I am starting to think about what our Possibility Thinkers Group should focus on this fall. In stead of dreaming up something in my own head (which s pretty sleep deprived at this moment) I though that I would turn the question over to all of you who read this. If you were called to help a church dream about renewal and discover the life that it is called to what would you focus on? What are the key elements of renewal? What is the church’s mission toady? What might it need to live this out. I look forward to hearing your ideas, thoughts and dreams.
What if…?
Ordinary people seeking God's transforming presence
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We're asking the big "What if...?" questions about the Synod of Alberta and the Territories in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. It's more than a conversation, we hope to be part of God's action!
What If…ABT Renewal- A Return to Tent-Making?
- For those wanting to see our guide for d
- Renewing Contemplation
- Holy Spirit: Renewal
- Convention – and I am excited.The church
- What if? – There was still more to understand
- Models of Vibrancy
- What If – We Trained Pastors Differently
- New Beginnings and Laughter
- Death, the best invention of life
What if...Contributors
What if…Comments
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PT
What if...? 
Intriguing thought Ryan, and a better question. We exist currently in a country that can see two denominations vanish in less than a generation according to statscan (Anglican/Presbyterian) yet is it time to say we are just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as followers of Christ? I think not.
To dream, I think each local congregation needs to actually step outside their church building and meet their community, we are the souls of these communities, how do we care for those around us?
I also think we need to reimagine the way we equip and train clergy, the go to model of seminary is quite cumbersome…what of a more trades training, with an apprenticeship and distance or online schooling?
I think dreaming is really setting aside what is happening now, and realizing that just like with Luther, Calvin and Zwingli, Francis and Ignatius before them, and many more throughout each generation, it is our turn to feel the Spirit move and to respond.
The challenge is are we willing to let the spirit move and respond when it means things will change…I feel the church in Canada is like the people in the wilderness in Exodus-Numbers-Deuteronomy, we are being called to the Promised Land, yet we are scared because it is the unknown…will we answer the call like Joshua, or be like those that were left outside at the border and extended the wandering?
Do we trust ourselves or God more?
Shalom;
Ty
I would be interested to see some conversation on the ELCIC re-structuring. So far the discussion here has been great for dreaming, but it hasn’t focused on what the ELCIC specifically might look like going into the future.
Perhaps a focus this fall could be talking about being the ELCIC on level that isn’t nationl but bigger than congregational.
For example here we have 6 congregations meeting in the Parkland area to talk about mission to our community (and often we end up doing things!) And its been one of the most life giving things of the past year for me, for my colleagues and for the members of our congregations.
The move from the Cenozoic era to the Ecozoic era…
On Restructuring, let’s focus on where it all begins: our individual and collective search for Meaning, Divine Meaning. I preached every Sunday (at least twice) for thirty plus years, and the most often heard response? “Nice sermon.” Well, “Nice” means “you didn’t disturb me too much” or “mildly entertaining.” So i took early retirement and went into my “to do” list I never got to do in the congregations I served at the end: Adult Education–I taught Active Parenting in shelters and in churches; Salvation/Social Justice–I was a Protective Services caseworker for two years with a County Child Welfare Agency; Radical Rethinking–for five years I supported families who had children with disabilities. When I returned to Canada and to my old Church, I find all this malaise. Hey–for ONE YEAR every church worker should spend 40 hours a week in a secular job like I had, and we’d recover the Meaning called the Cross. Then the other restructuring would take care of itself, if anyone even thought it was worth spending a lot of time on.