Exploration XII: Exclamation mark !

Dear friends,

This is the last of twelve coach’s corners about our explorations together on the future of our congregation. I am entitling it “exclamation mark!,” because what you are all about to do in your five explorations groups is really important.  I had a very fruitful meeting several weeks ago with the group facilitators and we agreed on a simple approach for the second and final group exploration meetings.  We really need to hear from you in these meetings if at all possible, because as I told the facilitators we do not know if we will ever get these groups together again in a structured way to ask for their input.  The next meeting will determine how useful this whole process is turning out to be and to what extent it was helpful!

In the first groups meetings the groups discussed what they were happy about when they thought of Parkview.  The groups came up with few keywords that described the groups such as : friendly, tolerant, inclusive, peaceful, welcoming, acting out spirituality etc.

The second meeting is supposed to answer the question: “what will we be proud of as a congregation twenty-five years from now?”  This is a good question, because it takes us out of thinking about the immediate future and it takes us away from current leadership.  We cannot just use the present as a reference point. Instead we have to dream from scratch.  So each of your groups will have to answer this question.  This question is the gateway into the discussion for each of you.  But beyond that, each group has a certain amount of freedom.  At first we thought that discussions should use an identical format all the way through, but we decided that each group should be allowed to choose a few “keywords” or “prompts” to enter the discussion.  Some of these keywords or prompts could be quite obvious such as “spirituality,” or “leadership” or “family” or “healthy,” or “witness” or “outreach,” or “inclusion, ”but others are just as acceptable.  So we are hoping each group will come up with three keywords or prompts which most express and embody the priority of the groups and use them as a way of opening new pathways of thinking about our congregation which we hope will eventually lead to the transformation of the congregation’s life.

I know that as your pastor you expect me always to have something to say that is meaningful or at least take a swing at it. But with these explorations the ball is in your court.  As I routinely write words in the course of my duties for the church, I have to decide where the exclamation marks must come.  Now it is your turn.  I am placing exclamation marks behind the words you are yet to speak, because what you have to say is oh so important!  Thanks you for participating. I am excited about what your discussions may yield! May God bless them richly.  Aart