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Congregational Transformation
Our Excellent Retreat!On 4/20/10 members of our Congregational Transformation and Church Growth Committee gathered at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston, PA for a two day "Holy Discernment Retreat". It's a beautiful place to remove oneself from life's activities, gather together and search for Holy Discernment, the deepest yearnings of God's heart for us and for our communities. The Center is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, wonderful people who love serving the Lord; kindness and generosity abound. During our orientation we were told it was a blessing to have us retreat there! Various sized and well equipped spaces were available for group activities. At our first group get together we worshiped God, praising His goodness and greatness with music and song, reflective scripture reading and prayer that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes, hearts and minds and become aware of God's plan for us to serve Him as individuals and as a committee. Our last and six other gatherings over the course of the retreat were set apart to worship God in a similar manner. Worship strengthened our commitment that discernment must be toward God's Yearning. Nothing More! Nothing Less! Nothing Else! The program was well designed and executed in a very organized manner, which contributed to the overall success of our discernment process. It started with community building exercises that enriched individual relationships. Ground rules to respect each other as individuals were established, with God ahead of us we set out to find our mission statement. Open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and committed to discerning and responding to God's yearnings for the members, pastors, congregations and presbytery, our mission is to promote transformation and growth in order that each may joyfully fulfill Christ's Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). One goal, being defined as "what God yearns for" came to light, "We believe that God yearns for each congregation to complete a Holy Discernment process for an honest assessment of its gifts and God's calling for its future." The "how do we accomplish this" is a work in progress. Briefly, as our initial effort, we will be focused on enlisting support, inviting participation and providing tools for congregations wishing to engage in a Holy Discernment process. We are eager to join with the congregations of our presbytery and provide such an event to learn what God has in store for their future. What is transformation?"I am about to do a new thing. Do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43: 19) Transformation is–a commitment on the part of a congregation to be constantly looking for the new things that God is doing in our midst and to welcome and participate in them. Transformation is–a process by which these new things can be discerned. Transformation is–the renewal the Holy Spirit can bring about as a result.
Why should our church consider transformation?The transformation process can lead to new vitality for a congregation. Churches already participating in the program have gained an increase in spiritual energy, vision and passion, increased membership and worship attendance, new mission and outreach programs, improved finances, and in the case of one church, a new fellowship hall.
Isn't transformation just for churches that are struggling or "in trouble?"By no means. Transformation is for any congregation that believes it can be more than it presently is.
What are the criteria for becoming a transforming congregation?Faith that God "can do anything–far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams" (Ephesians 3:20, The Message) and a desire to dream wild dreams about the Church's mission. A willingness to enter into a covenantal relationship with the presbytery that contains the elements identified below and to follow a mutually-agreed upon visioning process which will engage the 5 dynamics of transformation. Patience to take the time to discern "what is the hope to which he has called you" (Ephesians 1:18, New Revised Standard Version). Openness to whatever and whomever God sends. Energy and commitment to do what you can to make the dreams happen. A willingness to change. The pastor's wholehearted commitment to transformation.
How do we begin?The session invites one of the presbytery's Consultants for Congregational Transformation to present the presbytery's transformation program to them and then votes to enroll in it.
What does this program include?A covenant stating the expectations for the church, the pastor, and the presbytery is mutually agreed upon. This covenant includes:
The visioning team leads the congregation through a process that focuses on 5 dynamics that have been identified as normative for successful transformation:
The Consultants for Congregational Transformation work with the visioning team to identify the transformational modalities which will best help them to engage the 5 dynamics.
The Presbytery of West Jersey 1701 Sycamore Street Haddon Heights, NJ 08035 856-547-5100
Your Consultants for Congregational Transformation:
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