Three Pathways
Three Pathways: A Sacred Journey of Renewal, Partnership, or Holy Closure
News about denominational decline (including the ELCA) can easily be found on the internet. This can lead to many questions:
- We have few (or no) children in our church, does that mean our congregation is dying?
- We’ve been using the endowment fund to pay for regular expenses; is this the best use of our funds?
- The number of congregations in the ELCA is declining; are we next to close?
- How do we find new ways to connect with the community outside our doors?
The Three Pathways helps answer your questions.
The Story of Ephesus: The Mission Continues
Every three years in worship we read from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians—a testament to a vibrant ministry that was essential to early Christians. Today, however, that area is a vast archaeological site with no active congregations. More than 1,300 years ago, people left Ephesus after a series of earthquakes caused silt to fill this once-thriving port city, home to the third-largest library in the ancient world. Even so, the mission of Jesus Christ continued, moving from this city in Asia to cities in Europe and, eventually, to your community. The Three Pathways asks, “What are your earthquakes?” and “Where is your west?” In other words, what has changed, and where are the new opportunities?
An assessment process of a congregation’s sustainability and vitality, as well as a
discernment for next steps in the congregation’s life cycle:
- It exposes fears and assumptions
- It discovers possible steps toward renewed mission
- It helps congregations discern new avenues (pathways) for ministry with the possibility of renewed vitality and sustainability
- It creates a trusting relationship that allows for better management of the process of closure
The process is named Three Pathways due to the three main options available:
- Renewal
- Partnership
- Holy Closure
Within each of these options are variations that allow for several options to be pursued simultaneously.
Disciples Work Together: Synod Accompaniment
The word “synod” means “walking together.” A synod associate to the bishop walks with you in this process as facilitator, helping you discover your pathway and accompanying you as you live into your chosen option. This accompaniment brings additional resources and wisdom to better equip you for this important work. Congregations should not work with the Three Pathways Guide independent of synod accompaniment, as it often ends with no conclusions or new directions. The role of facilitator in the process is necessary to create forward momentum.
Step 1: Determine the Process
Together with the associate to the bishop, you will determine the best process for your congregation. Depending on the size of the membership, there might be an initial assessment with a small group of leaders or an invitation to the whole congregation. The process might take place as several half-day retreats or a series of 90-minute meetings. Your leadership knows what works in your setting.
Step 2: Take a Congregational Vitality Assessment
The assessment accomplishes two goals. First, it allows a wide group of people to clearly view and discuss the current vitality of the congregation. The assessment identifies three needs of a healthy congregation:
- people and their energy for ministry
- current financial stability
- and physical assets (buildings).
Second, the assessment reveals the level of urgency and a timeline for possible new initiatives. Discerning the season of your congregation’s life is a crucial step, in terms of both vitality and sustainability. In general, congregations with three or more years to make changes have greater options.
Step 3: Discern a Pathway
The associate to the bishop as facilitator leans heavily on active listening and reflection skills with congregational members. Even when the situation has been described in such a way that it seems an obvious pathway should be adopted, the congregation won’t be led into a particular predetermined pathway. The strength of the process is found in the conversation by the whole membership which has the prospect of building consensus towards a decision and outcome. The goal is to create a willingness to try new things and gain strength in debriefing outcomes with curiosity.
Often, the process takes six to 18 months from first contact through movement toward a pathway. The objective isn’t to quickly read of the document, but rather participate in guided conversations at a pace that allows the congregation to wrestle with hard truths, gain new information, and manage its grief. The goal of the associate to the bishop is to accompany the congregation as it discerns a direction and then takes steps on a particular pathway.
In truth, some congregations have serious vulnerabilities with little energy for renewal. However, the goal of Three Pathways is to create stronger congregations engaged in the vital work of mission. The process was created to stem the tide of congregational closings by offering options for renewal. With access to resources for vitality, the synod aims to accompany congregations in their journey toward strength. Only when all other options are exhausted will the synod accompany the congregation towards holy closure. The process creates greater autonomy for congregations by fully explaining the options within each pathway, including holy closure.
Contact Pastor Kathy Nolte or the associate to the bishop who relates to your conference.
Pastor Kathy Nolte, associate to the bishop responsible for Three Pathways
Relates to the Northwest, Northeast and Southwest Conferences
Pastor Carla Thompson Powell, associate to the bishop
Relates to the South and Central Conferences
Pastor Nathan Klein, associate to the bishop
Relates to the North, West, and Near West Conferences