Critical Church Conversations

https://faithandleadership.com/north-carolina-nonprofit-helps-churches-convert-property-liabilities-assets

In September of 2019 I was appointed to pastor St. Peter's AME Church in Minneapolis, MN. The transition from Chicago has been slow but smooth and I've found the church to be a warm, welcoming group of Christ followers. 

Like many mainline denominational churches St. Peter's is experiencing a shift. The surrounding community is changing. The membership is aging. And the climate around religion in America continues to shift. As we imagine who God is calling us to be in this season some questions have emerged. 

One of which is: "what would our church look like if we began to think of ourselves as existing, not simply in our community, but for our community's good? The article posted here talks about asset based community development and the importance of using the gifts, tools, and resources our churches already posses to transform, not only our congregations, but the communities around us. 

The question we have been wrestling with at St. Peter's is this: "if we were to move or close our doors tomorrow, would the community/neighborhood/city miss us?" This rhetorical question is designed to stimulate our thinking about our role in the community and our ability to meet the needs of the people around us. 

We have a divine mandate to love our neighbor as ourselves. Love, like faith, without works is dead. At St. Peter's we are striving to become a church that loves God and seeks radical ways to love God's people.