Building a shared vision

EDMONTON, ALTA.

Lendrum MB Church in Edmonton has been undergoing a process of "building a shared vision" with the help of a facilitator team from Congregational Life Center. This work had its start in a board retreat in fall, 1997, led by Don Posterski, vice-president of national programs for World Vision and co-author of Future Faith Churches (Woodlake Books). The board retreat focused on how Lendrum relates to the culture around it, and reviewed Lendrum's strengths, weaknesses and hopes for the future. The facilitator led in exercises, which helped the board gain a new perspective on the challenges facing the congregation as a Christian community in a secular society.

The board felt the congregation, as it celebrated 35 years of ministry, could benefit from similar process, also assisted by an outside facilitator, in order to develop a renewed sense of shared vision. A three-phase process began in spring, 1998 and will run to January/February of 1999:

1. Discovery. Establish our identity as a congregation. Where have we been? Where are we now? What does our community look like? What are our community's needs?

2. Discerning. Based on our identity and our community's identity, discern how we are called to serve God. Discern a common vision for our congregation. What type of structures do we require to implement our shared vision?

3. Implementation. Take our shared vision and implement it through how we worship, welcome our community and practise discipleship and stewardship.

Lendrum is coming to the end of the discernment phase and then will move to the implementation phase. It has been a meaningful process. It has been helpful for all groups in the congregation to hear each other's perspectives and understand our congregation's history and dreams. Neil Kaarsemaker

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