What Could Be Possible?
I love the way this question leapfrogs over possible obstacles and supposed limitations to wonder about the future. It’s different than setting goals or listing objectives because those are often tethered to here-and-now considerations like metrics and processes. What Could Be Possible starts with naming and appreciating the gifts and assets God has already given us. Then, careful not to be led off course by scarcity fears, What Could Be Possible gives permission to think creatively about how best to harness those gifts to dreams and visions for the future.
What Could Be Possible is outside-the-box thinking that sows seeds for ideas we might miss otherwise because it honors a spirit of curiosity. It’s more open-ended than problem-solving which, by its nature, is backward looking before it can be forward looking: how do we fix what went wrong so that we can keep on going? While attention to detail and careful planning are also gifts to be celebrated, What Could Be Possible frees us to sidestep questions of What Might Go Wrong long enough for new ideas to germinate and come to life.
What Could Be Possible is a deeply faithful practice and it is the story of how God’s people leave behind the known and the comfortable, in every age, to find unimaginable new life on the other side. I’m grateful for the ways St. Stephen’s has already asked this question, and I trust that with practice, the question will become even easier to ask. The sky is, indeed, the limit!
What could be possible if we shared our worship space with other faith communities?
What could be possible if we shared our large spaces with local arts groups?
What could be possible if we shared unused meeting rooms with community wellness partners?
What could be possible if we explored creative sources of funding?
What could be possible if we thought of our food pantry as the downstairs congregation?
What could be possible if we celebrated hidden talents and made room for them to flourish?
What could be possible if we leaned into deeper relationship with trusted ministry collaborators?
What could be possible if we intentionally partnered with small businesses in the neighborhood?
What could be possible if we found new ways to live into our Welcome Statement?
May we trust that God will be faithful, as we live into our mission: to love, to invite, to serve.
Pastor Sue
