Message from the Transitional Synod Leader: Pray With Us
What is discernment and how do we know we are going in the right direction? This is a common question asked by every conscientious person and organization.
The Discernment Year is a dedicated time to evaluate our ministry's direction and seek clarity on how we can better serve our congregations and presbyteries. For the last two years, the Staff and Leadership Teams have met in retreat in January to evaluate the previous ministry year. This year we began with intentional prayer and a posture of listening. Together we adopted the prayer “In Us, Through Us, Among Us.” As we embark on a new Discernment Year for the Synod, your participation is crucial for guiding us in the right direction to achieving the goal of a stronger Synod Community.
Ministry today can be challenging, and many tried and true efforts of the past seem to be no match for today's indifference towards the institutional church. We are seeking ministry clarity that allows us to impact the Synod through a joint effort to keep Jesus as our central reference point and to allow the Gospel message to transform local communities through our efforts to be visible and tangible expressions of God's presence in our ministry context. People still long to know God, and having an authentic community of sojourners has never become old or outdated. Our works of radical hospitality, caring for the least of these, and, most importantly, the preaching and teaching of the Word never grow old. The question is the contextualization of our message and practices. With God's help, we can prioritize our efforts and discern new ways of doing our mission that capitalize on collaboration, shared learnings, and partnerships. The Synod's vision is to be a ministry laboratory where innovation can be actualized, and small steps of faith will prove to be the answers for congregations and communities.
We started the year with a well-attended webinar with author Dr. Curtiss Paul DeYoung, discussing his book “The Risk of Being Woke.” Dr. DeYoung shared how his life as a White man was transformed when serving as a student pastor for a Black Church in Harlem, New York. That experience led him to Howard Divinity School and a life of racial reconciliation.
The open application period for the Small Church Residency Program will start on February 1, 2024. A link to the application will be emailed to each presbytery for distribution to qualifying congregations.
The Discernment Team will continue collecting initial qualitative and quantitative data, hoping to complete all Phase One Listening Sessions by April. The group will visit with the Early Ministry Institute Pastors and Planning Team in May and conduct site visits with one grantee from each of our granting areas over the summer. The Discernment Team's Phase Two Report will be presented to the Synod Assembly in October. The reports will continue to focus on the question: What is Our Impact? Our strengths, Connections, and Areas of Transformation. We are working toward presenting a draft new vision to the Synod at the Special Called Synod Assembly in October 2025.
For now, join us in praying "In Us, Through Us, and Among Us" as we seek God's will.
Rev. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley