Congregations that were able to
ask “What is God calling us to be and to do in this time and place?” found their focus shiſting from worrying about their survival as an institution to seeking an active engagement in God’s mission in the world. To more deeply understand
God’s call to mission, congregations can cultivate a renewed emphasis on the basic practices of our faith. Worshiping, dwelling in the word, and participating in corporate and individual prayer can open our lives to the Spirit’s presence in our midst and awaken our imaginations. Resources such as Martha Grace
Reese’s Unbinding the Gospel series (Chapel Press) have helped congre- gations remember that God’s mission is to love and redeem the world, and the church is an instrument for the fulfillment of that mission, not an end in itself.
We walk with each other Te second characteristic com- mon to renewing congregations was an understanding that “we’re in this together.” Just as God walks with us, we need to walk with each other: pastors, leaders and all in the congregation. Te pastors in my study played a
central and vital role in initiating the change process in their congrega- tions. Te most important charac- teristic of their leadership was their ability to build trust and foster the development of creativity. It was important for congregation
members to know that their called leader wasn’t leading from ahead or from above, but from within, accom- panying them as full members of the community of faith. Te degree to which the pastors were able to dem- onstrate that they loved, respected and were committed to serving the people of the congregation impacted
their ability to lead members into new ventures. Pastors also played a signifi-
cant role in introducing new ideas and behaviors into congregational life. But their leadership was most effective when they encouraged the creative imaginations of others. Alan Roxburgh, one of the
leading writers of the “missional church movement,” reminds pas- tors that “God’s future is not in a plan or strategy that you introduce; it is among the people of God. God brings the future toward us. God’s future is already being cultivated in the church among the ordinariness of one another.” Practices that can cultivate a
shared understanding of leadership include a listening campaign (a series of one-on-one conversations or small group discussions), in which leaders set aside their agendas to listen deep- ly to each other, seeking to under- stand the hopes, fears and passions of the other. It can help build a culture of mutual engagement and discern- ment as congregational leaders seek together to know and do God’s will.
We walk with our neighbors Te final and perhaps most chal- lenging characteristic was walking with those outside the congrega- tion. Te congregations engaged in renewal sought to more deeply
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understand and engage the culture of their communities, viewing their neighbors as partners in God’s mis- sion to love and redeem the world. Such engagement begins with
listening. Practices such as prayer walks, neighborhood surveys, com- munity forums and interviews with community leaders can begin to lay the foundation for stronger relation- ships. But congregations need to move beyond information gather- ing to build a culture of accom- paniment. Curiosity, courage and compassion are the key components of this cultural shiſt, as Christ calls us to muster up the courage to step outside our walls to more deeply understand and more creatively care for our neighbors. Tere are many practices and
approaches that pastors and con- gregations can use to begin, sustain and guide a journey of congrega- tional renewal. Ultimately, they all must be rooted in faith, trusting that the God whose steadfast love endures forever will continue to guide, chal- lenge and sustain the church as it travels from despair to hope, from death to life.
Author bio: Erickson is an ELCA pastor who has served as an assistant to the bishop for evangelical mission in the St. Paul Area Synod since October 2008.
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