Sample Topics - Mission Summit Conversations
Our Leaders
Discipleship and Spiritual Formation - Discipleship as the commitment and practice of mature and faithful followers of Jesus Christ is increasingly difficult to achieve. How can and will we address this challenge in the 21st Century in forming authentic Christian disciples?
Raising Up, Training, and Mobilizing Lay Leadership - How can all God’s people, each of whom has been given spiritual gifts, discover their giftedness and engage in active ministry in their communities?
Nurturing the Next Generation of Leaders - What must be done to help our churches be able to intentionally pass on our traditions and the responsibilities for church leadership in cultivating future leaders?
Part-time Pastoral Leadership Development - Many small congregations are unable to employ full-time, seminary trained pastors. How can we recruit, form, place and support leaders who are able to fill the ministry need—what different pastoral “mode” is required?
Pastoral Attrition - Why is there an increasing pattern of pastoral attrition—people leaving the ministry—especially after the first five years of ministry?
Women in Ordained Ministry - What is causing women to continue to be under-represented in ABC ministry in terms of the proportion of ordained women who are available to serve, especially in significant leadership roles?
Our Witness
Missional Outreach and Evangelism - What should ministry look like in the local contexts of churches that are seeking to respond to the changing needs of their community in order to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Congregational Transformation with Minstry Beyond the Church Walls - How can congregations be revitalized to bridge the broadening cultural gaps in our society so that they are addressing the ministry challenges that are outside the church walls?
Evangelism as a Way of Life - How can our members and churches embrace evangelism (and the growth of the church) as a way of life, so that our witness flows more naturally from our discipleship journeys?
Reconnecting with our Ministry Contexts - How can churches which now find themselves increasingly out of step with their neighborhoods reconnect with these communities so that they are impacting people’s lives with the Gospel?
Creating Community Across Cultures that Make a Difference - What has to happen for our congregations to be able to more deeply develop relationships where all are included in the lives of our churches—age, class, gender, ethnicity, race, etc?
Our Future
Bridging Generational Gaps - What kind of congregational transformation will be necessary for our churches to bridge generational gaps and reach younger adults and youth more effectively?
Meeting the Needs of the 21st Century Family - Given the complexities of contemporary culture and our changing contexts of ministry, what does it mean to be a family and to be supported as a family in our church today?
Small Congregations - How do small congregations, some of which are vital, but many of which are struggling, form creative partnerships for ministry that are external to their walls and memberships?
The Form of Future Congregations - How will local congregations in the future be birthed, shaped, formed and supported to engage their changing ministry contexts?
Viable Congregations with Aging Buildings - How can congregations which struggle with the high costs of maintaining aging buildings be freed to do the important ministry so needed in their communities?