Transforming

Congregational

Ministry

Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service

ELW #712

Responsive Prayer

ELW Page 328

Change My Heart, O God

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When We Are Living

ELW #639

Transforming

Congregational

Ministry

Transforming

Congregational Ministry

Purpose for events:

Engage teams of leaders in a process of

transformation - so they are able to

Engage their congregations in

transformation - for the sake of God’s

mission.

God’s Mission

Reconciliation of All People to God and to one another.

Guiding Principles –

Transformational Ministry Team:

1.This is God’s gig

2.Meeting Jesus changes people

3.Changed people change the church

4.Changed churches change the world

5.God gives us what we need to

answer the call

Relationship…

Relationship…

Relationship…

Relationship with God

Relationship with one another

Relationship with the community

Every Person – a Missionary,

Every Pastor – a Mission Director,

Every Congregation – a Mission

Station for the sake of the

world

Creative Formation

• Identity

Who are we?

• Purpose

Why are we here?

• Context

Who is our neighbor?

Transforming Congregational Ministry

The purpose of Transforming Congregational Ministry(TCM) is to help congregations answer the question, “What is God’s intention for us?”

Transforming Congregational Ministry

It follows that, in order to answer this question, there needs to be a deeper understanding of the three actors in this equation: God, us, and this time and place.

Listening to God

• Introduced to the first step of listening to God through dwelling in the Word and prayer.

• How congregations are not the focus of God’s mission, but tools for the fulfillment of God’s mission.

• Unbinding the Gospel

Listening to Each Other

• Training on relational evangelism and one-on-one interviews.

• Teams strategize on how to conduct a listening campaign in their congregations. The timing of this campaign is scheduled to take place over the summer.

Listening to the Community

• Now that congregations have engaged in listening to each other, they will be encouraged to explore their immediate context.

• Focus on: an exploration of the needs and desires of the neighborhood, and an evaluation of the gifts and resources of the congregation and neighborhood.

Listening to the Community

• The congregation will be led through a process of immersing themselves into the neighborhood, not so much seeking problems that need to be solved, but trying to identify the points of suffering and the yearnings and desires of their neighbors.

Imagining a Mission Experiment

• This workshop will focus on moving from information gathering and relationship building into action, understanding that action also helps gather information and build relationships.

Imagining a Mission Experiment

• Congregational teams will ask: – What are the breaches that need repairing in our

context?

– How do we refrain from pursuing our own interests?

Imagining a Mission Experiment

• Focus on the differences between attractional and incarnational ministry, technical and adaptive change, and the need to initiate small experiments that can impact the entire system of the congregation without threatening it.

Imagining a Mission Experiment

• Teams will design and then implement a specific, measurable, and attainable experiment that will begin to move the culture of the congregation into a new posture for participating in God’s mission.

Where Do We Go From Here?

• Teams will evaluate and celebrate the action they engaged in and reflect on the process thus far.

• Teams will also review what they have learned from their experiment and what they have learned through the whole process of mission renewal.

Where Do We Go From Here?

• Teams will learn several methods of evaluation and spend time making plans for their next steps.

• This process will result in the development of a three year mission plan, including goals, strategies, processes, outcomes and resources needed.

Let’s Make It Happen?

• This workshop will focus on presentations of the mission plans that congregations have developed, offering constructive feedback to each other.

Let’s Make It Happen?

• Congregations will decide whether they want to submit their plans for funding to grant programs, or whether they will need other forms of support and accountability to make their plans a reality.

18 Months of Transformation

• April 3, 2013

• June 8, 2013

• August 24, 2013

• January 11, 2014

• March 29, 2014

• August 16, 2014

18 Months of Transformation

• Homework Assignments

• Pastoral leadership meet monthly

• Workshops will guide the next segment of transformational ministry.

Outcomes

• This is all about the conversation and

how this fits your ministry setting.

• This is NOT about a program or a plan that needs to be approved and submitted.

Outcomes

• This is ALL about relationship and building capacity for fulfilling God’s mission in your setting.

• Networking.

Transforming

Congregational

Ministry

Relationship…

Relationship…

Relationship…

Relationship with God

Relationship with one another

Relationship with the

community

"It is amazing what you can

accomplish if you do not care

who gets the credit."

Harry S. Truman

Characteristics of Healthy ELCA Congregations

• Purpose – A collective sense of what God wants them to do. Always contextualizes the “missio dei” and points to the world

• Willingness to Change – So committed to God’s purpose that

they will change what they do to get it done • Leadership – laity and clergy who work together as a team

– Priesthood of all believers – everyone knows that all of life is ministry and service to God happens 24/7 – not just in a church building or when we are “religious”

It takes all of these to make it happen!

Simple Assessment Tool

Commitment to God’s Mission

No Clue Fully Engaged

Willingness to Change

OMDB FSA

Leadership

Mired in Conflict All on the same page

The Effect of Programs • Congregations that used an evangelism program

initially showed some growth

• When program ended increases leveled off and decline generally happened

• At the 5 year point, congregations which did an evangelism program were smaller than when they started

• At the 5 year point the average congregation which did a program was smaller than those congregations who did nothing!

• Programs do not grow the church!

What We Have Learned…

• Money alone does not grow the church • Programs alone do not grow the church • Growing and shrinking congregations DO the same

things (there are really no “magic bullets/best practices” in a programmatic sense)

BUT

> Shrinking congregations tend to lack a collective sense that God is active and using them

> Growing congregations have a clear sense that God is active and using them

What does this mean?

• It is about discernment of God’s will, having a heart for change and equipping leaders

• Spiritual change precedes new initiatives, especially for the leadership

• We become asset based – using the resources God has given in this place and time as the starting point

• We facilitate process rather than teach techniques

The Changing Church

“Communities of care” “Missionaries of grace”

Dr. Alicia Vargas

Laity infiltrate through vocation

BIRTH

STABILITY

REDEFINITION

REDEVELOPMENT

REBIRTH DEATH

DECLINE

DECLINE

DECLINE

The Congregational Life Cycle

• Think about your congregation - Where on the arc is the church today?

• Is it addressing one of the three loops back to formation?

• What extent is it addressing the 3 formation questions?

– Who are we?

– What are we here for?

– Who is our neighbor?

Some indicators . . .

Growing the church witnessing to faith

Running the church forming disciples

Being people-led being Spirit-led

Doing a mission project having a mission

Fixing creating

Purpose Where is your focus:

• fellowship?

• social action or social service?

• music?

• historic preservation?

• landlord?

• investment management?

Or . . .

Are you in the business of calling people into discipleship

and forming them in a life-changing

faith?

Mission Models on the Move Fellowship of Members

Participate in the activities of the congregation

(Consumer oriented)

Followers of Jesus Participate in the mission of God for the

sake of the world

(Gift oriented)

Renewable and

sustainable resources

Lacking sufficient

and sustainable resources

Action Steps: Cast Your Vision

• Pray

• Go deep in the Word

• Listen to the hopes and dreams of the church

• Listen to the hopes and dreams of the community

• Talk about, write about, hone and shape your vision

• Share your vision with the people and allow the community to hone and shape it also.

"If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever

get done."

Ludwig Wittgenstein

A Process Map for Ongoing

Transformational Ministry

What is God’s

Intention for Us?

What Is Our Role?

Discovery and Diagnosis

What's really going on?

What is God’s

Intention for Us?

What Is Our Role?

Discovery and Diagnosis

What's really going on?

Decide

Plan how/what to do.

What is God’s

Intention for Us?

What Is Our Role?

Discovery and Diagnosis

What's really going on?

Decide

Plan how/what to do.

Do

Time to act.

What is God’s

Intention for Us?

What Is Our Role?

Discovery and Diagnosis

What's really going on?

Decide

Plan how/what to do.

Do

Time to act.

Debrief

How is it going?

What is God’s

Intention for Us?

What Is Our Role?

Relationship…

Relationship…

Relationship…

It is human nature—

• We will not change

until it is no longer

possible to remain

the same.

4/13/2013 59 Change Factors

Leaders Set the Stage for Transformation!

• Pray and read scriptures

yourself. Tithe. Love God and

people. Talk about and share

Jesus with everyone you meet.

Help others do the same.

• Define your mission purpose and

core values up front and use them

in your calling and brochures,

leadership training and

development, as well as to lead

and guide decision-making.

• Generate high expectations for

membership and especially for

leadership.

–Growth giving toward and

beyond tithing, prayer, scripture

study, service, etc. should be

expected of everyone but

especially of leaders.

• As you lead, be sure that you

equip and develop others to lead.

–The more you are the center of

leadership and activity, the more

the system will be capped by

your ability.

• Help people think about their lives

in terms of vocation, ministry and

gifts.

– How does Jesus go with them in

their whole life?

• Train lay people to do church

ministry (visiting, worship

leadership, preaching, teaching,

etc.) early on.

Transforming

Congregational

Ministry

What is God up to in

your life?

What’s your story?

How does your story

connect with God’s story?

• God calls each of us to participate in God’s

work, no matter where we are.

• Personal transformation happens in movement

from our heads to our hearts.

• Each of us has a faith story through which we

can model God’s love & grace.

• God doesn’t always come in a lightning bolt.

God uses us to bless others & others to bless

us.

• The road to discipleship can be smooth or full of

potholes. God is with us on the journey.

• Many of us have not shared or been asked

about our faith stories.

.

• We will focus on four questions relating

Acts 9 to our own faith story.

• Fold your piece of paper so that it is in

quarters.

• For each of the questions that will come

after you hear the story, you will draw a

picture or write something that illustrates

your answer.

Acts 9:1-20

First Reading

3rd Sunday of Easter (C)

• Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and

murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to

the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the

synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found

any who belonged to the Way, men or women,

he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

• 3Now as he was going along and approaching

Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed

around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a

voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you

persecute me?" 5He asked, "Who are you,

Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you

are persecuting. 6But get up and enter the city,

and you will be told what you are to do."

• 7The men who were traveling with him stood

speechless because they heard the voice but

saw no one. 8Saul got up from the ground, and

though his eyes were open, he could see

nothing; so they led him by the hand and

brought him into Damascus. 9For three days he

was without sight, and neither ate nor drank….

• 10Now there was a disciple in Damascus named

Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision,

"Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." 11The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the

street called Straight, and at the house of Judas

• look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this

moment he is praying, 12and he has seen in a vision

a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands

on him so that he might regain his sight."

• 13But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from

many about this man, how much evil he has done

to your saints in Jerusalem; 14and here he has

authority from the chief priests to bind all who

invoke your name." 15But the Lord said to him, "Go,

for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring

my name before Gentiles and kings and before the

people of Israel; 16I myself will show him how much

he must suffer for the sake of my name."

• 17So Ananias went and entered the house. He

laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul,

the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your

way here, has sent me so that you may regain

your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18And immediately something like scales fell from

his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got

up and was baptized,19and after taking some food,

he regained his strength. For several days he was

with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately

he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,

saying, “He is the Son of God.” • New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in

the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God Is On A Mission

• Paul encountered Jesus at a cross

road in a way that changed his life.

• When did you personally

experience Jesus at a crossroad?

–Draw a picture or symbol of that, or

–Write down words or phrases.

God’s Mission Comes To Us

Through Others

• God chose Ananias to be an agent for

healing & hope to Paul.

• Who has God used to bring you

healing or hope?

–Draw a picture or symbol of that, or

–Write down words or phrases.

God’s Mission Comes

Through Us to Others

• Paul was not randomly chosen – God

had a purpose for him.

• When did you know that God was

working through you in someone

else’s life?

–Draw a picture or symbol of that, or

–Write down words or phrases

It’s A Time Of Change

• Paul’s work for God would not be a bed of roses – he would suffer to carry it out.

• When have you struggled with your faith or suffered because of it?

–Draw a picture or symbol of that, or

–Write down words or phrases

• When is a time that you personally

experienced Jesus at a crossroad?

• Who is a person who God has used to bring you healing or hope?

• When is a time when you knew that God was working through you in someone else’s life?

• When is a time when you have struggled with your faith or suffered because of it?

Then using the back of your sheet of paper or a note card, complete this sentence with no more than 12 additional words:

God’s purpose for me is…

(today/this week/in my life)

Now for your Team’s Purpose

1. Individually write a conclusion to the

following prompt: The purpose of our

team is…. (12 words or less)

2. In your congregational groups, using

your individual statements (#1 above),

create one combined statement. (12

words or less)

Let us pray,

Gracious and holy God,

give us diligence to seek you,

wisdom to perceive you,

and patience to wait for you.

Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you;

eyes to behold you;

ears to listen for your word;

a heart to love you;

and a life to proclaim you;

through the power of the Spirit of Jesus

Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen

Transforming

Congregational

Ministry

Unbinding the Gospel Project

Unbinding the Gospel:

Real Life Evangelism by Martha Grace Reese

Unbinding the Gospel Project Signs of hope

1. Mainlines not doing a good job with evangelism

2. Mainline pastors: Deeper spiritual/prayer life and attention to scripture

3. Mainline churches shifting priorities:

church planting and evangelism

Evangelizing Church Culture

• Inviting culture

• Welcoming/hospitality culture

• Faith story sharing culture

• Testimony culture

Evangelizing Church Obstacles

• Clericalism

• Privatization of Faith

• Ethnic Idolatries

• Others?

Transforming

Congregational

Ministry

What Does “YES” Mean?

• Submit a payment of $150 per congregation and commit to participate in this 18-month process.

What Does “YES” Mean?

• Between today and June 8, commit to regular meetings as a team to read and discuss Unbinding the Gospel.

– Ideally, meeting weekly to discuss the chapters and work through the 40 day prayer journal.

– A total eight weekly meetings.

What Does “YES” Mean?

• The pastor commits to monthly meetings with the other pastors of this cohort, convened and facilitated by synod staff. (Throughout 18 months)

• This is intended to incorporate the whole congregation, and involve other leaders who may not be part of this team. You are not alone!

What Does “YES” Mean?

• In teams…

– Discuss today’s conversation. How does this feel?

• What inspires you?

• What challenges you?

• How do you see this relating to your context?

– Discuss logistics of the team.

• Are there others not on the team that need to be?

• Make a plan for meeting to discuss Unbinding the Gospel.

Transforming

Congregational

Ministry