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MISSIONAL
GOVERNING BODY PROJECT UNDER WAY
“What do you think of when
you hear the words, “missional church?” That was
the first question asked in a series of interviews conducted
throughout the Synod by Dr. Alan Roxburg and Dr. Pat Ellison
as the Missional Governing Body Research Project got under
way in the Synod of the Trinity in the past month.
This project, sponsored by
the Gospel and Our Culture Network and funded by the Lilly
Foundation, hopes to develop tools and resources for churches
and governing bodies desiring to cultivate missional congregations.
Under the direction of a research team headed by Dr. George
Hunsberger and Roxburg, the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska,
the Abilene Christian Union, the Mennonite Church, USA,
and the Synod of the Trinity have entered a partnership
to do basic research and develop and test resources in the
field. In the spring of 2003, the Synod of the Trinity committed
to participation in this project as part of its emphasis
on developing a missional synod.
The
initial set of interviews established a baseline of current
awareness of missional church issues across the Synod.
A second set of interviews of 100 – 160 people will
be
conducted in April and May.
By early summer, three congregations
will be chosen to participate in this study for one year
as they use assessment tools, educational resources and
Bible studies focused on nurturing missional congregations.
At the same time, the Synod will be experimenting with resources
available to other churches through their presbyteries.
For information on the Missional
Church movement, you may wish to go to one of the following
websites:
www.gocn.org -
the website of the Gospel and Our Culture Network
www.missionalchurch.org - the
website of the Center for Parish Development
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