The Center for Congregational Health (CCH) Thriving Congregation Project:
Christ Lutheran Conyngham Has Been Invited to Become a Center for Congregational Health (CCH) Thriving Congregation
Below, please find information and excerpts from the invitation letter CCH sent to churches. This will help you understand why this is process is important, and why your input is integral to the process.
As a faith community, and members of Christ’s body, we are called to live in unity and share Christ’s gospel of love.
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12)
As you know, almost everything in our lives has been changing, including church. Coming out of pandemic, it is a good time to look at where we have come from, and to talk about where we are going; what being together in our faith community looks like, how we want to serve our siblings in the larger community, and how we are and want to continue to share the love of God through Christ’s gospel.
CCH has invited us into a process which will help lead us into the future in our work together as Christ’s disciples.
“As we are engaging a world changed by a virus and other cultural forces, we are all seeking to understand our individual places, and the place of our churches in this new world.
As part of our Thriving Congregations grant from the Lilly Endowment, you are invited to participate in the creation of The Institute for Congregational Health focused on empowering clergy and lay leaders to work together within their faith communities to help them thrive. It is our deep belief that the future of the church depends on lay leadership understanding their role in the ministry of the church and seeing themselves as leaders beyond the walls of the church.” (CCH Invitation)
Maybe you’re wondering what it’s all about, and why you should participate.
Because each of us is a member of the body of Christ, and as Paul reminded the church in Corinth every member is vital, like the parts of a body…
“12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”(1 Corinthians 12:12-19)
What does the CCH process involve?
“Churches will engage in a process built around essentials we have identified for congregational thriving:
- Relationships/community
- Clarity of mission, vision and values
- Engagement
- Sustainability
- Ability to adapt to change” (CCH invitation letter)
Where are we in the process?
A leader group here at Christ Lutheran made up of 9 people has formed. Members are Pastor Deb, Lew Dryfoos, Mike Ziegler, Ashley Marsicano, Fred Jaxheimer, Tom Boock, Russ Nyblade and Tyler Russell. They meet and are working with CCH. We need the congregation working side by side with them, so that as a body, we are empowered by faith and Spirit as we walk into the future together.
We need the entire faith community to participate in the upcoming work meetings so that we can
- Look at who and where we have been….
- Look at who we are now…..
- Plan for how to move into the future together…..
The Leader group has begun their work, and now, it’s time for us all to participate! Come Holy Spirit!
You are invited to our next phase of the planning:
On Friday March 3rd & Saturday Match 4th we will continue with the next step in our Thriving Congregation process.
On Friday we will begin with dinner at 5:30pm and follow with an activity and discussion until 8pm.
On Saturday morning we will begin with light breakfast foods at 9am, devotions and discussion for what a faithful and flourishing church would look like in the next three years. Lunch will be provided and the afternoon will hold group discussions on how we take information results thinking on our next steps, ending by 3pm.
Everyone is invited to share in this event for some or all of the sessions. A sign-up sheet is available, or you may contact the church office so we can plan on food, etc.
Please Join us for these exciting meetings as we work together and walk together on this disciples path!
Your Siblings in Christ,
Ashley, Mike, Lew, Tyler, Tom, Rick, Fred, Russ
If planning to attend, please use the sheets on the table in the parlor, or call the church office.