[Members] Our Stuckness

Mon Oct 8 14:08:50 PDT 2007

Over the past couple weeks I have been in conversation with many of you, and
many of you with each other I have heard, over New Creation's past, sharing
the continual feeling that we are forgotten and our future as a church is
'not valued' by this impersonal entity known as "The Presbytery", and the
question keeps coming around to, "Well, if the Presbytery wants us to
succeed, why don't they build us a building?". My hope is that we are not
stuck already, and this anxiety is more out of a reality that I have not
"kept everyone on the same page", as you all articulated at the last
community potluck as one of your expectations for me.

In my pastor report, which I will provide to you all in writing, I will
address many things, but I think before that I need to share some
perspective so we all can be on the same page.

Here is what I have discovered after talking with many of you and those left
in the presbytery who played a part with this new church plant. These
discoveries may explain the purgatory New Creation has experienced (and
these are my perspectives) -

1.     The Presbyterian Church has not planted and forgot how to plant
churches. Since 1965, the denomination decided to tend to existing
congregations and help them grow and move more funding toward social-justice
stuff. Furthermore, the national denomination is not as well organized,
hierarchical, and source of resources as some of you may have the impression
that it is. . . the national mission and ministry offices are being
reorganized and restructured as the General Assembly Council has finally
seen the new reality of the world, and adapting. . . so resources, but no
silver bullets.

2.    I have yet to find a seminary that does not train future pastors to be
anything other than great maintenance keepers. . . only within the past 5
years have I begun to see a change. The result is that many pastors have no
clue on how to plant a church, let alone do a comprehensive mission and
evangelism strategy. . . heck ,the Book of Order requires Presbyteries to
have them, but rarely do they (or if they do, they are not used). Also,
rarely does a New Church plant succeed when pastured by a just graduated
seminarian (statistics across denominations testify to this reality).
Surprisingly, the current manifestation of this Presbytery is way advanced
than others (yes, it is a happy for us and a sad for other presbyteries
moment). 

3.    What I have discovered after talking with the former First Belleville
pastor who chaired the O'Fallon NCD feasibility study and purchase of
property, their focus was concentrated more on naming the site area and
making the investment in the future by purchasing property that could be
used or sold to fund the future Presbyterian community in the zip code
62269. This included the possibility of resurrecting the Presby congregation
that closed in Lebanon back in the 1930's. What was needed next was a
comprehensive mission and evangelism strategy, which should have been done
under Craig's tenure with the whole NC community participating in the
process.

4.    From what I can see and understand, instead of spending the time to
study the context, enter into a time of conversation with God, and with the
community discover a vision, mission, and the implication of them, which
leads to defining the needed infrastructures, New Creation tried using
'successful' church growth models to attract consumers and did the
functional stuff so many of our dying congregations like to do. . . rushing
to the doing. On the Presby community side, there should have been more
exercise of accountability and resources to help Craig and the emerging
community. . . not enough attention was given to process, and too much to
timetables and metrics of 'success' (i.e. got to have 100 people before
chartering).

5.    Without a plan, intentional connection, and a living vision that
everyone is excited about and invested in, the building of a structure looks
like it got shelved (and add into it the whole mess of what it means to
build in O'Fallon).

So, where do we go from here? 

Well, the Presbytery has changed, the committees of oversight have a
different outlook now on church planting, and all have become more flexible.
If that was not true, I wouldn't have taken the call. The presbytery
community has become a new creation, and its memory of the past is limited.
. . and they are eager to see us become a demonstration plot of the emerging
church. 

New Creation has also changed. . . we are a new creation, we have been given
an opportunity to start again. If we are able to discern and articulate a
plan, we will have all the support our sister churches and this communion of
disciples known as the presbytery may provide. Currently, the Leadership
Team has begun the process for creating a MEP. . . which you will be hearing
more about, and at the same time beginning the process for building (which,
best case scenario, not matter who builds it, will take 1-2 years to
complete). I applaud and greatly appreciate their work and determination,
and I see many promises born of God for us in the future through this work.

For New Creation, which is a re-start, God is calling it to become a NEW
CREATION. We have to reconcile our past. Everyone (Presbytery, NCPC
leadership and committees of oversight) need to admit (which many have) that
some good things happened as well as some crap. Then we all have to have
FAITH in God's ability to redeem the past and our God given freedom to LIVE
into the new reality that in Christ Jesus we have a do-over, and we are once
again a New Creation in Jesus Christ. 

So what are the implications of this?

1.     In Christ Jesus, the old life, the old New Creation, is gone. The new
life has begun and we are called to live it out in a new way. We are now
called to live a resurrected life, learn from our mistakes (everyone), and
everyone move forward into this New Creation God is calling forth from the
tomb.

2.    God has provided us with everything we need to be and do what is
desired of us as disciples and apostles, missionaries of Christ Jesus. Give
thanks to God for what we have and stop bitching and moaning about what we
don't have. . . that is the easiest way to get 'stuck' and stop listening to
God and God's direction (sorry if I offend, but I know of no better way to
catch your attention and be honest). So what do we have to be thankful
about? To name a few:

a.    God

b.    Each other

c.    A community of churches known as the "presbytery" who are real people,
and many who make up churches the size of our committed community. Although
a dysfunctional family at times, there is not one minster or church I have
met so far that is not in prayer for  New Creation, excited about what they
are hearing about us right now, and willing to help as they are able.

d.    We have 25 acres of land valued near $700,000 which has been entrusted
to us to invest in Christ name, use or sale, as our comprehensive mission
and evangelism plan lays out (we have to have a plan). In addition to that,
we have near $50,000 invested in CDs for infrastructure needs, such as a
building. But we need first to know what our infrastructure needs are AFTER
we know the implications of our vision and mission, and goals. If we do
otherwise, we will be spinning our wheels.

3.    Allow for imagination and flexibility to see other possibilities. The
conversations I have had with members over bible studies, dinner, coffee,
and after worship has proved to me this band is committed to being New
Creation Presbyterian Church, and ready to be like the disciples in Acts,
ready to move outside of the "known and safe" of the past few years since
Craig's departure. Instead of shooting down the visions of possibility
people have, because "it won't work; we've tried it before", "we don't have
the funds for it" or "we can't do it because we don't have a building yet",
in the name of Christ, seize the moment and opportunities God provides and
let us dare to think and dream outside of the "church-in-a-box". . . LETS BE
SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER 50 CHURCHES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA! 

4.    We are a New Creation in Christ Jesus, and a demonstration plot of
God's intention for not only what the Church is called to become, but also
God's intention for all humanity. Are we brave enough to have faith in God
in order to be and do a new thing? God has a mission, but does God's mission
have a church?

As the disciples first heard Jesus' words, as we today hear them anew, the
common question is: "But how do we do these things, Jesus?" 

In the first chapter of Luke's Acts we are told about the days just before
Pentecost, before the Church was sent out to all parts of the world. This
was the time the disciples, with God's help, earned their chops in thinking
strategically and began to plan for the mission ahead of them. As the Bible
Study group on Sunday nights has learned, Christ formed the community of
disciples through stages of preparation so they could be effective
witnesses. 

That is where we are: in Jerusalem. . . and right now, we need to commit
ourselves to doing those things the disciples and apostle did first in
Jerusalem with great patience, and when God's Spirit moves, we need to move
with it with thoughtfulness and attentiveness to God's will, not our own.

Peace be with you all.

Your brother in Christ,

cdb

Rev. Christian Dominic Boyd

Pastor, New Creation PC(USA) in O'Fallon, IL

& Staff, Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy

Mob: 618.292.8583

www.NewCreationPC.org

Enriching our community 
through vibrant, 
Christ-centered relationships...
one life at a time.

(2 Cor 5:17)

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