Thoughts on the inquirers conversation
Elizabeth Ring
I am sending these thoughts to three list serves in hopes that we can make some new connections and find colleagues we might not remember were on our doorsteps.
Lots of great ideas are swirling around in this evangelism conversation that began with Susan Snook’s question, “Can members of this list recommend adult small-group resources targeted at new believers, that help them sort through their questions about Christianity and come to a deeper commitment?”
This kind of collective wisdom is one of the greatest values
of list serves. I am particularly thankful for Dylan's wonderful input.
I think it is interesting that a similar conversation is going on in the educators’ list, NAECED, and I wonder how we can broaden the conversation across networks, including the NOERC network of diocesan resource and formation staff. You might want to check out www.noerc.org and www.naeced.org to see what we have to offer.
I also need to share a couple of reflections about how we approach the whole idea of lifelong formation. What is the role of curricula and programs? I don’t believe that evangelism, or stewardship, are programs. They are integral to who we are as people of faith in communities. We have some great tools to help people have conversations and grow in their understanding about what sharing their faith and living their stewardship means to them, and in the context of their chosen congregation, but these are tools not end products. When a finite number of program sessions ends, the conversation is just getting started. The participants are not “done.”
When I talk with people in congregations about Christian formation, we talk about lots of things. I want to share just three here.
When I talk with people about the goals of Sunday school for very young children, we talk about their being as familiar with Bible stories as they are with their favorite bedtime stories. This time in their young lives is about absorbing the stories that they will draw on as their journey in formation continues.
When I talk with youth leaders, we talk about how they can empower the young people to hear and see these Bible stories again in deeper ways and find the connections with their own stories.
When I talk with adults about inviting people into the church, I suggest that they explore what it is that makes them say to their friends, “Wow, I think you would love the next concert on the symphony schedule (or whatever their passion is), let’s get tickets together; the new conductor is amazing” and find that same energy around their church experience so that they can say “we are having this great conversation at my church about ___; I would love to have you join me. We ask lots of questions and share lots of insights, and the worship really touches my heart and centers me,” or whatever words fit for them.
We are all on this journey together and, provided that we are enjoying it, that joy is the best encouragement for new people to take the risk and join us. It needs to be absolutely clear that we want them there.
Faithfully,
Elizabeth
--
Elizabeth M. Ring
Director of The Diocesan Resource Center
Diocesan Ecumenical Officer, Lay Order
Episcopal Diocese of Maine
143 State Street, Portland, ME 04101-3799
207-772-1953 ext. 35 er...@episcopalmaine.org
Member: National Organization of Episcopal Resource Centers
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Steven Horst
>
>
>I also need to share a couple of reflections about how we approach
>the whole idea of lifelong formation. What is the role of curricula
>and programs? I don't believe that evangelism, or stewardship, are
>programs. They are integral to who we are as people of faith in
>communities. We have some great tools to help people have
>conversations and grow in their understanding about what sharing
>their faith and living their stewardship means to them, and in the
>context of their chosen congregation, but these are tools not end
>products. When a finite number of program sessions ends, the
>conversation is just getting started. The participants are not
>"done."
Absolutely. Indeed, I like Gregory of Nyssa's view that we will
never reach a final stage of perfection, but grow from glory to glory
forever in the Lord's presence!
>
>When I talk with people in congregations about Christian formation,
>we talk about lots of things. I want to share just three here.
>
>When I talk with people about the goals of Sunday school for very
>young children, we talk about their being as familiar with Bible
>stories as they are with their favorite bedtime stories. This time
>in their young lives is about absorbing the stories that they will
>draw on as their journey in formation continues.
>
>When I talk with youth leaders, we talk about how they can empower
>the young people to hear and see these Bible stories again in deeper
>ways and find the connections with their own stories.
>
>When I talk with adults about inviting people into the church, I
>suggest that they explore what it is that makes them say to their
>friends, "Wow, I think you would love the next concert on the
>symphony schedule (or whatever their passion is), let's get tickets
>together; the new conductor is amazing" and find that same energy
>around their church experience so that they can say "we are having
>this great conversation at my church about ___; I would love to have
>you join me. We ask lots of questions and share lots of insights,
>and the worship really touches my heart and centers me," or whatever
>words fit for them.
This indeed accords with my experience.
HOwever, I cannot help but notice that the third item is not parallel
to the first two -- it is about inviting people in rather than
spiritual formation once they get there. And I think the formation
question of what adult formation can include is one worth discussing,
and that formation is continuous enough with evangelism that it is
quite appropriate to talk about it here.
My experience is that Episcopalians often have little vision for
adult formation beyond having a program on Sunday for 45 minutes
between services to discuss "timely issues". Or maybe a Lenten Bible
study. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But I don't think
formation is just a matter of education, or even primarily so. I
would put in a plug for the great resources we have in many
communities for the ancient practice of spiritual direction, and for
long-term small groups that covenant to study Scripture (and perhaps
other texts) together and pray for one another. Spiritual direction
and the spiritual disciplines are perhaps the best kept secret of the
Church. There have been at least four people who offer direction in
my parish in the 20 years I've been there, but I'll bet that only 10%
of our congregation has any familiarity with the concept.
And I think that there are probably not only Christians who are ready
for it, but seekers who would be attracted precisely to that. When I
became a Christian in my teens, sci-fi buff that I was, I would have
described myself as looking for something like a Jedi master. I
don't mean the magical powers stuff, but the spiritual mentoring.
Not just what one finds in, say, InterVarsity, where someone in their
20s mentors a freshman, but someone with lots of experience and the
gift of spiritual discernment. I didn't find out about spiritual
direction for another 4 years. But I think I would have known "that
is what I'm looking for" long before that, and might have been
attracted to the Church earlier had I known about it. (Instead, I
explored things like TM.) I'm not sure what portion of people know
they are looking for deeper spiritual experience and someone
experienced in it to help them, but the number is probably not
insignificant. This, in addition to yearning for community, may be
another possible "point of entry" that is under-explored.
--
______________________________________________________________________
Steven Horst, Ph.D., Alternate Lay Deputy, Diocese of CT
Church of the Holy Trinity, Middletown, CT (http://www.holytrinityct.org)
Professor of Philosophy
Department of Philosophy
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT 06459 USA
Elizabeth Ring
Thanks for articulating so clearly what a really strong learning community could include.
Faithfully,
Elizabeth
>When I talk with adults about inviting people into the church, I
>suggest that they explore what it is that makes them say to their
>friends, "Wow, I think you would love the next concert on the
>symphony schedule (or whatever their passion is), let's get tickets
>together; the new conductor is amazing" and find that same energy
>around their church experience so that they can say "we are having
>this great conversation at my church about ___; I would love to have
>you join me. We ask lots of questions and share lots of insights,
>and the worship really touches my heart and centers me," or whatever
>words fit for them.
However, I cannot help but notice that the third item is not parallel
to the first two -- it is about inviting people in rather than
spiritual formation once they get there. And I think the formation
question of what adult formation can include is one worth discussing,
and that formation is continuous enough with evangelism that it is
quite appropriate to talk about it here.
Steven Horst
important point of entry into deeper spiritual practice. We get more
people for Saturday quiet days at church, for a variety of
predictable reasons. Those who come (sometimes just out of the sense
of "it's the only time this month I'll be able to take a few hours to
do nothing") tend to become regulars, and have a palpable enthusiasm
about it that they share with others, including friends outside the
parish. (There are some "regulars" from the elderly housing next
door, which spun off from the church a century or more ago. A
resident who is also a member invited them, and now they look forward
to it, even though they have churches of their own, or are not
church-goers at all.)
It also provides an opportunity for individual direction out of which
some may feel called to seek regular meetings with a director. And
is a venue in which people who feel called to a ministry of direction
can get their feet wet with supervision from someone with more
experience. (And, since it's a one-day event, you can call in local
resources as leaders if you lack them in your congregation. I think
retreat direction is a special charism.)
Our prayer and healing ministry has also reaped some additional
rewards in nudging people for whom talking to anyone about their
spiritual life is a new thing into deeper conversation. We have a
prayer station available after communion every Sunday, at the back of
the church so that people don't have to be seen up front.
For a time, we also had a grief and loss support group, led by two
social workers whose vocations shade off into spiritual direction.
What we have not done is implement a system of ongoing support and
small group ministries, which I think are essential both for
individual growth and for growing into or sustaining a program-sized
congregation (i.e., passing that magical barrier of 150 attendance on
Sundays).
Steve