Yesterday’s teleconference with Rebecca Maccini on the question, “Do you know your church’s story?” has got me thinking. I’ve particularly been thinking about her comments on the role a pastor can play in helping the church itself learn and understand its own story better.
She talked about the concept of a cohesive life narrative, that people who can remember their life narrative and put some kind of meeting to it generally do better. She suggested that there may be a corollary for churches. She also wondered whether a church that holds secrets may have a hard time having a clear view of themselves in the present.
In her own ministry, Rebecca has often shared the stories she has learned about the churches she has served in sermons or in meetings. As stories or issues comes up, she asks a lot of questions, and ask people to tell her what that means to them. She said, “I certainly think that one of my jobs is to help the congregation to expand their story about themselves.”
The recording of the teleconference is available. E-mail me at Margaret@margaretmarcuson.com, and I’ll send you the link.