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presbyterian.ca
SUMMER 2021
Rethinking
How We
Gather
By the Rev. Meg Patterson,
St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, Ont., on The Art of Gathering online conference
When I heard about the one-day conference called The Ar t of Gather- ing that the Life and Mission Agency was hosting, I was intrigued. Like many people during the pandemic, I had been yearning for quality learning oppor tunities. I was surprised when I looked up the keynote speaker’s name and found out that he was the host of one of my favourite podcasts, “Harry Potter and the Sacred Text.” Casper ter Kuile is not only the host of this popular podcast but also a Minis- try Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divin- ity School and author of The Power of Ritual and How We Gather. I signed up for the conference when I realized that it had the potential to be both person- ally and professionally beneficial. I am so glad I made that decision.
What Casper presented was quite different from what I expected. His approach to gathering people fo- cused on the way that people who are not connected to faith com- munities come together. For many decades, there has been a growing number of people who select “none” to describe their religious affiliation. Yet, as Casper pointed out to us, the need for connection and meaning still exists. So, where are the “nones” finding communities of purpose and belonging? Casper’s research has revealed that they are gathering in
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places like CrossFit and SoulCycle gyms, Maker Spaces (shared ar t and design studios) and other inten- tional communities built on common interests and experience (e.g., grief, outdoor adventure, social justice and popular culture).
“The human longings that have pulled us toward Christian commu- nity still exist,” Casper said at the online conference, “but the distribu- tion systems we have are becoming obsolete.” At first, this statement was a shock, but, as I listened to Casper further, I realized that we were be- ing invited to rethink the ways that church communities share the Good News of Jesus.
Casper offered two key pieces of advice for congregations. First, he suggests that we “unbundle and deliver gifts.” Christian communities are used to offering many different opportunities to gather and support (e.g., worship, outreach, fellowship, education for all ages, family sup- port, pastoral care, etc.). “Unbun- dling” means selecting one aspect of Christian faith practice—one that your congregation is good at, en- joys and feels called by God to pur- sue—and making it the focus of your ministry. He provided the example of One Table, a Jewish organization that recognized that millennials needed rest and community. So, One Table started a Friday sabbath dinner that offers ideas, resources and support for groups of young adults who want to come together to build community
over food.
The second strategy that Casper
suggested is to “come alongside” those in our neighbourhoods who are already gathering people together and offer our support. Church com- munities have years of experience in spiritual accompaniment, com- munity building, pastoral care, group dynamics, interpretation...and have so many other skills and gifts to of- fer. “Coming alongside” is not a way to get new people to come to church on Sunday, but to build relationships with neighbours and to contribute to the well-being of the communities of which our churches are a part.
There are three things that appeal to me about Casper’s teachings: 1)
They do not depend on the size or budget of your congregation. 2) They are based on our God-given gifts in our own context. We are working out of our strengths, not trying to build something from nothing. 3) It resem- bles what Jesus and the early church had done. Even though people came to Jesus, he also went to them and invited them into relationship no mat- ter where he found them.
The most encouraging part of Casper’s proposal is that people are still longing for the things that Jesus offers: personal and social transfor- mation, purpose and accountability, an outlet for their creativity and a sense of community. It is up to the people of God to show our neigh-
bours that when Jesus is at the heart of gatherings that our hearts’ long- ings can be fulfilled.
Having participated in two edu- cational programs offered by The Presbyterian Church in Canada— Presbyterians Read and The Art of Gathering—I am grateful for the op- portunity to hear from other voices to give us a new perspective, whether it is Jewish author and professor Amy-Jill Levine through Presbyteri- ans Read, or someone like Casper through the Cyclical PCC event. Even when I disagree with some of what I hear, I am always thinking, turning to scripture, all the while optimistic that the experience will make me a better follower of Jesus.
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