Thanks to funding through the Bridges to the Future, churches have an opportunity for revitalization through the “ABIDE” program. This program allows funding for churches to send their pastor and several lay people to attend overnight retreats encouraging faith and stirring vision, a year involved in the Incubator process to develop leadership, learning and transformation through a Ministry Action Plan, and on-going coaching by ABIDE and Incubator facilitators.
Congregations that participated in the first ABIDE class are seeing results. New Hope UMC in Topeka has nearly doubled worship attendance. Blue Mound UMC has increased worship attendance by 40 percent. Many congregations are seeing increased outreach in their communities.
ABIDE is based on the popular L3 Leadership Incubator program that is also being used in the Kansas Area.
Download a flier for more information about ABIDE.
For more on the ABIDE program, contact Evelyn Fisher, Topeka District superintendent, at efisher@kansaseast.org.