UNLEASHING PEOPLE FOR MINISTRY

Transcription

1 Robert Schnase Author of Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations JUST say UNLEASHING PEOPLE FOR MINISTRY Nashville

2 Just say yes! unleashing people for ministry Copyright 2015 by Robert Schnase All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to Permissions, The United Methodist Publishing House, 2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., PO Box , Nashville, TN , or ed to lishing.org. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Just say yes! : unleashing people for ministry / Robert Schnase. First [edition]. pages cm Includes bibliographical references. ISBN (binding: pbk.) 1. Church renewal. 2. Change Religious aspects Christianity. I. Title. BV600.3.S dc Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are from the Common English Bible. Copyright 2011 by the Common English Bible. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

3 Warning! This is a dangerous book. Used properly, ideas contained in this book can lead to an explosion of ministry! Proceed with care. Just Say Yes! Unleashing People for Ministry is written for people whose passion has been simmering for years, who yearn to be told Yes! It s for those whose energy and ideas have been tamped down by systems and attitudes that restrain ministry, and who have felt frustrated by attempts to start new programs, reach new people, or experiment with alternative worship services, only to be told No. This book sets disciples free, giving them the permission to be bold and fruitful in their following of Christ. Just Say Yes! helps us give one another greater courage for the purposes of Christ. Just Say Yes! helps churches get unstuck. The church says No in a thousand ways to new ideas, ministry initiatives, and creative people. Pastors say No to the ideas of laity, and lay persons say No to the initiatives of pastors. Committees say No to staff, and staff say No to volunteers. Long-established members say No to new people, and traditional worshippers say No to contemporary worshippers. Existing classes, mission teams, and music ministries greet new initiatives with suspicion and resistance. When No pervades a congregation, people find a hundred reasons why a new idea won t work, and so the congregation accepts the default of doing things the way they ve always done them before. Mission initiatives, service projects, justice ministries, alternative worship expressions, children s programs, and bold inspirations to start new classes, small groups, or second sites all fall victim to No. People who sense a calling to serve feel restrained and shut out rather than encouraged and supported. No stifles ministry, kills innovation, and deadens enthusiasm. Most churches struggle with antiquated systems that are no longer conducive to our mission, which have the effect of saying No. New ideas face systemic resistance because of the labyrinth of committees, steps, and policies ix

4 that become impossible to navigate and which cause excruciating frustration and delay. Systems that merely irritate long-standing leaders create insurmountable obstacles to younger generations who have little tolerance for our bewildering approach toward ministry. An unrelenting culture of No is a contradiction to our sacrament of baptism, stifling hope, new birth, and a sense of God s promise for the future. Successful congregations are willing to take action that declining churches are unwilling to do. Growing churches say Yes to ministries that declining churches say No to. Missional churches shift a No culture to a culture that helps people cultivate their calling and creativity. People need to be unleashed for ministry encouraged and emboldened, equipped and sent out. Unleashed means to set free, to unbind from restraint, to set loose. Churches that unleash people for ministry rethink their operations, focus on the way God calls everyone to ministry, and reduce the resistance that holds people back from taking initiative. They create a culture of Yes, of cultivating God s call to diverse expressions of ministry. They expect people to have good ideas for ministry, and they realize that new ideas can come from anywhere or anyone. They eliminate unnecessary obstacles. They unfetter laity and staff from those systems that restrain them from using their creativity and gifts. They practice the ministry of encouragement. Unleashed also means to set forcefully in motion, such as when a medical discovery unleashes a host of new cures or a technical breakthrough unleashes a rush of new innovations. When we set people free to do the work of God, the spirit of Christ propels us into places and into ministries we could never have imagined. How do we set people free for ministry? How do we help people fulfill their callings to teach, lead, and serve? How do we develop a permissiongiving church? That s what this book is about. Just Say Yes! Unleashing People for Ministry helps pastors and congregational leaders examine the systems, attitudes, and dynamics that restrain, control, and diminish ministry. This book provides suggestions for how to become a permission-giving congregation and describes the changes in values, attitudes, and behaviors that lead a congregation out of stagnation and toward an outward-focused, missional culture that s willing to try new expressions of ministry in order to fulfill the mission of Christ. Just Say Yes! is written to offer hope and inspiration for congregations that want to become more fruitful, adept at initiating ministry, and open to innovation for the purposes of Christ. Use the ideas and examples as a catalyst for conversations among staff, with lay leadership, for planning retreats, and with councils and teams that oversee x

5 ministry. The book provides a resource for pastors to reflect upon their congregational systems and their own leadership styles, and to discuss them with other pastors. The book gives leaders of lay training events a way to rethink where ideas for ministry come from and how they are received, supported, and evaluated. Like Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Just Say Yes! is written in an accessible, practical style for use with a wide audience, including adult Sunday school classes, small group studies, planning task forces, and those who lead volunteer teams, mission projects, youth work, and outreach ministries. I do not write this as an expert or consultant. You won t find formulas to follow, models to replicate, or how-to s to check off. I draw attention to things that we ordinarily don t notice in the systems we use and the attitudes we harbor. In my own following of Christ, I desire to become more intentionally an encourager of ministry rather than a person who unknowingly contributes to systems that restrain or discourage initiative for Christ. I hope this book causes churches to remove as many constraints, distractions, and obstacles to ministry as possible so that people can thrive in serving Christ. I pray that congregations can loosen up, come alive to the mission of Christ with greater boldness, and discover the delight that comes when we use our gifts for God s purposes. I hope reading this book changes your church, and changes something in you, so that you feel greater freedom to offer yourself wholeheartedly to Christ and to encourage others to do so as well. xi