news article
From the Advocate: Next Step sessions help participants love, grow, serve
March 1, 2016 / By Pastor Wayne Clemens
Click below to read the full Advocate online.
As a new faith community of The United Methodist Church in the Upper New York Conference, one of CenterPoint Christian Fellowship’s greatest challenges has been the identification and development of potential leadership within this newly formed faith community.
What began eight years ago as a dream and vision of a handful of faithful folks from various United Methodist churches in the Barneveld area of the Mohawk District, has blossomed into a vibrant and growing faith community of approximately 75 Christ-followers focused upon the mission and vision that God has provided to us: “Love … Grow … Serve … ”
What we discovered as we participated in a Path1 Launchpad Church Plant Training with the Rev. Paul Nixon just over two years ago was a simple vision that God had provided through that weekend’s visioning process. We began a vision timeline that assisted us in clearly defining the vision, mission, and purpose God had for us.
CenterPoint’s mission, vision, purpose, and process grew from that weekend. They are all one and the same, are easily remembered, and can be clearly defined by the members of the faith community.
- To love God and others
- Grow together in community
- Serve our neighbors and the world
How that gets fleshed out in the life of the church is made manifest through a variety of community ministries, worship opportunities, growth group involvement, and outreach that CenterPoint provides through the many gifted leaders that have been nurtured through the “Next Step” process.
The “Next Step” sessions are a six-week, pastor-led, discussion group designed for both the guest who may be wondering “Okay, I’m here at worship every Sunday, what do I do next?” as well as the member who may have been in leadership for some time, but might sense a call to grow or to serve in a greater way. The process helps us to define what step we might currently be on and/or what step God may be calling us to take next.
The first three weeks are focused on the three aspects of CenterPoint’s mission and vision: “Love … Grow … Serve … ” We discuss what each of these steps mean for us as we continue to take steps with each other on this journey of faith. The last three weeks are designated to assist participants in discovering how God may be calling them to take the next step in faith by participating in a spiritual gifts inventory. This provides not only an opportunity for the participant to ascertain the gifts they may see in themselves, but also allows them to discover the gifts that others may see in them.
This process has been instrumental in the recent leadership development and growth we are seeing at CenterPoint. Of the 35-40 current or past faith community leaders and team members, more than half have been identified and/or nurtured through the “Next Step” process. The clarity discovered through these next steps is so powerful that one of the “Next Step” participants recently heard and answered the call to pastoral ministry through this process and now serves as the pastor at a nearby faith community.
CenterPoint’s current administrative board chair Timothy Lavier shares the importance of the “Next Step”:
The Next Step class turned out to be an important missing piece of my faith journey that I didn’t even know I was missing. This class was exactly what I needed to move forward and grasp the mission statement that we are living into: “Love … Grow … Serve … ” I consider this class a vital part of my faith journey that is Holy Spirt-filled and that will nudge you out of your comfort zone for greater results. It empowers you into the soul-searching and honest evaluation of your spiritual gifts that God so gracefully provides in order for us to serve Him. The greatest commandment is love. This class is based on love, through worship, prayer, and fellowship. It reminds us to love God and others enough to learn how we can grow. Growing is sometimes difficult because it can be uncomfortable stepping out, and we don’t always recognize our own spiritual gifts. This class is designed to teach us how to recognize our gifts and grow in community and spirit together. You are never alone. What good is a gift if it isn’t opened up and put to use? These classes will unwrap those spiritual gifts. You will learn how your peers observe your strengths, even if you don’t see them for yourself. This class will guide you toward using those spiritual gifts to their full potential to serve God and others. If you are feeling a bit comfortable, but also feeling like you need to know God more and want to draw closer to His love, take this Next Step class, identify your spiritual gifts, and use them to serve God. You will not regret it. Peace above all understanding will fill your soul.
Barbara Mezzanini, who sensed God’s calling to serve as CenterPoint’s lay leader, clearly heard that call through the “Next Step” process. Here is how she describes it:
I really wanted to do more to serve God, my church, and the community, [but I was] not really sure what I could do or how I start, except to begin with prayer. God answered my prayer with our Next Step program. It helped me see things in myself and more surprisingly the abilities and talents others saw in me – obvious to them, but not to me. Guided by the Holy Spirit, I had the courage and ability to step out of my comfort zone. I am now blessed to be the lay leader, to lead Bible study and small study groups.
So, as you can see, the “Next Step” sessions are an exciting way to help us to move from pew to purpose, to go from recipient to participant, to fully live into the life that God is calling us to, and to live that life out alongside our sisters and brothers in Christ as we focus on the mission, “To love God and others ... grow together in community … and serve our neighbors and the world … ” and in so doing, going, and being, we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. All glory to God!
Pastor Wayne Clemens is senior pastor at the new faith community CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Barneveld.
What is Launchpad?
Launchpad was created by Path 1 as a boot camp for United Methodist church planters in the Northeastern Jurisdiction. It is two days of hands-on training for lead planters and members of their leadership teams. Intended outcome is for leaders and their teams to leave the event with a detailed plan for the next six months of their church plant.Who is Launchpad for?
Launchpad is ideal for any new faith community plant that is in any stage of pre-launch planning or in
its first 6-12 months of launch. Lead planters should attend, and bring at least one to three team members with them. There will be both English- and Spanish-language training offered.What learning style will be employed?
Some Launchpad materials are presented through lecture style, some via conversation around tables. The best learning comes through networking with other planters. And there is time given for planting teams to process information, vision, and plan together.Who are the presenters?
The jurisdiction event is led by Paul Nixon and other Path 1 leaders. The Conference event is led by Upper New York New Faith Communities Director the Rev. Dave Masland, and members of the NFC team, such as the Revs. Bill Vallet, Carlos Rosa-Laguer, and Jose Rodriguez.What about this year?
Path 1 offers a Launchpad event every summer somewhere in the Northeastern Jurisdiction. However, the timing of this does not meet the needs of many of Upper New York’s new faith communities that plan to launch in the spring or summer. Because of this, starting this February, after receiving training and materials from Path 1, a team of leaders from Upper New York will offer Launchpad within the bounds of the Conference. This year’s event was held Feb. 5-7 in Liverpool.