As the Body of Christ (universal) faces the challenges presented by an increasingly secular society, the radical Word of God is still spoken in churches today. While many believe the church is becoming more and more irrelevant, there are churches within the PC(USA) that are preaching and embodying a prophetic witness in their communities. Churches that claim the prophetic voice are actively engaged in changing and contributing to the lives of those in their communities with relevant, timely, and God-centered hope, and are living out God's vision of a beloved community. God continues to be active in the lives and work of God’s people, drawing this community into relationship with each other as a natural outgrowth of the community's relationship to God. The prophetic voice offers hope to a specific community in a seemingly hopeless situation. First, the prophetic voice must be defined, examined and applied to a particular congregation. Second, research within this particular congregation will utilize a variety of methods including interviews with pastors, lay leaders and congregants; interviews and surveys with leaders and participants from the community context; and tools to educate and implement a prophetic voice within that congregation. The results of this research will be made available as approaches and characteristics for ministers, lay leaders, and congregations to develop and pursue as they seek to claim the prophetic voice. This project will be evaluated on its effectiveness to embrace the vision of God's beloved community and offer practical ways and encouragement to live into this vision in a given ministry context.
