Questions for the Journey
Dave Olson is my good friend and colleague. In a meeting once, I heard someone ask him to describe the ministry of church planting in the Covenant. I was intrigued by the way Dave answered the question.
Dave said, “Here are the five questions we are seeking to answer in the ministry of church planting.” And then he listed them one by one. With each question, I found myself becoming more and more engaged. Dave was so effective in communicating the purpose and direction of this important ministry.
Right then and there I resolved to do the same regarding the ministry of congregational vitality in established churches. So here are ten questions that describe the ministry of congregational vitality in the Evangelical Covenant Church:
- How do we (as Church Growth and Evangelism and conference staff) discern the Holy Spirit’s movement and then follow the Spirit wherever the Spirit leads?
- How do we honor and learn from our past as mission friends and continue in this Covenant ethos for generations to come?
- How do we train pastors and lay leaders to lead healthy missional churches and think in terms of spirituality, chemistry and strategy?
- How do we help churches confront their current reality with truth and grace?
- How do we partner with denominational conferences and departments to further the movement of congregational vitality?
- How do we identify and connect with a new generation of pastors and lay leaders to accelerate and deepen the movement of congregational vitality?
- How do we identify a specialized group of pastors to lead revitalization in select churches?
- How do we ensure that the movement is more organic than programmatic?
- How do we respond to institutional resistance to change while remaining open to constructive feedback?
- How do we find resources to help fund revitalization?
One of the benefits to having these questions is that they invite response and dialogue. They also serve as definable benchmarks and points of accountability along the journey. And I just want to say today… the journey is good!
Reflections:
As you look over these questions, what do you like? What, if anything, is missing?
As you reflect on your own ministry, what are some key questions you would use to describe it? How would you answer those questions? How might others answer them?
