On the weekend of September 11 and 12, our congregation hosted Rev. Ed White, a consultant with the Alban Institute. We charged him with helping us to better understand our identity and mission so that we will be able to move more confidently into the years ahead. Rev. White met with the Council and FAITH Committee from 3 to 8 pm on Saturday and with the congregation on Sunday afternoon. In general, although we expected a more interactive presentation on Saturday, and a longer time together on Sunday, we were pleased with the insights we gleaned from Rev. White’s lessons and exercises. Rev. White was optimistic about the future of our congregation.
On Monday night, following our busy weekend, the Council and FAITH Committee gain gathered to debrief and set a path for the weeks ahead. We made the following conclusions or observations about our church. In no particular order, they are:
* We need to be intentional about giving, be it weekly financial giving, planned giving, or the sharing of our time and talents.
* We were pleased with the results of the Sunday afternoon exercise with the congregation that suggested most members want us to lead a more ambitious spiritual life. One thought regarding this was that we now need to teach each other how to reach those goals.
* We heard Rev. White suggest that we worry about the wrong things. IF we focus on the spiritual matters, all of the other concerns will fall into place. i.e. If we reinforce and more regularly practice the basic spiritual disciplines (bible study, mission, stewardship, prayer, worship, etc) the church will grow in many ways. (We/I have heard this message at the church renewal seminar we attended last October in New Windsor, at the Atlanta New Church Leader Conference and again here at St. Matthew’s this weekend.)
* We should focus on one two of our strongest gifts and not try to address everything at once.
* We need to know who we are (beyond being kid and family friendly).
* Creating a host of new programs is not the answer. Adding one or two, and spiritually deepening existing programs, could very well be enough.
The practical and concrete responses could include:
* building small groups such as a day time tea and bible study, a men’s group, or bible study for dummies, to name just a few possibilities
* Try to be more visitor and seeker friendly. To do this we may have to interview visitors or new members. This is more than just being warm and welcoming, it is about using language non-church folks can understand, and not assuming that everyone has a basic understanding of the Bible and faith practices.
* As a congregation review our history, discuss norms and draw conclusions.
* Stewardship should be more deliberate but should also be a lower priority.
* Understanding that most churches, including ours, are over managed and under led, we should spend time leading. Those at the meeting feel that Council meetings could be streamlined to allow more discussion/decisions making regarding “leading.” For those unsure of the difference between managing and leading, the difference could be summed up as, “Leading” is about choosing where to go and “Managing” is about how to get there.
* Each group within the church, including the Council, should have a missional/spiritual component. We might also consider the value of the church governing model recommended in the book, “Missional Congregation” and reconsider the value of governing systems like Roberts Rules for Order.
* Review the books we were asked to read with each other.
* Use the “Unbinding the Gospel Series.;” This is a weekly adult education series that builds up the spiritual discipline of prayer.
* In time consider creating a Mission and Vision Statement.
* Make a list of people who attended the Sunday afternoon workshop.
* Involve a larger number of our members and friends.
* Review the DVD (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team) recommended by Rev. White.
