Report to the Synod Assembly 2015 NEW CHURCH RISING Bishop Wayne N. Miller Metropolitan Chicago...

Report to the Synod Assembly

2015

NEW CHURCH RISING

Bishop Wayne N. Miller

Metropolitan Chicago Synod

ELCA

ORGANIZING RESOURCES AND RELATIONSHIPS

The Hub and Spoke Vision

Replaced By…

A NETWORK VISION

Resources Relationships

VISIONS OF TOMORROW

• Imagine a child born today…

• On his/her 21st birthday this child goes to church…

• What will be the same?

• What will be different?

• Will your church be there for this child?

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

• Rediscovering WONDER

• The unexpected is a miracle

• Curiosity about what God is up to

• How do we lead with a sense of wonder?

THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD

• Intentional Impact Training

• Based on curiosity about what God is up to in another person

• Reproduces leaders rather than filling organizational slots

• Nearly 60 leaders have been trained already

• Moving to network model to continue the momentum forward

LEADERSHIP FOR A NEW CHURCH

THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD

• Rediscovering FREEDOM

• The capacity to respond to God’s call

• The opposite of freedom is ATTACHMENT

• Living with Open Hands!

• Stewardship is the path to living with open hands

• 1/3 of our congregations have begun this journey

• Expandable treasury of resources

• Opportunities for networking with others

OPEN HANDS OPEN HEARTS

• Rediscovering JOY!

• JOY is NOT the same as HAPPINESS

• Happiness is the avoidance of pain or sorrow

• JOY is what comes when our TEARS…

• Are mingled with GOD’S HOPE

THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD

• Investing in RESURRECTION

• Not all of our congregations will be here in 2036

• Can we imagine legacy planning as a mission gift for today’s children?

• Synod staff is developing resources

• We need courage, honesty, compassion, and trust in the cross

• Renewal of Mission Vitality

• Fund for Mission Grants

• Turnaround Synod Initiative

• $370,000 given to congregational initiatives

• Development of Affiliated Mission Communities

• Six AMC’s approved

• One “second campus”

EXPRESSIONS OF JOY

ONE VISION OF OUR MISSION FUTURE