Transcript The Changing Church

Purpose & Guiding Principles
Starting Out on the
Right Foot By
Creating a Missional
Community
Then and Now
• Then:
• Forming caring and
well trained leaders
for a non-missional
church.
• Now:
• Forming missional
leaders for a
missional church
What we need:
Forming Missional Leaders
for a Non-missional church
Three Keys to Effective and
Healthy Ministry
(From an evangelism study of the ELCA)
• Leadership – a culture of team leadership
where clergy and laity work together as a
team. Leaders help congregations develop
the following:
– Purpose – a clear sense by the congregation
of what God is calling them to do
– Willingness to change – a spirit of openness
that is willing to initiate change to be faithful
and effective
Healthy and Missional Congregations
Basic Building Blocks
Mission clarity
Flexible/Resilient
Connected
Purpose/Vision Willing to Change
Foundation for
Ministry
Jesus Christ
Ecclesiology
Purpose
• Grounded in God’s mission
• God’s purpose for your ministry
• The lens for everything you do –
keeps team and/or congregation
focused
• Helps determine course of action
(reference point for decision
making)
• Involve a lot of people as you work
toward this for the congregation
• Use the purpose to identify the
church and include in worship,
flyers, bulletins, letters, signs, etc.
Guiding Principles
• Values that are in the vision that we can begin to
practice now – may conflict with present
behaviors.
• These are embodied in our decisions – provide
guidance to help achieve the purpose.
• In the present we need accountability to help us
stay the course.
• Should be in sentences that have “I/we” or “God”
as the subject and imply behaviors/actions. (i.e. “Jesus is Lord and Savior” is expressed better
as “We follow Jesus as Lord and Savior”_
• Example from Bethel Lutheran Church
What in the World is
God Up to?
Keeping our feet
planted with God and
God’s world
A Look at Acts
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•
•
•
Acts 2:14-39
Acts 5:12-16
Acts 10:34-48
Acts 18:1-8…
The Story of Acts
God’s Mission
Dear world,
I am on a mission…
Love,
God
Another Look at Acts
•
•
•
•
•
Acts 1:6-11
Acts 2:1-11
Acts 6:1-7
Acts 8:26-40
Acts 10:34-48
The Story of Acts
God’s Purpose for the Church
Dear world,
I have given this world the church. And so, my
purpose for the church is
Love,
God
God’s Mission & the Church
Our purpose is to be about God’s
mission…
To be a witness to and
A participant in…
God’s mission to
bless and save
all of creation
Clarity – Making behavioral claims
• Jesus is Lord and Savior
• Deepening faith
strengthens our
discipleship
• Everyone is a minister
• God sends us as gifts to
the world.
• We love to tell the story.
• We invite all to join us in
God’s work.
• We follow Jesus as our
Lord and Savior.
• We deepen our faith to
strengthen our
discipleship.
• We honor, equip and
encourage the ministry of
every person.
• God sends us as gifts to
the world.
• We love to tell the story.
• We invite all to join us in
God’s work.
Some Resources
• Look at vibrant
congregations – most
of them have core
values or guiding
principles
• Retreat format in the
back of Living
Lutheran I still retain
copyright on. We can
post on synod web
site.