Church Development Team

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
.-Matthew 28:19-20

"To be reconciled to God is to be sent into the world as God’s reconciling community. This community, the church universal, is entrusted with God’s message of reconciliation and shares God’s labor of healing the enmities which separate people from God and from each other. Christ has called the church to this mission and given it the gift of the Holy Spirit. The church maintains continuity with the apostles and with Israel by faithful obedience to his call.” (The Confession of 1967)

What is the Church Development Team?

The Church Development Team works to start and support New Church Developments, as well as assist established Congregations in redevelopment and transformation.

Pastors often counsel with parents and adolescent children to build their relationship and heal the wounds between them. Pastors are often asked to intervene in the relationship between brothers and sisters. Pastors of congregations often serve as adviser, counselor, coach and mediator in order that the variety of relationships within the parish can be healthy and vibrant. The COM serves congregations and ministers in the same manner. The ministry of COM is to assist in building healthy relationships with ministers, congregations and the Presbytery.

New Church Development

The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area approved the Committee on Ministry's recommendation to increase minimum salaries for pastors on November 13, 2007.  The minimum salaries are as follows:

Approved at the September 14, 2004, Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, the first part of the Vision Plan for New Church Development covers within this Presbytery. The Planning Group, under the auspices of the Church Development Team, developed this document and is working on the second part of the Vision Plan, a strategic plan for establishing new churches.

If you don't have Acrobat Reader to view and/or print the Vision Plan, you can download Reader for FREE from the Adobe website.

Chain of Lakes Presbyterian NCD

Sandra Hawley, Chair of the Church Development Team is asking sessions accross the Presbytery to identify people in their congregation who would be willing to provide early leadership, background experience in PCUSA polity and guidence in forming the ministry and worship of the Chain of Lakes NCD in Blaine, Minnesota.  Continue reading...

To find out more about the Chain of Lakes NCD, please go to their website.

Congregational Transformation

"Growing Presbyterian churches report that their success requires attracting and retaining new people, according to research featured at the U.S. Congregational Life Survey website. Research shows that growing congregations explore a variety of ways to connect with non-members. They tend to give new worshipers opportunities to become actively involved. Worshipers in these congregations report that they regularly experience God's presence, joy, inspiration and spontaneity in worship. Growing congregations also strive to create worship experiences in which people connect with God."

-Adapted from a report by Deborah A. Bruce, associate research manager, Research Services, Presbyterian Church (USA). Appeared in 2004 Synod e-Newsletter

Transformation is a profoundly spiritual process that engenders hope, gives a new mission and provides concrete resources to congregations who are willing to recognize changing circumstances and to congregations who are willing to commit to fundamental, proactive change in the ways they organize their common life, mission, and ministry.

Transformation is a process where a congregation intentionally decides to change its ministry direction. Transformation can involve five different dynamics:

 

	1.	Creating Spiritual Energy
	2.	Congregational Identity: Coming to terms with the past, present and future
	3.	Congregational Leadership: Building a ministry team
	4.	Re-entering the Community
	5.	Developing a Ministry Plan

How can the Presbytery Help?

 

The Presbytery forms relationships with churches interested in Transformation through the Church Development Team (CDT). The CDT can help churches interested in Redevelopment in a number of different ways. Some ways include:

 

◙Providing a consultant to help a church go through a Transformation probe ◙Connecting to churches to resources, technical and financial, in the Presbytery and wider church ◙Helping a church develop a Transformation/Redevelopment grant ◙Providing scholarships for training. In the past such training has happened at the National Redevelopment Conference and regional Synod trainings. Connecting the church to people who have gone through the Redevelopment process.   How can the General Assembly help? The General Assembly supports Redevelopment efforts through its Redevelopment Office. They offer an annual Redevelopment Conference that has been held in January. They also offer financial grants to congregations who have developed a Redevelopment/Transformation plan. These grants must include financial support from the Presbytery and Synod.

Is Your Congregation a candidate for Redevelopment?

Transformation is for any size congregation who realizes that they need to significantly change their model and focus of ministry. Contact the Church Development Team at churchdevelopment@ptcaweb.org or 612-871-7281, ext. 21, and ask about Indicators of need for Redevelopment/Revitalization.

What are some first steps toward Transformation?

 

Establish a relationship with the Church Development Team Appoint a committee to assess whether the congregation needs to go through a Transformation process Contact other churches in the Presbytery who have gone through Transformation/Redevelopment Attend national or regional Redevelopment trainings

Which PTCA Churches have gone through Redevelopment/Transformation?

• Shepherd of the Hill, Chaska, Minnesota

• Kwanzaa Community Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Andrew-Riverside Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Community Presbyterian Church, Plainview, Minnesota

   

  For churches' contact information, visit our congregations page.

   

Other helpful resources:

The following items are available through Presbyterian Distribution Services (PDS) in Louisville, Ky. Phone: 1-800-524-2612.

A Resources Book for Leaders Doing Training in Congregational Redevelopment
	A large book that explains in-depth the different parts of Redevelopment - PDS #72320-95-003
Congregational Transformation Office Brochure
	A pamphlet that describes the Congregational Redevelopment office, staff, purpose, and services - PDS #72-301-99-001
Living the Vision: Congregational Transformation
	A 16-page how-to booklet by Steven Boots - PDS #72-300-00-001
Congregational Mission Studies Notebook
	A resource to assist congregations in the task of intentional self-study. - PDS #72-380-96-002