Mutual Ministry in Northern Michigan

Mutual Ministry: A Primer

Greetings!

I am just back from a dizzying trip of church visitations, teaching and learning.

Part of this trip involved attendance at a Visitor’s weekend in Northern Michigan for those interested in learning more about Mutual Ministry. . Despite the fear of crashing the Bishop’s car which I’d borrowed during a snow storm to drive through a mountain pass (not a good idea for a San Diego native), the weekend was informative, inspirational, and provided a good opportunity for anyone wishing to learn more about the experience of congregations in Northern Michigan. The visitors were from areas across the United States, and abroad (Scotland).

In this depopulating and geographically isolated part of the United States, small congregations face many seemingly overwhelming challenges; but despite these challenges, these congregations have not just struggled to survive, they are creatively finding ways to thrive and continue to bring the message of Christ’s transformative love to their region and the world in a very vital way.

In the Northern Michigan model “ministry support teams” are raised up and commissioned for ministry from the congregation. This includes the ministers of education, music, and pastoral care, as well as the preacher, deacon and the sacramentalists (which are ordained but not seminary trained and work with out financial compensation) to name a few. Regional missioners and the bishop (all seminary trained at present) work as a support team for the individual congregational teams across the diocese.

Did I walk away with questions? Yes. Do I think it is the answer for every small congregation? No. But what I walked away with was a profound appreciation for how ministry has developed in Northern Michigan, and a challenge to continue to look, find, discover and share new and creative ways of “being church” in this post-Christendom world.

I invite your response…

If you’d like to find out more about Mutual Ministry in Northern Michigan the next visitor’s week end is scheduled for April 27-29, 2007. Contact Jane Cisluycis at jane@upepiscopal.org or call 906.228.7160.