It has been quite sometime since the last post regarding the role of clergy in revitalization. In between then and now many have asked about a post regarding the role of laity in the revitalization of a congregation. Well here we go.
One of the most important understandings of revitalization is the need for a dynamic partnership between laity and clergy. Clergy alone cannot revitalize a congregation and laity alone cannot revitalize a congregation. Laity and clergy working together to follow the calling of God opens the doors of revitalization.
So what is the laity portion of the equation? Commonly laity are asked to sit on committees, attend worship and give money. All of these things are important and necessary for the church to function. However, it should be clear that these functions alone will not bring about revitalization. If functioning in this way brought about revitalization we would already be there. The role of laity is found in a move from religious consumer to engaged disciple of Jesus Christ.
For years we have tracked and celebrated membership numbers. As a result a culture exists in our congregations that elevate membership to a high place that provides rights and privileges. Laity have been conditioned by the church to be good members and to be consumers of the membership which they signup for. Let's be clear, membership is not the problem. The issues at hand is the expectations of membership and participation in the local congregation. In order to examine this a little more it is important to remember the covenant commitment members of the United Methodist Church make when they unite with a local congregation. Paragraph 217 of the UM Book of Discipline states the following:
When persons unite as professing members with a local United Methodist church, they profess their faith in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; in Jesus Christ his only Son, and in the Holy Spirit. Thus, they make known their desire to live their daily lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. They covenant together with God and with the members of the local church to keep the vows which are a part of the order of confirmation and reception into the Church:
1. To renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of the world, and repent of their sin;
2. To accept the freedom and power God gives them to resist evil, injustice, and oppression;
3. To confess Jesus Christ as Savior, put their whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve his as their Lord;
4. To remain faithful members of Christ's holy church and serve as Christ's representatives in the world;
5. To be loyal to Christ through the United Methodist Church and do all in their power to strengthen its ministries;
6. To faithfully participate in its ministries by their prayers, their presence, their gifts, their service, and their witness;
7. To receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
Before going too far into this we must pause to remember that clergy persons licensed, commissioned and ordained by the United Methodist Church are professing members of the church and therefore are participants in this covenant. There have been additional responsibilities added to the covenant for clergy persons.
The primary commitment of a member if the church is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, professing faith in God the Creator, Jesus the Redeemer, and The Holy Spirit the One who sustains our faith. A translation of this is that a professing member has a primary role of living their life in the same pattern that Jesus lived. Above all other things the church is a community of people who are journeying together to live as disciples of Jesus Christ and embody Christ to the world. This has been stated by the Upper New York Annual Conference this way, to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God's love with our neighbors in all places.
This does mean some committee meetings, and attendance at worship services. Further it means giving of our time, talent and our treasures for the work of God through the church. This also means engaging in intentional spiritual development, our personal devotional life as well as corporate study and growth. Included here is actively serving God outside the walls of the congregation. Our engagement in a local congregation is a covenantal relationship not a club membership.
So what are laity to do in order to participate in revitalization? First focus on being a disciple of Jesus Christ rather than a member of a congregation. Second, be open to change. Clearly the world around the church has changed a great deal in the past few decades. This is not going to stop happening, and the church must be willing to change to help the changing world encounter the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In all of this the local church may have to change its expectation of laity. What if rather asking people to consume their time in committee meetings we discovered who God was calling someone to be and empower them to do it? What if the church viewed laity as a partner in the journey rather than a commodity to be acquired and managed.
Revitalization begins when laity and clergy alike, focus on developing themselves and others as disciples of Jesus Christ who live the gospel of Jesus Christ are God's love with our neighbors in all places. This means more time in mission and ministry than in meetings. This means more time in prayer in study, more time addressing injustice and oppression. In essence this means more time following after Jesus, than administering the church.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Overload
For the next installment of the blog I want to address the issue of what a pastor spends their time on. As I have shared with folks across the Conference, a concern about overloading our pastors has come up in a couple of places. Enough so, that I thought it would be good to share a little about the role of the pastor and how it relates to the work of revitalization.
Like many vocations there is rarely an end to the "to do" list of a pastor. There are always more people to visit, another sermon to write. Not to mention working with the youth, the administration of the church, attending meetings of the local congregation and the district as well as the conference. Somewhere in the middle of that is our continued spiritual and leadership development. Added to all of it is the responsibility of growing the congregation and being involved in the local community. Now there is a conversation about revitalization and it is clear this is a huge task.
Pastors are being invited and encouraged into a new task that is essential to the life of the church at the same time when exhaustion and burnout are at very high rates. Something is going to have to give if pastors are going to provide leadership to local congregations that helps transformation and revitalization take place. As congregations are preparing for revitalization we have said the starting point is prayer. Then next step is being clear about why a congregation wants to enter the journey of revitalization. Now the roles of the pastor must be addressed.
If a congregation is going to enter the journey of revitalization, there must be adjustments made to the expectations of the congregation of the pastors time. One of the things I hear most often from pastors is they do not have enough time to read and study. More than preparing for sermons, important work, pastors need time to read books and other resources which provide encouragement and information as to how to be about the work of revitalization. Making this time available will mean the pastor will not be available for some of the other important tasks within the congregation.
Second point starts with a question. How much time are congregations freeing up for their pastors to be involved in relationship building outside of the congregation? Revitalization of a congregation will mean reaching new people for the sake of Jesus Christ. If a pastor spends all their time in relationship with people inside of the church and has no time to engage relationships outside the congregation, revitalization will not happen. This will mean time for the pastor to sit in the local coffee shop or diner, or other places of public gathering. It can be very difficult for a congregation to not have the pastor in their office whenever there is a need. Yet, congregations entering the revitalization journey will have to arrange time for their pastor to build relationships outside of the congregation.
Third there needs to be a change in expectation. The pastor cannot do everything and should not do everything. It is acceptable to have a meeting of congregation business and the pastor to not be there. It is possible to have activities in the congregation the pastor does not attend. This will allow more time for study, prayer and relationship building outside the congregation.
In many ways it is not about reducing the amount of effort put forward by pastors, it is about rearranging what happens within that effort. Revitalization is not an add on to the current pastoral responsibilities of a congregation, it is a replacement of responsibilities. In many cases pastors will need more time to work on the aspects of leading revitalization. Adjustments to preaching styles and content, learning principles of congregational development, their own spiritual journey, and many other aspects. This may mean all the what have become normal functions of the pastor have to change so the outcome is different than what has become normal which is decline.
For revitalization to happen pastors will have to put forth significant effort to the mission and ministry of the congregation, this is not 9-5 kind of work. Yet, congregations need to be mindful that pastors are not overloaded with the "normal" functions of the congregation as well as leading revitalization.
In the next post, the last in this series, I will look at the role of the congregation in the revitalization journey.
Like many vocations there is rarely an end to the "to do" list of a pastor. There are always more people to visit, another sermon to write. Not to mention working with the youth, the administration of the church, attending meetings of the local congregation and the district as well as the conference. Somewhere in the middle of that is our continued spiritual and leadership development. Added to all of it is the responsibility of growing the congregation and being involved in the local community. Now there is a conversation about revitalization and it is clear this is a huge task.
Pastors are being invited and encouraged into a new task that is essential to the life of the church at the same time when exhaustion and burnout are at very high rates. Something is going to have to give if pastors are going to provide leadership to local congregations that helps transformation and revitalization take place. As congregations are preparing for revitalization we have said the starting point is prayer. Then next step is being clear about why a congregation wants to enter the journey of revitalization. Now the roles of the pastor must be addressed.
If a congregation is going to enter the journey of revitalization, there must be adjustments made to the expectations of the congregation of the pastors time. One of the things I hear most often from pastors is they do not have enough time to read and study. More than preparing for sermons, important work, pastors need time to read books and other resources which provide encouragement and information as to how to be about the work of revitalization. Making this time available will mean the pastor will not be available for some of the other important tasks within the congregation.
Second point starts with a question. How much time are congregations freeing up for their pastors to be involved in relationship building outside of the congregation? Revitalization of a congregation will mean reaching new people for the sake of Jesus Christ. If a pastor spends all their time in relationship with people inside of the church and has no time to engage relationships outside the congregation, revitalization will not happen. This will mean time for the pastor to sit in the local coffee shop or diner, or other places of public gathering. It can be very difficult for a congregation to not have the pastor in their office whenever there is a need. Yet, congregations entering the revitalization journey will have to arrange time for their pastor to build relationships outside of the congregation.
Third there needs to be a change in expectation. The pastor cannot do everything and should not do everything. It is acceptable to have a meeting of congregation business and the pastor to not be there. It is possible to have activities in the congregation the pastor does not attend. This will allow more time for study, prayer and relationship building outside the congregation.
In many ways it is not about reducing the amount of effort put forward by pastors, it is about rearranging what happens within that effort. Revitalization is not an add on to the current pastoral responsibilities of a congregation, it is a replacement of responsibilities. In many cases pastors will need more time to work on the aspects of leading revitalization. Adjustments to preaching styles and content, learning principles of congregational development, their own spiritual journey, and many other aspects. This may mean all the what have become normal functions of the pastor have to change so the outcome is different than what has become normal which is decline.
For revitalization to happen pastors will have to put forth significant effort to the mission and ministry of the congregation, this is not 9-5 kind of work. Yet, congregations need to be mindful that pastors are not overloaded with the "normal" functions of the congregation as well as leading revitalization.
In the next post, the last in this series, I will look at the role of the congregation in the revitalization journey.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Big Why
I have been blessed by all the ways you have responded to the first posting on prayer. It is exciting to think about the ways God is already at work in the congregations around the state. For this entry we will focus on the question of why a congregation wants to enter into the transformation journey.
Let's face it many churches are not like they use to be. It can get rather depressing to look at all the statistics and balance sheets as they decline in tandem. For a majority of congregations in the Upper New York Conference we are trying to be in mission and ministry with fewer people and even fewer resources than before. At some point the realization sets in that something different is needed in the life of the congregation. Driving the conversation is usually the need to keep the doors open, to simply exist. Many have told me they need to revitalize their church because if they don't they will have to close.
It is good, and important to realize the need for something to change in our congregations. At the same time trying to keep the doors open is not the right reason to to go through congregational revitalization. When saving the church becomes our focus, I fear we have missed the point. Revitalization is not a gimmick or program to keep the church alive. The goal is not the survival of the United Methodist Church, local or General Church. Revitalization is about congregations fulfilling the calling of Jesus to make disciples. This means to develop the disciples already a part of the congregation, and to reach out and invite others into the journey of discipleship. Our goal in revitalization is to see local congregations following after what God is doing in t heir midst, not merely keeping the doors open. As followers of Jesus we are called to abundant life, not mere existence.
So, as you consider the work of revitalizing a congregation what is your motivation or intention? Everything we do in the church is focused around making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. If the motivation and intention of a congregation is other than that, then revitalization might not be for them. I realize that is a strong statement. Yet, I stand by the statement because we need to be clear about why we exist, what the out purpose is. Without clarity of purpose it is nearly impossible to have clarity of why a congregation would enter into revitalization.
Take time to search within and see what the motivation it for revitalization. Is it to recapture something that once was? Is it to be able to pay the bills? Is it to keep a full-time pastor? Is it because there is a desire to be a congregation that makes disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world? Revitalization will only begin to happen when we are clearly focused on the call of Christ. Other focus points may keep the doors open, and might even bring a few new people through the doors. The questions will still remain; are the new people becoming disciples of Jesus Christ? Is the community around the congregation transforming because of what God is doing in the local congregation?
Get clear about why you are doing what your are doing.
Let's face it many churches are not like they use to be. It can get rather depressing to look at all the statistics and balance sheets as they decline in tandem. For a majority of congregations in the Upper New York Conference we are trying to be in mission and ministry with fewer people and even fewer resources than before. At some point the realization sets in that something different is needed in the life of the congregation. Driving the conversation is usually the need to keep the doors open, to simply exist. Many have told me they need to revitalize their church because if they don't they will have to close.
It is good, and important to realize the need for something to change in our congregations. At the same time trying to keep the doors open is not the right reason to to go through congregational revitalization. When saving the church becomes our focus, I fear we have missed the point. Revitalization is not a gimmick or program to keep the church alive. The goal is not the survival of the United Methodist Church, local or General Church. Revitalization is about congregations fulfilling the calling of Jesus to make disciples. This means to develop the disciples already a part of the congregation, and to reach out and invite others into the journey of discipleship. Our goal in revitalization is to see local congregations following after what God is doing in t heir midst, not merely keeping the doors open. As followers of Jesus we are called to abundant life, not mere existence.
So, as you consider the work of revitalizing a congregation what is your motivation or intention? Everything we do in the church is focused around making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. If the motivation and intention of a congregation is other than that, then revitalization might not be for them. I realize that is a strong statement. Yet, I stand by the statement because we need to be clear about why we exist, what the out purpose is. Without clarity of purpose it is nearly impossible to have clarity of why a congregation would enter into revitalization.
Take time to search within and see what the motivation it for revitalization. Is it to recapture something that once was? Is it to be able to pay the bills? Is it to keep a full-time pastor? Is it because there is a desire to be a congregation that makes disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world? Revitalization will only begin to happen when we are clearly focused on the call of Christ. Other focus points may keep the doors open, and might even bring a few new people through the doors. The questions will still remain; are the new people becoming disciples of Jesus Christ? Is the community around the congregation transforming because of what God is doing in the local congregation?
Get clear about why you are doing what your are doing.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Laying the Foundation
It has been great to get out among all the wonderful people that make up the Upper New York Annual Conference and talk about revitalization. I know a few of you have visited this blog and wondered why is there not more to this page. Well now we begin the digital journey of transformation. For many I have already shared the outline of the Hand to Plow process that we will be sharing in together starting in 2013. For those who have not seen it, you can find a brief outline to the right or by clicking here. One of the most common questions I have had other than details of the process is, "What can our congregation be doing to get ready for revitalization?" The short answer is to lay the right foundation for revitalization. To expand a little this includes the following: prayer, clarity of intention, arranging the pastor's time, consider what the congregation is spending time on. Over the next few weeks I will be taking a little time to address each of these items through this blog. Please check back and participate in the conversation. You can also receive updated posts by subscribing via RSS feed or by email.
At this time I would like to talk about the importance of prayer, especially when it comes to the journey of revitalization. Following Jesus Christ without having a robust, deep and consistent prayer life is like trying to drive a car without fuel, or electricity for those who drive such vehicles. We can take on all the appearances of someone who is following Christ, complete with a weekly trip to a worship service, yet not have any of the resources needed to live the life we are called to. Prayer is a key to connecting with those resources. It is important to remember this is more than a blessing before a meal, or bringing our list of ways we would like God to behave and perform. More than I would like to admit I engage in prayer with my list of concerns and the list of ways I want God to be God. This is not all bad and it is not all good either. God longs to have us submit what is on our hearts. Repeatedly we are encouraged by Scripture to cast our cares on Christ, to lift our prayers and petitions to God. We are also reminded to tune our ears for what God might be saying to us. I am learning to spend more of my time in prayer listening than talking, and I will be the first to tell you this is not always easy. Yet, it is essential that we take time to sit and listen for the heart and voice of God.
This always brings up the question, "What does the voice of God sound like?" It is so difficult to put human attributes to this because when we do, we limit God and ourselves. Some would describe the voice of God as a nudging, a feeling, an inkling. Others would say they have heard an audible voice as communication from God. I would say it is like any relationship the more time we spend hearing the voice of God the easier it is to discern in the midst of all the voices. In John's Gospel we are reminded of this in Chapter 10 where Jesus tells us the sheep follow his command because they know his voice. God is big enough to have a voice which comes to each of us as we need it in order to be heard. It is not as if God is trying to be elusive or hide, rather God longs to be in communication with us, yes listening but also speaking into our lives.
So what does this have to do with revitalization? Everything. The transformation of a congregation through revitalization is not merely an organizational change. While that might be necessary, the very heart of revitalization comes in what God is doing in our souls and lives. Individuals and congregations feeling led to enter into revitalization are encouraged to start with prayer. Invite individuals to pray as well as the congregation as a whole. Remember this is a conversation with God, speaking and listening. It is important to be prepared for what God is calling us to. The dangerous, yet required question of God is to reveal to us the places where we need to develop as a follower of Jesus. Perhaps to use a more Wesleyan question, asking God how is it with my soul? Then having the courage to listen for God, and begin to live into the guidance God offers.
Reorganizing church structure, taking classes and attending workshops, even being involved with the Hand to Plow process will not bring about transformation in our congregations unless we allow ourselves to be transformed. Through a deep and active prayer life we begin the work of transformation as we allow God to speak to us, to guide us in the ways that will lead to a deeper journey, and help us to reflect Christ in greater ways. May we be a people of prayer, and may we be obedient to what God calls us to as we listen to the very heart of God.
At this time I would like to talk about the importance of prayer, especially when it comes to the journey of revitalization. Following Jesus Christ without having a robust, deep and consistent prayer life is like trying to drive a car without fuel, or electricity for those who drive such vehicles. We can take on all the appearances of someone who is following Christ, complete with a weekly trip to a worship service, yet not have any of the resources needed to live the life we are called to. Prayer is a key to connecting with those resources. It is important to remember this is more than a blessing before a meal, or bringing our list of ways we would like God to behave and perform. More than I would like to admit I engage in prayer with my list of concerns and the list of ways I want God to be God. This is not all bad and it is not all good either. God longs to have us submit what is on our hearts. Repeatedly we are encouraged by Scripture to cast our cares on Christ, to lift our prayers and petitions to God. We are also reminded to tune our ears for what God might be saying to us. I am learning to spend more of my time in prayer listening than talking, and I will be the first to tell you this is not always easy. Yet, it is essential that we take time to sit and listen for the heart and voice of God.
This always brings up the question, "What does the voice of God sound like?" It is so difficult to put human attributes to this because when we do, we limit God and ourselves. Some would describe the voice of God as a nudging, a feeling, an inkling. Others would say they have heard an audible voice as communication from God. I would say it is like any relationship the more time we spend hearing the voice of God the easier it is to discern in the midst of all the voices. In John's Gospel we are reminded of this in Chapter 10 where Jesus tells us the sheep follow his command because they know his voice. God is big enough to have a voice which comes to each of us as we need it in order to be heard. It is not as if God is trying to be elusive or hide, rather God longs to be in communication with us, yes listening but also speaking into our lives.
So what does this have to do with revitalization? Everything. The transformation of a congregation through revitalization is not merely an organizational change. While that might be necessary, the very heart of revitalization comes in what God is doing in our souls and lives. Individuals and congregations feeling led to enter into revitalization are encouraged to start with prayer. Invite individuals to pray as well as the congregation as a whole. Remember this is a conversation with God, speaking and listening. It is important to be prepared for what God is calling us to. The dangerous, yet required question of God is to reveal to us the places where we need to develop as a follower of Jesus. Perhaps to use a more Wesleyan question, asking God how is it with my soul? Then having the courage to listen for God, and begin to live into the guidance God offers.
Reorganizing church structure, taking classes and attending workshops, even being involved with the Hand to Plow process will not bring about transformation in our congregations unless we allow ourselves to be transformed. Through a deep and active prayer life we begin the work of transformation as we allow God to speak to us, to guide us in the ways that will lead to a deeper journey, and help us to reflect Christ in greater ways. May we be a people of prayer, and may we be obedient to what God calls us to as we listen to the very heart of God.
Friday, July 27, 2012
New Connection Point
Welcome to the Revitalizing Congregations of the Upper New York Annual Conference. This is a place where there will be information about the Hand to Plow(H2P) process, as well as articles about the revitalization strategies. From time to time there will be book reviews and posts about various aspects of the life of the church. Along the way we will have guest writers, and interviews with different folks. Check back regularly to see what is new.
If there are topics you would like to get some information about post a comment and in the near future the topics will show up in posts.
If there are topics you would like to get some information about post a comment and in the near future the topics will show up in posts.
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