Transcript Districts, Clusters, Resource Centers

Tip-Off for Ministry Clusters
A New Indiana Conference
What do we hope this new Indiana
Conference will look like when we
have completed putting it together?
 Focused upon our mission of
making disciples of Jesus Christ for
the transformation of the world
 With an “inverted initiative” toward
local congregations
 Not “hierarchical” but an organic
system of interdependence and
“horizontal accountability”
A New Indiana Conference
What we are doing is “assembling an
automobile while driving it down
the highway at 70 MPH.”
- Dr. Gil Rendle consultant
Disciples
Three Simple Rules
Congregations
Five Practices
Clusters Congregations Working Together
Districts Resourcing Clusters
Conference Equipping and Connecting
Congregations and Disciples
Congregations will focus upon:
3 Simple Rules and 5 Practices
Three Simple Rules for Individuals:
 Do no harm
 Do good
 Stay in love with God
Five Practices for Congregations:
 Radical hospitality
 Passionate worship
 Intentional faith development
 Risk-taking mission and service
 Extravagant generosity
Ministry Clusters
Every Congregation will join a
Ministry Cluster
What is a “Cluster”?
 A group of 4 to 9 local churches
who choose to work together to
accomplish the Gospel mission in
their area
 A group of local churches who
share common ministry needs and
who work together to learn from
each other
Ministry Clusters
Ministry clusters are to focus on answering
two core questions:
1) “How are each of our congregations doing
in our local church ministries toward
accomplishing our mission of making
disciples of Jesus Christ for the
transformation of the world?” and
2) “What can we do better and more
effectively together in our ministries to
impact our area for Christ than we can do
as individual congregations?”
Ministry Clusters
Churches in a Ministry Cluster will fulfill this by:
 praying for each other by name during worship.
 studying and praying for their shared mission
area using demographic tools.
 dreaming of ways to make an impact on their
shared mission area through witness and/or
mission, or possibly shared programs.
 supporting each other, perhaps through sharing
resources, expertise or best practices.
 encouraging one another when faithfulness and
fruitfulness is evident.
 holding each other accountable when lack of
faithfulness or fruitfulness is evident, including
learning from ministries that have not worked.
Ministry Clusters
Where does this idea come from?
 Biblical model of sharing among
Christians (Acts 2:44-49)
 Wesley model of class meetings
and societies
 Covenant discipleship groups
 Team ministry (started with Jesus
calling two sets of brothers)
 Other Conferences
Ministry Clusters
The Bishop and Cabinet are hosting
10 different “Cluster Tip-Offs”
where pastors and lay leaders will
hear the concept, dialog, and help
select their Clusters
(February/March, 2009)
Clusters will nominate Leaders (lay
or clergy) to the DS who will name
the Leader
Clusters will help shape final lines
of district boundaries.
Cluster Leaders and functions
Characteristics of a Cluster Leader:
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Lay or clergy
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Time to serve
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Willingness to learn about the
churches, people, and communities
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Convener and organizer skills

Communication with DS
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Facilitate process
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Willingness to be trained
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Co-leaders are encouraged too
Clergy Covenant Groups
Clergy Covenant Groups
The Transition Team assigned this
task to the Chairs of the Orders
(Elders, Deacons, Local Pastors)
and those persons are working on
this assignment:
Gathering information about current
covenant groups
“Our Life Together” retreat in April
will be the launch of new groups
On-going monitoring will be done
Districts
Proposed District Lines and Names
1 = North District
2 = Northeast District
3 = Northwest District
4 = West District
5 = Northcentral District
6 = Central District
7 = East District
8 = Southeast District
9 = Southwest District
10 = South District
2010 District Superintendents
1 = North District (Cindy Reynolds)
2 = Northeast District (Dave Michel)
3 = Northwest District (Craig LaSuer)
4 = West District (Judi Purvis)
5 = Northcentral District (Frank Beard)
6 = Central District (Bert Kite)
7 = East District (Dale Mendenhall)
8 = Southeast District (Brian White)
9 = Southwest District (Glenn Howell)
10 = South District (Charlie Wilfong)
District Staffing (instead of Resource Centers)
District Superintendent
Assistant to the DS
Deployed Church Development
Staff
Other district staffing as
determined by your district
All focused upon resourcing
congregations to be more
effective in our mission
Conference Staff and Leadership
Conference Staffing
Bishop
Executive Assistant
Cabinet (10)
Director of Financial
Services/Treasurer
Director of
Administrative
Services
Director of
Connectional
Ministries
Director of
Communication
Director of
Church Growth
Finance Staff
Administrative
Services and Support
Staff
Web site,
e-HUM, Together
Youth, Young Adults,
Campus Ministry
Deployed Staff to
support local
churches
Accounting Services
Pensions and
Insurance
Public Relations
Leadership
Development
Deployed Staff to
support new
churches
Data Base
Management
Information
Technology and
Software
Camping and Retreat
Ministries
Property/ Legal
Service
Clergy Services and
BOOM support
Missions / Advocacy
Conference Staffing
Area Staff

Bishop –
Michael Coyner
Secretary to the Bishop

Executive Assistant to the Bishop –
David VW Owen
Receptionist/Assistant

Well-Lived Pastoral Life Director –
Michelle Cobb
Assistant, shared staff

Interim Director of Human Resources –
Adolf Hansen
Conference Staffing (cont’d)
Conference Staff led by 5 Directors:

Director of Administrative Services
– Brent Williams
Administrative Services and Support Staff
Property and Legal Support
Human Resources /Benefits
Information Technology/Software Services

Director of Connectional Ministries
– Jim Bushfield
Clergy Services/BOOM Registrar
Discipleship/Diversity / Missions
Leadership Development
Youth/Young Adult/Campus Ministries
Camping and Retreat Ministries
Conference Staffing (cont’d)

Director of Communications
– Dan Gangler
Website, Advocacy, Public Relations (Assistant)

Director of Church Development
– Mark Gough
5 Deployed Staff to support congregations

Director of Financial Services & Treasurer
- Jennifer Gallagher
Finance office staff
Finance staff, Data base manager
Bishop
Cabinet
Cabinet
Representative
Executive Assistant
to the Bishop
Lay Leader
Prayer Team
Leader
Council on Finance
and Administration
Director of Financial
Services and Treasurer
Communication
Board of Trustees
Director of
Communication
Episcopacy
Pension and
Health Insurance
Concerns
Discipleship
Leadership
Development
Conference
Leadership
Team
Wesleyan
Theologian
Annual
Conference Session
Board of
Ordained Ministry
Director of
Connectional Ministries
Mission Resource
and Development
Camping and Retreat
Ministry
Director of
Administrative Services
Youth and Young
Adult Ministry
UM Men
Director of
Church Development
UM Women
Institutional
Relationships
Social Advocacy
and Justice and
Ethnic Ministries
Congregation Redevelopment and
New Congregation Development
Congregations, Clusters,
Districts, and Conference
Cabinet/Staff
How will it all work?
Disciples
Three Simple Rules
Congregations
Five Practices
Clusters Congregations Working Together
Districts Resourcing Clusters
Conference Equipping and Connecting
Congregations, Clusters, Districts,
and Conference Cabinet/Staff
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Churches will focus upon 5 practices
Every local congregation will be a part of
a Ministry Cluster
Each Ministry Cluster will have a Cluster
Leader who reports to the DS
DSes will supervise their churches and
clusters of churches, but also work as a
team with the other district staff, and
deployed Church Development staff to
resource Ministry Clusters and churches
Conference staff and leadership will
support/connect the entire conference
Timeline
October 4, 2008 – Special Session adopted final
report on Imagine Indiana and Transition Team
motions to create the Indiana Conference
Winter/Spring, 2008/2009 – Directors began
hiring new conference staff; the new CFA,
Trustees, and Interim Committees began
February/March 2009 – “Tip-Off” meetings to
select Ministry Clusters
March, 2009 – launch of new website
April, 2009 – “Our Life Together” retreat for
clergy will launch Clergy Covenant groups
Timeline (continued)
June, 2009 – First Session of new AC, election of
conference committees (Rethink Church)
Fall of 2009 – Ministry Clusters and Clergy
Covenant Groups continue; the two current
Cabinets function as one Cabinet and begin
preparing to move to 10 district model.
January 1, 2010 – new conference office in place
by this date (or sooner)
January 1, 2010 – the new Indiana Conference
begins to operate with a unified budget
January 1, 2010 – launch of the new 10 districts
to be finalized by July 1, 2010
God is doing a
new thing in
Indiana …
we are moving
forward one
step at a time
Ministry Clusters
are the next step
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Time for questions and comments
Break
Start moving into Ministry Clusters of
your choice
Your DS and Lay Leaders will help
Set the time for your first Ministry
Cluster Team meeting
Nominate a Cluster Leader to your DS
Meet together as a Cluster Team, get
acquainted, pray for each other