All-Church Forum on Growth in Numbers Plymouth Congregational Church Nov. 14, 2010
1. WHY GROW ?
- To survive with the current level of program, personnel - Maintain Christian presence/moral presence for world - Honor Christ’s mission Continue God’s plan - Reduce isolation - Yearn for peace Peace of Christian tradition - Community needs us ßà we need community Church to outside community - Increase spirit of celebration and activities, more voices - Increase vitality, new ideas and freshness - Maintain/increase critical mass to share load - God wants us to reach out to one another
2. WHAT DOES GROWTH MEAN ?
- Increase numbers in all age groups, types of people (ie: parents, singles, etc) Increase worship numbers and enthusiasm - Increase types and numbers of programs Externally focused Service Mission - Growth in depth of relationships, stronger fellowship - Sharing ourselves and our stories Higher level of engagement Engaged members - Growth in Spiritual understanding
3. HOW TO GROW ?
- Be welcoming - Be welcoming – invite more into mission - Invite friends – “Live your life out loud” - Outreach – to neighbors, community Events - Hang on to what we got Shoehorn new attendees Others/disaffected Existing members - Fellowship/Activity groups Informal sharing
1) Training new ministers 2) Focusing on good programs/music 3) Youth Group – Saturday, Sunday Middle School and Senior High 4) Visible in community Belmont Serves Tree lighting/choir, etc 5) Grow by M(ergers) & A(cquisitions) Collaboration Other mode is sharing strengths
Identify needs of age groups/programming Personal invitations for engagement - Pleasant Street (Church) - Others who are away DISCOVERY SUNDAY: A Summary of Comments Spiritual Growth and Deepening Our Faith, September 26, 2010
1.What does the phrase “spiritual growth” mean to you? Are there particular rituals, disciplines or spiritual practices that enable you to grow? What are they? Growing Ourselves: gain strength in self before can do so as corporate body of church. Hymns powerful especially if they connect with scripture and message. Comes from inside individual and what you go through. As you survive you grow. Connecting/reconciling present with past. Walking beach, being at ocean. Making time to be quiet. Time to meditate and pray. Make room for others beliefs and experience of God and making room for God to do new things inside self. Provide service to community. Fellowship of people. Ask God for strength to govern in right way. Not: believe as I believe, pray as I pray. BUT: do as I do. Awareness of poverty, hunger in community and larger community. Remember to fill red wagon. Spend more time talking or doing. Could join philanthropy BUT come to church. Soul fed through going and doing. Opportunities for people to come and talk about faith -- connected to something. Care for selves then do one extra thing. Some need to do first and gain spiritual strength from doing. Need to accept both -- the Martha/Mary story. Reaching out, sending cards, visiting -- give of self in some way.
Spiritual growth Spiritual maintenance, like exercise Spiritual grown up vs. spiritual child – spiritual transformation - intentional vs. automatic Spiritual description Regular weekly worship and good spiritual practice Mission activity (personal service) in unfamiliar situations Daily work routine (practice of one’s faith) Application of what ones knows spiritual Regular exposure to scripture Solitary undistracted spiritual reflection Spiritual growth: being comfortable w/change -felt need for growth – why? -realization of lack of control over one’s life -self-examination Measure of spiritual growth – applying what we know spiritually and seeing what happening Spiritual reclaiming what was had before reattainment à life span changesàexternal support to maintain a level of spirituality Routine Spiritual practices—like praying in the morning Repetition helps to overcome inertia Pray w/o ceasingà breath prayers chanting Bike riding or daily routine Movement—physical activity—rhythm Interaction w/others supports spiritual growth What does the phrase “spiritual growth” mean to you? Go beyond material things to grow to words concerns that are not material Less concern for the physical well being. Moving towards a closer relation with God. Moving towards a closer understanding of God. Non-material things. Morality. Truth. Fairness. Values. Honesty. Seeing more of God in each person Reflecting on those examples in the choices & actions we take Feeling grateful for the support and care from other people Understanding & appreciated Relationship w/God. Practices Ability to Growth -Praying -Sitting in silence -Making an effort to appreciate the beauty of the Word -Looking for that of God in each person -Giving and Being open to examples of God in people, and/or treating people as they would like to be treated. -coming to church -Singing hymns -Prayer. Not just for yourself, but for others. -Related to Values. Acting in
accordance with -Not rituals.
2. What would it mean for a church to exhibit or facilitate spiritual growth? Is spiritual growth in a church the same thing as individual spiritual growth? Would a church engage in rituals, practices or disciplines that were the same or different from the ones you personally employ?
Have lost notion of Sunday as “Sabbath.” Also, church has become a task instead of practicing Sabbath Tension between all the doing of church with church as spiritual practice -- including practicing Sunday as Sabbath. List of all the things people can “do” at church -- which are spiritual practices? Corporate and people are different. Groups/events where people gather to pray. Find balance of introducing new with old. Difficult to talk about church spiritual growth than personal spiritual growth. Balance spiritual practices of various communities within church. Balance with familiar and with investigating new ways and practices. Do churches have to take a risk to allow people to talk about change AND belief: voice that there might be fear with change. Church safe place to learn new practices and rituals How do we meet people where they are? Circle of exercise bikes -- men meet and exercise and share. Find out what times people are willing/able to come to events. Commitment Hosting events to teach spiritual practices Prayer meetings weekly It would increase coming to church. Lack of prayer in the morning at home Brother Lawrence: prayer without ceasing Exhibit: Trying new ways of worship Different music Changes in rituals Open to trying new different ways of being together Makes it more interesting Facilitate: Reach out to community Columbus weekend/Belmont Serves Red Wagon/Food Pantry Opportunity for service -- grow through doing Growth: Prayer groups Lenten/advent services Women’s Group Spirituality practice group (Lectio Divina/centering prayer) Individual vs. Corporate Growth: Individual and you become welcoming -- church becomes welcoming Because the people are the church. Church should have an encompassing belief of how to grow spiritually and what it is that is different from individual growth. Church rituals may be opposite from one’s own You can “beg to differ” and still enjoy. The experience of engaging in new or differently styled rituals can enhance our spiritual growth. It can also be uncomfortable and cause people to pull away. Church spiritual growth -Church is a heterogeneous mix of persons of a range of spiritual ages -Its purpose (one of its purposes) is to grow believers. (-baptism, confirmation rituals) -We are not all spiritual marathons, but we are in training -Spiritual growth cannot be accomplished alone. -Sharing of prayer is very important. -Group some service/business>spiritual aspects -Group spiritual practice outside worship -e.g.: women’s groups—long history @PCC Leadership Self-selected-not ordained authorized by church Alternate venues Ritual Repetitive Predictable Variation Permissible Change is hard Conservative Rituals important. Humans programmed for repetition & do w/others. i.e. Singing, marching Rewarding yourself—nourishing Know & predict strengthening & calming Think about examining rituals—not just for rituals sake. Ritual may be singing of hymns, not necessarily which hymns out of which hymnal. Church to Grow Spiritually? Ind. vs. Church -Not the same, but related -The Church’s growth is the collection of individual Spiritual growth. This is what the Sunday Morning Worship Service should do.
Sermons that discusses an issue facilitates spiritual growth. -Sunday Morning—Does it grow your faith? -Sometimes service feeds faith, sometimes it doesn’t—Not sure if it’s the service or me! -Clapping can be an interruption. Depends on intention of clapping—praising God? Or for entertainment? What would enhance Spiritual Growth? -Not looking for another ritual or practice in church. Can’t think of anything. Comfort in the service or not feeding faith? ßChallenge of meeting both expecting ßPeople have left for both probably -Sermons & Scripture … is center of Church’s spiritual growth. Should be climax. -Introduction to Scriptures (Context) -Service should be “middle-of-the-road,” “bland.” “Not to shake up the congregation.” -Church service should reflect the consensus or majority of the congregation,àthem fill in difference (blessing the pets, silences, meditation) in other (e.g., early Sunday am events/services. Ping Pong Table DISCOVERY SUNDAY Who is God and Where Do We Find God? October 11, 2010 Notes from Discussion Groups
God is in people seen through actions of good in others; an essence of what we seek to have Presence: when daughters were born, God must have been there and involved in some way. Spirit of Life, images of living/growing in the most unlikely places. Protecting Father, presence giving strength. Love, connection, community with greater spirit. Trinity and God’s presence of connectedness. No physical representation Spirit/presence/goodness in the world Strength to endure/acceptance of efforts God as an experience I see God when I get “me” out of the way -- in my heart A feeling -- in groups of people -- praying sharing thoughts in community Image is hope, future -- the unconditional love As a longing – overcoming our obstacles Many ways -- with or without people, in music -- remembering wonderful moments Hard to put into words In church, in nature, in children An our of the ordinary feeling Ways people interact In the natural world During times of grief, hardships In generosity of others Singing -- through sharing music In nature -- experiencing God’s creation In impulses to help others “Knowing” stronger than just believing In death -- powerful evidence of God in transitions Belief in strength God as knowing what we need Supernatural moments -- miracles -- manifestation of a higher power Stumbling on something that was always there -- suddenly we understand Humor Sometimes
In people: people that touch my life, walk with me as I make my choices. Friends, when we are in need. Image: we are hands and feet of God. Have trouble with idea of evil humans. We are the way God’s good can be exhibited and shown. In children: 8 years old, open to love -- they channel God’s love. Spirit: comforting link back to beginning of Old Testament creation. Spirit of all around us. Not a controlling power. Spirit who “started the ball rolling” and laws of nature. Things go ahead according to the momentum of the people. Original, creative force looking down. World a kaleidoscope of evidence that God exists. Music. A moment: passage in Job -- problem brought to house of Lord. A comforter in time of trouble. Gives us energy to respond, cope -- new energy. God is love -- shows through other people. Hate: the worst thing. What we think is love is up to each one of us. How do we see love in all these troubled areas of world. Power of prayer. See God through other people. Evil vs. good. Where is God? Try to look for God in people who are desperate, sick, angry. Where is God then? God -- Spirit (triune). Music: God is present in the music of Kurt on the piano. Carl Sagan: “Billions and billions of stars” versus ??schism?? “in this church.” Spirit: everything, everywhere. Feel whenever we feel like it. Potential for love is God. Something to look up to; and around. Above me and around. All the time. Can tak to whenever. Pray and know we are being heard. Feel like it’s there. “Aura.” First thought: didn’t need to go to church (in a foxhole or a bowling alley) but at Plymouth Church, he’s there to listen. Given all those things I cannot handle to God -- So he can take care of it. God in my heart -- on bad days -- everlasting compassion. Nature: mission trips. Warmth of sun, transition to 80, serve. Should I cut that guy off or let him go? Do the just thing. Set example. Profession: pray for guidance to provide for the needs of each person. |
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