"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect." (v.2)
— Romans 12:1-5
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The RevWriter Resource (ISSN 1545-939X) A publication of RevWriter Resources, LLC February 2010 Volume 9, Number 2 Susan M. Lang, Editor and Publisher <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Dear Friends: Last month's issue of the Resource talked about some of the necessary characteristics that every leader should demonstrate in his or her life and especially in regard to service in the church. The list of essentials included the presence of a strong and vibrant faith, serving with a non-anxious presence, knowledge of ministry context, paying attention to accountability and communications, following through on tasks and responsibilities, and being mission-oriented. This last characteristic is often one of the most neglected as we serve in our congregations. It's too easy for a local church and its leaders to become inward-focused and forget that "mission" isn't about getting more warm bodies in the building so that there is enough money to pay the bills to keep the doors open for a few more years. When we do this we forget the church is not "our" church, but it is Christ's church, and Christ's alone. The mission that Christ has given us is clearly stated in Matthew 28:19-20. W e are to go into the world to make disciples. This month's article by Pastor Rick Rouse, coauthor of "A Field Guide for the Missional Congregation: Embarking on a Journey of Transformation," invites you and your leadership teams to delve a bit more deeply into the nature of missional leadership. In his article "Missional Leaders Needed for Today's Church," Rouse gives us five hallmarks of missional leadership. There are also questions for you to consider and a list of additional resources. I especially invite you to check out the cyber sources providing some great articles, videos, and more questions to aid your reflections and discussions. In our service as leaders it's never about us and our church building. It's always about Christ's commission directing us to go into the world to make disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And we go forth empowered by the one who sent us. RevWriter Sue Lang sue@revwriter.com If you need a leadership or other retreat facilitator, contact Pastor Sue Lang at sue@revwriter.com or call 215-453-8128. While Sue does have a list of previous workshop topics, she can create a retreat or workshop to meet the needs of your congregational leadership. Sue can also develop group leadership/learning events for a cluster of congregations that would like to increase their learning capacity by interacting with others and discovering what they are doing in their ministries. Contact her to learn more about congregational cluster workshops! Additional information on Sue's consulting work is also located at: http://www.revwriter.com/congregational/churchconsultant/index.shtml <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17) <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Theme: Missional Leadership Who would benefit from this issue? Pastors, church staff, congregational boards, and all congregational leaders. Table of Contents 1 - Devotion: Romans 12:1-5 by Susan M. Lang 2 - Missional Leaders Needed for Today's Church by Rev. Dr. Richard W. Rouse 3 - Questions for Reflection 4 - Resources on Missional Leadership 5 - RevWriter News 6 - Announcements 7 - Publications Still Available 8 - Subscribe/Unsubscribe Info <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< 1 - Devotion by Susan M. Lang Read: Romans 12:1-5 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect. (v.2) I recently received a listserv notice announcing that a congregation is looking for an administrative assistant. The e-mail listed the skills generally expected of someone working in a church office: knowledge of computers, proficiency in both writing and interpersonal communications, and organization and the ability to multi-task, and keep confidentiality. However, the most important sentence in the announcement was the first requirement: "This individual must be an active Christian who is committed to our Lord Jesus Christ." When you think about it, that's really what should be required of each and every church leader--not just for one who serves in a church office setting. Each of us is called to be a Christian who actively lives out and demonstrates his or her faith according to God's call, not the ways of the world, which can often be self-absorbed and, even at times, revengeful. Instead, Paul calls all of us to live lives that are transformed by God's presence and by our discernment of God's personal and corporate congregational call to us as the Body of Christ. Transformed and renewed to discern all that we do through the mind of God, not our human minds. It's a tall order for us as leaders, but God equips us for the task through the power of the Holy Spirit. Copyright © 2010 Susan M. Lang <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< 2 - Missional Leaders Needed for Today's Church by Rev. Dr. Richard W. Rouse There is no question that the Christian church in North America is in trouble. Membership in most all denominations has been hemorrhaging over the past twenty years and average worship attendance is at an all time low. According to the recent findings of the American Religious Identification Survey, the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has grown to 15 percent or double from the last time the survey was taken in 1990. There are many reasons that could be sited for the current state of affairs in today's church. Some believe that a growing secularization such as has occurred in Europe is making the church irrelevant to many people. Marvin Jonasen, in his book "Why Have All the People Gone" blames it on a privatization of faith, claiming that most American Christians believe faith is a private matter and not something to be shared. While all these may be contributing factors, I believe that the primary reason is because most church leaders have opted for a What are the hallmarks of a missional leader? 1. A missional leader is focused on God's mission. Such leaders understand that the only mission that really counts is the "misseo dei" that the New Testament describes as Christ's mission of grace and redemption. They seek to partner with God in God's endeavor to redeem and transform all creation. They seek to be agents of healing and transformation in their communities. They take their marching orders from Jesus' words in the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) 4. A missional leader is collegial and practices collaborative leadership. The day of the "lone ranger" is long over. Seminaries and congregations would do well to train leaders to be part of a supportive and functioning team. Some of the more vital, effective congregations are those where there is a healthy sense of teamwork among both staff and lay leaders. There is a common sense of purpose, where everyone feels like they are working together to accomplish the same missional objectives. Congregations should also seek to partner with other congregations and community agencies in their efforts to "serve the neighbor in need." Copyright © 2009 Richard W. Rouse Rev. Dr. Rick Rouse is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, having served congregations in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington and also at Pacific Lutheran University as Executive Director for Church Relations and Theological Education. He now serves resource staff in the Grand Canyon Synod (ELCA) and as co-director of the synod's Missional Leadership Academy. Rick is currently president of the North American Association for the Catechumenate, and works as a parish consultant across the church in the areas of strategic planning, leadership training, and stewardship development. As adjunct faculty at Lutheran Seminary, he has taught in the Doctor of Ministry program on missional leadership and is co-author with Craig Van Gelder of the Augsburg Fortress best seller "A Field Guide to the Missional Congregation: Embarking on a Journey of Transformation." To contact Pastor Rouse, you may e-mail him at rwrouse@comcast.net. Visit his website at www.gracet oforgive.org. You will find a summary and review of his books on the website. <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< 3- Questions for Reflection +What hallmarks of missional leadership does your leadership team demonstrate most effectively? +What hallmarks of missional leadership does your leadership team need to further develop? +What challenges did you find in this article? +What encouragement did you find in this article? +What do you feel that your team still needs to learn about missional leadership? <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< 4 - Resources on Missional Leadership Print Resources A Field Guide to the Missional Congregation: Embarking on a Journey of Transformation by Rick Rouse and Craig Van Gelder (Augsburg Fortress, 2008) Beyond Maintenance to Mission: A Theology of the Congregation by Craig L. Nessan (Augsburg Fortress, 1999; new, revised edition available in 2010) Why Have All the People Gone: The State of the Christian Church in America by Rev. Marvin R. Jonasen (Publish America, 2009) A New and Right Spirit: Creating an Authentic Church in a Consumer Culture by Rick Barger (The Alban Institute, 2005) Extraordinary Leadership: Thinking Systems, Making a Difference by Roberta M. Gilbert (Leading Systems Press, 2006) Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading by Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky (Harvard Business School Press, 2002) Transforming Leadership: New Vision for a Church in Mission by Norma Cook Everist and Craig L. Nessan (Augsburg Fortress, 2008) Cyber Sources The Pastor as Narrative Leader by N. Graham Standish http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=8799 A Primer of Today's Missional Church http://jrwoodward.net/2008/11/a-primer-on-todays-missional-church/ Craig Van Gelder and Alan Roxburgh video discussion of "What Is the Missional Church" http://www.vimeo.com/7788526 Twenty-One Questions for Missional Leaders http://www.jrbriggs.com/21-questions-for-missional-leaders/09/ Missional Church Network http://missionalchurchnetwork.com/category/leadership/ <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< 5 - RevWriter News Recent RevWriter Sightings: +In February 2010: +Sue will facilitate the gathering of the Philadelphia Area Ecumenical Resource Network (PAERN) Steering Committee as it seeks to incorporate more judicatory representation along with +Sue will host a conversation with members of the RevWriter Resources, LLC Advisory Team. +Sue is serving as a coach in the ELCA Board of Pensions Journey of Renewal wellness pilot program. Her role as coach will expand this year as the program expands. <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< 6 - Announcements Financial Contributions Welcomed Costs to produce and manage The RevWriter Resource will increase for me this year as the subscriber base continues to grow. Writers of devotions and main articles have always been, and will continue to be, paid. In the past, this has come out of my personal writing income, but as this ministry continues to grow, the cost to me will also continue to increase. In the effort to maintain the ministry provided through the publication of The RevWriter Resource without requiring a subscriber's fee, I am now welcoming contributions from subscribers. Contributions may be sent to: RevWriter Resources, LLC Or through Paypal to sue@revwriter.com Most importantly, I appreciate your prayers as this ministry continues to grow during its seventh year in publication. Blessings, Sue <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< 7 - Publications Still Available: +John (Learner Guide and Leader Guide) by Susan M. Lang (Augsburg +Our Community: Dealing with Conflict in Our Congregation by Susan M. +Welcome Forward: A Field Guide for Global Travelers by Susan M. Lang 6-0002-0186-9) A CD of original music by composer Tim Hansen accompanies the book. Visit http://www.revwriter.com for a complete list of publications that Sue has authored. 8- Subscribe/Unsubscribe Info I maintain a strict privacy policy and will not sell or share my subscription list. The RevWriter Resource is sent to you at no cost. If you know of someone who might be interested in receiving The RevWriter Resource, you are welcome to forward it. Please do so only in its entirety, including my copyright information. If someone has forwarded The RevWriter Resource to you, I invite you to subscribe. To do so, visit my website at: http://www.revwriter.com/congregational/resource.shtml#signup Copyright 2002-2010 RevWriter Susan M. Lang. All rights reserved. For permission to quote or reprint, please contact me for written consent at sue@revwriter.com or The Rev. Sue Lang www.revwriter.com
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