Dale Luffman (right), apostle and community of Christ Seminary faculty, with Seventy Sam Kumar addressed leaders worshiping at a MEADS gathering in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, South India. MEADS courses have been held annually in south-central Asia since 2004, providing developmet opportunities for students and the instructors who share and grow in these multicultural settings.

Transforming Congregations

A Missional Transformation Initiative—a highly focused process of discernment and formation designed for congregations seeking to discern God’s will for their time and place—is being piloted with a small number of congregations in the East Central USA Mission Field. The process is led by a full-time field minister.

Apostle Ron Harmon explained, “This initiative is built on the understanding that change comes from the inside out as we discover God’s unfolding purposes together as a community and respond.” Several appointee ministers in the East Central Field have shifted mission center administrative and leadership responsibilities to self-sustaining ministers to enable focus and sustainability of this effort.

Ron said, “Contributions to World Ministries Mission Tithes pay for field ministers, who are helping congregations find renewal and purpose in congregational life.”

This field is also experimenting with a full-time field evangelist and spiritual formation minister who supports evangelists and helps congregations and individuals become more intentional in developing the spiritual dimension of their life and ministries. Several spiritual formation retreats have been held in different parts of the field in response to the need to be grounded in the Living Christ.