Nelson, a life coach and pastor, said group discussions are meant to help pastors rethink their approach to ministry. In the past, she said, churches assumed that they had all the spiritual answers and that if people wanted to find God, they had to show up on Sundays.
Instead, the Awaken Dane project hopes to get churches to see that God is at work everywhere— and to get congregations to go out in the community to see what God is up to and to join in God’s work there. That approach, said Nelson, frees churches up from thinking they have to have all the answers.
Nelson said her own small congregation — which is not part of Awaken Dane — has been working on ways to connect with neighbors, using a similar approach. Before the pandemic started, the church bought a gas fire pit and began setting chairs on the church lawn not far from the sidewalk. Members began greeting people who were walking by — and talking with them and their kids.
During the summer of 2021, the church started holding cookouts and inviting neighbors to attend. The church of about 20 people also has a food pantry and offers a free meal once a week.
Nelson said many small churches — like the one she serves — still feel they have something to offer, despite their struggles. This new approach, she said, has given her church, which has considered closing in recent years, some hope for the future.
“They don’t feel like God’s done with them yet,” she said.
Editor’s note: Religion News Service is supported by the Lilly Endowment, which also supports Awaken Dane.
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This article appeared on ReligionNews.com.
