Discerning your future in changing times may seem like an overwhelming task. We aren’t sure what will happen next week, much less what will happen in five or ten years. It is precisely because of this uncertainty that we provide this engagement for you!

We will work with you to uncover the many options that are available to your church within your community as you seek to grow your mission. We do this by first sitting down with a few of your church leaders (both formal and informal leaders chosen by you) to help us understand your church and your community. These gatherings can be done via phone or Zoom or face-to-face. It really depends on you and time for travel. In these gatherings, we will describe different options that may be available to you and learn about your context and community. We’ll explore together what a shared ministry may look like for your church in connection with other nearby communities of faith.

We’ll work with you as together we reach out to other faith communities in your local area. These may or may not be the same denomination and we can help you navigate the many ways that communities of faith can work together, from combining into one church, to sharing Pastoral leadership, to working together in God’s mission. The number of options available is only limited by your imagination and courage.

Once an option forward is found, we’ll develop a long-term plan for your congregation, and the others who are participating, to take steps toward the future. At this point, our continued relationship with you is up to you. We can continue to stay involved, suggesting additional things you might do as well as help you to overcome obstacles that present themselves on this path.

These steps are recommended for churches who desire to work with other churches, not necessarily of the same denomination, to group together your skills and abilities to respond to God’s calling. As we work together, we might suggest that some of the participating churches also go through the Mission Study to help them better understand their strengths. The point of these gatherings, however, is to build a strategy for your church to better fulfill your calling over a number of years.