Welcome To The Jesus Connection

This ministry began (Feb. 2000) with a seminal conviction - mainline churches didn't need renewal, they needed transformation. Our group believed that renewing what already existed meant doing better what we've always done. We didn't believe that was sufficient to meet the challenges facing churches today.

We still don't. We are convinced that deepening our spiritual life and a restructuring away from the business model for organizations are the keys to mainline churches reclaiming our heritage as communities of faith grounded in costly commitment to loving Jesus and loving the way he loved.

Things We've Learned

The last four years have proven to us that our original thinking was on target. Numerous ministers and congregations have responded to our vision for both spiritual and structural transformation. We suspected it would not be easy or quick work. We now know for sure. There are no instant answers to mainline decline, and certainly no quick fixes. We have found this fact to be the most difficult aspect of the process we have developed. Unavoidably, it takes time, energy, and serious commitment to move a congregation off dead center into a new way of being church. As we now say, people have to get "ruined" to old ways before they will embrace something new. Neither happens quickly or without struggle.

All of this confirms the fact that we are being quite honest in saying that what we are about is a "process" for transformation, not a new program. There is no time line for the process. The way one congregation works our process may be quite different from another. The "steps" we have identified are not legalistic, but they are comprehensive, each one requiring attention for the process to produce the kind of change we have seen congregations experience.

This web site reflects a lot of what we have learned since we started. One of the most important areas now on the site is "Reflections on Transformation." These are one page statements that address all aspects of the process, and numerous issues and concerns ministers and churches have encountered as they have been working it. The "Reflections" also provide details about the commitment we make to those who work with us, and what we expect in return. We are also asking pastors to covenant with the ministry, if they are serious about transformation. We are not a consulting group and are not seeking to sign churches on to a financially costly involvement. The only fees we charge are for the seminars we hold in which we explain the process, and even then, the fees reflect our actual costs. We have no permanent paid staff to support.

We invite your feedback on any of the subjects we address on this site. We are anxious to answer any questions or to receive comments that may help us help you become a part of The Jesus Connection process. Our ultimate goal is to build a network of mainline churches that can serve as resources for transformation for each other. We hope you will give serious thought to becoming a part of this great work.