Michael Swartzentruber, is the associate minister at FCC, Richmond, one of our original Surfing the Edge pilot congregations.

The Young Adult Ministry at FCC was meeting monthly to fellowship and grow spiritually together. Unfortunately, most all the participants recognized that the pattern of meeting, eating, and discussing had lost its luster. There was a general desire to connect in deeper ways and explore spirituality with fresh eyes. No more bland, often abstract, discussions about the theological ethics of the death penalty–however important that topic might be.

The missional posture is one that recognizes the importance and power of stories.  So the young adults decided to experiment with a new form of fellowship:  story-telling.  Not just any story or set of stories, but our own.

Each month, two members of the Young Adult fellowship share a snippet of their personal story, in written form–about one typed page in length. These stories need not be profound or life-changing; but time and again young adults have felt secure sharing sensitive, vulnerable corners of their life with the group.

After the first story is shared, the story-teller sits back and listens as the group engages, processes, and wonders about the story.  The facilitator leads discussion, asking: What emotions came up for you as you heard this story? What is a central image for you in this story? What is this story about? Where is God in this story? What similar experience or story connects with the one you heard?

What emerges is a network of new connections around someone’s experience.  Often, new insights bubble up, participants are challenged and stretched, and God’s presence surprises us in life-giving ways.  The story-teller is invited back into the conversation after sitting back and “overhearing” the group talk.  Without fail, the story-teller will say, “The exercise of writing my story was a spiritual experience in itself–I knew it would be challenging, but I didn’t realize how rewarding it would be. And I learned so much in listening to you talk about my story.  I’m so grateful to have done this.”

The purpose is three-fold:

1. Connect - sharing our stories–especially in environments of safety, confidentially, and trust–enables us to intersect in honest, vulnerable, beautiful ways.  We don’t often realize how similar our experiences are.  And we don’t often realize the common threads that link our sometimes very different lives together.
2. Learn - most of us can talk about ourselves in “chronicle” format:  this happened, then that happened.  Telling a story, however, is about what connects and directs those discreet events we experience.  Telling our story is a challenge because we are invited to interpret our lives as if they are meaningful and significant.  The exercise of sharing our story is an opportunity to practice living more meaningfully: in story-form.
3. Grow - the questions challenge us to deepen our spirituality by identifying God’s presence in our lives.  Not only do we interpret our own lives as meaningful, we interpret our lives in the light of God’s life and the stories of Scripture.  We discover that our own stories intersect with the gospels, the exodus narrative, the church’s in Paul’s letters, and the mysterious symbolism of Revelation.

The by-products of this experience are excitement, deeper fellowship, and new life.  Young Adults are inviting their friends to our fellowship and to our worship services.  Young adults are processing pain and sadness in the security of loving community. Joy, gladness, and heart-felt laughter continue to punctuate our time together.  One young adult shared her story with the congregation during worship as a sermon on laity Sunday. Youth Leaders are experimenting with implementing a similar format in youth group.

Stories are powerful, important elements for transforming communities of faith into communities of mission.

FCC’s story is still unfolding.  We are learning to share our story as a congregation, looking for ways that our story intersects with and enlivens the story of our community.  With confidence we can say that we are sure to find God’s presence where our stories collide.

Rev. Michael R. Swartzentruber

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Richmond, KY 

Imagine, for a moment, inviting a group of your friends (churched and unchurched) into such a journey of personal story-telling. It has been Michael’s experience that when these conversations begin, the Spirit of God shows up in powerful ways. Thanks, Michael!

What’s your story? We would like to know.

Telling our stories in new ways

Michael Swartzentruber, is the associate minister at FCC, Richmond, one of our original Surfing the Edge pilot congregations.

The Young Adult Ministry at FCC was meeting monthly to fellowship and grow spiritually together. Unfortunately, most all the participants recognized that the pattern of meeting, eating, and discussing had lost its luster. There was a general desire to connect in deeper ways and explore spirituality with fresh eyes. No more bland, often abstract, discussions about the theological ethics of the death penalty–however important that topic might be.

The missional posture is one that recognizes the importance and power of stories.  So the young adults decided to experiment with a new form of fellowship:  story-telling.  Not just any story or set of stories, but our own.

Each month, two members of the Young Adult fellowship share a snippet of their personal story, in written form–about one typed page in length. These stories need not be profound or life-changing; but time and again young adults have felt secure sharing sensitive, vulnerable corners of their life with the group.

After the first story is shared, the story-teller sits back and listens as the group engages, processes, and wonders about the story.  The facilitator leads discussion, asking: What emotions came up for you as you heard this story? What is a central image for you in this story? What is this story about? Where is God in this story? What similar experience or story connects with the one you heard?

What emerges is a network of new connections around someone’s experience.  Often, new insights bubble up, participants are challenged and stretched, and God’s presence surprises us in life-giving ways.  The story-teller is invited back into the conversation after sitting back and “overhearing” the group talk.  Without fail, the story-teller will say, “The exercise of writing my story was a spiritual experience in itself–I knew it would be challenging, but I didn’t realize how rewarding it would be. And I learned so much in listening to you talk about my story.  I’m so grateful to have done this.”

The purpose is three-fold:

1. Connect - sharing our stories–especially in environments of safety, confidentially, and trust–enables us to intersect in honest, vulnerable, beautiful ways.  We don’t often realize how similar our experiences are.  And we don’t often realize the common threads that link our sometimes very different lives together.
2. Learn - most of us can talk about ourselves in “chronicle” format:  this happened, then that happened.  Telling a story, however, is about what connects and directs those discreet events we experience.  Telling our story is a challenge because we are invited to interpret our lives as if they are meaningful and significant.  The exercise of sharing our story is an opportunity to practice living more meaningfully: in story-form.
3. Grow - the questions challenge us to deepen our spirituality by identifying God’s presence in our lives.  Not only do we interpret our own lives as meaningful, we interpret our lives in the light of God’s life and the stories of Scripture.  We discover that our own stories intersect with the gospels, the exodus narrative, the church’s in Paul’s letters, and the mysterious symbolism of Revelation.

The by-products of this experience are excitement, deeper fellowship, and new life.  Young Adults are inviting their friends to our fellowship and to our worship services.  Young adults are processing pain and sadness in the security of loving community. Joy, gladness, and heart-felt laughter continue to punctuate our time together.  One young adult shared her story with the congregation during worship as a sermon on laity Sunday. Youth Leaders are experimenting with implementing a similar format in youth group.

Stories are powerful, important elements for transforming communities of faith into communities of mission.

FCC’s story is still unfolding.  We are learning to share our story as a congregation, looking for ways that our story intersects with and enlivens the story of our community.  With confidence we can say that we are sure to find God’s presence where our stories collide.

Rev. Michael R. Swartzentruber

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Richmond, KY 

Imagine, for a moment, inviting a group of your friends (churched and unchurched) into such a journey of personal story-telling. It has been Michael’s experience that when these conversations begin, the Spirit of God shows up in powerful ways. Thanks, Michael!

What’s your story? We would like to know.

Oxford CC, Georgetown

Wendy Wilson, pastor of Oxford CC in Georgetown shared this wonderful missional story about how one person’s passion inspired her congregation to touch the lives of people in need in tangible ways:

“After 2 years of the visioning process, Oxford Christian Church in Scott County, redefined its vision statement to “sharing the love of Jesus.”  One of the members continued to pray asking God to help her see how she could use her gifts of sewing and creativity “to share the love of Jesus.”  For a number of months seeds were planted for her to start a Prayer Shawl Ministry.  She talked to other women in the congregation who were learning how to knit to see if they would want to participate, and the Prayer Shawl Ministry was born.  Since July this ministry has hand delivered more than 40 prayer shawls to friends and families in the community and beyond to help them know they are prayed for and that God’s arms are wrapped around them.  Recipients are typically struggling with illness or  difficult family situations.  After the tornadoe hit Joplin, Mo., we sent one to the pastor and congregation of South Joplin Christian Church.  In September seven of our children and youth were baptized and each of those young people recieved a white prayer shawl to help them along on their journey of faith.

On the second Sunday of each month, we have a special blessing for the prayer shawls during worship.  Along with the prayer shawls, recipients receive information about the Prayer Shawl Ministry, and a copy of the prayer that was said during the making of the shawl and a copy of the prayer that was said as a blessing during worship.  We are so excited to have found this new way of “sharing the love of Jesus” using our own unique gifts, talents, and passion.”

The power of this story, for me, is found in its last sentence. When we truly begin to believe that the Spirit of God is among the people of God then the search for “finding new ways to share the love of Jesus” begins within us, where God is already at work, forming us into the people God calls us to be. Prayer and discernment are the ways we discover just how much God is already a part of our story. When we truly listen to one another’s story we help each other identify the ways God is calling each of us into the places around us where God is already at work waiting upon us to join God there through the passionate use of our gifts to the glory of God and the sake of those whom God loves.

Oxford CC, through there Prayer Shawl ministry, is joining God in the healing process of each recipient as the prayer shawl reminds them that they are already in the embrace of the living God.

What is your missional story? We would like to know.

Web Cafe – The Gathering

As we have posted before, The Gathering is one of our new churches in Lexington. Don Vanzant, church planter/pastor of The Gathering, shared this missional story about how The Gathering is making a difference in Christ’s name.

“Web Café
The Gathering Christian Church is located in a business area of Lexington on a busy street that is used by auto as well as foot traffic.   Within a few blocks of the church location there are hundreds of apartments and low-income housing and people walk by the church every day to get groceries or to catch a bus.   We also heard from one family who attends our services how they walked a mile to get to the local library in order to use the computers there.   Internet connections are a luxury that most of us take for granted, and yet on a limited income, broadband access is expensive.
We talked to a computer repair shop a block away and they found some very inexpensive used computers for us, cleaned them up and we purchased three of them for very little money.   A few signs out front, some fliers placed on apartments, and word of mouth has resulted in our neighbors having access to the web via our broadband connection and some used computers.   Now every day we have people who come here first to send some email, or stay for hours searching for job openings.  All for less than $500.”

This is one of The Gathering’s missional stories. What is one the missional stories of your congregation? We would like to know.

Serving the Homeless on Christmas Day

I confess that this would be a challenge for me on Christmas morning, which is why I have so much admiration for the folks at First Christian Church, London.

On Christmas Day members of FCC, London make their way to the Christian Shelter for the Homeless to help feed the residents of the shelter. Those who are unable to go in person bring food or gifts to be shared among all the residents, including sample size health care products.

With Christmas falling on Sunday this year many families will be challenged just to make it to church with all the Christmas family activities that grace the day. Yet, these sisters and brothers in Christ from FCC, London choose to redefine their family this Christmas much the way Jesus did. If, as we believe, the Spirit of God is among the people of God, then it would seem the folks of FCC, London may well be placing gold, frankincense and myrrh at the feet of the infant Jesus who has chosen to dwell in the hearts of the shelter residents this Christmas morning, too.

Thank you, FCC, London,for your inspiring witness!

Alternative Christmas – FCC, Murray

One of the ways that congregations demonstrate a missional mindset is through the justice witnesses they make. At this time of year several congregations work to beat back the commercialization of Christmas by offering Alternative Christmas gifts. This year First Christian Church, Murray offered all the people in the church a wide range of alternative Christmas gifts that ranged from $2 to $10. Here is the list of alternative gifts they offered. May they stimulate your own thinking for alternative gift ideas for you and your congregation. Each gift may given on honor or memory of another person with appropriate acknowledgement.

Kids Against Hunger – Murray Project – Purchasing ingredients for easy to prepare nutritious meals which will be packaged into a serving for six and distributed locally to those in need ($2).

Fugees Family, Inc. – Works with child survivors of war through soccer and educational equity ($5).

Flock of Chicks – Heifer International – Provides way for low-income families to increase their protein intake and family income ($2 share/$20 for flock).

Blankets – Church World Service

Test Fees – Calloway County Adult and Family Ed – Provides scholarships for GED and post-secondary entrance exams ($5).

Main Street Youth Center – Provides funds for expansion projects ($5).

Oral Rehydration Therapy – Church World Service – Can prevent dehydration brought on by diarrhea for children in developing countries ($10 provides treatment for 11 children).

Mosquitos Nets – Samaritan’s Purse – Provides protection from mosquito borne diseases ($2 share/$10 for one net).

Murray Warming Shelter – Provides supplies such as food and bedding needed to sustain the shelter ($10).

Xalted Ministries – Faith-based ministry serving in Managua, Nicaragua ($10).

Murray/Calloway County Hospice House – Supports construction of a 12-bed Hospice House in Murray ($10).

The Ghana Sustainable Aid Project – New Toilet Technologies – Green, hygienic sanitation facilities for warm weather environments ($5).

What would be some other worth causes you would add to the list that you or your church support? We want to know.

Thanks, FCC, Murray!

Boldness in The Valley

Ed Huckleberry, Minister of The Valley Campus of Middletown Christian Church, Louisville, writes in his recent newsletter article of a bold, new initiative directed at the people in Southwest Louisville. Is it called 20K12.  Here is Ed’s description:
“I was recently asked to state who we are at The Valley in ten words or less. This began a deeper conversation in my mind. The thought eventually surfaced, ‘Be the love of Jesus for lost and broken people.

We can be the love of Jesus when we live and share our faith with another person…

We will bring ‘Be the love of Jesus for lost and broken people’ to life through a project we cal 20K12. 20K12 is not a capital campaign. This is an effort to introduce The Valley to 20,000 people in 2012 through face-to-face contact. Our hope is that by introducing all these people to The Valley that we will see 500 visitors to our Sunday morning worship during the year. Those are huge numbers! We sing a praise song from time to time that says, ‘All things are possible!” Those words were spoken by Jesus, ‘For God all things are possible. (Mt 19:26)” As people of faith we must believe that if we offer this campaign to glorify God we will see those words fulfilled.

I know that among those 20,000 people we will meet and the 500 that will visit our church there will be those who are lost and looking for answers, broken and in need of healing, and those who are simply looking for a church that shares their passion for serving people in the community. What a great statement we will make on December 31, 2012 by declaring that we glorified God by being the love of Jesus to 20,000 lost and broken people in Southwest Louisville…”

What a bold and inspirational mission to embark upon! What is your church’s missional story? We would like to know.

I know you will join me in praying for The Valley and their bold initiative as well as the missional activity of all of our congregations of CCK.