a publication of the episcopal diocese of rochester, ny

tude to Sherry Ralston (Chair), Lyn Omphroy, Bob VanNeil, Chris Luedde, Karen Hanson, and Julie Cicora,for serving on the Search Committee and bringing thisto fruition. Well done saints!Two things are happening or should be happening in allour congregational contexts. The first is the care, nurture,challenge and formation of those faithful memberswho make up our current congregations. This group ofthe faithful is crucial to the future of our Church in thatthey are the encouragers or theleaven to help raise the newdough of what is emerging. Thesecond is a clear focus on sharingthe joy of Christ with those whodo not yet consider themselvesmembers of our congregations.This invitation is happeningin pockets where some leadersin existing congregations areintentionally seeking ways tomake our worship, our teaching,our fellowship, our part inGod’s mission, our fun-raisingand fund-raising events more and more relevant to ourcommunities around us. They pay attention to followup! They are adding new liturgies to reach new seekersand making disciples for Christ. I find that this is havingthe best results in contexts where there is little orno internal conflict, little or no secret-keeping, less of asurvival mentality, and more of a single-minded joyfulway to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ leading tointentional formation of those who will follow Christ forthe rest of their lives!In some instances, however, I find that the existingfaithful band of members is not able to midwife whatis emerging because they are too tired, but they areoffering prayers for what will be. Healthy clergy andhealthy lay leadership are an important common factor,too. When I say healthy, I am thinking of leaderswho can self-differentiate between their personal,familial, and congregational stuff and lead with theireyes on empowering both the good old faithful and thenewer faithful.We aregetting clearerabout our wayforwardAnother important factor is size and financial resourcesof congregations. In ascending order from small tolarge, our Diocese has: twenty-seven type-one, thirteentype-two, five type-three, and two each of type-four,five, and six congregations. The second redevelopmentactivity has greater potential to succeed when there isa baseline of critical mass of the faithful and other resources.This obviously leaves smaller congregations ina place of extreme vulnerability. Companion relationsbetween larger and smaller congregations could infusenew ways to grow mutually as a diocese. Most importantly,we need some benchmarked plans with a circleof accountability and encouragement.We are getting clearer about our way forward withsome of our smaller congregations where the numbershave been steadily declining over the decades. In a fewof these contexts, lay and clergy leaders have taken ahard look and have decided not to fund the sustenanceof worship and ministry at full-time or even their nearestmemory of part-time clergy anymore. My office isworking with the Deans inthese contexts to support thesefaithful saints as they discerntheir way forward. Whereverthis is happening, the beautyis that we now have a way todiscern and bring in new leadershipwith passion and skill tostart up new ministries that arecreatively missional as well asopen to bringing in new followersof Christ. A wonderful wayto honor and direct the blessingof those good old faithful memberswho have dreamed dreams is to allow a new setof leaders to midwife their dreams and realize theirprayers. Through the messiness of changes and transitionsaround us, we are invited to take heart in the factthat we are coworkers in God’s mission articulated inIsaiah’s vision, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now itsprings up; do you not perceive it? I am making a wayin the desert and streams in the wasteland.”Three years ago, I promised to roll up my sleeves andget to work. Well here we are, toiling hard, praying fervently,laughing and dancing with the new and the old,the joyful and the depressed, weak and strong, healthyand sick, but working away toward God’s fresh, new,vibrant, and emerging future. Let us not be afraid. Letus hang tight like our forebears in faith did. Like Maryand Joseph who presented Jesus at the temple let us,with renewed wisdom, present the teachings of Jesusin our Churches and intentionally take the gospel messageoutside our red doors.Have a Holy Lent and a Blessed Easter!Prince4