Missional Church: Session #16

Diversity in Ministry

In order to catch lightning in a bottle, you have to go where lightning is!

Meet people where they are!

What does it mean to be inviting?
-radical hospitality
-relevant

Always the little things that make a big difference

Ministerial & servant team
-What does it look like?
-Reflective of what God's vision is

Outreach
-what is neighborhood crying out for?

Communication
-What are we saying with what we put out?
-look for ways to bring attention

Counseling

Children's ministry

Mission
-age
-socio-economic
-racial

Facilities
-artwork
-reflective of mission statement
-when someone walks in a church, will they see themselves?
-feel @ home or feel like a visitor?

Worship
-invitation to growth
-who's on stage
-song
-style
-what elements can you add?
-how can I get inside their head?

Message
-God's not done with us!

Missional Church: Session #15

Care System
Empowering the Body to provide care

History
-Decision on who does care
-Lay people empowered
-Lay people trained
-Stephen ministry
-Priesthood of all believers (all are ministers)

If you empower, you better train!!

Creating a culture of care
-Necessary conditions
-Evangelism as a motivating factor
-not for church growth, but as disciples of JC
-The footpring of your church
-What is your church known for?
-Creating proper atmosphere
-Where people's call can be played out
-Weekly challenges--do what is said
-"What are you going to do about it?"
-To whom are you putting your energy?
-99:1 principle
-inside vs. outside
-Priesthood of the believer as a basis
-responsibility
-Perception of church in community
-Procedures to ensure safety and effectiveness
-know Scripture
-know resources

Lay Pastors
-lay pastor program
-pastoral duties performed by lay pastors
-God connectors--not therapist, not friend
-Hospital visits, prayer rooms, funerals, mentoring, phone calls, cell groups
-Special services, healing service, annointing

Training helps to be a better servant

Training process
10 week class
Lay pastor manual
Interview
References
Accountability/community (1/month)
Covenant (1-year)

Equipping the Body
-Topics for equipping cell leaders
-Mentoring & accountability structures
-isolation is the best predictor of dysfunction
-Confidentiality
-People who need "extra grace"
-How to handle crises
-Telling stories to enhance faith
-Praying for and with one another
-Praying aloud & ministering in hospitals
-Know when you are "over your head"
-refering

Support Groups
-Xian 12-step
-Relapse prevention
-Life skills/journey to freedom (7-week class)
-Love is a choice (Gary Smalley book)
-Divorcecare
-Griefshare
-Sanctuary (sexually abused)
-Breaking free-depression
-Alanon

-Once you name it, you can start to heal it
-Light breaks the power of darkness
-People heal in community, not isolation

Missional Church: Session #14

Marketing

I. Start of a strategy
A. Line
-stickies (ex: Christmas is not your birthday)
-Emotional connection
-"No brainer"
-impactful
-Simple, clear rallying cry
B. Look
-consistant font
-consistant color scheme
-see it, recognize it
-picture
-print pieces
-web pieces
-slick and glossy imply expense
-variations on a theme
C. Simple lingo/clear instructions
-call to action
ex: "cut xmas spending in 1/2 and bring in other 1/2 to church"
-simple instructions

D. Right timing
-guilt may be motivational, but not the goal

II. Engaging the heart
telling the story
Invite people in-->if hearts aren't in it, wasting time
Keep it in front of people without burning out
A. Movie media
-put Hollywood to use
-Use existing media
B. The eyewitness account
-People being served
-Contagious evangelist
-video
-picture
-own personal stories
-if you can't get excited, don't do it!
C. Getting close enough
D. Mission partners
E. For Left-Brain Thinkers
-most recent news headlines
-factoids
-#'s (can also be used powerfully)
-Put skin on #'s
-Put #'s in front
-Personal appeal letters
F. Personal appeal
G. The Bigger Picture
-worship design
-Be a part of something bigger than self
-Theme into everyday life
III. Put them to work
A. Empower without plugging
B. Celebrate the sacrifice
-sacrificial giving
-redirect efforts
church is not a marketplace
C. For all ages
-not too young
-not too old
-younger generations often get it 1st
D. Equip for sharing
E. Simple starting points
-simplify, sell, serve
-prayer
urgent prayer/trips
Prayer cell groups
IV. Going beyond your own walls
A. Finding partners
-political solutions
-rallies
B. Taking every chance you get
C. Equipping others/permission giving

V. Marketing success = life transformation
-people want to be a part of something bigger than self

Missional Church: Session #13

Building a missional team
unpaid & paid

Creating extraordinary out of ordinary

People in churches have forgotten how to dream
Psalm 37:4,5
Environments hwere people aren't allowed to dream

20/80 barrier

20% of people doing 5-10 things for the church
80% of people worship, but not involved in serving

Fortress vs. launching pad
atmosphere of possibility

Crippling mindsets

1.) "I don't like to impose"
"I know you're busy, but..."
Set up to say no

2.) "I'm not good at convincing people to serve"
not deploying servants--> call in favors

3.) "This is routine, boring work, but someone's gotta do it..."
routine/boring is not same for all people

4.) Servant is there to help you (pastor)
don't think that they are helping to participate in mission of JC

Perspective makeovers

1.) People want a calling/mission, not just a job

2.) Think beyond the core 5-10 tasks
give up control
status quo goes away

3.) Revamp how you invite people to serve
sign up sheets-->only way to serve?
servant sign-up push
servant catalog
____

What happens?
Atmosphere of possibility
self-comissioned

No excuse to not serve!

Building the Paid Team
--Ultimately Responsible by Sue Nelson Kibbey__

Paid staff must embody
no one hired for a job, but must be called

Requirements for paid staff
-must be a member
-tithe (spiritual matuirity)
-cell group
-serve in an unpaid basis (not a professional Xian)

When to add?
-require gifts and skills for an initiative not available withing congregation
-administration can't be handled in an effective way

Hiring inside--> + knows DNA - might not be "sweet spot"

Hiring outside--> + fresh eyes - might not know DNA

Missional Church: Session #12

Visioning

Proverbs 29:18

Promising picture of God's prefered future picture
Faith-->active pursuit of future
act trusting resources will be provided

3 dimensions of vision
1.) formulate
2.) articulate
3.) activate
____

-Formulate
conceive it before you can achieve it
creation comes out of idea of God
mental picture
clear picture
dreaming God's dream is a result of living in submission to the Spirit

microscope--see & magnify present reality
telescope--always focused on distant possibilities (God's purpose)

Who are models?
act it before it becomes a reality
healthy models

2.) Articulate
Habakkuk 2:2
write it down
make clear
collective vision that creates a future reality

3.) Activate
initiate strategic action
articulate with a plan
strategic action plan


-Revolution--
cafe church
gateway community
next step recovery
house churches
conventional church

Essential quality of a visionary?
COURAGE!!
Integrity of heart and skill of hands

We spend too much time (especially on boards) trying to make deals with demons instead of exercising demons.

Missional Church: Session #11

Strategic Stewardship

Myths:

*People don't want to talk about $$
False!
Look @ bookstores!
Problem is how we talk about $$
JC didn't talk about exploitation, but healing
Tie money talk to people's felt need

*People don't want to give $$
Want to give to real needs
Don't know how because of debt


2005--> $1.22 spent for every $1.00 earned

Stewardship
Can't outgive God

Demonstrating

1.) The trust of God's provision
What you have in your hand

2.) Lifestyle of creating rather than consuming
co-creator/investor of God
debt = work tomorrow to pay for yesterday

3.) Living in the Spirit of JC/generosity

___

Stewardship is modeled through Leadership
--board/staff/unpaid servants

--begins in membership class
expectations of Wesleyan disciplines
Testimonies
Interview
Plan of giving
plan for getting out of debt

--Money Matters series
financial freedom
speak from felt need
worship services
commitment weekend

--Get out of debt classes
budget counseling
financial planning
crown financal ministries
if you can't afford it, it's free...if you can, it's not

Tithe-->repentance stage

--Kingdom Investors
Recognition
$10,000+
$1,000+
investing in mission
castng vision
accountability to those who invest
measurement sheet
Q & A
Prayer for mission & people


Money follows mission/vision, not budgets

People want to give themselves to something that gives them a great sense of purpose

Paint the picture of God's future

Vision-->leader's mental image where an organization needs to be in the future. It addresses why, what, how. Vision is primarily right brained and passionate It evokes emotion. Goal setting and strategy development is the result of vision and doesn't preceed vision.

4 characteristics of vision
1.) clarity
2.) urgency
3.) importance
4.) Size

Vision comes from leader, not out of community

"snow offering" --> back-up plan

Missonal Church: Session #10

Preaching
--everything needs to be supported by communication
--can't cheat preaching
--once in, can't back out

Dynamics of preaching
1.) Biblical
2.) Prophetic
Spirit meets Word in context of culture
Creates tension
Did you tell the truth?
3.) Personal
We get to be God's mouthpiece
4.) Self-revealing
Court Jester
5.) Contemporary
Cultural revelations/exegesis
Context
6.) Evangelistic
7.) Motivational
8.) Call to commitment or do

Informational vs. transformational

Who has influenced you?
Models?

Preparation
Devotion
Reading
Series planning
Research

1 day a week with no meetings or phone calls

Word is central to worship

Word
Felt need
Theme
Desired outcome
Metaphor

Power of a great story

Power of a great series

Integration of media

Missional Church: Session #9

Create Healthy Reproductive Systems
--Systems that no longer need you
--curriculum that can be used without you
--repetitive systems
--living organisms reproduce
--retention and assimilation
functioning member of the Body of Christ

Radical hospitality
--Details!!
--What doors are locked?
--Visitors are expected
--No $$ to upgrade? What wow factor?
--Attendance pads--about visitor, not member
--Welcome center
--Bringing coffee into worship
sanctuary is not a "special" room

FEET--Fellowship, Evangelism, Encouragement Team

Fellowship 1/month
Evangelism-->Welcome bags

Name path of assimilation
This is how you become a part/member


Core systems
--support groups
divorce recovery; sanctuary--sexual abuse; 12-step; AA; NA; Al-Anon
--Marriage coaches
curriculum
healthy coaches
--Stephens ministers

Relational Cell System
Communities

Create opportunities for service and exposure
enough for # of people
Food pantries, clothing store
Local trips
National trips
International trips
Continued mission opportunities
Church is too classroom centered
Faith out of service

Missional Church: Session #8

Building a Momentum team

Board--> ceiling ministry can attain
not democratic
not heart--strategic

3 year tenure & 1 year break

1.) Engaged
Active in front line areas of ministry
They've been effective
Advocates for mission

2.) Inspired
by pastor
Order= Leadership
Contaigous with Spirit
Leaders in community
Positive critic-->tough critics

3.) Informed
Nature of 21sr Century Church
Committed to time away
leadership training
planning

4.) Invested
Stewardship
Seeing giving records

Wisdom--worldly & spiritual
Wealth

Pastor= Spiritual Physician

Advisory team
Accountability
Personal

Staff team
Where do you invest you $$?
-youth
-childrens
20 hours-->desk & phone
done come for job-->come for service

Board holds pastor accountable for measureables

$$, space, staff--obstacles for future promise

Missional Church: Session #7

Establish the Missional DNA
Year long strategy

Preaching
How will they know without hearing and how will they hear without preaching?

--Unless we go in opposite direction of slef, we're not following God
--God's doing it with or without you--do you want to be a part of it?
--Baptism-->dying to self
--Not by sight but by faith
--Can't vote no if it's something JC would do
we can't be the ones to inhibit God
--Most traditions are to parody Pagan religions

We shape DNA through preaching

Governance
System of maintence not ministry
Downsize

20 people
Leadership board (5 people who throw gasoline on burning bushes)

Nurture (5 people for in house)
Operation (5 people for Administrative: PPRC, Trustee, Finance)
Witness (5 people for outside: evangelism & mission)

Committee: approves ministry for others to do
Team: picture, plan, practice

1 night a month meetings
Better to throw gasoline rather than water

Vote on budget, ledal, building, not on ministry

To get bigger, you have to get smaller

Most people have smaller thinking people on boards

Leadership development
Find 8-12 people
Commitment for 1 year
Then go out and do themselves

Instead of asking for participation, ask for passions

Missional Church: Session #6

Strategic Leadership

Peter Drucker-->businessman
3 questions

1.) What is our business?
To make disciples of JC for the transformation of the world
2.) Who is our customer?
Luke 4:18-19
Isaiah 61:1-2,4,8
Poor, broken, blindness, oppressed
3.) What does our customer value?
people in pews are not customer


A mission strategy
-picture, plan, practice

Life process: loving God, loving people, serving the world

Love God--bring/celebration
Love people--Grow/cell
Serve world--Call/Giftedness

Celebration--corporate & private
Vibrant worship
Study
Develop inward journey
relevant for the unchurched
incarnational to community

Grow/Cell community
discipled
communitas--purpose for greater than selves
not friendship groups or clubs
accountablity and encourgement

Call & Giftedness
Serving

Identify a passionate, relentless focus that can be said in 1 word
@GUMC-->serve

People live up to expectation of community
The strongest influence

Missional Church: Session #5

Reclaiming a Jesus Hermeneutic

Unlearning

Multipurpose rooms

-Are people really becoming radical discples of Jesus?
-What is the church?
-Why church?

Jesus= blasphemer & heretic/violater of the law

Relational--Spirit
Legalistic--Law

Mark 7:8
John 14:26--Savior vs. book
2 Corinthians 3:6


Legal
_______
Judge
YHWH
Commandment
Punishment
Death
Ritual
Sword of judgement
Internal--kingdom Israel
Emphasis: nationalism
Power= chariots & horses
Purpose: personal salvation & security

Relational
__________
Father (Parent)
Abba
Covenant--Hesed
Discipline
Life
Party
Scalpel of healing (Hebrews 4:12)
External--kingdom of God
Emphasis: Expansive inclusion
Power: Cross
Purpose: kingdom of priests

Recommitting

Simplicity
Strategic discipleship
Sacrificial mission
Loosen grip on materialistic things
Focus on poor
Luke 14:33
Minimize brick & maximize mission

Mortar-->building
Ministry-->inside church
Mission-->outside church

Multiplication vs. expansion
Empowering micro-communities for macro-mission

Strategic Discipleship
decision vs. discipleship

Preach
Sermon series

Teach
Curriculum to pass through
to be a missionary
Ginghamsburg Core 5
-Ginghamsburg DNA (visitor orientation)
-Basic Training (basics of Xianity)
-A Followers Life (membership class)
-Ministry by strengths
-Community life (cell groups)

Heal
Crisis situations

Repeat until it doesn't work

Discipleship-->mentoring

Imprinting to 1st people encounter
If the 1st people encountered are unhealthy disciples, they will become unhealthy disciples

Relational mentoring

Sacrificial mission
Enough opportunities
Past donations and into sacrifice

Missional Church Session #4

Measurements of effectiveness?
-Bible studies
-Attention to mission
-Intentional love/care for one another
-Participation in worship

---

1994--92 mega churches
2005--1235 mega churches (2000+ in attendance)

Mega church--> one of top 10 business models in the 90's

+ = ministry not just for professionals
unchurched people matter to God

- = size =strength

Soft secular--bring JC into world instead of being transformed
People were making JC red or blue not being transformed
---

Worldview

1.) Secular
God is not a factor in any daily activities
skeptical of supernatural (barrier to social progress)
age 42+ & white
in charge of educational institutions
humanistic--depend on selves
materialistic--draw meaning from material
won't be in churches

2.) Soft Secular
Believes in God & maybe JC
God = secondary
Trust secular worldview
Bring God into secular worldview
>2% of mainline folk tithe
Trust selves over God

3.) Post-secular/post modern
Open to supernatural, but without absolutes
Expressive individualism
it's true if it works for me
Centered in today
Bring JC into worldview

4.) Christian
Truth will prevail because it's true, but it may not happen in my lifetime
Bigger than self
Truth may cost life
discipleship over membership

Requirements (measurements) of success
1.) Micah 6:8--great requirement
2.) Great commandment (sacraficial love)
3.) Great Commision

*Act Justly
Powerful with God because of actions with people
over 2000 mentions
Psalm 9:16
Psalm 89:14
Deuteronomy 16:20
Isaiah 58

Christmas is not your birthday
adopted a family (extended beyond Christmas)

All board members must participate in mission

Education at all ages


*Love mercy
Related to grace--undeserved favor
Moralistic--"Because I have more and have worked harder, God favors me more."--looks down on people for lack of initiative
Gospel--"I'm accepted by grace and able to work on my own stuff"
Mercy--lifts and gives hope especially in the community you live and minister
Mission moments--creative advertisements

*Walk humbly with God
Church as organism not organization
Bring the mystery
Spiritual leaders

NT--model of multiplication not an expansion model

Churching the area, not building more churches

Missional Church: Session #2

Missional church = organic

6 strands of missional DNA

Theology is not methodology

Core values = unchanging
cultural practics =continually changing

1.) Lordship of Jesus Christ
1st creed
Authority of JC--different kingdom
JC = ultimate authority
Different worldview
Kingdom of God --alternative/ 3rd way
Illegal (nations law) vs. immoral (God's law)
Servant (sacrificial, not greater than master) vs. volunteer (can make excuses, club language)

2.) Rediscovery of Biblical Authority
Josiah--boy king
Ezra 7:10
Study, do, teach--by example
Primacy of Scripture
Living Word

3.) Relevant worship
Honor God
Edify those who participate
Understood by outsiders

4.) Rediscovery of covenant community
It costs something to follow JC
Body of Christ--where HS is within a community of believers
Body is organic--where Christ is the head

5.) Priesthood principle
unique ministry of laity
every Christian is a minister
Ephesians 4:11-12

Role of pastor--visionary; teaching; keep on God's task; holding to core values

Building systems--servant vs. leader

High expectation = high permission

6.) Leadership principle
God doesn't do anything apart from a human being

managers = trained to do the expected thing
leader = does the right thing

Aaron & Moses

Not about #'s, but about discipleship

If you have to understand it, you aren't empowering enough

Picture, plan, practice

People are looking for meaning, not meetings

Missional Church: Session #1--Momentum for Life

Missional Church with Mike Slaughter


70% of churches worship 100 or less

Momentum for Life

Devotion to God
Readiness for lifelong learning
Investing in key relationships
Visioning for the future
Eating and exercise for life

8 quality characteristics of passionate spirituality--UM churches fall shortest

Devotion to God

Time & speed--valued in our culture
Culture of hurry

Richard Foster--instant satisfaction - primary spiritual problem
manipulation vs. servanthood
--renews "why"--so as not to become a job

Take time to dress and prepare Spirit

Clarify direction--"God speaks because people are listening"

Scripture
Observation
Name applicable principle

Fear of boards vs. fear of God

1 new birth, but several conversions

*Readiness for lifelong learning
Acts 7:22

Discover wisdom through
1.) Personal experience (R&D--research and development)
2.) Others' experiences
3.) Wisdom of the ages

*Investing in key relationships
Isaiah 5:8
need un-filled in spaces

Invest in important relationships to your heart
Invest in strategic relationships

Find the "Deborah's & Joshua's" of the movement--strategic leaders

All people are important to God, but not all people are strategic for the mission

*Visioning for the future
You become your life picture

*Eating and exercising for life

School for Congregational Development: Rally Night!

COME PACK THE PEWS
ON RALLY NIGHT

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2009 7:00 P.M.

FIRST UMC
516 CHURCH ST., EVANSTON, IL 60201

REV. MIKE SLAUGHTER
will speak on

MOBILIZING MISSIONAL
SIGNIFICANCE

Mike Slaughter, lead pastor at Ginghamsburg Church, is the three-decade dreamer of Ginghamsburg and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. His life-long passion to reach the lost and set the oppressed free has now made him a tireless and leading advocate for the children, women and men of Darfur, Sudan, named by the U.N. as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. Mike's call to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted will challenge attendees to wrestle with God and their God-destinies.

This event is part of the School of Congregational Development and is free. Call Candi to request childcare at 847-864-6181 by July 25.th. There is free Sunday public parking on Church St. lot across from the church.