Wisdom Wednesday: Forging A New Path

For the past two years, I have been part of a course of study called creating a culture of renewal. CCR provides church leaders with insights into their own leadership styles, skills for making church conflict productive, and encourages us to dream like Jesus to claim Jesus’ vision for ourselves and for our congregation’s life and ministries.

These past two years, I have met each month with a mentor, a person who is year ahead of me in the program, with a buddy, a clergy person here in Virginia who is in the same track as I am, and with my Virginia cohort of 8 other United Methodist clergy who are learning alongside me.

Our work with creating a culture of renewal is led by Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter, a United Methodist clergyperson who does this training full-time now. I’m learning a great deal and am eager to share with Peakland one of the many books Rebekah has written for congregations.

Beginning Monday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m. here at Peakland, I’ll be leading a discussion on one of Rebekah’s latest books: Forging a new path – moving the church forward in a post-pandemic world.

Now that Peakland and all churches are coming out of covid, we find the world has changed around us and the ways we do church needs to adapt. Peakland has done an outstanding job creating online worship and online videos like this one to reach folks who can’t get to the church building, but how else do we as a congregation need to adapt to a post-covid world.

Rebekah names for us some realities of the world around us. Fewer and fewer folks identify as religious or attend worship regularly. Just as many folks prefer working online at home professionally, many folks prefer online worship to in person worship. How can we in the church best respond to these new realities. This book asks some demanding questions for our post-covid world: If we have fewer folks in church on Sundays, how do reach people where they are? How can we embody our faith in Christ to others outside the church? What can our church thrive and grow?

I’m eager to read this book with you. Again, I’ll lead a book discussion group in person at the church beginning Monday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m. If you’d like a copy of the book and participate in the in-person group, follow the link in the description below. I’ll also offer some insights of this books each week here online for the Wednesdays in May

I’m now 10 months into my pastoral ministry here at Peakland. We are already forging a new path together, and Christ is giving us great opportunities to live our vision of reaching out, serving all, and extending God’s table.