TCPC Regional Event- Lafayette, CA- Guiding Your Church Through Change in Our Changing Times

Sponsored by TCPC, Hosted by Our Saviors Lutheran Church

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Friday Night Lecture: Guiding Your Church Through Change
7:30 - 9:00pm (Cost: $15.00)
Guiding congregational change requires a healthy sensitivity to the various dimensions of change that are taking place within the life of a church community. Fred Plumer, will share a multilayered approach to guiding change within the vibrant life of your congregation that harnesses current cultural trends and the emerging spirit of Progressive Christianity.

Change in the church is difficult. And yet all of the data from a variety of sources suggests that if our churches do not change, they will die. If meaningful change is going to occur, we must address the intellectual, emotional, and cultural issues both differently and independently at the same time. This is no easy task and according to some scholars it may be impossiblefor many churches.

Rev. Plumer will walk us through a process that takes into consideration the importance of defining your church's core values, church's purpose and dreams for the future. He will share from his own experience as a former pastor of a growing church, from studies done by social scholars, and case studies he has worked with as a consultant and as President of TCPC.

Saturday Workshops: 9:00am - 3:00pm (Cost $20.00)

Workshop 1: 9am-12pm
What is Progressive Christianity and Why is it Important?
Over the last several decades religion has become a popular topic for the media. Topics covering new archeological discoveries, controversial scholarship, and the religious right's influence have been on the front pages of newspapers and magazines and are common themes for bloggers. People are confused about religion, theology, Christology and what a church stands for and teaches. Denominations no longer provide clarity about beliefs or worship practices.Young people have given up on religion and the fastest growing group self identifies as "spiritual but not religious." As a result, modern Christians are no longer comfortable talking about their faith or their church and churches across the country are slowly dying as a result.

Progressive Christianity is an approach to faith and spirituality. It assumes that all things change and when our information changes about those things that are important to us, our perspective must change or "evolve" as well. It is therefore open to the best and most current biblical, historical, and scientific scholarship. Progressive Christianity provides an opportunity to talk about one's faith in a manner that fits our understanding of the contemporary world and our reality. It is a way to share the good news of abundant life that can be lived through the Christian path. Progressive Christianity provides a spiritual path that is becoming more attractive to a growing segment of our society.

Workshop 2: 1-3pm
Growing a Progressive Church for the 21st Century
Most people are aware that churches in the mainline denominations have been losing members at an ever increasing rate for over forty years. At the same time the average age of the members of our churches continues to increase with most churches missing large segments of our younger society. Within these troubling statistics there are many bright stars. Scholars like Hal Taussig and Diana Butler Bass and organizations like TCPC have discovered many churches that are growing in numbers and in spirit. While these churches may look very different from each other, they clearly have some common traits. We will look at what these vital churches are doing and discuss how they might fit in your own church setting. We will leave ample time for participants to share things that they are doing in their church that are working (and those that did not work) in hopes of some cross fertilization of ideas among churches.

Congregational Breakout Sessions: 3:30 - 5:00pm
If you have come with your congregation, and would like a chance to meet as a group to discuss implications of the day, we will have breakout rooms available. We will also schedule a 15 minute time with Fred to visit your group and address specific concerns you may have. Please let us know if you plan to use this time during registration and you will receive a room assignment and a time slot for a visit with Fred.

Saturday Public Lecture: 7:00 - 9:30pm (Free will donation)
Where is the Spirituality in Progressive Christianity?
One of the most common misconceptions about Progressive Christianity is that it has no spiritual foundation. That is not necessarily so. For many Progressive Christians, the entire movement is based on two assumptions; That Jesus' teachings were the result of a profound spiritual transformation and that Jesus believed if one put trust in his teachings and practiced them one could be led into a profound spiritual experience.

Fred Plumer will walk you through the logic of these two assumptions and explain how to convert Jesus' teachings from divine commandments, to the teachings of an honored Rabbi intended to lead each into an experience of God. Plumer has been teaching this transformative spirituality for over a decade and has seen it change congregations and individuals. For those who claim to be spiritual but not religious, a Christian community that understands and teaches this spirituality may be just what they are looking for.

Sunday Worship 8:30am & 10:45am
Recapturing Our Sense of Awe