In this LONG article, I will do my best to give that summary of the congregation's comments and feedback through those seven weeks. There’s no way to say it all. But, I will try to give the highlights and over-arching vision that emerged from those Spirit-led comments through this Season...
Recognizing God
We learned we discern the triune God best through creation, relationships, Holy Spirit, and through Christ as witnessed to in Scripture. We recognize God best wherever there is honesty, forgiveness, redemption, hope, trust, love, acceptance, change, and growth. However, many voices distract us from recognizing God… fear, guilt, threat, doubt, laziness, fatigue, evil, and anger.
Mission of God, “accomplishing the plan”
We believe God is resisting evil, healing, feeding, ending war, bringing peace, and saving lives. God is drawing together diverse people and placing them in congregations. God is conforming the world and God’s people to the image of God, unifying us, and teaching us to share and love. God is strengthening us, challenging us, and reassuring us.
We also believe God established Rehoboth as the “Presbyterian, Reformed church” in this community. God is filling Rehoboth with ministers who have big, generous hearts and a deep desire to serve. God is bringing others to share Rehoboth's abundance, and calling RPC to be a safe haven that provides shelter and comfort. And, God is commissioning Rehoboth to spread the good news, starting here in this community.
Christian Worship
In worship, we feel God’s presence and our deep connections to God and others. True worship is Christ-centered, is personal, but also has self-abandon which sets down the individual so the body can be in one accord. Worship should be grounded in tradition, but not necessarily traditional. We currently worship through Sunday mornings, special services, by extending worship to those who cannot be with us, and through small groups.
We imagine the future worship at Rehoboth as starting reflective, but building, adding energy, passion through music, scripture, preaching, and the celebration of the sacraments. We also imagine other times or days when we should worship together in order to reach out to others.
Christian Education
We learn about God best when discussions are passionate, positive, open-minded, and are helping us make connections between this God-given faith, the God-given scriptures, and our God-given life. Good Christian education “quenches your thirst, but makes you thirsty,” centers us, and never leaves us the same. We currently learn through three adult Sunday Schools, Worship, Small Groups, Leadership gatherings, and others. (VBS, Kids@Rehoboth, RefleXions)
We recognize areas for improvement in Christian education. The children & youth need good Sunday AM education. Young adults need time to study and discuss together, regardless of day or place. Adult classes are the “same class offerings since the 70s,” and feel “hard to join,” or “closed.” They are mostly “lecture” and “direct Bible.” We imagine discussion classes with moderators in addition to lecture classes with teachers. We imagine classes beginning with topics or issues in life, and walking towards the Bible. We appreciate the occasional joint classes, but depend on the smaller classes for relationships and fellowship.
Christian Fellowship
Fellowship is not just about being friendly. Fellowship is also about providing opportunities to make (and to be) friends. As visitors consider becoming new members, they will need to know/feel/believe they are sincerely invited, welcomed, and included into ministry alongside friends.
We currently provide Fellowship opportunities through annual events (Carnival, Concert, Homecoming, Golf tournament, Thanksgiving, Softball), monthly events (Shuffleboard, PW, Keenagers, First Friday Fun Night) and weekly events (Sunday Schools, Choir rehearsals, PYG). We are an older congregation. Yet, we realize the needs for sincere community among children and younger families. Therefore, we imagine growing fellowship ministries that recognize the unique age, stage, and needs in life of all ages, with an immediate focus on those younger. We want to provide intergenerational fellowship. Ideas included suppers, fellowship time around church, use of the Gym for athletics and fitness, with good childcare always provided.
Christian Service
The word “Missions” we gave back to God. All we do is inside God’s great mission, whether praying, studying, or feeding the hungry. Service is just one way we participate in God’s mission. We particularly appreciate serving (or supporting those who serve) when the service matches our God-given resources, abilities, and passions, builds relationships, and makes a difference.
We currently serve each other (teaching, visiting, taking Communion…), those given to us (Stephen Pantry, Kids@Rehoboth, Thornwell, Networks, Body Life fund, Seminary support…), and the world (Special Offerings, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Rivers of the World (ROW), Global missionaries…)
We recognize the “tension between writing a check and serving,” and would like for all our service ministries to somehow “connect back.” We also recognize that we may be over committed in service dollars each year, promising 10% to service ministries, but usually giving 13-14%. As we refocus, we imagined spreading our service dollars wisely and efficiently across global (35%), national/denominational (15%), local (40%), and service to our own membership (10%). And, we desire more “hands-on” service opportunities.
Christian Outreach
Outreach (aka Evangelism) is the communication of the good news of Jesus Christ. We “feel” it because it brings us closer to God and one another, and speaks to a true “need.” It is personal (like an invitation to friends, neighbors, or family) and at the same time communal (like advertising and being ready and aware of the visitor in our midst).
We imagine improving our Outreach, from inviting our neighbors, to improving our signage. We recognized our space as a God-given gift for outreach, and hope to grow partnerships with others in the community, particularly through the Gym. We recognized the critical need for organized greeting, welcoming, & follow-up efforts at worship and all church events, to connect back to those who visit with us.
Space Issues
The Sizemore Group (our Master Planner) has helped us reexamine this God-given space. We are so grateful for the abundant and ample space, and for how it has served God in the past. Now, we are ready to ask how it could be modified to better help us fulfill God’s mission for the future.
We were very honest with each other, speaking the truth in love. We confessed from the street, “We look like an empty building,” with little “curb appeal.” The current “orange cones,” steep entry ramp, and varied parking take courage to enter. Once a visitor does enter, there is no signage, and no obvious main entrance. Once inside, the space is plentiful but too spread out, and was described as “a maze,” with “no natural flow.” The interior feels “formal,” and “dated,” instead of “fresh.”
We imagined casual gathering places near entrances, where groups could share a common coffee pot. Handicap access is critical. We need convenient and abundant handicap parking, easy ramps, and easier connections between buildings without having to go outside. If we continue to use multiple stories, we imagined a central elevator.
Other Issues
We uncovered several issues that make these changes hard for us. We uncovered a worry, where we have a “limited number of people,” and that volunteering for something means “we’d get stuck with it” forever. But, we realized we are here to serve, not to be served, and we promised to share loads.
We uncovered an impatience, with some frustration over suggestions that did not become effective more quickly. But, we realized that it took decades for Rehoboth to fall from abundant members and programs to where we are today. It may take at least years for a turn to take effect.
We uncovered a worry that there may be “too much man, and not enough Lord” in all this dreaming and planning. But we remembered that Jesus the Christ was both fully human, and fully God. This same God in Christ through the ages has called simple and sinful people just like us to do the Lord’s tasks.
We uncovered a significant amount of fear… fear of change, fear of others who might be very different, fear of losing control or power, and fear of this church closing. However, we remembered what Jesus said often to his disciples, “Do not be afraid,” and we imagined turning our fear into energy and passion for Christ.
We uncovered a few threats that some will “leave the church” if we change, or threats of heresy or apostasy in our discernment and direction. However, we also appreciated our open, public process, and remembered Jesus’ methods of moving disciples by speaking openly, the truth in love. We choose to trust the open, public, non-threatening voices over ones of anger or threat.
We uncovered a concern to be true to our “Presbyterian” heritage, and the church be “Session led.” Yet we also recognized the difference between Session-led and Session-controlled. Individuals bring passion, vision, and relationships to ministry. We imagined a Presbyterian structure where Session is our spiritual guide to help groups of individuals passionate about ministry grow good fruit for God’s garden.
The Uniting Vision
We are still searching for the “hedgehog” (See "Good to Great" by Jim Collins), the trinity of our unique purpose in God’s mission, where our God-given passions and our God-given resources overlap with the work God is calling us to do. That work is “Growing Disciples,” as in those who not only believe, but also follow.
In “Growing,” we mean two things. One, we imagine every disciple in or around Rehoboth is growing in their relationship to God, and in their ability to show God-like love to their neighbor. Two, we imagine more and more individuals deciding to practice and grow in their discipleship through Rehoboth. Therefore, our role in the mission of God is to provide ministries that feed every disciple in their personal growth, and that add new disciples to the number growing.
In Genesis 26, Issac named the other wells Esek and Sitnah because the people quarreled and fought over them. But he named the third well Rehoboth because there, the people found room. Then, Issac proclaimed they would be fruitful in the land. We, Rehoboth Presbyterian, imagine this congregation being a place that makes room for more disciples, and that helps each disciple be fruitful.
Discipleship, Now & 5 Years from Now
The current membership rolls claim 126 “active” members and “14” baptized. However, some of these 126 and 14 do not actually worship or serve through Rehoboth, as they live in different cities, or have not attended Rehoboth or have attended other congregations for years now.
By the close of 2013, in five years, Session is planning for 230 active members, and 50 baptized members. That is significant growth, but more than possible with God’s help.
What’s Next?
This Sunday, September 7 is Rally Day, when the church will rally around the first draft of the Master Plan. We will launch new education classes for 2008-2009. Bud Lawler from Session and Ben Darmer from the Master Planner will present the first impressions and draft of the changes to our ministries and space.
The rest of September, Session and the Master Planner will work together to assemble the plan, in terms of ministries, persons, financials, and space.
October 12 is our joint Homecoming and Stewardship Kickoff celebration. The latest version of the Master Plan will be posted at the church, and here on the blog, for questions and comments. With this vision before us, we will enter Stewardship with the opportunity not to just give FROM our income, but to give TO an inspired vision for the future of Rehoboth Presbyterian.
Thank You to all who participated!
Wow! I am so amazed at the faithfulness of those who came, spoke, shared, listened, prayed, and participated all through this Season of Discernment. I am thankful to those of you keeping us with the season through friends, the newletters, the website, or here. On behalf of the Session, I thank you all for your presence, your courage, and your participation!





