Being one in Christ means knowing each other’s stories of faith.

The Disciples Leadership Institute, a new organization sponsored by Higher Education and Leadership Ministries, gathered 28 ordained and licensed ministers, and lay leaders to share stories of ministry and faith, critique and challenge each other, and look for ways to strengthen each others’ ministry.

Intentionally designed to bring together younger leaders from both new and established congregations, the institute arose from a HELM goal to help the church learn from the hundreds of new congregations under formation within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and help those congregations establish full fellowship with established congregations. Of the 28 participants, half were from new congregations, and half were also non-Anglo.

Funding for the first two years of the institute is being provided by the Oreon E. Scott Foundation and by the Shumaker Family Foundation of Olathe, Kansas. After HELM secured funding, the important work of planning the event and recruiting participants was done by a volunteer steering committee.

“DLI is one piece in the larger ministry of the church to emerging leaders and for ministers seeking to connect with each other and envision a new life for the church,” said Joe Blosser, a member of the steering committee and a doctoral student at the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago. “That said, we are also a unique manifestation of this kind of ministry.”

The week’s worship, study, and discussion focused on the “Road to Emmaus” story found in Luke 24:13-33. That manifested itself in several different ways.

• Worship reflected the diversity of the group and of Disciples in general, including many worship styles and sermons from participants covering the breadth of theological understandings.

• Five small groups created more intimate settings for discussion, revelation, and bonding.

• After a short testimony or presentation, selected pastors were “cross-examined” by another participant in an effort to understand the different spiritual relationships or to compare and contrast different theological views.

• Throughout the week, participants could examine theology through arts and crafts, in-depth Bible study, walking stations of the cross or a labyrinth, or other exercises that may not normally be available for pastors.

• Mementos of each worship service – a vial of ocean water, olive oil for anointing, an engraved pebble, a handmade work of art – provided tangible reminders of the experience.

“God is about to do something powerful,” said Ana Rivera-Acevedo, pastor of Alabama’s Discipulos de Anniston congregation. “God is starting to work and secure the foundations of a new revival. This healing, confronting, and brain-stirring event helped me see Jesus, God and the Gospel from a totally different perspective”

“When we arrived, we were a diverse group of people who didn’t really know each other,” said Lonora Graves, a layperson from Table of Grace in Sacramento, Calif. “During the week we were able to share this diversity, to grow, and to have authentic conversations and interactions. By the time the week ended, we were friends, prayer partners, and a unified force to be reckoned with!”

The grants from the Scott and Shumaker foundations will support a second conference next year. Beyond that, the project’s future is in the hands of its participants.

“Our long-term goal is to create a self-sustaining, self-governing and intentional organization of emerging Disciples leaders dedicated to both learning about congregational leadership and leading congregations toward organizational health,” said HELM President Dennis Landon. “We believe leaders who can transform organizations from survival mode to mission mode can be significantly nurtured by providing opportunities to learn from each other, establishing supportive relationships and support networks, gathering for community times, and through the collective faith of the group.

“We know this is not the only program focusing on emerging leaders,” Landon adds, “and we celebrate the growing number of efforts to strengthen younger leaders across the church, including the new DSF program (see page 4). With this group we want specifically to help establish a setting for creative interaction among leaders of both new and established congregations.”

That unique opportunity wasn’t lost on participants.

“It’s great to see our church intentionally bringing together the people of such different backgrounds, new church and existing church pastors, clergy and laity, Latino, African-American, Asian, White, Haitian,” said Matt Rosine, who pastors First Colony Christian Church in Sugar Land, Texas. “This is what our church will be in 15 years. This is what our church is now.”

That interactive chance to refocus on the Gospel was another goal of the conference.