Standing Commission for Small Congregation
This past week I had the pleasure of serving as the staff liaison to the Episcopal Church's Standing Commission charged with "concerning itself with new directions for small congregations" in Kansas City.
An agenda was created upon arrival by participants, and included the following:
Worship
Building resources of Best Practice (Music, Stewardship, Ethnic Ministry, Small church handbook, Style of worship)
Summit on Small Church
General Convention and Resolutions
Relief for Small Church Professionals (Pension Fund, Health Insurance, Debt)
Seminaries role in formation (Lay and Ordered)
The conversation was good and I look forward to seeing more fine work from this committee (especially the possibility of an event to be held just prior to General Convention 2009 which I will share more about as plans progress.)
What I would be interested in right now is learning (and sharing) from you, small church enthusiasts, what other issues you would like to see this committee address? If you were at the table last week, what else would you have added to the agenda? What "new directions for small congregations" would you hope that we, collectively, will articulate and possibly legislate?
S.
5 comments:
I was wondering how I could get invovled with this group and support it?
Suzanne, I wrote you a long email today, as I want to get involved with this re: the planting of small (300 and under membership) missional emerging ethos church communities in TEC.
from Karen Ward, Abbess of apostleschurch.org, Seattle, WA
and blogging at http://www.subergence.org
Suzanne, How about adding Local outreach opportunities for small congregations.?
I've been giving a lot of thought to my children and their future in the church. We are intentional about membership in a small congregation, but I wonder. I've read a couple of good books and had a great talk with a guy at a mega church located in mall.
Are children on the radar screen for this Standing Commission?
I was going to jump in here, well after the fact, and say that "Outreach" is notably absent from the list. But I see that california gal beat me to it!!
I'd add that (1) no church is too small to help its neighbors and (2) local outreach is a GREAT place to think "out of box" and be creative -- figuring out what we have that we can give to others.
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