Church -one of many Church as center of social life choices - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

From To  Church -one of many  Church as center of social life choices  Regular worship attendees 3-  Regular worship attendees 4/x month 1-2/x month  Growing membership  Declining membership  Lots of young families  Aging congregations  Relevant to people’s needs  Relevance to people’s for preaching, teaching, needs is unclear in today’s ministry society  Plenty of resources  Fewer resources

 Congregations feel a sense of urgency to grow. Where there is growth, there is change, and change is required for growth. But . . . they don’t feel a sense of urgency to CHANGE for the sake of that growth.  During times of crisis and change, the church yearns for effective leadership.  During times of crisis and change, the church resists effective leadership.  Congregations want growth without change.

People do not resist change , per se. People resist loss . (Leadership on the Line , Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky)

 Loss of members  Loss of the congregation’s central place in the lives of members  Loss of pastors, Christian educators, and staff members  Loss of deeply held traditions  Loss of structural supports (volunteers, denominational support)  Loss of status within communities  Loss of stability  Loss of confidence — in leaders, in members, in denominational bodies  Loss of energy, vitality, and passion for ministry  Loss of identity  Loss of relevance

we shift our focus? From what we want to do and how we want to do it… to Why we are doing it in the first place?

 Our beautiful church buildings become burdens we can no longer fill or afford;  A shortage of beeswax eliminates the lovefeast candle;  Brass instruments are unable to withstand the harsh environment of the future; or  The rapid increase in gluten allergies means no more lovefeast buns or sugarcake. In other words, the traditions and trappings we love are no longer part of the church.

Christ and Him crucified remain our confession of faith. We respond to this gift of grace with our faith in God, our love for God and our neighbor, and our hope in this life and the next.

 The Moravian Church was founded by a man named Gregory in 1457. It was an illegal church.  Wanted to have a “covenant community” of disciples of Jesus.  Felt church of his day was corrupted by power; addicted to violence; and oppressive of the laity.  Gregory and his followers wanted to live according to the “law of Christ” in the Sermon on the Mount. One of the most important things the founders of the Moravian Church did was define the doctrine and practices of the church.

God’s Grace:  God creates us. God saves us.  God makes us holy or blesses us Our Response:  Faith  Love  Hope

THE RENEWED CHURCH Deep commitment to:  Relationship with Christ (spiritual growth)  Community  Mission

A DISCIPLESHIP FRAMEWORK FOR TODAY God’s Action Our Response Our Lives God creates (living) Faith Spiritual Growth God saves (active) Love Community God blesses us (joyful) Hope Mission What connections can we make?

 Essentials God creates; God redeems; God blesses  We respond by having faith in God; loving God and  our neighbors; and looking forward with hope We live out essentials through spiritual growth,  community, mission.  Ministerials Human, sacred things that lead us to God  Scripture, sacraments, church, clergy, doctrine   Incidentals Everything else. Don’t confuse the little things with  the big things! Don’t lose your faith arguing about incidentals!  Love covers a multitude of sins. 

 Be a non-anxious presence.  Create safe spaces where people can acknowledge and grieve their losses and discuss their fears, anxiety.  Find out where people are at and start where they are. LISTEN.  Create a congregational environment where people can deepen relationships with each other and God. Talk about the essentials!

 Old: How do we bring them in?  New: How do we send them out?  Old: What should the pastor do?  New: What is our congregation’s shared ministry?  Old: What’s our vision and how do we implement it?  New: What’s God up to and how do we get on board?  Old: How do we survive?  New: How do we serve?  Old: What are we doing to save people (or help people or share the good news with people)?  New: What are we doing to make the Kingdom of God more present in this time and place?

 Help set a course and stay the course.  Affirm those things that will last.  Set aside many of the standards by which we have previously determined success or failure, effectiveness or lack thereof.  Do the right thing . . . help people be Jesus in the world. What does that look like?  Foster a deep spiritual life for yourself.

It is in faith that we minister, relying on God’s love to sustain us and knowing that no matter the difficulties we face, there is always a prayer . . . which brings with it, hope.

What’s Your Plan?

 Impressions?  What one or two ideas began to form as you read?  What’s emerging? What new connections are you making?  Were your presentations informed by this book? How?  What choice or choices do you see would be helpful for your congregation to make based on your reading?

What choice does your congregation urgently need to make?  Choosing life over death  Choosing community over isolation  Choosing fun over drudgery  Choosing bold over mild  Choosing frontier over fortress  Choosing now rather than later

Satisfaction Low High High Energy Low

Ask your members:  How satisfied are you with what is happening in your church overall?  What do you perceive is the level of energy and excitement in your church? Satisfaction Chaos Transformation Energy Recovery Hearth & Home

 Vital worship  Lifelong learning  Spiritual formation that fits complex lifestyles  An open leadership system  Quality relationships  Flexibility “How would your church members assess these activities in your congregation?” Russ Crabtree – Owl Sight

 For my ministry, God is calling me to. . .

 S – Specific  P – Personal  I – Integrated  R – Realistic  I – Important  T - Theological

 Biblical Models  Spiritual Gifts  Spiritual Type  Spiritual Practices/Disciplines – Piety, Study, Action  Emotional Intelligence  Conflict Style  Your “MQ” – Moravian Quotient  Change/Future Vision