Growing Together held its second summit for Australian Adventist Churches across Sydney and Melbourne from the 24-25 October, though Brisbane and Perth had theirs from 31 October to 1 November. The two-day summit would appear gruelling, looking over the schedule and the 32-page booklet, though the vast majority of its participants were very much energised and enthused by the weekend’s teaching, equipping and local church-based planning on how to grow together as a Jesus-centred community.
To develop a culture that grows all generations of a community in unity around Jesus, the Fuller University researchers encouraged participants from each of our local churches to listen to what the church members, participants and attendees wanted, thought and felt about pretty much every aspect of church life; how to include and empower young members, how to develop empathy as a culture, how members can further Jesus’ message, how to foster warm relationships, how to prioritise young people and families in each area of church life and how to develop the culture of being the best neighbour to our communities.
One of the most inspiring aspects of the summit was the reinforced principle of listening as the first and most vital aspect of leadership and cultivating a culture of growing together as a Jesus-centred church.
The Fuller University researchers who presented research and practical approaches to implementing these values helped participants in setting realistic expectations for developing a culture in a church setting. They detailed real scenarios, such as the majority of one US-based church who protested to keep their rotting foam roof because it was ‘crucial’ to their ‘church’s identity and culture’, only then to humbly marvel at the stunning arched wood frame after the rotted roof had been removed – reunited again in awe of the old beauty of their house of worship. Real stories like these taught each of our church’s participating members that any change, even good change, can be met with serious resistance, that should take time to foster a Jesus-centred culture, that it’s well worth listening in order to figure out ways to work together on our own church’s goals, and that the best goal worth putting our energy into is a Jesus-centred community that constantly grows together – each member, young and… not-so-young serving each other in brotherly love, as Romans 12 puts it.
Bianca Martin (attendee)
