Reviving the Holy Trinity: Church, School, & Library
Thanks to Diana Butler Bass for her brilliant blog post, which inspired this Great Idea.
In a recent Cottage post, Diana Butler Bass shared her memories of church, school, and library, underscoring why each was a significant part of the social capital the made her who she is. Quoting the Oxford dictionary, she defines social capital as, ‘the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively’.
She acknowledges that these institutions are by no means perfect nor have they participated in a perfect history. But she affirms that they are essential to a better future – which is why she bemoans that they have been intentionally ‘scapegoated and purposefully shredded for malevolent purposes’.
Read Diana Butler Bass’s full post here.
What’s to be done?
Affirm the power, importance, beauty, and purpose of your congregation through community interviews, congregational visioning, theological reflection and grounding, and asset mapping. Innovation Lab ‘s Community Discovery Package provides you with the tools and processes you need for each of these.
Find additional ideas, tools, and resources for strengthening identity, vision, and purpose in our Vision, Mission, Identity, Dying lib guide.
If internal division is a primary barrier to innovation and growth, Innovation Lab’s Navigating a Church Split may help.
Find additional resources for navigating Change/Conflict in our lib guide.
Avoid a split by developing congregational resilience and a culture of innovation. The Ministry Lab’s ED, Emily Meyer, is an Innovation Lab certified facilitator of their Innovation Culture Index (ICI), which supports developing a shared vocabulary, identifies barriers to innovation, and offers tips on dismantling those barriers to move forward with transformative ministries.
The first 10 Ministry Lab member congregations to take the ICI can do so for free!
The ICI can be taken alone, or can begin involvement in a cohort of congregations moving toward more innovative, transformational ministries. The Innovation Lab’s next cohort launches January, 2024. Applications are being taken now. Join our November 7, Where Is God in Transformation? webinar to learn more or contact Emily Meyer if you’ve got questions or interest.
Find additional ideas and support in our Reimagining Church lib guide, which includes (among other approaches):
The Ministry Lab exists to support innovative, transformational ministries – and the cultural shifts that may need to happen first! Member congregations enjoy unlimited free consultations around next steps, specific resources, and creative ideation. Contact us to take advantage of this support!!
Not a member? You can become one today!
