Moved by the Spirit

It is important to repeat that congregational transformation is not a program it is a process. It is a congregational lifestyle. The church seeks to be open to all the things God is doing, both traditionally and in new ways. A transforming church is one that is open to the Spirit.

Thelma Chambers Young, Pastor at University Place Christian Church, shared the following in her newsletter:

"In 1968, at the Ecumenical Council of Churches meeting is Uppsala, Metropolitan Ignatios spoke these words: Without the Holy Spirit, God is far away, Christ stays in the past, the gospel is a dead letter, the church is simply an organization, authority, a matter of domination, mission, a matter of propaganda, the liturgy, no more than an evocation, Christian living, a slave morality."

"But in the Holy Spirit: the cosmos is resurrected and groans with the birth pangs of the kingdom; the risen Christ is there; the gospel is the power of life; the Church shows forth the life of the Trinity; authority is a liberating service; mission is a Pentecost; the liturgy is both a memorial and anticipation; human action is defiled."

May our congregation be open to the mystery, power and guidance of the Holy Spirit!

From a Disciples CD on Transformation

Those of us who have worked with it for a while, have learned a few things:

There are no experts in the area of transformation. Some things which produce amazing results in one setting seem to be totally ineffective in another. The transformation journey requires people who are willing to be learners, help others learn, try new things and adapt resources to fit the needs. We can't call someone in from the outside and expect them to give us a program or fix our churches for us.

Transformation is a process not a program. In reality no program can promise and deliver certain results, but there are many tools and resources to help us on the journey. The process develops as we continue our journey.

Transformation isn't a quick fix. Most of us would like to think a few minor changes will lead easily and quickly to transformation. Alan Roxburgh, among others, points to the fact that our world, our culture, even our local neighborhoods and churches are living in a time of major upheaval and transformation. So, no matter what, our journey is just beginning. Perhaps that is one of the reasons the story of the Exodus offers a metaphor for the journey we are just beginning. To that, many reply, "We don't have time for such a long journey. Remember during the years in the wilderness, the Hebrew people grew both in numbers and their relationship to God."

Transformation begins with a changing heart. We understand transformation is a gift from God. We can't make it happen any more than we can make plants grow. We do have a part. The rest comes from God. One of the first steps seems to be a return to the study of scripture and developing practices of prayer and meditation.

Courage, Clarity, and Commitment are essential to this journey. 1) Courage – it isn't easy to step off familiar paths and go in a new direction, especially when success is not assured. 2) Clarity – this takes a willingness to listen, explore, test, and focus on the work to which God is calling us. 3) Commitment – We will not know for some time, probably years, whether or not transformation is really occurring. There are some markers we can use along the way. At the same time we have to work and hope and trust that the fruit will come and God who acted in the past and acts in the present, will continue to act in the future. Staying the course requires an abundance of these three qualities.

Books to Read

These are the books that I am currently reading. They all relate to church, change, transformation, and future possibilities.

The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle

Christianity for the Rest of Us by Diana Butler Bass

A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren

Church on the Other Side by Brian McLaren

The last book, Church on the Other Side, is the one I am digesting right now. It is very interesting and challenging.

"I am about to do a new thing. Do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43: 19)

At the Elder's meeting on May 2nd I said we might want to consider entering into a process that enables congregational transformation. With new leadership coming on board July 1^st, this might be an opportune time to look at such a process and decide if it is something we want to embrace.

One might ask: "What is congregational transformation? Well, 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. The transformation process helps congregations gaine an increase in spiritual energy, vision and passion, increase membership and worship attendance, develop new mission and outreach programs, and improve finances.

It is important to note that transformation is not a program. It is a process, even a congregational life style. The church, it's leaders and membership, constantly seek to discern God's will for its mission and ministry. There are models to facilitate the process, and I am in the process of identifying and evaluating those models.

Transformation can take shape in one or more of the following ways:

• Inward focus of ministry to outward focus of ministry
  
• Taking care of member's needs to ministering to the hurts/needs of the un-churched & world
  
• Institutional mindset to Missionary mindset
  
• Institutional maintenance to mission to not-yet Christian people
  
• God taking care of us to joining God in the work of caring for God's world
  
• "Bulky" governance structures to flexible governance approaches
  
• People will matter more than buildings and equipment
  
• People will matter more than our customs and habits
  

Let's consider the possibilities.

Grace and peace,