Setting the Course: A Call to Action for The UMC

What Motivated 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?

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 of Bishop’s Call To 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 Challenges 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 Challenges

Adaptive Response Mark 1:14 – 15 Mark 1: Genesis 12:1 Exodus 3:10 Matthew 28:19-20 AdaptiveCall

What is a Vital Congregation?

Transformation A 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 condition Leaders

Respond to present condition Leaders Shape present & future condition in alignment with a desired outcome Transformational Leaders

Respond to present condition Leaders Shape present & future condition in alignment with a desired outcome Shape present & future condition in alignment with Jesus’ call to follow Him Shape present & future condition in alignment with Jesus’ call to follow Him Transformational Leaders Christian Transformational Leaders

The third recommendation of the CTA report was to collect, report, review & act upon statistical information measuring progress in key performance areas to learn and adjust our approaches to leadership, policies, and the use of human and financial resources. The third recommendation of the CTA report was to collect, report, review & act upon statistical information measuring progress in key performance areas to learn and adjust our approaches to leadership, policies, and the use of human and financial resources..

Vital Congregation Goals Average weekly worship attendance Professions of faith Small groups Members in mission Dollars given to mission

Do Numbers Tell the Whole Story of Missional 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 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.

WHY?WHAT? HOW? WHO? COST ? vision Mission Committee Structure Program Team People Budget Model for Organizational effectiveness Balanced Scorecard Adjustments to Mission/Vision & Structure Metrics Of Success People

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 vitality

Drivers of Congregational Vitality

Vital 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 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 in Small Groups VCs have more small groups for all ages VCs have more programs for children VCs have more programs for youth

Vital 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 of Bishop’s Call To 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 Expect 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 expanding The fruit of Godly character 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 congregation joining Jesus in fulfilling His mission of advancing the Kingdom of God?