Missional Church In Practice - Church Innovations Helps Renew Us In Mission
By Keith Weaver

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Recently, I had the opportunity to spend time with the staff of Church Innovations. They were eager to understand in real terms how their research and consulting, especially the Partnership for Missional Church, were shaping the life of the church in the Lancaster Mennonite Conference, in my experience. Their questions forced me to stop and reflect - what is different from the way it was before we began our work together?

One of the most important results of our partnership with CI has been the recovery of a will to lead on the part of the governing body. A shift to a congregational polity in the 80’s left middle judicatory leaders feeling sidelined and unsure of their place in the system. CI staff helped leaders recover a sense of their God-given call to lead the conference in missional transformation.

Perhaps this one change, rediscovering our call to lead, has been the most powerful effect of CI for me as I function in my role as Moderator (Executive Director). The board’s trust in CI staff provided a sufficient backstop, emotionally and pragmatically, to embolden me for the leadership I needed to give in a season of change and conflict. Our system has shown many hopeful signs that we have overcome inertia and are beginning to experience missional transformation.

Additionally, CI has equipped us with a range of capacity-building tools for growing healthier, missional congregations. The Partnership for Missional Church is proving to be a very effective way of helping congregations discover and embrace their missional calling. We have used the Growing Healthier Congregations process to work through several very challenging issues with remarkable success. Strategic planning with Robust Church Development created a crucial link between our vision and the action needed.

That we have been privileged to have the support of CI through this season of missional transformation has been a grace of God’s Spirit. I look forward to a shared journey of learning as we mutually discover God’s intended future for our respective organizations.