Transcript Slide 1
Partnership for Missional
Church
Introduction & Preview
Central States Synod- ELCA
Dwelling in the Word
Luke 10:1-12
Listen to Word read…
Where does it capture you?
Share with a ‘reasonably friendlylooking stranger’
Report to the group what you new
friend noticed…
History of the Church
Christendom
Assumptions
• Culture is Christian
• Concept of Parish- maintain the flock
• Ministry revolves around: hatching, matching
and dispatching
After-Christendom
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Biblically illiterate
Ritually incompetent
Highly self conscious
Trauma or stress
Distrustful of institutions
Ill defined spiritual hunger
Shame
A “Missional” Church—Or NOT
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Are we pregnant
or
just ‘sick and tired’?
Five
Questions
What will you “have” at end of PMC?
1.
Extensive demographic study of congregation and
community with theological reflection (Church Future
Finder)
2. Ethnographic study of life of congregation
(Congregational Discovery)
3. Congregational History (Congregational Timeline)
4. Identified Missional Focus ( Missional Challenge)
5. Missional Action Plan (MAP)
6. Missional Vocation Statement
7. Vision for Embodiment
8. Long range plan
9. SMART Plans of action
10. Staff Covenant
Traditional Strategic Planning
But we are facing unfamiliar challenges in an
era of rapid discontinuous
Howchange…
we’re going
to get there!
Where
we are
now!
Where we
want to go!
The Gap Model!
This works well when we are dealing with a
familiar problem in a relatively stable environment
and predictable incremental change.
Everett Rogers declares that there
are even five different stages that
members of a culture go through
when they have met a change…
Partnership for
Missional Church
KEY:
kickoff event
cluster gatherings
Preparation,
finding leaders
Celebration event !
What Happens in Partnership
Congregations?
The results of a 15 year longevity study
conducted by external auditors found
these results.
What happens in congregations
• A God-centered, biblical vision for mission
through the practice of corporate spiritual
discernment.
• A greater sense of God’s activity in their
congregation.
• Ownership of the mission of the congregation by
members
• Members committed to and capable of making
disciples
• Both a vision for being missional and a practical
plan of action to achieve it.
• Recognize the strengths of the tradition of their
congregation.
What happens in congregations
cont’d
• Practical skills for managing change and
attending to conflict.
• The habits or practices of a missional church
• Dramatic expansion of the involvement of
church members
• Decision process for planning activities and
budget.
• A faithful and hospitable congregation
• Relationships with other partner churches
Changes in life of congregation
• Expand number of members in congregation
who are involved in life and mission of
congregation.
• Discover sense of mission that uses gifts and
character of congregation.
• Develop clear and strong relationships with a
segment of the community to whom God has
sent the congregation.
• Members of congregation have experimented in
connecting with part of community in mission.
Four Discoveries
1. The Christian imagination of lay leaders is
critical to the missional church.
2. Missional churches decide to change from just
maintenance, or from “having mission”, to
being and doing mission.
3. Missional churches learn how to make disciples
in an age of consumerism.
4. Missional churches learn how to receive and
embrace change as God’s gift for Christian
growth.
Journey
PMC May Not Be for You Now If:
• Congregation is in severe conflict
• Congregation already has answers to the
questions about how God has called it into His
mission and is effectively responding to that call
• The Congregation has solved the process of
change.
For Further Information
Contact
• Len Dale at the Synod Office
Phone: 816-8616584
E-mail: [email protected]
• Alan Walter
Phone: (913) 486-8745
E-Mail: [email protected]
Questions & Special Issues
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Cost to the Congregation
Interim situations
Multi-Congregation parishes
Small congregations
Others?