Report from the
Dialogue Day
Bridge Street United Church
April 5, 2014
Prepared by Rev. Allan Reeve, Edge Facilitator
Context
A gathering of interested Congregational members met at Bridge Street United Church at
the invitation of the Governance Board and organized by the Transition Team.
This was the next stage in a process beginning in
The stated purpose of the day was “to engage in a process to discover what we can do to
ensure our future.” with the following key questions:
 What is God asking Bridge Street United Church to do?
 How can Bridge Sttreet United Church continue to be a place where God’s
purpose is served?
 What energy or resources are available to re-define Bridge Street United Church?
 Is the growth in per person financial givings (in spite of declinging membership)
an example of our abundance or our scarcity?
Transition Team: David Mundy (minister), Frank Hiebert (board chair) Colin Lenard
(vice chair), Ian Sutherland (governance review cmmt, governance monitoring), Richard
Woodley (property and finance), Martha Robertson (governance monitoring), Caroline
Ketcheson (co-president of choir and co-president of governance), Robert Ord,
Agenda
Opening Worship: Abundant Living!
Testimony from Frank Heibert
We are Christ’s People: Small Group Discussion: Sharing Personal Stories of Faith
Truth Telling Report: Common Themes
Response to Circulated Materials & Questions:
Values exercise: Identifying Core Values
Video presentation: The growing Edge of United Churches across Canada
Small Group Discussion: What is God asking BSUC to do?
Report from Small Groups
Lunch
2010 Vision Report update
4 stated Goals:
1. Governance
2. Outreach (our focus today)
3. Faith Formation of Congregation
4. Building Improvements
What has changed? Rev. David Mundy (see attached)
8 Mission Focus groups based on morning’s discussion
Mission group Reports
Theological Reflection: Rev. Phil Hobbs
Closing Worship
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Full Forum Conversation: Truth Telling Report:
Common elements in personal stories of Faith
-often at a time of crisis
-role of mentors
-help was often not what was expected
-God always responds
Question: “What does the World need now?”
Exercise:
1. Participants asked to write ideas on paper with marker
2. Papers posted on wall
3. Group similar ideas together
4. Observations / discussion regarding common themes & Core Values
Question: “What is God asking BSUC to do?”
Participants divided into small groups to spend 30 minutes focusing on the questions and
report back to the large group before lunch.
Observations:
Change / Shift
Focus on Positives
Celebrate People as our Greatest Asset
Location is a Gift (Downtown our Mission Field)
NOTE: from these morning Small Group discussions emerged the following 8 Mission
Focus Groups:
Afternoon Mission Groups:
Youth Pastor Group: Carolyn Williams, Tommy Ord, Marg Finney, Tom Britton,
Carolyn Ketcheson,
In order to have a vital youth program:
o it needs to be anchored with a paid staff person
o to capture a critical mass of Youth!
o to collaborate with other United Churches and/or other Downtown
Churches
o a Pastor who is energetic, talented (music & drama)
2 opinions:
Many believe a Youth Pastor staff is an essential part of our church staff.
There are no youth – so why a Program?
Vital Programs:
sports, games, music, dances & live music, coffee house, after school drop-ins, youth
mission trips, moral & ethical & social justice issues, visits to other churches, BIG youth
event, dramatic & musical presentation on current issues using movies as discussion
starters
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Where to Start? Youth Pastor Group continued
1. Dialogue with other churches (U.C. or other downtown churches – WHO?)
2. Determine what Youth need by consulting with youth
3. Determine how to finance? (pray for divine intervention and share costs with other
churches)
Bridge Street U.C. Programming Group: Judy McKnight, Sue Reid, Carol Leslie,
Audrey Cowan, Ted Milliken, Cheryl Bough, Randy Reid,
-collaborate with other churches for music, summer camps, Youth Pastor, etc.,
-Christian Education Pastor for family, community work
-monthly luncheon, movie nights, fun activities (skating, bowling, crafts, etc)
-messy church = intergenerational hang out
-Drop-in Centre / Coffee House – can be artsy (visual, music, poetry etc.)
-Faith Study – various ages, Bible Study 4 Dummies
- Adult Sunday School
-Discussions after services to reflect on sermons
-program for seniors at QLC
-BBQs
-luncheons once a month
-hang out time together intergenerational / drop in
-Movie nights with discussions to connect to Biblical themes
-Book studies groups for adult and youth
-Music programs that reach out to the community
- develop leaders for discussion from wed morn group
- bible study for dummies (bible 101)
- Open Doors – more!
Community Needs Assessment Group: Maureen, Jan, Marisppppp???, Kaye, Susan N,
Colin, Ian, Ted,
-how to define “community”?
-current members?
-downtown? who & what is within 2.5 mile radius?
-demographic of retirees? “if you loved your church back home – you’ll love ours”
-how many of us walk to church?
-how many of us have been here more than 15 years?
-where do we live?
-how many BSUC congregants walk to church?
-do an analysis within a 2 mile radius
-Stats Canada demographic data available
-Municipal & County info
-who lives in this community?
-What do people in this community want from us?
-what impact will downtown development have
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Reaching out to Families Group: Helen Loynes, Vivian Britton, Helen Button, Brigitte
Rittinger, Deanne Moring, Ruth Mundy,
-Family functions
-crafts
-Inn from the Cold
-very important to have branding that is appealing to new generations feeling safe
-access funding for Youth and Family Ministry Staffing
-add crafts & fun activities to “In from the Cold” might welcome a broader group
-having a Facebook presence once programs are ready
-community service hours from high school students a source of energy / and for students
to feel a part of the place
-how to make worship more welcoming
eg. crayon station
-pizza nights
-activity nights
Finance Group: New Revenue / Parking Lot / Trust Funds
Neil Britton, Don Leslie, Bob Ord, Dave Parker, Richard Woodley
-charge a reasonable fee for our music programs
-contact members who do not contribute givings on a regular basis
-create a special stewardship program
-how to reach out to members not currently active?
-could Music Program generate more funds?
-Stewardship program can invite generosity
-fortunate to have legacy gifts that sustain our Ministry
Inclusivity / Diversity
Doug Miles, Veronica Leonard, Glenn May-Anderson, Jean Parker, Aruna Alexandra
Spiritual base: Matthew 25:35 “If you take care of the needy – you take care of me”
Theological base: “one God” of unconditional grace
Legal Base: Canadian charter of rights and freedoms / human rights / Canadian values
Ethical base: golden rule
Canadian Cultural Base: culturally a pluralistic society
Affirming process (not limited to LGBT people) :
-passionate about the breadth of inclusivity
-all socio-economic groups
-intercultural
-exploring and inviting world religions
- people with disabilities
-Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered people
eg. In from the Cold program – would they feel welcome in the worship setting?
-need to talk with programming people about inclusivity so that concepts are intertwined
-need to talk with ed curriculum people about how diversity is part of our curriculum –
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-intercultural pastoral care – Rev. Vicki leading
-inclusive language in worship services
-ACCEPTANCE is important
-diversity training for members to help them with welcoming skills / avoiding common
mistakes
-using Sills to diverse group / other religions without places of worship (eg Hindu? )
-using Affirming Church process as a starting point as a way of educating members with
skills and lead us into racial awareness etc.
Kitchen Hub / ministry of food /
Gail, Frank, Sam Elizabeth, Dave,
needs space for 10 bodies to work at one time
some updating of equip & work surface needed
-need a different night than Friday for family dinner night
-involve other congregations who don’t do food now
-Add flyer to High schools and YMCA, FB, to get volunteers for TGIF/LFTC for
Community hours
-reach out to Core Center or other groups to utilize our Kitchen
-offer instructional classes on veg. cooking / safe handling / baking / breadmaking/ etc
-kitchen can be a focal point for many activities
Marketing/ Mission statement / Branding / Technology / Social Media
Jennifer M, Say B. Martha R, David M, Jake, Jim P, Fred H,
-develop a Marketing Plan including visibility/branding strategies and consistent
common messages and buy-ins
-form ad hoc group to sustain effort
-Branding elements – distinctive google/logo
-create a new “VIBE” eg ‘Downtown church with open arms!”
-Podcasting – purposeful, intentional
-Church101
-BSC101
-playfulness, more fun without losing a sense of reverence or of the sacred
-online invitational
Summary:
A good deal of positive energy was generated by the Dialogue Day. There exists a
common desire to move forward with a Mission focus. Several initiatives were identified
and brainstorming generated some great ideas. Inspiration comes from the Biblical roots
of trusting in a God who journeys with us. Research, experimentation, conversations and
collaborations with partners, will create opportunities for God’s Spirit to plant seeds of
hope in hearts and imaginations.
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APPENDICES
Appendix #1 “What has changed” Rev. David Mundy
Appendix #2: Theological Reflection on day by Rev. Phil Hobbs
Appendix #3: Handout “Dialogue Day – Abundant Living”
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What Has Changed at Bridge St.? Rev. David Mundy January 7, 2014
At the last Governance Board Meeting held in December 2013 I asked the
question “what has changed at Bridge St.?” as a result of the first
consultation on new directions and the subsequent shift to a new form of
governance.
The initial frank response from a member was “not much!” This was an
expression of frustration that the congregation has not acted decisively
toward a different way of being. We have discussed the options of
congregational approaches which include:
Institutional Church
Attractional Congregation
Missional Community of Christ
We seem to agree that while we would like to be “missional” as the people
of Christ, and know we must also be “attractional,” our “institutional” history
and mindset may be impeding both of those.
There is also a sense that we are foundering within our new governance
model, with several key teams “unpersoned” or dysfunctional. This is
actually a setback from the old model which was considered cumbersome
and unsustainable.
Here are my thoughts about the changes which have occurred.
The new governance model is the worst/best hope for the change that is
essential. Yes, it is chaotic at the present time, but it gives the opportunity
to be mission-oriented in a way the old model did not, and it provides
flexibility for the teams, as they develop.
Bridge St UC choose a new lead minister who embraces the concepts of
the new governance model and is willing to try to implement them by God’s
grace and with the cooperation of the congregation. The former is a given,
the latter has yet to be established!
The new minister is keen to identify and development the unique ministries
and possibilities for this downtown congregation, and would prefer renewal
to palliative care.
The congregation has been supportive, by and large, to a shift in style with
the new minister.
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We have admitted in open discussion that the beautiful, historic Bridge St.
UC structure is also extremely costly to maintain, and discussions about its
efficacy for ongoing ministry have been named. The discussions of the
past three years have allowed leaders to name certain possibilities,
including amalgamation, which have not been discussed openly in the
past.
At the same time we have identified aspects of our ministry, including our
Food Programs and Music Program which are strongly tied to our location
and our physical space.
Thanks to the efforts of Ian Sutherland and Frank Hiebert we have an
accurate analysis of steady decline in key areas of congregational life,
including attendance, membership, and financial support. These are
statistical, not simply anecdotal We have also discovered that our
members and adherents are generous
We have also been shown that congregational giving alone has not
supported the mission & ministry of Bridge St. UC for approximately forty
years
We know that our monies held in trust have increased substantially over
the past 15 years, giving flexibility to ministry choices in this time of
discernment and transition. We have discussed shifting from older models
of fiscal prudence, recognizing that we are in a “now or never” moment.
We have identified that this is probably the crucialtime to make bold
choices for ministry, including staffing, even if it may mean “going out with
a bang rather than a whimper.”
Members of the Governance Board have named that while the stats are an
important part of our process of discovery we don’t want to be stalled by
the “paralysis of analysis.” It is time for the small-e evangelism
We have engaged the Edge organization of the United Church to assist us
in establishing what it means to be “missional” in our setting, for our time.
In conclusion:
The statement that “not much” has changed can be interpreted as “holy
impatience” with what has transpired in halting fashion. At the same time,
let’s accept that we have needed to do the analysis and de-construction as
the first step in “building up the body of Christ” as a missional community
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Dear Allan;
It was good to spend the day with you at Bridge St. on Saturday. I hope that my
input was of some value to you and to the good folk at BSUC.
Here are the notes from my Reflection at the end of the day.
"Wow! God is with us! Thanks so much for the invitation to be part of your day. For
me it has been a joy and privilege.
I was reminded during the day of one of my favourite TV Shows in the past - The Red
Green Show. I would like to offer a paraphrase of the Men's Prayer offered at the
Lodge Meeting at the end of each show:
"I'm a United Church Christian, I can change, if I have to, I guess"
Except that I have seen little or no reluctance to change here today. You are
embracing change with passion, energy and enthusiasm.
The culture has shifted. What can we do to adjust. We are called to look around the
corner.
I heard you say that we are called to focus locally - we are called to live where our
feet are. We need to develop specific goals and objectives based on the resources in
hand - building/people/ministry personnel.
You have spoken today about partnerships with other congregations and groups. Perhaps
you could work with Eastminster, St. Matthew's, College Hill and Westminster to
jointly hire a fulltime youth pastor? Whatever you do, you need to guard against
wasting resources by duplicating efforts. Jesus didn't call individual disciples to
isolated ministries - he called the twelve into a community that worked and worshipped
together.
I heard you speak of Music as a great resource - but I also heard mention of the
need for a change in focus to include new forms of music in worship that would
supplement and augment the music of choir and organ.
I heard you speak of Evangelism - a word that we in the United Church have been
afraid to use - so we speak of small "e" evangelism. I was reminded of Jesus metaphor
of "new wineskins" to contain the new wine of the Spirit. Jennifer spoke the truth that
for a majority of young adults in the community beyond our walls - they have no
language for church. This is a huge challenge in seeking to communicate the gospel.
Jennifer spoke of the need to reach out - and how we could learn from the Evangelical
churches who have reaching out down to a science.
What if Jesus had not reached out to the woman at the well? What if the woman had
not reached out to her neighbours? Both took the risk to reach out.
I heard that you are passionate about being welcoming, inclusive, and affirming.
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You are using your gifts/resources - people - ministers - building - but what about
money? I heard that you have $600,000 of reserves controlled by the Trustees - and
a further 2.6 million dollars in the foundation. Some of this has been set aside for a
rainy day. But we are in a stage five hurricane! I heard you speak too about finding
ways to use the gifts that are not currently being used - including the untapped gifts
of members/adherents who are inactive.
You have spoken about Programming - with so many great ideas. There will be need to
focus - to choose some of these - and to run with them.
God did walk with the thirsty, grumbling people. God walks with us - calling us
forward, empowered by the Spirit, to follow Jesus in the Way.
As our United Church Creed proclaims - God is with us, we are not alone. Thanks be to
God!
God bless you, Bridge St. United Church! amen."
Grace and peace,
Phil
p.s. I heard you give emphasis to Listening - to paying attention to the needs of the
community.
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