Pillar 1 Recap: Leadership & Vision
The Resilient Families Network gathered church leaders from across Charlotte for the first of our pillar events, asking the question "What does it look like for a church to truly own this work?"
The conversation centered on the difference between care that lives in a program and care that lives in a church's identity. During discussions, leaders explored what it means to move from an occasional compassionate response to something more rooted, where vision for vulnerable families is named from the stage, built into structure, and not dependent on any one person in the room.
"City-wide impact needs a city-wide organism. If we don't set the table right here, there's no grid to hang the tactical stuff on." - Gen Bowden, CFK
People came ready to be honest, and throughout all of it was the collaboration that this network was built for. Leaders came from different church contexts, different stages of engagement, and different levels of capacity, but a shared commitment to figuring it out together.
"We're not gonna get this right all the time, but we'll weather it together." - Mike Atkins, Forest Hill Church
Leaders named common places where this work tends to stall: when passion outpaces structure, when a staff member carries a vision that leadership hasn't claimed when lay leaders are doing the work but haven't been given the authority to sustain it.
And left with four concrete decisions to bring back to their teams: who owns this work, where it lives structurally, what level of commitment they're prepared for, and what first step moves it from intention to infrastructure. We're so grateful for everyone who was able to join us!
If you weren't able to make it, the handout and recording from the gathering are both linked below, and we'd love for you to still engage with what was covered. Our next pillar event on Strategic Engagement is coming up, and you can find details on our events page. If you're ready to take the next step, explore what it looks like to join the network and feel free to reach out through our contact form below with any questions. We'd love to connect with you!