I attended my first General Assembly in 1998. I had only been a member of my congregation for 2 years, and had just completed my first year as the Director of Religious Education (DRE).
Change is afoot in our congregations! Ready or not, we are all learning new skills and adapting old ways to meet emerging needs, especially your professional staff.
Sharing programs between small congregations is something that makes a lot of sense. No small congregation has all the volunteers and money necessary to support all the programs wanted by their members.