The West Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, whose mission is to Discover, Develop, and Deploy passionate spiritual leaders who make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, is launching an exciting new initiative this week!
In order to breathe a Christ-led spiritual breath of fresh air into our leaders and congregations we are launching the Congregational Vitality Initiative.
This initiative is designed to provide resources and support to leaders, both laity and clergy, along with congregations of all sizes and types throughout the West Virginia Conference.
Each element of this initiative is voluntary on the part of the church or leader. While all the elements are designed to work together to help spur us on to greater vitality, they are also of value individually or in the combination best suited for you and your ministry.
This initiative is built on the following strong foundations:
- The Great Commission of Matthew 28: 18-20:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- The West Virginia United Methodist Church mission and our focus on discipleship and leadership:
Our Mission is to discover, develop, and deploy passionate spiritual leaders who make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
- Our Conference Leadership Standards and the principles of Loving, Learning, and Leading.
Vital Congregations Are:
- Spirit-filled, forward-leaning communities of believers that welcome all people (Gal. 3:28)
- Places where disciples of Jesus Christ are made through the power of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18-20)
- Communities that serve like Christ through justice and mercy ministries (Micah 6:8, Luke 4:17-21)
The initial elements of our Congregational Vitality Initiative focus on the following elements:
- Coaching
- Leadership development
- Church self-study
- Church survey
- Mystery guests
- Workshops.
Many of these elements are available now for all churches throughout our conference, other elements will be going online in the months to come.
Click here to download a copy of our Congregational Vitality Initiative brochure which you can share with others in your church.
We encourage you to visit our Congregational Vitality Initiative page and prayerfully discern the next steps for you and your ministry. We are committed to partnering with you on the journey to ensure all our churches are vital members of their mission field and to reach ONE more for God’s Kingdom.
Questions? Contact Ken Willard