Sacred Places Summer 2019 | Page 7

were missing, not what gifts they had. After developing a new asset mentality, we sat down and talked with Adele and others about what their gifts were. Ironi- cally, we learned that she is a great cook, and we did a series of things to showcase and support her cooking. She became a successful food entrepreneur! BJ: How should the structure of the church—including governance and the way congregations conduct worship— reflect this new asset thinking? MM: At a governing council, instead of hearing reports from all the other com- mittees that don’t do much anymore, you can invite people from your congregation and your community to take five min- utes to discuss the gifts they have. The next logical question for the congrega- tion is: what should we do now, given what we know now about these gifts? In other words, how do we as a congregation make sure to make room for the gifts of people? At Broadway, we are ready to say to people: “Go and do what you want.” If you need money for it, then there are some things you’re going to have to do. But if you just want to do something here in the name of the church, and it fits with the broad outlines of our mission, then you don’t have to get our permission to do this. You have our permission.  BJ: How does Partners’ work fit in? MM: Partners has done a good job re- minding people that there’s a whole wide world of abundance around you: people who care about some of the same things you care about, the business owner down the street who may really love the thing you’re doing—say gardening, for example — because that may be her love or his love too. BJ: I think what’s easiest for people to understand, because your stories are so compelling, are the gifts of our members and our neighbors. But we want congre- gational leaders to take the next step: “Let’s think about the building as a bun- dle of assets, too.” The whole congrega- tion can sink if that building is not better utilized, if it’s not maximized. How has Partners’ work influenced your thinking on this? MM: It has shaped  my thinking! More and more I’ve seen all the possibilities of our building. Now almost everything that happens in Broadway’s building comes from those outside our congregation. We have a floor that is entirely made up of artists. We have an architecture firm that rents space in our building. Our nine kitchens (yes, nine!) are used by food entrepreneurs. Many neighbors teach classes in our building: everything from capoeira to building rain barrels. Our building is used by a local public high school for its baccalaureate and a large organization of early childhood educa- tion centers uses our space for their train- ing days. The Metropolitan Youth Or- chestra offers lessons and a local Acro- Yoga group meets here. Neighbors who play video games have a monthly video game night here at the church. We have concerts and viewing parties for different events as well as theater production groups who use our space. Much of this has happened because, as we have paid attention to the giftedness around us, it has led us to build on the connections we have, leading us to people and organiza- tions that have become tenants. BJ: I see what you are saying – maximiz- ing the building is an opening to work with the community to do ministry in new ways. Thank you, Mike! SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2019 7