin by using this blog to name the signs of vitality seen in our congregations. Post a comment...to name a sign of vitality in your context. Consider hope-filled worship, bold global/local mission witness, visionary leadership, nurturing faith, extravagant welcome, inspiring generosity, life together.

Church Models

The first module presentation (Ready) for the St. Louis Association inspired a conversation regarding church models which are in place. There are certain expectations for church leadership - who is a minister? Paid staff? All participants in congregation?
Expectations/models for governing structure include ideas for a certain number of committees with a specific number of persons on each committee, with a specified number of meetings per year. Does this structure continue to serve the Body of Christ, or is it the other way around?
Do we set the annual budget and simply expect the funds to appear, or does vision/mission proceed the budget discussions?
What new models for Church might be helpful?
Please share your insights with others here.
Blessings, Carole

Covenanting together

The United Church of Christ lifts up our covenant relationship at all levels. To begin this Ready, Set, Grow project, participants covenant to grow together following an intentional set of expectations. The following will be used to begin each session, naming intentionally our commitment to loving and honest communications as we make use of resources available for Congregational Vitality Initiative.

Norms…Expectations of project
1) Anonymity/confidentiality is important. When we leave this time of sharing and conversation, it is ok to share topics covered and insights, but NOT individuals’ names or church names. The UCC is a small denominational family, and we need to avoid appearance or feel of gossip. This helps us to respect and honor the safe space for talk. Deep sharing causes one to feel vulnerable.
2) No cross-talk. Use I-statements, speaking for yourself only. Important to honor positions of others, not trying to convince another to change – feels like being corrected for one’s own point of view or belief.
3) No blame, but keep a positive focus and stay in the room with topics. Name problems, ok. But keep things positive. No demonizing others.
4) This is a safe place/sanctuary; honesty must be gently given so gently received.
5) Remember everyone is a child of God. See the divine in each one.

The Covenant spoken:

Will those able, please stand?

Leader: We come this day to share with one another who we are, to begin to know one another on a deeper level, to provide support and a safe context in which to learn, that we might be open to the work of the Holy Spirit and the discernment before us. In order to realize this goal, guidelines for our relating have now been presented.
Do you covenant with one another to accept and embody these guidelines for the duration of our meeting time today? If so, answer, I do, with God’s help.

Participants: I do, with God’s help.

Leader: Let us pray. Gracious and loving God, who continues to speak to us, we pray your blessing on our time together, that we might honor this covenant for the purpose of answering our call to be your Church. In Christ’s name we pray…and let all the people say…
All: Amen.