Reimagining Church "We Imagine/Wonder" Document

The commissioned Spring Glen Church Reimagining Committee began its work in the middle of 2021 with the intent of examining issues that challenged the existing present church practices and ethos with a mission to look at ways to imagine a stronger and more relevant church as we grow into the future. The committee began its work with six members, including the Senior Pastor, lay leadership, and one convening student from Yale Divinity School.

Over the course of many months the Reimagining Committee heard from outside sources of inspiration in practices not considered traditional. The committee weighed in on traditional Spring Glen church practices, reviewed the church’s 92-year history, reflected upon recent changes in culture both inside and outside the church body, and worked on incorporating what was learned in this spiritual journey into a dreaming vision of what the church can become to best reflect the teachings of Jesus.

We, as a striving pack of six, walked and prayed together not always sure of our destination. Operating under the understanding that we were both lost and found, we eventually found our voice.

Spring Glen has been a church in conflict, between hearing the call to grow and serve the most marginalized voices crying in the distance and comforting our neighbors within our own church doors. We evolve stronger with a more determined vision to fulfill the radical promise of Agape love. No borders, no distance, a journey together towards ongoing love and affirmation.

This will not be easy. But reimagining and self-reflection requires a modicum of courage. We will not be the church of soft, comforting expectations, but we will challenge injustice in our community and beyond with stronger and more confident voices. Our challenge to continue to grow and prosper as a congregation is to understand and bear witness to a more passionate core of church “ministers” who serve each other in more beautiful ways yet unimaginable to strike down isolation and loneliness. Investing in each other and seeing each other in all our diversity will be our primary characteristic. In this Spring Glen Church rebrand, regrows, and reimagines.

Attached is a document we collectively wrote cataloguing the many elements of church we felt were ripe for reimagining.