Summer can be a challenging time in the work of a ministry. It is the time when things slow down as many people take time away from their day to day responsibilities, but it is also a time to gear up for the next ministry season.
Sometimes we are waiting for other people, and sometimes we are waiting on ourselves, but many of these waiting periods are times we are waiting for God. Often, there is not much we can do to change the rhythm of those around us, but we can be aware of the pattern and look for the momentum within it.
Summer impacted the community outreach innovation process I am leading with my church in very expected ways. We were at the point of the process that we needed feedback and direction from church leadership, and yet connection to get that guidance was delayed. And once it was obtained other plans were put in place, slightly redirecting the process.
Here is an update of the innovation process. The innovation team voted on the four areas of focus, you can find them listed here https://kathypierburg.com/2021/05/14/community-outreach-synthesize/. The vote was tied between using the church property to connect with the community and an emphasis on the youth ministry. Before meeting with church leadership, I had shared the research the team put together about our changing community.
By the time we met to clarify next steps, the decision was made to host an “End of Summer Bash” as a way to use our church building to outreach in the community. While our team may have chosen a different experiment, we are looking for ways to innovate within this event since the momentum is moving in this direction.
“Christian innovation is necessary because the church is paying attention to the wrong questions. It is calibrated to serve a world that no longer exists.”
Scott Cormode
The world has changed a lot in the last couple of years, and I expect it will continue to rapidly change. Churches and ministries need to be flexible and open to learning, experimenting, and adapting to those changes if they are to reach those outside their walls. I am hopeful having an innovation team and process will prepare my church to meet the challenges of the next season.
KATHY PIERBURG 