Small-membership church dream team begins its work

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A dream team established to envision vital ministry for small-membership churches in the new Nebraska-Kansas Episcopal Area met July 22, at Red Cloud, Neb.

More than 70 people from the three conferences gathered to share ideas and visions for vital small-membership congregations. The team was named by the Nebraska-Kansas Episcopal Area Transition Team to begin thinking through how resources may be pooled to enhance the ministry of small and sometimes rural congregations.

“The Small-Membership Church Dream Team (SMC) gathered to share our dreams for the future of our many, many churches in Nebraska and Kansas,” said the Rev. Pat Ault-Duell (Kansas West), Transition Team liaison to the group. “How can we seize the opportunity of this moment in our history to rethink and revalue the role small membership churches play in making disciples and transforming their communities?”

The group’s dreams were organized into five topical categories, or groups, for further conversation. Topics include: providing appropriate leadership for small membership churches, encouraging collaboration among small membership churches, nurturing the vitality of small membership churches, nurturing hospitality and community outreach in small membership churches, and strengthening the connection between small membership churches and the new episcopal area.

“It was an exciting meeting,” said the Rev. Harold Backus, Prairie Rivers District superintendent (Nebraska Conference). “The energy was high. Both bishops were a part of the event and added hope to the gathering.”

Team members self-selected to be part of each of the five topical groups. These groups will be meeting over the next several months, with final reports due in December, when the entire dream team will meet again in Belleville, Kan. The SMC dream team will prepare a report for the Transition Team’s January meeting.

“The five work areas we created from that meeting are very engaged,” Backus said.

Ault-Duell added that the sub-groups are being encouraged to take advantage of technology to gather team members for meetings, including conference calls, email and online meeting solutions such as WebEx or Adobe Connect.

“We have an incredible opportunity here to create great partnerships with each other to take what we do to a whole new level,” she said.

Bishop Scott Jones affirmed the work of the Small-Membership Church Dream Team.

“If we’re going to help small churches become more vital, pooling ideas, resources and a common approach will make that more likely,” Jones said.

He said it’s that pooling of resources that will speak to the local pastors and lay members of small congregations.

Photos: Examples of small-membership churches include (from top) Hunter's Chapel UMC in Cody, Neb.; Fontana UMC in Fontana, Kan.; and Clyde UMC in Clyde, Kan.