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     Many of our churches are entering into periods of transition. Pastors are moving to new ministries. Other pastors are retiring. As a result, many of our congregations are experiencing the angst that goes along with the reality of facing an unknown future.

     The first impulse of congregations, of course, is to alleviate the anxiety, which means to have another pastor in place immediately if not sooner. For those congregations that are federated, or yoked with United Methodist congregations, the immediate impulse is to have the Methodist District Superintendent appoint a pastor to that particular church or parish. For Presbyterian congregations the impulse is to find the first person available who is breathing, ambulatory, and has a Bible to come on board to do the ministerial functions of the church.

     What is lost in these initial reactions to a vacant pulpit, if quick fix options are pursued, is the opportunity to engage in a season of prayer and discernment to see what it is God has in store for the congregation, for the congregation to be transformed by its relationship with God, and to respond to God’s action in this time and place by changing their priorities to God’s priorities and engaging in God’s mission in a new way. The mission to which God has called us, Our Mission, is to be the Body of Christ in the world by worshiping God in spirit and in truth, making disciples and caring for those disciples, and inviting others in our communities to join us in our mission as disciples of Jesus Christ.

     The key to truly being free to follow Jesus in the mission set before a congregation, though, is to quit focusing on what the congregation needs. The good news of the gospel is that God already knows what a congregation needs, and God has promised in his Word to fulfill those needs. But to trust God to that extent, to take the risk of surrendering everything to God in faith, is really, really scary. It means that a congregation must acknowledge, as our Confessions tell us over and over again, that “in life and in death we belong to God.” It means that we must quit worrying about what we need and focus on what God has for us to do in God’s service and to his glory.

     It has been my experience that when congregations quit worrying about what they need they find a new life that is completely dependent upon Jesus Christ. They encounter the living God in power, and they are spiritually transformed. They are set FREE to immerse themselves in mission to and beyond the communities in which they are located.

     All of us are aware of the fundamental challenges facing our congregations in the Presbytery of the Northern Plains:

•     Declining population in rural areas

•     Economic downturns impacting agricultural communities

•     The inability of small, rural congregations, or small, urban, congregations, to meet the sometimes prohibitive cost of sustaining an ordained pastor

•    The lack of distinction between the church and the culture in which it lives – the “so what?” factor

•     The dawning recognition that one size of ministry doesn’t fit all churches

•     The poor connection, or disconnection, between local congregations and the presbytery and higher governing bodies.

           The task before us, as the Presbytery of the Northern Plains, is to seek God’s will for us in the face of these challenges.

           A favorite movie of mine is “Castaway,” starring Tom Hanks. The movie tells the story of how a business executive survives alone on a remote island after a plane crash at sea. What Hanks’ character in the movie did to not only survive, but overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenges he faced is, I believe, instructive for us.

           The first thing the Castaway did was to discern a plan of action – a mission. This began with the simple task of finding something to eat, and ended with a plan to build a raft and sail away from the island. What I find remarkable is that the Castaway managed to accomplish this as a result of his own ingenuity and effort, without any outside help, other than what seeming chance made available to him. Imagine what a congregation might be able to accomplish if it calls upon the power of God in prayer to help it not only identify the mission before it, but also trust God to provide everything it needs to accomplish that mission.

           The second thing the Castaway did was to inventory his resources. He went looking for what was missing in order to make his mission a success. And he was grateful for what he had (Remember the soccer ball?). It is important for congregations to search for the resources they need to accomplish their mission. The good news is that most of the resources needed are right in front of their noses! The opportunities for ministry and mission, and the resources needed to accomplish that mission, have already been provided by God. To be grateful to God for what has been provided teaches a congregation to trust that what God has provided in the past and present God will continue to provide in the future.

     But in order for a congregation to unwrap the gift of faith needed to set out in mission, the leaders of that congregation must have already glimpsed the possibility for mission that God is revealing. To truly lead, leaders must be challenged to stretch themselves beyond what they believed they could be stretched. They must be creative, having the faith and courage to push into uncharted and unknown territory, to be willing to take the risk of failure. Such leaders must be proactive rather than reactive, anticipating obstacles before they appear and planning for ways to overcome those obstacles.

     A pastor may be able to help congregational leaders move a congregation into God’s future. A pastor may be able to equip those leaders to lead. But the pastor cannot be the sole leader of a congregation. That calling belongs to those whom God has called to service in the congregation, and whom the congregation has recognized as having been called.

     One thing I tell congregations as they begin their search for a pastor is to discern who they are as the people of God in that place; to ask what it is God is calling them to do and be as disciples of Jesus Christ. And once they have discovered the answer to those questions, then the Presbytery will work tirelessly to help them identify the person whom God has already called to be their pastor and to help them fulfill THEIR mission and ministry.

     You see, sisters and brothers, the ministry of the church is never about what the particular congregation needs. God has taken care of that. The ministry of the church is about the mission a particular congregation is called to, and how a congregation, in absolute reliance upon God, is freed to engage in that mission.

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