By Pastor Norma Malfatti

Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:18-19a NRSV

I’ve been thinking a lot about death and resurrection lately. It’s probably no surprise, given that we’re just weeks away from Holy Week. However, I’ve been thinking less about human mortality and God’s baptismal promises and more about what might need to be released (die) to make way for the new things God is doing (resurrection).

This seems to be the story of the church right now. Faith communities across the country are wondering if pre-COVID ministries should, or even could, return. Other congregations are wondering if the ministries they started during COVID should continue or need to be adapted for this new reality we’re in. Still others are trying to catch a glimpse of where the Holy Spirit is calling them next, ready to throw caution to the wind and follow.

These decisions are hard and fraught with emotions: grief, nostalgia, hope. And that is all besides the deep exhaustion many of us still feel from having lived through the last three years and the constant need to innovate ways to connect with people.

“Your congregation’s core values are not its aspirational values, what you might call guiding principles.”

Where we find ourselves reminds me of the work in congregations that used to be called redevelopments. Redevelopments were congregations that both needed and actively pursued a structured process of rethinking everything about their ministry so they could embrace a vibrant and faithful future. They may have needed help reconnecting with their neighborhood in ways similar to the good work the Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices cohorts do.

However, it was more than that. Those congregations often needed to rediscover their core values and purpose in God’s mission, along with building the scaffolding and infrastructure that helped live into them. This rethinking often included letting go of long-beloved ministries, in part because they were no longer effective but even more so because it did not help them live into their values and purpose. In letting go, capacity was created to focus on things that brought life and were in alignment with who God created them to be as a community of faith.

While the Churchwide organization no longer offers redevelopment grants, congregations still find themselves in need of this rethinking and discovery. In light of challenges of the last three years, most of us find ourselves in this place, … at least in part.

 

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE your congregation? Might it be time for your congregation to rediscover their principles, values, and purpose? If you’re even slightly curious, here’s how you might start that conversation:

At your next council meeting, set aside some time, maybe 30 minutes. In the first 10 minutes, have people individually name four to six core values that they experience as at the center of the life of your congregation.

Patrick Lencioni’s words from his book The Advantage might be helpful here. He invites readers to “think of [their] core values as a few behavior traits that are inherent in the organization. They lie at the heart of the organization’s identity, do not change over time, and must already exist. In other words, they cannot be contrived.”

“The values you identify should be a short word or phrase, potentially have an explanation sentence (not a paragraph), be focused on who you are, and stand the test of time.”

Your congregation’s core values are not its aspirational values, what you might call guiding principles; it is about who you already are. Over time, guiding principles may become part of your core values, but they aren’t there yet.

Values should be a short word or phrase, potentially have an explanation sentence (not a paragraph), be focused on who you are, and stand the test of time.

Examples could include:

  • Grace: We are part of this community because of God’s gift of grace to and for us.
  • Entrepreneurial: We take risks for the sake of the gospel.
  • Generosity: God is giving to us in great abundance, we respond with generous hearts.

Have people write each word/phrase on a separate index card. Once people have their values written, take five minutes to share with one another the values you wrote. Are there common values? Are there some that you did not think of? Are there some that might be missing?

“Congregations in redevelopment often needed to rediscover their core values and purpose in God’s mission, along with building the scaffolding and infrastructure that helped live into them.”

Spend the rest of your time working to whittle down the list to four to six values that clearly articulate who your congregation is. Invite the council to think about them over the next month and return to the conversation at the following meeting. Along the way, test these values out at committee/team meetings. Perhaps even do the same exercise with them and see what happens.

Once you are clear on your congregation’s values, then use them to guide decision making as you discern what to let go of and as new ministry opportunities arise. There is freedom in saying “no” when you’re clear on who you are. There is joy in new opportunities when you’re clear on who you are. Yes there is death, but there is also resurrection and that will always be part of the story of following Jesus.