Small Church Leadership Community
Cultivating Refugia: Building the Resilient Church
In biology, the term “refugia” refers to “little pockets… where plants and creatures hide from destruction, hidden shelters where life persists and out of which new life emerges.”
In her book, Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth, author Debra Rienstra asks, “How can people of faith become people of refugia? How can we find and create refugia, not only in the biomes of the earth, but simultaneously in our human cultural systems and in our spirits?”
Over the course of three ten-month cohorts, The BTS Center offered small congregations in Northern New England an opportunity to join us on a journey — an invitation to delve deeply into our missions and identities in a climate-changed world.
Participating congregations explored the concept of refugia and considered how it might shape their mission and identity. Over the course of this program, we worked to name and deepen the unique gifts of small congregations in ways that strengthen their resilience and help them engage in meaningful ministry in this time of cultural and planetary upheaval. Together, we discerned new vocational possibilities for our communities: ones that are not about growing bigger, but about growing deeper into new ways of thinking, being, and acting that will help us better serve our communities and our planet in this time of rapid change.
Each of the participant congregations of these three cohorts took time to discern, name, and commit to a unique call. We look forward to seeing how the seeds planted through these years of Small Church Leadership Community continue to grow and blossom into the future.
The Small Church Leadership Community has come to its conclusion, and the program is not being offered again at this time. We invite you to explore our other programmatic offerings.
FAQs
What do you mean by congregational teams?
By invitation, 4-6 churches will be invited to form teams of 4-5 persons each. The ideal team will be made up of persons with leadership roles (formal or informal), including the pastor, if there is one; if not, another identified key spiritual leader. Each congregation will participate as a team.
Is it really just for Northern New England churches?
Yes. We joyfully extend a broad and expansive invitation for nearly everything we offer; for this program, however, we’re leaning into our commitment to and curiosity about this particular bio-region. The places where we live shape our wisdom and our stories, often through their very concrete geographies.
Therefore, we are offering this program particularly for congregations in Northern New England, acknowledging the multiplicity of ways that we call this place home that are influenced by our differing socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, and social contexts. Additionally, the program includes several in-person one-day retreats, so it is important that all participating congregations be within driving distance of a central location.
Is there a cost to participate?
No. As an expression of The BTS Center’s commitment to the health and vitality of small faith communities, this Small Church Leadership Community is offered as a gift to Northern New England congregations, without an enrollment fee. While there is no financial commitment to participate, we will ask for congregations to sign a covenant to express their commitment to the program.
How do you define "small church?"
Frankly, most mainline Protestant churches in Northern New England are small. Using a traditional metric, small might mean 50 or fewer in average Sunday morning worship attendance, but that’s only one metric. If you think of yourself as a small church, you probably qualify.
What will the program entail?
- Beginning in September 2024, continuing through June 2025:
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- participation in three in-person day retreats: September 28, 2024, February 8, 2025, and June 7, 2025
- twice-monthly Zoom gatherings (less frequently during Advent and Lent), scheduled for Tuesday afternoons, 4:00-6:00 pm
- The full schedule can be found above.
- Resources for shared exploration: shared reading, podcasts and/or video resources, etc.
- Intentional engagement with practices designed to build resilience
- Structured framework for churchwide engagement and experimentation
- Coaching between sessions, as needed
What if we can't form a team?
This is an expectation of the program. Congregations must demonstrate that they can form a team of 4-5 leaders in order to be accepted for the program. You are invited to think of leadership broadly. Who are the people who have influence within your church? Invite them to participate.
Meet Our Facilitators
Rev. Dr. Wanda Stahl
Rev. Peter Ilgenfritz
