The Vision Retreat began by exploring how our stories, Advent’s story, and God’s Story each contributed shaping our next chapter at Advent.

Introducing our Storybook

The retreat began with a joyful procession of children and parents introducing a giant Storybook titled “Our Story" / Nuestra Historia.” It was a 4-foot high, handmade creation by Ellie Sudbrock, which we would use as a guide throughout our retreat. Each page turn started a new part of the retreat, symbolically “turning the page” to explore a new chapter of Advent’s story.

Your Stories

Who has taught you about God’s love at Advent?

On the first page of our Storybook, we invited people to answer this question. If you’re at home, take a moment to reflect on it. Write their name down. Join us in this prayer:

Thank you God for this community of Advent, for all the saints of Advent. Those who come before us, who are here now, and who will be here tomorrow.  Those who are known and unknown, thanked and unthanked. We know so many have shaped who Advent is, and have made it possible for us to be here in community today. We know that you are working in us and through us, calling us to be saints to others. And for this gift we say, in the depths of hearts, thank you. Amen.

Your Stories

When you think about the future of Advent, as we move into a new chapter, what are worried might be lost in the process of change?

On the second page of our Storybook, we invited people to answer this question. If you’re at home, take a moment to reflect on it. Name your anxiety or worry.

Your Stories

What is one of your favorite Advent stories, memories, or moments?

On the third page of our Storybook, we invited people to answer this question. If you’re at home, take a moment to reflect on it. Write it down. It doesn’t have to be the whole thing--just a word or two that reminds you of that story.

Our Stories

We invited people to place their person who taught them about God’s love and their favorite Advent story into our Storybook. We invited people to place their anxieties at the foot of the cross.

This symbolizes how Advent’s story is the interweaving of many stories woven together. It’s not a collection of separate essays. It’s a shared narrative.

Your stories are our stories.  Our stories are your stories. And it is all part of God’s story.

Unpacking the Scripture

Pastor Danielle said, “In this Story, the disciples were feeling hopeless. When they thought they knew what God was going to do, God was doing something new. Jesus had died. And they come across a stranger, who they don’t realize is the risen Jesus walking with them.

There is always uncertainty when we look at the future. Those feelings are nothing to fear, and yet we are still afraid. God knows that.  And that is why God comes into the change, the wondering, the questions and walks with us. Even when we’re not aware of it. God leads us and then walks with us through the challenges and wonderings. That is our constant.”

Ellie Sudbruck added, “As difficult as change can be, God is not content to let us stay where we are. God is leading us to be faithful, to live out the Gospel, even more, in this time and place.

And in that faithfulness, we find God is calling us to ventures unknown, radically and unconditionally sharing the love of God with a world that desperately needs to know it.

We are not a church that’s here to maintain; we’re here, rooted in the Gospel, to respond to the changing world around us to welcome all people to experience and live out God’s love.

As we share our strategic ministry plan, I invite you to be open-minded to giving something new a try, remembering we are freed in Christ. There will always be room for more questions and conversations; but God is calling us forward together. Even if we stumble, remember that God is always with us, and God is always doing a new thing.”

Our Story: Visioning Process

We turned the Storybook page again. Next our Vision Team co-chairs, Jon, Dorothy, and Kevin, came up to recall the story of our visioning process last year.

What people didn’t know is that this was about to segway into the dramatic reveal of our Strategy Ministry Plan.

Earlier last week, Jon, Dorothy, and Kevin, had gathered to reminisce on the visioning process, and prepared this story:

Jon said, “A year ago, we were in a very different place from today. When 80 Advent members gathered for our first Vision Retreat, I have to admit I was surprised by how eager everyone was to participate in this process. Not just to check a box, but to really engage.

What stood out to me was the sense of hope. It was like, maybe we aren’t so connected with each other and our shared mission right now, but we want to be.

Dorothy said, “What stood out to me in this process was trust. After our Vision Retreat, we facilitated more intimate, in-depth listening groups to explore the themes that came to the surface during the retreat. I was amazed by the trust people gave us in those groups, sharing their stories and feelings about faith and our church.

We facilitated 25 listening groups, including 70 members of our congregation. 36 hours of conversation.

When we hear our Mission & Vision now, we can still trace it back to what we heard in those spaces. Your voices, your neighbors’ voices, and God’s presence are all woven together in our Mission & Vision.”

Kevin said, “After these Listening Groups, our nine Vision Team members spent 4 months with your words, Scripture, and conversation to distill them into our Mission & Vision. At the same time, our Council & Staff got 6 strategic planning teams of 30 volunteers ready to start planning how to put this Mission & Vision into action.

Looking back on this process, what stands out to me is transformation. Both the transformation of many, many voices distilled into a shared Mission & Vision. And the transformation of our faith community. Sundays feel different now. I feel different. Maybe you do too. There is a new energy in the air . . . “

Dorothy continued, “We say our Vision is transformation -- and when I look back on the last year, I realize the Holy Spirit was already working transformation in this community . . . as we listened to each other, to Scripture, and to the Holy Spirit with hope and trust. And this is only the beginning.

Jon ended, “Now, we invite you to join us in proclaiming our Mission & Vision. It will be call and response, and the words will be on the projector . . .

Jon: Our mission is love.

Everyone: Our mission is to welcome all people to experience and live out God’s love.

Dorothy: Our strategy is community.

Everyone: Following the example of Jesus, our strategy is to practice authentic community that builds an inclusive.

Kevin: Our vision is transformation.

Everyone: Our vision is to be a church where the Holy Spirit transforms people’s faith, the community, and the world.

Kevin: Nuestra misión es amar. 

All: Nuestra misión es invitar a la comunidad a vivir y compartir el amor de Dios.”

Dorothy: Nuestra estrategia es comunidad.

Everyone: Siguiendo el ejemplo de Jesús, nuestro plan es ser una comunidad autentica que crece con una fe inclusiva.”

Jon: Nuestra visión es transformar.

All: Nuestra visión es ser una iglesia donde el Espíritu Santo transforma la fe de nuestra comunidad y el mundo. 

Kevin: How do we make this Mission & Vision come to life in our ministry? In the fall, that was the next question that 12 people on our strategic ministry & outreach planning teams explored. They prayerfully delved into the same Listening Group Notes the Vision Team gathered, brainstormed ideas, explored scripture and best practices, and we held 7 feedback sessions with 60 people in October. Here is what they heard, and how it all came together . . .

Madelyn: We all came to Advent for different reasons. We all stay because of the many ways that this community experiences and lives God’s Love. Here are some of the quotes we heard during the listening groups, read by volunteers.

Todos llegamos a Adviento por motivos diferentes. Nos quedamos por las diversas maneras en las cuales esta comunidad siente y comparte el Amor de Dios. 

Around the whole room, each person stood at their table to read their quote as a loud declaration, then moved to 1 of 3 covered-up signs at the front. 

Leroy: Worship gives me peace and hope even on the weeks when my life or the news seems like too much. I don’t just hear a message of hope; I get to be part of that hope.

(Moves to sign 1)

Debby: The overall sense of diverse community at Advent is wonderful and what drew me to Advent in the first place, but lately, I’ve been feeling disconnected.

(Move to sign 2)

Pastor Sarah: When I serve at Community Lunch, it’s not just about feeding people. It’s about making sure that every person experiences God’s love.

(Moves to sign 3) 

Juan: Elegí Adviento porque la liturgia y la música me pone en sintonía con mis raíces en fe, mientras la teología progresiva expresa mis mismos valores.

(Moves to sign 1)

David: I joined Advent because of the way I was welcomed the first time I visited. I don’t actually know much about Lutheranism. (Moves to sign 2)

Naomi: I can’t imagine an act of faith not connected to social justice. To me, the heart of the Gospel is about loving, inviting in, and empowering the poor, marginalized, and oppressed. 

(Moves to sign 3)

Mary Jordan: Advent has brought our family together on a faith journey, and it’s a place to raise kids and support them through their own faith journey.

(Moves to sign 1)

Carlos: Viviendo en Nueva York, es tan fácil vivir aislado del mundo que nos rodea. Adviento revuelve y remezcla todo eso y te pone junto a todo tipo de personas. 

(Moves to sign 2)

Sam: I came to Advent because I wanted a church where it wasn’t all about me. I did that at a non-denominational church, and it got old. Advent is committed to fighting injustice in the world and in our own backyard.

(Moves to sign 3)

Now, all 9 readers who stood up are clustered in groups of 3 at each of the 3 covered-up signs. What do the signs say??

Madelyn: We have this wonderfully wide variety of things that drew us to Advent.

Leroy: Hopeful worship. 

Juan: Liturgia y música. 

Mary Jordan: Family Faith journey.

Madelyn: Together, those needs can be met with a focus on Sundays.

Debby: Feeling disconnected.

David: Learning about the Lutheran faith.

Carlos: Mezclando con diversidad.

Madelyn: Together, those needs can be met with a focus on Small Groups.

Pastor Sarah: Community lunch.

Naomi: Social Justice.

Sam: It’s not all about me.

Madelyn: Together, those needs can be met with a focus on a Community Center. So the three parts of our strategic plan are:

Leroy, Juan, Mary Jordan: Sundays. Domingos. (Sunday group reveals “Sunday / Domingos” sign)

Debby, David, Carlos: Small Groups. Grupos Pequeños. (Small Groups group reveals “Small Groups / Grupos Pequeños sign)

Pastor Sarah, Naomi, Sam: Community Center. Centro Comunitario. (Community Center group reveals “Community Center / Centro Comunitario” sign)

Madelyn: Those are the three areas that we’ll explore today at the retreat.

Whole Group: Sundays. Small Groups. Community Center. 

Madelyn: Those are the three areas where we’ll focus on at Advent over the next 5 to 10 years.

Group: Domingos. Grupos Pequeños. Centro Comunitario.

Madelyn: Those are the three areas through which our Mission & Vision will come to life.

Group: Sundays. Small Groups. Community Center.

Madelyn: In all of these areas we share the same mission: 

Juan: Nuestra misión es amar. 

Group: Our Mission is to welcome all people to experience and live out God’s love. 

Juan: Nuestra estrategia es comunidad.

Group: Our Strategy is practice authentic community that builds an inclusive faith.

Juan: Nuestra visión es transformar.

Group: Our Vision is to be a church where the Holy Spirit transforms people’s faith, the community and the world.

Madelyn: Please join me as we declare our strategic ministry plan together.

Whole Retreat Gathering: Sundays. Small Groups. Community Center.

Juan: Únase a mí mientras declaramos juntos nuestro plan estratégico de ministerio.

Whole Retreat Gathering: Domingos. Grupos Pequeños. Centro Comunitario

Ministry Strategy Overview

We’re going to bring our Mission & Vision to life by focusing and investing in 3 areas: Sundays, Small Groups, and Community Center.

First, we will invest in Sundays. Sundays are already the actual and theological center of our ministry. As people of God, we exist to praise God. We will build on our strengths already present on Sundays--investing time, space, money, and passion to be intentional about making our Mission & Vision thrive on Sundays.

Next, we will create a new Small Groups program to build deeper relationships and strengthen our faith. This can serve as a next step for new members. And it will connect, empower, and inspire ALL Advent members to live out our mission together.

Third, we will draw together all the ways we engage our surrounding community as one Community Center. Our foundation will be our existing hunger, immigration, and music & arts ministries. Guided by our Mission & Vision, we will be more faith-rooted and holistic in our approach to these ministries, structure volunteer opportunities more intentionally as faith formation, and incorporate authentic strategies for outreach and evangelism. This will also be our launching ground for engaging in faith-based social justice work, accompaniment, and advocacy in our community and with our community.

In the next 3-4 years, we will collectively focus on each step, Sundays, Small Groups, Community Center, one at a time -- ensuring we make progress, approach each intentionally, equip and empower lay leaders, create sustainable systems, and use our resources wisely.

Frank: In 5-10 years, we envision these three ministry areas -- Sundays, Small Groups, and Community Center -- working together to make Advent a healthy, functioning church where our Mission & Vision is clear and thriving. An inclusive, life-giving, empowering, well-known place in the community that invites the whole community, all people -- local, citywide, and beyond -- to experience God’s love, practice authentic community, and be the voice, hands, and hope of the Holy Spirit’s transformation.

Phase 1: Sundays

So many reasons contributed to our decision to start by focusing on Sundays.

First, we exist to worship God. Our primary calling as a church in the Christian faith is to be centered on God, in praise, prayer, community, relationship, and love. We are called to love our neighbor because God first loved us. It’s the center of who we are as people and who we are as community. Everything else flows from that.

Second, in our Listening Groups, we heard overwhelmingly that the experience the most Advent members value is that of worship. The liturgy, music, preaching, community, and Gospel message proclaimed is in our DNA.

Third, our Strategy Feedback sessions indicated that Sundays are both the most desirable and feasible place to start. As one member put it simply: “I choose ‘Focus on Sundays’ because it’s when I can be here. It’s when most of us are gathered.”

Fourth, we want to build on our strengths:

• The liturgy, music, preaching, diverse community, and Gospel-centeredness of Sundays at Advent

• The 173 people who gather, on average, across our 3 services every Sunday

• And the 90 lay leaders and volunteers we have actively engaged on Sundays

Fifth, investing in Sundays is viable, critical, and foundational for growth in our Mission & Vision.

Did you know that while Protestant urban churches are seeing membership decline, non-denominational churches in New York City are growing? Most of these churches invest heavily in Sundays.

Nationally, worship is still the number one way people interact with churches. At Advent, we receive over 50 new visitors on Sundays each year -- and that’s just the people who fill out visitor cards. Our retention rate is not as high as our visitor rate, but with a focus on Sundays, we can change that.

Finally, we have something amazing to offer, every Sunday: the Gospel of God’s Grace for all people.

This message is vital and life-giving in a world where people are still using the Gospel to exclude, divide, and keep people down.

This is the Gospel the world needs to hear in a society overflowing with information and options, yet yearning for meaning, connection and transformation. Sundays at Advent can change lives and save lives.

As we look to bring our Mission & Vision to life, we want to begin where our core community gathers, where the Gospel is proclaimed, where we can build on our strengths.

That’s why, when it comes to bringing our Mission & Vision to life, step one is Sundays.

We have many exciting strategies we’re developing for the first phase of focusing on Sundays.

But rather than get bogged down talking to you all day, we used the gift of being together at our retreat to experience what this focus feels like, and means for us as God’s people.

We’re working on a more detailed informational booklet that we hope to share soon.

God’s Story: The Road to Emmaus

On the Road to Emmaus, the disciples were despondent.  They had forgotten the promises. Not only the promise that Jesus would rise again, but the faithful promises of God laid out since the beginning of time.  Jesus points them back to those promises, through the scripture.

Often we are so caught up in our own experience, we forget the promises of God, given to us through the scriptures, at the table, in baptism and lived out in one another.  

The formation of this Strategic Plan leaned heavily on listening to our congregation.  But it is more. We returned again and again to the promises of God laid out in scripture and to the missional work of the apostles.  We listened to the voices of the community around us and grounded ourselves, and this ministry plan, in the words and work of Jesus.   Recognizing that at the intersection of it all is God’s story. Which is exactly where we want to be.

Phase 2: Small Groups

Our second step is create Small Groups to build deeper relationships, explore faith, and equip all members to live out our mission.

Now, we already have a lot of groups at Advent that support our ministry: Lectors, Advent Chorale, Counters, Council . . .

And we’ve done home Bible Studies before during Advent or Lent.

In this ministry strategy, Small Groups refers to new program, creating consistent and intentional gatherings solely to build deeper relationships, explore faith, and empower all members to live out our mission.

Small Groups will invite people to accompany, learn, and grow with each other on the journey of faith, as we practice putting Advent’s mission into action throughout the rest of Advent’s ministry.

Small Groups is a type of program being adopted at many churches. Ours is based on a successful model developed right here in New York City. It reflects the research, trial and error, and best practices of other churches. And we are crafting ours specifically out of what we heard in our Listenings Groups, and guided by our Mission & Vision -- making it uniquely Advent.

Here’s the basic model: If you sign up for a Small Group, your group meets once a week for 10 weeks. It’s a large group, so if you have to miss a few weeks, it’s okay. After 10 weeks, you’re done.

Then there’s a 4 week break, during which new Small Groups are publicized, with some new topics, You can sign up for a new Small Group, or take opt this cycle off.

This system provides the opportunity is to form deeper relationships with a lot of people at Advent, while growing in faith, and feeling more empowered to live out Advent’s mission in the rest of Advent’s ministry and in your life.

We know busyness can make connection a challenge, but this model creates space and flexibility for that. The point is that we are committing to building relationships, accompanying each other, and growing in faith together.

What makes our Small Groups at Advent unique is that the content and format is informed by needs and values we heard in our visioning process Listening Groups, and guided by our Mission & Vision and Guiding Principles. These aren’t just your average Bible Study.

The topics are connected to our mission, but they still have room to get creative. For example, one group might explore Practicing Authentic Welcome or Lutheranism 101. Another could be next is a cooking group that explores how food brings people together in Scripture and life, and food insecurity, and ties into Community Lunch.

The important thing to know is that this would be a new program we build out intentionally in the 2nd phase of our strategy. It’s different than the committees and ministries that support our operations and ministry. This initiative is all focused on building deeper relationships, walking with each other in faith formation, and empowering you and your neighbor to live out God’s love at Advent and beyond.

Experience Small Groups

Next, we invited people at the retreat to experience an example of what a Small Group might be like. During lunch, we gathered in group of 6-10, and explore the following small group guide about one of Advent’s Guiding Principles: Jesus-Like Welcome.

This is just a prototype, an example of a Small Group gathering. It features some of the key ingredients of Small Groups: like hearing each others’ stories, exploring scripture, connecting faith to action, learning from each other, and empowering each other to live out God’s love. But our format will continue to grow, evolve, and have variety as we live into this part of the strategy.

Names - 3 min

Briefly go around the circle. Share your name and how long you’ve been involved at Advent.

Prayer - 1 min

I want to thank each of you for coming to today’s retreat. Your presence here matters. Before we start, please join me in prayer:

God, we thank you for this opportunity to get to know each other, grow in faith together, and support in other in the practice of Jesus-Like Welcome with others. Please open our ears to each other, our hearts to your Scripture, and our lives to your beckoning call to love and be loved. You are a constant reminder that everyone we meet is a beloved child of God, and our sibling in Christ -- including everyone in this group. Help us to love and encourage each other here, and to go out from here, and do the same on Sundays and in our lives. Amen.

What is Jesus-Like Welcome? - 1 min

What we’re about to experience is an example of what a future Small Group gathering might be like. This format is by no means set in stone. We’ll continue exploring and adapting, and we’d welcome your input in the process.

Today’s small group is about Jesus-Like Welcome. It’s the first of Advent’s 8 Guiding Principles that came out of our visioning process. These Guiding Principles are core values of Advent that we’ll seek to live into more boldly and deeply as part of our mission.

Jesus-Like Welcome is the deep, unconditional, and authentic welcome of each person just as they are. It’s making tangible our belief that everyone is a beloved child of God.

Today’s example Small Group session will explore how we can all practice Jesus-Like Welcome at Advent and in our lives.

Your Stories - 10 min

To start, I’d like to ask a few people to share a time when you were welcomed. How did it feel?

(For kids: Share a time when you made a new friend on the playground. How did it feel?)

Back Up questions (if needed):

• Share a time you wanted to welcome someone, but something got in the way (For kids: How have you seen someone else be a friend?)

• Share a time you were the welcomer. How did it feel? (For kids: What do you when you see a new person on your playground?)

Jesus-Like Welcome in Scripture - 10 min

We can learn from each others’ stories, and we can also learn from the stories we find in Scripture. Let’s dive into a Gospel text that offers an example of our Guiding Principle of Jesus-Like Welcome.

Matthew 19:13-14 | Let the Little Children Come to Me 

Intro: In Jesus’ time and context, children were valued very little. Keep that in mind as we read the following Scripture.

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.  14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Questions

• Who were the characters in this story? How do you think each person in this story felt?

• Why does it matter that people experience God’s love at Advent and in the world? How can it impact the stories of person being welcomed, or the welcomer?

• How could you imagine yourself following the example of Jesus in this text? What would be challenging about that? How could the Holy Spirit work through your actions?

Learning from Each Other - 10 min

In our visioning process listening groups, one thing we learned is that many people in our congregation learn a lot about faith not only through Scripture, but through their relationships with others. So let’s take a moment to learn from each other:

Go back and reflect on your earlier memories of welcoming others or being welcomed.  

Together we are going to make a list of what made that welcome work.  What techniques, strategies, approaches, attitudes, preparation, contributed to that welcome.  Write them down on the group paper.    

Paper and markers should already be in each room. If you are missing any supplies, have a group find Pastor Danielle or Kevin.

Follow-Up Questions

Feel the flow of the conversation, and see what questions would take the conversation deeper.

• Do the same techniques work for everyone? 

• What about introverts vs extroverts? How do you identify? 

• Which of these would be comfortable for you? And what would stretch your comfort zone? What might take practice?

We can all find different ways to practice Jesus-Like Welcome, and we can all keep growing too. 

Practical Tips - 10 min

For our practical learning section, we are going to start with something simple, profound, but somehow so hard! Remembering names. We have had people choose the Advent community because someone remembered them by name. God calls each person by name, and we can welcome all to experience God’s love when we do the same.

Here are a few techniques to try:

• Get in a Listening Mindset: Often when we don’t remember a name, it’s because we never heard it. Often, in that initial moment we’re thinking about how we’re presenting ourselves, or preoccupied with another task. When worship ends, are you prepared to learn a new name or two? What are you usually thinking about?

• Repeat their name back to them. “Nice to meet you, Albert.”

• Write their name down. As soon as the conversation ends, take a moment to make a note on your phone or on paper. It takes 2 seconds, and you’ll thank yourself next week.

• Tell someone about them. “I was just talking to Albert, a new visitor, and he told me about . . . “

• Make a connection. Connect a name with a memorable quality of the person, the situation you met in, a shared interest or experience, an old friend with the same name, anything. Connections help us remember. Coincidentally, introducing them to another friend is another great way to make a connection and help their name stick.

• And when you realize you forgot someone’s name, that’s okay. Because it’s really about being seen and valued. You still can still show that. For example, you could say: “Hi! So good to see you again. My name is Norma. Remind me of yours?”

  
  

As you practice this, remember that God loves you no matter what. God loves you when you fall short. And God’s love can always work through your efforts. We are freed to do this ministry because God already has redeemed us, calling us to live in God’s Grace and Love.

Apply our Faith in Action - 10 min

Reflect on all the stories, Scripture, and ideas we’ve just heard together. How can you apply Jesus-Like Welcome tomorrow morning at church? Let’s go around the circle and share.

Take it Home - 3 min

Exchange beads with the person next to you, and agree to pray for one another by looking that person in the eye and saying,” ________, I will pray for you by name this week. Keep the bead as a reminder to honor your promise.

Also: Remind people to hold on their partner’s bead because we’ll be using it later in the retreat

Empowering in Discipleship - 2 min

Please pray with me:

God of saints and sinners, you have called each and every one of us to this moment.  You celebrate who we are and who we are becoming. You continue to equip us each day, to live faithfully and with purpose.  And sometimes we are so on the mark. And many times, we are so far from it. But no matter how we respond to each moment, you are faithful to us.  When we fall down, you sit beside us, hand outstretched, waiting to help us up again. When we turn from you, you turn toward us, waiting for us to notice.  When we neglect to see ourselves and others through your eyes, your tears wash away our self-made distortions gradually giving us a new vision. You are everything.

Now, I invite each person in this group to pray for one another.  We will pray lifting up each person's name one at a time saying, “Today we ask with humility and hope that your Spirit move through _________.

Have the whole group repeat this prayer for each person in the group, going around the circle. 

(People will be wearing name tags, so that will help everyone get names right this time!)

When everyone has been prayed for, say . . .

God of saints and sinners, you have called each and every one of us to this moment.  You celebrate who we are and who we are becoming. You continue to equip us each day, to live faithfully and with purpose. Amen.

Additional Jesus-Like Welcome Texts (Choose One)

1

Matthew 19:13-14 | Let the Little Children Come to Me 

Intro: In Jesus’ time and context, children were valued very little. Keep that in mind as we read the following Scripture.

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.  14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

2

Matthew 25:31-39 | Welcome the Stranger

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,[g] you did it to me.’ 

3

John 7:53-8:11| Woman Caught in Adultery

[53 Then each of them went home, 1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.[a] 9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.”[b] And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”]]

4

Luke 19:1-10 | Zacchaeus

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  

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Luke 23:39 -42 | Jesus on the Cross

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

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John 14:1-2 | Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

Unpack Small Groups

People spend time at their tables discussion these questions:

1. What did you value about this experience?

2. How is making time to build relationships both challenging and lifegiving? How does does grow your faith?

3. We said purpose of our Small Groups is to build deeper relationships, explore faith, and equip all members to live out our mission. How could you imagine your group’s experience growing from here?

Phase 3: Community Center

We introduced this phase of the strategy with a few stories:

Kevin said, “One of my favorite stories about Food Pantry is about Frankie.

“It was a Saturday morning. Our monthly Food Pantry was about to start. About 100 people were lined up outside on 93rd street. And Frankie didn’t have enough volunteers to pack all 150 bags of the food in time.

“So what did Frankie do? She went out to the line outside. And said, “Hey everyone, so glad you’re here. If you all want food today, can someone please help me?”

“Several adults and a group youth volunteered to help, and they got all the bagging done in time, and fed everyone.

“That same group of youth and adults has volunteered at our Food Pantry every single month for 5 years.

Here’s another story: Our website has a signup for Food Pantry and Community Lunch embedded in it. I just another signup yesterday. She said: “I would like to serve the community. I’ve been living in the upper west side for 6 years. I need to do more for the people around me.”

“So many people in the community are here and ready to be part of something, and when we together we all put the focus and resources in, we can be a place for all of them to practice authentic community, and experience and live out God’s love. Whatever their faith or background, there are people who want to do that. And we can still offer to pray for them, accompany them. We can make our wholehearted invitation them to worship and small groups widely known, and some will come.

Pastor Danielle added, “I want to tell you another story about our Community Dinner. We partner with Trinity School, and have 7th graders from Trinity bring food and serve every month. But we also have Kathy, and other volunteers from Advent present to pray with people. Some people fill our prayer cards, so their prayers are lifted up by the whole congregation. And some request a follow-up call. Deacon Adolfo has since called those people, offering prayer, listening, and building relationships, and we’ve seen some of those people in worship on Sundays.

“This step in our strategy would seek to draw together all the ways we engage our surrounding community as one Community Center. It looks at taking a more holistic approach so that people are not only fed but empowered to speak up for what they need, making sure they are offered prayer and support, are seen in the fullness of who they are, seen and valued as they are. 

“This mission to experience and live out God’s love is some esoteric adventure. It is a real adventure. It’s real, and it’s hard, and there are so many possibilities. 

“For example, what if somebody comes in and needs a bag of groceries. But we also give them recipes, and pray with them. We invite them to participate in one of Small Groups that’s all about food advocacy. And that same person knows they are not only welcome in the basement to receive, but they are welcome to worship with us, and they are empowered to contribute to our ministry and their community.

“Each person, no matter their situation, has something to give. Everybody has a God-given gift that is necessary to the world. WE could be that place where people not only receive, but are empowered to give of their best selves, their God-given gifts. There is dignity in that. If our mission is to love . . . Loving somebody means giving them their dignity.

“Drawing together all of this, our Community Center also be our launching ground for engaging in faith-based social justice work, accompaniment, and advocacy in our community and with our community.”

Here are the ministries we have now that engage and uplift the community, each in different ways. We’re going to be building on our strengths.

What will we change?

First, we’ll start by investing more focus and resources in these ministries.

As time goes on, we will be more intentional in our approach to these ministres, and create new programs to fill in the gaps — all guided by our Mission & Vision, and 8 Guiding Principles.

Experience our Community Center

At the retreat, we invited people to watch a video of Advent members reading our 8 Guiding Principles, and imagine how these would guide us to grow from our current social outreach ministries into our vision of Advent as a Community Center.

Here is one group doing the activity. We are typing up the responses people came up with, and will share them soon!

Strategy Recap

So, now we experienced the 3 steps in our strategy: Sunday, Small Groups, Community Center. Our strategy is to focus on developing each of these areas one at a time: Anchoring our mission on Sundays, growing out into Small Groups, and expanding our engagement and community through our Community Center.

When we are done . . . here is what that looks like.

Our strategic vision is that these three spaces will reinforce each other, and provide pathways both for all people to be invited into authentic community, and to grow how we live out God’s love in this community and the world.

For example, say a new member comes on Sundays and says, “I had a great experience here. I would love to get more connected. We can, “Small Groups are a great way to get connected. We have new ones starting in 2 weeks. It’s only a 10-week commitment, you don’t have to come every week, and you’ll meet 15-20 people right off the bat.”

Or maybe instead, they say, “Today’s sermon left me so inspired to take action.” We can say: “Great, there are so many ways you can practice living out God’s love through our Community Center programs. Take a look.”

Or maybe, you’re a ministry leader, and you sign up for a 10-week Small Group about Jesus-Like Welcome. You leave full of ideas about how to apply Jesus-Like Welcome to your ministry. You realize Jesus-Like Welcome can apply to your life too -- to your work, friends, school, and more. In your Small Group, you also got to know some of the people you do ministry with a lot better, and now your whole experience of doing ministry at Advent is deepened -- both your faith formation, and relationships.

Or imagine you come to Community Lunch for a meal. But you also come for the community, because you live alone. You are invited to join us for worship on Sundays. You come. You come again. Someone remembers you, by name. You keep coming. Later, you join a Small Group for 10 weeks. One of the upcoming Small Groups is a cooking group that explores how food brings people together in Scripture and life, and food insecurity in our neighborhood, and it helps prepare you to be a volunteer or even a cook at Community Lunch.

This is our strategy to welcome all people to experience and live out God’s love. To practice authentic community, and build an inclusive faith. This a strategy to be a church where the Holy Spirit transforms people’s faith, the community, and the world.

This is our strategy: Sundays. Small Groups. Community Center.