Presbyterian_Connection_Spring_2017

Connection
PRESBYTERIAN
The Presbyterian Church in Canada • presbyterian.ca ISSUE 1, SPRING 2017
Renewal and Revitalization
Believing that God has a purpose and design for congregations within The Presbyterian Church in Canada, faith- ful communities across the country are engaging in conversations about renewal and revitalization in their context.
Several people were asked: How do you understand renewal and what insights can you provide from your experience and field of study to help congregations engage in these questions and hear God’s call anew?
Turning back to Abraham
Written by Jennifer de Combe, Associate Secretary, Canadian Ministries, and the New Congregational Development Coaches
“So Abram went, as the Lord had told him...” (Genesis 12:4) Sometimes the conversation begins with a tired committee simply say- ing, “We don’t want to do this any- more”; at other times it starts with an increasing number of members who feel a burgeoning desire to abandon ways of the past in order to realign with God’s desires; and for some it is a conversation sparked by fear that quickly becomes one of hope.
Renewal—literally, to be made new again—can take many shapes; yet, whichever way we approach the question, it has to begin with God and be directed by God. The hallmark of renewal is a fresh and real experi- ence of God in the hearts and lives of the congregation.
Most of us are afraid of death. Our culture is one that avoids death and has created a multi-billion dol- lar market selling people the lie that eternal youth is possible with the right products and programs. This fear of dying is also present in our congrega- tions. We worry about the future of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. We worry about the future of our in- dividual congregations. Worry has long been part of the story of God’s people—so has the transforming and enduring love of God.
Turning back to the days of Abraham, we learn about the nature of God’s call
Choir members rejoice on the one-year anniversary of the Grey-Bruce-Maitland Ministry Cooperative. This cooperative is made up of four congregations that were on the path of decline, but whose combined resources allowed them to become a vibrant faith community full of new life and new vision.
in our lives. Before Abraham became our mighty father of faith, we meet him as Abram, an older man settling into his last years with his infertile wife. The scene is bleak, some would say hope- less, and yet into this barren backdrop God speaks a disturbing word that de- mands a drastic response.
Abram is called on a journey; a jour- ney with no precedent, no map, trust- ing only in God’s promise. To become Abraham, the ancestor of a multitude of nations, Abram had to step out in faith and let go of all former security. This required an openness to leave the safety of his home along with the habits and traditions that gave rhythm to his days so that he could be trans- formed by God’s grace and promise. And it was in stepping out in faith that Abraham came to experience, know and love God.
Like Abraham, we too are being called on a journey that demands ac- ceptance, suppleness to God’s trans- formative work and continual discern- ment of God’s will for the direction and shape of the journey. It is also a journey
that promises life, love and hope. We don’t yet know where the future of the church lies but we can rest assured that God loves the church and all peo- ple with an enduring love. We are never alone: God is with us as we experience the fear that comes with change and loss, God is with us as we step out in faith, and God is with us as we journey toward the promise.
Place yourself in Abraham’s story, found in Genesis 12.
• What, from his former life, do you think was hardest to let go of?
• Where do you think he found the
faith to accept God’s call?
• Notice how Abraham’s decision
to follow God’s call affected other peo- ple in his family and literally changed the direction of their lives. How do you think a decision to change the direc- tion of your ministry might affect the community around you?
• How would you want it to affect the community around you?
In order to bring ourselves into align- ment with God’s dream and to par- ticipate in kingdom work, we need to focus on several areas:
• Modelling our ministry after Christ—radical openness to where God is calling, attentive to the needs of those around us, focused on healing and freeing others into a life of abun- dance and joy, willing to go through suffering and challenge for the sake of the kingdom, built on solid faith that proclaims the coming of the king- dom.
• Silence and space to allow God’s voice to be heard, along with a radical openness to what God is call-
ing the church to do and be.
• An openness to live through the
repentance, healing and transforma- tion necessary for renewal to take place.
• Strong leadership that is not afraid to ask questions or to develop new ways of seeing and being and that creates space for discernment to be possible.
• A spirit of adventure—doing God’s work is fulfilling and leads to the joy of life! The promise of joy is mentioned many times over through- out the Bible and should always be at the centre of our ministry.
Wherever on this journey, congrega- tions need to ask themselves:
• Are we willing to take a journey that we have not chosen, but to which God is calling us?
• What would we find the hardest to let go of if God called us to some- thing new?
• What gets in the way of us fully living in Christ?
Continued on page 2
The hallmark of renewal is a fresh and real experience of God.
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General Assembly 2017
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Making mission and ministry happen
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Learning from Chanie Wenjack
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