Follow Me. R w Works. Participant Workbook. An Episcopal Planning Tool to Help Your Church Advance Spiritual Growth. Episcopal Diocese of Chicago

Transcription

1 Follow Me R w Works Participant Workbook An Episcopal Planning Tool to Help Your Church Advance Spiritual Growth Episcopal Diocese of Chicago

2 Contents Welcome to RENEWALWORKS... 3 Workshop 1 Understanding Follow Me... 4 Workshop 2 Understanding Your Data... 6 Workshop 3 Identifying Actions... 8 Workshop 3 Taking Action All Workshop products including the Facilitator Guide, Workshop Design, Participant Workbook and Templates are the intellectual property of The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. This includes sequencing of exercises detailed in the Facilitator Guide, all assignments, exercise descriptions and processes outlined or described. This Workshop was originallly created by the WCA and The WildWorks Group. The WCA graciously granted permission to customize the intellectual property for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. All materials can be found online at: R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 2

3 Today Topical Work Created by Topic What Action Plan participant workbook Welcome to RENEWALWORKS Data from the church analyzed Understanding Follow Me Develop ownership of the Follow Me Spiritual Growth Framework R w Works Survey input from over 300,000 congregants in more than 1,500 churches. An Episcopal Planning Tool to Help Your Church Advance Spiritual Growth Understanding Your Data Understand what the Spiritual Life Survey data means to your church Your Data Identifying Actions Create actions based on the priorities identified Actions Taking Action Bring together selected church staff/members to create plans against identified actions When Who Launch RenewalWorks! RenewalWorks team/leaders selected We Discovered a Spiritual Continuum DEVOTIONS & PRAYER About The Program The RenewalWorks planning process is a self-facilitated, four-step process that guides a ministry team through understanding, prioritizing and acting in response to the Episcopal Spiritual Life Survey. Each step of the process is guided by a complete kit that provides your team with everything needed to lead an effective planning workshop. Understanding Follow Me: Template 1 You are about to embark upon a journey through the RenewalWorks Planning Process. The overall benefits of this RenewalWorks Planning Process include: intentional devotions and Scripture study designed, along with prayer, to open hearts and the process to the workings of the Holy Spirit alignment around the Follow Me spiritual growth framework clear understanding of the Spiritual Life Survey results Direct application of the study results to possible initiatives improved ownership and accountability for action a process for implementing actions based on the Spiritual Life Survey data You will be an active participant throughout this program relying on your knowledge, experience and perspectives to contribute to the workshops. We hope you find this experience engaging, beneficial and spiritually rewarding. R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 3

4 Workshop 1 Understanding Follow Me After spending most of their adult lives describing themselves as 'spiritual but not religious', Kate and Stephen had a daughter. They both felt it was important to raise their child in a community of faith. After talking with the priest at their local Episcopal church, they began attending Sunday services as a family. John 1:38-39 "Jesus said to them, 'What do you seek?' and they said to him, 'Rabbi'...He said to them, 'Come and see.' Exploring a life with God Movement 1 Follow Me Spiritual Growth Framework Matthew 4:19 "And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Growing in a life with God Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers Movement 2 Deepening in life with God Mark 8:34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, If any want to become my followers,let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Movement 3 Life with God as the Center Ellen and Bill raised their children in the church, served as confirmation mentors, and chaperoned the youth group mission trip every summer. They read the Bible regularly and reflect on ways they see God at work in their lives. They attend communion services on Sundays. And they find ways to help people in need, both inside and outside the church. Max serves as an usher and a member of the vestry at his church, but he felt that his faith wasn't as much a part of his daily life as he wanted it to be. He started spending 10 minutes reading the Bible and 10 minutes praying almost every morning. Now he finds moments where his own life intersects the stories of the Bible. Understanding Follow Me: Template 2 The four segments are: Exploring a Life with God The people in this group have a basic belief in God, but they re unsure about God s role in their lives. Growing in a Life with God The people in this group have a personal relationship with God. They ve made a commitment to trust God with their future in this life and the next, but they are just beginning to learn what it means to be in a relationship with God. Deepening in Life with God The people in this group depend on God but they see God as someone who assists them in the things that are important to their life. On a daily basis, they turn to God for help and guidance for issues they face. Life with God in the Center The people in this group would identify their relationship with God as the most important relationship in their entire lives. They see their lives as fully surrendered to God, subordinating everything to God s will and desires. R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 4

5 In addition to the segments themselves, it is important to look at what moves a person from one stage of spiritual growth to the next. Spiritual growth is not linear or predictable. It is a complex process as unique as each individual, and it progresses at a pace determined by each person s circumstances and the activity of the Holy Spirit. While the growth process is complex, the research from Follow Me has found a general progression of stages of growth that evidence a simplicity that might help us to think differently about how best to resource and encourage spiritual growth. The Follow Me findings suggest that certain spiritual catalysts are generally aligned with three spiritual movements. Movement 1 In this early movement of spiritual growth it s all about Episcopal fundamentals. Building a firm foundation of spiritual beliefs and attitudes is particularly important. The impact of church activities on spiritual growth is most significant in this movement. Movement 2 This intermediate movement of spiritual growth hinges on developing a routine of personal spiritual practices that feed a growing intimacy with God. Movement 3 Movement 3 is the advanced movement of spiritual growth, made up of God-centered followers who fully surrender their hearts and bring God s Kingdom on earth by making a significant impact on the lives of others. Key Learnings: Preparation for the next workshop: Finish Reading Follow Me, if have not already Begin processing your Church Spiritual Life Survey Data Pack, if provided Complete personal devotional, if applicable R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 5

6 Workshop 2 Understanding Your Data Compared with total sample Church's Role Personal Spiritual Practices This reflects how well the church provides spiritual challenge, calls people to live out our baptismal promises, invites participation in the eucharist, and creates a sense of belonging. Follow Me Spiritual Vitality Index This involves how people study the Bible, reflect on scripture, pray, experience solitude, and practice spiritual disciplines like journaling. Compared with total sample What the Follow Me Spiritual Vitality Index DOES and DOES NOT measure: It DOES NOT measure the health of your church in terms of attendance growth, financial strength or staff morale. - It DOES measure how well your church helps people grow spiritually: By helping them understand the Bible. By helping them develop a personal relationship with Christ. By challenging them to take next steps. Its primary goal is to measure the spiritual vitality of your people. - That's why two of the three buckets measure things your people do OUTSIDE church walls (spiritual practices and faith in action). - This focus on people, not the church, is a distinctive focus of Follow Me. This reflects people s faith-based behaviors, such as serving people in need and sharing one s faith. Compared with total sample Faith in Action What Your Score Means (Ranking compared to the Spiritual Life Survey database) 86 + = Top 5 % = Top 10 % = Top 25 % = Top 50 % < 70 = Lower 50 % Understanding Your Data: Template 4 Let Vanilla Ice Cream Guide You Vanilla ice cream is our metaphor for the goal of your Spiritual Life Survey report. This is why: If vanilla is your favorite ice cream flavor, you re in good company. Vanilla is number one on the list of the ten most popular ice cream flavors. Chocolate is number two, then strawberry and on down the list. But this ranking is misleading as an indicator of vanilla s real popularity. Vanilla not only ranks number one; it s also twice as popular as chocolate. And chocolate is significantly more popular than any other flavor on the top-ten list. When it comes to the factors that catalyze spiritual growth in your congregation, we re looking for the spiritual equivalent of vanilla. We don t want you to get bogged down with lots of numbers. We want to help you identify the factors that stand out. So try not to focus on any one-two individual numbers. Look instead for themes for issues that are reinforced across different slides. Look for the vanilla the issue that would catapult the spiritual growth of your people if you addressed it. R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 6

7 Personal Spiritual Practices & Beliefs ( Look at pages ) Top 2 or 3 learnings: Church's Role ( Look at pages ) Top 2 or 3 learnings: Faith in Action ( Look at pages 25-26, 7 ) Top 2 or 3 learnings: Key Takeaways: Understanding Your Data: Template 5 Created by Bucket Breakouts As a group, look at each one of the three areas. Examine the pages referenced for that particular area. Discuss with your group what the data on those pages tell you. Use this template to capture the thoughts of your group. You have approximately 60 minutes for this exercise. Be prepared to share your work with the rest of the group at the end of this activity. Key Learnings: Preparation for the next workshop: observe people and activities of your church for experiential confirmation of your survey results and the conclusions you derived from this workshop. Read MOVE Top Churches, if provided Complete personal devotional, if applicable R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 7

8 In To participant workbook Workshop 3 Identifying Actions Exploring Christ Movement 1 Growing Christ Movement 2 Close Christ Movement 3 Christ Centered Follow Me Top Churches Deliver Spiritual Growth Get people moving Holy Bible Holy Bible Pastor the community Heart of core team leaders Do you go to church? Embed the Bible No, I am the Church. Identifying Actions: Template MOVE. All Rights Reserved. Create ownership The Follow Me research also enabled us to identify best practice churches churches that excel at helping their people grow in their love for God and for others. So, what do they do to make spiritual growth happen? Principle #1: They Get Their People Moving - The top churches make it clear to first-time visitors that they intend to grow everyone in their congregation into devoted disciples of God. From their sermons to their literature, the goal of discipleship is unmistakable. And the first steps in that journey are crystal-clear. Principle #2: They Embed the Bible in Everything - The Follow Me research found that the most influential catalyst of spiritual growth is personal time spent in reflection on Scripture. This may seem simple, but we find vastly different levels of engagement with the Bible among congregations Principle #3: They Create Ownership - To own the vision of a church is to possess it on a personal level, to embrace it as a part of your identity. This goes well beyond a sense of belonging, of fitting in, to a church community. Much like the coaches of sports teams, the clergy of our top churches inspire their congregants to take the church s mission into all aspects of their lives. At these churches, the ministry vision tends to be shouldered by a team of dedicated lay leaders who help clergy unite the church body in a common purpose. Principle #4: They Pastor the Local Community - Take the city for Jesus is the rallying cry for MOVE s top churches. Their people are in the thick of their communities sitting on local boards, canvassing blighted neighborhoods to identify and serve needs, going into corners where you wouldn t normally find the church. Creativity abounds in their outreach efforts. R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 8

9 Priority Statement: Build and scope the priority Action Steps Refine the priority Use this template to create another iteration of your work based on the feedback you received during the report. Step 1 Read the post-it notes and make any changes or additions to your work. Once this is complete, finalize any work necessary to refine the building and scoping of your priority. Identifying Actions: Template 5 Step 2 Identify initial actions that will help keep this priority moving forward. Use this template to capture your work. You have approximately 30 minutes for this activity. Key Learnings and Actions I am Responsible For: Preparation for the next workshop: begin to research potential resources that can be used in the next workshop to contribute to the success of key initiatives complete personal devotional, if applicable R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 9

10 Workshop 4 - Taking Action Name of priority or initiative: Action Plan What Who When Resources Taking Action: Template 7 Action planning typically includes deciding who is going to do what and by when and what is needed in order to reach a goal. This is very simple, but is still very useful! Wherever you want to achieve something significant, draw up an Action Plan. This helps you think about what you need to do to achieve that thing, so that you can get help where you need it and monitor your progress. A good Action Plan will be clear and complete realistic Measureable, and create accountability R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 10

11 Here are my key learnings Here is the message I will share with others Here are actions I am responsible for. R e n e wa lworks Episcopal Diocese of Chicago 11