June,
2008
People of
the Fire, Growing in Faith
What’s Going On Out
There and In Here?
Like it
or not, things change. A few years ago
the world was “wired,” now it’s “wireless.”
Immigration has practically eclipsed terrorism in the headlines. “Change” is the mantra of political
candidates of all ilk. Little League and
soccer leagues schedule games on Sunday mornings, for crying out loud. Within the walls of First Christian Church we
worship in a renovated sanctuary, and we have experienced a revitalized congregational
life. It’s not difficult to list
changes, but which changes pose the greatest challenges (and opportunities) to
the ministry and mission of First Christian Church? To what degree would our lists match?
Before we
can begin to design forward-looking ministries and structures, we need to
understand the forces at work which have profound impact on each of us as
Christians; on us collectively (i.e., the congregation); and on Christian
churches in general. These influences
form the context in which the church finds itself. This phase of our discernment process is
designed to help us to come to a common understanding of this context.
“Developing a Common View
of Reality”
The objectives of
this phase are:
1. To cultivate our congregation as a
learning and caring community.
2. To build broad participation in
developing a common view of realities confronting our church.
3.
To
identify and clarify the strategic issues that we must address if we are to be
faithful and fruitful in ministry and mission.
Steps to accomplish
this common view:
These are
already underway and will continue into September:
v
A process called “appreciative inquiry”
Through a series of interviews with a representative sample of members, the
congregation will learn about the best experiences and times in the church so
that we can build on success and strengths.
Questions asked include: When
have you felt most alive, motivated, and most excited about your involvement at
FCC? What do you value most about the
church? When have you know the most
spiritual growth for yourself and the church?
What do you wish for the church?
v
Congregational study and reflection on several critical realities
These “hypotheses” should stimulate conversation and push us toward identifying
causes of our situation rather than symptoms.
This study is scheduled for five consecutive Sundays beginning July 27.
v
A church-wide “Conference on the Present”
This conference on September 7 will pull together the learnings
and findings from the previous activities and will result in identification of
the key strategic issues that the church must address.
We
Need You!
Broad
congregational participation is essential for the best possible outcomes from
this process. You can support the
discernment process with your prayers, with your engagement in learning and
reflection opportunities, by staying informed, and even with your questions and
concerns.
See any of the Vision Steering
Team members: