More change is afoot!

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Carolla

Carolla

wondering & wandering
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This an announcement made publicly today re EDGE Network for Ministry Development relative to new strategic plans & priorities of the church. Continued change is occuring; a strategic plan has been laid out more clearly than I have seen in the past, so that seems hopeful to me. God is definitely up to something ....

If you have not yet seen the 2023-25 Strat Plan document - here's a link.
 
These are bold and forward looking statements. I wonder where they will get the leaders.

I suspect there will also be an informal triage process in which congregations not interested in comprehensive growth (spiritual, missional, or structurally) will be allowed to whither away as the time and energy of staff and volunteers will be prioritized for outward and forward looking communities of faith.
 
jimkenney12 said:
I suspect there will also be an informal triage process in which congregations not interested in comprehensive growth (spiritual, missional, or structurally) will be allowed to whither away as the time and energy of staff and volunteers will be prioritized for outward and forward looking communities of faith.
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There is a different pathway for sure for some churches who are in the "palliative care" stage of life - to help them (if they allow it) to prepare for next phase, consider what legacy they want to leave & learn the possibilities of how to do that, possibly explore community uses of their property if they are moving toward closing (as opposed to just selling it off), to celebrate their heritage & grieve their losses, etc.
 
Carolla said:
There is a different pathway for sure for some churches who are in the "palliative care" stage of life - to help them (if they allow it) to preparewhat percentage of our congregations for next phase, consider what legacy they want to leave & learn the possibilities of how to do that, possibly explore community uses of their property if they are moving toward closing (as opposed to just selling it off), to celebrate their heritage & grieve their losses, etc.
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This makes a lot of sense to me. I wonder what percentage of our churches are in this phase of their lifespan. Such congregations deserve our compassion.
 
What would be appropriate compassion for congregations that are antagonistic to change and to be welcoming to strangers.
 
Many more must die before authority learns about cutting efficiency margins too far (in order to make roich and powerful administrators that get fouled --- Lord Acton on corruption of the apple ... maybe a templar condition!
 
jimkenney12 said:
What would be appropriate compassion for congregations that are antagonistic to change and to be welcoming to strangers.
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Perhaps a little curiousity about how such a congregation ended up in such a state. What is their story?

I attended a church in the 90's which just closed its doors in recent years. I know their story well and it's an interesting one.

It may be that we simply have too many buildings as a denomination. Still.
 
Is God as a wise isolationist a stranger to church? Thus the word anonymous and the undeen side of God descended in history ... myth of considerable depth!

This may all be hidden from those wishing to know little ... perhaps nothing! In nothing is there any remaining essence left ... just the bones?

Thus we go round and round as suffering disturbance ... some people will tolerate not stirs and thus remain as if dead to the world! Autonomons ...
 
jimkenney12 said:
What would be appropriate compassion for congregations that are antagonistic to change and to be welcoming to strangers.
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Is compassion not still needed? There are likely reasons for why they are the way they are, not just intransigent crankiness. That said, a congregation like that probably isn't going to accept much help from "outside" anyhow.

Carolla said:
There is a different pathway for sure for some churches who are in the "palliative care" stage of life - to help them (if they allow it) to prepare for next phase, consider what legacy they want to leave & learn the possibilities of how to do that, possibly explore community uses of their property if they are moving toward closing (as opposed to just selling it off), to celebrate their heritage & grieve their losses, etc.
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The problem is, some churches who are in that stage probably don't acknowledge to accept it. They may not really even know it. They see the rest of the world as the "problem" not them and expect the church to help them survive, not die.
 
Imagine a sentient of a lost degree of scales of balance ... and no notable fishing for where it went ... sentimentalism?

Without it we plough on with the mule --- Walter what-cis-name! Non trans MS Able! Duely unnamed ... Thom?
 
The compassion I would offer is to listen to their stories, both told in a collective setting and as individuals. Hopefully the story telling would reveal significant trauma events as well as lost hopes along with their sense of identity.
 
jimkenney12 said:
The compassion I would offer is to listen to their stories, both told in a collective setting and as individuals. Hopefully the story telling would reveal significant trauma events as well as lost hopes along with their sense of identity.
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Agreeing with you completely.

These congregations are often viewed with judgement. You hear comments such as:

They only care about themselves and their building.
Why can't they read the handwriting on the wall?
They are not willing to find out what their community needs or to think about what they could offer.

Etc. Etc.

Will give a little more thought to inward vs outward focus of churches. I am starting to think they need both.
 
A person who does not feed themselves becomes unable to feed anybody. What they feed themselves is important. Food for a faith congregation needs to include food like music inspiring response, scripture grounded in both its original context and the context of the congregation, stories that expand the horizon and stories that offer healing and connection, affirmation and challenge along with other ingredients. Worship limited to rigid ritual and words that are too familiar provides poor sustenance.
 
Really the full round of what's bread ... ba Gels? These may gell ... as in jerry mandering ... mandarin'? The "g" is dark and missing mysterious sectors ... and still life goes on ... much degraded with a lot of it sewered ... cause the Top Guns don't wish ide ... dead tuiđ?
 
paradox3 said:
Will give a little more thought to inward vs outward focus of churches. I am starting to think they need both.
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I agree - and so does the national church - reflected in its call statments - Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, Daring Justice. While Sunday worship may deepen spirituality, I don't think it often does, nor do people in attendance appreciate this might be its purpose. We've chatted here before about discipleship - how deepened spirituality moves than into the actions of discipleship and justice. Our foundations need strengthening - and it is often harder to appreciate that, and do the work, than it is to head off into the community to do "charity" work from a colonial/settler perspective.
 
This finds me of that old question. Why bother to live an ethical and compassionate life if we believe God is all forgiving?

Answer: In response to God's love.
 
@Carolla
Why do you think people go to church then if it's not about deepening their spirituality? Habit? To be with their friends? Something else?

I am also curious to know how you think we can go about strengthening those foundations? You have used the phrase "do the work" several times. I remember this phrase from mental health where it pretty much meant looking inside oneself.
 
Thinking about the question of community engagement vs charity from a settler/ colonial perspective..

Is it the mindset and the willingness to establish relationships that makes the difference?
 
Response ... what an odd word when lack of responsibility seems to be lost in the big wheels and larger turns ...

Another ability gone down the tubes ...

The powers blame everything on the demos ... wee elves?
 
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