United Methodist Community Of Practice
A Visioning and Transformation Initiative for United Methodist Churches
January – October 2025
What Now?
There are those rare, yet poignant moments, when large-scale life disruption finds us, influencing many simultaneously. This doesn’t happen often, yet when it does, we cross over thresholds into new seasons, ready or not, asking “what now?”
Those Christ-followers who are the United Methodist expression of church know what this is like. Recent years have brought unprecedented change to United Methodist churches, requiring sorting experiences like we have not seen in our lifetimes. Now, many United Methodist churches have major decisions behind them, living into the new era beyond denominational sorting.
What Now?
Like faithful disciples throughout the centuries, United Methodist churches are now looking for God’s calling, eager to reshape into greater expressions of the body of Christ. Many churches and their leaders are hearing the call to transformation inherent in these transition moments in this denomination. With a growth mindset and forward leaning spiritual posture, churches turn volatile events into exceptional transformation opportunities. Like Holy Spirit winds blowing on dormant coals, churches can be energized and enlivened in this new season of life and ministry.
Yet this kind of robust transformation doesn’t happen by accident. There are too many dynamics at play to leave our spiritual growth and transformation to chance. Instead we need an intentional, proactive process to guide us toward integrating our innovation and adaptation while discerning fresh vision. This is the purpose of ReShape, designed specifically for United Methodist churches.
“ReShape is a guided process for capturing and integrating the innovation and adaptation resulting from volatile life experiences, transforming churches into greater expressions of the body of Christ.”
In 2021, Rev. Mark Tidsworth and Pinnacle Leadership Associates developed the ReShape Initiative, providing this Initiative through Central Seminary in Kansas City, with generous funding from The Lilly Endowment as a Thriving Congregations Initiative. Through this excellent experience and generous funding, Pinnacle Leadership Associates was able to refine and strengthen the process, develop professional level resources, and engage with churches from many denominations located across the USA.
Now, Pinnacle has adapted the ReShape Initiative specifically for United Methodist congregations, districts, and conferences…those ready to discern new vision as they make disciples who partner with God toward transforming the world.
United Methodist churches and their conferences are invited to consider joining the 2025 Community of Practice, engaging this ReShape Initiative, January – October 2025. Churches will be in community with other UM churches, learning from and cross-pollinating each other, discovering fresh vision for living into God’s calling, making disciples for the transformation of the world. The following pdf describes in detail how to explore participation.
ReShape Testimonials
“In order to gain clarity regarding our church's next faithful steps in ministry as we emerged from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our church engaged in the ReShape process in 2021-22. In addition to facilitating much-needed reconnection among church members, the clarity that came from this process allowed our small church to launch several significant ministry initiatives in a short period of time, including renovations to the church facilities that greatly improved accessibility, beginning a new laundry ministry at a nearby laundromat, and even a medical debt relief campaign that forgave nearly $5 million in medical bills for members our our surrounding community! The ReShape process was incredibly helpful for providing organization and clarity to harness the passion, gifts, and energy that this small congregation already possessed.”
—REV. JONATHAN HARRIS, Mt. Zion UMC, Central SC
Engaging in the Reshape process in 2021 was a unifying experience for Saint Mark. It provided opportunities for small groups to talk together and hear from one another about their experiences of Church as well as where they feel God leading forward after the worst of COVID 19. The questions guided conversations forward, made space to name grief, and helped us all to dream for the future. The process was incredibly helpful for providing clarity around our mission and helped us to prioritize where we focus energy and resources to best work with God.
-REV SHAWNA VANDELUNE, Former Associate Pastor, Saint Mark UMC, Seneca SC