One part of my work in the Town Square Collaborative is Congregational Formation
(If you'd like to read about our beginnings, please click this link to the press release:
The purpose of this program, and its various components, is to equip congregations for thriving by helping them reclaim their theological heritage in the form of the 6 Great Ends of the Church (found in our Book of Order),
F-1.0304 The great ends of the Church are:
the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship;
the preservation of the truth;
the promotion of social righteousness; and
the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world;
and re-imagine how to live out those Great Ends, as who they are and where they are, at this moment, and with hope for the future.
Our ultimate hope is for congregations to be equipped with theological language through the 6 Great Ends, to be encouraged in imagining and re-imagining how to live out the faith of that language, and to be connected to their communities and the congregations of the Presbytery of Arkansas
We want congregations to learn about themselves, as churches of Jesus Christ; learn about and rediscover their communities; and build a connection with that community. We also want them to join in cohorts with other churches, for camaraderie, inspiration, and encouragement in that work.
The elements of Congregational Formation for Town Square Collaborative are: Core Identity, Community, Connection, and Cohorts
We help small-town and rural congregations engage in Congregational Formation through the M.U.S.I.C. Framework
To read more details about, and express in interest in joining, the M.U.S.I.C. framework track for Congregational Formation, click here: M.U.S.I.C. Framework