Rediscover the treasure
You love your church.
You are one of those people, the kind who know God shows up in church. Sure, God shows himself in nature, in others, in books, in all sorts of ways. But, you know church is the special place. Church is where God has chosen to manifest himself most clearly, most articulately, most definitely. You’ve experienced this. You know this.
But … something is now missing. Maybe you’ve sensed it since so-and-so left. Maybe it’s the new ways conflicting with the old ways. Maybe that treasure you found so easily at church is just getting harder to find. It’s a nagging thought you’ve had, and it’s been growing over time. And maybe, just maybe, that’s God.
You know your church can be a better vehicle for God.
You’re not alone. We believe God’s Spirit is touching your heart. We believe God is moving in the parishes of our diocese, raising new leaders, putting questions into people’s minds and hearts, calling forward people passionate about Him and His revelation to each parish community.
Rise up. Look around you. Bring with you two or three others. Commit to your parish, and come experience DCDI.
It is a retreat, a renewal, a journey you will take with God, with Bishop Little, with diocesan staff, and with others across northern Indiana. It will transform you and your parish. It will help you rediscover that treasure.
The Diocesan Congregational Development Institute is a two-year journey for individuals or teams from parishes across northern Indiana. It seeks to equip Christians to lead in the renewal of parish life and ministry, opening themselves and others to God’s Spirit and God’s call to be His Body in our world.
Example
From the fourth pew at Trinity, downtown Fort Wayne…
An interview with Kelley Renz
“I said I didn’t have time, but now that it is over, I miss it,” she says of her DCDI experience. She’s just finishing the formatting of a two-year undertaking, a pictorial directory for the parish, spearheaded by Carol Johnston, Debra Haley, and her. She knows it will continue to touch the parish in many ways, not only showing various groups who live in the same zip codes ministry opportunities, but also calling forward people in the parish who want to call on those on the roster who didn’t come forward for pictures: are they okay? Is there a problem that can be ministered to? might they return if someone shows concern?
“I wasn’t sure what I was getting into,” she continues, “but knowing I was going to get to pray with other people, focus on God in our lives, and get away for an overnighter four times a year just sounded ideal.”
And ideal it was. “Sure, we had to do some reading, some preparing, learning how best to organize, lead, and deal with difficulties in organizations, but we also got to hear one another’s faith stories. We got to see how God moves in one another’s lives. I feel so much stronger and supported knowing that there are so many other people who want to put God first, who want church to make a substantial difference not only in our lives but in the communities we live in.”
Kelley isn’t stopping with the pictorial directory. She plans on using what she has learned at DCDI to spark other outreaches. She wants to start a group for survivors of childhood abuse, and she is talking to another parishioner about an outreach to women in prison.
“I knew I wanted to do these things,” she says. “Participating in DCDI gave me the tools and the confidence to put that knowledge into action.”