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“Creativity is a gift that rises

from deeper places than

conscious thought - something

that needs to be listened to

rather than forced out.”

- Michael Gungor

Dreams of the future are a must: What is our church missing and how did we get here?

The proverb, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,”1 speaks to the need for

leaders to envision the future. Yet, local church leaders face challenges and obstacles to

dreaming. What encourages and permits them to

dream about the future with hope in these difficult

times? This opening proverb connects dreaming and

visioning with life. But often these dreams are below

the surface, as Michael Gungor suggests with his quote.2 Are there factors that are deemed

necessary for local churches to be able to dream, as opposed to just survive and maintain?

I believe that many leaders struggle to dream about the future in a hopeful manner when

the prevailing narrative surrounding the life of the modern church is one of decline and

despair. This project seeks to better serve the ministries of leadership and stewardship of

the Epworth UMC by searching for factors, often in places deeper than conscious thought,

that influence congregational leaders’ dreams for their church.

The Congregation Being Studied

Epworth is located about 90 minutes south of Atlanta in the heart of Columbus,

Georgia. On September 25, 1960, 49 people gathered in a little home in the newly built

Winchester neighborhood to start a new church. The congregation met in five different

1 Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) 2 Michael Gungor, The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse: A Book for Creators (Denver: Woodsley Press, 2012), 11.

D. Scott Hagan P686 Independent Study: Reading Congregations

June 2013 Professor Tribble

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locations prior to moving to its first permanent building on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1963.

Originally, Epworth was established as a neighborhood church by a local Missions planning

board that believed strongly in the neighborhood church model that was popular at the

time. Epworth is one of at least six UM churches that were started in Columbus in a span

of two decades.3 It has been served by thirteen pastors, and is one of only a handful of

churches in South Georgia that twice have been led by a female clergyperson.4 The Rev.

Marcia Cochran held the longest tenure in the office of pastor, serving fifteen years at

Epworth before moving in 2004. In 2006, 49 new members from Hamp Stevens UMC

merged with the Epworth congregation. Epworth has 360 full members and an average

worship attendance in two Sunday services of 160 members and visitors.

Listening to and Learning from Leaders at Epworth

Proverbs says, “Let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire

skill.” In need of both wisdom and skill, I set out to study dreaming in the local

congregation. With the strong conviction that dreaming must be present in the lives of

leaders if a congregation is to remain vital, I undertook specific methods of congregation

studies to listen and learn from leaders in the Epworth UMC congregation. Seeking to try

and get at the effect of one factor on another, I approached this research as a causal or

predictive puzzle, as outlined by Moschella.5 I started with eight leaders, each chosen in an

3 Epworth, Edgewood, Striplin Terrace, St John, St Andrew, Asbury. 4 Rev. Marcia Cochran (1989-2004) and Rev. Cindy Autry (2007-2008). 5 Mary Clark Moschella, Ethonography as a Pastoral Practice: An Intrduction (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2008), 60.

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attempt to balance gender, age, and length of participation in the congregation.6 They

were invited to participate in interviews that ranged from 20-35 minutes. Each of the

interviews started with my description of the role of dreaming in congregations. I would

summarize it as:

In the future, every church anticipates getting things done. Buildings will be

built. Staff will be recruited, hired, and deployed. Families will be reached

and children will be reared in the ways of God. Programs will be introduced

that change lives and events will be offered that people will use as tools to

reach and connect family and friends to the church, but before any of this

gets done, before anything happens, plans have to be made. Votes have to

be taken. Monies have to be raised. Drawings have to be created. Every great

thing that will happen in the future is preceded by a period of planning, but

before anything happens and before any plans are made, there is a level that

lies underneath how the church functions. Before any event, or hire, or

project gets done or any plans are put into motion, there is a moment of

spark. It is that moment when a light bulb goes off. I call it dreaming. When

it happens in the context of the church, it is congregational dreaming. Before

things get done and before plans are made, there is a moment when

someone or some group dreams it all up. 7

From the interviews, questions were developed or modified into a survey that was

distributed to the Church Council and completed by 27 leaders.

The research went very smoothly. I started with a general theory and found that parts

of it were confirmed. I also learned new dimensions to the question I never would have

considered and new perspectives that were enlightening and very helpful as I continue to

serve alongside and live within this family called Epworth. The findings from the surveys

and, in particular, the act of sitting in the interviews brought much knowledge and joy,

6 Pseudonyms are being used to minimize the risk and harm to the persons and congregation. 7 Interview by author. Congregational Studies Interview. Columbus, May 2013.

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confirming what authors and practitioners of ethnography and congregational studies have

consistently said. I believe the clear consent that was sought for each interview and the

open door of the pastor’s office helped to create an atmosphere that allowed for good

conversation, as well as offering protection to those who participated.

Disciples Develop Over Time

NT Wright suggests that each Gospel offers its answer to one primary question, “Who

did Jesus think he was?”8 Each person’s response to this primary question shapes the

trajectory of his or her life. Readers have long since realized that each Gospels offer its

own unique perspective on how the first disciples responded to the revelations about

Jesus, and God, that happened in front of their eyes. The Gospels attributed to Matthew,

Mark and Luke all see, in broad terms, the narrative of the ministry of Jesus in the same

way. Because of these strong similarities between them, they have been given the term

Synoptic Gospels. For all of their similarities in content and structure, the Gospel of Luke

stands apart in one unique category: it is the only Gospel that also has a sequel. The Acts

of the Apostles was written by the same hand and extends the story past the resurrection

and into the early years of the church. While the disciples in Mark are often operating in a

cloud about who Jesus is and what he is called to accomplish, Luke is able to tell their

stories beyond their doubts, fears and struggles and out into their own ministry after the

Resurrection.

8 N.T. Wright, N.T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides: Luke (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Connect, 2011),

43.

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Because he was so frequently quoted and mentioned by name, perhaps the story of

Peter offers a helpful lens by which to consider what it means to grow from doubt to

dreaming. In his first recorded words, Peter declares, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a

sinful man,” as he reacts to Jesus’ miracle on the Sea of Galilee.9 A few chapters later,

Peter subtly chastises Jesus for slowing down to ask about a stranger in a crowd. We know

that the stranger’s faith, which led her to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe, also led her to be

healed. Nevertheless, Peter is observed as lacking a vision for what Jesus is doing. In Luke

chapter 9, Peter offers to create a dwelling place for Jesus and the two guests who have

appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, presumably with the intention to offer

hospitality and certainly hoping to extend the moment.10 It is in Luke 18 that Peter’s

frustration with Jesus’ teachings about the difficulty of discipleship boils over with the

statement, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.”11 All of these instances are

but a foreshadowing of Peter’s biggest crisis of faith there in the courtyard of the High

Priest when Peter denies Jesus three times on the eve of the Crucifixion.12

The person of Peter, as told in Luke, so closely resembles our own troubles and

challenges as those also called to follow Christ. We mess up, speak too soon and often

lose faith when times get difficult. Beyond a few limited moments of considering what

may be in store for him individually early on, Peter is never shown dreaming about the

9 Luke 5:8. 10 Luke 9:33. 11 Luke 18:28. 12 Luke 22:31-62.

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future with hope that resembles the good news. I think that factors from both his personal

life and the community around him prevented such dreams from being possible.

Luke Timothy Johnson believes that the author of Luke and Acts has shaped both of

them so that the Gospel account is first and best interpreted through the companion work

of history. He writes, “The Book of Acts both continues the story of the Gospel and

fulfills/confirms it.”13 The fears of the first followers of Jesus are transformed to dreams

and bold actions as time goes on. It is the introduction of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that

is primarily responsible for the change.14 Indeed, it is in Luke’s sequel that Peter and the

other disciples’ stories turn for the good. The Acts of the Apostles begins with the disciples

together with Jesus in bodily form for the last time:

So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time

when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to

know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But

you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you

will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends

of the earth." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up,

and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were

gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.

They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This

Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same

way as you saw him go into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from

the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey

away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where

they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and

Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the

Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting

13 Luke Timothy Johnson, Interpretation of the New Testament: An Interpretation, Revised Edition (Minneapolis:

Fortress Press, 1999), 222. 14 Acts 2 (NRSV).

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themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the

mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.15

I believe that this small descriptive piece about the persons and factors God would soon

use to birth and advance the church can be extremely helpful for congregations today. Just

a few verses later,

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent

wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues,

as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.16

The single greatest day in the life of the church, after the resurrection, is captured in the

second chapter of Acts. Peter and the other disciples stand before a crowd, with the Holy

Spirit powerfully on display, and retell the story of Jesus that leads three thousand to

respond. The church was born. Great things happened that day for the Kingdom: the

disciples were called, the Spirit was present, and the hearers were receptive. Peter

prophesied,

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons

and daughters will prophesy. Your young will see visions. Your elders will

dream dreams.17

Before this day of prophesy and bold declarations could happen, significant factors in

the personal lives and communal life of the disciples came together. The disciples

overcame fear, came together in prayer, spent time patiently waiting for God’s direction

and studied the Scriptures. Though each disciple still operated in his own freedom and

15 Acts 1:6-14. 16 Acts 2:1-3 17 Acts 2:17 (CEB).

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certainly some differences would continue,18 all of this brought an overarching degree of

unity to the community as it was being formed. Could there be similar factors and

circumstances that help free believers in congregations today to dream of the future? Are

there factors that prevent people from dreaming?

Dreaming is Everyone’s Job

As could be expected, there were few questions that prompted the same answer from

the wide variety of age groups and levels of activity that were included among the persons

who took part in the interviews and surveys. However, everyone agreed that dreaming is

everyone’s job. Cal captured how the people are the linchpin to dreaming about the future

of the church because only they are intimately connected to the larger history of the

congregation. He said,

They are the ones who know the past and the present of the church so they

are the ones who best know the future of the church. It is everyone's job,

whether they are staff members or they come just once a week.

Kim said it this way,

The leaders and the preacher must both dream. Everybody needs to dream of

better things that can happen with their church. We need to all dream as a

congregation and as a church family. If you have your congregation

dreaming, your leaders dreaming, and your preacher dreaming, obviously you

have a better chance of something coming true.

Counter to those who would suggest that the pastor or top leadership are called

on to exclusively set the direction for the church’s future, Sue says the task is

everyone’s,

18 Acts 11:2 and Acts 15:39.

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I think it is the congregation's. The preacher, he or she may initiate it, spark

it, but it is the congregation that has to get it done.

This is not to say that there aren’t persons who have more influence than others.

Lori commented,

It is everybody's responsibility. But, if you don't have the influence from the

pulpit, you get nowhere.

She is speaking to the truth that some voices are heard and considered weightier than

others. I believe this leads to the next truth: pastors must carefully steward their use of

their own voice in matters of leading and dreaming, otherwise the balance of leadership is

lost and the people are not heard or valued. Leah said,

I feel like it is everybody's responsibility. We have to know what we want

and what we think, but the pastor does, too. The pastor has to have a dream

and have wants for the congregation. I think the congregation bears the

biggest responsibility of the dream and pastor has an almost equally large

responsibility. I am sure this is because the pastor loves his/her church.

One question, in particular, was related to this topic. When given the statement, “I

sometimes think I am not supposed to dream because I have not been involved as long as

others,” participants overwhelmingly disagreed. The response of 1.67/5 indicates that even

some obvious obstacles to dreaming don’t prevent people.

I believe this strong conviction that everyone is responsible for dreaming lines up with

the New Testament turn toward a theology of the priesthood of all believers. 1 Peter spoke

of believers being used as living stones to build up a spiritual house and goes on to say,

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But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own

people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called

you out of darkness into his marvelous light.19

This has been lived out in United Methodist polity and practice through a host of ways:

both clergy and lay being voting members of Conferences, laypersons encouraged to lead

and even preach, and local churches transitioning from one pastor to another while both

maintain their identities.

Dreaming Is Difficult to Do and Talk About

While everyone is convinced that dreaming about the future of the congregation is

something for which everyone is responsible, it is not something about which it is easy to

talk. It is also very difficult to do. I made an intentional effort in my interviews to try to

describe how I was defining the concept of “dreaming for congregation’s future with hope”

and still found some people only slowly came around to what I was describing. Joe

recognized the difficulty and said,

It's hard to talk about dreaming. When I have a dream it is usually the most

ridiculous thing I've had in my life. You hope the thing will carry forward.

You hope that it will be what it is supposed to be - on a Christian level.

Dreaming also can lead to other outcomes which people often resist. People know that

change is inevitable, but few people readily embrace change or relish it. This is especially

true for people groups, like congregations. Cal said dreaming is difficult,

If the congregation is reluctant to change, which ours is and can be at times.

Because, if you are dreaming then you are expecting something is going to

be changed, or you are hoping something is going to change.

19 1 Peter 2:5-9.

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Yet, some suggest that the very antidote to the uneasiness of dreaming is simply being

asked to dream in the first place. One survey response to the question of what encourages

dreaming was, “talking about the future with others and being asked to dream.” This

person, who indicated they had been a member of Epworth for twenty-four years, also

wrote, “The more often dreaming is discussed, the more often it will happen.”

All politics is local, All dreaming is personal

The phrase, "All politics is local" is a common phrase in U.S. politics attributed to

former U.S. Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. It encapsulates the principle that personal

issues, rather than big and intangible ideas, are often what voters care most about. I have

been surprised that beyond the larger concepts of everyone being responsible for

dreaming and the difficulty of dreaming, the research shows how much people’s own

personal situations impact their ability to dream for the congregation. One survey response

listed “my children, family and marriage” when asked about what things increase the

amount of dreaming you are doing for the future of the congregation.

Based on the early findings from interviews, I added a simple either/or question

to the surveys. I asked,

“If you had to choose one or the other, what would you say has a larger

impact on your dreaming for the future of the congregation: the status of

your own Personal Life or the status of the Epworth Community?”

Of the 23 responses received for this question, 7 of them were returned indicating that

Personal Life is the larger influencing sphere. While this falls well short of a statistical

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majority, there are other indications from the surveys that point to the high level of

influence that a leader’s personal life has on their dreaming for the congregation. Thirteen

of the twenty-seven responses indicated Moderate or Strong Agreement with the

statement, “I find that the factors from my own home life affect how often I am

dreaming/visioning about Epworth UMC.”

I expected some of this. As my ideas for the research were first taking shape, I tried to

predict factors that I thought might influence congregational leaders’ dreaming. Some of

those included their prayer life and their devotional life. These were factors for some

people. Survey responses to the statement, “I find that the quality and quantity of my own

prayer life has an impact on how often I am dreaming/visioning about Epworth,” came

back with a 4.11/5 level of agreement. Responses to the statement, “I find that the quality

and quantity of my own prayer life has an impact on how often I am dreaming/visioning”

showed a 4.0/5 level of agreement. Jill said,

Personally, I have a very strong personal devotional life. Walking and talking

with God, asking God to show me how I am supposed to be. I also thank God

for all of the things in my life, good or bad. That allows me to be more

hopeful in my own life, as well as, for the church.

Hank said,

You have to have prayer in your life to be a good leader. If is kind of like

believing in what you are selling.

Kim spoke about the influence of a person’s devotional life on the ability to dream and

said,

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I think that is huge. It focuses you. You want to pray about your dreams. Pray

that they will come true.

Prayer was also the topic of a very personal factor for one woman’s increased level of

dreaming for her congregation. She shared how her child, who lived in another state, had

been very ill and how our church had responded.

My child was on life support for those days I prayed the whole time. I knew

after the first day that I had people here praying. I did not think I hope this

church gets bigger and better. But I knew people were praying and it made

my hopes and dreams for the church stronger. It drew me closer to my

church because that meant a lot to me.

So, here prayers and dreaming come together in a very poignant way. The old cliché that

holds, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” can be

extended to a leader’s level of dreaming, too.

However, the larger story is that these factors rarely showed up in the interviews and

the responses from the surveys. Instead, the people who were more influenced by their

Personal Life were naming activities and factors beyond these inherently religious

practices. Kim put it this way when asked what factors made dreaming easier,

My parents, husband, and children: a strong family network supports me in

dreaming. Being loved.

And then when she was asked, “Are there factors that make it more difficult,” she said, “The

busyness of life getting in your way. Not having the time to dream.” She is sharing that

dreaming does not happen in a vacuum, and that even the time to dream can be crowded

out by the demands of everyday living.

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One survey participant indicated that one thing decreasing her own ability to dream

about the future of the congregation is her own personal “desire to live and work outside

of Columbus.” It does not get much more personal than this.

The Importance of Getting Along: Unity and Division

One of the points of crossover between what could be considered two ends of a

spectrum of influencers of dreaming, the community life of the church and the personal

life of the leader, can be captured with the term unity. The topic of unity and its converse,

division, appeared throughout the findings and conversations with congregational leaders.

In the midst of talking about the difficulty of dreaming, Joe moved immediately to talk

about divisions amongst leaders. He said,

Some churches have people who really bring it backward and not forward.

You hope everyone is on the same playing field.

He went on to say that for him, the primary obstacle to dreaming about the church’s future

is,

People not getting along. You have to have cooperation, whether you like

the idea being discussed or not.

He then shared a poignant story about a church meeting that finished with a lengthy

discussion and vote about a change in one of the church’s ministries. Afterwards, he

walked into the parking lot to hear people begin to share all of the things they wanted to

say inside but choose, instead, to keep to themselves until they were only around like-

minded people. He indicated this level of division and unwillingness to talk to people of

different opinions affected his own ability to dream about new ideas and possibilities.

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These findings should not be surprising. The two years of the previous pastoral

appointment at Epworth were described by everyone as contentious. No one person was to

blame and some threads of the disagreements were often traced back to lines that had

been drawn and kept years before. Jill described some of this when she said,

We were so divided at a point, like a family can get, and we got through that

angst and we have stayed. I don't feel any of that animosity. It is enjoyable

to come to church. I was one of many who thought I might need to find

some other place to go. There was not any dreaming in the past; it was all

praying. Praying, "Please, Lord, help our little church."

What was surprising was how easily people could speak about the need for unity and

everyone being on the same page while also admitting that every person is different and

our unique differences make us better. Hank said,

Everybody has to want the same thing, and everybody has to want the

church to grow. When all of us want a thing, we will find a way to do it.

People have to be on the same page.

Yet, when asked about factors that make dreaming more difficult, he said,

You have a little group over here that wants this, and a little group over here

that wants this, and you have a clash.

His language within the interview does not allow for the differences, but his actions within

the life of the church are very inclusive of others and his leadership is continually about

bringing people along. He is not alone in having speech about how a congregation should

work that seems slightly incongruent with the reality of a medium-sized congregation

made up of human beings. Lori said,

You've got to have everybody on the same page. You have to have everybody

wanting the same results.

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I don’t think their intentions are incorrect. I do think that the reality will never reach their

language which suggests some place of perfect accord. Joe captured it when he said,

You get more than five people and it is hard to satisfy that sixth person.

Knowing that the church is made up of people and could be described best as the web

of relationships between each person, it makes sense that the points of discord are so

negative on a leader, whether they are more influenced in their dreaming by the

community life or by their own personal life. A lack of harmony in their relationships at

church affects both areas. The evidence for this came back en masse. The space given in

the surveys to describe things that decrease or reduce the amount of dreaming a person

was doing for the congregation included:

• negative attitudes and resistance to change and not enough help

• gossip, some that appear to not care about you or what you are going

through even though they know

• being negative

• gossip in church, anger about others

• disagreements within the congregation

• disagreements

• divisiveness

One of the young leaders in the congregation actually spoke to the issue of division in

a beautifully hopeful way. When asked about the emphasis that many others had placed on

the trouble with disagreements in the church among leaders, Cal said,

It depends on how the leaders respond to the disagreements. Disagreements

can help with unity. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Not everyone is

going to agree with everyone. If people do have disagreements they can use

whatever opinions they have and bring them together with someone else's

to make the dream even better.

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Like those first apostles from Acts, this statement is from someone who believes that God

can work in and amongst our differences to achieve even greater than any of us can on our

own. The points of dissonance between Peter and Paul were worked out in a way that

opened paths for the whole world to receive the hope of Christ. Dreaming that results in

opposing proposed outcomes can also be brought together for God’s glory.

Show Me The Money

It was true before Cuba Gooding’s character every captured audiences with his jumping

and proclaiming this truth. Finances of the local church have an impact on the

congregational leader’s dreaming. Kim said,

If you don't have the funds, how can you fulfill your dreams.

Cal connected the earlier issue of unity with this one of finances when he said,

If you have support from the rest of the congregation, or the staff, or the

money resources [it is easier to dream]. The money can limit how much you

dream or accomplish. Despite all of the bright ideas that someone could

come up with, there has to be [money] in place to make them possible.

On two occasions in the past, Epworth’s pastors have intentionally tried to circumvent

the obstacle that finances can be to dreaming in vision-seeking events. Lori remembers,

Over time, we have had several opportunities to dream (under the direction

of previous pastors). "If money were no object, what would you dream?"

But there is a realization that finances will remain an obstacle for leaders if they

let them. Good leaders will dream despite the lack of extra financial resources at

their disposal. Leah said,

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I often find myself dreaming/visioning

about the long-term future (next 5-10

years) of Epworth.

I find my perceptions about the

current financial state of the

congregation has an impact on how

often I am dreaming/visioning about

Epworth UMC and the hopefulness of

those dreams/visions. 0.47

I think churches always have a financial concern because the pledges don't

always meet the budget. I don't think it affects it unless it’s a horrible

situation, like when it looks like the church cannot pull through. If you can

make it easily or can even just make it a little bit, there will always be

dreaming happening.

Sue said,

I think if the money is available leaders will be more apt to take more risk. If

they want to look in the far future and they have a vision for the church, yes,

I think they would be more apt to take a risk and dream into the future if the

money is available. But, it depends on if they want it, because they could

always get the money.

Local church finances were one of the key factors that I predicted would come to the

forefront of people’s discussions about what influenced the frequency and quality of their

dreams for the congregation’s future. Of the 27 leaders surveyed, 17 of them indicated

Moderate or Strong Agreement with the statement, “I find my perceptions about the

current financial state of the congregation has an impact on how often I am

dreaming/visioning about Epworth UMC and the hopefulness of those dreams/visions.” It is

interesting that 5 persons felt the opposite and listed moderate to strong disagreement

with the same statement. For some leaders, finances are not a factor. The statistics one

level deeper showed a high correlation, at a factor of .47, between this question and one

about the frequency of people

dreaming. This seems to indicate that

people who dream often are also very

motivated by the congregation’s

finances.

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Pastoral Changes

One distinctive piece of the United Methodist Church’s polity, or church organization

and law, is the equal voice and vote that laypersons are granted along with the clergy who

are set apart by the church for leadership. Not every denomination is structured this way.

Nevertheless, pastors are leaders who often wield a circle of influence larger than the one

space they occupy. People look to leaders to lead, and this expectation leaks over into

their ability to dream about the congregation and its future. Pastoral changes were listed

in both the positive and negative categories of influence on congregational dreaming.

Sometimes the pastoral relationship can be a negative influence on dreaming. One

female responded on her survey that, “pastoral appointments that have been a poor fit for

Epworth,” have reduced her ability to dream for Epworth. Another survey response was

similar I regards to the negative affect pastors can have on dreaming, but was hopeful in

saying, “instability of preacher assignment [reduces my dreaming], but dreams can still be

had anyway.”

Leah’s dreams have ebbed up and down through some pastoral changes. She speaks

candidly and says,

My meter went from high to low to high. I was angry when Marcia left

because [at the time I thought she was unfairly treated]. I resented it. I was

angry at the congregation, people within it that angered me… and that had a

big effect on me. I think how you feel about everyone around you has an

effect on what you dream and how you feel. I stayed and now I have that

same energy level about my church. I am 9 years older but I have the same

dreams that I did back then.

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Speaking to how pastoral changes can go both ways in how they influence leaders to

dream, Kim said,

Some people don't do well with change. Obviously, if you love your pastor

you dream you could stay with them or grow with them. I think this would

be a big influence on dreaming.

Cal said something similar and connected it with the fact that sometimes members

choose to depart when pastors change. He said,

I think it is depends on the individual leader and the relationship they had

with the preacher, the outgoing and the incoming. Whenever there are

preacher changes, some people typically switch churches or stop coming to

church, and if that is one of the leaders that you've had in the past then the

dreams that leader had are gone unless someone else picks them up.

He astutely speaks to the dreams that go with members when they depart, for whatever

the reason.

Even a good pastoral appointment brings with it worry to some leaders who begin to

anticipate what the next change will bring. Hank said,

What worries me more about the future of this church is the pastor leaving. I

just wonder what happens when a dynamic preacher leaves and they bring

in someone different. Will everyone be in for a big letdown?

Pastoral changes do impact the dreaming of leaders. Twenty of the twenty-seven

leaders surveyed indicated Moderate or Strong Agreement with the statement, “I find that

the frequency of changes in the pastoral appointment affect how often I am

dreaming/visioning.”

Lori talked about her experiences of the history of pastor changes at Epworth. She said,

21

I have found that the more I

am involved in a ministry the

more I am dreaming about

the future of that ministry or

the church.

4.63

I don't think Epworth has had the opportunity, since I've been here...we

haven’t had a fair opportunity to get from where we were 25 years ago to

where we want to go today. There have been challenges, in different ways,

over the course of time. Now we have a modern understanding [in reference

to the pastor] of how to grow and sustain.

At the very end of her interview, when asked if pastoral changes impacted the dreaming

done by leaders, she responded with a smile and said, “Absolutely. All of my answers have

been about that.”

More Doing = More Dreaming

The single most significant factor influencing the level of dreaming for any given

congregational leader is activity. It is supported by the statistical findings from the surveys,

and born out from the interviews, as well. Kim explained the high level of dreaming she is

doing for her congregation this way,

It is huge. It is a lot higher right now, because I am more involved. The more

involved I am the more I am dreaming.

The connection between dreaming and activity level cannot

be denied. Of the fifteen questions about the factors that

affected dreaming asked on the leaders’ surveys, no other came

back with as high a level of agreement. Only two of the twenty-seven people did not agree

that that the more they are involved the more they are dreaming. The reasons for this do

differ depending on the unique perspective of the person. Some of the comments included

in the surveys added to the numbers concerning what factors help and hurt dreaming:

• being involved

• involvement in church activities

22

• being in church regularly

• being away from church decreases my dreaming

Leah listed the proximity of her home to the church and said,

I think about the congregation a lot, because I am so close. I drive by here

and think about the church every time. I think, "I hope when we get the

entrance to Manchester Expressway it will bring more people. And when I

see the pastor's car in the parking lot when I drive by I think, “I know we

cannot keep him forever but I hate to think about him leaving.”

Others talked about raising their children in church. Cal said,

In the last year, it has been a lot more, since we have a child growing up in

the church. Before that, it was less. But, in order for us to bring a child up in

the church our dreams for the church have increased.

Sue also connected it to children, though hers are now grown. She said,

When the children were younger and they were active, it would have been

up here [indicating a high level]. Now that they have gone, it is lower.

Lori believes that seeing the fruit of your labor and involvement inspires people

to dream. We’ve heard that success breeds success. She suggests that it also breeds

more dreaming,

I think leaders have to see results. If people see results, they get motivated.

So, unfortunately, if you don't attend events that are successful then you

cannot see where we are making a difference.

Hank’s comments actually helped to shape the survey that was used later in the

research. He indicated that both participation in the ministries of the church and

attendance in worship were vital for dreaming. He said,

I think a leader needs to be as active as they can. They need to attend as

much as they can. If you have a position in the church but only attend once

23

I find that the news or other

factors from our local

community affect how often I

am dreaming/visioning about

Epworth UMC and the

hopefulness of those

dreams/visions.

2.67

or twice a month, how interested are you in that position. You have to be as

active as you can be in the church, to be a good leader.

What They Did Not Say

Considering the prevalence of news from around the world and locally, I expected to

see some emphasis given to the influence that outside events

might have on dreaming. Yet, instead the level of agreement was

essentially neutral, as indicated in this graph. The question also

got little traction in the eight interviews. Hank, speaking about

the influence of the news on his dreaming, said,

I really don't think it should. I might, though. You can get so depressed

watching the news every night; you just throw your hands up. Instead, you

have to trust God.

Lori said,

They would not personally affect me. Those things are out of my control.

They might have an impact on what I am dreaming about. It depends on the

circumstances. We read about the 8-year-old killed; I think about if she had a

church home, and how could we have stopped that from happening. As far as

wars go, they have been around since biblical times. They have been

happening for hundreds of years and there is absolutely nothing you can do

about that.

Jill said,

I try not to follow the news too much. You can sit glued to Fox News and get

someone's opinion, but it is only their opinion, and not fact. I try to do things

that I can have control over. I cannot worry about things I cannot control.

Reading the news is just for knowledge, but should not be allowed to control

your life. I enjoy getting out and being useful in all different areas of town

because I can see what is really happening, and not just what the news is

showing.

24

There is a great deal of faith found between the lines of these servant leaders. They

know that God is above the news. However, while people did not pay lip service to the

influence of outside events or circumstances, I think their weight cannot be ignored. In our

own church’s history, one of the best local mission and service agencies, the Open Door

Community House, was founded in the fellowship hall of the Hamp Stevens Methodist

Church. It was initiated in the 1930s by laypeople who saw the plight of the children and

families living around them in the mill community during the Great Depression. It is hard

to deny that the outside circumstances did not inspire them.

Research Leaves Us Changed

In a number of respects, asking great questions and sitting quiet to listen for responses

leave both the researcher and those being studied different. I found every minute of each

interview, over five hours in all, a delight. The privilege to sit and listen to people weave

their own stories into the story of Epworth was a blessed and sacred act. I came away from

this congregational study humbled by the process. I believe that the research has only

strengthened the personal relationships I already possessed with the persons interviewed.

It helped that the questions were open-ended and dealt with topics that did not put

people on the defensive. Nevertheless, each person was candid and honest in talking

about the struggles of the past and the obstacles they experience in the present.

25

The question of reflexivity comes up in ethnography. It asks, “How do you think your

presence influenced your results?”20 To be honest, this was a new experience for me. I

found myself from the beginning with the distinct awareness that I was traversing new

territory. I am used to listening, however, it is often for the purpose of analyzing in order to

later offer direction to a person through counseling or coaching. This was different. I

worked diligently to not lead people, but even that was hard. On numerous occasions the

person across from me would ask my opinion. It was hard not to jump right in and answer.

On other occasions, it is hard to determine what affect my presence had on specific

responses. Interviewees would talk about their appreciation and affection of me, their

pastor, and it seemed genuine. It is hard to know if the same comments about the

influence that pastoral leadership has on their ability to dream would come up as much, or

possibly even more often, if the research were being done by someone else.

Mary Elizabeth Moore wrote about the thesis of Moschella’s text on ethnography and

said,

People change more profoundly, that their passion for prophetic ministry

and social transformation is enacted more fully, when they engage in

listening, observing, and learning from one another.21

She has captured in a line what I am experiencing at the end of this project. I am more

eager to engage in the precious and significant next step of dreaming about the future God

intends for us with these leaders I am blessed to partner with than ever before.

20 Moschella, 205. 21 Ibid, ix.

26

I entered this project with strongly held convictions about God’s ongoing work in the

world and, particularly, in and through the Church. Like our United Methodist Book of

Discipline, I believe “Local churches provide the most significant arena through which

disciple-making occurs.”22 I believe that God is still speaking to and through believers.

Hearing from faithful servants about the factors that influence dreaming only further

confirms God’s presence in the church.

Summary of Theology

The first step in congregational studies is finding a problem worthy of attention.23

Inspired in a weekly Bible Study in February, I was convinced that the dreams of leaders at

Epworth are worthy of our attention. In some sense, all that we do that is tangible and

visible gets its start in the world of imagination. In regard to the practice of our faith in the

person and work of Jesus Christ, Frederick Buechner puts it this way,

Christianity is mainly wishful thinking. Even the part about judgment and

hell reflects the wish that somewhere the scores are being kept. Dreams are

wishful thinking. Children playing at being grown up is wishful thinking.

Interplanetary travel is wishful thinking. Sometimes wishing is the wings the

truth comes true on. Sometimes the truth is what sets us wishing for it.24

The longer I reflect on it, the more I think dreaming is fundamental to leadership.

Proverbs correctly connects visions for the future with a congregation’s health and

22 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, (Nashville, TN: United Methodist Publishing House, 2012),

91. 23 Scott Thumma, “Methods for Congregational Study,” in Studying Congregations: A New Handbook, Nancy

Ammerman et al (Nashville, Abingdon, 1998), 197. 24 Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC (New York: Harper One, 1973), 120.

27

survival.25 We die without hope. Dying is precisely the fear that leaders and members of

the Epworth congregation have wrestled with for the past decade. The fear of decline and,

ultimately, death has moved about as either the proverbial elephant in the room or out in

the open in conversations and strategic planning sessions.

However, the topic of dreaming seems to have caught authors in the field of

congregational leadership sleeping. Few people talk about it. John Maxwell’s Twenty-One

Irrefutable Laws of Leadership don’t include anything related to the spark that comes from

dreaming about the future.26 Andy Stanley, one of the most effective communicators in the

Christian community and considered by many to be a guru on casting vision, writes very

little about the role of dreaming in the life of a congregational leader. He talks about

leaders acting as counselors, mentors and consultants, but does not use language that

resembles dreaming.27

Like the struggling disciples from Luke who are transformed into visionary apostles in

Acts, there are factors which indeed shape our ability to dream and see into the hope-filled

future God has for us. Prayer, time spent in devotional quiet, a deep sense of unity and

connection with others, and an engagement with the ministries of the church all

contribute to a person’s ability to dream for the congregation. As leaders, we are called to

25 Proverbs 29:18 26 John Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (Nashville,

Nelson, 1998), ix-xiii. 27 Andy Stanley, The Next Generation Leader: Five Essentials for those who will shape the future (Sisters, Oregon:

Multnomah, 2003), 110.

28

be able to identify these factors, and name when they are present or missing in order to

keep the sacred work of dreaming alive in among our leaders.

29

Appendix 1

Visual presentation of where dreaming fits into the process of getting things done.

Getting Things Done

in the Future (renovating or erecting buildings,

hiring staff, adding ministries, etc.)

Planning Stage (raising money, taking votes,

making calls, acquiring

architectural plans, etc.)

Dreaming (light bulb, vision, moment

something clicks, a spark, etc.)

30

Appendix 2

Interview Notes and Questions

Describe the Project. Use three-part image of getting things done in the future.

1. Start by sharing with me how long you have been in the church and how have you

been in this church?

2. Describe your various roles as leader in the local church.

3. Whose responsibility is it to dream for the church?

4. What does it mean to dream for an organization like the church? To dream about a

future with hope (using the language of the prophet Jeremiah).

5. If we could map out your level of dreaming for Epworth, would You say it's at a high

level, a medium level, or a level? How does it compare to other levels in be past?

6. Do you think there are factors that make it easier for a congregational leader to dream?

7. What are other factors that can increase the congregational leader's dreaming activity

level?

8. What factors are obstacles to congregational dreaming?

9. I am going to offer some factors that might influence congregational dreaming. I would

like for you to interrupt me or comment or consider these as I mention them.

• the financial health of the church

• a person's devotional life

• a person's prayer life

• a person’s regular attendance in worship

• events in the world

• the news or circumstances in a local community

• pastoral changes for the congregation

10. Do you have any questions for me?

31

Appendix 3

Survey of Epworth UMC Church Leaders

Project Title: Dreams of the future are a must:

what is our church missing and how did we get here?

Age: _________ Gender:_________

(optional)

Thank you for participating in this voluntary survey. It’s intended to be used to learn about Epworth’s

past in order to help its leaders shape its future. No names will be used and your information will be

combined with the other survey responses, interviews, and statistics to help paint a larger picture of

Epworth UMC.

1. How long have you been a member of Epworth _____________ (measured in years)?

2. How many of those years have you served in some leadership position within the church

_____________ (measured in years)?

Answer the following questions based on your level of disagreement/agreement. Using the range from 1

-5, write the number you most identify with for each question in the blank, with 1 being Strongly

Disagree and 5 being Strongly Agree:

Strongly Disagree Moderately Disagree Neutral Moderately Agree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5

____ I often find myself dreaming/visioning about the near future (next 6 months) of the Epworth

UMC.

____ I often find myself dreaming/visioning about the long-term future (next 5-10 years) of

Epworth.

____ I find that the frequency of changes in the pastoral appointment affect how often I am

dreaming/visioning and the hopefulness of my dreams/visions of Epworth UMC.

32

____ I find that my dreaming/visioning and the hopefulness of my dreams/visions of Epworth UMC

is affected by my personal feelings about the pastor serving the congregation.

____ I sometimes think I am not supposed to dream because I have not been involved as long as

others.

____ I find that the news or other factors from our local community affect how often I am

dreaming/visioning about Epworth UMC and the hopefulness of those dreams/visions.

____ I find that the factors from my own home life affect how often I am dreaming/visioning about

Epworth UMC and the hopefulness of those dreams/visions.

____ I find that the quality of my own spiritual life affects how often I am dreaming/visioning about

Epworth UMC and the hopefulness of those dreams/visions.

____ I sometimes think I am not supposed to dream because I have not been involved as long as

others.

____ I worry about my ideas/dreams not being understood or dismissed

____ I find that the quality and quantity of my own prayer life has an impact on how often I am

dreaming/visioning about Epworth UMC and the hopefulness of those dreams/visions.

____ I find that the quality and quantity of my own personal devotional time (including, but not

limited to reading the Bible, prayer, meditation, journaling, and other spiritual disciplines)

has an impact on how often I am dreaming/visioning about Epworth UMC and the

hopefulness of those dreams/visions.

____ I find my perceptions about the current financial state of the congregation has an impact on

how often I am dreaming/visioning about Epworth UMC and the hopefulness of those

dreams/visions.

____ I always know who to talk to in the church in order to follow up with the next steps of my

dreams.

____ I have found that the more I am involved in a ministry the more I am dreaming about the

future of that ministry or the church.

If you had to choose one or the other, what would you say has a larger impact on your dreaming for

the future of the congregation: the status of your own Personal Life (for instance, health,

finances, busyness) or the status of the Epworth Community (for instance, health, finances,

busyness)? Circle One: Personal Life Epworth Community

33

List things that increase the amount of dreaming you are doing for the future of the congregation:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

List things that decrease or reduce the amount of dreaming you are doing for the future of the

congregation:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any other thoughts or comments about my study of dreaming for the future of the

congregation? I’d love to have them. Thanks

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for offering your time and thoughts to help.

34

Appendix 4

Survey# M/F

F=1

M=2 Age

If you had to choose

one or the other, what

would you say has a

larger impact on your

dreaming for the

future of the

congregation: the

status of your own

Personal Life or the

status of the Epworth

Community

How long have

you been a

member of

Epworth

How many of

those years

have you served

in some

leadership

position within

the church

I often find myself

dreaming/visioning

about the near

future (next 6

months) of the

Epworth UMC.

I often find myself

dreaming/visioning

about the long-

term future (next 5-

10 years) of

Epworth.

1 F 1 47 1 6 6 4 4

2 F 1 60 1 20 15 4 5

3 f 1 58 2 34 25 5 5

4 f 1 34 0.6 0.2 5 5

5 m 2 60 2 40 15 4 5

6 m 2 64 1 10 5 5 5

7 f 1 62 2 27 20 3 4

8 f 1 70 1 46 10 4 4

9 f 1 73 2 20 17 5 5

10 m 2 74 1 20 15 5 5

11 f 1 70 1 8 6 5 5

12 f 1 84 1 24 20 5 5

13 m 2 67 1 39 30 4 3

14 f 1 70 2 3 2 4 2

15 f 1 64 1 29 13 4 4

16 f 1 71 1 45 5 4 4

17 m 2 69 35 25 5 5

18 f 1 68 15 15 4 4

19 f 1 71 2 6 4 3 5

20 1 24 12 3 3

21 f 1 60 1 33 28 5 4

22 m 2 70 2 36 20 2 3

23 m 2 59 1 45 15 3 4

24 m 2 53 1 23 20 4 4

25 f 1 23 1 1 0.5 4 4

26 m 2 24 1 0.7 5 3

27 f 1 58 1 41 35 3 5

Mean 60.88 1.19 23.36 14.05 4.11 4.22

Mean 9 9 60.88462 24.25384615 14.05185185 4.111111111 4.222222222

Standard Error 17 17 2.871787 2.872116511 1.848040237 0.16306653 0.16306653

Median 64 24 15 4 4

Mode 70 20 15 4 5

Standard Deviation 14.6433 14.64497814 9.602698754 0.847318546 0.847318546

Sample Variance 214.4262 214.4753846 92.21182336 0.717948718 0.717948718

Kurtosis 1.989198 -1.206813301 -0.617642776 -0.208928571 0.167142857

Skewness -1.44273 -0.155297176 0.307825442 -0.632246619 -0.869971348

Range 61 45.4 34.8 3 3

Minimum 23 0.6 0.2 2 2

Maximum 84 46 35 5 5

Sum 1583 630.6 379.4 111 114

Count 26 26 26 26 27 27 27

35

Survey#

I find that the

frequency of

changes in the

pastoral

appointment affect

how often I am

dreaming/visioning

and the

hopefulness of my

dreams/visions of

Epworth UMC.

I find that my

dreaming/visioning

and the

hopefulness of my

dreams/visions of

Epworth UMC is

affected by my

personal feelings

about the pastor

serving the

congregation.

I sometimes think I

am not supposed

to dream because

I have not been

involved as long

as others.

I find that the news

or other factors

from our local

community affect

how often I am

dreaming/visioning

about Epworth

UMC and the

hopefulness of

those

dreams/visions.

I find that the

factors from my

own home life

affect how often I

am

dreaming/visioning

about Epworth

UMC and the

hopefulness of

those

dreams/visions.

I find that the

quality of my own

spiritual life affects

how often I am

dreaming/visioning

about Epworth

UMC and the

hopefulness of

those

dreams/visions.

1 5 4 5 3 2 4

2 4 5 2 3 3 5

3 4 3 3 2 2 5

4 4 3 4 4 2 5

5 3 1 1 3 5 5

6 5 5 1 4 3 5

7 4 4 2 3 4 2

8 4 4 1 1 1 3

9 4 4 1 4 5 5

10 5 4 2 4 5 5

11 5 5 5 5 4 4

12 4 5 1 1 3 5

13 2 2 1 2 3 4

14 5 1 3 1 4 5

15 2 2 1 1 4 5

16 5 5 2 4 4 4

17 3 5 1 4 5 5

18 4 4 4 4 4 5

19 3 4 1 1 3 5

20 5 5 1 3 4 4

21 1 2 1 3 3 5

22 4 3 2 2 4 3

23 4 4 1 2 3 4

24 5 4 1 1 2 5

25 3 5 2 2 3 3

26 4 3 1 4 4 4

27 5 2 1 1 2 4

Mean 3.93 3.63 1.89 2.67 3.37 4.37

Mean 3.925925926 3.62962963 1.888888889 2.666666667 3.37037037 4.37037037

Standard Error 0.206213495 0.245461065 0.246533421 0.244599795 0.207742911 0.161440702

Median 4 4 1 3 3 5

Mode 4 4 1 4 4 5

Standard Deviation 1.071516751 1.275453106 1.28102523 1.270977819 1.079463832 0.838870493

Sample Variance 1.148148148 1.626780627 1.641025641 1.615384615 1.165242165 0.703703704

Kurtosis 0.87433923 -0.580907309 0.930058594 -1.337142857 -0.561160203 0.990249307

Skewness -1.058678792 -0.67330902 1.408051892 -0.040463784 -0.232298609 -1.245553764

Range 4 4 4 4 4 3

Minimum 1 1 1 1 1 2

Maximum 5 5 5 5 5 5

Sum 106 98 51 72 91 118

Count 27 27 27 27 27 27

36

Survey#

I worry about my

ideas/dreams not

being understood

or dismissed

I find that the

quality and

quantity of my own

prayer life has an

impact on how

often I am

dreaming/visioning

about Epworth

UMC and the

hopefulness of

those

dreams/visions.

I find that the

quality and

quantity of my own

personal

devotional time

has an impact on

how often I am

dreaming/visioning

about Epworth

UMC and the

hopefulness of

those

dreams/visions.

I find my

perceptions about

the current

financial state of

the congregation

has an impact on

how often I am

dreaming/visioning

about Epworth

UMC and the

hopefulness of

those

dreams/visions.

I always know who

to talk to in the

church in order to

follow up with the

next steps of my

dreams.

I have found that

the more I am

involved in a

ministry the more I

am dreaming

about the future of

that ministry or the

church.

1 3 3 3 4 4 4

2 2 3 4 4 4 5

3 4 5 5 2 4 5

4 2 4 4 4 4 5

5 3 5 4 3 3 4

6 4 5 5 4 5 5

7 5 4 4 4 2 3

8 1 2 2 1 4 5

9 3 5 5 4 5 5

10 3 2 4 5 5 5

11 4 4 5 4 4 5

12 1 5 5 5 5

13 1 4 3 1 5 4

14 4 5 4 1 5 5

15 2 5 5 4 2 5

16 1 4 4 4 4 5

17 1 4 5 5 5 5

18 3 5 5 3 5 5

19 2 5 4 4 5 5

20 1 3 4 4 4 5

21 1 5 5 4 4 5

22 4 3 4 4 4 3

23 2 4 4 4 4 4

24 2 5 4 5 5 5

25 3 2 1 3 3 4

26 4 3 5 2 3 5

27 4 4 4 3 1 4

Mean 2.59 4.00 4.27 3.33 4.00 4.63

Mean 2.592592593 4 4.111111111 3.461538462 4 4.62962963

Standard Error 0.240247138 0.199714897 0.187450532 0.230255839 0.206724558 0.121107757

Median 3 4 4 4 4 5

Mode 4 5 4 4 4 5

Standard Deviation 1.248360749 1.037749043 0.974021534 1.174079017 1.074172311 0.629294364

Sample Variance 1.558404558 1.076923077 0.948717949 1.378461538 1.153846154 0.396011396

Kurtosis -1.245074045 -0.705714286 3.23395179 0.282462255 1.2064 1.380673878

Skewness 0.092845707 -0.669030455 -1.584958576 -1.024739377 -1.20651034 -1.531462958

Range 4 3 4 4 4 2

Minimum 1 2 1 1 1 3

Maximum 5 5 5 5 5 5

Sum 70 108 111 90 108 125

Count 27 27 27 26 27 27

37

Survey#

List things that increase the

amount of dreaming you are doing

for the future of the congregation:

List things that decrease or reduce

the amount of dreaming you are

doing for the future of the

congregation:

Do you have any other thoughts or

comments about my study of

dreaming for the future of the

congregation?

1 leaders, volunteers who are excited about what they are doing - their causeknowing when groups of people get it wrong and spread their wrong opinions

2 involvement in missions outside the church, missions to other member of epworth, small groupsotherw ho might nix ideas of vision for epworthdreaming means invisioning a diverse church with all god's children

3 prayer and connecting with other peoplenegative attitudes and resistance to change and not enough help

4 my children, marriage, family none

5 looking at other congregations' direction, experience and evaluate where we could gogetting bogged down in "what we do" or "what we have done" in the past and thinking that is what we do in the futureI like the idea of thinking beyond our

6 being a leader in Epworth UMC the full commitment of our membersthe preacher has kept epworth alive and well

7 prayer, fellowship, UMC Circle gossip, some that appear to not care about you or what you are going through even though they know

8 the possibility that dreams can be realizedinstability of preacher assignment, but dreams can still be had anyway

9 larger church with more parking I am hoping we will have Scott ot lea

10 being in church regularly being away from church

11

12 being involved, working together being negative

13

14 prayer, pastor's sermon, helping with activitiesfinances, gossip in church, anger about others

15

16 involvement in church activies, praying about itdisagreements within the congregation

17 finances, busyness time

18

19

20 talking about the future with others, being asked to dreamstatus quo with discussions about the futurethe more often dreaming is discussed, the more often it will happen

21 involvement, need, growth, finances, disagreements

22 family participation outside issues

23 sense of congregational excitement, unity, growthdivisiveness

24 activities within the church. growth of membership wihtin the church, especially young peoplewould love to see results of the survey

25 news, culture, social interactions a desire to live and work outside fo columbus

26 lay members, leadership lay members, leadership

27 unity of purpose in the congregation, spiritual growth opportunities in the congregationpastoral appointments that have been a poor fit for Epworth, financial forces within society

Mean

Mean

Standard Error

Median

Mode

Standard Deviation

Sample Variance

Kurtosis

Skewness

Range

Minimum

Maximum

Sum

Count

38

Works Cited

Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. Nashville, TN: United Methodist

Publishing House, 2012.

Buechner, Frederick. Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC. New York: Harper One, 1973.

Gungor, Michael. The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse: A Book for Creators. Denver:

Woodsley Press, 2012.

Johnson, Luke Timothy. Interpretation of the New Testament: An Interpretation,

Revised Edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999.

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will

Follow You. Nashville, Nelson, 1998.

Stanley, Andy. The Next Generation Leader: Five Essentials for those who will shape the

future. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah, 2003.

Thumma, Scott. “Methods for Congregational Study,” in Studying Congregations: A

New Handbook. Nancy Ammerman, Jackson W. Carroll, Carl S. Dudley, William

McKinney, eds. Nashville, Abingdon, 1998.

Wright, N.T. N.T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides: Luke. Downers Grove,

Illinois: IVP Connect, 2011.