Preacher Dave on the upcoming HOPE Visit
By Rev. David Wilson Rogers | May 2, 2014
Church Transformation is exciting stuff. It is also scary stuff. It is, however, really important. Research and history shows that churches have predictable lifecycles. They are born, they grow, they plateau, and then they decline. The timeframe does vary significantly from church to church, but the overall trend is very consistent across all traditions, denominations, and congregations.
Near the end of a period of decline, the difference between closing the church and starting a new cycle of new growth comes down to a simple matter of transformation. This is a very powerful time of prayerful discernment, spiritual exploration, and active searching for the answer to one very important question. “What is God really calling our church congregation be in Carlsbad?”
This is no easy question to ask. Yet, the answer is within our grasp and I am very excited to be on the threshold of working with everyone here to discern it. This time of transformation will be amazingly wonderful!
When we first explored the process I was already excited to be venturing down this wonderful path, but I knew, along with the task force that first developed the idea for us and the Board who unanimously approved the process, that we would do best to bring in someone from the Denomination that could lead us down the exciting path of discovery. When I learned that person would be the Rev. Sandhya Jah, I was absolutely elated! I have met Sandhya on several occasions, enjoyed her powerful preaching, and attended workshops where she was the facilitator and speaker. Hosting Sandhya in Carlsbad will be a blessing beyond imagination.
It is also important to say very clearly what they Sandhya and the HOPE team are here to do, and what they are NOT here to do. The team will be listening to us, learning what we hope, dream, and desire for this church, understanding the struggles we face, learning about Carlsbad and the nature of Christian ministry in our community, and developing an understanding of who we really are. In future visits they will be helping us face the challenges and nurturing us in the process of seeking God’s will for our church. The team will NOT be telling us what to do or making us run this church in any particular way. Ultimately those choices will fall between us and God.
Please make it a priority to be a part of the initial listening session on Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary so you can be a part of our church’s future.
—Dave