‘Iwa Birds

The ‘Iwa bird, or the Great Frigatebird is a common sight along Pacific island coasts. Those of you who have visited the Hawaiian islands are probably familiar with their distinctive ‘V’-shaped tails soaring high overhead. ‘Iwa birds are known for soaring way in the sky for days or weeks at a time giving them the literal bird’s eye view as they search for the dark shape of fish in the waters below. Yet these birds nest and eat close to the ground in the company of other birds, deep in the foliage of the landscape. It is because of this two fold perspective - high and wide, close and intimate - that the ‘Iwa Collective has claimed the bird for their identity. The ‘Iwa Collective self-describes as an organization to “help leaders hold the tension between the demands of change and the people we are called to be with, seeing the big picture while staying grounded in real relationships within real communities.” Even as Highland Hills engages with the Dawnings process of discernment over the next year, Caitlin and I are participating in a cohort of pastors with the ‘Iwa Collective learning how to help our church see the far reaches of God’s calling, even while remaining true to who God already has shaped us to be.

Each week we meet over zoom with ministers in Virginia, Minnesota, and various parts of the United Kingdom to hear stories of our contexts, our people, our hopes, and our fears for this work we share. And each week we learn a bit more about the work of remissioning our deeply loved church communities. Lately, we have been exploring the idea of Traditioned Innovation - the work of moving into something new while holding onto the important roots of our past. It requires a pretty intimate knowledge of the organization or church that is experiencing change, knowledge that I simply don’t have after only three years at Highland Hills. So, thanks to the ‘Iwa Collective, for the first time in years, I have homework again. If you’ve read this far, perhaps you can help. Below are a series of questions to help Caitlin and I know our church’s roots better. If you’ve got the time, we’d love to take you to coffee, have a phone call, or get an email with your thoughts about who we have been so that together we can move into an ever more hopeful future.

• What happened during the glory days of our church?

• What were some of the worst days in our church?

• What do you fear we might lose from our past as we go into the future?

• What were some important programs, events, people, or rituals our church shared together?

  
  

• What elements of the past are still present today that you hope we will hold on to?

  
  

• What are some of the changes that have happened over the years that helped the church become healthier and more faithful to the mission?