Check back for more information about revitalization efforts in the New Jersey District.
Questions? Contact Anthony Steinbronn at the District Office.
For a one-page overview of the monthly Learning Community table of contents, along with the assigned book to be read for that month's session, click here.
Congregational self-study document (data that must be gathered at least four weeks before a weekend consultation and a copy sent to the Lead Consultant and to each person in the consultation team)
Congregational self-assessment exercise (for pastor and lay leaders to be taken at least three weeks before a weekend consultation with all of the copies sent to the Lead Consultant for analysis)
The pastor's survey is to be completed at least two weeks before a weekend consultation and sent to the Lead Consultant for analysis
The leaders' survey is to be completed by each elected leader of the congregation and sent, at least two weeks before a weekend consultation, to the Lead Consultant for analysis
A copy of a powerpoint presentation, for you to download and use, that presents an overview of MOTIVATED FOR MISSION. Motivated for Mission is to be conducted by the leaders of the congregation BEFORE a weekend consultation takes place so that they are familiar with this mission emphasis of Transforming Congregations; the majority of the congregation will participate in MOTIVATED FOR MISSION during session five of the congregational phase of the learning community.
As of May 2011, nine congregations have experienced a weekend consultation: Good Shepherd, Point Pleasant; Bethlehem, Ridgewood; Holy Cross, Mahwah; Holy Cross, Bordentown; Calvary, Verona; Holy Trinity, Somerset; St. Peter, Hopewell; Redeemer, Westfield; Grace, Livingston. There are four learning communities who meet monthly in order read and discuss a recommended book, talk about various aspects of congregational life and mission, and work on an applied component of transformational change in their ministry. There are also several gifted men who serve as coaches to New Jersey pastors and congregations: Dave Hildebrandt, Bob Kuppler, Gene Partlow, Dick Izzard, Dave Born and Dave Hyatt; as coaches who are coaching others in ministry, they likewise are being coached by a coach on a regular basis plus all have attended the required two training workshops at the national level.
Twenty-six pastors have participated in a learning community; of these, SIXTEEN have completed the first series of materials and are more than halfway through the second series; five pastors have nearly completed the first series of materials, and five pastors have withdrawn. A significant challenge for parish pastors is the large amount of reading that they have done so far plus keeping up with their pastoral duties and, for ten pastors, working on the consultation prescriptions from their weekend visit.
However, President Klettke recognizes that not all congregations of the New Jersey District have chosen to be part of this transformational process; consequently he, along with other District staff, have encouraged these non-participating congregations to have the District staff visit them on a Saturday or Sunday of their choosing in order to engage in a spiritual and physical assessment of the congregation and its property, with fraternal discussion regarding congregational identity and mission, worship, communion attendance, evangelism, education, sound stewardship, purity of doctrine, and the strengthening the bond of fellowship between the District and congregational leaders.
In terms of the District investment, both financial and human, in transforming participating NJD congregations, the New Jersey District has committed itself to providing: (1) all of the books that are required reading for the PASTORS' LEARNING COMMUNITY (with the congregation being responsible for providing its own books for the CONGREGATIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY); (2) one year of monthly coaching for the congregation's pastor by a Transforming Churches Network (TCN) trained and certified coach; and (3) TCN trained and certified consultants for the intensive weekend consultation plus presenters for the DAY OF REPENTANCE and DAY OF ENVISIONING. The average financial investment cost per congregation by the New Jersey District would be $4,000 -- $200 for books, $1,200 for coaching, and $2,600 for the consultants and presenters (non-District staff are the only ones to be compensated for this ministry).