Here is one approach for getting your congregation involved in a cluster. Feel free to modify the suggestions in this approach to fit your situation. Don’t worry about your apprehensions—this is going to feel a little like going to your first school dance when you were in seventh grade for both you and for those your invite, but your lived through that and you can get through this.

Start by making a list of the churches that might have some potential for partnership with your church. Nearby churches are obvious choices for this list, but also consider churches that are a little further away if they might bring something to a partnership. Don’t exclude churches either because they are weak or strong. Weaker churches might be more motivated to partner, while stronger churches can bring a positive congregational culture to the table. Don’t omit churches that haven’t cooperated much before—you never know when the spirit might call them to the table even if they’ve stayed away in the past. There is no ideal number of churches—you might just have one other church on your list and you might have several.

The next step is personal contact among the pastors of each church on your list. Don’t start with a letter. Chat on the phone or get together in person and explain that your congregation is interested in partnering with other ELCA churches. Listen for concerns and hopes and dreams. Tell the pastor that the leaders of your congregation would like to invite the pastor and leaders of other congregations to one exploratory meeting to get to know each other and to think about possibilities for cooperation. Suggest some possible times and dates, and tell the pastor that your church will send out an invitation to the first meeting. If the pastor states that he or she is not interested say that you will send the invitation anyway, in case there is a change of heart.

Set a time and date for a meeting, and send out emails or letters inviting the pastor, council members and any other interested leaders to your meeting. You may find it beneficial to send two separate invitations, one addressed to the pastor and one addressed to the council in care of the council president.

Before the meeting pick a lay person to facilitate the meeting. Ideally the facilitator will be someone who can draw out the thoughts of everyone in the room but also keep the process moving and stick to the agenda. Start the meeting with refreshments and beverages. We Lutherans always seem to work better together when we eat together. Have the host pastor share a scripture reading (how about Luke 9:18-24?) and ask a pastor from one of the other churches to pray.  Then the facilitator can ask the people from each congregation to describe their church:  when it started, stirring times in its history, its community, its current strengths and its current struggles. Set a time limit for each church—maybe 10 minutes each or a little less time each if you have more than 4 churches at the meeting.

Then turn the discussion to the options for collaboration. Pick out two to four options in advance that might have some potential, describe them, and ask the group to list some of the advantages and drawbacks of each. (You can find descriptions of nine possible options at www.churchcollaboration.com.)  After discussion you will ideally achieve consensus to focus on one or two options at the next meeting. Then talk about the next meeting. At this point one or two of the invited churches may decide to step out—give them permission and don’t be dismayed if it happens. You might also ask if there is a church that is not at the table that should be invited to the next meeting. Ask one of the other churches to host the next meeting and decide on a time. Then close the meeting (hopefully on schedule) with prayer.