Congregational care at the crossroads: Resurrection of a faith community post mortem

Congregational Care at the Crossroads examines the complexities of resurrecting a congregation post mortem. While conflict is a natural occurrence in all communities, it can lead to organizational implosion. The warning signs become blaring sirens when mistrust goes viral, rumors escalate uncontrolled, and the people discontinue their participation. Combine this with the tragic death of a beloved deacon with thirty plus years of ministerial history and there is an eerie silence within the church community whereby all begin to wonder: "Now what?";It is at this point in the cycle of church conflict that Pastor Ehlke attempts to generate new life in the corpse of a deceased church through means of spiritual transformation. Using scripture as a guidepost for reform, the Pastor starts a small group designed for the sole purpose of loving God's people. The lay ministry team functions as companions for those experiencing difficult times in their lives due to such troubles as divorce, illness, and even death of a family member. The foundational belief of the project is that love will beget love and launch the congregation on a journey of complete and total transformation. Rather than be mired in the quicksand of despair from the past, the faith community will be catapulted into vibrancy as each member answers the call to love one another as they have first been loved. This project for all intents and purposes is an extrapolation from the new commandment of Jesus Christ. Love has the power to heal the wounds of the past and regenerate relationships between hurting parties.;The results of the project indicate that a small group centered on compassionate ministry can have a profound positive impact on the congregation at large. The masses are exposed to the actions of loving-kindness and are motivated to imitate this lifestyle in their own walks of discipleship. This impact is further enhanced by the use of Appreciative Inquiry, a qualitative research methodology that builds upon the strength of a community's past as motivation for present day endeavors. Having worked at St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park. Florida, perhaps this paradigm will breathe life into other faith communities who are staring into the darkness of relational disillusionment.