Lake Harbor UMC in Muskegon is among the 11 congregations in Michigan that have completed all phases of the Vital Church Initiative. This scene is from their Hay Market VBS. ~Lake Harbor UMC Facebook
 
KAY DeMOSS
Senior Editor-Writer, Michigan Area

Easter people, raise your voices, sounds of heaven in earth should ring. Christ has brought us heaven’s choices; heavenly music, let it ring!          (UM Hymnal # 304)
Who are Dirk Elliott, Naomi Garcia, and Gary Step? They are each members of a conference staff. Yes. They are all involved in leadership of the Vital Church Initiative (VCI). True. But most significantly, Dirk, Naomi and Gary are Easter people. They are passionate about assisting congregations in recognizing “heaven’s choices,” facilitating healthy decision making, and equipping for faithful action.

Since the initiative began four years ago, 140 churches in the Michigan Area have become involved in VCI. Many are still in process and eleven of those church have completed the final, Phase 3. According to Naomi, 80% of the congregations that started have stuck with it. “It starts with one person, the pastor, then others join the process and the conversation expands. The farther a church goes with VCI,” says Naomi, “the circle keeps widening until, eventually, the whole congregation is engaged.”
Dirk adds, “VCI is not about dying. It is about new life.”

The process

Gary notes that there are 50 persons on the VCI faculty at the present time, serving as facilitators, consultants and coaches. “VCI makes everybody a lifelong learner,” he explains. “The faculty themselves keep learning about what makes a healthy, vital church. While that benefits their VCI partners, they also take that learning back to their churches. That’s been an added bonus.”

The three phases of the Vital Church Initiative are outlined in this brochure. There is a Small Church Path (less than 100 in average attendance) and a Large Church Path (over 100 average attendance).

• Phase 1 (the shared learning experience) nine sessions over nine months;
• Phase 2 (self-study then peer mentoring) lasts 3-4 months to conclude with formulating prescriptions that are voted on by the congregation;
• Phase 3 implementation of the prescriptions.

Phase 1 will accept additional churches in fall 2015. Three to five congregations are needed to form a single learning group.

Gary describes a church that could benefit from the Easter effects of VCI. “Churches that have plateaued or are decreasing in worship attendance can find a fresh vision for the future through VCI,” he notes. “They receive a toolbox to create a new trajectory for healthy growth.”

VCI values

Even before the tools are acquired, “fresh eyes” bring new perceptions. “Leaders look in the mirror a little more candidly,” Naomi remarks. “They have eye-opening conversations with the facilitators that help them understand that they haven’t been paying attention to things, like the fact that they are insider-focused.” VCI enables congregations to become more intentional “in looking outside the building in ways that will help them know and be known in their community,” Naomi continues.

Dirk also puts a high value on intentionality generated through VCI. “Yes, it is so detailed that it can seem daunting when you first look at it,” he admits. “But VCI is not just a stab in the dark. It is a whole process involving more than the pastor. When a trusted person with outside authority speaks to the group about what the church needs to do, that creates a sense of urgency.”

“I was talking to somebody today,” Gary says, “and told them, ‘Don’t expect to turn around with explosive growth.’ VCI is about changing the practices that create vitality and starting down a path to discipleship and outreach. VCI is not a program that is ever done.”

For pastors who believe they already have a full plate without taking on something like VCI, Naomi counsels: “All you have to do is be a disciple. Be faithful to your own giftedness and call to ministry and allow yourself to experience that as a privilege and not as a burden.” She continues, “Be ready to pass off the challenge to be more engaged in the community to lay people and don’t think you have to do it all first.”

The broader picture

There are other things happening around the Michigan Area under the general heading, “New and Existing Communities of Faith.”

At the present time 55 congregations are networking in a relationship started at the REACH Summit last fall. Gary describes VCI as “readiness for vitality” and REACH as “in depth work toward vitality.” There will be another REACH Summit this fall, Oct. 16-17. Click for details. VCI is one of five Vision Tracks to explore.

Dirk, who is also on the REACH faculty, adds that VCI focuses on transforming an existing congregation and helping them move forward. “REACH is more focused on engaging new people.”

Then there is a program, which is in the final training stages, that emerges out of Paragraph 213 in The Discipline. “While Para. 213 traditionally has been the basis for closing churches,” Gary explains, “it is now reimagined as an assessment of current reality and consideration of options…will we continue as a ‘hospice church,’ should we consider ‘Vital Merger,’ are we ready to be a ‘legacy church,’ or might we ‘restart’ in this building?”

The VCI Executive Team (which includes the conference directors of connectional ministries plus Dirk, Naomi, and Gary) were asked by Bishop Kiesey and the Cabinets to develop a formal 213 process. It will be introduced to the Michigan Area on June 1. Pilot congregations have welcomed the opportunity “to determine healthy next steps other than shutting down,” Gary notes.

Soon Gary, Dirk and Naomi will be using their Easter skills to assist District Superintendents in guiding churches through this new journey, with new-life rather than end-of-life outcomes.

“With all these measures we are seeking to identify how God is working in any given context. We are not interested in cookie-cutter approaches,” Dirk asserts. The efforts are about possibilities. “To step back and ask, ‘What does the Spirit want HERE?’ is a truly life-giving question,” Dirk notes.

“It doesn’t matter what ‘side’ you are on,” Gary points out. All staff, training, faculty and resources are shared across the conference line.” Those with questions about possibilities mentioned here, may contact their District Superintendent or:

• Dirk Elliott, DAC Director of New Faith Communities and Congregational Development.
• Gary Step, WMC Director of New Church Development and Congregational Transformation.
• Naomi Garcia, WMC Associate Director for Discipleship.

Naomi concludes, “Our invitation is for churches to take responsibility for their own future. There is help and hope for any church with the capacity to resurrect.”

 

Last Updated on October 27, 2023