What’s next at UVC?

We’ve had the great privilege these last few weeks to sit down with many of you and listen to what’s going on in your lives and how you’re feeling about Urban Village Church. We’ll share what we’ve learned from these conversations at our All-Community Gatherings on Aug. 14 after both worship services, but if you can’t make it on that Sunday, here’s a summary:

(a) We feel more committed than ever to our core values of being bold (rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ), inclusive (taking down the walls that keep people from experiencing God’s love), and relevant (living out our faith Monday through Saturday, not just on Sunday) while also reaching out to the whole city in creative ways by being multi-site.

(b) We heard several people ask, what does it mean to be a part of Urban Village? We hope companions of UVC will commit to gathering in worship, growing in their faith and giving their time and a portion of their finances.  Gathering means that if you’re in town and not sick, we hope you’ll join us for worship, which is, among other things, a powerful way to connect with God and community. Growing means that you’re getting involved with one of our many small groups or retreats. Giving means that you’re serving our city side-by-side with other Urban Villagers and doing what you can to work toward tithing (giving 10 percent of your income). Everyone is welcome and there are no “requirements” to experience anything that we offer, but we hear from more than a few folks who wonder how they can commit themselves to our community of faith. The “Three G’s” is a good way to start.

(c) We heard the question, how do things hold together? How is the church organized? We’ve been fairly methodical in addressing these questions, trying different variations of leadership systems that will help us stay organized without stifling action or creativity. We feel good about what we’ll be doing next. We’re putting together a strategy team to help us with administrative tasks, big-picture visioning, and checking in to see how we’re doing in our day-to-day ministry. (In case you missed it, that’s an ABC right there. ) Equally important, we’re also putting together site teams for each worship location. Those teams will be responsible for, among other things, invitation and neighborhood outreach, the nuts and bolts of worship (greeting, hospitality, set-up, etc.), congregational care (reaching out to those who may need emotional or spiritual support), and social life. We’re still discerning how service and mission will fit into this structure. For now, we’re leaving it as its own team to help us do this important work among all sites, but we could also see the day when this is encompassed into each site team. One thing we’ve learned at UVC is that we’re always flexible and willing to change. We hope this structure will work, but we’re also ready to tweak if there’s a more effective way to “do church.”

(d) Many people shared their passions with us, but two things seemed to come up again and again. First, a commitment to children and families, and, second, a commitment to diversity. A commitment to children and families doesn’t just mean more robust ministries for children and youth (though that’s part of it). We have quite a few folks who are teachers and social workers who work with families and children so part of this commitment is discerning how we can help urban families who aren’t a part of Urban Village. When it comes to diversity, numerous people mentioned their desire for us to be multi-racial and multi-generational while also keeping our commitments to embracing differences in theology, sexual orientation, politics, and income level. We don’t have any specifics yet on these initiatives, but we hope that many at UVC will help us in putting these hopes into action.

As always, feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions or concerns. We’re excited about how far we’ve come in a little more than a year and have much hope for our future! Thanks be to God!