EVOKING COMMUNITIES OF GREATER MINISTRY

Obstacles to Authentic Evocative Leadership  Professionalism  Doing to others what you wouldn’t want done to you.  Leading others in ways that are not authentic to you  Treating others as objects, instruments, for another end  Anxiously looking for quick-fix

Obstacles to Authentic Evocative Leadership  Professionalism  Obligational Christianity: the tyranny of the ‘should’

Obstacles to Authentic Evocative Leadership  Professionalism  Obligational Christianity  Congregation as indivisible whole Alternative: congregation as multiple communities

Do YOU love me? John 21: Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” “Let all your words and actions evidence the spirit whereby you are animated!” J Wesley, “Of the Church,” #30

2 types of ecclesial leadership  Directive: provides content & focus  Evocative: points to and calls out the divine calling ○ Exploration into the uncharted territory ○ Immersion: helps people see God at work and abide in God more fully ○ Incarnation: calls out their response to God’s call

Directive Leadership  Provides content and Focus 1. Proclamation: Clarify Reality - God in you; you in God John 15:4 – “ Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me” God is ministering through you. How? God is calling you to greater ministry. What? Listen, follow, abide more fully. How?

Convictions  Church members already ministering.  Everyone is gifted: I Cor 12:7: ‘to each is given a manifestation of the Spirit …’  Congregations change best through covenantal small groups.

Directive Leadership 2. Organizes people to share their ministries more fully  Share persons’ ministries throughout congregation ○ Worship services ○ Small Groups ○ Classes ○ Excursions into the community Highlight and Celebrate

Directive Leadership  Organize the parts into a interactive WHOLE

Directive Leadership 3. Provides resources for Contemplative Exploration of God’s call  Share the benefits of a Contemplative/Meditative lifestyle  Provide resources for individuals and groups  Share your practices of contemplative living Spiritual Transparency

Evocative Leadership  Evocative: points to and calls out the divine calling ○ Initiate Holy Conversations ○ Ask gently probing questions about their ministry and spiritual vitality ○ Do not give answers; do not organize ○ Ask the baptismal questions: more, deeper, better, wider…

Evoking Communities of Greater Ministry (Sources: John Wesley, Community Organizing, and Church Planting) 4 STEPS : 1. One to One holy conversations 2. Convene small affinity groups of exploration 3. Help them Identify common commitments and spiritual practices 4. Help them Self-Organize in communities for productive, effective missional ministry. 5. More, Better, Deeper, Wider….

Evocative leadership through Holy Conversations Aims:  to ask probing questions about spirituality (connecting spirituality to ministry)  to evoke greater spiritual engagement through ministry  to help people organize their own communities of ministry

Resources Block, Community: The Structure of Belonging Brown: Building Powerful Community Organizations

Evoking Holy Conversations Step 1: One to One Holy Conversations 1. Investigate your congregation; teach yourself. Ask questions about what folks are doing. Listen carefully. How are they in ministry now? 2. Help the people recognize their ministry and hear their call more clearly. 3. Who might they invite, who might they join? 4. How to: more, better, deeper, wider?

Step 2: Convening small affinity groups  Purpose: to share mutual interests, to see if a common interest emerges, to evoke commitment to hearing and following one’s calling.  Facilitate, not direct. Evoking Holy Conversations

Example Questions:  How and when do you serve others?  How and when do you contribute most to the community?  What is Christian ministry? How is that reflected in your daily life?  How can this group support you?  How might we join you?  Who else might join you? Evoking Holy Conversations – indigenous ministry

Steps 3 and 4 Step 3: Identify common commitments and spiritual practices to support Step 4: Self-Organize in communities of productive missional practice.

Step 5 Baptismal Intensification

The purpose of it all That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.