General Assembly Resolutions

NO.0718
(OPERATIONAL BUSINESS ITEM)
CELEBRATING NEW CONGREGATIONS

WHEREAS, we the members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) affirm The Great Commission challenge to "Go and make disciples;" and

WHEREAS, the founders of our movement were passionate about bringing new Disciples to the table; and

WHEREAS, we Disciples have witnessed the start of more than 500 new congregations since 2001; and

WHEREAS, more Disciples congregations claim this decade to be their decade of origin than any other decade in our church's history; and

WHEREAS, these new congregations participate fully in the life of our movement in supporting the Disciples Mission Fund and relating to regional life; and

WHEREAS, we recognize the gift of healthy congregations and their importance to human development; and

WHEREAS, the fastest growing segment in our population today are those who do not claim participation in any faith community; and

WHEREAS, the number of congregations per person in the U.S. has declined dramatically in the past 100 years; and

WHEREAS, 65 percent of the U.S. population does not reside near a Disciples congregation; and

WHEREAS, there are four states, three provinces and more than 25 large metropolitan areas that do not have a Disciples congregation;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this General Assembly, meeting in Forth Worth, Texas, July 21-25, 2007, reaffirms our commitment to the 2020 goal of 1,000 new Disciple churches by 2020, and enthusiastically celebrates these new congregations:

Congregations started since 2001:

General Board of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

The General Board recommends that the General Assembly
ADOPT Business Item No. 0718. (Debate time 12 minutes).

Supporting Document: List of New Church Starts (PDF)

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