What is this 'program'?

Is this like having a 'sister church'?

How would our church do that?

How could this program start at my church?

Will we get a match?

What's the program structure?

Do we have to visit South Africa?

Should we?

Uh, do they use e-mail?

How do we 'sign' up?

What is this ‘program’?  “Ibandla lami linge lakho / My church is your church” is an idea to enrich the lives of churches and members in Massachusetts and in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, through contacts and links between the people of local congregations, rediscovering and building upon historical and other links of the UCCSA in KZN with the UCC in Massachusetts.  The idea is to ‘match’ a single church here with a single church there, with the aim to reclaim a sense of close family between us.

                This effort began with five sets of churches in 2004, with another 9 sets of churches added in 2005.  The program proceeds with the approval of the denominational bodies in the US and South Africa.  Ruthann and Jan Hall, members of Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord, Mass., are serving as volunteer facilitators for the program.

Is this like having a ‘sister church’?  Yes, or maybe a ‘cousin,’ but think concepts like “link” – “share” – “intertwine” – “parallel” – “act jointly” – “exchange” – “know one another individually”.   The idea is to link the actual lives of the churches, rather than to exchange pleasantries, or send contributions, every so often.  THE SENSE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP SHOULD BE EMBEDDED IN THE USUAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH, WEEK TO WEEK.

How would our church do that?  Exactly how this is done would be up to the ‘matched’ churches themselves, and depend upon them.  But the idea is not for the American church to provide things to the KZN church, or for us just to hold forums to learn about the people there — it is, rather, to have a true and ongoing relationship with them, centered on our and their lives as churches.

                For starters, you and they will want to look for some means of introducing the churches to each other through, for instance, the exchange of photo albums or scrap books.  In discussions with participating churches, examples have come up of possible further ‘contact points’ and activities such as:

?        Church schools (such as sharing or exchanging lessons and songs)

?        Adult groups (sharing and identifying personal prayer concerns)

?        Music

?        shared Bible studies

?        Worship connections

?        Youth groups (addressing an issue in common to their respective communities, while reflecting on and sharing the experience); and

?        Pen pals (at all ages). 

‘Matched’ churches are encouraged to discover activities and connections that are meaningful to them — and to share them with other participating churches.

How could this program start at my church?  The Halls, as volunteer program facilitators, are spending roughly half the year in the US and half in South Africa, so as to visit each interested church in Massachusetts and in KwaZulu-Natal.   Once a church has indicated it wishes to join the program, a match is determined, usually within six months.  With the identification of the match comes basic information about the other church and introductory pictures as well as initial contact information.

                The Mass church is usually asked to make a first phone call to the KZN church’s contact persons, to begin the process of discovery and sharing between the churches.  While the program does not prescribe or require particular activities or specific ways in which the sharing and development of the family relationship between the churches should take place, the Halls remain available to answer questions or assist as needed.

Will we get a match?  As of mid-2005, a number of KZN churches beyond the 14 participants have expressed great interest in being included in the program as soon as the growth of the program allows.  In response, the Halls are actively looking for interested MaCUCC churches to begin relationships in early 2006, when they will be returning to KZN to work with the churches there.  There is a UCCSA church in KZN just waiting to be ‘matched’ with your church!

What’s the program structure?  Beyond the local churches themselves, as little as possible.  Each church that joins the program should identify several initial contact persons who are interested in the program and active within the church, and who can be identified to the KZN church — it is best if these persons are drawn from different areas of the church’s activities, so as to afford the possibility for multiple points of direct communication and linkage with the KZN church.  For example, initial contacts often act as liaisons for the Sunday school or for an adult group interested in a prayer connection.  In addition, each church should have a coordinator / advocate, a ‘go-to’ contact person or persons for the program.  This person would be instrumental in starting contact between the churches and would be a regular point of contact for the facilitators, the Mass conference, and other participating churches.

Are there rules?  How much regulation a family relationship needs, will depend upon the family members, but …  There needs to be a commitment to the relationship.  The matched churches should commit to ‘give this a go’ for four years, to allow for some development time.

                Also, it is very important for the success of this program that it NOT be or become about money or the transfer of resources from the well-off here to the less-well-off there.  This is a central issue that needs to be dealt with maturely and consistently — any such transfer of resources in the context of one relationship can change the nature of the program, and perhaps irreparably, for all the churches.

Do we have to visit South Africa?  No.  Should we?  Well, yes, it would be a wonderful experience.  And rest assured, the folks in the South African churches will be interested in visiting here, too.  But travel is not a requirement of the program itself.  I3L is not intended to be another scheduled ‘tourism for Christ’ venture.  On the other hand, as the relationships build, the desire to make them less virtual will begin to take hold, and the parties will have to see where that takes them.

Uh, do they use e-mail?  It depends, but directly or indirectly, the answer is likely to be ‘yes’ by some member of the congregation.  However, phone contact is strongly recommended for a number of reasons.  While the UCCSA churches in KZN speak several languages, there are certain to be English speakers in the participating churches.

How do we ‘sign up’?  It’s pretty simple:  Someone willing to speak for the church needs to tell the Halls that the church wants to explore the program. (Contact information is below.)  The Halls can come to your church to make a presentation about the KZN churches, the purposes for and reasons behind the program, and how it is progressing, as well as to answer questions concerning your church’s possible involvement.

(September 2005)