CONGREGATION CONVERSATION 11/23/14

Sunday morning, November 23rd,
Emmaus Road gathered at the Likkels' for a
CONGREGATION CONVERSATION. 
Here is a summary of what was spoken:

YOU ARE HERE

We discussed where we are in the process of ministry renewal.

Back in the spring, we felt fatigue and fear.

We participated in a questionnaire facilitated by Council;

we identified some strengths and a few weaknesses.

In June, we agreed to a process of renewal,

involving identity, mission, vision, and ministry strategies.

Pastor Likkel convened a small team

including a few members, Council leaders,

and ministry colleagues from outside of Emmaus Road.

This "ReLaunch" team met in July and September.

During this period, we also moved our worship location

from New Horizons to the Seattle School.

Here, now, in November,
Pastor Likkel suggests we have reached a point

where a few important things have come into focus.

REDESIGN REALIGN

One significant theme which has emerged:

we still love our story from Luke 24.

In fact, we are hearing and learning more from the entire chapter,

about the meaning of what happens on the Road to Emmaus,

and what happens later

when disciples converge in Jerusalem, and paths cross.

We also recognize a compelling call

to realign what we do together as a church

around Christ's call to follow him.

It is a confession that we want to return to an emphasis on discipleship,

which is neither about adding programs,

nor getting stuck in service provider mode.

It is about changing our posture, realigning our vision,

where we already are BEYOND SUNDAY.

EMMAUS ROAD'S MISSION

This leads to another realization and confession:

Emmaus Road's BIG MISSION is not to align ourselves all in one place,

to pursue community development, or refugee resettlement, 

or some other worthy,

theoretically unifying, CAUSE.

Rather, Emmaus Road's BIG MISSION is to equip members 

for the individual MISSIONS

we each discover beyond Sunday.

As a church, we are called to equip and empower each other

to be alert to how Jesus walks alongside us,

that we also walk alongside our neighbor, family member, and coworker.

This may lead us, individually,

into neighborhood renewal where we live,

poverty alleviation, or justice advocacy.

Sunday worship events are where these roads cross,

with testimony, word, sacrament, song, and prayer.

We encourage and equip each other for the journey.

MULTIPLICATION

Moving forward in 2015,
we must measure efforts
by their potential to MULTIPLY.

Churches are tempted to grow by

DIVISION and ADDITION,
while avoiding SUBTRACTION:

we compete with other congregations 

from a shrinking pool of church goers,

DIVIDING members among each other,

ADDING them to our crowd,

producing programs to hold consumer's attention,

slowing the inevitable EXIT
to a better church with better programs,
or out of church altogether.

We are called to do something else:

be disciples and make disciples.

This is growth by MULTIPLICATION.

Your life, beyond Sunday, what happens outside your front door,

is your mission field, the "front door field."

It is this field for which your church needs to equip you

to faithfully serve and witness.

Small Groups can foster space where we encourage, equip, 

and provide accountability to one another.

Sundays can be aligned as crossroads events, 

where we celebrate, inspire, and teach.

REALIGN: WHAT HELPS? WHAT HINDERS?

These are the questions we must answer,

in order to draw strategy around true realignment.

Changes of heart and mind precede changes in structure.

We began to discuss this at the November 23rd gathering;

here are some notes:

THESE THINGS HELP:

• Seeing what God is doing already where you are.
• Warmth within our community, which spans from Sundays to Small Groups.
• Relationships of accountability (not control), fostered by healthy communication.
• Our new worship space.
• Multiplying Small Groups.
• Multiplying events where people can gather and bond.
• Worship music inspires us.
• Hearing the Word each Sunday.
• Children's ministry, led by gifted, dedicated adult members and staff.

THESE THINGS HINDER:

• Perception of children's ministry as underdeveloped, understaffed, stretched volunteers; clash of consumer culture approach and discipling relationship approach.
• Thin relationships across body.
• Self-censoring when we could be witnessing, inviting, speaking truth in love.
• Financial stress, sustainability struggles.
• Previous worship space.
• Harried, hurried, preoccupied, busy members with overstuffed calendars.
• Equipping for service Beyond Sunday - not there yet.