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Connectional Table Talks: A December series about Vital Congregations
December 8, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
This month, the Connectional Table will host a month-long series on Vital Congregations and the Four Areas of Focus for The United Methodist Church as part of the #CTTalks online forum.
Beginning with a post on Dec. 1, a new video will be posted each week that explores how vital congregations are aligning their attention, energy, and resources in ways that are bearing fruit in the Four Areas of Focus: engaging in ministry with the poor, improving global health, developing principled Christian leaders, and creating new and renewed congregations.
You can find the videos by clicking here.
The Connectional Table oversees the coordination of mission, ministries and resources across the denomination by serving as both the visioning body of the Church and the steward of resources to carry out the vision of the denomination worldwide.
Vital Congregations is a ministry of the Upper New York Conference led by the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens. This ministry comes alongside congregations to help them be places that develop disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
“Vital congregations are so important to the health of our Church,” Rev. Bouwens said. “They feature inviting and inspiring worship; engaged disciples in mission and outreach; and gifted, empowered, and equipped lay leadership, among several other attributes. Without these vital congregations, vital ministries such as our Four Areas of Focus will never reach their full potential.”
The Rev. Dr. Amy Valdez Barker, executive secretary of The Connectional Table, agrees with Rev. Bouwens’ statement, saying: “Creating vital congregations is part of our mission. It is who we are. In these communities of faith, we know people are coming to know Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The voices guiding the conversation on this topic will be Bishop Sally Dyck of the Northern Illinois Conference, leader of the Vital Congregations collaboration group, along with the General Board of Global Ministries’ General Secretary Thomas Kemper, and Bishop Rodolfo Alfonso Juan of the Manila Episcopal Area.