On January 29, 1986, I took part in a continuing education program at the Toronto School of Theology that our feature article would describe as thinking outside the pew. One of the events was a visit to the home of a pastor who was leading his congregation to experiment with innovative ministries.
I remember the time vividly because when we arrived at his home, the pastor greeted us with a somber face and led us into his living room. His TV was broadcasting a special news report that told us that the tenth mission of the space shuttle Challenger had ended in tragic disaster. We were horrified as we watched the explosion on the TV screen.
After a time of somber reflection, the conversation turned to our host’s ministry and his ideas. I believe that some were similar to the five innovations described in our feature.
I particularly remember one intriguing concept that he speculated about. What would it be like to use specially equipped congregations as centres for the formation of pastors rather than doing this though seminaries?
He said that he believed that every congregation had at least a few members with the imagination required to dream up innovative ideas for the congregation’s ministry. A bigger problem was getting the congregation to actually try one of the ideas.
However the biggest problem was that, if the innovation failed, most congregations would simply quit dreaming and shut down their imaginations, unwilling to try something else.
In his ministry he was trying to get the congregation to be willing to fail, learn from what happened and then trysomething else; again and again and again as long as necessary.
It was only 34 years later as I was editing our feature that I realized that his experience and that of the outcome of the Challenger disaster provide the same message.
The members of the crew who went up in that shuttle were courageous people. As does every traveller into space, they knew that their safe return could not be guaranteed. Still there are those who continue to venture forth. Each mission is carefully evaluated. The next builds on what was learned and then they try again.
There have always been those among us who have the vision and the imagination to think beyond the pew. Once in a while some of us find the courage to help them find a way to make the whole thing find its wings and take off.
Glimpses
Anya Hageman’s solution for housing the homeless is one that some of us likely pondered and found many reasons or excuses not to try. You’ll discover what happened when she invited a couple of them into her home, p. 9.
Every year the temptation of Christ begins and shapes our Lenten journey. Trials, temptations and evil, p. 31, provides ideas to carry and study along the way.
No matter what form the bread you receive at Holy Communion, A loaf of bread, p. 15, will give you something to chew on.
Kenn Ward, Editor
Loading ...