News and Thought

News and Thought

Congregations and Taxes

"Congregations" and "taxes" are not words we’d normally associate with each other. But congregations do need to be aware of many tax-related issues. Do you know to avoid activities that might jeopardize a church’s tax-exempt status? What parish income might be classified as Unrelated Business Income and subject to tax? Are there limitations to the authority of the IRS to audit a synagogue?

These questions and many others are covered in a newly-revised IRS publication Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations. It’s a free downloadable resource. The Guide includes information on the tax law, and it’s full of (usually) helpful examples from congregations to illustrate the law’s application in a religious setting. Special attention is paid to political campaign activity and how to remain tax-exempt while not restricting free expression of speech.

Other sections include information about compensation of clergy, record-keeping requirements, paying employee business expenses and tax-filing requirements.

Click here if you are interested in learning more or if you want to download the document (if you have trouble with this link, enter http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf into your web browser).

Nancy Armstrong
Finance Director

Posted Jul 27 2010, 12:49 PM
Thinking About Congregations

An article by Center President Tim Shapiro appeared recently in Congregations magazine. Shapiro talks about the Bowen Family Systems Theory and how congregations can learn learn and grow using theory principles. Bowen Family Systems Theory resources are often recommended to congregational leaders to provide a framework for understanding behaviors. To read the article, click here.

Posted Jul 12 2010, 01:05 AM
Check Out Summer Centerpiece Newsletter

The 2010 Summer Centerpiece newsletter is on the website and ready for download. Click here to see the latest news from the Center's quarterly newsletter.

Posted Jun 28 2010, 12:23 PM
Summer Reading Recommended

“Summertime and the reading is easy.”

Ah, my apologies to George Gershwin for rewording his song lyrics, but it is that season when many of us are taking a break and catching up on reading – both for fun and professionally. So, in the spirit of the GoodWords Book Club that used to meet at the Indianapolis Center, I offer some book titles that you might want to consider for your summer reading.

Amy Frykholm, a special correspondent for the Christian Century, has a new book, Julian of Norwich: A Contemplative Biography. I highly recommend it.

As I do, Stephen Prothero’s God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World – and Why Their Differences Matter. Prothero has an accessible writing style and it works really well in this comparative religions course in nine easy chapters format.

Nathan Foster’s Wisdom Chaser: Finding my Father at 14,000 Feet is a story every parent should read – especially on the days when you feel especially inadequate to the task. Nathan is the son of well-known spirituality author, Richard J. Foster.

If you’d like other summer reading recommendations, I also suggest you check out the books we read for the GoodWords club. Click here to see the list. There you will find a combination of fiction and non-fiction. Likewise, the Congregational Resource Guide (a joint project of the Alban Institute and the Center) regularly post reading recommendation. Click here to see this summer's list.

Happy Reading!

Brent Bill
Executive Vice President

Posted Jun 28 2010, 06:42 AM
Any Congregation Can

This article was first published in Faith and Leadership, an offering of leadership education at Duke Divinity.

Q&A: Vibrant Institutions

Timothy Shapiro: Any congregation can

With a deep sense of who they are and what God is calling them to do - and just the right amount of help - any congregation can overcome its challenges, says the president of the Center for Congregations.

To the Rev. Timothy Shapiro, the role of the Indianapolis Center for Congregations in Indiana, isn’t to provide congregations with a list of “best practices” or quick fixes to the challenges they face. Instead, the center’s job is to walk beside congregations, helping them to identify the best resources for their own circumstances.

When those resources are mixed with a congregation’s sense of identity and of what God is calling them to do, the results can be extraordinary, Shapiro said. What matters most isn’t church size, location, worship style or liberal/conservative theology or politics. It’s the capacity to learn - the ability of clergy and laity to be curious together about the things that matter most to them.

Shapiro came to the center after 18 years as a Presbyterian pastor with churches in Ohio and Indiana. He has served as a commissioner at the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly and was closely involved with the center’s Sacred Space Initiative. He co-authored the book Holy Places: Matching Sacred Space with Mission and Message. Shapiro earned his degrees from Purdue University and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The center is affiliated with the Alban Institute and funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Shapiro spoke with Faith & Leadership about the center’s work with Indiana congregations. The following is an edited transcript.

Q: The center describes the heart of its work as “resourcing congregations.” What does that phrase mean?

The center works on the hypothesis that when a congregation seeks to learn something new or gain greater capacity, it’s to their advantage to receive some outside help. That help becomes even more beneficial when it’s mixed with a congregation’s own creativity, their own inner wisdom, and their own sense of what God is calling them to do. So when we talk about resourcing congregations, we mean the dynamic of helping congregations try to find and use the best resources. That might be a book, a training session, a workshop, a consultant, a coach, a seminary professor, a website or another congregation. It’s a dynamic between us helping them find the best resources, which then mixes with their own sense of who they are and what they want to learn and what God is calling them to do.

Q: It almost sounds obvious that people facing challenges would need resources, but I gather that may be easier said than done.

There are so many resources available to congregations. There’s a world of help, an abundance of help out there. And so, in terms of the center’s development, there was a sense that if someone walked alongside congregations, helping to make sense of all the resources out there, that might be beneficial.

Q: The center is known for its successful resourcing model. How does that work?

Our model has always been based on what we learn from congregations. But at the heart of it is the idea that, given just the right amount of help, congregations are very capable of addressing the challenges they face. We provide the opportunity for a kind of self-directed adult learning within a particular kind of organization: a congregation.

In working with a congregation, we try to avoid giving them too much of what’s not needed, or too little of what’s wanted. So rather than a purely systems-driven or organizational development approach, we’re after a learning, developmental approach where we encourage congregations to take the initiative and maybe even claim their own challenges and opportunities. The center takes a nonexpert stance; we aren’t starting initiatives that we think congregations should be interested in.

We work with congregations over almost every conceivable issue, but we’re not the experts on any of them. We function more like a family physician than a medical specialist.

Part of our method in encouraging self-directed learning is making sure that clergy and laity are learning together. Clergy have very specialized knowledge, and that’s only enhanced when they’re learning and working with gifted congregants around issues that matter to them.

Q: You have written that any congregation can overcome its challenges, even those that show various indicators of decline. Could you speak more about this?

Because the center works within a specific geographic region, Indiana, we are privileged to work with all kinds of congregations and are able to observe what happens within that region that might or might not be consistent with the literature about congregational life in general.

In the congregations we work with, we’ve found exceptions to every rule. We have found congregations that are positive exceptions to the literature about the decline of mainline congregations or the challenges of rural congregations or things that small churches can’t do. And consistently, the factors that led to these exceptions are things like leadership. These congregations have clergy and laity who spend a lot of time discerning what it is they want to address and not waiting for a denominational initiative or a sociological report that tells them what they should address. These are clergy and laity who are skilled at exegeting their own context and making their own decisions based on what they sense God is calling them to do. And then, these congregations are very resource savvy. They don’t quickly accept what others might say is a best practice. They tend to gravitate positively toward what’s a best fit for them.

Q: So, there is no best practice that’s going to fit across all congregations.

Right. There are any number of practices. It’s really an issue of what’s the best fit when it comes to a resource or a congregation.

For example, the center gets called frequently about strategic planning. There’s any number of approaches to strategic planning that in the right setting would be beneficial to any particular congregation. But it’s the insight and savvy of the congregation, with - I like to think - the help of the center, that can best discern which resources are the best fit.

So, an “appreciative inquiry” approach that might be great for one congregation might not work for another. Part of what we do is try to walk alongside congregations as they discern which is the best resource for them.

Q: You’ve written that when it comes to overcoming challenges, such factors as church size, location, worship style, or liberal/conservative theology or politics don’t matter. What matters is its capacity to learn.

That’s right. The capacity the congregation has to be curious together - clergy and laity - about the things that matter most to them is at least as much a predictor of outcome as other sociological categories or organizational diagnoses one might bring to congregations.

Q: What other kinds of organizations might benefit from the center’s approach?

Our resourcing model isn’t for everyone, for a variety of reasons. But generally, it’s an approach that many judicatories could do, and are doing, and other organizations that support and strengthen congregations.

Organizations interested in a resource model might want to think about what model they already use. There are a variety of approaches. There’s a direct consultation model; there’s also teaching and telling. Our colleagues at the Alban Institute helped us think through different modes of intervention with congregations. But any group that works with congregations already and is interested in encouraging congregations to figure out their own commitments and who are OK with things moving slowly and interested in a developmental approach to learning might find this model engaging.

Q: I understand the center is working with several seminaries and other organizations, helping them to begin using this resourcing model. What are you learning from them?

One thing we’re hearing is that several of them are already resourcing; they just haven’t called it that. They get calls from congregations about any number of subjects; they aren’t necessarily the experts or the direct resource provider. But they’re in a position to help congregations figure out what is the best help available. They are discovering that, “Hey, we already do this! We already help congregations with their learning.” Organizations are already resourcing congregations in effective and positive ways.

Q: What are the challenges or issues in adapting or scaling up this approach for use in other areas or types of organizations?

One thing is that the center is designed to serve constituents in a defined geographic area. Does this approach change if it’s a denominational relationship? The self-directed educational model allows congregations to take time and figure out complex issues. Paradoxically, because we don’t have an ecclesiastical stake in the results, the center can be both more relaxed and, in some ways, more helpful.

Because we’re geographically defined, we’ve worked with some congregations for 12 or 13 years. They can start working on something and we might not hear back from them for a year; then they call again when they’re ready to move ahead. We’ve lost absolutely nothing. We had nothing at stake in them rushing to a premature answer.

A local judicatory, however, might not be comfortable with a congregation not calling them back for a year. They might need an answer for mission funding or clergy placement, or whatever the issue, to fall into place quickly.

On the other hand, judicatories or denominations have been resourcing congregations much longer than we have. They could be the most natural of all places for honing the resourcing idea.

Q: I assume denominations have always performed that function to some extent. What opportunities do you see for denominations to expand their role in this area?

Historically, denominations have been primary resource providers around subjects like worship, stewardship and practical theology in preaching or Christian education. Many of the resources we recommend to congregations are from their own tradition and their own community of faith.

Around any number of issues, we have found that the best resource is often local and highly contextual. For instance - when a congregation is looking for an architect to redesign their youth room because they have more elementary school kids than they did two years ago and their youth space was designed primarily for teenagers - it’s hard for a national denominational office to know who might be the best architect in a town of 20,000.

Q: What kinds of help do congregations find useful?

The top issues we’re called about are related to technology, strategic planning, buildings, leadership development, volunteers and spirituality. It could be anything from small group prayer to faith formation along the lines of catechism or confirmation or youth ministry. Over the last several years, those top five or six areas have remained fairly steady.

Q: It’s actually a pretty encouraging list isn’t it? I’m not hearing calls about conflict on the list.

Yeah. I don’t know the answer to this, but it would be interesting to know if a methodology that invites congregations to energize their own creative assets to address a challenge attracts more positive issues or issues with greater potential for positive results.

Q: Do you think that, for many congregations today, the key challenges are, at a deeper level, issues of identity? That is, that they perhaps don’t have a clear sense of who they are?

That could very well be possible, and the center has tried to address the identity issue in a couple of ways. Let’s say a congregation wants to learn about planning or about youth ministry; they’re defining their challenge and opportunity. They’re talking to someone who isn’t going to have an answer but is willing to ask lots of questions and listen. In the course of that conversation, congregations often find themselves speaking their identity. In the act of listening and in being listened to, they become more articulate about who they are and who God is calling them to be.

Slowing down also encourages identity reflection; we’re not going to rush a congregation into finding the right resource in that space between when they call us and when they find out what they want to engage. We’re encouraging them to figure out who they are and what they want to do.

That’s also why we avoid the best practice thing, because by not rushing in to say “Here’s the five keys to whatever,” the congregation has to figure out what is best for them. One of our staff members uses a Montessori illustration. The teacher in a Montessori school is the host and sets the shelves, if you will, for the learning experience. The student walks in and gets to explore the items on the shelves in their own time and figure out what they want to interact with in order to develop. We offer the same kind of opportunity for congregations.

The times when I have been most fed by a congregation, and the times in my life when I feel I’ve been most useful to a congregation either as a worshipper or a clergy leader or a member, have been when the congregation has been clear about who it is and where it’s going, and finds great delight in learning how to get there.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to say about the center’s work?

One of the primary reasons the center exists is that we are absolutely convinced that congregations are essential for the religious experience of individuals. They are invaluable when it comes to helping people figure out and live their religious claims and commitments. We want to support congregations because congregations are so essential to people and their religious identities. Well-functioning congregations add a tremendous amount to the well-being of a local community.

Second, regarding our methodology, when we talk about the best fit for any particular resource, that notion of fit is not just contextual but also developmental. At certain times in a congregation’s life, certain kinds of resources will make more sense developmentally, based on their readiness and capacity.

The first time a congregation calls, we might offer them a web article or a book. But what often happens is that the congregation then develops to the point where they’re no longer satisfied with just reading an article and that they’re now ready to participate in, for example, an 18-month learning experience with other congregations. So we look at resourcing not just contextually, but also in terms of their present capacity and their developmental trajectory.

Posted Jun 17 2010, 07:50 AM
Online Lectionary Provides Array of Resources

The Center for Congregations helps congregations find and use resources to address their opportunities and challenges. One such resource is the African American Online Lectionary.

The African American Online Lectionary features free, in depth resources to strengthen and assist worship in Black churches. It is designed to highlight critical moments in the lives of most African American Christians. To use this online resource, check out the calendar and you’ll be directed to that week’s scriptural readings accompanied by a brief video, commentary, prayer, and ideas for sermon imagery. After studying the commentary, take a look at the corresponding Cultural Resources for that week. You’ll read about the cultural and historical context for the liturgical moment. You’ll also find ideas for discussion starters, songs, poems, a list of publications for further reading, family rituals, videos, and more. To round out your worship planning, follow the link to the Worship Resources section. You’ll find lots of ideas in the worship planning notes about litanies, music, congregational songs, and lists of books and websites for more ideas.

The Big Idea section addresses twelve issues identified by a national survey of African American clergy as important concerns of the African American community. Issues range from health and wellness to prison ministry to economic empowerment. Again, this section provides lots of ideas for incorporating the issues into worship and small group studies.

The African American Online Lectionary, funded by the Lilly Endowment and a collaboration of the project of Hope for Life International and the Kelly Miller Smith Institute of the Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, allows users to select from a vast array of material that will exactly fit their congregation's needs and expectations.

Kara Faris
Education Director

Posted Jun 14 2010, 07:15 AM
Map Your Money

At a recent Center for Congregations workshop, leaders of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving suggested that congregations can learn a lot by mapping their sources of donations.

Ask yourselves, what are all the different ways someone can give money to our congregation? Weekly offering, of course, but what about special appeals, fundraisers, perhaps a memorial fund? Identify each one, and look at it as a separate item (car wash, Haiti relief, building fund, women’s association dues, and more.). Evaluate whether each is a “successful” way for your congregation to raise money, not only in terms of how much income it generates but also whether it is an avenue of giving that generates joy in the givers.

What you learn from this exercise may help you tweak your appeals for donations to use tactics that are financially successful, as well as those that invite people to give out of joy instead of obligation or guilt.

Be sure to total up all the donations you receive throughout the year - your congregation has probably received a lot more money than what shows up in the annual budget. Celebrate total generosity!

Wendy McCormick
Southwest Director

Posted Jun 07 2010, 08:25 AM
Southeast Congregations Look at Building Projects Strategies
This spring, the Center for Congregations-Southeast office hosted an Effective Leadership for Building Projects educational event at Christ’s Community Church of the Nazarene in New Albany, Indiana.

Those attending the event were privileged to learn building project strategies from architectural leaders Russell Maddox and Keith Crouch of the National Center for Church Architecture in Hurst, Texas. Maddox and Crouch presented eight sessions during the one day seminar:
- discovering purpose, action and data;
- guidelines for evaluating facilities and property;
- planning with the 6 A’s of space;
- relocation considerations;
- designing;
- funding;
- construction;
- and equipping ministries for using the completed building project.
Pre-event church profiles were gathered from registrants to assure the information presented was streamlined to meet the representative congregations' challenges. Some of the building projects envisioned were new construction multi-purpose facilities, a community center, a family life center, restoration of an historic church building, remodeling after flood damage, and parking lot expansion. Participants discussed, learned and reflected as aspects of the workshop touched on their individual situations.

You can find out more about The National Center for Church Architecture at www.tncca.net.

Doug Hanner
Southeast Director
Posted Apr 28 2010, 08:09 AM
What's the Plan?

There’s an old saying that if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.

At a recent workshop on church building projects, the leaders of the National Association of Church Architecture reported that the most common failure of congregational building projects is the failure to plan. “In fact,” noted church architecture consultant Russell Maddox, “sometimes a congregation even calls us after they’ve finished their new building to ask if we can help them figure out how to use it.”

Building projects require planning, but so do all kinds of other efforts of congregations. Whether you’re launching a new building, a new website, or a new change in worship, planning is a big part of success.

Ask lots of specific questions. What are the demographics of your congregation? Who is part of your neighborhood and community? What are the strengths of your congregation? What do you do best? What draws people to your congregation? What keeps them coming back? As you look to that new piece of the puzzle - building, website, new worship service - think about who will use it. Who will benefit? What will make it successful? How will you know? Taking time to answer these questions will save time, money and headaches as your project proceeds.

One final caution, though: If planning time is open-ended it can drag on and leave people frustrated at a lack of action. So, set a timetable with an end date for planning. Then gather up your data and learning and move on to action!

Wendy McCormick
Southwest Director

Posted Apr 23 2010, 12:14 PM
Center's Education Program Reaches Statewide

In the past few months, the education program took on an even greater statewide character. For instance, events that are held in northern Indiana draw the attention of congregations in southern Indiana. Their interest in expressed in their attendance of events (sometimes upwards of a 4-6 hour drive to get to the event) or an email asking if the Center will repeat the event in another part of the state.

Adult education theories affirm that adults learn best when their learning is self-directed and relevant to their context. We pay attention to the cues congregational leaders give us when they express interest in an event or topic. We interpret their expression of interest as their initiative to acquire information that is relevant to their context. The Center oftentimes repeats popular events or creates new events that build on the topics of interest.

To honor the self-directed and contextually relevant nature of adult education, the Center strives to incorporate activities into all education events that allow participants to engage the material. These activities might be working sessions where participants are asked to write down next steps based on what they learned at an event: What captured their attention and what do they want to do about it? Who will they talk to in their congregation? What are they interested in reading next?

What is your congregation interested in learning?

Kara Faris
Education Director

Posted Apr 19 2010, 06:19 AM
Resource Consulting and Slowing Down

Resource Consulting is at the heart of the Center’s work. Our mission is to help congregations find and use best resources to address their challenges and opportunities. Often in that process we encourage congregations (through their leaders) to SLOW DOWN. We don’t encourage slowing down to impede action nor to stymie enthusiasm. Our impulse is to help congregations “widen the opportunity space.” By this we mean that by slowing down congregations might better deal more creatively with a complex problem, or come up with a more comprehensive solution than they may have previously considered.

Sometimes a congregation can benefit from an intentional time of spiritual discernment. Suzanne Farnham’s small book, Grounded in God, Listening Hearts Discernment for Group Deliberations (Morehouse Publishing) might provide just the impetus. The book is full of practical suggestions from engaging the imagination, to catching the signals from God and others, to building discerning communities. A newer and also excellent discernment resource is to be found in the appendices for conversation in Graham Standish’s Becoming a Blessed Church (Alban).

These and other excellent resources are available to investigate further at each of the Center’s regional office libraries.

Brian Witwer
Northeast Director

Posted Apr 12 2010, 09:02 AM
New Insights into Religion Website Introduced

Check out the Insights into Religion website! This new portal is a single source for religious research, articles and information from more than 20 sites supported by Lilly Endowment's Religion Division. The site will include contributions from the Center for Congregations website. The portal was introduced for the first time at the Religion Communicators Conference in Chicago on April 7, 2010.

The goal of the Insights into Religion portal is to centralize information from a wide range of sites recognized as some of the best sources on the web for religious content. End-users like pastors, congregational leaders, students and religion writers can access the latest religious research, articles and journals and much more from the affiliate sites in a single search, reducing the time required to access the information from a variety of sources.

Posted Apr 09 2010, 09:35 AM
New Faith Communities Today (FACT) Survey

The 2008 FACT survey results and new website, http://faithcommunitiestoday.org/ launch this month.

Faith Communities Today (FACT) is an interfaith research report that provides key information on a range of subjects relating to congregational life in America - worship, conflict, leadership, growth, finances, technology and much more.

FACT reports and other resources are produced by the Cooperative Congregations Studies Partnership (CCSP), which brings together the best denominational researchers in America - from more than 25 different faith groups - and the academic resources of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research and Hartford Seminary.

Through this unique collaboration, CCSP has been conducting research and providing resources for churches, mosques and synagogues since 2000.

Aaron Spiegel
Information Technology Director

Posted Mar 12 2010, 08:24 AM
First Safety

I like this website: www.churchsaftey.com.

There are lots of reasons. It is attractive, user friendly, concise, and comprehensive. It’s all about helping congregations treat people with dignity and safety by highlighting various groups and ministries they might engage.

Web users can choose from the following headings: Kids, Staff, Ministries, Money, Law, Property, Transportation and Emergencies. Each of these leads to articles, assessment tools and other items to help congregations provide safe environments. Searchers can sign-up for newsletters, and purchase specific tools at nominal costs (for instance, background screenings). There are also opportunities for questions and answers from experts and other site users.

This is an excellent one-stop site for congregations concerned about the safety of their participants.

Brian Witwer
Northeast Director

Posted Feb 18 2010, 08:05 AM
A Resource for Working with Volunteers

As the Center for Congregations works with congregations across the state of Indiana, we encounter many who face challenges as they seek to make ministry meaningful for volunteers.

Outside resources are often beneficial in helping congregations become more intentional and disciplined about recruiting, motivating, training, and supporting volunteers for service within the congregation and/or within the community. One such resource is a national conference, LifeServe 2010, to be held in September in nearby Columbus, Ohio. The conference is intended to provide insights and skills for developing great volunteers. LifeServe 2010 is sponsored by Church Volunteer Central and the Externally Focused Network.

Church Volunteer Central, a program of Group Publishing, is a membership organization that provides resources and coaching related to recruiting, equipping, retaining, leading and protecting volunteers. The Externally Focused Network is a ministry of LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado. LifeBridge is pastured by Rick Rusaw, the author of The Externally Focused Church. The Externally Focused Network is a connection of churches who feel called to live out the “Good News” by serving their communities.

The LifeServe National Conference takes place Wednesday, September 29, 2010 through Friday, October 1, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. The conference features a variety of workshop models from hour long sessions to six-hour options (presented during six one-hour workshop time slots). Workshop presenters have experience managing volunteer work in the not-for-profit world as well as in mainline and non-denominational congregations. Cost for the conference is $400.00 with early bird registration discounts. See www.lifeserve.group.com for details.

Nancy DeMott
Resource Director

Posted Jan 25 2010, 01:17 PM
Looking at Technology in Churches Large and Small

One of our local congregational technology guys, Daryl Cripe from Grace Community Church in Noblesville, was featured in Technologies for Worship Magazine. This on-line article, "Avoid Willow Envy" by Kevin Rogers Cobus, talks about technology strategies, small church and large church differences, and outlines Cripe's panel discussion at the October 2009 Worship Facilities Conference and Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina. The article ends with some appropriate questions to help congregational leaders discern what technological tools will best serve them.

Posted Jan 06 2010, 10:12 AM
Congregation Celebrates Completion of Flourishing Grant

South Wayne Baptist Church in Fort Wayne (now Fort Wayne Baptist), an American Baptist Congregation, celebrated the conclusion of its Flourishing Congregations grant with a Thanksgiving dinner on November 18. The purpose was to honor the new outreach children’s ministry the grant helped make possible.

Two hundred were in attendance as Pastor Wungreiso Valui and his wife Margreth (the new ministry director) introduced the children and explained the program's joys and benefits. Participants enjoyed entertainment and excellent food prepared by members of the congregation. I was on hand to share the congratulations of the Center.

Fort Wayne Baptist is a newly-merged (First Baptist and South Wayne) and thriving, multi-racial, multi-ethnic congregation. The grant helped fund a new ministry to reach neighborhood children from diverse backgrounds. The South Wayne grant was the first Flourishing Congregations grant given in Indiana.

Brian Witwer
Northeast Director

Posted Dec 14 2009, 08:50 AM
Lectionary Resource Can Help Congregations Reflect on Stewardship

For congregations following the lectionary, a new year has begun. For congregations preparing to close out the fiscal year, a new year is on the horizon. And for congregations practicing year-round stewardship or seeking to lift up the Bible’s teachings about possessions and money on a regular basis, the hunt for fresh and inspiring material is anything but new. Consider a new year’s gift to your congregation of The Stewardship Companion: Lectionary Resources for Preaching by David N. Mosser (Westminster John Knox, 2007). This handy volume offers a page or two of reflection on the weekly readings from the perspective of stewardship, including each week of the 3-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary.

Wendy McCormick
Southwest Director

Posted Dec 07 2009, 07:51 AM
Moving Day in Seymour

After a day of moving furniture, unpacking boxes and hanging pictures, the Southeast Center for Congregations office at 100 S. Chestnut Street is open.

Congregations are welcome to call or visit the office. The Southeast Center, directed by Doug Hanner (pictured at right), is dedicated to strengthening congregations by helping them find and use the best resources for their challenges and opportunities.

An open house is scheduled 4-7 p.m. Thursday, February 4. Watch for details!

Pictures below show the inside of the Center office, with furniture boxes stacked in the hallway; Doug and Center Executive Vice President Brent Bill measuring wall space to hang a picture; and the outside of the new Center office.

Posted Dec 02 2009, 01:02 PM
Your Congregation's Directory, with a Twist

The standard congregational pictorial directory has taken a page from today's popular social networking websites.

Directory publisher Olan Mills now offers an alternative to the traditional church directory - the My Family Page Bio Directory. This new book includes family photos (although in a more casual setting, rather than the formal posed photos of last year), and it also encourages members to share additional information about themselves like hobbies, children, work and other candid pictures. The result is a printed directory with a Facebook-like feel and look. Keeping up with technology, the pages are developed with information provided on-line by members.

The news release from Olan Mills quotes church leaders who appreciate the more personal connections allowed by the new directory format. The directory pages are personalized and conversational and allow members to get to know each other a little better.

Posted Dec 01 2009, 08:56 AM
At the Center

There is always something going on at the Center for Congregations - workshops, long-term learning events, committee meetings, outside congregational groups utilizing the meeting space, luncheons, Center staff events and more. Some are public – some private. If your group is interested in using our space, feel free to contact us at info@centerforcongregations.org.

MAY

MAY 4    Case Review meeting (Indpls)

MAY 11   Staff meeting (Indpls)

MAY 11   Dynamics of Worship Follow-up (NE)

MAY 12 Diversity and Congregations (NE)

MAY 12 Spark to Fire (Indpls)

MAY 13 Diversity and Congregations (Indpls)

MAY 13 LTGI Evaluation meeting (Indpls)

MAY 15 Aldersgate United Methodist meeting (SW)

MAY 18 Grants Committee & Case Review (Indpls)

MAY 20 United Church of Christ meeting (SW)

MAY 25 Case Review and Case Study (Indpls)

MAY 31 Offices closed for Memorial Day

Posted Dec 01 2009, 05:07 AM
Protect Your Congregation from Fraud and Embezzlement

Here in Central Indiana we have recently seen three rather public cases involving trusted church employees who embezzled large sums of money from their congregations. In at least one case, no one seems to have suspected anything amiss until the congregation ran out of money. How could this happen?

According to church tax and law expert Richard Hammar, “…embezzlement is a relatively common occurrence in churches. As a result, it is important for church leaders to take this risk seriously.”

An excellent system of internal controls is the key to reducing a congregation’s risk of embezzlement and other types of fraud. Internal controls are systems of practices and policies that protect the organization’s assets and ensure the accuracy and reliability of its financial records.

Separation of duties is the foundation of internal controls. Duties related to financial matters need to be divided to protect against the ability of one person to embezzle funds or steal other assets. For example, always assign at least two unrelated people to count weekly contributions. Another example is to first deliver bank statements to someone other than the person who reconciles the bank account and issues checks. You get the idea.

Congregations are notorious for violating principles of separation of duties. For some, these secure procedures give the impression that congregants and employees are “not trusted.” In smaller congregations, it isn’t always easy to find enough people willing to share the responsibilities. But whether it’s a touchy subject or just seems difficult, a system of internal controls is worth it. Just ask these three Indiana congregations. You don’t want to experience this tragedy first-hand in your church or synagogue.

Fortunately, there are excellent resources to help congregations establish a good internal control system. One of the newest is Essential Guide to Church Finances, by Richard Vargo and Vonna Laue. This book has a very good internal controls checklist, and also addresses the topics of planning and budgeting, performance measurements, financial reporting and audits.

The Center for Congregations is bringing one of the co-authors, Vonna Laue, to Indiana in the spring and fall of 2010 to lead a two-part workshop series based on the book. Look to upcoming Center publications and the Events and Conferences page of the website for more details.

Nancy Armstrong
Finance Director

Posted Nov 23 2009, 08:26 AM
Preparing for the Flu and Other Emergencies

Being prepared can help congregations deal with the upcoming flu season, the H1N1 virus and other emergencies. Two free on-line articles explore precautions, preparedness, communications and management in times of increased illness and pandemic. Check out these churchsafety.com articles on Preparing Your Church for a Pandemic and How Churches Can Manage the Swine Flu.

Posted Nov 12 2009, 09:41 AM
Economic Impact Study Results Released

More than two-thirds of congregations in the current recession reported that their fundraising receipts increased or remained the same in the first half of 2009 compared to 2008, even as the recession was worsening.

The findings are part of the 2009 Congregational Economic Impact Study, a joint project of the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Alban Institute. The study was based on more than 1,500 responses, nearly all from the membership of the Alban Institute.

"While many congregations have been hit hard by the recession, this study underscores the remarkable resilience of congregations, as evidenced in the extraordinary and imaginative ways they are reaching out to meet the needs of their parishioners and people in their community,” said William Enright, director of the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. “We frequently hear about the experiences of larger congregations and how they are coping with economic challenges, while the story of average and smaller congregations often has been wrapped in silence. This study breaks that silence.”

“This is one of the first looks we have had into the economic realities faced by American congregations during a time of global financial crisis,” said Dr. James Wind, president of the Alban Institute. “The survey results demonstrate that local congregations, which we often take for granted and treat with misleading conventional wisdom, are much more dynamic, creative and strong than many people think.”

The 2009 Congregational Economic Impact Study is available at http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/LakeFamilyInstitute/economyGiving.aspx.

Posted Nov 04 2009, 10:53 AM
Multi-Site Congregations: A Resource List
The Center for Congregations is receiving more and more requests for resources related to multi-site churches.

The multi-site church is defined as one church meeting in multiple locations while sharing a common vision, staff, budget, and board.¹ This Protestant phenomenon emerged, in part, from the challenges confronted by megachurches whose rapid growth led to larger and larger buildings and parking areas, often against the wishes of their neighborhoods and communities. However, the rapid growth of megachurches is not the only motivating factor in the increase of multi-site congregations. Other motivations include congregations who have maximized their current facilities but are either landlocked or choose not to expand in their present location. Instead, an appealing option is to create a second site where they can minister in a new, additional neighborhood.

Other factors that prompt multi-sites include:
- enabling congregants to worship and serve in their own neighborhood;
- providing outreach to ethnic communities;
- presenting options for churches to merge in creative ways and maintain ministry at both locations.
In the last three years, there has been explosive growth in the number of congregations nationwide who have gone multi-site.² According to experts in the field, healthy congregations as small as 200 can launch a church satellite if they discern God’s call to do so.

If your congregation is interested in exploring multi-sites the following are some recommended by the Center for Congregations.  As always, the Center staff would be happy to talk with you and point you to additional resources in this and other topic areas.

Books
McConnell, Scott.  Multi-Site Churches: Guidance for the Movement's Next Generation. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2009.
Based on in-depth research with 40 multi-site churches across the country, Multi-site Churches is targeted to congregations who are ready to explore the transition to multi-sites.  In addition to the stories of churches interviewed, the book contains insights from 9 multi-site experts on topics such as the rationale for multi-sites, selecting the leader for a new campus, leadership development, location, communication and staff changes.  Warren Bird, director of research at Leadership Network, writes a chapter on two specific types of multi-sites – ethnic or multicultural sites and absorbing an existing church.  The book appendix includes the names and websites for the 40 congregations studied for the book.

Surratt, Geoff, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird. The Multi-Site Church Revolution. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2006.
These three authors are very involved in Leadership Network’s pioneering work to explore the multi-site phenomenon in churches. The book is divided into four parts - the beginning of the multi-site movement, practical issues for congregations who want to explore becoming multi-site, factors that make multi-site churches successful, and expansion to 3 or more sites.  Helpful chapter notes in the book point the reader to additional resources. The authors maintain a website at http://multisitechurchrevolution.com/

Surratt, Geoff, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird. A Multi-site Church Road Trip: Exploring the New Normal. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.
Three years after writing The Multi-site Church Revolution, Surratt, Ligon and Bird wrote a companion book, A Multi-Site Church Road Trip: Exploring the New Normal , to describe additional aspects of the rapidly expanding multi-site phenomenon.  In this newest book they highlight 14 multi-site congregations as a way of explaining some aspect of multi-site work.  For example, there are chapters on internet campuses, structure, leadership, merging campusses, and so forth. Each chapter gives a snapshot of the particular multi-site congregation followed by suggestions of how others could implement similar multi-site ministries.  The authors note how the movement is rapidly expanding as well as the diversity of how churches are launching and using multi-sites. A decade ago most multi-site congregations were megachurches, but now congregations with as few as several hundred are found in suburban, urban and rural congregations from many denominations. The authors maintain a website at www.multisitechurchroadtrip.com.

Online Articles
Bird, Warren. “Should Your Church Go Multi-Site? A Self-diagnostic Tool.” Free online article. Dallas, TX: Leadership Network, 2004.
This assessment tool helps congregations discern whether or not the multi-site approach is right for them. The questionnaire covers the following areas – clarity of call; motivation; receptive audience; leadership; know-how; relationship strengths; and finances.    Scores are compared to other congregations around the country reflecting a range between “timing is very premature” to “you have a high likelihood of success.”

Ligon, Greg. Frequently Asked Questions about Multi-Site Churches. Free online article. http://multisitechurch.typepad.com/mscr/files/multisite_faq.pdf.
This article is an excellent starting place for those who want a brief overview of the multi-site church phenomenon. It includes definitions, advantages and disadvantages, leadership development, technology and more. It has an extensive resource list, including podcasts.

Tomberlin, Jim. “Multi-Sightings:   Is My Church Ready to Go Multi-Site?” In The XL Church Leader, March, 2008. http://www.3qc.org/images/XLChurchMultiSite.pdf.
Congregational leaders may find it useful to discuss this article in conjunction with the diagnostic tool above, Should Your Church Go Multi-Site? A Self-diagnostic Tool. This brief article provides 7 reasons NOT to go multi-site and then offers questions to help congregations discuss their level of readiness for multi-site ministry.

Organizations and Web Sites

New Thing Network
1635 Emerson Lane
Naperville, IL 60540
PH 630.388.5000;   FAX 630.983.2524
www.newthing.org
The New Thing Network is a ministry of Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, a multi-site congregation of 9, soon to be 11 sites in the Chicago area.    The focus of the New Thing Network is on helpfing churches reproduce through church planting and/or multisite congregations.     The website contains an array of resources, some for purchase and some free, that help congregations establish multi-sites. These resources include “ministry role descriptions”, a “new campus start up guide” and more.   New Thing offers training and coaching for multi-site development.

Leadership Network
2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 900
Dallas, Texas 75204
PH 800.765.5323 or 214.969.5950;   FAX 214.969.9392
www.leadnet.org
Leadership Network has been a leader in multi-site church research, resource development, training and coaching in the last decade.    Their website offers free downloadable print resources as well as podcasts on multiple aspects of multisite development.   They offer an e-newsletter entitled “Multi-site Church News.”

Third Quarter Consulting
Jim Tomberlin, Consultant
37706 N. 102nd Place
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
PH 480.247.7377
jt@3qc.org
www.ThirdQuarterConsulting.com
Jim Tomberlin is founder and senior strategist of Third Quarter Consulting.    He is a multi-site church pioneer who serves as a multi-site church consultant and writes Multi-Sightings, an enewsletter, addressing the topic of multi-site congregations.

¹Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird. The Multi-Site Church Revolution (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2006). 18.
²Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird. A Multi-Site Church Road Trip (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2009). 10.

Nancy DeMott
Resource Director
Posted Oct 28 2009, 09:27 AM
Accessible Information at Your Fingertips

Did you ever wonder how many Methodists there were in Mooresville? Or Baptists in Brownstown? Or Pentecostals in Peru? Well, there’s a site that can help you find out – thearda.com. The Association of Religious Data Archive has loads of accessible information – from the religious make-up of your county (or zip code, in some cases!) to surveys about how frequently people pray. There’s even a quick and easy application on their front page that lets you compare your religious thinking with other Americans. Visit thearda.com!

Brent Bill
Executive Vice President

Posted Oct 19 2009, 12:56 PM
Congregations Explore Sustainability and Earth Care

Congregations of all kinds are thinking about and acting on issues of sustainability and caring for God’s creation. On September 30, 2009, lay leaders from four Indianapolis congregations talked about eco-friendly projects and ministries in their faith communities.

What They're Doing
Christ the King Catholic Church works with their parish school to share in recycling and raising awareness of being green. The Unitarian Universalist Church’s campus has certification as both a Natural Wildlife Habitat and a Green Sanctuary. They are committed to creating change in the lives of their members by educating them in ways they can be more environmentally conscious at home and on their church committees. Epworth United Methodist Church reaches out to the city with their green film series, pitch-in dinners with Indiana-grown ingredients and second-hand clothing fashion shows. First Mennonite Church restored their 10 acre property into natural wetlands, created outdoor worship space, added a ½ mile fitness trail and reduced the amount of time and money they spent mowing the grass by planting native trees, shrubs and flowers.

Getting the Word Out
They all contribute their success to effective communication within their congregations - getting the word out about their green team’s activities. These green teams involve the children and youth of their churches. And they attribute their success to connecting their green team to various aspects of the life of their congregations. For instance, they stay in touch with leaders from finance, youth and children’s ministries, the board and trustees, staff, building and grounds, and the worship leaders.

How to Get Started
Practical advice included starting small with projects that are achievable to build momentum, letting the wider congregation know what the green team is doing, and being patient when faced with resistance. The Center for Congregations would be happy to help you connect with local and national resources to address your congregations questions about going green.

Kara Faris
Education Director

Posted Oct 02 2009, 08:44 AM
The Alban Institute's Top Ten Articles of 2009

The Alban Institute releases its ten most-read Alban Weekly articles published in 2009. Topics range from ministry during difficult economic times to prayer in board meetings. Click here to check them out!

Affiliated with the Center for Congregations, the Alban Institute is an independent center of learning and leadership development with a focus on congregations.

Posted Sep 21 2009, 08:38 AM
Twitter and Discipleship

Check out this commentary piece by Leonard Sweet, titled How Twitter has helped me be a better disciple. The article is featured on United Methodist Portal.

Posted Aug 27 2009, 12:23 PM
Poets and the Northeast Expansion

I have dabbled in poetry most of my adult life, even though much of it was written as prose and delivered as sermon. Lately I have been more given to verse, which I find a greater challenge and a different kind of satisfaction.

So, you might imagine my delight at being introduced to a recent book by Craig Barnes titled, The Pastor as Minor Poet. It’s part of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies Series. Barnes teaches at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and is pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church. He writes that the major poets of sacred scriptures introduce us to holy mysteries, but it is the minor poets who see human lives reshaped by those mysteries. In fact, it is these minor poets who are given the task to translate ancient mysteries into the real “stuff” of contemporary life. And it is clergy who have this particular task. Clergy, precisely, are called to do this amidst the complexities, challenges, everyday routines and emotional roller coasters of congregational life.

This is not easy. In fact, contemporary clergy face not only the daunting task of trying to get a hearing amidst a carnival of competing consumers, there are actually some in religious market place who claim they are unnecessary to a person’s spiritual life. They are wrong. Well-trained minor poets are still needed, and in some ways more than ever before. Craig Barnes offers a host of deeper thoughts and helpful encouragements for today’s clergy.

The Center values and appreciates clergy and the vital task they perform. We are committed to doing what we can to resource their ministries and the lives of the congregations they serve. As the Center continues to expand its work in the northeast region and throughout the state of Indiana, we invite clergy minor poets of every religious perspective to take advantage of the Center’s gifts and opportunities.

Brian Witwer
Northeast Director

Posted Aug 17 2009, 09:35 AM
Generational Differences Impact Congregational Relationships
For the first time in history four distinct generations are active and interacting with one another in the workplace . . . and in our congregations.

Delineating in general terms the Mature Generation (1920-1945), the Baby Boom Generation (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), and the Millennial Generation (1981-2000), behavioral therapist Jeff Stucke and human resources professional Pam Goedde, both of Human Element, Inc., in Evansville, recently offered some pointers for interactions between generations:
- Older generations tend to be motivated by the greater good, while younger generations require a more individual and personal motivation.
- Mature and Baby Boom adults “live to work,” while Gen-X and Millennial adults “work to live.” Younger adults are motivated by a puzzle or challenge (especially technological) and by opportunities for personal learning and growth, as opposed to serving an organization.
- Older generations value knowledge and information and have a sense of those being challenging commodities to obtain. The “google it” generations experience knowledge and information as cheap, and they don’t value expertise and knowledge per se. They tend to be unimpressed by policies, rules and “we’ve always done it this way.”
The bottom line from Stucke and Goedde: It’s all about relationships. If you want to involve younger people in your organization, show them that you care about them as individuals. “They don’t care how much you know till they know how much you care.” The creed from a younger adult, says Stucke, is “care about me more than you want to change me.”

Wendy McCormick
Southwest Director
Posted Aug 03 2009, 01:24 PM
Scheduling Software and Energy Savings

One of the latest twists in combining software features for congregations may be new capabilities added to the popular scheduling web-based service EventU.

EventU Green, software that controls heating and cooling systems based upon an organization’s calendar of events, became available earlier this year. Event U Green works with the existing EventU web-based scheduling software and your HVAC system to lower heating and cooling costs and help the environment by automatically managing the temperatures in rooms or energy zones within your facility.

When you schedule an event you can identify the room temperature needs at the same time. EventU Green then informs the heating/cooling system in that room or zone to automatically raise or lower the temperature during the time the room is used, then return the temperature to a more energy efficient level until the next time the room is to be used. Changes to a congregation’s calendar automatically update the HVAC controllers so no double entry or manual change to room thermostats are needed.

ServiceU, the software provider, estimates that a typical organization can save 10-20% on utility costs, depending upon the status of their existing heating and cooling systems. Pricing is based upon the amount of physical space and estimated savings. Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Anaheim, California was the beta test site for the product.

More information from the vendor is available at www.serviceu.com/eventugreen/

Nancy Armstrong
Finance Director

Posted Jul 22 2009, 09:21 AM
Social Networking and Congregations

This article by Center for Congregations Information Technology Director Aaron Spiegel appeared in the Summer 2009 issue of Congregations magazine.

Social Networking and Congregations

by Aaron Spiegel

A recent YouTube video titled “Social Networking in Plain English” claims networks are only as valuable as the people and connections one can see. If I think about real “friends” and connections in my life this makes perfect sense. The piece goes on to assert that social networking sites help us see the real world connections that are hidden. So, by allowing me to see who my friend’s friends are, I can connect with a broader community than the one I can “see.” Simplistic? Yes, but this is really the essence of social networking.

Social networking sites are a phenomenon. Sites like Facebook, My Space, YouTube, LinkedIn, and others are redefining personal social experiences. They have even redefined the use of the term “friend.” The Annenberg Center for the Digital Future’s 2007 report was titled “Online World as Important to Internet Users as Real World?”and the 2008 study reported that membership in online communities has more than doubled in only three years.

These sites are also changing the way people communicate with their congregations. We see more congregations creating Facebook and LinkedIn groups, using YahooGroups as extensions of congregational communications, and even pastors Twittering (microblogging). To find out what congregations are really doing with social networking we conducted a survey. The results are interesting!

Of the congregations surveyed, only 32 percent reported that they had a Facebook or MySpace page for their congregation. When we asked why, some reported suspicion of the medium and a general lack of knowledge about its purpose. Several commented that clergy won’t support it. Some report that they are still trying to get a functional website up and running (an interesting reminder that we can’t assume all congregations are using even basic technology tools). One of my favorite responses was “My church does not see the need to have a website. They still treat the Internet like it is a novelty.” Interesting, since someone from that church saw this survey and thought it important enough to fill it out! Of the 32 percent who answered that they did use Facebook or MySpace, nearly 60 percent affirmed that it enhanced communications between the congregation and its members.

While 32 percent of congregations reported using these tools, almost 50 percent of those surveyed answered “yes” when asked if the pastor or rabbi has a personal Facebook, MySpace, blog, or other such account. So, while almost half of congregational leaders are using social networking, respondents don’t consider this to be part of the congregation’s communication strategy!

When we asked, “Do you think online social networking enhances or worsens congregation/member relationships?” 90 percent responded that it enhances them. While the use of these tools is far from widespread, the perception that they enhance member-congregation communications is resoundingly positive. One respondent said, “Intuitively, I believe it has the potential to enhance it, but we have no experience to back that. We are working toward exploring this.”

We included blogs in social networking strategies and the survey. Only 26 percent of respondents reported using blogs. We expected more. Those who reported using blogs gave some interesting and varied uses: clergy sermons with commentary, building construction updates, podcasting, a sabbatical travelogue, and personal thoughts from clergy and staff. While I don’t mean to pick on anyone, some responses were downright funny. One commented, “No, but I would like to start one. We are forming a committee to explore maximizing the uses of our church website, and a blog makes sense to me…” Great, another committee! And my favorite, “Most folks here are introverts and writing thoughts down seems redundant.”

There seems to be widespread perception that social networking tools target a certain age group. When we asked, “Does social networking target a specific age group (i.e., next-generation twenty- to thirty-somethings)?” 57 percent of the responses were either “definitely” or “we think so.” “Not sure” accounted for another 21 percent. “No” trailed at a mere 6 percent. Recent data shows a different picture: The average age of Twitter users is between thirty and forty-nine. According to comScore in 2007, the average age of social sites like Facebook and MySpace was twenty-five and trending upward. According to Inside Facebook, the number of users over thirty-five has nearly doubled in the last sixty days (dated March 25, 2009). The fastest growing demographic is women over fifty-five. “The biggest growth in terms of absolute new users over the last six months occurred among users thirty-five to forty-four.” The majority of U.S. Facebook users are now over twenty-five.

Clearly these are not tools for young people, at least not anymore.

I understand the reluctance of congregations to venture into the world of social networking. Caution is certainly warranted—but I don’t think we can wait too long. People are spending large amounts of their time in the virtual world. We need to be there to greet them!

Rabbi Aaron Spiegel is the information technology director of the Indianapolis Center for Congregations.

Congregations, 2009-07-01
Summer 2009, Number 3

Posted Jul 14 2009, 09:54 AM
We're Listening: Fall Events Feature Topics Congregations Requested

The core work of the Center for Congregations is resource consulting.

This kind of consulting takes shape through the initiative of congregational leaders who approach the Center for congregations and tell us about opportunities, challenges, questions or problems that they identify. After listening and asking questions, the Center resource consultant will conduct research with the goal of finding the best fitting resources to address a congregation’s question. Those resources take the shape of books, consultants, organizations, educational and training events, websites and other congregations, to name a few.

Based on these kinds of resource consulting conversations, the Center identifies a selection of timely and relevant topics upon which to base our educational offerings. So what you’ll see scheduled reflects general themes of conversations and requests from congregations in Indiana.

It’s not too early to sign up for many of our programs. If the registration information isn’t available yet, it will be soon. Try back again.

Kara Faris
Education Director

Posted Jun 17 2009, 07:59 AM
Leap of Faith is a Success for Brownsburg Congregation

Church is the people within, not the building – members of Calvary United Methodist Church in Brownsburg were reminded of this in a big way as they worked through the challenges of building, relocating and ministering without a facility for more than a year.

Part of the Brownsburg community for 180 years, the congregation took a leap of faith and sold its building while going through the process of constructing a new facility two miles north.

“We learned that the church is people, not building,” said pastor Todd Outcalt. “We learned that we could set up chairs and staging and tear it apart again every week! That was a big challenge, since we worshipped in a gymnasium.” Calvary’s school, The Learning Academy, met in a nearby church; the congregation offices were located in a warehouse; and members opened up their homes for small groups and Bible study.

After a year-and-a-half of cooperating, communicating and keeping the vision at the forefront, the congregation moved into its new facility in 2006. They are now in the process of designing a space for the youth.

“Our mission, our ministry is a lot stronger,” he said. New families have flocked to Calvary since relocating. Because their new building is in a more heavily traveled area of town, they see a steady stream of visitors and new members.

During the planning process for building projects, Outcalt and members appreciated input from Center staffers, who recommended they visit other congregations which had experience with building projects. Outcalt said this was a helpful piece of the planning process, and Calvary members have been able to reciprocate since moving into their completed facility. Calvary has hosted tours and conversation with others who are beginning building projects.

“We were able to share our experience and some of the resources we were using. We really love doing that. It means a lot,” Outcoult explained.

Calvary received resource grants from the Center to help with the architectural fees for the new facility and the youth space and an acoustics consultant for the new building and production of a DVD for its capital campaign. Leaders have also enjoyed resource recommendations, including their visits to other area congregations.

“The Center gave us some great resources,” Outcalt stated. His recommendation to other congregations: “Certainly the Center for Congregations is going to be able to recommend some good resources and to point people in the right direction.”

Posted Jun 09 2009, 09:03 AM