This is a little overdue, but thank you to the good folks of Riverton Gospel Chapel, for inviting me into your circle and creating conversation about the life of your church! Here are a few of my takeaways from our weekend together…

Something you do not see everywhere these days is a group of people coming together from various ages, walks of life, and stages of development. That can be a general statement for just about anywhere, but in church circles it is a BIG topic. Our weekend together put this aspect of your church on full display, so much so that I had mention it more than once. We wrestled with whether we call it ‘multi-generational’ or as I introduced, ‘inter-generational’, in nature. Either way, it was amazing to see a spectrum of ages and stages involved in the discussion!

Riverton showed up! I rarely get to see a church take part in a conversation in full force. On top of that, each session saw MORE people attending than the one previous. You were engaged, you spoke up, brought up things that may have been a little uncomfortable, trusted each other with the depth of sharing, and even disagreed together. There are fewer and fewer spaces in our world where we allow room for the other, especially in different peer groups. It is a value many strive for, and it is something to foster.

Diversity is not always an easy task. As I mentioned above, there was a variety of people in attendance, and it seemed very NORMAL to be together. I love it! Diversity is said to be one of the values the church of today needs to embrace in order to remain relevant, and ultimately, to continue becoming better. (For lack of a better word) It can also be difficult to pursue diversity, let alone maintain it, as an organic outcome of our walking in Christ together. We need to recognize it when it is present, and learn to keep it present in what we do.

So what did we talk about?

An assessment tool I have developed over the years and like to incorporate in my transitional work, is what I call a ‘PTA assessment’. If you can imagine a cross section of a sea, that is the image I begin with in creating conversation about life together. Visually it starts at the top, PTA, but in discussion it is inverted, ATP:

Anchors

• What is foundational to who you are?
• What do you believe God has set in place through all you do, and shows up in all settings?
• What do you hold to together?

Tensions

• What are some things that need to be discussed?
• What are some assumptions that rarely surface but are impacting your interactions today?
• What holds you back from taking steps forward together?

Possibilities

• What do you hope for a year from now?
• What could you do if you were at your best together?
• What brings excitement to you as a group?

These are 3 conversations that bring us all together in whatever setting we are in. If we are working and walking together, then we want some sense of unity in how we seek to do our best together. In this way, starting at what anchors us, we build forward, clearing the air, and then look forward with hope.

Thanks again Riverton, I was truly blessed to walk with you this weekend!