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?