On Saturday, January 24, 22 CUMC participants gathered around a fire at the West River Campground to build community together, reflect on ways our United Methodist tradition and Community church have been a blessing in Crofton over the past few years, and consider new pathways for discipleship in this new year. What follows is a summary of wisdom shared by participants for those interested in what God continues to do through us, who want to join us on the way!
Our foundational Bible text was from Isaiah 34:1-2
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
And our foundational song was from Zimbabwe:
“If you believe and I believe, and we together pray;
The Holy Spirit will come down and set God’s children free.”(Listen here)
We learned that early Methodists, including missionaries “passing through the waters” of great oceans, were known for:
- Field preaching–Bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the people instead of simply waiting for people to come seeking it.
(CUMC examples might include online ministry, being a chaplain at Sara’s House or in prisons; showing up at Festival on the Green) - Micro-communities–Building relationships in small groups for study, prayer, and tending one another’s needs.
(CUMC examples might include new “Grace Groups” modeled after GriefShare which meet for soul-tending, sharing God-sightings, and growing in grace.) - Social engagement–Confronting such things as slavery and cruelty in prisons.
(CUMC examples might include confronting isolation or solidarity with immigrants) - Leadership activation–Mentoring new leaders to broaden participation and ownership.
(CUMC examples might include confirmation mentoring and deeper youth involvement in worship and work at CUMC)
Thinking about our church’s role as a place where we cultivate disciples for the transformation of the world, we answered three questions:
- What information do we think people need to grow in discipleship?
- Something that “lights a fire” within
- A reasonable response to the questions “Who is God,” and “Who is Jesus Christ.”
- A personal response to “Why should I believe.”
- What skills should disciples cultivate?
- Demonstration of love and acceptance, listening to understand
- Good communication of personal values, sharing examples
- Good humor
- Ability to focus
- Cultural competence
- Sharing resources
- What experiences help disciples grow?
- Unconditional love
- Small group support
- Worship where authentic faith is clear
- Retreats, mission trips, “live” experiences that connect belief and action
We reflected on good success our church has experienced in disciple-making through the following:
- Increased participation of children and youth in the life of the church.
- A different and positive spirit of unity here now.
- Three worship styles–traditional worship on 1st Sundays, blended on 2nd and 3rd Sundays, and Praise on 4th Sundays.
- Printed prayer guides authored by CUMC folks
- Stronger connection between the church school (CDC) and the church.
- New leadership
- An evolving online ministry
- “Messy Church” to bring generations together
And we recognized opportunities where we might grow further in our success:
- Better evaluation of whether an event or program had good goals and met them.
- Better responsiveness and follow-through around social justice issues.
- Better planning for financial contractions in our future
- Better coordination of our church with local institutions like the libraries and other faith communities.
We concluded our time together by wondering in small groups about which current programs planned for 2026 have the best potential for cultivating discipleship and listed the following:
- Highlight and invest in Intergenerational Events with particular attention to young adults and young adults with families.
(Shrove Tuesday pot-luck, Summertime VBS, Fall Picnic, and Trunk or Treat) - Be present at Festival on the Green
(Make better connections with local institutions and neighbors and then follow-up effectively in partnerships) - Social Justice stimulated by “Good Book Club” and other studies
(Develop new justice leaders with church council oversight and resourcing)
The group requested an additional retreat at West River in 2026 where even more CUMC participants might come together for more fun games (ask Ukiah Austin what it was like to be a human toaster or ask Bonnie Keegan how she became an “agitator” in a washing machine!), spiritual nurture, and friendship in Christ. If you would like to be part of planning the next retreat with the staff and council, please contact Katie Foster.
