By the Reverend Katie Kinnison, Commission for Nurture and Outreach
As part of our Matthew 25 initiative, the PC(USA) has named seven marks of vital congregations. The fourth mark or quality that alive congregations embody is to Empower Servant Leadership. This is both about who is doing the leading and about how it is being done. Each member, of all ages, learns to name and claim her spiritual gifts. Each is valued for what he brings to the community. It isn’t merely the pastor’s job to create a church that others value. Power isn’t something to be assigned and hoarded. The power of the Spirit is available to all, and the fruits of the Spirit can be seen among people who honor one another and share both burdens and responsibilities. Ideas for ministry – and the resources for fulfilling them – come from the congregation and not just the staff. We can do so much more – with lighter hearts and deeper joy – when many gather together to create beloved communities that go out into the world with God’s healing love. For a brief video on this Fourth Mark go to our PSV Facebook page:
https://business.facebook.com/You.R.Presbytery/videos/143227674383765/
For the Third Mark go to our PSV Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/1439775046247598/videos/1085119735329697
Mark 2’s video can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/1439775046247598/videos/760310924620503
And you can read about the Seven Marks here: https://www.presbyterianmission.org/wp-content/uploads/ToolkitDAVID4.22pm.pdf
