tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11496473.post5381957066705361730..comments2023-11-02T10:38:41.186-05:00Comments on Quotidian Grace: Presbyteries of the Future?Jody Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031378214797420014noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11496473.post-16148640302243434492008-03-14T15:43:00.000-05:002008-03-14T15:43:00.000-05:00There are good things happening at the local level...There are good things happening at the local level, which is where ministry takes place. The bureaucracy at higher levels reall turns a lot of people away from the "church," even as they are looking for the Church.<BR/><BR/>The shift from top down to bottom up organization was what first drew my congregation to the New Wineskins model. The idea that the real working structure was a Ministry Network of 3 to 8 churches appealed to us because it was so manageable. A meeting of a presbytery with 63 congregations and 100 plus clergy members and another 100 plus commissioners--most of whom were folks who had been 'on presbytery" for years or even decades (all of our meetings were on Tuesdays) was simply unmanageable. <BR/><BR/>This is an exciting time to look for new ways to be the missional, witnessing church in post-Christian America.<BR/><BR/>MacMachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02067844122370343813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11496473.post-75928429248396620002008-03-13T12:24:00.000-05:002008-03-13T12:24:00.000-05:00I think people of all ages would be more inclined ...I think people of all ages would be more inclined to participate if Presbytery meetings were more about mission and less about institutional maintenance. I know there are i's that have to be dotted and t's that have to be crossed, but I think we can do a better job about not having those things front and center at each and every meeting.Karen Sapiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01952041607368514856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11496473.post-78350533895399952152008-03-13T11:12:00.000-05:002008-03-13T11:12:00.000-05:00It will be interesting to watch how this is implem...It will be interesting to watch how this is implemented. Our presbytery has been having these same conversations recently. Because our meetings are a day and a half, and the lengthy distances required to travel to them mean that most people have to leave on Thursday, we have the same problem as far as enticing younger elders to be their church's representative. We've had a task force meeting and proposing some new ways to do presbytery meetings, one of them being that Presbytery be a Saturday-Sunday, with a minimal amount of business being done at the meeting and the rest of the time being a "family retreat" type of atmosphere. I have a real problem with something being instituted that will make it so that most of the pastors can't attend, but I agree that we need to do something that will allow the younger elders to contribute their voices and gifts to the mission of the presbytery.Rev Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04441988001400641628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11496473.post-55611507585685398282008-03-13T08:48:00.000-05:002008-03-13T08:48:00.000-05:00The scheduling of presbytery meetings is a problem...The scheduling of presbytery meetings is a problem. All of ours are on Sat. but I don't know that it helps much with younger elders. For example at our last meeting our congregation sent commissioners all under 35. We all have families, kids, busy lives. Spending an entire Sat. - about 12 hrs (many of them boooring - including drive time is not a great way to nurture young leadership. I know I resent losing that time with my family -- really my only full day off with them. At our church many of our leaders would gladly take a day off occasionaly to preserve a Saturday which is precious time for many of us. <BR/><BR/>That's not a solution overall but my experience anyway.islandpreachahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05690659245237441081noreply@blogger.com