Day #25

January 25, 2014

All total, I recently spent about five hours with a great group of folks helping to facilitate a council retreat. The format was designed by the Synod and follows something called Asset Mapping. What are the gifts that I bring, that people in the church bring, that the facility of the church brings, and that the community brings, to a particular congregation? Once those gifts (assets) are identified, how or what type of actions do they inspire to help reach out to others with the Good News of Jesus Christ?

An example might be: we have folks who paint, do pottery and play music. Hmmm...what if we put all that together for a community event at the church that focused on the arts and how God influences our work? Folks could be invited to spend time just being creative and sharing their talents. Then, any proceeds of items sold (assuming there would be sales) would go to help the hungry, poor, etc.

Hard to imagine, but the age-old questions still arise: How do we know if it will work, because we’ve never done that before? Or we already do so much, so how can we do anything more? All these questions do is shut off creativity and block the Holy Spirit.

So one more question: how can we get rid of the doubtful questions when we are dreaming of how to be beacons of light?

Blessings.