The 'special sauce' of thriving church
What a small but mighty congregation has taught me about the future of ministry
St. Paul’s is just like your church - or one you know:
They’re a small town, mainline Christian church.
There aren’t too many of them.
We’re all getting a little older!
They’re pretty traditional in their faith and worship.
They worry about things like bills and facilities and having the energy and time to get everything done.
They would not call themselves super tech-savvy.
St. Paul’s is pretty special, though:
They have what I call a ‘secret sauce’. A certain alchemy of place, people, faith, and God’s abiding presence that makes the sense of holiness just feel palpable here.
It’s a place where loving God and our neighbor is incredibly present.
I’m completely biased, I know! But then again, I’m one of those people who wandered in, pretty randomly - ten years ago on Easter Sunday - and was then taken in by the strength of the Spirit in this place.
The ‘special sauce’ has changed my entire concept of ministry, and I serve with St. Paul’s as I’ve never done before - and I don’t think anyone else is presently.
I’m their ‘Free Range Priest’ - not their vicar, not their part-time pastor, not there every Sunday.
I’m not in charge.
I serve alongside these beautiful people as they grow in their faith and in their ministry.
Oh, they tolerate my crazy ideas.
They went along with my ideas about serving task-based rather than time-based ministry (so I’m paid according to the services they need: like leading worship, pastoral care, and tech support, rather than being ‘half-time’ or ‘quarter-time’).
They hesitantly - then enthusiastically - embraced using church management software for organization and administration: and as a tool for sharing ministry.
They use an app for ‘church chat’ to keep in touch with each other for fun and silly things, and for prayer and sharing information when someone is sick or in crisis. The bishop visited recently and was completely floored by how easily they use technology.
They recently pointed that I’m part of the ‘special sauce’ now, too. I believe that. St. Paul’s has brought out the best of my gifts for ministry. They challenge and encourage me. They’re game for new things: but they’re also clear about what is a step too far for them.
They are growing their online and in-person membership.
This Holy Week, we decided to try something different.
After the Maundy Thursday, we continued our all-night 'vigil at the altar of repose’ online.
We symbolically sat with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane from 8pm Thursday until 8am Good Friday.
Every hour we met online - live streamed here on Substack - for prayer or song for about ten minutes.
About 10 people participated in all. Including one person who joined us fully online for several hours. We don’t know him - but he signed up, so we can keep in touch! - but he sat with us and prayed for hours.
This is how we see that online and in-person ministry can work together to share the Gospel.
St. Paul’s is just like your church - and just like church can be.
Our congregation probably exceeds your numbers by some, and we have folks coming and going every week. I’m another several months closer to the deacon training. Soon we’ll have a group psychological meeting and our safe church training. We have a missioner one Sunday a month - she comes to the twice a month Covenant/MST meeting. I’m concerned that the strong personalities in the church leadership might steer things in differing directions. But when more tasks are being taken on this may smooth out. Do you have these issues at your church? (Asked of anyone on this thread.)
Hi Cathie - you are exhausted reading about our congregation, and so am I when I describe it to you! Do you have Deacons at your church? How often do you take communion? Just wondering (or forgetting as I find myself doing these days).