Pastor Jacqui Pagel: Tools of Faith Formation
“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’”
by Jacqui Pagel
As the Associate to the Bishop for Candidacy and Faith Formation, I have one of the best jobs. Most of my time is spent building relationships with people to develop good leaders. I get to do my most favorite thing…talk!
I get to talk with people and listen to their stories: how people see themselves as leaders; how people hope to impact their congregations they love; how people hope to affect our church across the world. This is one of the most hope-filled spots to sit and contemplate the future of the church.
Like the disciples that traveled across Antioch in the book of Acts, these disciples share the good news at every opportunity.
Of course, there are some things about my job that are not as much fun for me: reports, ugh! Can I have a secretary document my activities and complete the reports for me? How about someone else navigate the various computer programs that I get to use that make my life easier? The worst part of my job is when hope fades because people won’t change, the situation can’t change, or the system in place keeps everything the same. Sometimes this job is more draining them life-giving.
It was difficult for the disciples, and not just because they were foreigners and didn’t speak the language. In many places no one wanted to hear what they had to say, and they were being hunted for their beliefs. Yet the disciples kept at it and never gave up on the good news of Jesus. Antioch was the first place they were called Christians.
It was with great joy that I recently participated in a few workshops that restored my hope in many ways: namely the Faithful Innovative Learning Communities program from Luther Seminary, and the Growing Young program from Fuller Seminary. I discovered tools that I can share with people to encourage change for the better.
We get to use the tool Faithful Innovative Learning Communities (FILC) and help congregations get out of their own way of getting into the community. Many times, I have heard people say that they can’t evangelize: fear, inexperience, lack of knowledge being the usual impediments. FILC helps you decide within your worshipping community what evangelism means for you, and determines the best way to share your message.
The tool of Growing Young encourages church leaders across the ELCA to consider how revitalization and young adult ministry go together. Many of our congregations know they are filled with “old” people and they recognize the value of having younger people around. But how do you do that when the youngest member is 50 years old? Growing Young provides practical tidbits for congregations that just don’t know where to start to get the muscles of the community moving.
We are the church being made anew. We are up to something different. We believe that Jesus came so that we may have life, and have life in abundance. I’m looking forward to sharing these tools and seeing the better kind of church we are building together.