Page 6 - PC Fall 2023

6 FALL 2023
A Way Forward
in Ministry
PRESBYTERIAN
By the Rev. Jeffrey Crawford and Jen de Combe, Canadian Ministries
God is on the side of transforma- tion. From the first words spoken to Abraham and Sarah to the call of the church today, the invitation has always been the same: go to the place where I am leading you. As central as this call is to our story of faith and our identity as the church, it can be really dif- ficult to discern where we are be- ing led. While this may feel like a unique challenge in the Covid-in- formed era, the reality is this has always been a challenge before the people of God. God meets us where we are and leads us to a new place.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada helps congregations take up this challenge by offering an opportunity to take part in the New Beginnings process, which is a way for congregations to work together to discern where God is leading. The goal is to come to a prayerful decision about a future direction of ministry and to de- velop a clear action plan.
Over the course of a year, con- gregations engaged in New Be- ginnings take part in four phases of discovery:
1. Assessment of the current ministry of the church, cel- ebration of the way God has been present and is present with the congregation, and a realistic identification of po- tential future steps.
2. Workshops to help the con- gregation understand the changes in this era and why many elements of the cur- rent ministry structure no longer work.
3. Small Group Meetings to open the congregation to new ways of thinking about mission and to make a bold decision for future ministry.
4. Coaching to help implement a new vision for ministry. Transformation is often a pro-
cess of subtraction as much as it is a discovery of a new way forward. For each of the over 25 congregations within the PCC that have gone through this process, the results have been as unique as the congregations themselves. For some, the process will lead to letting go of current elements of ministry and to embracing a whole new direction. For others it might mean a prayerful acceptance that there isn’t enough energy, or too few resources, to embrace a new way. For others still, it might lead to exciting partnerships that en- able the congregation to deepen their community connections. Regardless of outcome, each congregation that has embarked on this process has emerged with a deeper understanding of their unique identity as a congregation, renewed clarity and a vision for future ministry.
There are many stories to cel- ebrate that come to light from the New Beginnings process.
The process at Calvin-Goforth Presbyterian Church in Saska- toon, Sask., led them to pair with the Saskatoon Council on Aging to start the “GoForth Hub Club” for seniors. This club has ena- bled the congregation to develop strong community ties with local seniors.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Thunder Bay, Ont., is excitedly working at implement- ing their new ministry plan to partner with Indigenous peoples. This summer, the congregation worked with local Indigenous leaders to offer worship and cre- ate a safe space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to gather and form community. This is the first step on a much longer journey.
The Toronto Nigerian Presby- terian Church is experiencing a renewed sense of hope as they create deeper ties with the Pres- byterian Church in Nigeria and explore new ways of reaching out to the Nigerian population in Toronto.
While many congregations ex- press a curiosity and desire to take part in New Beginnings, not all will be at a place where they have the time or resources to dedicate to such a fulsome pro- cess. Thankfully, however, this does not mean that they cannot engage in the process of discern- ment and transformation.
How to engage in the
work of transformation Transformation and discernment rarely occur with a big leap. Rath- er, the process involves a series of small steps, where congrega- tions listen and experiment. As change expert Susan Beaumont wrote, “Innovation happens not by following a map or script, but by responding in each moment to a fresh set of adjacent possi- bles—the unique and novel out- comes that could be constructed from where we currently stand.”
One of the ways to discover the set of “adjacent possibles” is to ask ourselves what we are ready for. This question invites us to expand from existing pro- grams into new forms of minis- try. To describe this expansion, Beaumont uses the image of a zipper. Rather than jumping to the last rung, zippers are fas- tened tooth by tooth. The key is finding the next tooth. For exam- ple, a congregation wanting to embrace a full-fledged children’s ministry might be tempted to hire a staff person and to create a program from scratch. This is a big leap and one that is often un- successful. A different approach is to find that first step toward building a children’s ministry and start from there. Perhaps the first step is committing to pray regularly for the children in the
community or volunteering at the local elementary school to help children practice reading. The impor tant thing is to continue to push forward after each new step is accomplished.
The zipper also invites congre- gations to take action and move. A zipper is zipped swiftly. This re- minds congregations that just as important as finding the next step is the call to move into action. Transformation can only occur when a congregation decides on a step and takes it; and discern- ment is often the result of praying and reflecting on what happens when actions are taken.
Below are ideas for congrega- tions to use to identify that next step and to move into action.
Get curious: Host an Appre- ciative Inquiry evening, where the congregation answers a series of questions to identify the minis- tries and events where they have experienced the most joy and fulfillment, to identify the exist- ing strengths of the congregation and to celebrate their sense of God’s presence in the life of the church. By engaging with these questions, you will discover what you love to do together and what you find most meaningful in the present moment. Once you’ve discovered these elements, brain- storm ways to enhance these areas of ministry. If you love to sing together, consider organizing a hymn sing or starting a pop-up choir. If you love to eat together, imagine ways that you can invite more people to the table to share in God’s grace and nourishment. If you love to study scripture, why not host a special Bible study se-
ries in partnership with a neigh- bouring congregation?
Explore potential partner- ships: Many congregations are unaware of who lives near the church and which organizations exist within the community. This exercise invites congregations to discover their neighbours. Spend time learning about your neigh- bourhood—who are your neigh- bours, what other churches are close, what groups operate near your church, what institutions are nearby? Once you’ve drawn up a list, brainstorm how you might partner with some of your neigh- bouring groups.
Game idea: Write the name of each potential partnership on a slip of paper. Take turns drawing the slips and, together as a group, brainstorm as many ideas as possible for how you might work together for the good of the neigh- bourhood. Once you’ve drawn up a list, spend time in prayer and see if you are feeling led or excit- ed about any of the potential part- nerships that have been named.
Do something new: Consider taking par t in a 21-day chal- lenge. This is an invitation to be- gin moving in a new direction be- fore you have everything figured out. This is not about per fection, but forward movement. In this exercise, congregations name an area they want to expand in and then identify one action they can doinaperiodof21daystoput it in motion. For example, your church has a desire to become more visible and welcoming to the community. Over a period of 21 days you can plant a new flower garden and paint your front door a welcoming colour. Remember, to celebrate your ef- for ts once you have completed your 21-day goal!
The journey of transformation that God calls us to join in is not always about drastic change and upheaval, rather it is often about a series of seemingly small steps that in their total lead to a new beginning.
If any of these ideas sparked interest, or if you would like re- sources on how to engage in one of these actions, please contact either Jen de Combe (jdecombe@presbyterian.ca) or Jeffrey Crawford (jcrawford@ presbyerian.ca) in Canadian Ministries.
Connection
A leadership team at Nigerian Presbyterian Church in Toronto, Ont., with their New Beginnings assessor, the Rev. Ken MacQuarrie.
presbyterian.ca
Ash Moreau and Janine Desmoulin, who provided leadership at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Thunder Bay, Ont., during worship on National Indigenous Peoples Sunday, June 2023.
The New Beginnings Process
In 2019, The Presbyterian Church in Canada partnered with the Hope Network for Missional Transformation to offer the New Beginnings process to congregations across the denomination.
To find out more about New Beginnings, contact Jen de Combe in Canadian Ministries at jdecombe@presbyterian.ca.