through the labyrinth
Early this month, Rev. Dr. Richard Hyde, Katie Roedner, and I travelled to Atlanta at the invitation of the Fund for Theological Education. We were a delegation from Cleveland Park Congregational UCC to a conference for calling congregations on the theme Notice, Name and Nurture. We met with ten other congregations from around the country that had been selected as calling congregations. We compared experiences. We learned from scholars. The Staff of the Fund mentored us and guided and prodded our work. It was a full four days and three nights!
As a delegation we three came up with the following two major conclusions which we will be exploring with our Pastoral Staff and lay leaders. Cleveland Park Church is a mentoring congregation! We are the right size, we have the right people, we have a strong tradition of intergenerational friendship. We can and must build on this strength in our Youth and Young Adult work.
Secondly, we need to become even more of a story telling church. We have a wealth of life experience. We have people of vision. We include members whose ministries have made the world a better place. We do fascinating things. We need to know each other even better.
In the weeks and months to come you will hear more of this, but for now, I would leave your with these questions. How can you be an active mentor? What story about yourself will strengthen our common life?
NOTICE, NAME AND NURTURE
Thursday, October 18, 2007
