4/7InkzHVUEQeEdU9vpc1tikzEhChrKmPfvXI-FSDBrBQ

Transformational Ministry

Change in the Church Can Be Difficult for EVERYONE

Take the Regional Assembly of many denominations. We’ll call it Synod Assembly, since that’s what we know best.

Synod Assemblies are constitutionally mandated gatherings — the business meeting of the Church. They have two major functions—to elect regional leadership and approve the regional budget.  

It’s almost October. Seven or eight months from the next rash of Synod Assemblies in the ELCA— plenty of time to plan for the hundreds of delegates who will gather in one place to discuss the ministry of the Church.

Attending the Assembly are Synod staff, every rostered leader and 2-5 lay delegates from each of about 150 congregations. They will spend the bulk of two days, mostly listening to reports. Not much more happens for all the expense. Spectacular worship experiences will start and end the gatherings. Pump people up; leave them feeling good.

Many delegates will leave long before the end of the Assembly. All will return to their congregations and report the most inspiring moments. We are supposed to feel as though we were represented and part of the process.

Truth be told, we are being shut out.

The agenda of most Synod Assemblies is controlled by the current leadership who are elected to serve but who have self-interest. The flow of information is top down even though the purpose of the Assembly is to generate bottom up involvement.

Why is this?

Function of the Synod Assembly follows form.

The form was created before the information age. It was once unwieldy to poll members of 150 congregations scattered over 100 or more square miles. Communication with every member was costly and awkward. No more. But we are stuck with the form of the past until there is a vision that this isn’t the way it has to be.

Here is what has happened in church governance in the last two decades of decline (the entire life of the ELCA).

  • As church attendance declined, so did the pool of knowledgeable, seasoned delegates.
  • Replacing older members, who spent much of their lives in church and Sunday School, are people who have little experience — as enthusiastic as they might be. Event planners plan around the sensibilities of the inexperienced, steering away from hard discussions on serious questions and filling the time with frills to engage the newly initiated.
  • The typical Synod Assembly includes one-third clergy, who have considerable self-interest, and two-thirds laity with a broad range of life experience but a diminishing knowledge of church business.
  • The delegates are most likely people close to the pastor. When unsure of decisions, to whom will they turn for advice? People with self-interest. (The ELCA has even imposed a level of control over who the delegates can be, requiring that they meet gender requirements and giving additional votes to minorities and youth.)
  • The Synod Assembly becomes a forum ruled by self-interest — the opposite of its purpose.

Function has followed form.

A large percentage of delegates haven’t a clue of the ramifications of the issues presented to them. They know little or nothing about the names presented on ballots. Face it, some lay delegates come because they are the only people in the congregation willing to take Friday off and donate a Saturday. Some are enthusiastic newbies being groomed for church involvement, but not knowledgeable about church history, protocol, or issues. The Church encourages this (and it’s not all bad), but the fact is many votes are taken by people who don’t know what they are doing.

Function has followed the form. Good news! The form can change. Here’s how!

  • The process can be opened up to include ALL the people of the church. Events can be planned to take advantage of the at home audience. (SEPA’s Assembly is already streamed live. Great move. But this year you needed a password to watch. Control!)
  • Make key presentations available a month before the Assembly. Post them online so congregations can watch and discuss issues. Delegates could attend the Assembly knowing what the people of their congregation think — which is how it is supposed to be. Air the same presentation at the Assembly and give the presenters an opportunity to field questions from people who have actually had time to study their message.
  • Make schedules of presentations available so people can watch at home.
  • Allow for feedback from the people. Use Twitter and Facebook. Nurture involvement and purpose.

Synods are great at demanding change at the congregational level. Can they change?

26 Sep 2012

Are We Ashamed of Our Faith?

Today’s Alban Institute forum is back to the same old, never-changing challenge for churches — facing change.

Today’s writer points to “shame” as an element that keeps congregants from being effective evangelists. We greet newcomers with suspicion. That’s no way to build a church!

The writer cites the many scandals the church has faced in recent years and out-dated worship practices as causes, but she correctly suggests that there is more to it than that.

The post drew a number of responses. One writer asked the question 2×2 has addressed a number of times. Do the clergy and hierarchy take any responsibility for the decline in today’s Church?

The answer we see to this question is NO. The problem, as defined by most clergy, is stick-in-the-mud lay people, who attend church for selfish reasons and just don’t do the things needed to guarantee the prosperity of the congregation, clergy and hierarchy. (No one is ever very clear about what those things might be. It usually means “they aren’t taking orders.”)

That’s a pretty big bill for anyone to pay. As numbers decline, the per capita obligations grow and grow. Clergy and hierarchies still have salary demands and budgets to meet and they don’t care if the salary is paid by 40 people or 400 people or if churches must close to meet their deficits. It’s hard to attract new worshipers when an honest assessment of their potential membership involves meeting budgets over which they will have little control—and the reality that in the end, all their work may be for naught if the regional body decides they need your property more than you do.

Another commenter pointed to another reality. Critics of church-goers often have little knowledge of church traditions. Their visits are as those of aliens. The value of singing old hymns and adjusting to church language clashes with modern sensibilities, where things have to be new and stretch our experiences.

Sometimes the lack of familiarity of a younger generation becoming involved in church is comical. A college-trained musician, who took a job as church organist, once commented that in every hymnal he encountered the phrase “As pants the hart for cooling streams” the word “heart” was spelled wrong.

At other times, the attempt to meet new church-goers where they are leads to wrong teaching. A new translation of the Bible replaces the word Hosanna with Hooray. Church-goers know that Hosanna is a prayer.

The lack of young people in church is only going to widen this cultural gap. If they are ever to become involved in church, they will have to learn the ABCs of their faith.

Shame is going to get us nowhere. Wise church leaders will work at building the self-confidence of members so they can welcome visitors with true hospitality. Knowledge of faith builds self-confidence. We have to know what we believe!

That’s a challenge for every church and worrying about change isn’t going to address it!

24 Sep 2012

A Provacative Link That Should Interest Evangelists

Here is a link from Coca Cola’s marketing team. They are telling us exactly how they intend to double their business by 2020. That’s a lot of sugar water!

The techniques and strategies should interest every serious evangelist. Coca Cola has a story to tell and doesn’t mind telling us exactly how they plan to do it. Their marketing people are well paid and experienced story-tellers. Let’s invest our dimes wisely and listen in for free!

We have a story to tell, too!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LerdMmWjU_E?rel=0]
21 Sep 2012

Rebuilding the Church: Is It Worth it?

I’ve been following the daily blog of Pastor Jon Swanson, 300 Words a Day. This week he has been retelling the momentous story of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, told by Nehemiah. The story is gripping — all the more because it cuts to the “Why?” of ministry.

  • Why look upon destruction that is so vast that no one bothered to clean it up much less rebuild it.
  • Why cry for it?
  • Why, when given the opportunity, petition a foreign king for permission to rebuild?
  • Why face the opposition that you know is plotting against you for daring to organize efforts to make things better?
  • Why record the details of the work crews that rebuilt each gate and wall?
  • Why be bothered? No one else seems to care!

Perhaps today’s church needs some of Nehemiah’s passion.

We have become very brazen about the state of our church. Attendance down? Oh, well. It’s time for ministry to die. Is attendance down in 90% of a region’s churches? It’s just a sign of the times.

The quote from church leadership should be alarming:

Congregations that will die within the next ten years should receive the least amount of time and attention. They should receive time that assists them to die with celebration and dignity. Offer these congregations a ‘caretaker’ pastor who would give them quality palliative care until they decide to close their doors.  It is the kind of tough-minded leadership that will be needed at the helm if your organization is to become a Transformational Regional Body.” — Transforming Regional Bodies, by Claire S. Burkat and Roy Oswald, a guidebook used to train leaders of regional bodies

The most troubling part of this quote is the time frame. Ten years! In the Lutheran Church that’s almost two terms for a bishop.

Our regional leaders are encouraged to stand by, implementing a ten-year plan to DO NOTHING (and get paid for it).

A ten-year time frame is enough time to revitalize a ministry, to rebuild its foundation. But the plan advised to leaders of regional bodies is to help only the churches with a proven cache of money. Go where the work seems easiest.

Church leaders need to reread Nehemiah until they can shed tears for the temples within their charge. There can be no dignified celebration of church closings when the closings have been brought about by designed neglect. (Click to Tweet)

This trend continues in the church unquestioned because the blame is placed on the people with the least voice or sway — the lay people. Wisdom of church leaders should not be questioned. Regard for their professional status outweighs regard for lay volunteers.

When we are busy protecting church leadership, we forget to ask the “why” questions. Why are we here in the first place? Why does anyone care?

It is time for this to change.

photo credit: UGArdener via photo pin cc
21 Sep 2012

Small Churches Have Great Advantages

One of the great things about being relatively small and unknown
is that the cost of failure is not that harmful. — Srinivas Rao

This business writer goes on to explain why innovation comes from small companies.

Small companies have the leverage to dare.

Small churches have the same leverage—the leverage to dare.

Would the big flagship church in the mammoth building on the corner of Broad and Main change the liturgy dramatically? No, too many people who like things just the way things are would leave with ruffled feathers.

Do bigger churches start innovative outreach ministries? Sometimes. But they are more likely to use their resources to add another pastor or tie into some established social ministry project supported by other big churches.

Small churches have the power to rock the world—the same power once placed in the hands of 12 disciples.

  • We small churches can change the worship time and survive the grumbling.
  • We can include non-English words in worship and not worry about losing 10% of the congregation.
  • We can do one-on-one ministry because we are more likely to personally know the life challenges of each person facing the altar.
  • We can fund a small foundation and charge it to do spread innovative ideas on the web without a pastor feeling his or her territory has been invaded.

Wow!

photo credit: Nina Matthews Photography via photo pin cc
20 Sep 2012

How Does Your Congregation Tell Your “Why” Story?

 . . . because God first loved us

Yesterday I received an email from a young fellow who makes videos with passion. He had a brainstorm and he was soliciting help. He wanted to make a video of people telling their “Why Story.” He made a little video imploring people to send a short video with an answer to the question, “Why do you do what you do?”

I had never taken a self-video before. But I spent about a half hour creating my Why video. I had never responded to a video by posting a film to YouTube before. But by the end of the day I had mastered that. Took four tries.

This morning I came across a video of a TED conference presenter, Simon Sinek. He gave a 17-minute talk on how the Why question drives all successful enterprises. Watch it.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4?rel=0]

It seems the Why question is pretty important. How well does your church communicate your “why”?

Why do you gather together on Sunday mornings? Why do you want others to join you? Why does  faith matter in the lives of your individual members?

If your only answer is “so that we have enough financial support to keep going,” you will not succeed as a church.

It’s a simple question. What’s your answer?

18 Sep 2012

A Message from the Children of Kenya

Sent to 2×2 via email from the children of Kenya.

We love you and next we need to have you so that we can play together and to teach us new song. God bless our lovely Dad Silas to give us a new teacher from outside our country. We love you and Silas. we are hoping to hear more greetings from you and Dad Silas. Dad has promised we are going soon to have you and your team? Next we have requested to visit our fellow children. Call CHARITY HOME CHILDREN, Pray for our DAD SILAS, Bye Bye Bye

15 Sep 2012

When the Church Doesn’t Believe Its Own Message

If life was always peaches and cream, we would have no need for religion. We turn to God in weakness to find our strength.

So in comes the Church.

Church leaders will explain God’s ways. We will have a roadmap for solving problems.

Church leaders are rarely at a loss for words when it comes to advising congregations. They preach guidelines for peaceful and productive lives in Christ.

Followers nod in agreement. They file out of church assemblies with a sense that they are leaving a place where people care about one another and will follow God’s Word.

A pastor recently shared his story.

He had listened to a bishop address his synodical assembly with words of peace, admonishing them to work with one another to resolve differences in accordance with the Scriptures. It was a moving message which drew a standing ovation.

This pastor and his congregation were having some issues with Synodical leadership. He was encouraged by the message. He managed to buttonhole the bishop before the end of the Assembly. He told him he was moved by his sermon.

“Let’s do it,” he said with enthusiasm. “Let’s get together and talk through our issues.”

The bishop responded. “Uh, OK, why don’t you write an agenda and send it to my office. We’ll set up a meeting.”

The pastor was excited. He drafted an agenda of the issues his congregation wanted to discuss and sent it to the bishop’s office.

Months went by with no response. At last, the bishop responded that he had been advised that the issues might end up in court and he should not meet with the congregation.

You read that right! The issues MIGHT end up in court. So what’s the point of talking.

This parallels Redeemer’s experience. Bishop Burkat had a lawyer at her right hand (literally) at her first meeting with Redeemer leaders.

This attitude of—not all, but more than one—current bishops in the ELCA violates the Gospel and is a dereliction of their assigned duties. They are no longer shepherds but predators. Clergy’s key advisors are lawyers—not more experienced pastors, not people with a spiritual gift for wisdom, and not the Bible.

The Gospel is clear that we are to attempt to work out differences without the courts. But in today’s church, leadership is not looking for resolution. They are looking for the WIN. They are looking to be seen as powerful. Resolution might call for ceding some power. Opponents must be defeated!

The Church is following the way of the world—exactly as the New Testament (both Gospel and Epistles) cautions. It is crippling the Church, one little conflict after another. Every WIN by intimidation is a defeat for the Gospel.

“Resolution” is so distasteful that the word is avoided. SEPA Synod is billing an upcoming workshop as conflict “transformation.” 

Today’s Church does not believe its own scriptures.

It is a sad day when the only thing separating the Church from the world is tax exemption and immunity for its actions—but not those of its opponents—under the Bill of Rights.

14 Sep 2012

Involving the Church or Engaging the Church

A recent blog written for nonprofits addressed the difference between involving supporters or engaging supporters. Read it. It applies to faith communities.

Congregations have levels of involvement.

  1. Attendance at functions.
  2. Attendance at worship.
  3. Involvement in education.
  4. Support with offerings.
  5. Greater support with offerings.
  6. Participation in worship (reading the lessons, taking the offering, communion assistance)
  7. Participation on committees and governing boards.

And then we come to outreach, a most fundamental reason for gathering together in Christian community.

There are levels of involvement here, too. Many congregations never pass levels one and two.

  1. Attendance.
  2. Support with offerings.
  3. Active support to raise money. (Bake sales, car washes)
  4. Support of social service agencies. (Walk-a-thons, Charity runs)
  5. Assisting organized charities or social service agencies in events (helping with a building project for Habitat for Humanity, traveling to disaster areas to help with clean-up)
  6. Active involvement in a cause (running a day school, organizing a food pantry, visiting a prison, cooking and delivering meals to the homebound)

This last level reaches the highest level of commitment—hands on engagement in ministry.

In the Church, we often settle for coins in the coffer when sweat on the brow is better stewardship.

It’s the difference between involving people in ministry and engaging them. It may make the difference in the vibrancy of your congregation.

Think about it! No one talks about their offerings. People talk about the things they actually do! What a great way to tell the story!

How might your congregation engage your members in ministry?

photo credit: Plan for Opportunity via photo pin cc
13 Sep 2012

Mission Churches with No Web Site!!!

God is doing something new and the church is Out to Lunch. We are tempted to say Gone Fishing, but that might have theological implications that do not apply.

Redeemer Ambassadors always turn to the internet to plan our visits. We check service times, read newsletters and find out as much as we can before we visit.

We follow the process any newcomer to a neighborhood in 2012 would take when searching for a church home. They would Google their neighborhood and the word “church” to see what comes up.

Our search process reveals that neighborhood church seekers will have problems finding Lutheran churches.

Since we are looking for Lutheran churches, we start with the ELCA Trend Reports web site and use their Church Finder. We plug in 15, 20 or 25 miles for the radius and press the LOCATE button. Up comes a list. Then we click the link provided to each congregation’s web site.

We are now preparing for our 50th visit. We’d like to visit a nearby church tomorrow morning. Some of our ambassadors have afternoon plans. There are several possibilities. We’ll look for a church with an early service.

THIRTY of them have NO WEB SITE!

Several of those with no web site are mission churches under the direction of synodically appointed leaders. Note: These are just the churches in a 15-mile radius of East Falls.

A MISSION CHURCH with NO WEB SITE!

We Google the name of one nearby congregation. Maybe they have a web site that isn’t listed in the national database. Great! They have a Facebook page. We check it. It has NO information beyond the church’s address.

Really, SEPA churches, what are you thinking? Are you serious about outreach? Are you part of your communities? Do you open your doors on Sunday morning and expect the neighborhood to flock there by magic?

A church can have a nice looking web site for an annual investment of $25 and no more than an hour’s set-up time. Facebook is FREE, for St. Pete’s sake! 13-year-olds know how to use it.

If you don’t have a web site, you are not serious about serving your community.

Most of these congregation’s have pastors who could set up a basic site and at least have a community presence.

Even Redeemer, the church that doesn’t exist according to SEPA and the ELCA, has a web site.

In the world of the ELCA, these churches, that are not serious about ministry, feel they have the right to take votes about the ministries of other congregations and gain from their actions. (They don’t have this right under governing laws, but that hasn’t stopped the churches and clergy of SEPA!)

God is doing something new in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod and many churches are not equipped to perceive it—much less take advantage of it!

We’d like to think they have Gone Fishing for Men, but the evidence is they are Out to Lunch.

photo credit: bobfranklin via photo pin cc
08 Sep 2012