So what exactly Is the Healthy Growing Church Initiative ANYWAY?

So what exactly IS the Healthy Growing Church Initiative ANYWAY?

COME AND SEE . . .
 
In response to our Presbytery's recent Town Hall Meeting, a group of PEVA clergy will be leading a Fall "Come and See" Covenant Group, to meet September thru December. The group will covenant with one another to gather together four times to discuss important issues affecting the church today. In January 2011, individuals will then determine if they want to "Go Deeper," and covenant with a more in-depth, 12 month group.
 
The question we are seeking to answer is this: How do we lead the church to be faithful in such 'strange' times?
 
 
Meeting #1: Thursday, September 23 -- Why are these times in which we are living so 'strange'? 
 
Meeting #2: Thursday, October 14 -- What does it mean for us remain faithful to our Christian faith and our Presbyterian Heritage during these changing times?
 
 
Meeting #3: Thursday, November 11 -- What is leadership, and what kinds of leadership are needed in the church today?
 
 
Meeting #4: Thursday, December 9 -- Questions and Comments. 
 
 
All meetings will take place at First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk, from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, and include lunch. The cost is $7.50 and reservations can be made by calling the First Norfolk by Monday noon before that week's session. 
 
Please note that the beginning of the year round course has been postponed from Sept. 2010 to January 2011. The deadline for submitting the covenant has likewise been pushed back to a date closer to the startup date.         
 
In response to a concern raised at the town hall meeting, this covenant group as well as the course to begin in January is also open to any elder who wants to attend.
 
Healthy Growing Congregation Initiative

grwing ivy hand

God’s vision for the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia is “Healthy, Growing Congregations, Working Together.” Our goal, to help us achieve that vision is “to enable its congregations to make and grow disciples of Jesus Christ, resulting in increased worship attendance, professions of faith, and mission.”

A key component to accomplish this is a model of asking pastors and sessions to engage in a yearlong study of congregational leadership and health and semi-annual lay leadership events. If the sessions and pastors choose, they may also request a consultation and follow-up coaching.

So far 16 pastors have met monthly to study 13 books over a 14 month period of time (February, 2009 through March, 2010). Those 16 are: Gary Bagley, Jeff Bell, Al Butzer, Michael Condrey, Deborah Dail, Ralph Herbert, Cindy Higgins, Bill Lamont, Bob Melone, Doug Nagel, Addie Peterson, Jenny Russell, Frank Webster, Lawrence Willis, Jim Wood, and Jim Young. 13 of the 16 pastors have participated in a consultation. 14 of the 16 met on April 22, 2010, to review and evaluate the course, and make recommendations to the Presbytery about how this strategy (study, consultation, coaching, and lay leadership events) might be offered to the other congregations in our Presbytery. 

The next group of clusters will begin on September 23, 2010. Many pastors have already indicated interest in participating in the next round of small group clusters. The track record of turning a church around from decline or being on a plateau, using this method, is 50%, a far higher percentage than any other model or method being tried today.If that success can be replicated in our presbytery, we anticipate by 2014, 2/3 of our churches will be growing instead of 1/3. 

growing vineHealthy Growing Congregations Initiative - Overview (4/22)

General Presbyter Report to Presbytery 4/24 (revised and expanded)

Progress report on Getting the Presbytery Unstuck (5/3)

Covenant (5/3)

Syllabus (5/5)  

If you have any suggestions about this process, any of the 16 pastors listed above would be glad to chat with you and your session about it.

Grace and peace, Richard Short, General Presbyter, richard@pcusa-peva.org