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Ezekiel 37:1-3
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”
So many people have looked at the 20-year decline in numbers of folks in our churches on Sunday morning and have mourned the loss. Many have said, “The Presbyterian church is dying!” To be honest, every religious organization, every worshipping community in the U.S. and in the developed world have found the same pattern, some faster, some slower, but all in decline. It is a part of the cycle that has been going on for hundreds of years. But do we have to give up, throw our hands in the air, and close our doors? No.
So… what do we do? There has been significant research into what makes some congregations grow and become livelier when other congregations around them flounder. This year we will begin a three-year journey together of learning, test driving, failing, succeeding, and growing together as we focus on those things that make congregations thrive in this kind of environment. We are calling this journey, this cycle of learning and test driving what we learn “Thrive.”
We will have special speakers do workshops with us. We will have book studies. We will fill our website with resources for our congregations to use what seems best for them. We will have quick start suggestions, newsletter articles, zoom calls and encouraging in-person activities. It is going to be a full, fun and fulfilling year of seeking to follow the Spirit as she moves among us!
We will be laying out “Thrive” at our Presbytery meeting on February 21, 2026 and having a kick-off event. Please come and join us! Make sure your congregation has someone present to gather all the information. This year we THRIVE!
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