WHAT IS GOD UP TO IN THE BC SYNOD?
CECF: SUPPORTING MISSIONAL EXPERIMENTS
What is God up to in our communities?
How can we learn what the Spirit is doing in our world?
What experiments can help us get to know and journey with our neighbours?
Stepping out and trying something new can be scary. Being brave, taking risks, and putting ourselves out there in our neighbourhoods can be daunting. Rooted in God’s unconditional love, we are washed by the waters of grace that free us from striving for perfection and success. In Christ Jesus, we have the freedom to take risks and to discern God’s presence that is alive and active in our world. So are you ready to explore and experiment? Have any ideas how to hear, see, learn, and join in what God is up to in your community?
We are inviting applications for grants to fund neighbourhood and community experiments and learning opportunities that:
a)explore what God is doing in your neighbourhood
b)seek to develop relationships with others in your community
c)encourage participation in God’s mission in the local community
d)encourage action and reflection learning
Through these experiments, we will continue to learn from and with each other as we share our stories, experiences, and learning with the rest of our synod and the wider church. Remember, experiments need not be large-scale or require the commitment of large dollar amounts. Normatively successful applications will be in the range of $100 - $1,000. Good experiments are simply those that are inspired by imagination and a curiosity about what God is up to in our midst.
On the following two pages you will find a reflection which summarizes some of what we as Missions Committee are learning from previous applicants about missional living.
Grants are funded through the CECF, the Church Extension and Capital Fund. They are given on a one-time basis and are not intended to subsidize ongoing funding needs of regular church programming. Grant recipients will be invited to submit the “faith story” of theirmissional experiments, which will be shared with the synod and thecommunities.
2018 applications will be accepted until April 15 and can be submitted through the synod office. You may use the application form which follows.
To help inspire you and think through the details of a potential application the synod’s Missions Committee will be hosting a grant workshop on the ZOOM teleconference platform on Wednesday, February 7 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. All are welcome to participate, get some ideas, and ask any questions you might have.You can join the teleconference from your computer by clicking this link: .
You can also call in by telephone in the following way: Dial 647-558-0588. Then enter the meeting ID when prompted (Meeting ID: 561 781 228). If you have any other questions or would like to discuss your experiment prior to making an application please feel free to contact our synod's Mission Consultant, Rev. Eric Krushel, at or 604-220-5450 or Assistant to the Bishop for Missional Renewal, Rev. Kathy Martin at .
Reflection on Lessons Learned by the Missions Committee (Jan 2018)
I think there is a reason why change is so difficult. Because it is so disorienting. It causes us to question whether the way we have done things in the past were optimal. And we may cling to what has worked well because it did work so well. But what worked well at one point in our lives, does not always work well in another, especially when the context and the people are different. Especially when we are different.
Change in the church is an even trickier thing, because it involves our faith in God. It involves the ground of our being, the substance of which our lives are made. And most of us are not all that comfortable when the ground we once thought was solid is shifting a bit. Because it causes us to question whether we were walking on solid ground at all.
But it is in the face of this shifting ground that we hear the call to not be paralyzed in fear, to not hide from what is happening, to not cling to what worked when the ground felt different. The call of missional renewal is to trust that God is with us in this shift, that God is leading us to learn how to dance and move with this shifting ground. That we need not fear what lies before us, beside us, or behind us. God is there. God is faithful to us in this moment. And the Spirit will guide us to live bravely, to even have fun and play, trusting that what we have been given to get us through this shift is enough. More than enough. Because God is with us.
The BC Synod’s Missions Committee seeks to support churches in this shifting faith journey, to proclaim the faithfulness of God has been with us in the past, is with us in the now, and is ahead of us in the future, and to encourage churches to be open to take news steps in practicing being church in a new and playful way. Even if that means letting go of our well thought-out plans. Even if that means letting go of the idea that pastors are the experts in churches. Even if that means that what God has for us tomorrow may be different than what God had for us yesterday, and that may not be such a scary or disappointing thing after all.
At its heart, the missional renewal process is not really all that daunting. It’s really just about being open to listening to what new ways God has for us in the now, and that God is speaking to and through each and every person whether or not they have special God-degrees. Missional renewal is about widening the way that we see God’s work in our lives to include all of the world, and not just the inside of a church building. Missional renewal encourages being in collaborative and mutual relationships with our neighbors and our communities, and trusting that God is changing us in and through these relationships, whether we think we need to change or not. This is a process that requires patience and takes a bit of time because humans are complex creatures living in complex communities; yet ironically, change doesn’t come through our complex ideas or experiments. It comes simply with listening, by being in the moment and fully living with others. God stabilizes and renews the church in this process that teaches us how to dance on shifting ground.
Many churches in our synod have been engaging in experiments to connect and grow with their neighbors, and have reported in the various ways they have been changing through this process. Ears that are listening to real issues. Gaps that are bridging when developing collaborative relationships with real people. New leaders and new narratives of hope emerging. Patience and trust in God’s movement. Curiosity replacing fear. Openness to new ideas replacing cemented ways of being church. Our listening-based living and discernment based-experimenting is changing our being and changing our thinking, which is changing how we listen and live… God is with us in this process. Grace is at work, renewing us to dance on shifting ground. Because even if the ground is shifting and we our shifting, God is solidly there.
The missions committee continues to learn as we are listening to our partner churches in ministry. Learning that even though we may have some great ideas, we are not experts but encouragers for those who are in the field doing the work of ministry. Learning to better nurture missional identity and support congregations where they are at instead of applying a narrow understanding of missional renewal that does not permit flexibility with this process of change. Learning that it is okay if there is resistance to change, that fear may inhibit discovery when the ground is shifting, but openness and trust will come in God’s timing because they can only come by God’s grace. Learning that there is still more for us to do to help cultivate curiosity and creativity, more the stories of renewal to capture and reminding churches that their voices matter and make a difference in all of our lives. Because each person, each church matters, and what happens with one can shift the whole church just a bit. Change happens simply by listening, by being in the moment, and fully living with others, because grace is at work in these small yet meaningful ways.
In a changing landscape, missional renewal isn’t about theatrics or engaging in monumental tasks or activities. It is about celebrating the small things that God does in us that change us enough so that we are able to dance more freely on those shifting grounds that once had us paralyzed in fear or frozen in apathy. We are learning that we can even have a bit of fun and play on this shifting ground. And that is something to celebrate.
Lori-Anne Boutin-Crawford
BC Synod Missions Committee
CHURCH EXTENSION AND CAPITAL FUND
APPLICATION FOR CHURCH EXTENSION FUNDS
Submit to: Missions Committee - BC Synod 80 East 10 Avenue
New Westminster, BC V3L 4R5
1. Submitted by:
2. Experiment Title:
3. Description of Experiment:
4. Rationale for Experiment:
5. Experiment Criteria Addressed:
6. Objectives of Experiment:
7. Target Audience of Experiment:
8. Administrative Relationships:
a) Who is responsible to administer the experiment and complete reporting requirements? Provide name, address, phone number, fax and e-mail.
b) Who will be involved in carrying out the experiment? (i.e. individuals, congregations, synod, committees, etc.)
9. Experiment Budget: $______(Attach budget detail) Include other sources for funding in place or pending approval.
10. Timeline: How long will this experiment take from start to finish? When will the experiment begin? When will experiment funds be required?
11. Learning: Who will be responsible for sharing the story and the learning from this experiment to the Synod Canadian Mission Committee? Provide name, address, phone number, fax and e- mail. The reporting task need not be onerous, but what we are looking for is hearing your stories, sharing in your learning, and passing them along so they may inspire others.
12. Experiment Application Date: ______
13. Name of Applicant : ______Signature:______
SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR LEARNING REFLECTION
- In your exploration, what did you encounter God doing in your neighbourhood?
- What developed in your relationships with others in your community?
- What did you discover about God’s mission in the local community?
- What did you learn through this experiment?
- What are you learning about yourselves, your community, and about God?
- What can our synod learn from your experiment?
- What would you like to share with the wider church that can help us all learn from your experiment?
FOR BC SYNOD MISSIONS COMMITTEE USE / DATE
Received by
Reviewed by Synod Committee
Approved $
Funds Forwarded
Evaluation Received
Evaluation Forwarded to Advisory Board