On the Road Again

To coin a familiar tune, much of March has been "on the road again." The week of March 9 was spent with 38 of my colleagues at the Transition Ministry Conference. This group meets twice a year (Spring and Fall) to exchange the names of clergy seeking new positions and congregations seeking new clergy. At the Spring conference, we also have personal development and professional development time. This year, the Province V Transition Ministry Officers (with one exception) were present and we continue to build our trust together as new folks come into positions and others leave. Also, a representative of the Fresh Start program spoke to us about the new resources available through Fresh Start. This time proved to be a good reminder that as we work with congregations during the clergy transition process, we don't have to continue to re-invent the wheel. We have tools already at our disposal. As a result of this conversation, at the next Diocesan Consulting Team meeting, we will be discussing what aspects of Fresh Start can be included in the consulting process during a clergy transition.

March 15-17 was a national gathering of Congregation Development Staff. Because the conferences were in reasonable proximity (and therefore involved only one plane ticket), I attended the first of these in several years. We had a presentation from the consulting team of Central Florida, and they shared their process of working with congregations that have become 'remnant' congregations as a result of a split. It was helpful to hear that we engage in similar work, even though our contexts are different. Lots of good ideas came out of the experience, which will be shared with the Congregational Development Commission in April. One item of particular interest is that the Diocese of Colorado has assumed the 'task' of having conversations about resort or seasonal ministry. They produced a video after their first conference last year, and are looking forward to a second conference in 2010. Another item of note is that the Episcopal Church and ecumencial partners along with the Gallop organization are developing a tool to assist with the discernment of folks for congregational re-development. Hopefully this tool will be available in April. Also, two 'national church' staff people were present: Bob Honeychurch, who works particularly in the area of Congregational Vitality, and Andrew Kronenwetter whose area is Multi-cultural Ministries. Both bring interesting perspectives to their newly assigned ministries.

Sunday I spent the day with the congregation and leadership of Church of the Holy Spirit in Belmont. As they begin to work through those things that will transpire with the retirement of their Vicar, we have a strong commitment to continue to provide avenues for them to succeed. Much of God happens in this church, so aptly name "Holy Spirit". The Bishop and I will be working with the congregational leadership for a transition plan, with the hopes that it will be identified before May 1.

Travels do not always produce an abundance of riches, but in this case, it has. Now to devote the follow-up time to take advantage of all I learned! Please keep the ministries of the churches of the Diocese of Western Michigan in your prayers.
Blessings on your week.

Save our life, or lose it

Much reflection has been spent this week on the Gospel of Mark 8:31-38. Verse 35 reads, "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it."

At the Leadership Workshops during the Congregational Development Presentation, the program of Natural Church Development (available from Churchsmart.org) was discussed as a tool for congregational development. In order to engage any congregational development effort, it is important to look at the church's health and capacity to adapt. Adaptation could mean 'losing our life' in order to 'save it,' because adaptability often involves change.

At the Interim Clergy meeting on Monday, we discussed this scripture and the fact that often during a transition, congregations are discovering aspects of life that must be let go in order to be ready to receive a new rector...another case of 'losing life' in order to have a new start.

At the Congregational Development Commission meeting today, we spent a full hour discussing this scripture and the implications to the Church - What does it mean to 'lose our life in order to save it?' Could it be that we need to reconsider how the institution of the Church can retain meaning for future generations? We recalled the conversations about the Great Emergence, and how we need to be present to old ideas -- ancient traditions -- in ways that make meaning for people today.

Is it possible that the ministry of Congregational Development calls us to discover just how willing we are to adapt so God can work in our lives? Is it possible that the ministry of Congregational Development calls us to lose our life, so that we can be saved, yet again, by Jesus? Is it possible that the ministry of Congregational Development is to extend God's invitation to 'go deeper' and discover who we are as a community of faith, both in our congregations and in how we engage mission?

I think the answer is yes to all of these. It takes an act of will on our part to say 'yes' to the difficult work of putting our own desires aside and listen for God's invitation. May God give us the wisdom and courage to do so.