Workshop One - Discover Your Spiritual DNA

About this Workshop

Our church is engaged in The CrossRoads Method for Renewal and Growth of the Church, created and developed by Church Development Systems of San Francisco. Our first workshop session was titled, "Discover Your Spiritual DNA." The church, as described by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:12, 24, is essentially an organism rather than an organization. Paul wrote that the church "has many parts, just as any other body does...God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable."

All living things grow. As with a living body, the church is composed of cells (teams and small groups) arranged in systems to promote the health of the entire body by reflecting a healthy "spiritual DNA." Just as the systems in a human body promote health, so the systems in the body of the church support the health of that organism. This new way of perceiving the church represents a paradigm shift.

During our CrossRoads Method process, our Vision Team will develop a strategic map for our church built on a strong foundation of our core values. Out of these, the Team can create a mission that reflects our identity and purpose. Similarly, we will "dream" or envision our future as a faith community. This "dream" is called a vision, and our task as a church is to bring our vision into reality.

We can move in the direction of our vision by drawing upon what we do best in ministry--our core competencies. This may mean that we have an opportunity to bring about creative change which reflects our mission and vision. While the Vision Team will do the initial groundwork, the responsibility rests with us all. With the assistance of our [senior] pastor as vision caster, we can become what God has called us to become.

We, as a church, can, as Mother Teresa once expressed it, "do something beautiful for God."

About this Workshop

Our church is a living organism, and all healthy things grow. The most significant growth a church can experience is spiritual growth. One important system that contributes to growth is the welcoming system. This system, as with all organic systems, reflects the spiritual DNA of our church. At the core of this DNA are the mission, vision, and values of our church, and these are also at the nucleus of the welcoming system.

Our Vision Team will look at whether our present welcoming system is producing the results the church intends. We will scan our system, and make a strategic decision as to the direction we wish to go in the future. The Vision Team will choose tactics that reflect an understanding of how best to serve the needs of newcomers. This requires understanding what newcomers are seeking, and how the church can facilitate their search for meaning.

Our church will always be welcoming to all people. However, based on time, talent, and resources, it may be that we can meet the needs of only some newcomers in a quality way. Once we have a clear sense, a profile, of those whom we can serve with quality, we will intentionally plan special Sundays or events intended to communicate that what the church offers that could be of value to newcomers.

About this Workshop

Newcomers who are moving toward the center of the life and work of the church are young organisms in the body of the church. They need nurture, care, and support to grow spiritually. Our nurturing system provides a process whereby that growth can be encouraged. As with the welcoming system, this system must reflect our church's spiritual DNA by

-- reflecting our core values, beliefs, and competencies

--being understood and by using navigational tools that will set our course in the direction of our vision.

As with the welcoming process, the nurturing process is best carried out by small groups and teams where relationships can be built. The nurturing process is strengthened by understanding that people experience God's presence in a variety of way. No one size fits all. So, the nurturing activities we offer should reflect the diversity that life represents.

About this Workshop

Empowering people for ministry can often be a challenging concept for a church. As one of the four primary systems stressed in the CrossRoads Method, the empowering system carries the spiritual DNA throughout the organism by providing opportunities for spiritual growth through service to others, and is a way to deepen one's own spirituality.

The new paradigm is that healthy churches understand they must meet the needs of individuals first. Those needs focus on

--spirituality - connecting with God

--community - connecting with others

Churches have been used to responding to people's desire to participate (volunteer) by creating opportunities to meet the needs of the institution.

We often have long lists of institutional we needs. "We need this." "We need that." "We need..." The assumption is often made that because people have a particular gift or talent they will want to use it in service to our church, and there are people who willingly respond to the needs of the church on that basis.

But many more, who want to serve, may prefer not to carry their work life over into their church life. Often these people have a particular gift or passion, that if uncovered and empowered, could be of great value to the life and work of our church. This is a great untapped area, and our duty is to assist them to uncover their gifts and passions.

When we become an empowering church and proactively reach out to individuals, and help them find their gifts and talents and passions for service, and then equip them for ministry, we will, in the long run, be the main beneficiary.