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Transforming Congregations Through Faith Formation and Asset Building
By Dr. Dick Hardel

Search Institute in Minneapolis has done a wonderful service to communities and congregations with their work with developmental assets.  They have created a common language to enable Christian congregations to talk with community organizations about growing healthy communities.  I have stated in many workshops that it is essential for congregations to connect with the communities to carry out effective ministries.  Congregations can be well springs serving the communities and making a difference in the quality and longevity of the lives of all the people in the community.  Asset development has given a language and Search Institute has given a test process.

I have been concerned that some people might misunderstand the connection of faith formation and asset building and think that how one does youth and family ministry is to focus on asset building.  The desired outcome of asset development is good citizenship.  The desired outcome of youth and family ministry is families who are committed to Jesus Christ, living lives of witness and service, and passing on the faith.  Although the desired outcome of asset building is not faith formation, but rather good citizenship, asset building does preparation for faith formation.  However, when congregations work at strengthening families to nurture faith in their homes and to be the presence of God in their neighborhoods, those congregations will be building assets.  In our book Passing On The Faith, Dr. Strommen and I show how a congregation active in a partnership of home and congregation in nurturing faith can build up to 26 of the 40 assets listed by Search Institute.  Still congregations should work with the communities to build the 31-40 assets needed for healthy families and healthy communities.

In the recent newsletter from Search Institute, Gene Roehlkepartain, who is on our Institute Council and also serves as Search Institute's chief communications officer, asked participants at their conference to answer the question, "How would you know if a congregation is truly an asset-rich congregation?  What would you see in that congregation?" It is amazing to me how the answers given connect to the vision of youth and family ministry described in Passing On The Faith and the conceptual model of The Child In Our Hands Initiative.  Here are some of the responses of the participants:

• Congregation is intentionally intergenerational in program and activities
• Strong service or servant emphasis
• Kids know each other; adults and youth know each other
• Sense of hospitality and bonding among youth and other members
• Youth are visible in the congregation and are part of the leadership
• There is mutual respect between youth and adults
• Congregation is like an all-inclusive family
• Sense of loyalty and pride in the congregation
• Congregation affirms people's gifts
• Congregation reaches out to the community
• Youth are encouraged to discuss tough issues

For those people who know the Youth & Family Institute of Augsburg College it is easy to see the connection with the Four Imperatives, the Four Keys for Nurturing Faith in the Home, Milestones Ministry, and the Eight Strategies of The Child In Our Hands.  Faith formation and asset building fit well together.  Search Institute's work has been very helpful to congregations.  In collaboration with Lutheran Brotherhood, Search Institute is developing an assessment tool for congregations to use in asset building.  For more information about this project, contact Gene Roehlkepartain at gener@search-institute.org

Lutheran Brotherhood has also developed a booklet, Grounding Asset Building in Lutheran Faith, An Invitation to Reflection and Dialog. 

Congregations who focus on partnering with the home in teaching and nurturing the faith and who work with their local communities to develop healthy families and healthy communities can transform a community and the culture.