Discussion guide for February 2024 issue

In praise of Messy Church by Jenny McDevitt 

Questions:

1. When you read the title of the article “Messy Church,” what were some first thoughts or images that came to your mind?
2. What in the article triggered your imagination? What inspired you to consider implementing in your church’s ministry? What questions were raised?
3. When you consider what is traditionally seen as a Presbyterian Reformed liturgy, what elements do you see present in the Messy Church “liturgy?” What elements are missing? What changes would you make?

My love letter to pastors by Bobbi Kaye Jones

Questions:

1. If you are a pastor, or one who loves your pastor, how do you respond to Bobbi Kaye’s letter?
2. The author states “You cannot heal America’s divide.” What can you and your church do to help toward healing the divide?
3. Jones concludes the letter with three asks, two reminders, and one thing I learned along the way. Which of the five items do you find most helpful? Why? How can the truth of that statement affect your ministry?

Reaching the Beloved Community through agape love by Leslie Ann Earles and Debra J. Mumford

Questions:

1. What has been your understanding of agape love? How has this article confirmed, challenged or expanded your understanding of agape love?
2. What are some conflicts you and/or your church have experienced? How were the conflicts addressed? What were some consequences of the conflicts?
3. The authors refer to the “bell of mindfulness” from the Buddhist tradition, which invites us to pause, to slow down to be open to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and guidance. How workable do you think that advice is for facing conflict?
4. As you reflect on the key points of this article, what do you find to be most helpful? What are some insights that may be helpful to you when encountering conflict?

In defense of the common congregation by Scott Hagley

Questions:

1. What are some learnings, surprises and challenges that have arisen for you as you read and reflected on this article?
2. The author writes about Allenside Presbyterian Church. What insights gleaned from Allenside’s ministry are relevant to your church’s setting and ministry?
3. Is your church a “common congregation,” or are you familiar with one? What assets does such a church have? How can those assets be employed for the benefit of the community in which it is located?
4. On page 22, reread the paragraph that begins, “For several decades social scientists and political theorists …” To what extent is your neighborhood, or your church’s neighborhood, experiencing lower levels of volunteerism and/or higher levels of inequality? How would you describe the health of the neighborhoods? What responses do you think the church can or should make to the issues?

Navigating politics and grief in a new era of ministry by Eileen Campbell Reed

Questions:

1. In what ways has congregational life and ministry changed in your congregation since the beginning
   of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2000?
2. The author writes about experiencing grief caused by losses during the pandemic. If there were experiences of grief among congregants and/or pastors in your congregation, how did the grief manifest itself? How was the grief addressed?
3. The author writes about the work of a seminary student planning a retreat for youth in which she led them in a process of naming their experiences of grief. How might such a model of leadership be helpful to ministry in your church?
4. The concluding sentence of the article is “When we prioritize and ritualize our loss and griefs, we do the spiritual work of finding our way in a politically challenging world and a new era of ministry.” What are some ways you can imagine the pastors and lay leaders of your church responding to such a challenge?