Ignite the Spark! and The Big Event

It is time to register for the next Ignite the Spark! and our annual, combined presbyteries, Big Event, which is widely acclaimed as folks’ favorite presbytery meeting. I find this acclamation curious: why is the Big Event folks’ favorite meeting?

Well, let’s admit that the bar is set pretty low, for most folks are not overly excited about any business meetings, be they Session, their employer, or your local Rotary Club. But I suspect something more is going on with the Big Event. I suspect we are drawn to community; drawn to connecting. I believe we experience our best selves when we are giving ourselves to others in, through, or as the Body of Christ. The Big Event’s focus is on who we are, together, as Christ’s Body, and how we can live into the fullness of that hope for the sake of the world. What’s not to like about that?

This year’s Ignite the Spark! will feature communication specialists from the General Assembly. This is not a “sexy” topic but as we live in the Information Age and the world of Social Media 2.0, communication within our congregations and to our communities becomes a vital link to faithful ministry and mission. Does your church have a clearly defined message? Do you have a strategy for communicating that message within and beyond your congregation? Do people in the community have any, possible, (even a remote possibility), clue about what your church stands for? What about understanding how they can get connected with your faith community, or through your faith community make a difference in the lives of others? If you answered no to any of these questions, Ignite the Spark! on Friday, August 11 is for you.

In addition to Friday’s Ignite the Spark!, there are communication workshops at Saturday’s Big Event. Included among the offerings on Saturday will be workshops on building a basic website and using social media to get your message out. If you are reading this missive, you are likely of an age (because our demographic is skewed toward “mature”) where you’re thinking, “I’m not the techie in my church.” Noted. On the other hand, someone needs to gather the information; someone needs to begin building the bridge toward our communities. If not you, who will it be?

Praying for you all,
Brad Munroe