Five Fruitful Practices

Transcription

1 Session 8: Five Fruitful Practices

2 Welcome to Session 8 This session is intended to be used by congregations that have been working through the Shared Learning Experience (SLE) of the Fruitful Congregation Journey. There are several ways that this material can be used. The intent is that this study be used between the time that the Step 1 (SLE) is completed and prior to Step 2 of FCJ the congregational consultation. This session is in 5 parts that following each of the five practices that Bishop Schnase outlines are necessary for churches to be fruitful. Each part contains numerous questions for congregations and their leadership to work through as well as possible next steps to consider. Therefore, it is difficult to determine how long this session may take. We encourage you to think through the questions carefully and develop some action plans accordingly. Who should be involved in this study? Obviously you can continue with those that have been working through the SLE Step 1 process. However, you may consider including all church leaders and staff as you continue this process. Other congregations could decide to open it up to any members of your church. Whatever way you chose to go forward, we believe that the discussions generated by this study will be helpful as you move forward toward fruitfulness. It is important for you to understand that all of the material used in this study comes directly from Bishop Schnase s book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. The content is for the 2

3 purposes of highlighting each of these areas. It is our hope that those working through this session read the entire book for greater understanding or to use the individual studies available for purchase as well. It is not our intent that you use only the summaries provided as you will lose the richness of the author s intent for complete understanding of each practice. All materials are published by Abingdon Press and are available in print or electronic transfer. Please note that before each session you should begin in prayer and ask for open hearts and minds as you meditate and discuss the topics. Our prayer is that those in study will be open to what God is calling you to understand and what God s will is for you to act upon. God will call you to be Radical, Passionate, Intentional, Risk-taking, Extravagant disciples --- be prepared!!! And then enjoy the blessings of fruitfulness! 3

4 Session 8, part 1: Practicing Radical Hospitality Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Radical Hospitality. Out of genuine love for Christ and for others, their laity and pastors take the initiative to invite, welcome, include, and support newcomers and help them grow in faith as they become part of the Body of Christ. Their members focus on those outside their congregation with as much passion as they attend to the nurture and growth of those who already belong to the family of faith, and they apply their utmost creativity, energy, and effectiveness to the task, exceeding all expectations. Christian hospitality refers to the active desire to invite, welcome, and receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ. It describes a genuine love for others who are not yet a part of the faith community, an outward focus, a reaching out to those not yet known, a love that motivates church members to openness and adaptability, a willingness to change behaviors in order to accommodate the needs and the gracious love of Christ, respects the dignity of others, and expresses discipleship, a quality of Christian community, a concrete expression of community of faith, not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28). By practicing hospitality, we become part of God s invitation to new life, showing people that God in Christ values them and loves them. We, too, were once strangers to the faith, residing outside the community where we now find rich resources of meaning, grace, hope, friendship, and service. We belong to the Body of Christ because of someone s hospitality. Think about some of the people that might be hoping to find a place where they could be truly apart of things.that are longing to belong to something like you have found in a faith community. You may have been that person at some point in your life. What are some of the questions they might have in mind as they contemplate whether or not they should try church? If they knew my background would they tell me I couldn t join them? What if you don t know anything about church or God and everyone else does? Does everyone there already know everyone and could I fit in? Are they all married and have families? Others? Jesus says, I was once a stranger and you welcomed me (Matthew 25:35). Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40). We would change our behaviors toward strangers if we lived as if we really believed this! 4

5 Jesus example of hospitality is one of gracious love that intentionally requires focus on those outside the community of faith. We have to see ourselves as sent out by Christ and going out of our way, even at the risk of a sense of awkwardness and inconvenience, to invite people into some aspect of the church s ministry. 1. What brought you to your church? 2. How did you hear about it? Or, who invited you? 3. Unless you were born into your church, what was your first experience walking into the church building? Did you feel welcomed or awkward? 4. How does your church welcome guests? 5. What are your top entry points through which new people are most likely to connect to your congregation? (i.e. worship, events, ministries) 6. Which of these are the most attracting and relatable to people you are trying to reach? 7. What could you do to make these even more inviting? 8. How is your church able to communicate a welcoming spirit and open invitation to check us out? 9. How do you personally invite persons to your church? What holds you back? Hospitality is prayer, work, habit, practice, and initiative for the purposes of Christ. John Wesley and the early Methodists practiced hospitality in ways so radical in their day that many traditional church leaders found their activities offensive. Wesley preached to thousands on roadsides and in open fields in order to reach coal miners, field laborers, factory workers, the underclass, and the poorest of the poor. He invited them into community and nurtured in them a strong sense of belonging as he organized societies and classes for mutual accountability, support, and care. Wesley taught of God s prevenient grace: the preceding, preparing grace that draws people to God. 5

6 According to Wesley, before people ever consciously come to faith, they have inner desires for relationship to God that are stifled, forgotten, neglect, ignored, or denied. A congregation is a school for love, the place where God s spirit forms us and the place where we learn how to give love to and receive love from friends, neighbors, and strangers. The church is the presence of Christ in the world, the means by which God knits us into community in order to transform our lives and the lives of those around us. Sometimes members forget that churches offer something people need. What do people need that congregations offer? In Leading Beyond the Walls, Adam Hamilton remind us that every church should be clear about the answers to the questions, Why do people need Christ? Why do people need the church? And why do people need this particular congregation? When will we start sharing what we have received? How do we express with integrity and clarity what we hope others receive? What do people need from the church? They need to know God loves them, that they are of supreme value, and that their life has significance. They need to know that they are not alone; that when they face life s difficulties, they are surrounded by a community of grace; and that they do not have to figure it out entirely for themselves how to cope with family tensions, self-doubts, periods of despair, economic reversal, and the temptations that hurt themselves or others. They need to know the peace that runs deeper than an absence of conflict, the hope that sustains them even through the most painful periods of grief, the sense of own belonging that blesses them and stretches them and lifts them out of their own preoccupations. They need to learn how to offer and accept forgiveness and how to serve and be served. As a school for love, the church becomes a congregation where people learn from one another how to love. People need to know that life is not having something to live on but something to live for, that life comes not from taking for oneself but by giving of oneself. People need a sustained sense of purpose. BUT, the last thing people want is to be told by someone else what they need! Inviting people into Christ does not involve pounding people with oughts and shoulds. 6

7 Some people recognize their needs, and they search for meaning, for others, and for God. But most people discover their need for God s grace for the love of Christ through the experience of receiving it. There are countless stories of people who did not know how hungry they were for genuine community until they experience it, of people who never knew they needed the connection to God which worship fosters until they regularly attended, and of people who sensed something missing from their lives and didn t know what it was until they immersed themselves in regular service to other in need. EVERY COMMUNITY, CHURCH, OR GROUP OF FRIENDS HAS DOORS WHERE NEW PEOPLE SEEM TO COME IN. ARE THE DOORS OF YOUR CONGREGATION OPEN? HOW EASY IS IT TO COME IN AND FIND A PLACE? 1. How do people hear about your church most often? Think of all the ways someone in your community might hear or learn about the congregation. 2. Think of all the groups - classes, committees, or teams - that are places where new people come into the life of the church. Which groups in your church seem to be the easiest for new people to join? 3. Can you identify why those groups identified above are successful in connecting? 4. At what point to you believe guests don t feel new anymore? 5. What are ways the congregation be helped, reminded, and encourage to invite and truly welcome new people? EXTENDING THE INVITATION: THINK ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY AND ALL YOU HAVE TO OFFER TO IT WITHIN YOUR CONGREGATION. Can you list two or three groups of people in your area that are waiting to be invited to your congregation? What would they look like? What might they need? How could you determine their need? What could you offer? Group: A need: What could you offer: Example: single parents support & community bible study with child care 7

8 DO YOU KNOW What happens when a new person or family: Visits worship for the first time: What could make it a little better? What could make it a lot better? Wants to attend a Sunday school class: What could make it a little better? What could make it a lot better? Is interested in helping in a ministry area: What could make it a little better? What could make it a lot better? Hospitality is already a BIG word but now we include Radical? Yes! Radical means arising from the source and describes practices that are rooted in the life of Christ and that radiate into the lives of others. Radical means drastically different from ordinary practice, outside the normal, and so it provokes practices that exceed expectations, that go the second mile, that take welcoming the stranger to the max. By radical, I don t mean wild-eyed, out of control, or in your face. I mean people offering the absolute utmost of themselves, their creativity, their abilities, and their energy to offer the gracious invitation and reception of Christ to others. Churches characterized by Radical Hospitality are not just friendly and courteous, passively receiving visitors warmly. Instead, they exhibit restlessness because they realize so many people do not have a relationship to a faith community. Churches practicing Radical Hospitality offer a surprising and unexpected quality of depth and authenticity in their caring for the stranger. Newcomers intuitively sense that: These people really care about me here. They really want the best for me. I m not jus a number, a customer, someone that could help increase their giving, or an outsider here. I m being invited to join the body of Christ. Churches marked by this quality work hard to figure out how best to anticipate others needs and to make them feel at home in their ministries. All churches offer some form of hospitality, but Radical Hospitality describes churches that strive without ceasing to exceed expectations to accommodate and include others. 8

9 Radical Hospitality means that the church is not just another social club but the body of Christ constantly seeking to fulfill the mission of Christ. There s no selfsatisfied attitude, now that my needs are met, I m happy. People offer themselves to Christ by offering Christ to others. Radical Hospitality stretches us, challenges us, and pulls out of us our utmost creativity and hard work to offer the welcome of Christ. Churches that practice radical hospitality don t merely have ushers and greeters; they also train them, teach them, prepare them, and make their service a vital ministry. Their ushers and greeters don t merely point, they escort; they don t merely pass out papers, they make people feel at ease. They take note of names and introduce visitors to the pastor and to others. They constantly seek to understand the perspective of the newcomer and to see church practices and facilities from the visitor s point of view so they can anticipate those needs. Churches that practice radical hospitality don t merely have a hospitality committee, they make Christian invitation and welcome a vital part of the culture of the church, an expectation of every member and of every Sunday School class, Bible study, choir, and mission team. Every ministry invest serous time to plan, pray for, invite, and receive newcomers, and to teach current members how to be more welcoming. Churches that practice Radical Hospitality do not merely expect current classes and choirs and ministries to invite and welcome people; they also launch new ministries and classes especially aimed at including those who are new. They re not afraid of failure and know that even if only a handful of people gather in Christ s name, a great harvest is promised. Churches that practice Radical hospitality do not look only at the numbers, corralling people through perfunctory processes to get them to join. Instead, they genuinely engage people, listen to them, and help them feel accepted, respected, connected, needed, involved, and loved. They focus on the ultimate goal of helping newcomers grow into the Body of Christ s people. Edwards Deming, the genius of organizational systems, observed that a system produces what it is designed to produce. In this intentionally redundant statement, he reminds us that a system is aligned to get the results it is getting, and it will not get any other kind of results unless something changes. To become a vibrant, fruitful, growing congregation requires a change of attitudes, practices, and values. Good intentions are not enough. Too many churches want more young people as long as they act like old people, more newcomers as long as they act like old-timers, more children as long as they are as quiet as adults, more ethnic families as long as they act like the majority in the congregation. 9

10 We can do better. It takes practicing Radical Hospitality, and all the redirecting of energy and resources and volunteer time that comes with this. Church leaders can t keep doing things the way they have always done them. THINK ABOUT HOW IT FEELS TO APPROACH YOUR CHURCH BUILDING FOR THE FIRST TIME.. 1. Do first time guests know where to park? Does the parking area look inviting? 2. Review your signage both inside and outside the building. Are there signs where they need to be? Are they clear, updated, informative, readable? 3. How many ways can a person get into your building? List some: Circle those that people are most likely to use: On Sundays During the weekdays During the evening Are they well-marked, well-lit, inviting and welcoming? HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN AN AWARENESS ACTIVITY Have people enter your main entry to your church from a different perspective than their own. What issues can you identify if you: Were walking in with a child in a travel seat and another toddler on your arm You were a teen or young adult You were not as fluent in English as you wish you were You were in a wheelchair or using a walker You hadn t been in a church before so the church language may seem strange such as narthex, crying room, Great Hall, sanctuary) From this vantage point what it easy to find what you might need such as the worship center, church office, restrooms, welcome center, children s area? Ask yourself, if you were this person and you came as a reluctant, hopeful, pessimistic, or uncertain guest, WOULD YOU COME BACK? What are 3 noticeable areas that need to be improved to make the building more friendly, accessible, and safe? If you have persons in your congregation in any of the categories above, (the newer the better) ask if you can share with them what you have witnessed yourself. Encourage them to tell you other concerns that they have experienced coming into your church. 10

11 Imagine if every committee, choir, team, class, small group, and staff member of a congregation agreed to prayerfully consider changing one practice this year to accommodate younger adults. What could the trustees do?, an adult Sunday school class initiate?, the choir take on?, the men s group or UMW? If every ministry changed a little toward welcoming younger people, the cumulative effect might change the direction of the church. What is it that is keeping you from inviting others to your church? An invitation is not complicated. In the first chapter of John s gospel, Jesus invitation was simple: Come and see. (John 1:39). His disciples then used the same language to invite others. People don t need to know the answers to all the questions of faith and life to invite someone to church. They don t need to exaggerate or persuade or say more than is true. They simply and naturally find their own way of saying to acquaintances Come and see. People have no reluctance telling others where they get their hair cut, where they get their car fixed, where they like to eat. And yet, concerning the most important relationship Christian disciples have the one to God through Christ s church they feel hesitant to speak. But think of all the church means, all that relationship to God means, the perspective of faith, the understandings of life, the relationships gained, the sense of meaning and connection and contribution experienced. Why wouldn t we desire these things for the people we respect and love, and for the neighbors and co-workers we share our lives with? Radical Hospitality. People are searching for churches that make them feel welcome and loved, needed and accepted. But the work doesn t stop there. They have to consider what are you inviting them here for? WHEN DO THEY STOP BEING A GUEST? What is the follow up process for a first time guest? Do you have a follow up process for those coming as guests to things other than worship? What is the follow up process for someone that returns to your church? How are people that have attended less than 6 months moved into a connectional relationship? What are ways that you advertise for persons to connect and grow in the church. How successful are these ways? How do you follow up to persons who have gone missing from your congregation? How do you track such things? Whose responsibility is it? Go back through each of your responses from the beginning of this session. What are some short-term solutions that your church could act on immediately and without great cost? How can you begin to make a plan for these things? 11

12 Now review your responses again. What are some larger and longer-term solutions to consider? How can you begin to make a plan for these things? 12

13 Session 8, part 2: The Practice of Passionate Worship Vibrant, fruitful, growing churches offer Passionate Worship that connects people to God and to one another. People gather consciously as the Body of Christ with eagerness and expectancy; encounter Christ through singing, prayer, Scripture, preaching and Holy Communion; and respond by allowing God s Spirit to shape their lives. Lives shaped by God s Spirit become the nucleus for congregations with extraordinary warmth, graciousness, and belonging. People are searching for worship that is authentic, alive, creative, and comprehensible, where they experience the life-changing presence of God in the presence of others. Worship describes those times we gather deliberately seeking to encounter God in Christ. We cultivate our relationship with God and with one another as the people of God. We don t attend worship to squeeze God into our lives; we seek to meld our lives into God s. It s a time to think less about ourselves and more about faith, less about our personal agendas and more about God s will. We encounter a fresh vision of God s reality in Christ so that God s Spirit can reshape our lives and form us into the Body of Christ. 1. If you were to explain what the purpose of the worship service is to someone not raised in the church, how would you explain it? 2. Does your answer truly reflect how you would define your current worship experience? How God Uses Worship in Our Lives God uses worship to transform lives, heal wounded souls, renew hope, shape decisions, provoke change, inspire compassion, and bind people to one another. God through Christ actively seeks relationship to us through worship. God works through the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and worship plays an essential role in this process. From the earliest accounts of the faith, people gathered to pray, sing, listen for God s word, and share in the common meal. Synagogue means to bring together, and the Greek word for church, ekklesia, means called out of the world, and refers to the calling of people from their ordinary life to gather together in sacred time and space. Worship breathes life into the community of Christ s followers, forms identity, and provides a place of common learning about faith and listening to God. Worship is the most likely setting for people to experience the renewed relationship with God that Christians call justification, in which a person realized that she or he is pardoned, forgiven, loved, and accepted by God. Community worship, whether traditional or contemporary, follows implicit consensus of 13

14 structure, words, actions, pace, and movement. Worship also includes personal devotions, private prayer, meditation, and reading that people practice apart from the physical presence of others in the Body of Christ. 1. Think back on the last 2 or 3 worship experiences you were a part of. Do you remember feeling that your relationship was renewed with God through your time there? 2. What are some examples of parts of the service where a person could feel forgiven, loved, and accepted by God? WHY PASSIONATE WORSHIP? Why the need then to add Passionate to describe the practices of vibrant, fruitful, growing churches? Without passion, worship becomes dry, routine, boring, and predictable, keeping the form while lacking the spirit. Insufficient planning by leaders, apathy of worshippers, poor quality music, and unkempt facilities contribute to an experience that people approach with a sense of obligation rather than joy. Interpersonal conflict threatens the life of some congregations, with worshipers and leaders distracted and exhausted by antagonism. Sometimes the service feels like a performance inauthentic, even selfindulgent, as pastors or music leaders push themselves as the center of attention. Other services include so many announcements, jokes, digressions, and personal stories that have little to do with worship, that the time feels like an informal, loosely planned, poorly-led meeting. Younger generations and newer Christians find some services incomprehensible because the forms of music, language, and liturgy are so restrained or so foreign. If worship is the first entry point for someone who is not churched, many will not find genuine warmth, a premium on excellence, or a message presented in a form that engages them. When a congregation loses touch with the purpose of worship, people come and go without receiving God. 1. Do you have concerns that parts of your worship have become dry, routine, boring, or spiritless? If so, which parts? 2. Have you ever felt that parts of the service feel like a performance instead of a worship experience? Share what happens when you feel that way? 3. Think about being a new guest coming for the first time to your church. Break down each part of the worship experience and think about how you would feel if you were new and alone through each part. 14

15 4. Now think about the above once again but this time from the perspective of an un-churched person. Share your thoughts about this especially if you have ever been in that position. To worship speaks of devotion to God, the practices that support honor and love of God. Passionate describes an intense desire, an ardent spirit, strong feelings, and the sense of heightened importance. Passionate speaks of an emotional connection that goes beyond intellectual consent. It connotes eagerness, anticipation, expectancy, deep commitment, and belief. Passionate Worship means an extraordinary eagerness to offer the best in worship, honoring God with excellence and with an unusual clarity about the purpose of connecting people to God. Whether fifteen hundred people attend, or fifteen, Passionate Worship is alive, authentic, fresh, and engaging. People should attend worship to learn about Jesus, faith, and life so that they can deepen their relationship with Christ. A warm and compelling sense of belonging appeals to them and makes them feel a part of the Body of Christ. They genuinely look forward to services and invite others to be present with them. For churches that practice Passionate Worship, every effort at preparation provides evidence that this is the most important hour of the week. Many times however, we unconsciously enter worship in the evaluative posture of someone preparing a movie critique. We rate the sermon the time for children, the prayers, and the music according to some internal scale. How was the service? Well, the sermon was too long, the piano too loud, the children too noisy, and the room too cold. Our attention turns to the imperfections, mispronunciations, missed cues, discordant sounds, personal discomforts, the weaknesses of the leaders, and flaws of fellow worshipers. 1. Do you feel that worship is the most important hour of your week or are you more likely to come with an evaluative posture? Please explain why you feel the way you do. Styles of Worship Passionate Worship is not restricted to any particular style; it can be highly formal, with robes, acolytes, stained glass, organ music, orchestral accompaniment, and hardwood pews with hymnals on the rack in front. Or Passionate Worship can take place in an auditorium, gym, or storefront, with casually dressed leaders, images on screens, folding chairs, and the supporting beat of a praise team. Authentic, engaging, life-changing worship derives from 15

16 the experience of God s presence, the desire of worshipers for God s work, and the changed heart people deliberately seek when they encounter Christ in the presence of other Christians. Worship leaves people challenged, sustained, and led by the Spirit of God, and it changes how they view themselves and their neighbors. An hour of Passionate Worship changes all the other hours of the week. Churches aspiring to have Passionate Worship work hard to deepen spiritual life and improve the quality of worship to help connect people to God. They make worship appealing and accessible while deepening theological integrity. Poor quality robs worship of its power and purpose. Use the recent bulletins or video of worship. Discuss how each element of worship connects people to God and to each other, and how it could be improved. Everything comes under review. Consider the length, content, purpose, and placement of every action. Discuss sound, tone, atmosphere, and pace. Imagine the perspective of long-term members, newcomers, children, and parents with young children Review lines of sight, eye contact, lighting, and sound. Who leads what portions of the service and why Where do the pastors or staff greet people before and after the service Does it appear that the congregation is engaged? Can you discern whether spiritual preparation was done prior to worship are or are those involved just moving through the service by rote? If you make any changes in the areas above, the content of the service will probably change very little, but the quality, pace, movement, and connection with the people can improve dramatically. More important, the qualities of spiritual preparation of the worship leaders improve. When we remind ourselves of the purpose of worship, all involved improve. When worship becomes a high priority, Passionate Worship is evident, and it shows in everything worship leaders do. They regularly evaluate and rethink their patterns of worship with an eye toward creative engagement and the spiritual progress of the congregation. Worship wars Worship wars erupt when church leaders force a dramatic change of style in music and liturgy upon an existing service. Nobody can make someone accept a style of music that is opposite of that that has helped them connect to God their whole life. Traditional worship forms and music can be improved, enhanced, and deepened in a thousand ways, but people cannot be forced to change their taste in music. 16

17 Churches avoid this first kind of conflict by starting another service that does not require current members to sacrifice their style of worship. Or many vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations offer blended services that touch the hearts of diverse worshipers in ways that unify and strengthen the congregation. But worship wars also erupt when church leaders initiate an alternative service but traditionalist worshipers and musicians refuse to give their blessing to the effort even though it is a service that was never intended for them to be a part of. It s not intended for them, and to sabotage the desire for worship of those who have different tastes is like unreasonable diners demanding that their favorite restaurant refuse to serve chicken to anyone, anytime, forever, because they prefer beef! Supporting innovative styles of worship requires a spiritual maturity, a willingness to set aside long-standing tastes and preferences to encourage other people s quest for God. It is important that a hundred years ago, a congregation had three generations present in worship, and all spoke the same language, shared the same culture, grew up with the same stories, and enjoyed the same style of music. Now congregations include four or more generations, and each has its own preferred way of communicating, its own distinctive tastes in music, its own language and culture. Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations succeed because spiritually mature and passionate leaders visibly support and encourage worship and music in diverse forms and expressions. They keep the end in mind, helping people find a way to God by making God s gracious message available in worship. 1. Are any worship wars currently happening within your congregation? If yes, name 3 things that could be done so that all were worshipping in harmony despite without affecting diversity. 2. Do you believe that your current worship style(s) are reaching those that you believe you are to reach? If not, what needs to be considered so that worship could be more relatable in ways to connect persons with God during worship? 17

18 How Do You Recognize a Passionate Worshipping Church In churches marked by Passionate Worship, people don t merely show up and sit passively in their pews; they are actively engaged, genuinely connected, personally addressed, and deeply challenged. People make spiritual progress, they want to be present, and they approach worship with a sense of expectancy, anticipating God s presence. Pastors who cultivate Passionate Worship demonstrate adaptability, a willingness to learn new ways to serve people. They don t appear stuck, resistant, or rigid, and they don t insist on their own way when their personal preferences fail to serve the congregation s spiritual progress. When churches practice Passionate Worship, the gathering forms a congregation that is a community and not a crowd of people experiencing the same thing like strangers at a movie. Just imagine if each staff member, committee and work team (choir, nursery, ushers, etc.) focused on enhancing worship. Perhaps no one thing would improve by 100 percent. But maybe a hundred things would improve by 1 percent, and the passionate love of God evidenced in these changes would renew congregational life. The responsibility for the quality of spiritual life in the congregation does not reside only with the pastor. And committees and teams and staff can t do it on their own, either. What each person brings to worship shapes the experience for everyone as much as what he or she finds there. Passionate Worship begins with each worshiping individual. How do you prepare your heart, mind, and soul for worship? How could the congregation learn to prepare for worship better? 18

19 Next Steps: Evaluate Worship Live Find persons in your congregation that would be willing to observe and comment about every detail of worship. You can have multiple people but attempt to have the same number of evaluators for 3 consecutive weeks. Determine a list of areas to critique beginning with how they are greeted upon entering and finish with how people exit. Some of the things to consider listing are: The flow of worship does it feel well planned and run smoothly or a series of starts and stops. Where are the areas that create energy? Where does energy diminish or die? How is the congregation engaged? Are there metaphors and images being used? Media or storytelling? Where might children connect? Where would teens connect? Announcements and welcoming Think through the tangible, concrete aspects of your worship space and delivery: How would you gauge the excellence of Comfort of the worship space Decorations or altar design/appearance Sound system/lighting/any projection used Bulletins/Attendance/other items in the pew Order of worship Music Other? After these evaluations are completed, plan for the worship team, pastor(s), and everyone involved in worship to meet in a retreat style event to discuss the evaluations. Determine what are concerns that can be addressed immediately and how training may need to occur for other things. The teams must also work to define the long-term plans for Passionate Worship to be consistent and evaluated on a regular basis. 19

20 Session 8, part 3: Intentional Faith Development When elementary-age Little League baseball players practice their sport, they practice batting, catching pop-ups, scooping up ground balls. When professional Major League players practice adults at the height of their athletic abilities what do they do? They practice batting, catching pop-ups, scooping up ground balls. Players at all stages and abilities repeat and deepen and improve upon the same basic practices. The same is true for congregations. The greatest difference between stagnant and declining congregations and those that are continually growing is that in fruitful congregations, the pastor and staff are constantly learning, the leaders and volunteers are constantly learning, and even the members and guests are practicing and improving the basic elements of ministry. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development offer high quality learning experiences that help people understand Scripture, faith, and life in the supportive nurture of caring relationships. Christian disciples strive to develop faith and grow in Christlikeness through study and learning, and God is best able to form disciples when people do this together and not by themselves. According to this description of fruitful churches and faith development, where would you rate your congregation on this scale of Explain your response No Practice Everyone s Practicing Learning in community replicates the way Jesus deliberately taught his disciples. His followers grew in their understanding of God and matured in their awareness of God's will for their lives as they listened to Jesus' stories, instructions, and lessons while gathering around dinner tables, on hillsides, and at the Temple. Jesus taught us to learn our faith this way, with others in community. We seek to have in us the mind that was in Christ Jesus, allowing God's Spirit to shape our thoughts, attitudes, values, and behaviors. Growing in Christ-likeness is the goal and end of the life of faith. The change God works in us through the Spirit results in a deeper awareness of God's presence and will and an increasing desire to serve God and neighbor. Faith moves, grows, changes, matures. As we mature in Christ, God cultivates in us the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). 20

21 These interior spiritual qualities are all radically relational, and we only learn them in the presence of others through the practice of love. They are honed in community, and not just by reading books and studying Scripture. They become real in our lives in the love we give and receive from others and in the things we learn and teach with others. 1. As an adult, what has been your most powerful, life-affecting setting for learning about faith? What was the group like? What made it special? 2. What was your first experience in this congregation for learning? Who invited you? Was it positive, welcoming? Did it help you decide where you needed to grow next? The notion of growing in faith is central to the Christian faith. Faith is not static but dynamic. It requires cultivation. Founder of Methodism John Wesley was as passionate about Christians maturing toward the fullness of faith as he was about inviting Christians into the beginnings of faith. He called early Methodists to practices that fostered faith through learning in community, which results in the steady withering of the old nature while nurturing the fruit of the Spirit. This steady maturing, full of setbacks, distractions, and missteps for sure, is the perfecting of the soul in love, growing in the image of God, fostering of an inner holiness. The end toward which we strive is having the same mind in us that was in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). Learning in community provides accountability for our faith journeys. We learn in community because others keep us faithful to the task of growth in Christ. Other Christians help us: Learn to pray Read and understand scripture Apply scripture to our daily living Hold one another accountable Exercise love and forgiveness Explore and respond to the will of God for our lives. Why add the adjective intentional to describe the practice for churches that are vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations? Intentional refers to deliberate effort, purposeful action toward an end, and high prioritization. It highlights the significance of faith development and contrasts those congregations that take it seriously with those that offer it haphazardly and inconsistently, without new initiative, plan, or purpose. 21

22 1. Imagine new families who come into your congregation with little church background. What are 3 settings where they could get basic questions answered? 2. In groups of two or three, outline a year s worth of learning opportunities that YOU would like to attend or be a part of if they were offered. 3. What do you most want to learn about the faith? 4. What are the settings that are most favorable to you for learning? Bishop Schnase reflects on what characteristics churches that practice Intentional Faith Development share. As you read each description, decide what ways your church fits that description and what ways it doesn t. 1. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development offer high quality traditional Sunday School classes for learning and fellowship at all age levels. Notes: 2. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development not only offer Sunday morning experiences but offer quality faith development opportunities at other times and days of the week. Notes: 3. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development provide for their long time members but they also start new groups particularly adapted to the needs of new members, visitors, and people not yet attending the church. They realize the power of special topics and interests to attract unchurched people, and they advertise and invited beyond the walls of their own church. Notes: 22

23 4. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development have pastors and staff that publicly support and help lead Bible studies and classes, they also highlight the importance of continuing faith development in sermons, lessons, and newsletter articles. Notes: 5. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development explore ways of forming learning communities using new technologies such as blogs, chat rooms, and internet studies. Notes: 6. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development not only form faith through educational affiliation groups such as Bible studies and Sunday school classes but also understand and support the powerful impact that task oriented small groups (choirs, praise bands, mission teams, kitchen crews) have on forming faith. They help these groups understand their significance for faith formation and develop a culture of hospitality to welcome new people, and they see to it that such ministries are laced with prayer and characterized by mutual care and support of its members. Notes: 7. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development are not afraid of failure and willingly initiate new ministries of learning in community, knowing that some will take root and last for generations and other will continue only a few months and then fade away. In starting new groups, they don t allow those who have no interest in the topic, time, or setting to veto those who are interested and willing, and so they re not afraid to start groups with low numbers, trusting that God will make use of the time to help those who do attend. Notes: 23

24 8. Churches that EXCEL at Intentional Faith Development rely not only on their pastors to lead teaching and formation ministries, but they also invite, support, and train lay people to lead small groups, teach Bible studies, and coordinate support groups. Notes: 9. Churches SHAPED by Intentional Faith Development not only rely upon onsite, at-the-church settings for formation events, but also know the value of taking people away from their daily live on retreats or offering environments away from the church that may not be as intimidating for some. Notes: 10. Churches ASPIRING TO Intentional Faith Development, not only the laity but also the pastor and staff are expected to practice learning in community. Pastors and staff actively work to deepen their own faith and not just enhance their skills for ministry. Notes: 11. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development for affiliation groups not only around Bible studies and explicit topics of faith but also around common interests, experiences, and challenges, such as grief or divorce recovery, substance abuse, parenting, or finances. Notes: 24

25 12. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development know that maturation in Christ is always about content and relationship. Ideas change people, and people change people; and God uses both together to work on our behalf and to shape our lives in the image of Christ. Notes: 13. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development have leaders that carefully consider the full life cycle of members and look for ways the church forms faith at every stage. They ask themselves if their ministry is sufficient, full, helpful, and effective. They always are asking the question Can we do better? Rather than providing haphazard, hit-and-miss, eclectic education and formation ministries, they seek to cultivate growth in faith in more intentional ways. Notes: As you prepare to take Next Steps in the area of Intentional Faith Development take time to answer the following questions: 1. List at least 6 places that you think where learning, prayer, and other faith development can happen. These should not include your church facilities. a. b. c. d. e. f. 2. Can you think of ways other than speakers and teachers that your church could utilize in order for faith development to be inspired? Have you heard of other churches using any of these? 3. What are the ways YOU hear about groups or classes being held at your church? 4. How do those not inside learn about these opportunities? 25

26 5. How do people get invited into existing or new faith opportunities? 6. Which groups actively invite new people? 7. What kind of groups might exist in your church or community that have shared needs (such as single parents, grief, special needs children). Name these groups and what their need might be. How could your church bring new people into the church by meeting just 1 or 2 of these needs? As a group, go through each of the above 13 description notes that you have made as well the answers to the 7 questions. Based on what you have observed, decide on 5 short-term goals that you can make in order to practice Intentional Faith Development as a congregation. Intentional Faith Development Short-term Goals Now as a group, go through each of the above description notes that you have made. Based on what you have observed, decide on 5 long-term goals that you can make in order to practice Intentional Faith Development as a congregation. Intentional Faith Development Long-term Goals:

27 LESSON 8, part 4: THE PRACTICE OF RISK-TAKING MISSION AND SERVICE Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Risk-Taking Mission and Service. Risk-Taking Mission and Service includes the projects, the efforts, and work people do to make a positive difference in the lies of others for the purposes of Christ, whether or not they will ever be part of the community of faith. Risk-Taking Mission and Service is one of the fundamental activities of church life that is so critical that failure to practice it in some form results in a deterioration of the church s vitality and ability to make disciples of Jesus Christ. When churches turn inward, using all resources for their own survival and caring only for their own people, then spiritual vitality wanes. The phrase to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12) means that churches invite, encourage, prepare, and cultivate such ordinary service so the ministry of Christ thrives. The operations and ministry of a congregation require the cooperative and helpful spirit of those who love the church and want to see it run smoothly and effectively to fulfill it mission, and the fruit of their service includes tasks well-done, community formation, connection to one another, learning the meaning of church, and changed lives for those within and beyond the congregation. Nearly every congregation supports or offers some level of mission, relying upon the volunteer help and financial generosity of members, Sunday school classes, women s organizations, or mission committees. Service, offering oneself in the deliberate effort to improve the conditions of others, is rooted in more than three thousand years of faith tradition. Nothing is more central to faith identity and to the church s mission than transforming the lives and conditions of people by offering oneself in God s name. Jesus tells that in every act of compassion, people touch Christ (Matthew 25:40). The disciples can t imagine what he is talking about, until Jesus says, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40). Directly addressing servanthood, Jesus says, Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:26-28). Compassionate service marked the early church as disciples were admonished to be doers of the word, and not merely hearers (James 1:22). So why risk-taking? Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations push beyond ordinary service and everyday missions to offer extraordinary opportunities for life-changing engagement with people. Risk-taking steps into greater uncertainty, a higher possibility of discomfort, resistance, or sacrifice. Risk- Taking Mission and Service takes people into ministries that push them out of their comfort zone, stretching them beyond the circle of relationships and 27

28 practices that routinely define their faith commitments. God uses such ministries to expose church members to people, situations and needs that they would never ordinarily encounter and that reveal to them spiritual qualities and practical talents that, apart from their deliberate intention of serving Christ, they would never discover. The most poignant of Jesus teachings and practices were costly demonstrations of unexpected love that transformed lives, families, communities, and the world. Risk-Taking Mission and Service involves work that stretches people, causing them to do something for the good of others that they would never have considered doing if it were not for their relationship with Christ and their desire to serve him. Of course, church members love and serve those close at hand in their congregations and neighborhoods, even if these are the fruit of natural inclinations as well as commitment to Christ. But it is important to look beyond one s own close social and community circles and consider how Christ desires to use a person s gifts and talents and capacities to enhance the well-being of others beyond the inner circle. 1. How has a mission or service project shaped your won life? What is the most unexpected place to which your faith in Christ has taken you in order to make a difference in someone s life? 2. What outreach ministries of your church push people out of their comfort zones to make a real difference in the lives of people? 3. What are the ministries that require hands-on, face-to-face engagement with the needs of people that your members might ordinarily not come to know? The history of mission and service consists of successive excursions from the same starting point Awareness of human need Perceiving God s call to do something Feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy Courageous response Using spiritual gifts and material resources Overcoming resistance Opening ourselves to suffering, making a difference, discovering meaning and purpose, and inviting others. Not everyone has the spiritual gifts, the personal temperament, or the physical stamina to step beyond the edge of ordinary service. Not everyone works the front lines where the church engages the most intransigent and difficult of society s challenges. That s all right. In the Body of Christ are many members, and not all the members have the same function (Romans 12:4). Those who 28