August 2006: Gospel Evangel

Listening and Redesign process in second phase
[coverage of Conference Assembly 2006]

by Martha Yoder Maust, chair, Listening and Redesign Team

The process that the IN-MI Listening and Redesign Team is using centers on three questions: “Where have we been? Where are we going? (Or, where should we be going?) And how will we get there?”

At last year’s annual sessions at Yellow Creek Mennonite, we asked about the past and learned what participants valued most about conference. At cluster meetings in the spring, we asked congregations, “What do you feel God is calling you to do in the next three to five years? What resources do you need from our community of congregations, and what gifts do you have to offer?” Fifty-two congregations responded. We categorized the responses and shared them with delegates.

At this year’s annual sessions in Engadine, the L/R Team shared our reflections on the input. For example, we noted that half of the churches who responded reported having had a decrease in attendance in the past five years. What does this mean? Also, some congregations listed evangelism as a priority, some listed specific service ministries (such as to people who are homeless), and some simply listed “outreach.” Do our outreach ministries include a healthy balance of evangelism and service, or do some of us lean too far in one direction or the other? In table groups, participants discussed our questions, adding (and documenting) their own reflections.

The next day we presented another question: “What do you feel God is calling IN-MI Conference to do in the next three to five years?” After prayer, delegates discussed their responses at their tables, but time ran out before everyone could share.

What happens next? L/R Team members will read all of the written responses collected at annual sessions and will meet with our consultant in mid-August. We hope to be able to discern a shared sense of purpose for IN-MI Conference. Once that is clear, we will begin to address the final question: How will we get there?

-- Martha Yoder Maust attends Shalom Mennonite in Indianapolis.