Visions of Multi-Site

How to Measure Spiritual Vitality

2010-10-15T02:18:00.000-04:00

People often ask me: How's it going downtown? My short answer is that things are going well. God is good!

My long answer follows in this e-letter. How's it going downtown? It depends on what you want to know. Churches often speak of attendance numbers and offering totals in order to answer the "How's it going?" question. While those are valid ways to assess where we are, they only tell us so much. In answer to the 'numbers' questions: Sunnyside Downtown people have been giving in such a way that we slightly exceeded budget during the previous quarter. Sunday Downtown worship attendance over the past six months was anywhere between 34 to 82 people, and during the month of September the average number of people in morning worship services was 54. What I see as I look at these numbers is evidence of faithful people giving and gathering in the name of Jesus. I also see future possibility and room to grow.

The numbers tell us a little, but not a lot, about spiritual vitality at Sunnyside Downtown. I think we need better ways to answer the question, "How’s it going downtown?" I recently came across a Leadership Journal article that introduced "a new way to measure spiritual vitality". I approached the article with some suspicion but found it held helpful wisdom to aid us in answering the question "How’s it going downtown?" The article referred to a measurement tool, the APGAR score, used by nurses at 1 and 5 minutes after the birth of a newborn to rate the health of the baby. Having worked as a Registered Nurse, with some experience in labour and delivery, the article resonated with me. Each letter of the word APGAR stands for an aspect of health: Appearance (colour), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace (reflex irritability), Activity (muscle tone), and Respiration (breathing). The baby is assigned a score of 0 (low), 1 (middle), or 2 (high) for each of the five aspects of health. When I had my own children, my first was born 6 weeks early and at 1 minute after birth had an APGAR score of 6. She was whisked away by the nurses for stimulation, warming and suctioning. Soon her APGAR score climbed to 10 out of 10. My ears heard the music of her cry and my eyes saw her skin colour change from bluish to pink. My second child had an APGAR score of 10 from the beginning. He entered the world loud and vigorous and has been talking ever since!

I think Sunnyside Wesleyan Church can agree that we want to see each of our 3 congregations at two locations living as vital, thriving communities of believers. As we consider our newest addition Downtown, my question is this: "What is 6-month-old Sunnyside Downtown’s APGAR score?" The APGAR test has been modified by Pastor Kevin Miller to measure spiritual vitality in the church, based on Acts 2:42-47.
(Miller, Kevin A. (2010). Your Church’s APGAR. Leadership Journal, vol. 31(3), 72-76.)

Apostolic Teaching and Worship ("They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.")

Little or no devotion to these practises = 0
Moderate devotion to them = 1
Strong devotion to them = 2

Power ("Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.")

Few or no "wonders and miraculous signs" of God at work = 0
Occasional "wonders and miraculous signs" of God at work = 1
Many "wonders and miraculous signs" of God at work = 2

Generosity ("All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.")

People give, but with little sacrifice involved = 0
People give, with some willingness to sacrifice = 1
Sacrificial generosity is frequent and characteristic = 2

Association ("Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.")

Little meeting together and sharing of meals beyond "church services" = 0
Occasional meeting together and sharing of meals = 1
Frequent and regular meeting together and sharing of meals = 2

Reproduction ("...praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.")

Rare or no addition of those who are being saved = 0
Occasional addition of those who are being saved = 1
Regular addition of those who are being saved = 2

So, "How is Sunnyside Downtown?" I'd say our "APGAR score" has room to grow. (If I said we were a '10' you'd say I'm lying and you'd be right!) We are alive and we have opportunity to become even more spiritually vital. Our strongest suits are Generosity and Association as defined above - simply put, we love each other well. I think we are still learning about the importance and value of gathering together in worship. We are open to growing experience of the power of God and have seen His movement through weekly fasting and prayer times. We pray that U of O students, people in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood, and those who are poor (in spirit or otherwise) will trust Jesus as Friend and Saviour.

Our hope-full God has even more abundant life in mind for us and I see many individuals in our congregation hungering for the 'more' that He offers. The great news is that it is God's pleasure and desire to respond to our asking and seeking for Him. We are in good hands and we have hope and a future.

Conversations

2010-06-09T23:30:00.001-04:00

Let me tell you about some of the conversations that have happened these past four weeks as Sunnyside Downtown discerns how to actively be the presence of Jesus in U of Ottawa, Sandy Hill and the greater downtown area.

As we engage in conversations with some of our neighbours and with one another, we ask God the questions, “What are you up to here? How would you like us to partner with you?”

Conversation #1 happened with Minister Madeleine Meilleur, M.P.P. Ottawa-Vanier, in her Montreal Rd. office. Minister Meilleur affirmed Sandy Hill as a neighbourhood with an active community association, Action Sandy Hill.

This conversation, along with our attendance at Sandy Hill’s AGM, raised the following question: “God, what are you up to in and through the Sandy Hill community association? Is there some way you want us to come alongside you in your work there?” We continue to watch and pray. A member of our congregation, Andrea Hook, lives in Sandy Hill. She is already loving her neighbours in the biblical sense and is keeping her eyes peeled for ways that God might have our congregation do the same.

Conversation #2 happened a few days later with Ward 12 City Councillor Georges Bédard. Mr. Bédard listened to a description of Sunnyside’s work over the past four years in Ukraine alongside street youth and at-risk kids. This caused him to mention some similar work in the City of Ottawa through Operation Come Home. “Hmmm,” I thought as I talked to Mr. Bédard, “God, would you like us to come alongside street youth in our own city and our own language too?”

That led to Conversation #3 with Pastor Brent. He suggested that if we were going to check out the work of Operation Come Home we should also check out how Christian organization, Ottawa Innercity Ministries (OIM), is serving street youth. Based on that conversation I went back to my desk and emailed Jason Pino, youth outreach worker with OIM to set up an appointment.

Conversation #4 happened with some Outreach Catalysts on a Tuesday night at the Highlander on Rideau St. Sunnyside Downtown Outreach Catalysts are people who are interested in discerning over time how God is leading us to be the hands and feet of Jesus. They will play a role in leading our congregation, the Outreach Team, forward in mission.

Conversation #4 included:

a clear plan to rent a table during U of Ottawa’s initiation week (Sept. 7-17). Joel Windle will set this up. A great way to meet and bless U of O students as they arrive back to school in the fall.
thoughts about some of the immigrants who live in Sandy Hill. Lord, is there some way down the road that you would have us befriend these people new to our country?
discussion about Andrea Mrozek leading a social justice small group in the fall. This group will be a forum through which we may further discern how God is leading us. Andrea also raised the question of relationship with U of Ottawa’s women’s centre.

Conversation #5 happened with Jason Pino in the OIM drop-in centre on Bank St. He described OIM’s street outreach work with homeless youth. Their art programme for youth caught my attention. Rather than just engage youth around their living conditions and addictions, the art programme gives opportunity for these young people to express their God-given creativity. Jason spoke of a recent silent auction where the young people were treated with dignity as people viewed and purchased their work. Two of the youth have even come to know Jesus as they engage Christians through the art programme. Jason said that OIM is always interested in finding local churches who will welcome these young people.

As we continue to discern God’s leading, interested Sunnyside Downtown people will be meeting on the steps of Dominion-Chalmers at 7 p.m. Monday, June 14 to attend OIM’s Spring Youth Art Show. We will view art and have conversation with the youth who created it. See www.ottawainnercityministries.ca for more details.

There have been other conversations. For example, I didn’t tell you about what I saw and learned last week at Operation Come Home. But I’ll stop there. I realize that these conversations appear to generate more questions than answers. All of these conversations are bathed in prayer. I believe that God is on the move and He is ordering our steps, even through these conversations.

Seeds

2010-05-14T04:06:00.001-04:00

I’ve thought quite a bit about seeds lately. I love when Jesus’ talks about the kingdom of God being like a mustard seed, the smallest seed, when planted in the ground becomes the largest of all garden plants; so big that the birds find place to perch there.

Our developing Downtown congregation and the faith-work we are engaging in, is just like that smallest of seeds. Imagine becoming a kingdom-of-God community where people find themselves at home, at rest, nourished and supported in life.

Last Sunday, we had the privilege of hearing the morning message from Lorna Dueck, former host of 100 Huntley St., Globe and Mail columnist, founder of Listen Up TV. She inspired faith as she reminded our congregation of ancient church stories, where at first, just a few Jesus-followers gathered. But look what God did. In fact you are reading this email right now as one of the people who has been touched by the message of Jesus through the dedicated discipleship of a handful of early believers.

Let me leave you with some news from the past weeks as well as with an invitation to come on down and visit sometime! Here’s some of the news:

We love the four U of Ottawa employees who offer tech support and set-up for our worship services each week: Pierre, Simon, Denis and Felix. As Pierre said, “Now we go to church on Sundays. It’s a peaceful ‘gig’.”
An average of 62 people attend downtown services at this point. Eight are new to Sunnyside Wesleyan Church; all eight live downtown.
Let’s do Lunch - More than 40 people in our congregation dispersed into 8 different homes to share lunch together on April 25.
An Outreach Catalyst group is forming, people who are discerning how we as an Outreach Team (the whole congregation) will tangibly live as the presence of Jesus in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood.
I write a weekly e-letter to the Sunnyside Downtown congregation called “Being Downtown”. It talks about our vision and action, and celebrates what God is doing. If you want to receive this weekly e-letter, I wouldn’t say “no”! ? Just email the church office to get on the list office@sunnysidechurch.ca.

Thank you for your interest and prayers. Blessings from Sunnyside Downtown to Sunnyside Grosvenor! Thank you to the whole of Sunnyside Wesleyan for being willing to sow a seed.

Fulfilling our Mission

2010-04-08T23:39:00.001-04:00

For months we’ve been talking about becoming a multi-site church. Sunnyside Wesleyan Church is now a multi-site church: one church, two locations. It has happened!

Here are some snapshots of our first two worship services at Sunnyside Downtown in the University of Ottawa Alumni Auditorium. Close your eyes and imagine:

One-year-old Finn Cain sitting wide-eyed beside a Rubbermaid bin, as the space around him becomes a nursery.
Tears in the eyes of the man who “heard there was a church” and came in before the service to communicate his need and receive prayer.
Pastor Brent pulling up the ‘community talk’ chair, encouraging our eyes of faith to ‘see’ the people God will draw to Sunnyside Downtown.
Men and women kneeling, expressing their need for God at the altar rail. (The altar rail was built using wood from former pews at Sunnyside Grosvenor.)
"That felt like Sunnyside." (a comment made by a visitor after the April 4 service)

We are called to be the presence of Jesus in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood. Monthly, between now and October, Visions of Multi-site will tell you stories about how Sunnyside Downtown is encountering God’s love, becoming like Jesus, engaging Sandy Hill in the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t know what the stories are yet, but we know they will be good because God is good!

A New Thing

2010-03-25T16:15:00.000-04:00

"Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?"
(Isaiah 43:18, The Message)

These words have struck a chord with me this past week.

There’s a place for remembering the amazing things God has done in the past. But, Isaiah’s instruction to Israel was to not get so hung up telling the old stories that they missed the new ones.

God is doing a new thing in, and even through, Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. God wants to do a new thing in you. “Don’t you see it?”

Yesterday, we "moved in" to U of O campus, everything from bibles, to altar rail, to drum set, to children’s curriculum. Imagine a busy university centre, students milling about. We are worshippers of Jesus in that space! God is doing something brand-new. Don’t you see it?

Some conversations are already happening with individuals and churches that are ministering in Jesus’ name in Sandy Hill area. Who might we end up partnering with to be the presence of Jesus in that neighbourhood? God is doing something brand-new. Don’t you see it?

New things: a fun encounter with a U of O student, interviews with local media, downtown Sunnysiders working and praying together as we prepare to welcome people and teach children Sunday School and participate in worship.

More new things: letters drafted to local leaders with the hope that we can meet and bless and learn from them, hospitality team dreams about fellowship in one another’s homes, the use of creative gifts to transform the Alumni Auditorium into a space that visually inspires worship.

On Sunday, March 28, 10 a.m. (this Sunday!) we will worship together for the very first time at the University of Ottawa Alumni Auditorium in the Jock Turcot University Centre. “God is about to do something brand-new. Don’t you see it?”

For more information, including maps and parking details, please visit Sunnyside’s new website at http://www.sunnysidechurch.ca.

Introducing Our New Worship Pastor

2010-02-25T05:30:00.000-05:00

You may remember the generous and unexpected financial gift that came our way in the fall of 2009. That gift made it possible to hire a part-time worship pastor for Sunnyside Downtown. After posting the job description in November, we received eight applications for the position. Interviews were conducted in the month of January.

On February 10, the Sunnyside Board approved the extension of an offer of employment to Joel Windle for part-time (20 hours/week) worship pastor at Sunnyside Downtown. It is our pleasure to announce that Joel accepted the position and will start serving in this capacity on March 1.

Joel is from Brantford, Ontario, where he lived with his parents and older brother. Joel grew up in a Christian home and, over the years, belonged to a Pentecostal, Salvation Army and Community Church, while also attending a Catholic high school. Joel sees those years as the times where a good biblical foundation was built in his life and he learned to “follow God with his head.”

Joel moved to Ottawa five years ago to attend Carleton University. This spring he will complete a degree in Math with a minor in geography. In December 2008, around the same time he started leading worship at Sunnyside, Joel began a pastoral internship that continued until the September 2009. It was during that time that he began to further develop a heart of worship, growing in the realization that worshipping God is not just its own section of Sunday morning but is integral to the whole of life. Joel has been positively affected by the ministry of the Carleton Navigators, first getting involved at the very beginning of his time at Carleton and spending four years on the student leadership team. Within the context of the Navigators Joel has seen himself grow through mutual discipleship and mentoring relationships as well as authentic small groups. One of the biggest things about Joel’s move to Ottawa was that it allowed him the opportunity to continue to move forward in faith and ask the questions his heart wanted to know. Sunnyside and the Navigators have been foundational in encouraging Joel to follow Jesus with his heart.

Last summer Joel went on his first short-term missions trip to Odessa and Kremidovka with the Sunnyside Ukraine team. This enlarged his worldview and caused Joel to think about what he does with his time and his energy. All of these life experiences combine to bring Joel to a point where he is open and excited to serve as worship pastor at Sunnyside Downtown.

Will you pray for Joel, and for the whole Sunnyside staff team, as we continue to make our way toward becoming a multi-site church? As you may know, March 7 is Commissioning Sunday and we will gather for our first worship service at the University of Ottawa Alumni Auditorium on Sunday, March 28 at 10 a.m. The Sandy Hill neighbourhood and beyond will be welcomed to join with us as of Sunday, April 4 (Easter Sunday).

You are part of this adventure as well. I pray God’s blessing on you.

As always, you are welcome to contact me at kronberg@sympatico.ca to talk about multi-site, or anything else!

Who’s Going Downtown?

2010-02-04T15:57:00.019-05:00

Just want to let you know that, at present, 43 people have expressed commitment to belong to the Sunnyside Downtown congregation. Worship services will begin Sunday, March 28, 10 a.m. at University of Ottawa, Alumni Auditorium, in the Jock Turcot University Centre.

(Families, please note that there will be Nursery facilities (ages 0-3) and Sunday School classes (JK-gr. 2, gr. 3-5, gr. 6-8) available during each service at Sunnyside Downtown. We will adhere to Sunnyside Wesleyan Church ‘Plan to Protect’ policy. It is our desire that your child experiences all the beauty and benefit of being part of a community experiencing God.)

You are welcome to add yourself to the following list of people who desire to be the presence of Jesus in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood.

Ann Alys B.
Louise B.
Debbie B.
Kyle B.
Finn C.
Seth C.
Kristy S.-C.
Chris C.
Karen C.
Cole D.
Nicole D.
Megan D.
Marc F.
Doug H.
Andrea H.
Greg J.
Tim J.
Alaina J.
Ellen K.
Joy K.
Anne-Michelle K.
Josh K.

Tara K.
Kerry K.
Matthew K.
Paul K.
Dan L.
Ben M.
Matthew M.
Lynn M.
Andrea M.
Theodora N.
Kirsten P.
Elizabeth P.
Richard P.
Anita P.
Rick P.
Ruth R.
Andrew S.
Dylan S.
Valerie S.
Jolene T.
Allan T.

As always, you are welcome to contact me at kronberg@sympatico.ca to talk about multi-site, or anything else!

We Know Where We’re Going!

2010-01-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am happy to confirm that as of Sunday, March 28th, our new downtown congregation will worship each Sunday at 10 a.m. in the Alumni Auditorium at the University of Ottawa.

Thank you to our hard-working location team. Chris Charlebois, Elizabeth Potvin, Anne-Michelle Kirkey and Andrea Mrozek spent hours of their time to discern the best downtown location for Sunnyside.

How the Decision was Made

The location team was formed in September 2009. They kept the proposed boundaries in mind (Ottawa River to the north, 417 to the south, Booth St. to the west and Rideau River to the east) and divided that large area into four. The team listed possible rental facilities in those four areas under the following categories: community centres, churches, hotels, theatres, galleries and other (schools, bowling alleys, museums, halls, libraries). In total they examined 85 different locations. Every possible location was contacted by phone and/or in person. Most were visited. In addition, the location team drove around downtown once or twice a week to ensure that they had not missed any possible venues.

Locations were eliminated based on priority criteria established by the Investigative Team in the winter of 2009. By the end of November the possibilities had narrowed to 4 or 5 locations and negotiations over the past 1-1/2 months led to the point of making a confident decision to rent the Alumni Auditorium at University of Ottawa.

The Up-sides of the Decision

The Alumni Auditorium, located in the Jock Turcot University Centre, is clean, well lit and has a seating capacity of 297.
It is located in Sandy Hill, a neighbourhood with both demographic and socioeconomic diversity, bordered to the west by the Rideau Canal and on the east by the Rideau River. Rideau Street and the ByWard Market neighbourhood are to the north and the Queensway and Nicolas Street to the south.
A U of O technician will set up and run lighting, sound system, PowerPoint and some other equipment each week. That’s a great help.
Two small rooms and one large room are available for Sunday School and nursery. There are other possible spaces as children’s ministry expands.
The facility falls within our weekly rental budget of $500/week.
Public transit is excellent as there is a transitway stop right at the university campus.
For those of you who like the idea of gathering for brunch after church, the “Jazzy” restaurant is upstairs and serves brunch from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The Down-sides of the Decision

Parking is limited. (Thankfully, Sunnysiders are already familiar with this challenge.) The university is partnering with us to make parking available to a limited number of people in the nearby underground garage. Beyond that there are also free parking spaces on side streets 2-4 blocks away. We will be creating detailed maps and instructions about this in the next few weeks.
We will not have access to a kitchen. (However, besides Jazzy Restaurant, the university centre food court is also upstairs.) Hospitality is a high value within our downtown congregation so we will find ways to exercise this gift, maybe in each other’s homes.
The two Sundays around Christmas and New Year’s are not available for rental. The up side to this is that it allows for Sunnyside Grosvenor and Sunnyside Downtown to worship together (at the Grosvenor location) for Christmas Eve and Christmas Season services.

Are you coming to launch team lunch on Sunday?

Please consider whether you will continue to worship at Sunnyside Grosvenor or make your way to Sunnyside Downtown in 9 weeks. Either way it’s all Sunnyside Wesleyan Church! Please RSVP kronberg@sympatico.ca today if you are coming to the next launch team meeting and lunch, on Sunday, January 24 at 12:45 p.m. in the church basement. You will meet Sunnyside Downtown people, hear about and pray for our next directions, and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by Ellen Kelly and team.

Waiting with Expectation

2009-12-02T22:21:00.001-05:00

I love Advent season. Robert Webber describes Advent as “a time when we ask, even plead with God not to leave us alone, for when God leaves us to our own choices and turns us over to our own ways, we are certain to drift from him.” Advent is a time to cry out and turn to God (AKA ‘repent’), waiting with expectation for Christ to come to us. He has come, does come and will come again. This is our hope.

It has been an active fall. As a church we have been on the move. Right up to these last few days there has been much going on, as we become a multi-site church. Detailed conversations are happening with 4 downtown locations. We’ve walked and prayed through four neighbourhoods. You may have heard that we have received 8 applications for the worship pastor position. A small group has spent weeks considering what Jesus has to say about being a new kind of community. Generous financial support has been given. More people have shown interest in being part of the launch team.

We’ve been moving forward at a good clip. And I suppose we could blast through the next month at a frantic pace. But, Advent season guides us to slow down, examine our situation, repent where necessary, and wait for the inbreaking of God. As we attempt to be obedient in our multi-site endeavors, Advent season takes us into a waiting space. This is practical and important. We can be assured that Christ will come to us. Waiting on Christ is very productive.

In an attitude of waiting, the launch team (and any other interested people) will gather this coming Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 12:45 p.m. We will eat spaghetti together (thanks to Ellen Kelly and team), we will hear a couple of updates (particularly about the location search) and mainly, we will wait on the Lord. This will happen through silence, through prayer, through ‘being’ with God together. You are welcome to join us.

As always, you are welcome to contact me at kronberg@sympatico.ca.

Getting Closer to our Location

2009-11-12T11:47:00.000-05:00

The ‘location team’ has been working overtime. If you know Chris Charlebois, Anne-Michelle Kirkey, Elizabeth Potvin or Andrea Mrozek, you might want to ask them to tell you one of their adventure stories. They have been everywhere from comedy clubs to a university hall to churches to a museum, and beyond…

The search has narrowed to 3 or 4 locations.

So, now it is your turn to jump into the discernment process. And when I say “your” turn, I am talking to any one of the more than 350 people who attend Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. Here is how you can join the fun:

Pack a bag lunch and meet outside Sunnyside at 12:45pm on Sunday, November 22 because we are going on a “pray and watch” walk! (RSVP kronberg@sympatico.ca by Wed. Nov. 18, indicate whether you have a car and how many people it seats. I will divide you into “pray and watch” groups.)

Each “pray and watch” group will receive a map and a set of observation questions. Your group will go to one possible future downtown site of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. (Isn’t this exciting?) You will walk around the possible future site and its surrounding neighbourhood and you will ‘pray’ and ‘watch’. A scribe in your group will write down your specific observations and discernment. All written records will be returned to me and I will pass them on to the location team.

May I encourage all of the launch team and many other interested Sunnysiders to join this very important event in the process of becoming a multi-site church? Keep praying. We are moving forward. You may peruse the ‘Pray and Watch’ guidelines below.

PRAY AND WATCH

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009, 12:45 P.M. TO 2:45 P.M.

12:45 p.m. Leave Sunnyside Grosvenor to go to assigned downtown location.
1:15 p.m. Eat bag lunch near a possible future downtown site of SWC.
1:45 p.m. Pray that God will open your group’s eyes and give discernment.
1:50 p.m. Prayerfully walk around the possible future downtown site and its surrounding neighbourhood. Record your observations and discernment as you go.

How well does the location fit the following criteria? (There are many other essential, desirable and important criteria for our downtown site, but the ones listed below are observable from outside of the building.)

Accessible by public transit
A “destination hub” within the city
Little other presence of “life-giving” churches
Accessible for persons with physical disabilities
Dedicated parking or available street parking
Visible location from street and within community
Walk-by and drive-by traffic
Fits with our relaxed, casual and open style

What do you notice as you walk around the neighbourhood?

In what ways do you see God at work?
Who lives in this neighbourhood?
Do you see any signs of the future?
Observe a place of solitude, peace or rest.
Are there any relics of the past?
Do you see something scary?
Are there evidences of the ‘gods’ people worship?
What are the values that are honoured?
Where is there a place of joy?
Is there anything that makes you feel helpless?
Describe a conversation you had with someone you would not normally talk to.

What do you think God is telling you about this location and neighbourhood?

On a scale of 1 to 5 (1=not hopeful; 5=very hopeful), how hopeful is your group that this location/neighbourhood becomes Sunnyside’s downtown site?

2:45 p.m. Place your group’s comments in the provided stamped, addressed envelope and place in the nearest mailbox.

As always, you are welcome to contact me at kronberg@sympatico.ca.

God’s Provision: Hiring a Part-time Worship Pastor

2009-10-29T16:02:00.003-04:00

What a faith journey this is. During this edition of Visions of Multi-site, I want to let you in on a recent surprising provision. We received a significant monetary gift directed toward the downtown site. The Sunnyside Board approved that some of the donation be designated toward the hire of a part-time worship pastor.

A job description has been put together, and a prayerful search has begun. Feel free to pass the following job description along to possible candidates for this position. Let us pause, even right now, to thank God for his movement and direction! Keep your eyes open – God is on the move.

SUNNYSIDE WESLEYAN CHURCH

JOB TITLE: WORSHIP PASTOR (20 HOURS/WEEK)

Job Date:
Feb. 1, 2010 – August 1, 2011

Job Location:
Sunnyside Wesleyan Church (SWC), NEW Downtown Ottawa location

Reports to:
Brent Russett (Senior Pastor, SWC)
Kerry Kronberg (Campus Pastor, SWC - Downtown Location)
Local Board of Administration, Sunnyside Wesleyan Church

Submit Resume to:
Multi-site Search Team
Sunnyside Wesleyan Church
58 Grosvenor Ave.
Ottawa, ON
K1S 4S4
sunnyside@swc.on.ca

Background Information

Sunnyside Wesleyan Church (SWC) is becoming a multi-site church: one church, many locations. At the SWC Old Ottawa South location there are two congregations with a total of approximately 350 people attending 9am and 11am Sunday morning services. By Easter 2010, 60-80 people will be released from the Old Ottawa South location to establish a third Sunnyside congregation in Downtown Ottawa. Pastor Brent Russett is Senior Pastor of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. Pastor Kerry Kronberg is the Campus Pastor of the downtown congregation. Pastor Darren Dicks is the Campus Pastor of the Old Ottawa South congregations.

Job Summary

We are looking to hire a part-time worship pastor for the new Sunnyside Wesleyan Church location in Downtown Ottawa. He/she will be required to be mentored for at least 6 months by pastoral staff in order to gain understanding about philosophy of worship and receive skills training and character training as a worship pastor at Sunnyside. It would be understood that although worship style is important, it is not the main thing at Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. Worship style and skill come second to a heart of worship.
Funds will be designated toward the worship pastor’s education in Wesleyan doctrine and distinctives through Equipping for Ministry courses at Houghton College, FLAME courses or correspondence courses through the Wesleyan Church. He/she must be willing to become a member of the Wesleyan Church. He/she would also be encouraged to attend at least one worship-related seminar/conference each year.
His/her salary will be in line with current salaries at Sunnyside Wesleyan Church and the Local Board of Administration (LBA) will determine details of the salary. Salary and contract will be subject to review by LBA annually.

The following is a description of the part-time worship pastor’s responsibilities:

Lead worship at least 3 out of 4 Sundays at the downtown site, coordinating with Pastor Darren Dicks (Worship Pastor at SWC Old Ottawa South location) to develop an order of worship.
Coordinate and direct the worship team at the downtown location.
Train and release additional worship leaders, allowing them to develop through co-leading worship or through leading worship alone 1 Sunday each month.
Attend and oversee worship practice times in collaboration with Pastor Darren Dicks.
Attend weekly staff meetings for staff of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church.
Submit monthly Board reports to the LBA describing the outworking of ministry responsibilities.
Identify the unique “heart music” of downtown people and explore how different genres of worship music may be effectively used in the worship service while also keeping in line with Sunnyside philosophy of worship.
Gain ongoing training in worship leadership and Wesleyan theology.
Explore and plan for creative outreach events, through music, that invite secular people to worship.
Teach the Sunnyside downtown congregation how to worship as a lifestyle.
Engage in other related pastoral duties.

Do you see what I see?

2009-10-15T12:43:00.001-04:00

I have pretty bad eyesight. If I am without glasses or contact lenses you have to stand no further than a foot away in order for me to see you clearly.

There are parts of this multi-site adventure that feel a little bit like we’re moving forward without corrective lenses. Some things are blurry or can’t be seen at all…yet.

There are aspects of becoming a multi-site church that remain blurry to my physical eyes at this time, causing me to ask questions like the following: Where exactly will our Sunnyside downtown congregation meet with God and with each other and in what exact downtown neighbourhood? And, who are the remaining 30 (or more) people who are willing to participate in the launch team, preparing to become an active Sunnyside downtown congregation by Easter 2010? (You are welcome to tell me who you are anytime!)

There are some aspects of becoming a multi-site church that my physical eyes see more clearly, even since one month ago: I see real people (about 30 of you) beginning to take active, prayerful interest in becoming a downtown congregation. I see a ‘location team’ starting to make phone calls and taking initiative to seek and find our physical space downtown. I see unexpected financial provision. I see creative people discerning how to capture and communicate our identity and vision, through words and pictures. I see a hospitality team already planning the menu for our next launch team meeting together (next week, October 25, 12:45, RSVP kronberg@sympatico.ca!).

It is important to open our eyes and physically see how the multi-site initiative is moving forward. Also, and more importantly, I have a fierce desire for us to wear the corrective lenses of faith as we move forward with this endeavor.

Here is what I see through the corrective lenses of faith: I see Jesus Christ, Lord of all, seated at the right hand of God, praying for us. Jesus prays that we will be one just like he and the Father are one. Jesus prays that we will be holy, people who are permanently changed by his love. Jesus prays that we will be witnesses, the very fragrance of Christ everywhere we go so that many people come to a point where they see and embrace him as their own.

With each passing month it is likely that we will see the physical realities of the Sunnyside downtown congregation more clearly. That will be good. But what will be even better and what is most important is that we keep our eyes absolutely fixed on Jesus, amazed by who he is and willing to ‘be’ his presence in whatever specific neighbourhood we find ourselves.

Counting Down

2009-09-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

In 10 days we will be on our way.

On Sunday, September 27, those committed (now 24 people) to the downtown site will join with those interested in the downtown site for a lunch (and ‘launch’!) meeting in the Sunnyside Grosvenor church basement at 12:45pm. You are welcome even if you have remote interest. Everybody please RSVP kronberg@sympatico.ca by Sept. 23 so that Ellen Kelly and team can prepare enough food for us all.

You may think that the launch of the Sunnyside downtown congregation is still 6 months away. But actually, in 10 days it will begin in preliminary form. In order to launch strong on April 4, 2010 as a congregation of 60-80 people, we must join together now to become a community and prepare to go.

Here are 10 things I’d like to tell you as we count down the 10 days between now and Sept. 27.

10 – A team of 4 (Chris C., Anne-Michelle K., Andrea M., Elizabeth P.) has come together to work with geospatial engineer (Matthew D.) to discern the best location downtown and pursue a rental agreement. Such decisions always occur in submission to and communication with the Sunnyside Board.

9 – Our first baby (Cole D.) joined the launch team last week! Now we have people on the team anywhere between a few months and 90-some years of age.

8 – Launch team members (60-80 people who will go to the downtown site) do not have to be willing to give exorbitant amounts of time to the start-up of the downtown site. First, discern whether you are called to be part of the downtown Sunnyside congregation. (If the answer is yes, you are part of the launch team.) Second, let me know! Third, consider how you might give of yourself to the downtown congregation and neighbourhood (it may be a lot and it may be little – ask God what He has in mind for you).

7 – You will read three stories in the September 27 Sunnyside Up! about what motivates Josh & Tara Kirkey, Andrea H. and Andrea M. to be part of the downtown site.

6 – Pastor Brent and I have booked time on December 1 to create the first coordinated preaching plan for the two Sunnyside sites. Preaching topics and texts will be the same at each site. Pastor Brent and I will alternate to preach at the downtown site.

5 – Families, you may want to consider joining with other families (your friends) to become part of the downtown site. We will choose a rental space that has rooms for Sunday School and nursery. It is our intent to offer a full Sunday School programme.

4 – In the Sept. 27 Sunday services you will hear two unique stories (Andrea M., Chris C.) about how the decision was made to go to the downtown site.

3 – There will be a townhall meeting on Sunday, October 18 at 12:40 p.m. in the church basement. Anyone may attend to ask any question or express concerns about the multi-site initiative.

2 – Other launch team meetings will happen on Sundays, Oct. 25, Nov. 22, Dec. 6, Jan. 24, Feb. 28.

1 – I am grateful to be campus pastor of the downtown site and look forward to the many ways that we will continue to move forward together, as Sunnyside Wesleyan Church, to love and serve Jesus.

Meet the Early Adopters!

2009-09-03T22:05:00.001-04:00

It takes time to consider and embrace new ideas and directions.

On May 31st, we at Sunnyside voted in favour of establishing a Sunnyside Downtown congregation, with plans to gather a launch team of 60-80 people by mid-fall 2009 and have our first official worship service downtown on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010.

I’d like to introduce you to 18 ‘early adopters’ who have already discerned that Sunnyside Downtown is where God is taking them.

Andrea H.
Andrea M.
Chris C.
Debbie B.
Elizabeth P.
Ellen K.
Greg J.
Josh K.
Joy K.
Karen C.
Kerry K.
Kirsten P.
Kyle B.
Louise B.
Lynn M.
Matthew M.
Paul K.
Tara K.

If you are not on this list, but would like to be, please let me know.

You will hear a number of stories, written (Sunnyside Up!) and spoken (Sept. 27 services), explaining how some of these people made the decision to go downtown. Feel free to talk to them directly. There are 22 others, not ready to ‘go public’, who have expressed significant to tentative interest in the downtown site.

Families, would you consider talking with a few other families (especially your closer friends) about taking the risk to go together downtown? Keep in mind that there will Sunday School and nursery services offered at Sunnyside Downtown as they are at Sunnyside Grosvenor.

We have only just begun! I am amazed at your positive interest and response. You are welcome to jump in at this point in the journey. If you want to talk further, please give me a shout at kronberg@sympatico.ca or call 613-730-9411. It would be good to see at least 40 names on this list by our first Launch Team meeting, Sept. 27 at 12:45pm (over lunch) in the church basement.

Anticipating the Benefits

2009-07-23T19:52:00.002-04:00

I have set aside July 20-24 and August 17-21 to meet with those of you who may be called to the Sunnyside downtown site. Before I go on vacation (Monday) I’d like to fill August 17-21 with appointments. Please email kronberg@sympatico.ca if you are interested. During those conversations, I will update you about the site, hear your thoughts and questions, find out where your gifts and interests lie and pray with you for wisdom and direction.

It has been a joy to meet with several of you this week. “This is exciting!” is the phrase I have heard most. I think so too. At present, 11 have confirmed they will go downtown, 8 are very interested, and 15 are wondering.

It is not too early for you to make your intentions known. The first launch team meeting of 60-80 people is scheduled for Sunday, September 27 at 12:45pm. The downtown congregation will start to form that day. I haven’t heard from a lot of families. Keep in mind, as you discern your ‘place’, there will be children’s Sunday School and nursery at the downtown site.

It’s time to pull out the stops a bit and celebrate the benefits of establishing a Sunnyside congregation downtown! (These benefits are relevant to Sunnyside Grosvenor too.)

Relational Benefits – When a medium-size group of people comes together in Christian unity with a common vision and mission in mind, spiritual friendships grow.

Faith Benefits – Obediently moving forward when much is unknown has a way of forcing reliance on the Lord. Faith grows as we take risks and experience God’s faithfulness.

Unexpected Surprises – God shows up in the most unlikely places. You think you are making a big sacrifice and you find unusual joy.

Enlarged Heart – There’s nothing like prayer-walks and intentional relationship in a yet-to-be-determined place downtown to expand your heart’s capacity to love people that you hadn’t considered before.

Opportunity to Serve – An initiative like this requires all hands to be on deck! Every kind of spiritual gift is needed and there is no such thing as being redundant. It’s a forum in which you can practise living in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Kingdom of God Expansion – We can expect as we, by faith, move into a neighbourhood and love as the body of Christ is meant to love, the kingdom of God will come (on earth, even as it is in heaven). People will become followers of Jesus. Ongoing transformation will happen.

I believe the benefits will outweigh the costs! I’d be interested in hearing what benefits or costs you identify. Please feel free to contact me for further conversation kronberg@sympatico.ca.

Save the Dates

2009-07-09T01:25:00.001-04:00

Some of you like to see that there is a real plan in place. This email is for you. I give you these dates while saying at the same time that the Lord is God and He is ultimately in charge. So these plans need to be held with open hands.

Those of us who are part of Sunnyside Downtown hope to have our first official worship service on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. That seems pretty far away but in order to start strong next April, the Sunnyside Downtown Launch Team should become a real group of people by October or November 2009.

The Launch Team will be made up of 60-80 (or more) of you who think God is calling you to the Sunnyside Downtown campus. As a Launch Team, we will begin to meet monthly, starting Sunday, September 27 at 12:45pm in the church basement over lunch. Other Launch Team meetings are scheduled for: October 25, November 22, December 6, January 24, and February 28. If you have any inkling that you may be part of this team, please enter the dates into your calendar now. Some of you who intend to stay at Sunnyside Grosvenor may like to participate in Launch Team meetings (especially the first one or two) to be prayerful and supportive (and eat good food). You are welcome!

What will the Launch Team do at these meetings? We will share meals together thanks to the hospitality of Ellen Kelly and team. We will consider our gifts and decide who God is enabling to do what. We will divide up responsibility for the downtown site (before it physically exists) and begin to take action, as needed, according to our gifts. We will build relationship with each other. We will take prayer walks downtown. An interested sub-group will confirm and secure our location. We will figure out how to best initiate relationship with and communicate our existence to the community downtown.

What will the Launch Team not do? We will not get people to do things that they have neither the gifts nor grace to do. My experience with missional teams is that when people do only what God asks them to do, when he calls them to do it, there is divine energy and inspiration (grace) for the task. The Launch Team experience should be a grace-filled experience, not a tough slog.

At present I’ve heard from 28 of you who have varying levels of interest in being part of Sunnyside Downtown. If any others would like to sit down for a coffee with me this summer I’ve cleared the weeks of July 20-24 and August 17-21 for one-on-one discernment conversations and prayer with you. (No worries! There is much freedom to both make decisions and reverse decisions about being part of the downtown site.) Just give a shout at kronberg@sympatico.ca. There is still time, particularly during the day, the week of July 20-24. The week in August is wide open.

When our staff meets in August we will begin to put some more dates on the calendar. We will look forward, even into 2011, and schedule ‘celebration’ dates. Those are times where we will be purposeful as the whole of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church, Grosvenor and Downtown sites, to notice and celebrate together what God has done. Also, we will be intentional about putting ‘church-wide connection’ events into our calendar in order to ensure that we have opportunity to gather as the whole community of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church many times throughout the year.

As always, please feel free to email me at kronberg@sympatico.ca with any of your opinions, input, or concerns. It is good to hear from you!

Estimating the Cost

2009-06-25T18:50:00.000-04:00

I was reading Luke’s gospel this morning and some words jumped out at me.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundations and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” (Luke 14:28-30)

These words are in a context of Jesus teaching his followers that it costs to follow him. Jesus is not looking for a naïve commitment that expects all to be easy because we follow him. (On the other hand, don’t get me wrong. Joy and deepest blessing are experienced when we follow Jesus.)

I know it is summer time and we are all trying to catch some sunshine and relax as much as possible. Even summer is a “take up your cross and follow Jesus” time of year. The whole of life, during any season, is a time to ask the question, “Lord, what are you up to? How may I partner with You?” These questions can be followed by a question to self, “Do I know what I am getting myself into and am I still willing?”

Summer can be a time to back up and take stock of life. There is often break in routine. Time is spent in warm and comfortable places where we experience beauty and can pay attention to the whisperings of God.

As a community we have felt that God is talking to us about expanding the reach of our local church so that we also touch downtown Ottawa. The costs of this decision are significant. There are relational costs. We will not be configured in such a way that all of the same people are in the same place at the same time. There are financial costs. There are leadership costs. As leadership is stretched between two campuses there will be all kinds of room for people to step into places of responsibility in our church.

May I encourage you, as you move into the days of summer, to keep your local church, Sunnyside Wesleyan, in mind? When you picture us, would you picture yourself as very much part of Sunnyside, because you are! And with that picture in mind, keep asking questions.

Lord, what are you up to in my church?

How may I partner with You there?

Those questions may be accompanied by a prayer: “Help me to estimate and accept the cost.”

To Stay or To Go

2009-06-04T14:17:00.009-04:00

Some of my most frequent words these days are: “One step at a time.”

God is with us to lead and correct our course.

Processing Our Decision

On Sunday, we voted in favour of moving ahead with the multi-site initiative. There are things that are going to change for all of us. Some of you have indicated that, like me, you have mixed feelings and thoughts about all that change. A very few of you may be 100% ‘over the moon’ about the decision while some of you have significant concerns.

May I encourage us to name our true thoughts and feelings as we make our way forward? You may want to have ‘processing’ conversations with trusted friends or all alone with God. I love the psalms because they teach us how to process. When the psalm-writers are scared, they say so. When they are angry, or joyful, or threatened, they say so. And eventually, they make their way to the place where they choose to say, “Yet I will trust in you.” God, help us do that!

The Question

So, (deep breath), it is time to begin our next step of discernment. Here is the question that you are invited to consider: Is God calling you to stay at the Sunnyside Grosvenor site or is God calling you to join 60-80 other Sunnysiders to become a worshiping presence in a downtown Ottawa location? You are encouraged to make a conscious decision to either stay or go. Whether you stay or go, you are part of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. We will maintain one Board, one budget, one small groups program. We will join together in common church-wide events and support common missions.

I’m one of the people called to go downtown. For now, I continue in my role as associate pastor at Sunnyside Grosvenor. But over the next weeks and months, I will transition in such a way that half my time is spent in the role of campus pastor of the emerging Sunnyside downtown congregation. As campus pastor of the downtown site, I wait to hear from those of you who believe God is (or may be) calling you to join 60-80 other Sunnysiders to form a “Launch Team”.

Launch Team

The Launch Team will gather monthly starting at the end of September. We will pray, plan, eat together, and confirm our location downtown. We will identify our gifts and we will move forward in a spirit of humility, each one with a sense of what role God has him/her to play in the developing Sunnyside downtown congregation. We hope to have our first official worship service downtown on Easter 2010. Some of you have asked: Can we go back and forth between sites? The answer is: Yes. However, it would be good if the individuals who make up the Launch Team consider the Sunnyside downtown location their main place to be and serve.

Invitation To Talk and Pray With Me

If you are called, or if you think you may be called, to be part of the Sunnyside downtown congregation, would you please give me a shout? I’ve cleared the weeks of July 20-24 and August 17-21 to have conversations and prayer with as many of you as possible. Please email kronberg@sympatico.ca or call me 613-730-9411 and we will plan a time of conversation and discernment and prayer.

And, of course, whether you discern that you are called to stay or go, you are welcome and encouraged to contact me with your questions and concerns about this initiative.

Time to Vote

2009-05-21T18:48:00.006-04:00

It’s your turn to weigh in with wisdom about the multi-site proposal. I’m relieved that we as a community are making this decision together. If you consider Sunnyside your church, whether you’ve been here for 6 weeks or 60 years, you are encouraged to vote.

How do you best approach this vote?

It would be good to read the multi-site report if you haven’t already. It is online at http://www.swc.on.ca/multisitePDF/Report_to_church.pdf or on paper at the back of the church. The report will fill in some details.

James (1:5) has some important advice for us as we vote: “If you need wisdom-if you want to know what God wants you to do-ask him, and he will gladly tell you.” Your decision should reflect whatever you believe God is telling us as a church.

You may vote after either service on May 31.

Can’t make it to church that day? Just drop in to Sunnyside office between 9-4:30 any weekday (May 20-29). Wendy will give you a ballot. You will place your complete ballot in the provided box.

Here is what the ballot will look like:

Are you in favour of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church moving towards a multisite model of church as outlined in the multisite proposal, the major points being:

Pastor Brent is the senior pastor and will alternately preach at both campuses
The new campus will be located downtown
The campus pastor of the downtown location will be Pastor Kerry Kronberg
The campus pastor of the Sunnyside and Grosvenor location will be Pastor Darren Dicks?

Yes No
Comments: (Optional)

These are interesting times at Sunnyside. Thank you for taking part in this process. You will hear the results of the vote on June 1st.

Success Markers

2009-05-08T18:28:00.001-04:00

Pastor Brent and I had a talk on Tuesday. If you were a fly on the wall during that conversation you would have heard us talking about you, or more accurately, all of us.

Essentially it was a conversation about failure and success.

Here was the main question: If we as a church decide to go ahead with the multisite endeavor, and if 60-80 of us become a Sunnyside congregation downtown, how will we know if it is a success or a total flop?

(Conversations like this must happen keeping in mind that sometimes God’s definitions of failure and success vary from ours.)

So, let’s look at it from a ‘cup half full’ perspective and name some “Success Markers”.

Thumbs Up #1 (By Easter 2010)

60-80 people form a Launch Team,
meet monthly September 2009 to March 2010,
then meet weekly until our first official downtown service, Easter 2010.

Thumbs Up #2 (At the end of Year 1, Easter-ish 2011)

Attendance increases by 50% downtown (Sunnyside Grosvenor sees pews filling back in too!)
The downtown congregation covers a minimum of all the site’s expenses (approx. $50,000). But Sunnyside Grosvenor covers my salary.
We see fruit that indicates the downtown site is alive: we love one another, God’s presence is evident as we worship, and we are present to the neighbourhood in ways that make a difference.

Thumbs Up #3 (At the end of Year 2, 2012)

Attendance up by 25%. (Don’t want to get too caught up in numbers. But, on the other hand, they can give indication that we’ve got momentum.)
Downtown congregation covers a minimum of all the site’s expenses (including contribution to overall missions of SWC and denominational fees) plus half my salary.
More fruit.

Thumbs Up #4 (At the end of Year 3, 2013)

I’ll be approaching 43 and will have less grey hairs than Pastors Brent or Darren.
Attendance up by 25%.
Downtown Sunnyside covers a minimum of all the site’s expenses and all my salary.
And again, fruit!

So, what if these “Success Markers” are not met?

In that case, the downtown congregation will meet, recognize the reality of the situation and discern next steps. Pastor Brent and I talked in some detail about that too, but those thoughts have been tucked away. It’s quite possible that we will never need to revisit them!