by: Rev. Cameron Trimble, CEO, Convergence
When Gainesville United Church of Christ in Florida gathered for its first Futures Lab, they weren’t asking, “How do we save our church?” They were asking a much more powerful question: “What will the future need from a congregation like ours?”
That shift in perspective—from preservation to purpose—is at the heart of Futures Labs, a process developed by UNESCO’s Futures Literacy team and used by Convergence with congregations across the country.
A Futures Lab is not your average visioning session.
It invites congregations to surface their anticipatory assumptions—the often-unspoken ideas we carry about what the future holds and what we believe is possible. These assumptions influence our decisions, limit our imagination, and often go unexamined. But when we bring them into the light, everything begins to shift.
Recent research by futurist Stefan Bergheim, a leader in the global futures community, analyzed over 500 assumptions collected during Futures Literacy Labs. His findings reveal that most assumptions fall into one of 18 categories—ranging from beliefs about human nature and technology, to assumptions about obstacles, resources, and potential solutions. By naming these assumptions, participants begin to spot blind spots, unlock new questions, and explore alternative futures that better reflect their values and callings.
In the case of Gainesville UCC, their assumptions revealed a deep longing for community, for care, for creativity—and a shared worry that the church’s relevance might be slipping away. But when they stepped back and asked, “What if the church is meant to be an island of coherence in a world unraveling?” new energy began to emerge. They envisioned a future where their building served as a mutual aid hub, where youth co-led intergenerational climate action, where worship became a celebration of beauty, resistance, and joy.
The Futures Lab was only the beginning. What comes next is just as important: a strategic plan that builds a bridge from imagination to implementation.
At Convergence, we believe strategic planning should never be about maintenance or metrics alone. It should be about mobilizing your mission. Our process helps congregations:
- Clarify their values and prioritize what matters most
- Reimagine staffing and leadership roles
- Deepen their investment in digital and spiritual engagement
- Design for equity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability
- Equip teams for healthy communication and resilient decision-making
We’ve seen it again and again: congregations that dare to imagine the future—not as a continuation of the past, but as a landscape of sacred possibility—begin to thrive in new ways. They move from fear to courage, from confusion to clarity, from maintenance to meaning.
If your congregation is in a season of discernment—not just about how to stay open, but about how to be of service in this emerging world—we invite you to explore a Futures Lab with us.
Let’s uncover the hidden assumptions holding you back.
Let’s dream together.
Let’s build the future that your community needs.
The future doesn’t belong to those who predict it. It belongs to those who dare to imagine it—and build it together.