Monday Discussion Starter: It's Lifelong!

Last week I spent most of my time on the road. On Wednesday and Thursday I attended a meeting of the National Council of Churches Committee on Public Education and Literacy, and on Friday I had the pleasure of addressing the Diocese of West Missouri's College of Presbyters--their clergy gathering. After conversation with the chair of his Christian Formation Commission, Bishop Howe graciously allowed an hour for me to talk to the clergy about lifelong formation. While the two may seem to have nothing in common, I did see a common theme in the discussions about both public school reform and our church education and formation programs. We have allowed the language of the marketplace to frame our discussions and business models to inform our practices. As I asked the clergy on Friday, why are we so eager to embrace marketplace language and business models in our churches? Look what they've done for our economy! Just as there are no quick fixes for our public schools, there are no quick fixes for our churches. What we need are vision and long range thinking. That is what the Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation provides. It is a framework on which to build and move forward, not necessarily a teaching tool in and of itself. What are some of the ways you think in terms of lifelong formation, vision, and long range thinking?