What works for new ideas about ministry
Admitting the old ideas aren't working anymore.
The first step is the hardest.
Last year I was wandering around at my diocesan convention - the annual gathering of clergy and lay leaders from around the region.
It was great to see my friends and colleagues in ministry, and I enjoyed the time for worship, catching up, and sharing about what we’re doing in our congregations and ministries. While we were there, the bishop shared some priorities for the whole diocese for the coming year, and of course they were great.
They included initiatives for congregational development and new kinds of worshiping communities, which are of particular interest to me.
Yet I couldn’t help noticing what wasn’t openly discussed - the biggest priority for all of us in ministry today:
The immediate struggles of our congregations and clergy.