Exploring Possibilities

A Friday Consultation, Saturday Workshop and Sunday Worship Experience

What we know is that congregations that are concerned only about their current membership are the ones that are shrinking. Congregations that are outward looking and determined to minister to the people in their community are the ones that are growing.

Three things make this workshop and the Sunday worship experience special. The Friday consultation gives staff the tools they need to follow-up on the weekend's work. The Saturday workship asks people to share their dream for the congregation and the people in the community it serves. On Sunday the challenge for church members is to become part of the leadership team that makes that dream come true.

Friday Consultation

We meet with the clergy or staff team on Friday morning, and then in the afternoon with any additional key congregational leaders. This gives us an opportunity to bring everyone on board with the process. Even more important, we share ways that staff can follow up on the work done by the congregation. Without follow-up, our experience is that little happens. With follow-up, the congregation can move ahead in the ways in which it makes a real difference in people's lives. And that is what it is all about.

Saturday: Dreaming Mission, Mapping Action

The Saturday workshop provides an opportunity to develop a picture of what your vibrant attractive congregation will look like in the future. Then comes exploring the steps that will take the congregation toward that specific future to which they see God calling them.

The mood is one of celebration, recalling what is happening now that contributes to that mission and naming new approaches that can make the congregation's ministry in the community even more meaningful.

The specific pieces that make it so effective are:

Sharing Stories of what keeps people connected to the congregation.

Exploring a Mission Statement that echoes what is personally important for participants.

Understanding the Community served by the congregation.

Changes in society make it important to realize the ministry that churches are being called by God to offer today may not be the same as it was in the past.

Reviewing the Mission in the light of all this.

Dreaming the church you see in your future.

Mapping what you are currently doing and could be doing in the community that reflects the mission to which God is calling you.

Sunday Worship: Making Dreams Come True

This worship experience uses the internationally acclaimed book Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes to provide a focus for exploring ways in which the congregation, through its members, can minister to the community. The prayer is that people will leave this worship inspired to dream a dream for their community, one that builds on Jesus' picture of God's New Community, and then see themselves having a role in making that dream come true.

Leadership for both the workshop and the worship is provided by the staff team from the Congregational Life Centre, Clair Woodbury & Joyce Madsen. This is a one-two combination developed over the fall of 2010 that has been extremely effective everywhere it has been used.

This event holds real promise for clergy and lay leadership who want their congregation to have a ministry that reaches into the community. It can provide a focus that releases energy for meaningful ministry. It can be instrumental in identifying potential leaders for that ministry. It celebrates what the congregation has been in the past, and lifts up a vibrant dynamic image of what it can be in the future.

For more information or to reserve your weekend of celebration and renewal phone Joyce Madsen at 780-428-6016 or Clair Woodbury at 780-619-0386. The cost is $750 plus travel. For small congregations or those at a distance from Edmonton, a fund is available to help cover part of the cost.

What some people have said about the event

Working in groups made it fun and interesting.

A very good workshop. Really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the way you varied the activities.

It was well planned and organized.

It pointed out to me that we, as a congregation, are more caught up in the matter of numbers than in finding ways to reach out to the community.

Rest assured, many of the ideas will be shared at Board level as well as with the wider congregation.

A relaxed atmosphere. Got us thinking of what could be.

You gave us hope.

You did a wonderful job of keeping us focused on our present and future of church.