Johnny (over at http://johnnyjeffords.blogspot.com/ ) is blogging from Grand Rapids, Michigan, one site of the School of Congregational Development, (SCD) put on annually by the UM General Board of Discipleship.
At the same time, I am enjoying a slightly overcast week in Orlando, Florida, at the second SCD location. I understand Grand Rapids is home to the Gerald Ford Museum. My hotel faces the entrance to Universal Studios... and the City Walk... which has an official (you guessed it) Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" restaurant!
Location! Location! Location!
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share my observations from Orlando as he does from Grand Rapids.
Johnny, maybe when we get back to Memphis we can compare notes over a tall cold one!
I was of the fortunate crowd that got to hear and see Bishop Minerva Carcano live and in person. I have always enjoyed her, having heard her speak several years ago at Lake Junaluska... before she was a bishop. Unfortunately, her plenary speech was what I would term "a softball".
You know how it is with softball -- this big, round ball comes floating toward home plate at such a rate that even a first grader can hit a home run!
About all I got out of what she said is that she received her spiritual qualities from her grandmother, a woman who led a very dedicated and directed life of prayer and Bible reading and church attendance. Bishop Carcano said that in order for our churches to be spiritual, the church's leaders must be spiritual.
Like I said...
But that seemed to be the theme for the day, at least in Orlando. My ministry track leaders said pretty much the same thing regarding turning around existing (failing) churches: if it's going to happen, the church leadership must be spiritual.
Of course, they had some fancy acronyms and illustrations to help get their point across.
The evening plenary -- which we had the pleasure of watching via satellite from Grand Rapids -- was Ed Jones, who, again told us we need to be spiritual. I didn't mind the satellite feed, but thought it funny when he would ask a question and folks here in Orlando would raise their hands, as if they thought he could see them! Ed had some even better acronyms and graphics.
... I am beginning to wonder if that's the real secret to church growth -- clever acronyms and neat graphics!
This is my 4th SCD (you'd think I'd learn by now!), and overall I'd say it was a fairly typical first day. Of course, Craig Miller and crew are probably thinking they don't want to give us all the "good stuff" on the first day or we'd all go home, right?
Right?
By the way, there are eight Memphis Conference pastors here in Orlando, including three superintendents; a fourth D.S. is registered but has not appeared yet.
And, here's the bonus: Since we are in Florida, our resident Bishop stopped in to say "hi". In fact, he's invited us all to lunch on Sunday!
Bet you didn't get that in Grand Rapids, eh?