Living Stones: A Gathering to Focus on Total Ministry

On February 17-20, 2007, I was honored to be included as a guest at the annual gathering of Living Stones in Spokane, Washington. Living Stones is a partnership of dioceses and communities of faith engaged in Christian mission, committed to the ministry of all the baptized. In the context of theological reflection, the Living Stones Partnership exists to support, challenge, and strengthen ministry in their respective jurisdictions.

The gathering included over twenty diocese and communities of faith from ECUSA and the Anglican Church in Canada. Those present formed "cluster groups" in which four different groups presented a situation for peer evaluation and consultation. Many of the presentations focused on the "nuts and bolts" and "strengths and opportunities" of living out the ministry of "locally identified and trained teams" as congregational leaders (called total ministry, ministry of all the baptized, local shared ministry, or many other names...this is a model where teams with in the congregation are identified, locally trained, and ordained--including the ministry of priest and deacon--and are then facilitated by a regional missioner who is commonly seminary trained and works with several congregational teams.)

The gathering in Spokane was filled with life, and it is exciting to see such a large group of dynamic church leaders creatively working together to find ways to continue to proclaim the gospel locally in these changing times.

If you are part of a diocese that has small churches that might wish to explore the concept of total ministry, attending Living Stones as a visitor would be a great opportunity to explore this option. Many of the congregations present initially looked to this alternative model because of finances and budget, but now embrace it and clearly state that they would not return to the one-priest one-altar model.

Unfortunately Living Stones does not have a web site for further information. If you would like more info. send me an e-mail and I will forward it to someone who can assist...