Transforming Church

APOCALYPTIC - More than prophetic, the church today needs to be apocalyptic. Old Testament prophets would study the past and present, and then interpret (not predict) the future. They were not crystal ball gazers, but they could see what would happen if nothing changed. When headed for trouble, they would interpret that to be God’s wrath, but if warnings straightened out the Children of Israel, and what was predicted did not happen, that was interpreted to mean God had repented of His wrath. The very end of their message would express hope that would be realized if they tried hard enough. Things would get better. There are times, however, like the latter part of the first century, when such a message is not possible. When it became obvious that Christians could not deal with life simply by trying harder, hope had to come from a more cosmic reach beyond this life. That is apocalyptic, which anchors hope in the life to come and no longer depends on an impossible promise that things can or will get better in this life. Roughly ninety percent of the interpretations of the Book of Revelation today are eschatological, seen as dealing in end times. Revelation, instead, is an apocalyptic book, viewing present and future with a hope anchored in ultimate victory beyond this life. Inheriting an unfixable world with the escalation of change, the Church today desperately needs to be, not prophetic, but apocalyptic in its witness and ministry.

CHANGE - Change is not only inevitable, it has always existed, even though it is our human nature to resist change. The knowledge explosion, coupled with the Age of Technology and the Post-modern Age, means the rate of change is ever escalating. Time itself seems to be speeding up, but in reality it is an illusion caused by the rate of change. In the future it will not appear to slow back down, only go faster. The Church needs to retool so it can minister within change and make the most of it.

CHAORDIC - A “chaord” has been defined as “a system that is both ordered and chaotic at the same time.” Chaordic is a term being used increasingly today to define how we need to operate on the border between chaos and order. It has been discovered that it is in the seam between chaos and order that both dramatic change and transformation take place. In the past the Church has not made an intentional effort to work there. Even a decade ago our perspective of chaos was something we had to overcome, master, subdue, straighten out. Today we finally appreciate we are incapable of doing that. Rather than spinning its wheels ineffectively, the Church is being called to do ministry within the chaos. It is also there that God’s Spirit does some of His best work.

CHURCH SYSTEM - If the church is going to be effective with transformation, moving people in a growth way from being followers of Jesus to being disciples of Jesus, it is going to need a “system” of operation as a congregation that is different from the machine model conceived between an immigrant church and the Industrial Age, different from what is described in the Model Constitution for ELCA Congregations. Many of our congregations have already moved to a new perspective in church organization. While standards of affiliation based on faith relationship with the ELCA need to be retained, there is no longer one organizational model that fits all. What is crucial, however, is that each congregation organize around the mission Christ has given it, as well as its Spirit led vision, values and core beliefs. The shape of congregational ministry today needs to remain fluid, coming from the discovery and utilization of spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has provided those He has led to that congregation. Taking their lead from the first century Church, congregations will be organic in design. As more importance is placed on relationships, congregations will discover the need to move some older values like trust and permission-giving into higher priority. More attention will also need to be given to foundation, function and form.

COACH - is a wonderful analogy and concept to identify the most effective way to lead congregations and their leaders for at least the immediate future. More and more congregations are picking up on the slogan, “Every member a minister.” As that becomes reality more than a slogan, the vast majority of members who were content to simply be followers of Jesus, will have moved to become disciples of Jesus. The past image of the pastor being the minister and everyone else helping her or him do the ministry, has been replaced by everyone taking ownership and responsibility for their own ministry. As we continue to study the first century model, we realize Jesus is counting on all of us equally to reach others. He is depending on the very gifts the Spirit has given us. In the 21st Century everyone in the congregation needs to be a leader, not in the sense of having all chiefs and no Indians, but in the sense of everyone being able to identify and take responsibility for their ministry. In such a permission-giving environment the effective pastor will become a coach and trainer. Pastors need to be visionary coaches, but lay leaders in the congregation will tend to be either visionary or resource coaches. Both types of leaders (coaches) are needed within the congregation’s ministry. Picture the dozen or so coaches of an NFL team, those visionary coaches up in the boxes choosing which plays or modified plays will work, and those resource coaches down on the field making sure the right personnel get into the game at the right time. It’s a great analogy.

DISCIPLE - one who daily walks with the Lord, who is growing in their relationship with Him, and who is mission focused. Disciples will serve most effectively using the spiritual gift(s) the Spirit has given them, and not just using talents and abilities they have acquired or inherited. Disciples are also committed to making other disciples.

EXPERIENCE - as in “to experience God.” All of us have head sense and heart sense. Head sense leans more on intellect, reason and logic, and helps us to know about someone. Heart sense leans more on feelings, senses and emotions, and helps us get to know the person. As Lutherans we have historically placed more emphasis on head sense, learning about God, the good theological ways we come to know about what God has, is and will do for us. Where many of us Lutherans personally need more growth, and where the spiritual needs of new and younger generations are more focused, is with ways to experience God. This is not only within worship, but as we walk with Him day by day. There is presently a huge spiritual hunger in our society, often looking for satisfaction beyond what is typically identified as being religious, but which, at the same time, will only be satisfied through “experience.”

INDIGENOUS – for our purposes means that it is shaped by (designed for) the target group the congregation hopes to reach. Some misconstrue that the goal is to become like the target group, but indigenous in its best sense is what it means to be “in the world but not of it.” Throughout the Bible, again and again the record shows that God would always go to people, where they were, as they were, who they were, and that He never expected them first to become something they were not. It was He who reached out to them with His love. This was reflected in our Lord’s daily ministry, as it became obvious He was always in conflict with the “set-aparts” who were leading the Jewish faith in that day. We are not called to become like the culture, to be absorbed by the culture, but we are called to reach out into the culture, and to engage it.

MAINTENANCE - is one of the two most common ministry mentalities in the church today. Its primary focus of concern is on the congregation that gathers, not the parish area of people who reside, work and play within the neighborhood. In a maintenance congregation most of the effort and resources go to “maintaining” the congregation. While reaching out is often a real concern, it becomes secondary to maintaining the congregation. The reality is few “maintenance” congregations are able to maintain their size of membership. In what is often the forty to sixty year life-cycle of a congregation, most “maintenance” congregations have already plateaued and are experiencing statistical decline.

MENTAL MAP - describes the principles you use when you make decisions. A few years ago a synonym that was on many people’s lips was “paradigm.” Mental maps is better to use because it supports a fluid, changing pattern. As paradigms shift to new positions, those can become just as rigid and problematic as previous ones. Maps are changing all the time, and with the increasing rate that change is happening, our mental maps must be changing. Following up on the vocabulary of two decades ago, there were paradigm shifters and paradigm pioneers. The shifters were breaking new ground and the pioneers were bringing about the desired direction and result. In today’s leadership coaching vocabulary, there are visionary coaches who are breaking new ground and there are resource coaches who are bringing about the desired direction and result.

MISSIONAL - is the second of the two common ministry mentalities in the church today. The highest priorities for missional leaders and congregations are reaching those who do not yet know Christ and growing disciples. Both contribute to the growth of the church. It has been said that only fifteen percent of congregations are missional. Missional leaders and congregations aid members in the discovery and utilization of their spiritual gifts. Disciples are trained, equipped and commissioned to serve in ministry with their gifts. Missional leaders and congregations are also concerned about caring for and meeting the needs of members, but their primary focus is reaching out to those who do not yet know Christ. Foremost is the mission Christ has given the church, expressed most concisely in the Great Commission in Matthew, chapter 28.

MISSION STATEMENT – expressed or not, others can observe us and identify what we live as our mission. To be more effective each individual and group should identify their mission in words. One’s mission, whether an individual or a group, becomes a statement of purpose, their reason for existence. As Christians it becomes our attempt to identify the mission we have been given by Jesus Christ. Generally a mission statement is more philosophical, and does not really attempt to describe ministry. Under the umbrella of the Great Commission in Matthew 28, it is entirely possible, even probable, that more than one congregation, or a group of congregations, could have the same mission statement. The same would not be true of the vision the Holy Spirit provides, because vision begins to flesh out how the mission for that individual or group is going to be accomplished. See “Vision Statement” as well. With little exception, the shorter the mission statement, the more effective it will be. A congregation’s mission statement ought to be easily memorized by everyone in the congregation, even small children. It is to become like frontlets on everyone’s eyes, shaping every decision made within the congregation.

ORGANIC - should be an organizational characteristic of every congregation in the 21st Century. Where the old mechanical or machine structures of organization are allowed to continue unchallenged, eighty or more percent of that congregation’s resources will be used up just to keep the machinery running. This is before ministry begins to happen. Organic means systems of permission-giving and accountability, which cannot be managed with levels of authority. Organic has no purposeful place for entitled officers, and it becomes encumbered by agendas. Small groups are natural to it, since ministry is done by individuals and teams rather than committees. Ministries and teams grow out of other ministries and teams, much like “fractalling” in gardens. Responsibility rests with individuals and teams, and accountability is to the Mission, Vision, core values and core beliefs of the congregation. The combination of these directs the entire congregation. Jesus’ own ministry style becomes a model, as He related on one level to the masses, like the congregation, on a much deeper level to the Twelve, and on a still deeper level to only three. Today, even a pastor’s own ministry should take this to mind and heart.

POST-MODERN - is the name of the age that has replaced The Enlightenment with its five-hundred year influence since the Renaissance. Post-Modern impact is being magnified by the Age of Technology and the knowledge explosion; all are occurring at the same time. Post-moderns are those who were born in the mid-nineteen sixties or later. That was when the shift from Enlighten-ment to Post-modern occurred. Post-moderns represent the first significant change in the way people think in five hundred years. As a result, society is already moving more and more from linear-track thinking to multi-track thinking. It was at the same time music composition witnessed a shift from down-beat to up-beat emphasis.

PRE-CHRISTIAN - is simply a better term than post-Christendom, which is also often used. Pre-Christian enhances our renewed identity with the first century Church and signals a fresh start with the mission Christ has given us. As first century Christians lived in chaotic times brought about mainly by continual life-threatening persecution by the Roman Empire, we too live in chaotic times brought about by a host of factors, not the least of which is the accelerating rate of change. The renewed identity of the twenty-first century with the first century has many benefits, and in spite of two thousand years in between, the similarities between them are dramatic.

REAL - The rate of change, the first major shift in the way people think in five hundred years and the more diverse needs of newer generations, have all contributed to a greater demand for assurance of being “real” in matters of spiritual quest. Ways that we can be more “real” in our ministries are becoming ever more important. For those who struggle with the idea of “relevant,” appreciate that it is far more important today to be “real” than it is to be “relevant.”

SELF-DIFFERENTIATED - describes a style of leadership that is best suited to the needs of at least another decade, if not longer. It is most effective in leading the transformation of individuals and congregations from being followers of Jesus to becoming disciples of Jesus. After initially clarifying the mission of the congregation, and while working to identify core values and beliefs, the pastor, through scripture, meditation and prayer begins to receive from the Holy Spirit God’s vision for the congregation. While the mission and core values and beliefs can lead the congregation until Christ comes again, vision defines the next three, five, ten, twenty years of working toward the mission. The more fluid and changing vision is continually recast (reinterpreted) to the congregation by the pastor. It has been suggested that about eighty percent of a pastor’s time should be directly or indirectly casting vision. While charismatic leaders can be transformational, self-differentiation, which keeps clear of personalities, is much more effective to bring about transformation. Consensus leadership also cannot avoid personality, and in spite of all good intention, cannot avoid also being compromised by personal preferences. Self-differentiation allows the mission, vision, core values and core beliefs to lead the congregation. Because it does not focus on the “person” of the leader, both leader and followers remain part of the same organism, and the self-differentiated leader is best able to stay in contact with everyone.

SMALL GROUPS - are not a fad but a trend, and here to stay in the twenty-first century. They are a significant accessory to an organic system of organization. Small groups generally come together for study, support, service or fellowship, and while most groups will come together for one of these purposes in particular, they will often provide all of these benefits at the same time.

SPIRITUAL – for the purpose of this focus might be described as a societal quest today. While a spiritual hunger is seeking new satisfactions in the Church today, huge numbers within society share the same craving, but often they do not believe the Church is able to provide real spirituality. We have what they need, but the church needs to connect with new ministries that will fill this hunger.

TEAM – in spite of those who have not experienced the difference, a team is not a committee with a different name. Teams have leaders but not entitled officers. They have “a” purpose or ministry, but are not controlled or driven by agendas. Teams may or may not “meet.” Effective teams are not homogeneous groups, but they are dependent on permission-giving and trust. Through these and other attributes teams encourage different opinions to improve the ministry and maximize the use of gifts. Most effective teams have a key leader, generally the one with the greatest passion for that ministry, but all members of a team share in leadership. As the team’s ministry unfolds, different members step forward and lead at different times. Accountability for the team is to the mission and vision of the congregation.

TRANSFORMATIONAL – Often mistakenly described as a leadership style, transformational is more correctly identified as an attitude whose principal ingredient is passion, passion for those who do not yet know Jesus Christ, coupled with a willingness to risk for their sake. It has been said that one-third of our missional pastors, or five percent of all pastors, are transformational. The Holy Spirit is hard at work to change this. Transformational is closer to being a gift of the Spirit than it is a learned or acquired trait. It is lived, similar to faith. Like faith can be expressed through knowledge and beliefs, not to be confused as faith itself, transformational can find expression through skills and strategies, not to be confused as transformational themselves. With the source of transformation being the Holy Spirit, being open with desire becomes an invitation to be transformed. Likewise, since transformational is not something learned or taught, it’s an empowering of individuals and groups by the Spirit.

VISUAL - describes another trend within our society and therefore opportunity of which congregations should take advantage. To be aware of this and attentive to it will be yet another key to effectively reaching and growing disciples for many years ahead. A more limited influence to be noted at the same time is that we are less verbal and we place less importance on the printed verbal page.

VISION - The vision of a congregation cannot be the consensus of a committee or team. Such an approach will most every time be tainted by personal interest and agenda. There may well be a number of ways to arrive at vision, but only the congregation’s key leader can be the keeper of the vision. Even multiple staff ministries that emphasize vision will be the first to identify that the senior pastor has to be the keeper of the vision. And yes, that is an awesome responsibility. The vision is not shaped by the pastor; it is provided by the Holy Spirit, both initially and as reshaped again and again. Listening to the Spirit speak through scripture, meditation and prayer, as well as other individuals, the pastor must be trusted to give the Holy Spirit the reins. Where the Spirit speaks through others it should be offered as input, allowing the pastor to seek validation from the Spirit. There may be a gathered visionary team that meets with the pastor, but only the most visionary leaders should be invited. Other broader opportunities may be identified, but these will be exceptions, since most group process leads to consensus. Consensus too easily becomes compromised by personal preference. Even strategic planning, which moves quickly to consensus, must be used only in focused ways after vision has already been clearly identified. If we are to give the congregation’s reins to the Holy Spirit, every care must be taken not to let humans compromise that. Likewise, as faithfulness to the vision has been demonstrated, others can share in casting vision to the congregation. Pastors themselves, however, should be spending about eighty percent of their time interpreting the vision directly or indirectly to the congregation. Obviously this occurs as she or he carries out all facets of their own ministry.

VISION STATEMENT - In contrast to the mission statement, this moves beyond philosophy into specifics. While the vision statement is ideally not more than a few short sentences, it does get to specifics of ministry that will currently move the congregation toward its mission. Generally this statement will become a much more fluid and changing document. In contrast with the mission statement, it would be safe to say that it is impossible for two or more congregations to have the same vision or vision statement. Vision speaks only to this congregation, in this place, at this time. This statement at best will only be sketchy trying to encompass the entire vision, and the more effective and comprehensive the pastor is at casting vision with the congregation, the less significant a vision “statement” becomes. Its importance, however, is always needed in the spectrum of assessment and accountability with ministry.

WATER - Light is a powerful illustration in scripture as it relates to Jesus Christ, but another dramatic illustration is water, referring to our earthly state in so many ways. Even before “anything” was created in Genesis, there is this image of the “waters of chaos.” Not only does water play a significant part in our relationship to this life, it has a place in our redemption to eternal life as well. Like yesterday, today we are again swimming in the waters of chaos. Within all the complexities of life today there is little room for rigidity in anything. Everything needs to be seen as and stay fluid, like water. There can be little doubt water will remain in the future a significant analogy or metaphor for both this life and the Church.

as prepared by Pastor Roger Ganzel