Emerging Spirit @ The United Church of Canada Emerging Spirit @ The United Church of Canada

An important part of introducing Emerging Spirit to your congregation is making a presentation to the Council or Board for your church. Below is one sample opening script. Comments? Changes? Suggestions?

Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you about Emerging Spirit, the national sponsored initiative focused upon helping United Church congregations reach out and make vital connections with those between the ages of 30 and 45.

Some of us have children, grandchildren and friends who were raised with some awareness of the church and yet who now have little or no association with the church. Emerging Spirit is about them.

Some of us have children, grandchildren and friends who have no awareness of the church and are looking for something of a spiritual or purposeful nature in their lives or the lives of their family. Emerging Spirit is about them.

But Emerging Spirit is also about us.

Emerging Spirit invites us to think again about the presence and place those between the ages of 30 and 45 have in the life and ministry of our congregation and our place in their lives.
Why do so many seem to shy away from, or turn their backs upon, the church?

Are there obstacles that can be overcome, opportunities that we can explore?

Emerging Spirit provides an excuse for us to have many different types of conversations.

The goal is not simply more people attending church on Sunday but also a greater awareness of what is happening in the lives of those between the ages of 30 and 45, what other congregations are doing that is bringing a new sense of life and, spiritually speaking, a new experience of how God may be amongst us.

Emerging Spirit provides a variety of ways for congregations to be involved. We have a proposal to put before you but first an overview of Emerging Spirit and a glimpse into some of the research that supports the project.