ZChurch is a growing revitalized congregation that has adapted to many changes within the last seven years. With this growth and change there has been a lack of awareness of the congregation’s identity and core values. The congregation tends to fall back on the past as security. This past consisted of a strong pastoral presence to provide management and leadership of congregational life. As they are evolving to something more, the role of leadership from within the congregation needs to be addressed and claimed if ZChurch is to be sustainable into the future. This article describes the process of naming the old patterns of dependency that have remained as a result of fear and scarcity and claiming the changes that have occurred. It also describes the shifts in identity perception and ways in which the leadership is making strides toward establishing a system of self-sustainability.
My hopes for the project were three fold. First, I hoped that by claiming identity and faith formation, ZChurch is able to release an old pattern of scarcity and survival mentality to that of claiming God’s abundance and witness to New Creation. This requires balancing traditional norms and values to exist with new values and visions. It also requires the lay leadership become confident in taking a more active role and realizing the abundance of gifts that exists within the congregation. Second, I hoped with greater awareness the leadership carries the vision of ZChurch forward into the future, with less reliance on pastoral leadership to carry the vision. The reliance on the pastor is a symptom of scarcity. Third, I hoped by examining my personal leadership style and the ways in which this has enabled the congregation from claiming sustainability, I would discern new and evolving ways of being in the pastoral role.
