Thank you.
As the thread starter, you might try requesting a thread ban for any poster not keeping to the topic.
Yeah, I haven't heard of any around here since Arva closed and the members started going to Siloam (it was not a formal merger, IIRC). That said, I'm not exactly plugged in here, just what I hear from local news and the churches' websites.
Plenty of closures and amalgamations too.
Welcome.
Commitment | Why It Matters | What We Will Do | Outcome by 2028 |
| 1. Congregational Health & Sustainability | Congregations need honest self-knowledge and proactive support before crisis narrows their options. This is not about grading communities of faith. It is about seeing clearly enough to accompany faithfully. | Self-assessment framework, Health Dashboard, Vision Keepers Formation Plan, Transition Toolkit, structured accompaniment. | Communities move from reactive survival to faithful, proactive discernment. |
| 2. Resilient & Supported Leadership | Ministry personnel and lay leaders are stretched thin. Isolated leadership cannot sustain change. | Peer ministry networks, lay leadership formation pathway, potential clergy chaplaincy role, Keeping in Touch rhythm. Modular process toolkits or administration clusters. | Leadership is distributed, sustained, and no longer dependent on heroic individuals. |
| 3. Regional Systems & Operational Clarity | When systems are confusing, they consume energy and erode trust. Every improvement to clarity is an act of trust-building. | Process mapping, plain-language pastoral relations resources, Accompaniment Protocol, simplified reporting, trustee toolkit. | Communities feel accompanied, not processed. Trust in regional systems increases. |
| 4. Collaboration, Adaptive Ministry & Emergence | The future is not in isolation. New forms of ministry are already emerging and need intentional support. | Collaborative Ministry Toolkit, new ministry pathways, justice network plans, Faithful Footprints, support clusters, and shared ministry models | Collaboration becomes a first instinct. New ministry expressions emerge from congregational life and collaboration, not regional programming. |
Phase | Focus | Key Deliverables |
| Year 1: 2026 | Establishing the Foundations | Self-assessment launch. Health Dashboard operational. Vision Keepers Integration Plan begins. Process mapping complete. Peer ministry networks established. Lay leadership baseline survey. |
| Years 2-3 2027-28 | Focused Strategic Action | Targeted accompaniment using Self-Assessment and Dashboard data. Lay Leadership Pathway/Support/Training implemented. Chaplaincy role explored and piloted. Simplified reporting. Collaborative arrangement resources created, supported, and celebrated. Modular toolkits |
| Ongoing 2028+ | Adaptive Strategy & Long-Term Learning | Annual self-assessment cycle embedded. Twice-yearly strategic reviews. Leadership development and peer support are embedded as permanent regional infrastructure. Contribution to national Toward 2035 evaluation. |
| Strategic Area | Goal | Year 1 Focus | Years 2-3 | Key Metrics | Depth of Shift |
| 1. Congregational Health and Sustainability | Strengthen adaptive capacity and sustainability of communities of faith | Self-assessment launch; Health Dashboard; Vision Keepers Formation Plan | Targeted accompaniment; transition toolkit; collaborative ministry support | % of CoFs assessed; health distribution trend; transition support access; toolkit uptake | High: from reactive crisis response to proactive sustainability support |
| 2. Leadership: Resilient and Supported | Cultivate a sustainable, distributed, and supported leadership ecosystem | Peer ministry networks; Keeping in Touch rhythm; lay leadership baseline survey | Lay Leadership Pathway; chaplaincy role; mentorship and formation programs | Burnout self-report; lay leader training rates; chaplaincy established; new leader pipeline | High: cultural and structural shift from role-based to ecosystem leadership |
| 3. Regional Systems and Clarity | Ensure regional systems are clear, accessible, and proportionate | Process mapping; pastoral relations accompaniment protocol; property framework alignment | Admin simplification; toolkit development; training workshops | Process clarity baseline and trend; admin burden score; congregational trust levels | Moderate: operational transformation enabling structural support |
| 4. Collaboration, Adaptive Ministry and Emergence | Create conditions for new and collaborative ministry to emerge from congregational life | Collaborative Ministry Toolkit; justice network work plans; new ministry pathway | Digital ministry capacity; Faithful Footprints scale; story-sharing and celebration | # collaborative arrangements; # new ministries; ecological engagement; justice network activity | Moderate-High: from program-driven to emergent, contextual ministry |
Isn't that an obvious growth opportunity, given the general anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs common among many Christians in and from Africa. And one I don't think I've ever considered.
