The story of Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church, in Wichita, KS, is a familiar one in the annals of the contemporary church: that of a suburban church established in the 1950s, which, after a decade of vitality and growth, then moved into a long, painful period of decline. While the reasons for that decline are varied and numerous (describe in detail in the sections to follow), suffice it here to say that the slow decline included not only a gradual lack of membership and growth but also the gradual lack of positive communal identity, spiritual energy, or unifying sense of mission and vision for the future. This congregation needed to reclaim its unique identity and recapture a sense of purpose as the people of God. It was believed that entering an extended, intensive process of communal discernment would be a first essential step towards such communal transformation.
As biblical guide to our efforts, we cite the Martha and Mary narrative (Lk. 10:38-42), in which Jesus speaks a corrective word when Martha chastises her little sister for sitting at Jesus' feet rather than keeping busy alongside her. Jesus' response, "Martha, you are anxious about so many things. Only one thing is truly necessary. Mary knows what that is and it cannot be taken away from her," are the verses which provide the main impetus for our project. That one thing is indicative ofthe rich, multifaceted spiritual phenomenon which occurs as we open hearts and minds to God's presence in Jesus Christ.
Specifically, this thesis proposes that, through the time honored practice of engaging in communal spiritual discernment, God's will for this church, its identity and purpose could be effectively explored and examined. Our intention was to examine and adapt a particular contemporary model of communal discernment, as informed and expanded by a second discernment model, and further enhanced in the light modern organizational theory, in order to develop a comprehensive model of communal spiritual discernment for extended/continual use in the community of faith.