Vital Congregations Revitalization Initiative
Vision
By the power of the Holy Spirit, and in authentic relationships with mid-councils, we seek to equip, nurture, and support church leaders to empower their congregations to renew, recover, and live more fully into faithful discipleship to Jesus Christ.
Purpose
The purpose of the Vital Congregations Initiative is to work alongside leaders of existing congregations continually assessing, discerning, and living into faithful actions that increase vitality through intentional spiritual practices that take them deeper into following Jesus Christ, so that their own lives are changed, congregations are transformed, and the mission of God spreads throughout particular communities and the world.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, and in authentic relationships with mid-councils, we seek to equip, nurture, and support church leaders to empower their congregations to renew, recover, and live more fully into faithful discipleship to Jesus Christ.
Purpose
The purpose of the Vital Congregations Initiative is to work alongside leaders of existing congregations continually assessing, discerning, and living into faithful actions that increase vitality through intentional spiritual practices that take them deeper into following Jesus Christ, so that their own lives are changed, congregations are transformed, and the mission of God spreads throughout particular communities and the world.
Values
• Courage, conviction, and commitment to faithful discipleship
• Prayerful discernment
• Reliance upon scripture
• Persistence — emboldened/enacted faith
• Honest assessment
• Resilience
• Intentional pursuits of reconciliation
• Hopefulness in change
• Prayerful discernment
• Reliance upon scripture
• Persistence — emboldened/enacted faith
• Honest assessment
• Resilience
• Intentional pursuits of reconciliation
• Hopefulness in change
What We Believe
• A necessary re-turn to God and re-forming of God’s people
• A crucial time of awakening throughout our neighborhoods, nation, and world
• The Holy Spirit’s power is changing, re-forming, revitalizing the church
• Necessary to rediscover faithful discipleship in 21st century context
• God is calling church to transform and transcend cultures and contexts
• Move from inward institutions to neighborhood relationships and mission
• A crucial time of awakening throughout our neighborhoods, nation, and world
• The Holy Spirit’s power is changing, re-forming, revitalizing the church
• Necessary to rediscover faithful discipleship in 21st century context
• God is calling church to transform and transcend cultures and contexts
• Move from inward institutions to neighborhood relationships and mission
What This Is
The hope is this is the beginning of intentional, authentic relationships between the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Mission Agency and mid council leaders and pastors to:
• Come together as the people of God
• Pray: re-turn to faithfulness in God
• Inspire openness to the Holy Spirit’s transformation/change
• Honestly assess, discern and act
• Resource, equip and support leaders and pastors
• Practice missional evangelism and faithful discipleship
• Equip vital congregations and develop a praxis of sustainability and ongoing assessment
• Capture congregational stories and develop new measurements of vitality
• Come together as the people of God
• Pray: re-turn to faithfulness in God
• Inspire openness to the Holy Spirit’s transformation/change
• Honestly assess, discern and act
• Resource, equip and support leaders and pastors
• Practice missional evangelism and faithful discipleship
• Equip vital congregations and develop a praxis of sustainability and ongoing assessment
• Capture congregational stories and develop new measurements of vitality
What This Is NOT
A universal program instructing churches and assuring vitality and sustainable life
• Another plan that promises an immediate fix
• A guarantee of revitalization for every congregation
• An attempt for the PC(USA) to tell churches what to do
• An institutional survival guide for membership numbers and buildings
• An encouragement to tweak, yet remain the same
• A return to glory days gone by
• A guidebook on calling the young pastor
• Another plan that promises an immediate fix
• A guarantee of revitalization for every congregation
• An attempt for the PC(USA) to tell churches what to do
• An institutional survival guide for membership numbers and buildings
• An encouragement to tweak, yet remain the same
• A return to glory days gone by
• A guidebook on calling the young pastor
Overview
The Revitalization Initiative is a two-year covenant relationship between Presbyteries and the PC(USA) to prayerfully walk with pastors and existing congregations in intentional efforts of revitalization. Year I builds authentic relationships of faith. Churches will embark on an honest assessment, capturing their unique stories, confessing their realities, and discerning the Spirit’s call to action. From 7 Marks of Congregational Vitality, churches will determine a course between 3 Actions:
Some Features
Pastor Cohorts groups
National Trainings and gatherings
Facilitators designated to help congregations from within our presbytery
Assessments and reflection for our existing congregations
Connection to one another as a presbytery
- Re-forming churches—re-envision and change how we are church together through the 7 Marks of Congregational Vitality
- Missional Clustering churches—revitalize by clustering congregations into new communities of worship and ministry
- Death and Resurrection churches—revitalize by grace and gratitude in the death and legacy of a congregation, in witness to the resurrection
Some Features
Pastor Cohorts groups
National Trainings and gatherings
Facilitators designated to help congregations from within our presbytery
Assessments and reflection for our existing congregations
Connection to one another as a presbytery
Who is this for?
The Evangelism and Church Growth Committee of the Presbytery of New Covenant had invited Rev. Dr. Kathryn Threadgill who currently heads the VCI to our presbytery to speak on this new initiative. Many of our pastors in the presbytery were blessed by the vision and hope that was shared through Rev. Threadgill and it truly excited them for the possibilities of joining this initiative.
At that time, the Office of Church Vitality opened up applications nationwide to be one of the first presbyteries to embark on this new initiative. Through the hard work of the ECG, the Presbytery of New Covenant was picked as one of 14 presbyteries in the nation to start the 2 year Vital Congregations Initiative!
Every congregation in the presbytery of New Covenant is eligible to sign up to be a part of the Vital Congregational Initiative! It is for all of us ! Sign up your congregation today!
At that time, the Office of Church Vitality opened up applications nationwide to be one of the first presbyteries to embark on this new initiative. Through the hard work of the ECG, the Presbytery of New Covenant was picked as one of 14 presbyteries in the nation to start the 2 year Vital Congregations Initiative!
Every congregation in the presbytery of New Covenant is eligible to sign up to be a part of the Vital Congregational Initiative! It is for all of us ! Sign up your congregation today!
https://www.presbyterianmission.org/resource/vital-congregations-revitalization-initiative/