A Part and Parcel Type of Post

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As I'm studying for the GRE, getting graduate school applications done and working here with COPS/Metro I am finding less time to write practical, updating sort of items.

I am, however, making time for creative writing and theoretical items for Congregational Development. I was thinking the other day, that my job of explaining-in detail-what my work has involved has been neglected. I'm going to try and correct that now.

What follows below is a couple selections of things I've been writing, creatively and theoretically. I'll try and add a little preface that'll explain the premise of the selection.

Again, I'll try and add more pictures soon!


Peace,
Aaron


Recently, when writing creatively (which I find myself doing to de-stress and simply relax), I wrote this paragraph. I think it encompasses some aspects of my work well: GOTV efforts, to school board meetings, to the involvement of the community within local politics.

I work with Texas schools. It is not unexciting work. But I won’t be doing it next year. Recently, my organization worked to pass a school bond in a Hispanic neighborhood. Little old Mexican ladies walked their neighborhood, yelling at neighbors over chain fences, and stray dogs, “Vota! Vota para el Bono!” Now, since the bond is passed these Mexican grandmothers are wagging their fingers, creating concerned crinkles in-between their eyebrows: We have to take care of our money, they say. We have put trust in these greasy haired men, who never seem to understand what we want, they say. And so, we practice confrontation techniques. Once, my organization came to a school board meeting with pillows: We refuse to leave, we will be here until you leave, we will not see our money misplaced or treated without concern. We passed this Bono, and we will see it through, they say.

It was interesting to me, to see these little old ladies, faces crinkled and wrinkled wrought with concern for their community face such a situation with strength and confidence. They put trust in the school system, and that trust was managed, and it took time to build, and it took time to instill, and it took time for the little old Mexican ladies to convince their community. In short, in the face of nervous outcomes, they plunged head on. I learned quickly, that it was not the money they were primarily concerned about: but the process. Through walking and talking to their neighbors they formed relationships that pivoted through stories exposing their shame and letdown in the schools; human connection and relation depends on vulnerability, and these women embraced it all.


When doing congregational development it is important that the process, though in methodology remaining roughly the same, the goals are decided upon in-step with the congregation. Here is a selection of a definition I drafted up to a congregation I'm working with in this process.

Leaders at Divine Redeemer recognize that the role congregations play in their surrounding communities is constantly changing. Though it may never look the same, the work of creating a public space for conversation about our community, church home and the issues that impact our families is increasingly important. Throughout its church life, Divine Redeemer Presbyterian has consistently felt a strong call to minister to and with the Westside neighborhoods of San Antonio. This process ebbs and flows; it is at its most fervent when many members of the congregation are partaking in the process.
These conversations invariably and inevitably center on issues that impact our families. A congregation’s work of creating a strong Congregation-Community relationship begins with the congregation: understanding and relating to others begins by understanding ourselves. Only with this understanding is the process of conversing and relating to others authentic in that we make ourselves vulnerable and open to the experiences of others.
As a member of COPS/Metro Alliance, Divine Redeemer has the opportunity to partake in a process called Institutional Development. This process is conversational in nature, probing in aim, and fostering to growth by methodology. By understanding Human and Community development as political in nature, Instituional Development is a process that seeks to maintain a new understanding of the Church’s (PC(USA) and Congregation’s missional identity (Missio Dei). Institutional Development is a process that seeks to better understand the issues that impact our families inside and outside our congregational walls.
As proposed, Divine Redeemer would incorporate many branches of its already extensive community and congregational outreach (Men’s and Women’s groups, Prayer Shawl, for example) and then hold additional house meetings. All of this is done in coordination and in-step with the desires and voice of the congregation.
If undertaken, the Institutional Development plan has multiple goals. Some primary examples are:
• Develop New Leaders, Ministries
• Develop a deeper understanding the issues impacting our congregation’s and community’s Families
• Create a stronger and more thorough Congregation-Community Relationship.
Institutional Development as a process operates on a 3-6month timeline: varying on size and commitment of congregation to the process. It is not a process that creates new meeting spaces, or organizations; rather, it is best carried out through a near complete incorporation of the congregation’s committees, outreaches and programs.


And finally, here is a more practical explanation of Congregational Development for the parish I'm working with. I presented this to the session of the church, and tried out layout exactly what the process would look like. As it says, I didn't want to create more meeting spaces: We are all too busy as it is. In meeting with the pastor, we decided that this process is one that might be best carried out through focused and intentional potlucks. During these potlucks, trained leaders might guide small conversations to the guiding questions:


Logistically, congregational development is a process that strives to avoid creating new meeting spaces and times. Congregational Development works best through an incorporation of the entire church structure. However, primary steps should be taken to create leaders of this process. Through a single pre-training with session members and ministry leaders, the following house meetings might be led by these leaders, COPS/Metro organizers, and the pastor.
• Pre-training with Session and Ministry Leaders
o Guiding Questions: What kind of leaders are we wanting to create? What kind of relationship is the church creating with its community? How we relate to one another in a ministry, leadership environment.
o Related Scripture: Moses and Jethro (Exodus 18), Sending out of Disciples (Luke 10:1-24).

House Meetings and Potlucks
The next step in this process is the involvement of the congregation; through a series of potlucks (2-3 Sundays, 1 hour in length), and a series of sermons the question of understanding Divine Redeemer’s Missio Dei will be presented and opened up to the congregation. The potlucks might involve small group times where leaders who have attended the training might be able to lead these conversations. These conversations seek to explore the congregation’s understanding of itself, and furthermore, to connect the congregation’s social lives with their faith. These conversations operate under the affirmation that Divine Redeemer’s Mission is to evangelize in a special way: understanding that peoples’ social, political, civic and economic situations are not unaffected by our faith.
• Potlucks
o Guiding Questions: Who, where, and how God is calling Divine Redeemer? What is the nature of Divine Redeemer’s mission? How this mission is distinctly related our social, political, civic, and economic realities.
• Sermons
o A series of sermons might be offered concerning these conversations. Topics, style, and amount are dependent upon the pastor.
• House Meetings and One-on-Ones
o House Meetings: The adoption of Divine Redeemer’s Mission Dei by various ministries (Lectio, Men’s Group, Small Steps, Young Adults, Bible study, and so on). Here is the real work of the Congregation-Community relationship. Congregational Development asks a single meeting space be dedicated to this conversation.
o One-on-Ones: An initiative done by interested leaders, the organizer and the pastor. This initiative seeks to connect and build stronger relations within the congregation, and between the congregation and the community. One-on-Ones are short conversations (30min) between the organizer, the pastor and a congregation member. Interested leaders might hold One-on-Ones as well.

Potential Outcomes
This is step that remains fairly amorphous until the House Meetings, One-on-Ones and the potlucks have already occurred and it is determined the congregation would like to take action on these conversations. Actions might vary from bringing in experts concerning issues, to dedicating a church retreat (H.E.B. retreat for example) for the furthering of this conversation. This step is not a necessary part of the process of Congregational Development, but it is a valuable component. It is formed by the congregation, and aided by COPS/Metro Organizers.


I plan to be taking pictures of this process so that you all might be able to participate in it somewhat as well. I'm excited by this work that hovers within the area where our faith moves us to "be" a certain way in the world. And this process of congregational development is one way of understanding how, why and in what ways we ought to "be."


Cheers.

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