Are you facing a different world than 30, 20, even 10 years ago? Of course you are! Consider these challenges in your setting:

A changed and changing cultural context:

• The church is marginalized in an increasingly secular and religiously plural society.
  
• A consumer and marketing oriented culture calls the shots in world and church.
  

Denominational integrity is being challenged:

• Denominations are losing their distinctive identity.
  
• Regional structures are suffering the loss of theological vision and purpose for existence.
  
• Congregations' ties to their denominations are weakening.
  
• The church is in danger of losing its valuable heritage.
  

Role of judicatory structure is changing:

• The judicatory is often seen as an "office and staff" that exists to supply pastors and pensions.
  
• The judicatory has taken on the role of only a regulatory body.
  
• To be seen as useful, judicatories are attempting to fill the gaps in services to congregations but without the resources to do it well.
  
• Congregations see the judicatory as only a supplier of services, asking "What have you done for us lately?"
  

Effects on Congregations:

• Congregations work in isolation from each other in a competitive social environment.
  
• Congregations are faced with multiple expectations and challenges arising from their current context, and don't know how to respond.
  
• Congregations are not clear about their witness, too often they seek only to maintain, to hold on.
  

Creative measures are called for to remedy the situation, but there often seems to be a lack of will to take the action needed. Some because they do not see that there is a problem, and others because they feel helpless to do anything.

What is needed to address this situation is not another strategy for rejuvenation, but new imagination. Not just new programs, but compelling vision.

It starts with God's mission

In the midst of a world of fear, hatred, and violence God's vision of "new creation" through reconciliation in Christ is desperately needed today. Reading the daily newspaper, watching CNN, and engaging day to day leads to the observation that the world as it is isn't working. M.K. Ghandi's warnings of "politics without principle, wealth without work, commerce without morality, pleasure without conscience, education without character, science without humanity, and worship without sacrifice" provide an apt description of disturbing cultural patterns today.

If Christians at any level are to become part of the solution in today's social and cultural situation, it will require more than church as usual. This is true not only of local congregations but of the judicatory as well.

 

Can you imagine the judicatory?

Transforming the judicatory does not depend on single solutions or simple answers. Instead, it involves collaborative exploration and conversation that moves toward shared images of the future that foster enthusiasm and commitment. Can you imagine your judicatory?

• As a community of communities that embody and proclaim the love of God who has the power to initiate and sustain a New Creation.
  
• Focusing its ministry to support congregations in discerning and manifesting their unique Christian identity and witness in a world of that is increasingly indifferent.
  
• Facilitating the means for corporate critical thinking across the region to explore and determine together how to live and witness as Christians in a foreign land.
  
• Fostering collaboration for shared Christian witness at certain points of intervention in the dominant culture.
  
• Providing a web of interconnectedness, for mutual sharing and support. The judicatory not as "they," but a crucial component of ?us? as the connective tissue among members of the body.
  
• Learning new patterns of thinking and behaving - congregations, leaders, and judicatory structures together - that facilitate mutual learning, support, and encouragement.
  

The mission of the church is to discern, celebrate, and participate in God's new creation in the midst of the old. God who is always doing "a new thing" (Isaiah 43:19) calls and sends the church - judicatory and congregation alike - to participate in God's mission afresh. God's mission needs the church, a faithful body of people to proclaim and embody God's "new creation" on behalf of the world God loves!

The Center for Parish Development can assist the judicatory and all its congregations and units to discern God's vision and more faithfully engage the missionary context in which they exist. With the Center's approach you can expect the transformation journey to achieve the following goals:

Recognizing the Context

• To recognize that your judicatory and its congregations are in mission territory.
  
• To move beyond demographics to discern and engage powerful patterns, beliefs and values, the "principalities and powers."
  

Discerning God's Vision

• To discern God's vision for your regional body in its changed mission context.
  
• To be responsive to the Spirit to discover new ways of being the church.
  

Organizing for Mission

• To organize your life together around the vision.
  
• To clarify priorities and structure to carry out the mission.
  

Equipping with Resources

• To equip leaders with theological and practical resources for missionary engagement.
  
• To cultivate consistently those Christian practices that form and build up faithful missional community.
  

Connecting with One another

• To strengthen relationships among units and congregations for joint mission.
  
• To share mutually and more fully your gifts, testimonies, and life in Christ across the boundaries of your diverse church family.

The mission of the Center for Parish Development is to provide counsel and resources to facilitate the transformation of judicatory bodies and congregations. The Center staff is eager to share its resources and experience honed over 36 years with churches across North America.

As you seek faithful transformation of your judicatory, and discern its purpose and practices in light of God's mission, let us be a partner with you.