The "Partnering with Renewal" Story

The Parish Resource Center in Lancaster, PA

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished taking photos at the Parish Resource Center (PRC) where my wife is the administrative assistant.  Today was the day that the announcement was being made about a major change in the direction that the center is taking for the future.  About two dozen guests, board members, staff and one photographer gathered for the presentation that was given by the PRC President Scott and the President of the Board Steve along with help from other board members and Glen who is a consultant at the center.  The PRC started in 1976 when it opened a small center in the Lancaster Theological Seminary in the city of Lancaster, PA.  In 1981 it moved to a newly constructed building on Community Way in the suburbs of Lancaster.  This was during an era when smartphones and tablets were only a thought in someones' mind.  The center thrived with consultants helping pastors with sermons, Sunday School teachers with their weekly lessons, music directors with song sheets, and lending aide to parishioners who were in charge of fund raising in their churches.  Then, little by little technology started doing some of the same things that the PRC consultants were helping their subscribing churches to do.  How do they adjust to the introduction of the Internet and the ease with which the subscribing churches could find the same information online - and at anytime of the day or night without having to travel?  Well, ......... not very well.  Subscribing churches started to drop memberships, fewer contributions were made to the PRC and younger church members, who were knowledgeable with all the new technology, chose that route rather than ask for help at the PRC.  Scott, who was named the President of the center a little over a year ago, had to do something drastic to change how the center operated or the center would close.  He came up with a new vision that stated: As a community of congregations, we endeavor to be a distinctive, multifaceted learning community, sharing valued resources and recourse consultants to develop a capacity for change and renewal.  By downsizing the center in size and updating its resources as well as having the PRC consultants make visits to the churches to lend aide, he is hoping the center can survive in a world that is controlled by texting, instant access to the Internet on smartphones, and high tech churches with special sound systems and video productions.  The new PRC will be partnering with neighbor Homestead Village which is a retirement community adjacent to the center.  The cost of the center will be shared by the partners and the retirement community will have access to a beautiful building for programs and concerts.  Today's program shared the new ideas with all in attendance.  In theory the new format sounds good, but only time will tell how it is accepted by member churches.  The board president likened the change to paddling a kayak down a stream that had rocks spread throughout the water.  The PRC had just made its way past the first series of rocks, but must now navigate by the next series to be successful.  Maybe technology can help the PRC lean in and paddle fast to bypass the rocks. It will be necessary or the PRC will surely capsize.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This used to be the workshop room, but now holds resources that subscribers are able to borrow. 

The shelves are lined with books, pamphlets, and other items.

Looking toward the front door of the center.  Beautiful architecture!

The centerpiece of the outdoor pool is majestic.

The President of the PRC, Scott, talks to the visitors 

The President of the Board, Steve, makes a point during his talk.

The plans that Scott prepared for the placement of the resources in the workshop room.

Cornerstone showing the date that the building was constructed.