Transcript Slide 1
Bishop Wayne N. Miller Metropolitan Chicago Synod ELCA Where were we then? Where are we now? How have we responded? Where are we going? What will it take to get there? John 8: 32 1988 2011 Comparison 251 193 -25% Avg Worship 40,166 28,531 Baptized 134,774 91,495 Congregations Total Income to Congregations Regular Mission Support Percent Mission Support $49, 040,956 $3,677,489 7.5% -29% -33% $74,927,513 +50% $2,956,849 -20% 3.9% -3.6% S trengths W eaknesses O pportunities T hreats Leadership, Wealth, Networks, Artists, World Engagement. Shy about sharing, Prone to attachment, Organized Expensively 7.5 million people– 3 million unconnected; world on our doorstep. Aging; limited imagination; lack of conviction. New Mission Starts Since 1988 Where Are They Now? Alive Growing Mergers/Consolidations 6 4 1 SAWC’s 6 4 0 New Congregations 33 16 7 Church Growth Strategies Very effective in some settings reaching new people The gap between expectation and commitment must be financed with debt Turn Around Synod Initiative New resources, relationships and partnerships for congregational mission planning Increased energy/Uncertain measurable outcomes Missions of Compassionate Service Congregation-based Social Ministry Organizations Hands at Work Partnership Community Organizing Excellent leadership Development Best single vehicle for the mission of Justice Is it faith or is it politics? Antiracism/ Cultural Competence Growth in awareness/ improved access to leadership Resistance and denial are stubborn/voluntary engagement Mission Trips Raises consciousness/Immediacy of experience Short term effect/Ad Hoc relationships NO BLAME-NO SHAME: we are all working hard under difficult conditions trying to figure it out. We have learned from each response! Significantly fewer people are giving significantly more: high dedication and personal sacrifice. CONGRATULATIONS! Mergers and consolidations will not fix this. Our tried and true models and strategies are necessary but insufficient. We need a fresh approach. Matthew 13:52 Essential Mission Community Proclamation! Invitation (Evangelism) Formation (Discipleship) Action (Apostleship) Service! Generosity Compassion Justice! Respect Freedom Vocation Inside Outside Missionary called to staff of “incubator” congregation AMC meets weekly under guidance from missionary Missionary may be lay or clergy and may lead up to 3 AMC’s at once All AMC’s grow and multiply on the Reproducing Leadership Model AMC’s are differentiated but always connected in the Local Network Missionaries are guided by a local accompaniment team and by community with other missionaries At least 10% of all new AMC’s focus on Christian Community Among People in Poverty or on the margins Initial funding for Missionary comes substantially from the synod mission fund Continued funding depends upon AMC growth metrics Video story telling will invite congregational partners into the venture Outreach to those who will NEVER affiliate with a conventional congregation Small spiritual community for those seeking belonging and relational faith Integration of thinking, feeling, and doing Rapid proliferation of new communities: LITTLE BETS! New calls for new pastors/ leadership development may PRECEDE seminary Financial load structure for a new community – approximately 20% of the cost of a new conventional congregation Incubator congregations continue to grow with proportionate increase in cost If 20 incubator congregations create 3 communities each, in 6 years we could be back to the 1988 number of communities and GROWING! We could be more effective in our engagement with the poor than we have ever been! We will be more focused on saving lives than on saving buildings! Become an incubator congregation Connect with an incubator network Support another local network of AMC’s Participate in a TSI strategy to build strength for a new future Release your present form to invest in Resurrection “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us…’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and get it for us…’” Deuteronomy 30:11-14 PRAYER, THOUGHT, AND ADAPTATION… we need to open this conversation in a hundred ways with one another and KEEP LEARNING. Every congregation needs to find its place in the vision. A new level of commitment and investment through stewardship. We must build back very quickly to a MINIMUM commitment threshold of 5% of total congregational income as undesignated mission support. After this minimum has been met, we work toward the tithe through dedicated gifts to new mission… including participation in the ELCA anniversary fund. A combined return to the 7.5% level will yield 1.5 million new dollars every year dedicated to mission growth. Resources Relationships