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This page provides an overview and updates for the work that Rev. Liz is leading in her term as Designated Term Senior Minister.
We are now well into the designated term that we called Rev. Liz to as our Senior Minister. There are still many questions about this designated term and the discernment journey that is associated with it. We do know this is a journey of understanding our church and its (our) call as we prepare for the future. We are working together as a congregation in a climate of uncertainty and ongoing new developments in our world and for many of us navigating change is difficult. However, in spite of all of the challenges that we – like many other churches – face, we have so much to celebrate!
We have grown a whopping 10% in the last year! In addition to our rich worship in the sanctuary, our congregation includes a vibrant group of worshippers online. We have strengthened the quality of our worship services even further with our updated audio system – and we have a beautifully updated website and social media platforms to expand our reach to our community. We sustained our giving during COVID and beyond where others have seen significant decline. So we are well-positioned to move boldly forward into a future that we have designed together as a congregation. But first, let’s clarify some things…
The Discernment Design Team is a group of congregational members who have volunteered their time, talents, and gifts to help support and facilitate the discernment work that we called Rev. Liz to help us do. Our first task has been working to clarify our responsibilities, and begin training in the C.A.R.E. discernment practices.
The C.A.R.E. discernment practices are:
In addition to several meetings in fall 2024, we’re also meeting throughout January and February in preparation for the Sunday Supper: Lenten Discernment Conversations, which you can read more about in the next section.
The Discernment Design Team is led by Rev. Liz and our Moderator, Makesha Spence. The members of the Discernment Design Team are: Geneva Benoit, Denise Chiavetta, Barb Martin, Michael Ares, Mari Ann Banks, Jasyn Banks, Marion Clein, Julie McBride, Dave Spence, Karin Pendley Koser, Will Hiltman, and Rev. Thomas.
In earlier announcements, this team has been called the “CARE Process Design Team.” We hope that the new name, Discernment Design Team, more clearly illustrates and distinguishes the work that this team is doing.
Our Sunday Suppers are tentatively scheduled for March 9, 16, 23, 30 and April 6. Please plan to be present at as many of these as you can manage! We’ll share about these gatherings soon.
In previous announcements, these gatherings were called “Central NEXT: A Lenten Discernment Journey.” We hope that the new name better illustrates and distinguishes the work of this program.
This period of intentional discernment may prompt a few questions for you! Below are answers to several immediate questions that you may have.
The congregational discernment process will help our congregation clarify who we are, understand what God is calling us to be and do, and discern the direction of our ministry. It provides a structured opportunity to reflect, evaluate, and align our vision with God’s purpose before making long-term leadership decisions. This journey will lay the foundation and help us see clearly what we want to do within our congregation and in the world. The discernment practices C.A.R.E. which will guide our work stands for:
“Designated Term” refers to Rev. Liz’s tenure with us. A designated term is a set timeframe during which the designated term minister (in this case, Rev. Liz) and the church seek to meet specific goals that our congregation will determine through the congregational discernment process. Rev Liz has particular expertise in crafting congregational discernment processes like the abovementioned CARE process.
This is an opportunity to go beyond the strategic planning processes we did in the past. In looking back at these, they provided tremendous value but did not always translate to a plan that had full congregational commitment. Through this approach, we will be able to align our individual and collective understanding of God’s call with a clear statement of who we are, what we’re called to do, and what our priorities will be. Ultimately, it will help us decide what kind of Senior Minister we want to call.
We have a rich and powerful legacy that is embedded in the knowledge and experience of our members and historical documentation. We intend to bring awareness to and build on those resources as we design and implement this process. Additionally, this legacy continues in our own stories, each of us, whether we have been at Central for a long time or a short time.
We the congregation will do the work of bringing to light/unearthing the next faithful steps for this church, all of us together. The journey begins with an inward turn to examine our hearts and minds. We will offer opportunities for each of us to engage in our own individual reflection on our histories with Central and what that means throughout our discernment journey.
Please engage! You, your voice, your gifts, your perspectives are all essential to the success of this process. Please participate in the upcoming activities, including the congregational conversations and communicate with us throughout! We anticipate a parallel individual reflection process which we hope will help you discern your own sense of call and how you will (continue to) use your gifts and talents at Central.
Our most recent search process demonstrated that the pool of Senior Minister candidates is not very large. While Central has a lot to recommend it as a congregation, one of the things that Senior Minister candidates look for is a clear sense of who we are and where we are going. It helps them determine whether there is a good fit between what we are looking for and what they bring. We are a less attractive option if we are unable to tell the story of who we are and where we want to go in a clear and comprehensive way!
More importantly, Senior Minister tenures are much shorter on average than they used to be. Knowing our identity and our direction means that we will be able to keep moving forward whether our Senior Minister is with us for 3 years (the current average) or 20! It was for this reason that we pivoted to a Designated Term with a Senior Minister who is skilled at facilitating this type of congregational awareness building.
Through communiques like this one which we will consistently share with the congregation. Also look out for updates from time to time on our website, in our weekly e-news and/or the Monthly newsletter. In the next few weeks, we will roll out other approaches to keep us informed, including visuals in the Commons. Please also reach out to Rev Liz, Makesha or other members of the team with any questions, suggestions or concerns you have!
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