On September 21-23, Missional people from three regions gathered for an amazing conference.
For those who attended the Playing With Fire conference, here is the Poem Steve Knight created from what we were challenged by and inspired by during the weekend.
For those who would like to share the great information about funding missional ministry in its many evolving forms, here is Steve Knight's presentation in powerpoint form.
Click here for more information
Click HERE for an event summary and featured speakers
Reading Recommendations related to the Conference (pdf)
If you would like to create a similar gathering in your region,
email sandhya@ccncn.org to brainstorm.
Videos about featured leaders at Playing With Fire
Click here for a great video from one of our very own missional DOC churches,
MissionGathering in San Diego, who will be at Playing With Fire:
http://vimeo.com/30665422#
Click here for a video about the Circle Church in Santa Cruz, a Disciples church
that underwent a missional transformation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMLFNwsIAdE .
This video was shared at General Assembly in 2009, and the church will be at
Playing with Fire!
Watch Yvonne Gilmore, pastor of New Song Community Church in Columbus,
Ohio, share the story of her missional UCC/DOC church:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDKTOXsQS-g
(the first half is about the UCC; the second half is about her congregation.)
Yvonne will be participating in Playing with Fire!
For a couple of videos on missional church, follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arxfLK_sd68&feature=fvwrel
or:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHa_d_8Wlgg
Click here to download this resource
and the follow-up Study Guide
and the Devotional to use with Who Is My Neighbor and Partners In Transformation
PENTECOST PROJECT WRAPS UP (OR CONTINUES) IN CONGREGATIONS ALL OVER THE REGION.
Several churches included a celebration of the Pentecost Project in worship this past Sunday, and stories are pouring in about what relationships have formed, what healing has occurred and how God has become so real in the community. Please send updates about the Pentecost Project in your congregation to sandhya@ccncn.org; she would love to have opportunities to share those stories!
If you have not already done a celebration of the Pentecost Project participants in worship, consider using this ritual as a way of doing so: "Celebrating your Pentecost Project Participants in worship" or use it as a template for something better suited to your congregation.
Some congregations ended up having the whole congregation participate in one project (Disciples of Christ Visalia's vacation bible school was a powerful outreach to children almost entirely outside the church), while others did individual projects in ways that inspired and energized one another to do their own projects with renewed vigor and integrity. Pacific Grove Christian Church watched this video in worship on Sunday that lifted up some of the powerful projects they engaged in this summer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh0Yq9Q2UaU.
Keep the stories coming in and keep the Pentecost Project energy alive! Maybe we'll be able to inspire one another with God's pentecost spirit in our midst and in our neighborhoods again next year!!!
TRANSFORMATION AT THE CROSSROADS
At our Transformation Crossroads event in February of 2008, Sparks Christian Church pastor Steve Wren wrote the following skits to illustrate some of the challenges we face as we seek transformation. Steve has offered to let congregations use any of these dramas as might be helpful. PLUS, they're all sorts of fun! Click on the following links to see the skits: skit-Bored Meeting; Skit-DANGER ZONE; skit-Welcome
Regional TRANSFORMING GIFTS a SIX-WEEK BIBLE STUDY on the amazing gifts God has placed in our lives and what to do with those gifts is now available! Click here to download this great resource!
Is your church a transforming congregation?
Let the denomination know! Click here to register your congregation.
Read About Oakland FCC's Transformation Journey
This article was printed in the Disciples News Service.
Transformation Oasis
Were you one of the nearly 100 people who was refreshed at the Transformation Oasis in February? If you attended but weren't able to jot down everything on Ruth's Power Point slides, here they are! Bread For the Journey (PDF)
TRANSFORMATION BOOKS for great reading: one book is for
clergy reading groups (The Sky is Falling), and one book is
for congregational reading groups (Transforming Congregational
Culture).
HELPFUL HINTS for starting a
transformation team in your congregation.
TRANSFORMATION
RESOURCES. This section of the
website will be updated regularly with resources for congregations to use.
Here are some resources available now:
- "DISCIPLING" is a six week study guide for walking in the way of Jesus...for beginners and long time Christians. It is written by six local pastors of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Northern CA-NV in response to the desire to help all Christians wrestle with important foundational questions about being followers of Jesus.
It is an excellent resource for use during Lent, but can also be used at other times of the year, particularly for newer Christians and perhaps even for a new members class. We would like to update this resource so it's more useful in future. Let us know what you liked, what you didn't, what adaptations you made, etc. Thanks for helping make this resource even better!"
