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Have you noticed a pattern within the congregation in which small groups of people seem to be doing
everything?
Is there limited financial support for the congregation's mission?
If so, your church may benefit from a new Diakon Family Life Services - Northeastern Pennsylvania program
that helps the congregation discern what God is calling it to do.
The Congregation Driven Mission program is designed to help congregations understand their mission
goals, with the premise that response to objectives improves when the entire congregation helps to
craft those goals.
Signs that a congregation could benefit from the program include a lack of energy or movement
forward with projects or mission. For example, the congregation council may find that its members
are doing most of the ministry at the church, with no one else volunteering.
Following contact with Diakon Family Life Services - Northeastern Pennsylvania, the congregation
develops a timeline of its history, noting significant events. The chart is posted in a convenient
place so that members can add meaningful information to the timeline.
Diakon Family Life Services then holds a one-day workshop, often on a Sunday following worship, in which
congregational members discuss the timeline and even add to it. The review attempts to answer
such questions as "Where have we been called as God's people?" "Where are we now called now as
God's people?" and "Where is God calling us to be in the future?"
Typically, congregational members develop a sense of their church as a mission ground, not only to
members but also to the community. Through a series of small- and large-group discussions, members
create a list of mission goals, which they refine and prioritize. The goals are then given to the
council, standing committees, or task forces for plans and implementation.
If you would like more information on what the Congregational Driven Mission can do for your
church, contact Diakon Family Life Services - Northeastern Pennsylvania.
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