After the Retreat

I thought it would be good to have a place where we can post reactions to the retreat. I hope all of you have received my email -- I'm going to copy it to here and then I'm going to post one reaction I've already gotten from Christy.

Dear All,

Sometimes I get so proud of this congregation and its leaders I can hardly stand it.

Most times when pastors try to change anything in a congregation they’re met with a chorus of “We’ve never done it that way before,” or “Let’s not move too fast,” or “Do we really need to do this now?” Let’s say that it’s rare that people complain that the pastor isn’t moving change fast enough. But, of course, other congregations aren’t Saint Nicholas. I should have known better.

I’ve heard from a few folks that they would like to move more quickly on the Discipleship Church ideas, and I’m glad to do it (remember this when I ask for your help and support).

I think we agreed on several broad principles at our retreat: 1) We’d like to identify a core set of process steps we could agree on for forming disciples at Saint Nicholas; 2) We are a little concerned that we are offering so many programs and activities that we’re in danger of losing focus and/or burning ourselves out, but, because we haven’t identified the core process, we have trouble deciding what not to do; 3) We need the congregation’s buy-in in identifying core processes and programs appropriate to them; 4) We like the idea of “Love God, Love Others, Teach the People, Serve the World” but there are other good process step descriptions as well (e.g., Foyer, Living Room, Kitchen), so we don’t have a final agreement here yet; 5) We think that worship, learning/teaching, small groups and serving ministries are all going to be involved. Let me know if I missed any large areas of agreement or if I’ve greatly misstated these. I’ve copied in my Mutual Ministry Committee to keep them in the loop.

OK, so what does the fast track look like? I’d like to use the Wednesday evening Soup and Study sessions as a kind of workshop for bringing the congregation up to speed on what we’ve been talking about and to advance the conversation further. I will also be using sermons during Lent for the same purpose. I’m going to ask you all to come to the Soup and Study as often as you can, beginning on the 13th, because that’s going to be a good forum to roll up our sleeves and try out some language/ideas. I want to have a disciple-forming process that fits who we are and I’d like to have it by Easter. I’d like to have a New Members class during Lent in which we try out a draft new process step description and get some feedback on it. Then I’m thinking that we’re going to want to commit to this disciple-forming process as a congregation through a “Covenant Dedication Service,” maybe somewhere near or on Pentecost. Will we need to/want to change our mission statement? I don’t know right now, but I’d be open to argument either way.

So, first of all, language to define our core process for disciple-forming.

Peace,

Pr. Greg