Central Plains Mennonite Conference
Follow us.
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Central Plains Structure
    • Staff >
      • Executive Conference Minister >
        • Blessings for Nathan
      • Ministerial Leadership
      • Formation Minister
      • Hispanic Ministries
    • Map of Conference
    • Congregations >
      • Colorado
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Minnesota
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Board
    • Committees >
      • Christian Formation
      • Outreach and Service >
        • Church Planting
        • Peace and Justice Task Group
        • Practicing Offering and Receiving Hospitality
      • Pastoral Leadership
    • Partners in Mission >
      • Agape Peace Center
      • Philip Friesen
    • Camps & Schools
    • Who are the Mennonites?
  • CPMC at Work
    • Publications >
      • Scattered Seeds
      • The Sower
    • Events >
      • Annual Meeting 2021
    • CPMC Covenant
    • New Ministries Fund >
      • Reports of Past Grant Recipients
    • Counsel on variance
  • Congregational Leaders
    • Pastors
    • Elders & Deacons
    • Church Council
    • Support for Conflict
    • Pastor Openings
  • Mission Leaders
    • Racism webinar videos
    • Ecuador/Venezuela Partnership >
      • Latest News from Ecuador/Venezuela
      • Story of the Ecuador Partnership >
        • Timeline & Resources
      • Personnel and Partnership Members >
        • Ross Richers
        • Wigginton Bravo
      • Quito Property Fund
    • Church Planting >
      • Developing Congregations
    • Travel Like Dave
    • Tuesdays with Dave
    • Missional Discipleship Initiative
    • Islam and the Gospel
    • Villatoro update
  • Formation Leaders
    • Formation in Worship
    • Formation Resource Library
    • Children and Families >
      • Faith at Home
      • Curriculum for Children
      • Shine
      • Resources for Parents
      • Protecting Children
    • Youth >
      • Youth Mission Together
      • Youth Sponsors
      • Youth Curriculum
      • Youth SS Teachers
      • Mentor Coordinator
      • CO Resources
      • Helpful sites for YM
    • Adults >
      • Adult Faith at Home
      • Adult Curriculum
      • Teaching resources
      • Online devotionals
      • Adult Spirituality
    • Shalom Readers
  • Resources
    • Advent Resource Roundup
    • Anti Racism Resources
    • Covid-19 Resources
    • Mennonite Resources
    • En Espanol
    • Conference Documents
    • Bible study Webinars >
      • Bible Study Webinars 2016
      • Bible Study Webinars 2017
    • Support for Refugees
    • Immigration
    • Christian Discernment
    • Spiritual Deliverance
    • Archives
  • Contact Us
    • Contact form
    • Church contact info form
    • Donate
    • Application for COVID Relief
    • Discerning Future Leaders
    • Sunday Speaking Information Sheet

Seedlings

Stories and reflections on how the seeds of our covenant practices take root and grow.

Resources for Covenant Practices

​Covenant of Spiritual Practices Reflection 3: Is it Making a Difference?

9/7/2017

 
Picture
by David Boshart
Executive Conference Minister​

 
Members of Central Plains Mennonite Conference have been living into a Covenant of Spiritual Practices since it was adopted one year ago. Our Annual Meeting in July provided an opportunity to check in and discover if our covenant was making any difference. Church history is replete with new initiatives that fail to produce substantive difference. Our delegates sent a clear message that a renewed commitment to spiritual practices is making a discernible difference in our local congregations and within the conference as a community.
            The significance of this difference should not be underestimated. It is hard to remember a time when church members came together to report a change in the spiritual vitality of their congregations.
            When asked what difference our covenant of spiritual practices is making, the delegates offered four measures of spiritual growth. I offer specific examples of each from the written comments from table groups.

Strengthened witness beyond their congregations
​Delegates reported that an emphasis on spiritual practices has resulted in transformed attitudes toward prisoners. Members have seen reconciliation with others and healing of broken relationships. Some reported growth and connection to the wider community by moving church meetings outside the church building. Our members are thinking more intentionally about what we want our identity to be in the community.

Increased awareness that our spiritual practices are essential to Christian vitality
 Focusing on spiritual practices raises our awareness of the Spirit’s presence in our midst. By fasting we are made more aware of the needs of others. We become refreshed in giving ourselves to the things we should be doing anyway. We are more aware that God is among us.

Strengthened sense of community within congregations and across our conference
The covenant of spiritual practices makes us more honest with each other about our spiritual lives. It is clearer for us to know how to handle our disagreements. When we practice our spiritual lives together, we build relationships together. We become more patient with each other as we walk together in spiritual practices. Spiritual practices help us “lean into each other” when we struggle. We are reminded that we – across our conference – have many things in common.

Increased confidence and competence in practicing the Christian life.
The covenant of spiritual practices gives us new eyes for Bible study, new energy for faith, new hope to have better answers to share with people who are turned off by Christianity. This emphasis has created greater understanding that transformation is more a process of God’s grace than what we do.

These are just some examples of all the ways our conference delegates expressed the difference our emphasis on spiritual practices is making. 

As I reflect on this feedback, I wonder, what is needed to keep us moving farther on this same path?. Discernible transformation grows out of our understanding of God’s grace more than our grand designs. Maybe moving to the next level is as basic as keeping our focus on those things that bring us face-to-face with Jesus and doing those things together. Could that make all the difference?



Comments are closed.

    Central Plains Mennonite Conference

    creates settings for our congregations and partners to grow in holistic witness to God's reconciling mission by developing leadership, encouraging fellowship and promoting lifelong discipleship.

    Archives

    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Categories

    All

Office Manager: P.O. Box 101, Freeman, SD 57029  office@centralplainsmc.org  phone: 605-929-3325
Ministry Staff Office: P.O. Box 352, Kalona, IA 52247