Growing Together in a Season of Change
October is a beautiful reminder that change is part of God’s rhythm. Across Kansas, the colors begin to shift, the harvest season is underway, and the landscape reminds us that every season brings both an ending and a beginning.
Our churches are experiencing a similar season. Throughout the Kansas Region, congregations are asking important questions: How do we reach our communities? How do we nurture younger generations? How do we sustain ministry with fewer resources? What does it mean to be a faithful congregation in a changing world?
There are no simple answers. But there is one thing I believe strongly: we do not have to answer these questions alone. One of the great gifts of being part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is that we are connected. A congregation in western Kansas may have an idea that could transform ministry in eastern Kansas. A church navigating pastoral transition may benefit from the experience of another congregation that has recently walked that same road. A growing congregation may need resources, volunteers, or leadership support that another church can help provide.
This is what it means to be a region—not simply an administrative structure, but a community of congregations committed to helping one another follow Jesus and participate in God's mission.
I am particularly encouraged by the possibilities emerging across Kansas. We are seeing congregations explore new forms of ministry, develop stronger community partnerships, welcome new people, and reconsider what it means to be a thriving church. We are also exploring new ways to support emerging faith communities and congregations that are ready to try something different.
Sometimes collaboration can be very practical. It might mean sharing a building or ministry space. It could mean congregations sharing staff expertise, worship resources, technology, or volunteers. It might mean partnering on youth ministry, community outreach, leadership development, or food ministries. It could mean one congregation walking alongside another during a pastoral transition.
And sometimes collaboration simply means saying, "Tell me what you're learning."
That spirit of openness and generosity may be one of the most important gifts we can offer one another.
Our work with neighboring Disciples in the Christian Church in Greater Kansas City and the Christian Church in Nebraska is another expression of this vision. We are discovering that the boundaries between our regions do not have to limit our relationships. Instead, they can become opportunities for us to share ideas, resources, leadership, and imagination.
The future of the church in Kansas will not look exactly like its past. And that is not necessarily bad news. God has always been willing to meet people in new places and call the church into new forms of ministry. The question is not whether the church will change. The question is how faithfully we will respond to the changes God places before us.
As your Associate Regional Minister, I want to help our congregations navigate that journey. I want to listen to your stories, celebrate your successes, walk with you through difficult seasons, and help connect congregations that can learn and grow together.
So this October, I invite us to look around Kansas with fresh eyes. Where is God already doing something new? Which congregation could become a ministry partner? What gift does your congregation have that could strengthen another church? What might become possible if we shared our resources instead of protecting them?
And what would happen if we truly believed that the Spirit is already ahead of us, preparing the way? Kansas has always been a place of wide horizons. Perhaps that is an appropriate image for the church we are becoming.
The horizon before us is uncertain—but it is also filled with possibility. We are not simply preserving the church for another generation. We are helping God shape the church for the people and communities who are waiting to encounter the love of Christ.
Let us step into that future together—with courage, generosity, creativity, and hope. The season is changing. And God is still making all things new.
With gratitude to the ministry we share,
David Dubovich
Associate Regional Minister
Christian Church in Kansas