PaTH - Practicing and Teaching Hope

CAN YOU IMAGINE A CHURCH...

Discovering anew what it means to be the church? Learning to live as a community of Christ's disciples? United by a vision of God's mission?

Journey of Discovery: Living Into God’s Call / PaTH (Practicing and Teaching Hope)

In 2005 our Church Board affirmed our congregation’s participation in a three-year transformation process called Journey of Discovery: Living into God’s call. No “quick fix,” it is a prayerful, scripture-based journey for our congregation to discern together God's call to us in our community.

A coordinating team for our congregation (Bonnie Goddard, John Pasola, Luetta Patton, Robin Crabb, Katie Peterson, and Pastor Nancy) is receiving ongoing training to equip them to both design and manage our church’s transformation. PaTH (Practicing and Teaching Hope) is the working name chosen for our congregation's transformation process.

In 2005 we celebrated 100 years. We told our faith story, lifted up God's faithful servants who joined in ministry here over the years, and gave thanks for gifts received from this community. Now our congregation is beginning a new journey; through prayer and study we'll listen for the guiding Spirit of God calling us to faithful discipleship now and into the future. Join us on the PaTH as we seek answers to these and other questions:

                   ▪  Where are we as a congregation?                        ▪  What is God doing here?
                   ▪  Whose are we and how is God calling us?              ▪  How is God sending us?
                   ▪  How will we live as called and sent people of God?

Coming up in Phase III, Part II:

▪ FCC Puyallup will clarify a Missional Strategy in order to participate faithfully and effectively in God’s mission.

▪ The Missional Strategy will define FCC Puyallup’s reason for being and how we will achieve a future leading us into our new Guiding Vision.

▪ Five decisions that make up the Missional Strategy:

    ▪  Our Guiding Vision;

    ▪  Our Role-and-Mission;

    ▪  Key Result Areas and Goals;

    ▪  Key Participant Groups; and

    ▪  Core Beliefs and Commitments.

▪ The primary elements of Phase 3 (Part 2) are:

    ▪  ü Sermon series on the new Guiding Vision

    ▪  ü Committed involvement of Church Board and key leaders

    ▪  ü Bible study, Becoming a Mission People

    ▪  Drafting the Missional Strategy

    ▪  Input and interaction with the Missional Strategy by Board, key leaders, and congregation

▪ Events of Phase 3, Part 2

    ▪  ü Workshop to generate input for the Missional Strategy

    ▪  Congregational groupings to interact with the Missional Strategy

    ▪  Conference on the Future that manifests the Missional Strategy

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Where are we now?

Thanks to the 25 people who attended the Missional Strategy workshop on April 26th, 2008, we received many ideas and input for the continuing PaTH process. This information has been handed over to a writing team to draft a Missional Strategy document. The draft will be shared with small groups and the congregation for input before it is finalized.

The PaTH Conference on the Future will be held on Saturday, June 21st and will celebrate our current transformation work and creative exploration of our next steps. Mark your calendars now, and get ready to be inspired.

In January 2008, FCC Puyallup hosted the Journey of Discovery Cluster Workshop. Cluster workshops have occurred through the stages of the transformation process in order to highlight the upcoming phase. Congregations from all over western Washington sent representatives to learn what's coming up next in the process.

In March we joined in the Bible study Becoming a Missional People and in April we will gather on Saturday, April 26th for a Missional Strategy Workshop led by our Journey of Discovery consultant Connie Robey. At this workshop we will map out some key goals and directions that we will use to help us to work toward a future which encompasses the Guiding Vision statement goals that we recently agreed upon. JOIN US SATURDAY, APRIL 26th from 9 am to 1 pm (9 am Continental breakfast) to be a part of the decision-making process for your church's future!

Congratulations to our PaTH Vision Panel and our entire congregation! Together we have crafted a Guiding Vision statement that will be our stepping stone into the future God dreams for us. After conversations in small groups, studies and Worship, the Guiding Vision draft is a reality and has been embraced by our Board and congregation. This Vision will be the statement we own and take with us into our future. The final Guiding Vision reads:

First Christian Church of Puyallup is a gathering of diverse individuals called by God to live as a blessing in our own neighborhoods and in the world.

We dream of being a faithful community of God’s people whose spiritual practices of worship, prayer, study, and ministry nurture those who are seeking to live in the way of Jesus.

Believing that every follower of Christ is gifted by God, we dream of being a family in which each person discovers their gifts and is supported in sharing those gifts with the world.

We experience God’s welcome in our celebration at the communion table and dream of being a reflection of that welcome in our acts of acceptance, forgiveness, generosity, justice and peacemaking.

From here, we move into Phase III, Part II (which means we are halfway done with the five part transformation process!). During the second part of Phase III, Designing a Missional Strategy, as a congregation we will determine the steps we need to take to make the Vision a reality. Listen for more information as the process unfolds.

Phase III is under way:
In Phase III: Discerning God's Call, we've dreamed dreams we never thought possible! Kelli Goatz, Jayne Isch, Tasha Parker, Anastasia Patterson and Karl Raup said yes to being a part of the Vision Panel for Phase III.

We asked for your participation during this exciting phase of transformation of our congregation by joining in the opportunities for Bible study, continued prayers for the team, the process and the congregation, and participation in the events.

The Vision Team has crafted a guiding vision statement draft for our congregation using the input received from the summer Bible study Sign, Foretaste, Instrument and the PaTH Vision Retreat in July. The draft was presented and discussed in small groups, studies and Worship for discussion and feedback.

The PaTH Teams asked for your input into the vision statement that will lead us into our future and into God's call to us. Your thoughts and prayers are always invited as we continue to discern God's call to us as a church in Puyallup.

PaTH Guiding Vision Draft:

First Christian Church of Puyallup is a gathering of diverse individuals called by God to live as a blessing in our own neighborhoods and in the world.

We dream of being a faithful community of God’s people whose spiritual practices of worship, prayer, study, and ministry nurture those who are seeking to live in the way of Jesus.

Believing that every follower of Christ is gifted by God, we dream of being a family in which each person discovers their gifts and is supported in sharing those gifts with the world.

We experience God’s welcome in our celebration at the communion table and dream of being a reflection of that welcome in our acts of acceptance, forgiveness, generosity, and peacemaking.

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Phase II recap:
In Phase II, the PaTH Profile Panel and Coordinating Team introduced possible strategic issues facing our congregation. In small groups and in Worship, the congregation considered prayerfully possible hypotheses/discoveries. Together we listened for God's voice and direction for us as individuals and as a faith community. Congregational participation in these conversations was vital. We sent out surveys, interviewed folks, prayed together in Worship, and listened to feedback from you. From your prayers, thoughtful input and community statistics, nine final hypotheses were formed.

In March 2007, 38 FCC Puyallup members and friends joined to dig into those hypotheses. After three hours of reflection, discussion and prayerful consideration, a consensus of our top three current challenges as a congregation was formed. Here are the results of the Conference:

Who We Are: Our Present & Our Future (a conference on the present)
Here's what we discovered together:
The Conference provided a forum for the 38 attendees to discuss the hypotheses presented to the congregation over the past several months.  A consensus was reached and three of those hypotheses were found to be the most important issues for our church at this time. They were *Reflecting our Community, *Communicate, Communicate, Communicate, and *Cross Training.  After reviewing the comments made by conference participants, the PaTH coordinating team noted that some of the original hypotheses also supported, or overlapped, the top three.

The hypotheses will come back into play as during Phase III the Vision Panel works together through study and prayer to discern God's vision for us.  Bible study, attending the Vision Retreat (July 21 - a time of worship, fellowship, visioning and fun!), ongoing conversation and prayer are ways that you can support this phase of the transformation process.

In a few months when we look at the hypotheses again we will be seeing them with a visioning eye, and with God's dream for us in mind.

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The original nine hypotheses were:

October 22, 2006
Hypothesis/Discovery introduced in Worship:

Me, Myself & I

We live in a culture of self-centeredness, instant gratification and convenience. These expectations affect how we participate in church activities, programs and worship.

What this Hypothesis/Discovery causes me to pray for is:

Read the congregation's prayers ▪ Read the Me, Myself & I sermon ▪ More sermons

October 29, 2006
Hypothesis/Discovery introduced in Worship:

There Is No One Truth

We live in the “Postmodern” world, in which the once unquestioned values, standards and viewpoints of the past have become only one of many perspectives. In today’s society, there is no longer such a thing as one “Truth” with a capital “T.” There are diverse beliefs or versions of the truth, and the truth is left up to the listener to decide.

What this Hypothesis/Discovery causes me to pray for is:

Read the congregation's prayers ▪ Read the There Is No One Truth sermon ▪ More sermons

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November 5, 2006
Hypothesis/Discovery introduced in Worship:

I Go to Church vs. We Are the Church

The church is viewed as a place/building where religious goods are dispensed rather than as the Body of Christ. The pastor plays the key role. We "go to" church rather than seeing ourselves "as the church." The future of our church depends on our understanding of the church as "the Body of Christ" in which each person has the responsibility to contribute his or her unique gifts in ministry.

With busy lives there does not seem to be enough time for being the church.

What this Hypothesis/Discovery causes me to pray for is:

Read the congregation's prayers ▪ Read the I Go to Church vs. We Are the Church sermon ▪ More sermons

November 12, 2006
Hypothesis/Discovery introduced in Worship:

Who Is Our Church?

As our membership has decreased throughout the years, a smaller group of people has continued to do the majority of the ministry in our church. For some our church can feel like a burden to be carried rather than a joy to be celebrated. This is a recipe for burnout and decline.

What this Hypothesis/Discovery causes me to pray for is:

Read the congregation's prayers ▪ Read the Who Is Our Church? sermon ▪ More sermons

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November 19, 2006
Hypothesis/Discovery introduced in Worship:

Rattle, Rattle, Thunder, Clatter

We come to church and church activities weary, rattled and empty from hectic, out of balance lives. For many, the church is just one more obligation with shallow, erratic and unsatisfying participation. And yet for others, church is a way to connect and find meaning through intentional, spiritually nourishing participation.

What this Hypothesis/Discovery causes me to pray for is:

Read the congregation's prayers ▪ Read the Rattle, Rattle, Thunder, Clatter sermon ▪ More sermons

*A KEY ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED
(according to the consensus formed at the Conference on the Present)

November 26, 2006
Hypothesis/Discovery introduced in Worship:

Cross Training

Training for ministry in our congregation has been primarily learning “how to do the job” (e.g. board members, worship greeters, preparing communion, taking care of the building, teaching Sunday School). We could more effectively develop our human resources (leaders and members) by 1) identifying and nurturing the gifts of the Spirit that exist in the congregation and 2) providing opportunities for individual growth in discipleship.

Read these sermons and more

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*A KEY ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED
(according to the consensus formed at the Conference on the Present)

Hypothesis/Discovery formed as a result of the member interviews:

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

The organizational structure of our church does not promote effective communication among members. As a result, the information often required for informed decision-making, adequate planning, effective program and ministry involvement or useful feedback is not always available to the majority of the membership.

Hypothesis/Discovery formed as a result of the member interviews:

Vision

We lack a broadly shared and compelling common vision of what God is calling the congregation to be and do as it moves into the future.

Because of this, many are not able to articulate such a vision or to identify clearly defined goals or core values of the congregation.

*A KEY ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED
(according to the consensus formed at the Conference on the Present)

Hypothesis/Discovery formed as a result of the member interviews:

Reflecting our Community

Our recent membership survey shows that 42% of our congregation is over the age of 65. The average age in our neighborhood (zip code 98371) is 38.8 and only 14% of the community is over the age of 65.

If we are to be faithful to God’s call to share the good news with our neighbors, we must seek new opportunities to meet the needs of a younger demographic.

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