A Time of Learning

Last week, I retreated to the rolling hills and picturesque landscape at Claggett Center in Maryland to attend the College for Congregational Development. The serene environment provided space to delve deeper into church life. When I registered for this time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. After each didactic plenary session, my interest and enthusiasm grew as I worked in breakout groups to practice applying the models.

As the week unfolded, the centering questions of “Who are we? What are we?

Where are we? And what is God inviting us to be and do?” provided a

rhythm of listening. Each model, and there were ten, was an invitation to a new

perspective. Initially, it seemed like it would be overwhelming, but step by step

things flowed naturally. I felt invited into a new sense of viewing the church

life. I was also awakened to the sense that God provides many pathways for

understanding who we are and who we are becoming through listening to others

share about their church experiences.

There was something profoundly grounding about hearing leaders of the church, clergy and lay persons, speak honestly about their congregations’ joys, challenges, and hopes. In their stories, I sensed familiar echoes of life at All Saints. In their questions, I heard the familiar longing for renewal and clarity. And in their courage to name certain realities, I felt a gentle reminder that discernment is always a communal act, a shared journey of noticing where God’s Spirit is already moving.

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Trail at Claggett Center

I spent time in the late afternoons walking around the center. A group tour was offered of the campus trails that passed farmlands. It was striking to learn of a data center being embedded within this land. If I hadn't learned of it through the tour guide, I would not have known, which was just another reminder of the little awareness one may have about one’s immediate community.

That realization about hidden layers in a community prepared me for what came next. In the plenary sessions, as we learned each of the ten models, I began to see how ministry also contains layers that aren’t immediately visible. Learning about the iceberg model in organizational development deepened that insight, revealing how the most powerful forces in a community often operate out of sight.

As we continued working with the models, I realized that each one offered a different lens, a different angle of entering grace by offering a way to journey with groups. I plan to implement at least two models, Gather, Transform, Send and Group Needs, with All Saints over the next few months. They helped me see that congregational life is not static but dynamic, shaped by history, context, relationships, and the quiet work of the Spirit. They invited me to slow down, to pay attention, and to trust that God is present not only in our aspirations but also in our questions.

As I carry this learning home, I find myself listening with more attentiveness. I am noticing the stories we tell about ourselves, the moments where there is a sense of movement or hope, and the tender spaces where healing or clarity is still needed. I feel encouraged to invite our community into deeper reflection, to ask together the questions that shaped my week: Who are we now? Who are we becoming? And how might we faithfully step toward God’s invitation for this moment?

My days at Claggett became more than a training; they reminded me that the heart of church work is spiritual. It is the sacred task of noticing, of trusting in the future God is shaping, and of journeying together with humility and hope.

Only by grace, Tara+

More pictures: Claggett has a chapel in a silo, which was a lovely space to meditate.

I met a wild rabbit on the trail. This one did not move until I passed, so I was able to get a good picture.