Discover the vision of 1001 new worshiping communities
The Vision:
The PC(USA) is part of a life-giving movement, giving birth to more than 1,001 new worshiping communities.
Our Role:
The General Assembly Mission Council, the Office of the General Assembly and the other PC(USA) agencies seek to create the conditions that will allow our existing worshiping communities to flourish, and give birth to over 1,001 more in the next ten years.
Core Assumptions:
We will seek to create a movement, bubbling up from within rather than directed nationally, engaging congregations and presbyteries together in fresh ways.
There is nothing more transformative than the people of God, gathered together to worship the risen Christ, and sent out to serve the world in Christ’s name.
God’s Spirit is moving throughout the Church, whispering the same things, inspiring new models, fresh vision, and an awareness that is bringing God’s people to understand and embrace again the truth that “It’s all about congregations.”
The most effective evangelism tool is to start new communities of faith. These new worshiping communities are the most strategic way to reach new generations, new residents, and new populations that established churches are not reaching.
Worshiping communities are defined by Acts 2:42: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
What does “to create the conditions” mean?
- A renewed definition of what it means to be the church in the world.
- Identifying, educating, and supporting a new entrepreneurial model of leader.
- Raising up models of what’s working as God inspires the whole church.
- Creating a permission giving ethos – relaxing certain expectations.
- Engaging all six agencies to work together in fresh ways.
- Developing new ways to understand the breadth of the Presbyterian family: making sure everyone counts.
Talking Points:
Creating the conditions
Worshipping communities
Existing flourish
Engaging them in giving birth to over 1001 more.
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Comments
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This truly is the initiative I've been yearning for our church to embrace for years. I write as a soon to be 66 year old pastor retiree who knows deep in my soul that Christendom cannot, and perhaps should not be sustained on life support into the future. After 1700 years the vision to let the church build itself anew, rather than from the top down, is the most plausible, profound and exhilerating. Without anger toward the church I've felt for a long time that in retitrement I want deeply to be involved in a house church of some sort--the way we began. I like Sally Henry's comment about thinking creatively re. staffing these new enterprises. There's much to learn from the Europe's new models, too, meeting where people choose to be. I recall Jesus using that model a lot! May the Good lord bless us and keep us faithful to a new beginning.
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This is a great vision! It would be helpful to have a vehicle to help hook up those churches who have (or want to have) a vision for NCD and/or helping NCD with those pastors who feel called to NCD. There are some great models out there (not all PC(USA)) of how churches can help new churches be raised up. Most of the time it brings new life to the existing church as well. One of the best models I've seen is the church in Austin who hired a full-time pastor to work 1/2 time in outreach for the existing church and 1/2 time starting an NCD. After a few years the pastor left to lead the NCD full-time. Theoretically, the existing church could them hire another pastor and do it all over again. Churches who would like to partner together to help support an NCD would also be great. Future NCD pastors need to know where communities of churches are that would be interested in that kind of mission.