Becoming a Blessed Church: Stories: Index of Stories

Story One: Study Group

Story Two: Church Renewal

Story Three: New Pastor

Story Four: Peer Group

Story Five: Blessedness

Story Six: Instrument of Change

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Story One: Study Group

In-Depth Book Study Group

Our book study group of 8 - 10 people meets an hour and a half each week. It is made up almost entirely of major leaders of the church. So the books we choose to study both reflect important values of the church leadership, and also develop leaders' thinking about those values. We choose books on topics that we want to think more deeply about. We chose Graham Standish's Becoming a Blessed Church from a group of about five or six books that I brought in for the group to consider. Most were Alban publications. After a careful review of each book’s style and substance, Becoming a Blessed Church "won" hands down with this group this time.

Currently we are still studying Becoming a Blessed Church. Our method is to discuss a portion of our current book, going through it page by page, asking if there are any parts of the author's writing that anyone has underlined as significant, for which we'd like to invite the group's attention. Occasionally I’ll ask the group to look at the material more in overview. For example, I might ask, "Of the seven qualities of leaders that Standish identifies, which quality do you think is a strong suite for you, and which comes hardest for you?" Occasionally we use Standish's suggested discussion questions at the end of a chapter -- but not always.

Previous books we've read have included Becoming a Contagious Christian, and The Purpose Driven Life. Standish's book is far and away the most "chewy" text we've studied thus far. We average a pace of about 2 - 4 pages per week. With other books I would be climbing the wall with such a slow pace. However, Standish's book is so satisfying and worthwhile that we feel we are taking it at the pace that the group prefers. Because the material is so valuable and thought-developing, they want to take enough time with each valuable idea. The group says they have particularly grown in appreciation of engagement with God in each person of the trinity.

Rev. Ellen H.G. Culpepper
Centennial Christian Church, Disciples of Christ
Bloomington, Illinois

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Story Two: Church Renewal

Recommended Reading for Church Renewal

I have always believed the Triune God was at work in my congregation and through my ministry; Graham Standish has helped me see an experience it. The garden-fresh expression of faith and vision in Becoming a Blessed Church has made me more attentive to the purpose, presence and power of God at work in the church. In the appendix, Graham has provided me with a variety of “gardening tools” for cultivating a congregation that feeds on the life-giving springs of the Trinity. I find these tools easy to adapt to my context: the session agenda, with its focus on prayer and discernment, the outlines for discerning God’s purpose, in a broad sense and for particular issues, and the stewardship and nominating materials are especially helpful. I am delighted with the guidelines offered for healing prayer, a ministry which is being fruitfully explored by a growing number of mainline churches. Blessed Church is now the first book I recommend for pastors or church leaders who are looking for ways to open their congregations to spiritual renewal.

Rev. Michael J. Hoyt, Pastor,
Glenshaw Presbyterian Church, Glenshaw, PA

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Story Three: New Pastor

Becoming the Church We’re Called to Be

Becoming a Blessed Church has made a significant impact on our congregation.

As a new pastor, the congregational expectations to create one needs-based program after another is overwhelming. After an eight week study of Becoming a Blessed Church the leaders are now aware that we are a unique part of the Body of Christ and we have a unique calling in our area. Dr. Standish’s book provided the method to learn and discuss the movement of the Holy Spirit and our participation through Jesus Christ as we follow God’s mission for the Church. While there is great hope for the future as we seek God’s will for our congregation, there is also a new awareness that small churches are not necessarily called to be large churches and run large church programs. There is a new sense of self-respect for who we are as a congregation as we become aware of how God has blessed us in the past and as we look forward to becoming a “Blessed Church” in the future.

The book has given us a foundation from which to build. Now it is up to us to implement and act on what we have learned. It will be a struggle for some because they are accustomed to leading by their functionalism. I believe enough of us see the difference now and will make a concerted effort to lead by the nudging of the Holy Spirit

Rev. Colleen Molinaro
United Presbyterian Church, Follansbee, West Virginia

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Story Four: Peer Group

A Guide for Group Study

There is much to like about this book. It is written clearly, with well developed thoughts, and with obvious enthusiasm for the subject. Most importantly for me, it touches on what I have come to believe is so often missing in our ministry, and in our churches that we serve. That missing element is knowing, feeling, sensing the spiritual power of God in all that we do as a community of faith. It seems to me that Dr. Standish has come to grips with a way of putting the spiritual back into the religious life that we have been called to embrace. This is something of a “how to achieve success” book, and yet it is full of the struggles, the imperfections, the frustrations, and the disappointments of life in the church parish. Perhaps one of the aspects of this book that I like the most is his ability to concentrate on building the foundation for living together as a community of faith, but letting God’s time be the driver for when things really start to happen. It is so often very difficult to have that kind of patience with our people and programs. But that is his point, isn’t it? Whose church is it? Ours, or Gods?
Jim Robinson’s Study Guide (PDF)

Jim Robinson, Pastor
Elk Hills Presbyterian Church, Charleston, WV

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Story Five: Blessedness

Finding the Blessedness

Two months ago, I gave my Session excerpts from Becoming a Blessed Church. I watched as these people of faith intently read Graham’s words. When they were finished, no one spoke. The entire group sat in silence for a period of time. I asked them for their comments, “Wow,” was one. “This is us,” said another. Comments like this continued around the table. My final question was; “Shall we study this book together and find this blessedness?” One Elder said, “We would be foolish not to.”

Since then, as the members of Session have been reading, the positive comments and sense of renewed hope have increased. At the last Christian Education and Worship Committee Meeting, the Chair, who serves on the Session, shared her thoughts about the book and read several quotes. The Committee moved unanimously to purchase Becoming a Blessed Church and to begin their own study.

As a pastor, I have used a variety of programs, check-lists, inventories, and the like to help develop spiritual maturity. I now have the resource for which I have been looking.

Thank you Graham for this powerful and hopeful book on allowing God’s “purpose, presence and power” to be realized and experienced within his church.

David D. Byers, Pastor
Vanport Presbyterian Chruch, Beaver, PA

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Story Six: Instrument of Change

An Instrument of Change

An Instrument of Change After reading Becoming a Blessed Church, I bought a copy for my pastor and co-lay leader. It has been about a year and a half since then. Six weeks ago, the co-lay leader and I decided to write a letter to all the staff and leaders of the church (2700+ members) inviting them to read Graham's book as a study.

During this time our current pastor, a highly respected man of integrity and character in the conference, after two years is leaving. He came to us to lead us in a direction of healing: the former pastor (married) had an affair with the youth minister. Also during this transitional time (within the past 30 days), the pastor parish committee decided to eliminate the part time music minister position and seek a full time music and worship arts leader. This has caused great turmoil and anger in our music areas. Obviously our church appears to be in crisis.

As the pastor parish committee met during the past year and a half, I began to introduce the discernment process to them. Eliminating the music position which had been held by the same person for more that 27 years was difficult, yet also easy, because hearts were now turned to God's desires and not our own. Prayer became the tool for discernment and transformed the committee into a covenant group.

During the mean time, we sent a book to our new, incoming pastor to read along with us, as well as the District Superintendent. I ordered 100 books from Alban thinking I might have to return 50. All 100 have been bought.

We used the book in group study over the course of a month. At our first organizational meeting, we I modeled how we wanted the small groups to meet. We lit a candle, prayed, took prayer concerns of the people, prayed again, had the meeting (encouraging prayer within that time), and concluded with a circle prayer and then the Lord's Prayer. Soon the word spread, and more people wanted to become a part of this group. Even today, we are still receiving calls asking when the next study will begin.

As we read the book together, eyes were opened as members began to see our church described on page after page. We are still in a tender place with the transition in the music department, but the power of the Holy Spirit continues to move through the people as they finally wrestle with the idea that God is at work in many ways. Saturday we concluded the study with a morning workshop where we prayed and worshipped, gathered and shared. We used questions from the spiritual assessment as a beginning. Also, our present pastor and incoming pastor were both there to listen and learn from the members.

I truly believe that this time of transition and healing are easier for participants to live through having experienced this book. I also understand, that the Holy Spirit is the most active force in this whole process, eagerly moving in people's hearts that are hungry for God's leading. A discernable shift is taking place within our congregation. This shift is a good one, for we are now seeking to understand why we are here. We are understanding the power of prayer and discernment. We are also realizing that the lack of trust in our spiritual leadership needs to be restored.

Of course there is much, much more, and I am resisting the urge to keep on writing. I wanted to share how the book can be an instrument of great change. Thank you, Graham Standish. Your guided work continues to work in concert with the Holy Spirit to bring about understanding, healing and wholeness to a hurting and confused church.

Anonymous