5 Take-Aways for a Thriving Mission
- Thriving Mission
- Nov 17, 2023
- 1 min read
Barbara Sutton, Director of Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission, and Brenda Kresky, Director of Diocesan Planning for the Diocese of Saint Cloud, recently returned from a Thriving Congregations Conference. Pictured above, Brenda and Pastor Susan Buckson (AME Church, Atlanta) were exploring Susan’s presentation about repurposing empty church buildings.
Thriving Congregations Conference
Each year the Lilly Endowment in Indianapolis hosts a conference for stakeholders in the Thriving Congregation initiative. Barbara and Brenda participated with about 250 other stakeholders across the United States. While they were left with many questions, these are some that caught our attention:
5 take-aways for thriving in mission:
No parish is an island.
Expanding the ecology of relationships, including others, and ministering across differences is essential to thriving in mission. By creating an intentional network of support, we expand our relationships and reach. Support is based on behavior, not just intentions.
The work of Jesus Christ is also done outside of sacred spaces.
Consider what God is calling us to as property owners. How do we sustain our mission while repurposing our buildings? We need to de-stigmatize failure when a building becomes repurposed. Reframing the narrative and building a positive, mission-driven outcome can create a legacy for the church.
God is doing something new in the Church.
We need a bright spotlight on the work of the Holy Spirit. Deep listening to the Holy Spirit and one another about our mutual hopes will initiate a purposeful design that will revitalize. We have a lot to learn from one another.
Change happens at the speed of trust.
We need a deep trust in God.
Many ministry leaders are bi-vocational.
People are often carrying a full-time day job and working nights and weekends as youth ministers, music ministers, and faith formation directors, and more. What are the implications for well-being, formation for ministry, and communication among pastoral leaders?
コメント