Transforming Church

Ten years later (in my first call) I realized that I did not have the right tools or mindset to tackle the problems in my congregation. There was a lot of conflict. The vast majority of pastors who preceded me there had left parish ministry. I needed help. God’s help.

I looked around and found a Doctor of Ministry program based on Transformational Ministries at McCormick in Chicago. It was the only program (at the time) that received a perfect rating from the Association of Theological Schools. Many faculty members had completed advanced business studies at Northwestern Kellogg School of Business (as well as seminary educations).

I got much more than I bargained for. The program effectively integrated high performing business models with spirituality. This approach is really not a stretch. The groundbreaking business book (of the time) on organizational change was called “Transforming Work” by Professor John D. Adams (1982). It contained chapters and titles words like “grace”, “wisdom”, “stewardship”, “spirituality”, “kairos”, “importance of small groups”, “purpose and meaning.” This secular book even referred to Jesus as a change agent. The business world had a better understanding of growth concepts than my seminary classes.

McCormick excelled by showing us that effective organizational development utilized the same skill set needed for spiritual direction. Their faculty included Father Robert Dougherty, spiritual coordinator for the Jesuit Order in North America and Rev Dr Norman Shawchuck (native American) author of many prayer books for clergy and lay leaders.

Together they demonstrated that many of the spiritual direction tools used in the transformation of an individual also apply to organizational change and growth. This article cannot sufficiently cover the entire scope of organizational spiritual direction. Let me share a few key examples.

Patience
· All too often colleagues hear a good idea at a conference and cannot wait to rush home and try it out. One pastor boasted that he grew his congregation down from 500 members to just 100 in one month’s time. Change takes times. Significant change can take years.
· It takes patience to plant a seed and wait for it to grow to maturity, however, there is a great reward in taking the time to partner with others. Ultimately it’s not our efforts that matter but those things we accomplish together as the whole people of God.
· We need to take time to build trust before we can venture into new mission fields. Recently our church opened a new Satellite mission. Three hundred folks now attend this new community of faith. The vision for this mission was cast several years ago. We have enjoyed significant support throughout the congregation because we took the time to involve a broad base of congregational leadership.
· I appreciate books like “Transitioning” by Rev Dr Dan Southerland. He has helped many churches and leaders understand change from a Biblical model.

God’s Will
· Many people who have participated in twelve step programs are familiar with the Serenity Prayer. Many do not realize that there are additional verses or that it was written by a pastor with Lutheran roots. The author, Reinhold Niebuhr, was a minister of the Evangelical Synod of North America, a denomination with a Lutheran and Reformed German background.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking as He did, this World as it is, not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;
That I May be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him, forever in the next. by Rev Dr Reinhold Niebuhr, 1926

· Niebuhr's prayer speaks of a full surrender to God’s hand in our lives. An important element of spiritual transformation is the willingness to surrender all our efforts to God. God is willing to direct and guide us when we are willing to be patient and follow.
· Proverbs tell us that “without vision, people perish.” In order to chart an effective vision, a church must be willing to listen to God’s will.

Agape
· Niebuhr also wrote about different types of love. There is physical love (watch primetime television), there is brotherly love (visit Philadelphia), there is human love (I now pronounce you…); but there is only one type of love that can be accomplished with God’s help; agape love (see 1 Corinthians 13). God’s hand reaches down from heaven and pulls us up. We exceed our human limitations and experience a part of heaven on earth.
· Transformational ministries are vehicles of God’s agape.
· Occasionally God can surprise us and change the direction of our pursuits. Transformational ministries allow space for the hand of God to intervene. Often I find I aim too low. God raises the stakes all the time. God’s love breaks in a makes all things new. We just need to have the courage to follow. Then we are raised up on the wings of eagles.
· I experience great joy when a parishioner informs me that God has a greater plan in mind for us. In that moment I am humbled. I am reminded that the true ministry of a church is never accomplished by the pastor. I am called to share God’s agape message with the true leaders of the church, the whole people of God.

Listening to God
· We need to hear God in order to follow. Several years ago my wife served on synod staff. She is also a graduate of McCormick’s program. She instituted a multi-week prayer guide to help call committees in their preparation for calling a new pastor. The committee members read scripture, prayed, and wrote in a journal each day. At the end of that time they felt better prepared to call a spiritual leader for their congregation. God’s will was made known. Many transforming pastors were called to those churches.
· The Bible is filled with many stories of people’s lives changed by listening to God. It’s important to listen before making any important decision. I like to use resources like “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God” and “A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants” by Dr Norman Shawchuck (mentioned before). Both contain excellent resources for listening (I get no kickbacks).
· Personally I get very frustrated with the lectionary at times. There are many great stories that are missed by the rotating cycle. We use the lectionary half the times at our church but spend the rest listening to whole books of the Bible. The results are profound. Members get to know real people in the scripture and learn from their faith journeys. Biblical preaching and teaching (whole book by whole book) can be effect means of listening to God as a whole congregation.

Conclusions

1. I did not mean to imply that McCormick was the only place where people can learn about transformational ministry. I can only witness to its impact on our ministries. I’m sure there are many other great programs out there. Besides faculty and programs are always changing.

2. I am thrilled to be a member and ongoing participant of the Transforming Church gathering. There are many spiritually gifted servants of Christ present. I have visited many gatherings and seen many churches in action, but this does not recommend duplication of someone else’s ministries. There is an authentic transformational spirituality at work. Ron Lee communes with the creative spirit of God.

It is a privilege to meet and work with dedicated servants like Gregg Burch (I still get no kickbacks). His work with the Academy and website is an inspiration to the church. He has been touched by that agape love of Christ.

3. I currently feel like a fervent prayer has been answered. Augsburg Fortress has been undergoing a significant change in the past few years. Under the gifted leadership of Beth Lewis they dedicated themselves to transformational ministries.

I was recently part of a think tank for a new emphasis they are working on called Akaloo (based on the word Jesus used with all the disciples to “come, follow me). This is much more than a Sunday School resource or adult curriculum. The authors and editors (led by Bill Huff) are dedicated to providing tools that will help enable transformational ministries throughout the church. There will be elements for youth, families, retreats, and many other resources.

The Presbyterian Church in America has publicly endorsed this new endeavor and is officially recommending it to all their congregations. They already see the transformational possibilities. I feel like I have come full circle because McCormick is a Presbyterian seminary.

4. Finally, I am reminded of Johan Sebastian Bach (patron saint of church musicians). It is well known that he signed his works “Soli Deo Gloria” or “To God Alone, the Glory” at the conclusion of his compositions. I recently learned that he was often in the habit of writing the words “Jesus Juva” or “Help me Jesus” on the paper before he even started. The faithful manner in which we start our work is just as important as the conclusion. May Bach’s music and witness inspire all our transformational ministries!

5. Transformational ministry can be pain free and filled with joy. Just follow instructions. Repeat the Lord’s Prayer daily.