Rev. Ruben Duran ELCA Ministry in Emerging Context

Rev. Ruben Duran

ELCA

Ministry in Emerging Context

The Constant: Revealed in Christ

God is working to reconcile the world and bring about the Reign of God and in Baptism invites us to

participate. (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

now and forever. Amen

GOD AT WORK: 2 ways

• God operating in and through the Church

• God operating in and through the public arena; society.

• 2 ways of working, only one history

Biblical Principle

• Jeremiah 29:7

• Seek the welfare of the people where I have placed you, and pray on their behalf, because in their welfare you will find your welfare.

ELCA: Reading the Context

• A crucial initiative of every community of faith, in order to be relevant and adjust the ministry entrusted to us by God to the reality of the world around us.

• ELCA is 25 years old: it is time to get out of the house and re-discover that God is active in the world; not just being a guest, but also a host; inviting us and welcoming us to exercise our vocation for God’s purposes.

• So, “time to get out of the boat”, out of our comfort zones• Key: trade judgment for curiosity.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• Changing rapidly

• Shifts in how culture/society relates to the church.

• Christianity, a voice among many

• Losing its seat of privilege

• Pushed to the margins of society

• Pluralistic and secularized

The changing context

Emerging Reality • We are free (for the first time in centuries)

to shape our message without the culture telling us what we have to say (or be)!!

• We have great company at the margins (we are not the first to be there, ie. global voices, people experiencing poverty….)

• Being at the margin will require us to be serious about discipleship, lifestyle, etc. We must “be the change we hope for” to be taken seriously.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:Lesslie Newbigin (1969)

• The Reign of God has come near in Jesus

• To accept it means to be able to understand and direct all your action – both private and public

• There is an apostolic fellowship of those already committed and at work

• This is the call to you to like commitment

“Culture will eat strategy for breakfast”

Peter Drucker

Challenge/Opportunity of Context

• 1. GEOGRAPHICAL: local/national

• 2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC: a church for all

• 3. GENERATIONAL: emergent church

• 4. ETHNIC- specific: 6 communities

• 5. MULTICULTURAL: a church from all

• KEY: acting/reflecting out of our missional identity, empowered for any context.

Learnings from Missional Churches

Insights and suggestions from 3 key studies:

•1. From ELCA New Congregations

•2. From Natural Church Development

•3. From ELCA Evangelism Strategy

ELCA Study of New Churches

• From 2006 to 2011

• LEARNINGS:

• A. Growing churches connected to their context

• B. Network of church partners praying and supporting these new churches

What the pattern shows: NCD study

• Passionate Spirituality: How intentional are we about cultivating a relationship with God?

• Contextual Evangelism: How intentional are we about cultivating a relationship with our neighbors?

• Holistic Small Groups: How intentional are we about cultivating a relationship with ourselves?

Three Keys to Transformation(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

Visionary LeadershipWhat’s Involved?

2. ContextualEngagement:Assets, passionsand needs

3. Faith Community:Assets, passions,and needs

1. Missional Identity(Purpose andGuiding Principles)

VIS

ION Vision Emerges

Engaging your Emerging Context

Church and communityIn mission

Engaging Your Community

• 1. Helicopter View

• 2. Street View

• 3. Community Capacity

• 4. Power Analysis

• 5. Collective Impact

Discover Community Capacity

• Use the asset mapping methodology

• Involve leaders in church and community

• Villages and communities around the world discover assets to help them deal with their ever-growing needs

• Combine gifts you already have and put them in action for church and community.

• Assets: gifts in action

Resources

• “The Great Permission”, an ELCA resource; Augsburg Fortress

• Asset-Mapping resources from Luther Snow (Iowa)

• Asset-Based Community Institute, at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Dr. Jodie Kretzman

GOD’S VISION FOR COMMUNITY

How should we live together?

Who’s at the table? Left out?

What’s difference between God’s vision and our reality?

TWO PATHS--TWO SOLUTIONS

Needs Assets(What is not there) (What is there)

Services to meet Connections & needs contributions

Consumers Local leaders

Programs are answer People are the answer

Businesses Schools

Parks

Hospitals Nonprofits

Libraries

Churches

Social Groups Self-Help Groups

Block Clubs

Local Institutions

Associations

Income

Youth Elderly

Artists

Labeled/Marginalized

Gifts of Residents

Community Assets

Unemployment Housing Projects

Poverty

Uninsured

Illiteracy

Child Abuse

Truancy Addiction

Crime

Teen Mothers Gang Members

Community Needs Map

Mentally Ill School Dropouts

Homeless

Delinquency

Mapping Your Community

God’s Mission

PeopleInstitutions

Associations

Public Spaces

Other churches & faith communities

COMMUNITY ACTION

Go to the peopleLive among themLearn from them

Love themStart with what they know

Build on what they have;But of the best leaderswhen their task is doneThe people will remark

“We have done it ourselves.”Lao-Tau, 700 BC

INVITATION

• God is inviting all children of God to get OUT of their comfort zones to see God at work in the world.

• Building relationships and partnerships we will find many who are doing God’s work without knowing it.

• We might be able to connect and learn together how God’s dream is becoming a reality there. By God’s grace, new communities will be called into existence.

Good News from the Margins

• God is knocking at the door of our ELCA churches; not so much to get in, but to invite us out……..into the world God loves.

• Out of our comfort zones

• Out of the usual

• Out of our control

TO SEE GOD IN ACTION 24/7 in the world

Threshold, toledo, oh

• IT’S NOT ABOUT THE SHOW.• While we have great music during worship, don’t expect a

concert atmosphere. And while we have sermons, we don’t shy away from the Gospel of Jesus and how we live in relationship with Him. Our goal is to engage everyone is worship together, as one unified body. Sunday worship is relational, interactive, and real.

-Gift Utilization-Flexibility-Resilience-Spouse/Partner Cooperation-Commitment to Multicultural Ministry-Commitment to the ELCA

THE CATACOMB COMMUNITIES, MOUNT VERNON, WASo far there are three house

churches meeting. The first, in Mount Vernon, Wash., is made up of people from a variety of faith backgrounds — Nazarene, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Buddhist and Presbyterian — all of whom “were kind of sick of church.”

THE LEAVEN PROJECT, PORTLAND, OR

Leaven Project is an open and growing community. We aim to be in intentional relationship with one another, listen to others and share our own stories, and build power among in order to organize for justice and the common good. This is our definition of beloved community. Now called Salt and Light Church, ELCA.

BEACH PROGRESSIVES, LONG BEACH, CABeach Progressives is an innovative, start-up

Christian community rooted in the Episcopal and Lutheran traditions, with a special focus on helping young adults and college students connect with God, neighbor, and their deepest selves. Located in Long Beach, California, we're committed to living lives of love, justice, and inclusion in the way of Jesus.

PUBLIC SAFETY MINISTRIES,

Public Safety Ministries Inc.

“Serving Those Who Protect”

Our Mission:

Promoting Spiritual Fitness in the Public Safety Professions.

Our Vision:

To provide public safety leaders with the spiritual care and support resources they need for personal spiritual fitness development. In turn, those leaders will possess the resources needed to promote and support the spiritual fitness of their employees and organizations. The end result will be organizations with spiritually fit employees providing quality public safety services to our communities.

COME 2 GO, FORT WAYNE, INFrom it’s inception in 2003, Come2Go Ministries has always been

about community. Beginning with musical expression as a common thread, c2g has grown from a small number of music lovers into a dynamic Christian community that is actively reflecting God’s love in their lives.

Come2Go claims a transformed warehouse as its home. Located on the edge of downtown Fort Wayne, this ministry is accessible by all, recasting the community of Christ in a relevant setting that comfortably accommodates an amazing variety of church activities.

We express our faith in the community through our GoTeams. Teams of volunteers serve God by serving others by regularly feeding the homeless and under-resourced, at the Allen County Juvenile Center (Wood Youth Center), nursing homes, tavern bible studies and more.

Today, come2go meets weekly for worship, studying God’s word, encouraging one another in Christian community, praying fervently, giving freely, serving all people, and inviting everyone to know Jesus.

ST. LYDIA’S, NEW YORK, NY LET’S DO DINNER!

Sharing the Meal: Our worship takes place at the table around a big, delicious meal that we cook together. Communion is made as we share food and ourselves by exploring scripture, singing, and praying together. Telling Our Story: Jesus told a lot of stories, and so do we. We tell the story of Christ's dying and rising, and through it, uncover the daily dyings and risings that comprise our lives. Working Together: When you arrive at St. Lydia's, you'll be put straight to work preparing dinner or setting the table. Working together unites us as a community and brings us closerto God.

San Francisco: St Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal-ELCA




Seattle: Church of the Apostles ELCA

Old Fremont Lutheran Church, now known as the Fremont Abbey Arts Center




LUTHER’S TABLE, RENTON, WA

Café? Church? Bar? YES!

Seattle: Luther’s Table ELCA




Bar is tended by the 5 area ELCA pastors…


Portland: Atonement ELCA-Catholic


Round paved area is a prayer labyrinth



Denver: House for All Sinners & Saints ELCA

House for All meets in the acoustically perfect Fellowship Hall of this Episcopal church building…


Pr. Nadia Bolz-Weber


Community garden tended by House for All, streetside across

from the church building

Pastor Developer Violet LittleThe Welcome Church, ELCA,

Philadelphia

The Welcome Church, ELCAPhiladelphia

CarlThe Welcome Church, ELCA

Philadelphia

Choir DirectorThe Welcome Church, ELCA

Philadelphia

Friends at the Welcome Church

The Welcome Church, Logan SitePhiladelphia

Coffee hour after worship

What’s next?

• A coalition of community leaders are coming together to plan for addressing the roots of homelessness in Philadelphia.

• Medical doctors and other professionals are meeting with Bishop Claire Burkat to intensify their service.

• Pr. Little and I have begun an ELCA/Ecumenical network of ministries among the homeless to resource communities, support each other and pray for uprooting homelessness everywhere.

ELCA: A Community in Mission

• Building relationships in the public arena• Restoring community• At home in church and world• Boldly Sharing Christ, Passionately

Making Disciples, Faithfully Doing Justice• Jeremiah 29:7 Seek the welfare of the

community where I have sent you, and pray on its behalf, for in its welfare you will also find your welfare.

Documents

Rev. Ruben Duran ELCA Ministry in Emerging Context