Thriving Congregations Project

I hope you’ve had some re-creation time and space this summer!   My summer vacation is August 5-19.  Looking forward to this program year, the Presbytery of Lake Michigan's Mediation Team and Church Growth Committee are co-sponsoring a Thriving Congregations Project with a Deep & Wide Presbytery Grant.  We are partnering with a group who works with individuals, corporations, organizations and churches in challenges of transformation and continuity.  Our project is based on Roy Oswald’s and Barry Johnson’s Alban Institute book  “Managing Polarities in Congregations: Eight Keys to Thriving Congregations.”  Barry Johnson, an organizational development expert, will be our main support person. 

Sessions are invited and encouraged to join this initiative.  To participate church leaders and some members simply fill out a short survey this October, which will focus on two key elements identified by Oswald and Johnson in thriving congregations. The survey will be done online at home or perhaps at church where there is a computer and internet service.  The results of this assessment survey will be shared at the November 9^th Presbytery meeting and discussed in small groups.  It will give us a picture of each participating congregation and a composite of presbytery, concerning two key elements of thriving congregations.    

                    

Also as part of the project, 10 to 20 persons in the Presbytery are being recruited and trained by Barry Johnson.  These trained leaders will then serve as an internal resource in the presbytery for assisting 10 to 12 congregations, who want to go deeper in learning healthy practices, and to explore the ramifications for future planning. The grant will pay the cost of this training.  If you or someone you know is interested in this training please contact one of the Design Team members listed below. 

We hope and pray that this project will assist participating congregations in their faithful living out the gospel of Jesus Christ.  More information will be forth coming in September.  

Those on the Thriving Congregations Project Design Team are:

Doug Petersen, 269-501-9227

Ray Kretzschmer, 616-485-0384

David Milbourn, 616-443-1690

Karen Kelly, 517-784-9796

John Best , 269-381-6337, ext. 1