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Setting the Course: A Call to Setting the Course: A Call to Action for The UMC Action for The UMC
What Motivated What Motivated the Call to Action?the Call to Action?
UMC 1998 to 2008 in USA• Worship attendance down 7%• Professions of faith down 25% • Baptisms down 31%• The number of churches down 6%• The average clergy age up from 49 to 54• Local church expenditures up 49% • Expenditure per worshiper up 64%
• 2 X the % of persons 65 + as in USA• ½ the % of persons 18 – 44 as in USA• 90% of UM’s are “white”
Why?
Why?
People
Money
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have
it to the full. John 10:10
Escalator of Church Life
Plateaued
Thriving
Progressing
Wandering
Dying
Choosing to ignore the priority of outward mission by focusing
on past congregational experiences
Disregarding the priority of outward mission by protecting
the past
Responding to the priority of outward mission & beginning to
align the focus of congregational life
Priority of outward mission aligning the
focus of congregational life
Maintaining the present routine of congregational life at the expense of outward mission
Escalator of Church Life
Plateaued
Thriving
Progressing
Wandering
Dying
The Church is confronting a “creeping crisis” of relevancy with an accompanying acute crisis of an
underperforming economic model.”Apex Operational Assessment
The Council The Council of Bishop’s of Bishop’s
Call To Call To Action Action
To redirect the flow of attention, energy, and resources to an intense concentration on fostering and sustaining an increase in the number of vital congregations effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
“The adaptive challenge for The United Methodist Church is:
Adaptive Adaptive ChallengesChallenges
• Difficult to identify• Require changes in values,
beliefs, roles, relationships & long-standing practices
• People with the problem must do the “solving” work
• People are often resistant• Solutions often require
learning by experimentation over time
• Easy to identify• Lend themselves to quick
& easy known solutions
• Often can be solved by an authority or expert
• People are often receptive• Solutions can usually be
implemented quickly, even by edict
Technical Technical ChallengesChallenges
AdaptiveAdaptiveResponseResponse
• Mark 1:14 – 15• Mark 1:16 - 20• Genesis 12:1• Exodus 3:10• Matthew 28:19-20
Adaptive Adaptive CallCall
What is a What is a Vital Congregation? Vital Congregation?
TransformationA movement of hope into a future
that is different from the past.
Christian Transformation
Aligning with the future that God created & redeemed through Jesus
Respond to present conditionRespond to present condition
Leaders
Respond to present conditionRespond to present condition
Leaders
Shape present & future condition in alignment with a desired outcome
Shape present & future condition in alignment with a desired outcome
Transformational Leaders
Respond to present conditionRespond to present condition
Leaders
Shape present & future condition in alignment with a desired outcome
Shape present & future condition in alignment with a desired outcome
Shape present & future condition in alignment withJesus’ call to follow Him
Shape present & future condition in alignment withJesus’ call to follow Him
Transformational Leaders
Christian Transformational Leaders
The third recommendation of the CTA The third recommendation of the CTA report was to collect, report , review & act report was to collect, report , review & act
upon statistical information measuring upon statistical information measuring progress in key performance areas to learn progress in key performance areas to learn and adjust our approaches to leadership, and adjust our approaches to leadership,
policies, and the use of human and financial policies, and the use of human and financial resources. resources. .
http://umvitalcongregations.org/http://umvitalcongregations.org/
Vital Congregation Vital Congregation GoalsGoals
• Average weekly worship attendance
• Professions of faith• Small groups• Members in mission• Dollars given to
mission
Do Numbers Tell the Whole Do Numbers Tell the Whole Story of Missional Story of Missional
Fruitfulness?Fruitfulness?• Absolutely not!
Numbers need to be placed within a contextual narrative
• These numbers only tell part of the missional story– We could have measured other
important things – Some important things are
difficult to measure
• The stories change before the metrics do
¶ 122. The Process for Carrying ¶ 122. The Process for Carrying Out Our Mission Out Our Mission We make disciples as we:
— proclaim the gospel, seek, welcome and gather persons into the body of Christ;— lead persons to commit their lives to God through baptism by water and the spirit
and profession of faith in Jesus Christ;— nurture persons in Christian living through worship, the sacraments, spiritual
disciplines, and other means of grace, such as Wesley’s Christian conferencing;— send persons into the world to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ
by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed, being and becoming a compassionate, caring presence, working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel;
— and continue the mission of seeking, welcoming and gathering persons into the community of the body of Christ.
visionvision
MissionMission
CommitteeCommittee StructureStructure ProgramProgram TeamTeam
PeoplePeople
PeoplePeople
PeoplePeople
PeoplePeople
PeoplePeople
BudgetBudget
Model forOrganizational effectiveness
Balanced Scorecard
Adjustmentsto
Mission/Vision&
Structure
MetricsOf
Success
PeoplePeople
Phil. 2:1-4 Phil. 2:1-4 • Encouragement in Christ• Consolation from love• Sharing in the Spirit• Compassion & sympathy• Joy• Being in full accord
& of one mind• Love• Humility• Looking to the interests
of others A snapshot of vitalityA snapshot of vitality
Drivers of Congregational Vitality
Vital Pastoral LeadershipVital Pastoral Leadership• VPs effectively mentor laity to
increase their ability to carry out ministry
• VPs influence others to bring about changes in the church
• VPs lead the congregation to set and achieve significant goals
• VPs inspire through preaching• VPs, when serving effectively,
have longer tenures.
Vital WorshipVital Worship• VCs offer a mix of newer
& traditional worship choices (if 350+ in average worship)
• VCs tend to have more topical sermons in traditional services
• VCs use more contemporary music & multi-media in contemporary services
Engagement of Disciples Engagement of Disciples in Small Groupsin Small Groups
• VCs have more small groups for all ages• VCs have more programs for children• VCs have more programs for youth
Vital Lay LeadershipVital Lay Leadership• VCs focus on increasing lay
leader effectiveness• VCs have lay leaders who
demonstrate a vital personal faith
• VCs place an emphasis on involving more people in lay leadership
• VCs call, equip, use and support 20% or more of laity as leaders
The Council The Council of Bishop’s of Bishop’s
Call To Call To Action Action
To redirect the flow of attention, energy, and resources to an intense concentration on fostering and sustaining an increase in the number of vital congregations effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
“The adaptive challenge for The United Methodist Church is:
Does God Does God Expect Expect
Fruitfulness? Fruitfulness? “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. . . . This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:1-4, 8)
• The fruit of God’s reign expandingThe fruit of God’s reign expanding• The fruit of Godly characterThe fruit of Godly character• The fruit of mercy & justice The fruit of mercy & justice
Goal: Transform the culture of the Virginia Conference to fruitfulness and multiplication
Approved by Virginia Conference in 2008
An Invitation
For all faith communities of the Virginia Conference to live into a
new reality where abundance and fruitfulness are the expected outcomes of faithful discipleship
An Invitation to Plant
Begin 250 new faith communities in 30
years
An Invitation to Harvest
Training and support for existing churches that desire and make a commitment to
become renewed faith communities.
Each church will submit goals by March 1, 2012
How is your How is your congregation congregation joining Jesus joining Jesus in fulfilling in fulfilling
His mission of His mission of advancing the advancing the
Kingdom of God? Kingdom of God?