Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Congregational Discovery Team
            Realizing that there are significant issues we need to address as a congregation if we are to be a vital, growing body of believers as we pass our hundredth birthday, the Church Board initiated a year-long discernment process. Starting in March 2008, a called-out team studying the Bible, our tradition, our congregation, our surrounding community, trends in congregational life and society, and other areas, under the guidance of an outside consultant. This team met monthly for over a year, involving others in the congregation as they proceeded. See the process below.
  

Leadership

Stan Dueck
a consultant from our denomination
Congregational Life Team - 1
 

Team members
            Jeff Wolf (facilitator), Sharon Kagarise (secretary), John Ness, Gail Hanna (secretary), Jeannie Schwartz, Sue Ellen Wheatley, and Pastor Pete.
 

Upcoming Team Meetings

The team has completed its work, but will meet periodically to evaluate progress. See the last minutes for the recommendations and action plans.
  

Minutes of our meetings
April 15, 2009
October 21, 2009
September 2, 2009
June 7, 2009
April 1, 2009
February 25, 2009
January 14, 2009
October 29, 2008
October 8, 2008
September 24, 2008
August 26, 2008
July 29, 2008
June 19, 2008
May 28, 2008
April 30, 2008
March 26, 2008
 

Documents for Study
    - New Tasks for the New Congregation: Reflections on Congregational Studies, by Jeff Woods
          FYI - In 1996, Pastor Pete preached a series of sermons based upon Wood's then recent book: Congregational Megatrends. Below are the 7 megatrends Woods identified and Pete's 8 sermons on them.
#1 - Introduction
                  - "The times, they are a-changing" (9/1/96)
#2 - From Mass Evangelism to Relational Evangelism
                  - "You are God's Letter to Others" (9/8/96)
#3 - From Tribal Education to Immigrant Education
                  - "One Person at a Time" (9/15/96)
#4 - From Surrogate Missions to Hands-on Missions
                  - "Where is Ninevah?" (9/22/96)
#5 - From Reasonable Spirituality to Mysterious Spirituality
                  - "Letting Down our Nets" (10/6/96)
#6 - From Official Leadership to Gifted Leadership
                  - "From Official to Gifted Leadership" (9/29/96)
#7 - From Segmented Programming to Holographic Programming
                  - "Seeing the Big Picture" (10/13/96)
#8 - From Secondary Planning to Primary Planning
                  - "Lighting the Match" (10/20/96)
    - Congregational Statistics 1990-2007 (membership & worship, love feast & Sunday School attendance)
    - Chart of Average Worship & Sunday School Attendance 1961-2007
                                                                            (you need Microsoft Excel to open this file;
                                                                                     if you don't have it on your computer, download free viewer)
    - Responses from June 8th Listening Session 1, focus: What do we do well? (Excel file)
    - Responses from August 3rd Listening Session 2, focus: What are our growth areas? (Excel file)
    - Summary of August 16th Church Board Retreat, focus: The Vital Congregation
    - Responses from Sept. 14th Listening Session 3, focus: What is our Vision? (Excel file)
 

Previous Process

1994 Dream Team Report

1994 Dream Team Vision & Dreams passed by Council

1983 Renewal and Growth Program
 

Historical Background

The Long Green Valley Story (our brochure, written for our 2003 Homecoming)

Long Green Valley (from a 1936 district history book)
 
 
     
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