“Congregations don’t just do new things; they learn to do new things.”

— Tim Shapiro, How Your Congregation Learns: The Learning Journey from Challenge to Achievement

Our Thriving Congregations team (affectionately known as the “Avengers”) meets regularly together, with our session, Seattle Presbytery, our partners.  Please be in prayer for them, our session, congregation, and partners as we continue to learn together as a community, always seeking to faithfully follow Christ.  You’ve heard from our team members at various meetings and gatherings, and we’ll continue sharing more updates and ways you can get involved.  We encourage you to ask questions, engage with us and each other, and pray with us.

Here’s more background on Thriving Congregations:

Overlake Park PC is a member of the Seattle Presbytery’s Thriving Congregations Learning Cohort Initiative, along with other Seattle Presbytery congregations.    

Seattle Presbytery describes the initiative in this way: 

“Research evidences the trends and challenges facing congregations today and tomorrow.  With aging facilities and diversifying communities, it is essential to learn how embracing communities can allow faith and theological commitments to find new life through community relationships.  The aim of the initiative is to prepare congregations to be transformational learning communities able to faithfully and creatively confront social and cultural challenges.” 

It’s not a prescriptive “program” that offers all the solutions and answers.  It’s a transformational learning journey rooted in God’s love.  We rejoice at the opportunity to learn with each other, our community, and our siblings in Christ in Seattle Presbytery.  We invite you to join us our lifelong learning journey! Please reach out to any of our team members to learn more.

OPPC’s Thriving Congregation team members include:

• Grace Wang

• Dave Meyer

• Gerri Tyler

• Patricia Tuor

• Joseph Ramesh

• Nancy Devine

• Pastor HT Lee

• Pastor Lottie MacAulay Friedman

Thriving is to…
Be free from the worries of survival.
Live and contribute purposefully.
Learn and grow.
Know Jesus’ love that gives life and freedom.
Have hope for the future.