Agenda

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Agenda

• Our Journey
• The Discernment Process
• The Summit
• The Recommendations
• Next steps
• Decommission the steering committee

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Purpose
What is God calling Old South Church to be and do
in the first decades of the 21st Century? Listen
together for the voice of the Still Speaking God.
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Our Journey .. so far ..

• 336th Annual Meeting Nancy Taylors
  presentation.
• What is God calling OSC to be?
• Lent 2006 Church In the World.
• House meetings.
• Fall 2006 Hire Larry Peers
• Sept. 12, 2006 Council commissioned the Vision
  and Discernment Steering Committee.
• 337th Annual Meeting Martin Copenhavers
  presentation on Discernment
• Lent 2007 8 meetings, 2 on each Sunday
• March 25, 2007 Summit meeting.

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Important Links

• Rev. Taylors Presentation
• http//www.oldsouth.org/podcasts/2006/336thMeetin
  gReport.ppt (Powerpoint)http//www.oldsouth.org/p
  odcasts/2006/2006-AnnualMt-nst.mp3 (audio)
• Church in the World Lenten Series
• http//www.oldsouth.org/churchworld06.htm
• Rev. Copenhavers Presentation and Audio
• Discernment Summit Presentation and Audio
• http//www.oldsouth.org/discernment.htm

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The Vision and Discernment Steering Committee

• Ian Holland (Chairperson)
• Jay Blackwell, Larry Bowers
• Quinn Caldwell, Lois Corman
• Bill Ghormley, Russ Gregg
• Tom Hehir, Judie Pierce
• Ruth Purtilo, Pam Roberts
• Laurel Smith-Doerr, John Stainton
• Nancy Taylor
• Met 14 times

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The Discernment Process

• The Congregational Way.
• Explicitly listening for the Holy Spirit and
  fully expecting the Spirit to show up!
• The workings of the HS can be discerned in the
  community by receptive hearts molded in prayer.
• It is more like Worship and less like a Business
  Meeting

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The Discernment Process

• The Congregational Way.
• Silence
• Inviting everyone to speak in turn
• who will be the prophetic voice?
• Not about a majority-rules kind of thinking
• We wait upon the Spirit.
• Patience, Prayer, Patience, Relationship

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The Discernment Process

• Step 1 Preparation
• Step 2 The Lenten Series
• Step 3 The Summit
• ? We are here.
• Step 4 Going deeper

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The Discernment Process

• Step 1 Preparation (steering committee)
• Very broad questions started the process
• What is our identity?
• Who is our Neighbor?
• What are we called to do?
• 4 Frame-bending questions and Framing Statements
  were developed.
• Background material prepared

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The Discernment Process

• Step 2 The Lenten Sessions
• Tables of at most 8 people.
• Recorders and Facilitators for each table.
• Candles, Prayer, Chime.
• Response to each offering
• May the Holy Spirit speak through us.

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The Discernment Process

• 1st Theme The Transforming Door
• Question What is God calling Old South to do to
  support its members to become more faithful
  Christians?
• 2nd Theme Proclaiming the Good News
• Through what means and to whom is God calling Old
  South Church to share the Good News of Jesus
  Christ in our own authentic voice?

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The Discernment Process

• 3rd Theme Our Identity and Mission
• Whom, what and where is God calling Old South to
  be by our 350th Anniversary (in 2019)?
• 4th Theme Location and Gifts
• Given the gifts and blessings of these gifts and
  location, what is God calling us to do?

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What we Heard .

• Hundreds of individual testimonies, witnessed to
  the work of the Spirit, suggestions and support
• See the attachment for a small sample ..
• A very rich and diverse source of inspiration and
  invitation.
• Steering committee looked for common themes
• No Radical Changes
• A hunger and desire to go deeper

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A small sampling
Brought what has been a cold and unfeeling book
back to life. This church reaches people
through grace. my gas station stop. I come
to be refueled and renewed and go forth
again. a haven. The preaching moves me to
involvement. takes me to the thin
places. We need more opportunities for
children to be a part of the service. I cried
every Sunday during my first year here with my
partner wed been rejected other
places. Behold, I have set before thee an open
door. I saw a child so happy to be here she was
running ahead of her mother into the
church. OSC has an extravagant welcome. I
have always known that God accepts everyone to
find a place that believes that is pretty
cool. I saw two middle-aged women at coffee
hour. One wiped away tears they did not know
they would find such a welcome anywhere. We
should give free samples of our welcome outside
our doors. TAOS brought in people who wouldnt
normally come to church. music has given me a
way to build community/give back/express my
joy. We could become a cultural cornerstone
with an arts and music outreach. Expand our
music ministryboth in church and in the larger
community. I didnt know I had so many Jewish
mothers! Business students are taught to
examine the impact of unused plant
capacity. Well never have enough money to do
everything, so we need priorities. We need to
fill this building! On GBIO The people at the
meetings are so convicted. Its exciting to be a
part of something so big. We need to put our
faith into action.
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We can share more, make more change. to
those who gave up on faith as an insult to their
intelligence. I need help feeling like I want
to tell others about OSC. People should know
that God is alive and well when they see Old
South Church. This church IS my
community. Small groups have provided an outlet
for smallness for me in a big place. Can we
find something to unite all our various
groups? There is a need for all who come to OSC
to feel closer and connected to each other. OSC
provided a way for me to know that God is more
than just a hunch. Our public voice grows
louder and louder as we grow larger. The Good
News is the bond between God and Gods people,
and between the people themselves. We are a
prophetic voice. Dream headline Back Bay
Church Defines Progressive Christianity. Spread
the Good News on buses, billboards, full page
adsto everyone. The God is Still Speaking
campaign is so important to me. How do we
identify ourselves as progressive Christians in a
conservative world? We need to be a living,
breathing presence in this city. We should be a
voice to calm the waters. We combine education
and spiritual life. Bible study is one of the
best-kept secrets here. We need to always be
quickening our faith. I need times during the
week to decompress. Combine study with
spiritual reflection and deepening. A prayer
group would help me share camaraderie and then to
into the world as a minister.
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The Discernment Process

• Community renewed its investment in the future of
  Old South Church in Boston.
• We heard the outlines of a direction to which God
  is calling us.

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The Discernment Process

• Step 3 The Summit
• 70 people.
• We presented the outline.
• Engaged in further discernment
• Listened to the response.
• Acceptance, enthusiasm and many more suggestions!

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Some different avenues to take. Consider our
priorities. Soup Kitchen. Long range
projects wonderful. Big project that would
have more people involved. More Theatre would
be great. enthusiasm. Yes to the Map. ...
More Music. A lot more. Education. Children
at worship. A worship experience for and with
them. Cringe at seeing some past groups gone.
Need for Small groups. Spirit calling us to
cooking, aromas, food. use our kitchens.
Connect OSC children to others in the city.
Linking our web sites to others. More Bible
study. Social justice. Intergenerational
small groups. City wide music Ecumenical
outreach with Children. Worship is very
important way. . Reach inside Strengthen
inside. Ice Cream social model snares passers
by. Strengthening ourselves so we can have a
strong prophetic voice public voice. Reach
out in a positive way. The Bell sounding in the
morning. Clang it often. Small Groups.
People interacting with each other. Engage in
the Word. Engage new members energy, new ears,
new minds, put them immediately to work.
Depth.. Sunday relationships find a new and
meaningful ways to development relationships.
New Congregational Freedom Trail. Meeting
house, Congregational House and Library, 14
Beacon -gt OSC -gt Blake house ? Plymouth
plantation. Welcoming in the Open Door a core
value. Like the idea of a Public Voice but
must be done with care. Be careful about
aggressive evangelicalism. More small groups.
More expensive learning process for membership
and baptism. More music coming in and going
out.
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Mission trips liked. Deeper understanding
in groups around other religions and progressive
Christianity. Public voice big idea balanced
with pastoral care and spirituality inwardly
pay special attention to this. Communications
Minister people like that but pastoral care
issues should be addressed first. Christian
Diverse Progressive, Together YES be careful
in speaking out, what image might we project.
Yes to small groups, but dont get too rigid.
Relief that there is no radical change mentioned.
Nervous about the fact that OSC seems to be
running as a business. Invite college students
in. More vibrant theatre. Preschool
expansion. Music and outreach. Citywide
symposium sponsored by the church. In right
direction. Small groups and programs to draw
people in to know each other. More children
involve people from outside the church.. A
sister-church relationship, establish connections
outside of OSC . Strong endorsement of the
public voice concern that too much burden on
the ministers. YES to the report and the
model of the T-Map. Felt familiar inbound and
outbound. Metaphor speaks. Lay leadership?
Public voice was needed but questions on the how?
Why have existing small groups faltered? A
new model is needed One dissent on using
metaphor given that people come from outside the
area. Issues of diversity looking at ways to
reach racially diverse populations. What might
the impact be on the staff? Moving forward,
different kind of staff make up. Possibilities
for broadcasting services. Positive comments
on the Jazz service.
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The Discernment Process

• Step 4 Going Deeper
• Take the 8 tracks and discern further
• 3 Different approaches will be taken
• 2 tracks no big changes needed
• 2 others have very broad scope. Use a retreat
  model.
• 4 remaining ? establish Theme Teams.

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Existing model working well

• Looking up (Worship)
• Welcoming in (Hospitality)
• Both seem to be working fine as is
• Consider how new people might join the
  activities.
• Experimentation is occurring. Our programs are
  expanding.
• No change is recommended.
• Consider if a discernment process would
  strengthen their work?
• Consider extending an invitation to the
  congregation to see if there are others who would
  like to be involved in the work

Worship Advisory committee, Deacons, Staff,
Membership Committee,
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Retreat approach

• Reaching out (Outreach)
• Huge Scope uncovered in the discernment process
• HANDS-ON MISSION
• TO COLLEGE AND GRAD STUDENTS
• GRANTS / DISASTER RELIEF
• TO THE UNCHURCHED MISINFORMED
• TO THE NEXT GENERATION
• TO BUILDING USERS
• TO PASSERS BY
• CHURCH PARTNERSHIP
• THE WORLD WIDE WEB
• MISSION TRIPS
• INTERNATIONAL
• OTHER

Outreach, Christian Education, Membership,
Communications committees, Deacons, Staff,
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Retreat approach

• Taking Care (Stewardship)
• Huge Scope uncovered in the discernment process
• PEOPLE (caring for each other)
• FINANCIAL (giving and endowment)
• BUILDING
• SILVER / BOOKS
• ENDOWMENT
• LEGACY
• OTHER

Taking care and using these in service of the
Good News of Christ
Stewardship, Historian, Trustees, Deacons,
Staff, Council, Pastoral Care, Care Crew,
Everyone!
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Theme Team

• Acting Out (Music and the Arts)
• VOCAL BELL CHOIRS
• EXHIBITS / FAIRS
• POETRY
• CONCERTS
• NON-CHURCH CHOIRS
• THEATRE
• LITURGICAL ARTS
• OTHER

Lots of interest, new environment, new
opportunities, new members.
Religion and Arts, TAOS, Music, Choir(s),
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Theme Team

• Meeting Up (Small Groups)
• BOOK GROUPS
• CARITAS
• MOTHERS GROUP
• 20S 30S
• PRAYER SHAWL
• MENS GROUP
• OTHER

Relationship Community formation New model
needed? Not only Fellowship Lay leadership

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Theme Team

• Shaping Up (Spirituality and Formation)
• BIBLE STUDY
• THEOLOGICAL BOOK GROUP
• CHURCH SCHOOL
• FELLOWSHIP GROUPS
• OTHER

Spirituality, Rest in the Spirit, Monastic Site,
Labyrinth, Looking to form a new people embodying
Christ. A gym for Christian life! Vitamin C
Christian Education, Deacons, Staff,
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Theme Team

• Speaking Out (Public Voice)
• PODCASTS/INTERNET
• PUBLICATIONS
• SIGNS / BANNERS
• TOWER BELL
• GBIO
• PUBLIC WITNESS
• FAITH SHARING
• T.V. / CABLE / WEBCASTS
• COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER
• OTHER

Christians in the Public Square. UCC denomination
connections. Faith sharing.
GBIO, Communications, Outreach
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Growing Deeper

• Establish an Discernment Support committee
• Russ Greg, Tom Hehir, John Stainton, Bill
  Gormley, Ian Holland (chair)
• Others will be sought from the early adopter
  group.
• Engage early adopters who signed up at the summit
• Prepare framing statements.

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Growing Deeper

• Kick off next steps with congregation after lunch
  on Sunday. Sept. 23
• Consider how outside resources might aid the work
  of the new teams. How do others do this?
• Consider how we can continue to develop our
  discernment practice skills.
• Report at the 338th Annual meeting.

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Actions for Council

• Accept this report of the Vision and Discernment
  Steering Committee.
• Decommission the Committee
• Commission the new Discernment Support Committee
  to guide the next steps.

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