Acts 16.5: “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.”
After careful study of the trends of mainline congregations from 1920 to the present time, a Presbyterian Pastor, the Rev. Stanley Ott, and the Vital Churches Institute, came up with a comprehensive strategy and approach that allows churches to meet the challenges of today’s world in a number of ways. The Acts 16.5 Initiative:
- Invites congregations to engage in a deliberate process of transformation while honoring the work of our present ministries and members.
- Assists congregations in developing a coherent, biblically-grounded approach to transformational congregational life.
- Assists congregations in the design of specific transformational ministries. Rather than offering a set “program,” this initiative supports the design of ministry appropriate to a given congregation’s needs.
- What is offered adjusts to fit the energy, resources, and leadership of each particular congregation.
The Acts 16.5 Initiative’s Transformational Strategy:
- Trusting God to bring about transformation and growth in faith and in numbers.
- Learning and applying a transformational vision for ministry through the process of ministry design by alignment.
- Using the Action Learning approach to address complex issues (including objectives that are set, opportunities that present themselves, and obstacles that arise).
- Becoming a learning organization that is capable of continuous change to meet future needs and challenges.
- Offering ongoing training, support and acccountability.
The goal of Acts 16.5 Initiative is vitality and renewal.