Rev. Johanna and Parish Members Attend The College for Congregational Development

On Sunday morning August 6th, just as our community was settling in to worship together, Jill Shurtleff and Rev. Johanna headed out on road trip from Scituate, Rhode Island to Canandaigua, New York. They were headed to Notre Dame Retreat Center situated on Canandaigua Lake to participate in the second year, Year B, of The College for Congregational Development. Last summer, Steve Brannigan, Susan Newkirk, and Rev. Johanna attended the College, participating in its first year, Year A.

Maybe you are wondering, What Is Congregational Development? Below is the official definition—the definition which earns you a couple of extra bonus points on the Models Exam, which is offered to those who have completed both Year A and Year B.

“Congregational Development is the development of congregations of all sizes, locations, and conditions into more faithful, healthy, and effective communities of faith that are: Focused on and faithful to their unique reason for being—their primary task—as congregations to be the local expressions of the Body of Christ; Connected to and expressive of their unique ecclesial tradition, ethos, and character; Self-renewing and responsive to the challenges and opportunities before them; Sustainable, or working toward greater sustainability in terms of a fit between the elements of their organizational life: vision for ministry, leadership, culture, size, property, finances, etc.; Fostering a culture of transparency, courage, flexibility, collaboration, and forgiveness in which the congregation and its leaders have a greater sense of choice.”

It’s a big definition to be sure, but it cannot be said that the definition doesn’t give one a sense of what the College is working to achieve!
This year, the six-day intensive gathering consisted of readings, presentations, experiential exercises, application activities, and at least one back-home project. It also included a field trip to a local congregation to learn about the ways in which they welcome individuals and families into their midst.

This year, Jill and Rev. Johanna were part of a small group that visited St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fairport, New York. They learned a lot about how St. Luke’s reached out to people in their neighborhood. One creative way they did so was by providing a “Leave-A-Book, Take-A-Book” like box at the entrance to their playground. But, instead of books, they offered disposable diapers, water, band-aids, shelf-stable snacks, and disinfectant wipes!

It was inspiring for Rev. Johanna and Jill to hear about St. Luke’s hopes and dreams as a community of faith. During the conversation, they learned that St. Luke’s was a lot like Trinity — they are really good at serving God by feeding people!

As the coming months unfold, Jill, Steve, Susan, and Rev. Johanna are looking forward to sharing their learning with the community at Trinity. Most of our sharing will happen in the midst of other meetings as you see us using the tools we learned at the College. Some of the learning will happen in small group conversations as we share our learning around important topics such as Voice, Power, and Influence in Congregations.

You will also hear—if you haven’t already— a lot about our working collaboratively together as we continue to seek to strengthen our ministries at Trinity.

Jill, Steve, Susan, and Rev. Johanna hope you find their learning as interesting and helpful as they do! And, please, if you want to know more about the work of the College, just tap one of them on the shoulder and ask! They would be happy to share something of our experience and learning with you…