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BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

The good news is a large majority of churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference have taken significant steps into the Discipleship Adventure. The great news, said the Rev. Rod Miller, director of connectional ministries, is that these churches are not satisfied with the status quo, but seem eager to move deeper into the Adventure.

Miller based this statement on a survey taken at this winter?s Leadership Days.

In January and February, more than 1,200 people gathered at three locations for Leadership Days, an annual training event, which this year included an orientation on the Discipleship Adventure.

The Discipleship Adventure is a holistic faith journey that bears fruits like those in Acts. 2:41-47. Participants were asked to assess their church in the five key Adventure areas: celebration, connection, development, service and faith sharing and rank its progress along a spectrum.

Overall, 10 percent of those at Leadership Days believed their churches were 'in a routine and starting out' on the Adventure; 50 percent viewed their churches as 'on the way, stepping out;' 32 percent believed their churches had moved 'down the road -- deeper, wider, further' in the Adventure, and 9 percent saw their churches as producing the Acts 2 fruit that accompanies the Discipleship Adventure.

Celebration, or worship, had the most varied responses from the Leadership Days participants. Seventeen percent believed their churches were 'mechanistic or stuck in a rut,' while 14 percent believed their churches were increasing worship attendance by at least 1 percent each year.

In the middle, 39 percent of those at Leadership Days thought their churches? worship was performance or audience-focused; and 31 percent saw worshipers at their church personally involved and offering themselves in worship.

In the category of faithful connection, the survey showed:
? Attendees are unconnected, isolated - 7 percent;
? Participants are acquainted, involved in fellowship - 50 percent;
? Disciples demonstrate friendship and people encounter God in the community - 36 percent;
? Confessions of faith are increasing by at least 1 percent a year - 7 percent.

In the category of faith development, the survey found:
? People view faith as a personal interest, a hobby - 10 percent;
? People belong to affinity groups and see faith as ideas to talk about - 53 percent;
? Faith forms people?s lives and people hold each other accountable - 27 percent;
? Trained leaders multiply and create disciples and other trained discipling leaders - 10 percent.

When considering service, the survey reported:
? Most ministry occurs within the church and giving is seen as a duty - 53 percent;
? Most ministry happens in the marketplace and people give generously - 35 percent;
? The church is involved in a Shalom-type ministry, 90 percent of the congregation is involved in mission and 100 percent of apportionments are paid - 6 percent.

When reporting on faith-sharing, or evangelism, the survey found:
? People tend to be internally focused and keep their faith to themselves - 10 percent;
? Faith is seen as a private matter and people witness to those who are close to them - 50 percent;
? People are willing to speak about their faith and act boldly in public - 32 percent;
? Church members demonstrate signs of God?s wonders - 9 percent.

Miller indicated that as congregations and individuals understand where they are now, they will be able to gain clarity on what steps can be taken next. 'All kinds of churches seem to be discovering room for growth. We?re recognizing that there may be a distance to go and that there?s more to do. I find that hopeful,' he said.

Miller was particularly heartened by the response portion of the survey, in which participants were asked, 'How can the conference help you?'

Almost one-third of the remarks asked for additional training opportunities. Many people identified 'leadership' as a topic with which their congregations most needed assistance.

The upcoming Discipler groups and the new Academy, which is being designed to train laity in leadership and other skills, are being designed to address the expressed need for additional training, Miller said.

As the Discipleship Adventure moves forward, Miller said, 'we look to respond together to the hunger that is deep within clergy and laity for transformation - a moving of the Spirit across our Conference.'