We are excited to spend time together dreaming with God to help determine what new ministries will help us be better church in the Upper Midwest. ... quote from Operations Council members
Sometimes meetings are just meetings and they need to happen. However, sometimes meetings turn into expressions of passion driven ministries and when that happens everyone gets excited to be part of the church!
This is what happened at the February 27th Operation Council meeting and these are some of the results:
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1. Regional Gathering moves to August 27th: With a deep belief that it will be more helpful and invigorating for the leadership to focus attention on one gathering rather than the present two gatherings. The Operations Council voted to cancel the May 7th meeting and move to one gathering a year. This decision was made with the hope that one gathering, focused on resourcing for helping congregations would be compelling to clergy and to members of the congregations. This gathering will be focused on a Saturday but will provide opportunities for people to stay overnight for their own family and/or church retreat. The Operations Council also determined that when we gather we should always share in communion and in some kind of mission that changes the world.
2. Mission Council formed: In an attempt to help strengthen congregations and connections across the region a new council focused on organizing, developing and educating around mission trips has been called into existence. In brief, this group of people will begin to make it easier for churches and individuals to take part in a mission trip. They will do this by collecting a list of churches already going on mission trips, become a resource for churches seeking sites for mission trips, organize/plan mission sites in region as needed and provide education and inspiration around the very reason why mission trips are valuable to both churches and individuals.
3. Change to Operations Council meeting structure and schedule: The Operations Council will now meet in-person ‘live’ 4 times a year. We rejoice in this love and energy for the ministry we do together as Disciples in the Upper Midwest. It is compelling that these individuals are excited to travel the distances to meet together.
In between these in-person ‘live’ meetings we will now alternate our meetings:
A. Meet one month to make decisions on grants and other administrative issues
B. And the next month focus solely on dreaming up and discerning new ministries that God might be calling us to do together.
That would be enough to confirm that there is excitement and purpose yet again in this Region to be church at our best, however, what also happened is that the members of the Operations Council made me proud to serve as your Regional Minister…Full of purpose and energy. for the future of the church.
