Welcome!

It is quite lovely to have you here with us in this experimental project. Though you’re arriving from various physical, theological, and experiential locations, we hope you’ll remain open to the process as we all discover plenty on this journey to a different place than where you each began. You might already be wondering who “we” are when there’s only one instructor. Good catch! I’ll be introducing myself more fully after the Overview, so for now, let me tell you about us, the “we” who are expecting you.

Who Are We?

First, my name is Phiwa (pronounced PEE-wah) and I’m a member of the Center for Analytics, Research & Development, and Data (CARDD) of the United Church of Christ (UCChrist). Just over a year ago, with my new position, UCChrist added a Research & Development (R&D) component to our operations. One of the priorities of this role was to increase engagement with and representation of these types of churches: small, rural, communities of color, and/or new church starts.

Second, I’ve been tasked with listening for different kinds of innovation across the denomination. As I’m discovering all the amazing things that our churches are already doing, I’m also working on bringing some of those learnings into a central location as an innovation hub of sorts. This Data Beta School is the first iteration of that effort and with your help, all those who dreamed my position into existence will learn from our shared experimentation.

Finally, another priority of this position was to strengthen our relationships with the United Church of Canada (UCCanada) and the Disciples of Christ (DoC). Over the last year, we’ve been collaborating with both denominations, specifically the New Church Ministry Team of the DoC and the EDGE: A Network for Ministry Development of the UCCanada. Already, we have gleaned from and strengthened each other’s efforts to make innovation more accessible. As a result, this experiment serves as a prequel to the UCCanada’s Theory of Change workshops and the DoC’s Leadership Academy. In fact, by the time you reach the end of this exploration, you’ll be positioned well enough to dive right into the Theory of Change workshop, should you choose to do so. This is designed as a standalone experience so it’s perfectly fine if you decide not to travel that path.

Why Exodus?

Though you aren’t required to have any specific set of beliefs, my approach to this work is rooted in my understandings of faith. In this instance, I’m compelled by the story of the Israelites in the book of Exodus in the Bible. They narrowly escaped enslavement from Egypt through a series of bizarre happenings; miracles, some might call them. Essentially, the daily oppressions they faced depleting their humanity. Sure, they’d fallen into rhythms of existence despite the oppression and found ways of being in community as meaningfully as they could. However, this is not the way God intended for people to live, so God got them up out of that situation…

…and into the wilderness where they wandered for forty years! At first, it was exciting to be in a new setting, experiencing new things, relating to each other in new ways with the excitement of finally being free. Then the reality of the situation sunk in as the uncertainty ahead began to cloud their memories of and motivations for leaving Egypt. “Why has Moses brought us out here to die?” At least in Egypt they knew how to navigate subjugation; they’d made homes in the familiarity of their suffering. We have the benefit of history to know they made it out of that wilderness with a brand-new outlook and deeper trust in God, who repeatedly cared for them through their myriad challenges in the vast unknown.

This is what I’m envisioning for our time together. It’ll likely feel fun and exciting at first to finally be freeing ourselves from various kinds of oppressions; the systemic ones that continue to plague too many of our siblings across the globe as well as the more subtle ones of our own making – traditions, policies, and every type of “ism” that’s hidden in plain sight. Then, things are going to get very real as we dig deeper and face some uncomfortable truths about ourselves and the ministries we represent. We might even want to cling onto the very things that stirred our spirits toward this experiment. Indeed, many of us have become professionals at the “fake it ‘til you make it” spirit that inevitably burns us out.

I do hope you’ll remember that just as God cared for those in the literal wilderness of yesteryear, God does the same for us in this abbreviated and digital wilderness we’re entering. God has been, is still, and will yet be with us every single step of the way, wherever it may take us. You already have what you need and so much more! Let’s challenge ourselves and support each other in this process of leaving behind the things that no longer serve the ministries to which we’re called. Let us move toward the great unknown so we can discern more clearly who and what we are truly called to be and do in this time and place.

Let this Exodus Experiment join our stories with the stories of those who’ve shown the way before us and with those whose stories have yet to be lived. Are you ready?