Over 40 people from Hudson Mohawk congregations and the deacon committee gathered on May 21 and 22 at St. Luke's, Valatie for the Upstate New York Synod's third Transforming Congregations retreat. The work of the Holy Spirit was evident through the vibrant energy and forthright conversations of those participating. They studied the book of Acts and used what they learned to develop church-specific plans for congregational transformation. The theme of the Transforming Congregation's Team - God changes people, changed people change churches and changed churches change the world - was the retreat's refrain throughout the weekend.
The participants engaged in a variety of large and small group conversations. Learning activities focused on themes such as mission, vision, identifying congregational assets and learning to negotiate change in congregations. All discussions and activities were grounded in prayer, worship, and scripture.
The Transforming Congregation's Team is a ministry of the Upstate New York Synod that is available to all congregations. The Transforming Congregation Team seeks to partner with other conferences throughout the synod and hopes to raise up additional leaders who would be instrumental in bringing this retreat to other settings. To learn more please contact Pastor Dave Preisinger at dpreisinger@upstatenysynod.org or phone 518-331-3416.
