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Celebrating our Community:
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Celebrating our Community:
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On November 1st, officers, committee chairs and interested members attended a retreat to discuss the theme, Building community at Old South Church. We lifted up the things that we celebrate about Old South as well as the challenges of renewal we face as a community.
With the help and guidance of our facilitator, Susan Dickerman from the Mass UCC Conference, we identified "markers of community" found in the early church and in the New Testament writings of Paul. We shared in small groups our experiences of community at Old South Church - both those aspects which we celebrate and those that need further growth and focus. (See below.)
At the end of the retreat, Ken Campbell, Fred Ficken and Pam Roberts volunteered to write a statement summarizing our discussion. They went off and after 15 minutes returned with a Prayer of Faith and Commitment to our community which I'd like to share with you.
Dear God Our Creator,
We are a community in spirit, united. We dedicate ourselves to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and to the glory of God.
Help us to be open, loving, honest, sharing, and accepting of others as we embrace the challenge of renewal within our church community. Guide us to the knowledge that our disagreements and conflicts offer the opportunity for greater understanding, unity, and love.
Thank You for the creative artistry we share in our church community. Our experience of Sunday service, fellowship, and work together, embodied and expressed through words, music, ritual, and prayer, connect us intimately as an inclusive body of Christ.
We are a diverse community, God. composed of all aspects of humanity. Help us to unite our diversity to manifest Your glory in our life with one another in our church, city, and world community.
God, remind us of the equality of our souls, and to be humble in our service to You and each other.
Thank You for bringing us together in this life's work. In Thy name we pray,
Mutual reinforcement that people get at OSC
Importance of pastoral leadership: creating bridges in conflict
Sermons
Music
Balancing welcoming aspects with need for privacy
Reaching out aspects - Caritas, Ministers
Inclusiveness
Communication regarding issues of concern, email
Support in times of crises - how we are supported
and how we provide support
Life saving experiences
Intergenerational activities
Spiritual feeding
Community of acceptance
Connectedness all week long
Subcommunity within the city, opportunity to serve in a broader way
Progressive theology
Opportunity for theological learning, children's education
Place of diversity
Feeling at home
People are respected/heard
Brokenness is there
Gifts are celebrated and encouraged
Spirit of integrity even in conflict
Importance of spirituality and growing in this way
Centerness of Christ in all we do
Stories of faith- enhanced through service, rituals, life events-
provide a sense of where we are, is empowering
Areas of growth:
Strengthening church membership both in terms of numbers
and in terms of faith, sharing faith journeys.
Integrating new people into the fabric of OSC
Financial issues and the need to figure out ways to deal
with and communicate these issues.
Need to work with the broader OSC community
Create more opportunities to come together to understand
who we are as faith community- both formally and informally.
Need for outside help, skill-building
Need for listening to one another
Reduce emphasis on administrative and organizational
structure and more towards spirituality.
Improve how we handle conflict- learn constructive tools
More acknowledgment of the conflicts we face
Increase support for Caritas, including increased resources
Balance need for personal/caring with the need for progress
Leadership training grounded within a vision of community
Better communication amongst leadership: between Trustees,
Council, Deacons; Informing using all channels
Increase interaction between generations (unique children's service)
Celebration of brokenness - more healing services
Spiritual growth programs
Understanding member frustration, reaching out to
former members
Work on financial issues/stewardship
Skill building to increase communication, understand patterns/styles
Invisible decision-making without open accountability
If you would like to send feedback to the author, click here: Patrice Ficken
If you would like to go back to the Reporter Contents, click on Table of Contents
Old South Church
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