21st Century Ministry

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21st Century Ministry Leadership

• Models, Possibilities Directions

Dr. Steven Lewis Northwest House of Theological
Studies Kristina Gonzalez Leadership Development
for an Inclusive Church, PNW Conference
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Theological Development
Fundamentalism
Liberalism
Moderates
Evangelicals
Emerging Theology
Spiritual richness
Historical-Early Christianity
Culturally Relevant
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Elements of an Emerging Theology

• Imagination and Creativity
• Nature and Creation
• Pilgrimage and Seeking
• Mystery and Mystic
• Beauty and Awe

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Elements of an Emerging Theology

• Truth is Elusive
• Theology is Incarnational emphasis on God in us
• Rooted in an everyday mysticism with a social
  consciousness
• Spiritual and Religious when religion is defined
  beyond organization
• Intuitive Knowing

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Assumptions

• We have good theology that people need
• We are friendly and welcoming to others
• We are a global church with effective
  infrastructure, i.e. UMCOR
• We are involved in social justice issues in our
  communities
• While young people may leave the church after
  youth group, they will return when they have
  children

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Changing Catagories

• Children
• Youth
• Young Adults
• Adults
• Older Adults
• Seniors

• birth-11
• 12-20
• 21-45
• 46-60
• 60-75
• 75-up
• Robert Wuthnow
• After the Baby Boomers

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Seven Key Trends

• Delay Marriage
• Fewer Children and later in life
• Uncertainties about work and money
• Higher levels of education for most
• Loosening of Relationships
• Globalization
• Information Culture

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Young Adult Spirituality

• God is simply a mystery that cannot be understood
  by humans.
• Christianity still provides some answers to
  spiritual questions.
• 48 have been influenced by Christianity at
  least one other religion.
• A majority of young adults who are religiously
  uninvolved say spiritual growth is important
• Music is an important spiritual component

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21st Century Ministry Concerns

• Do we know how to speak to the postmodern world?
• How do we articulate a historical Wesleyan
  theology in the current context?
• Do we care about a Wesleyan theology in the 21st
  century? Can it help?
• Can a Modern Church reach a Postmodern world?
• Is our leadership prepared?

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Propensity to Change

• 86 agree to the need to attract young people,
  18-30 years of age
• 33 of laity thought the local church would
  change worship for young people
• 21 of clergy thought the same
• 30 of laity thought the local church would
  reallocate resources
• 27 of clergy perceived a willingness to
  reallocate resources
• State of the Church Report, Connectional Table

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Minimization

• Over generalizes similarities between self and
  others, missing complexities
• Human similarity
• Universal values
• We are friendly and welcoming to others
• We are a global church with effective structure
• We are involved in social justice work

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Minimization Learn more about ones own culture
and avoid projecting that culture onto the
experience of others (to go more deeply)

• What is essential to United Methodist ethos?
• Theologically
• Practically
• Given what is essential, how might our boards and
  agencies function differently in a new context?

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21st Century Ministry Culture
Alternative Ministries
Creative Ministries
Non-Traditional
Traditional Ministries
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21st Century Ministry Culture
Non-Traditional
Alternative Ministries
Creative Ministries
Wilderness Way
Coffee House Service
The Underground
Micahs Village
Enterbeing
Soul Café
Church of the Apostles
Traditional Ministries
Multicultural Ministry
UMCOR
UMW
Ethnic Congregations
Down Town 1st Church
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Supporting New Directions

• Traditional Ministries

• Other Forms of Ministries

• Weekly, Millions of people attend, are nourished,
  and enjoy their church.
• Established Ministries reaching into the
  community
• Need to continue as is, with additional
  ministries
• Deserve quality clergy leadership
• Ethnic Communities are traditional

• Reach non church going people-and some unhappy
  with traditional church
• Expressed in numerous forms
• Flexible, generally small, relationship focused
  versus program focused
• Struggle for funding

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Northwest Context

• Region is Important
• This isnt Nashville, TN
• Starting New Ministries requires new models
• Both/And approach
• Ethnic ministry opportunities
• Take Risk
• Invest in good ideas
• Reclaim our Wesleyan Spiritual heritage for the
  21st century

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Both/And Approach

• New Ministries

• Established Churches

• Not necessarily interested in denominational
  identity
• Identity is found internally within the group
• Reaching people the church struggles to reach
• Do not often fit well into the UMC structure
• Different types of leaders

• Identity, Belonging Direction
• Rich history
• Connection with United Methodist Church
• Established Ministries
• Participation in the annual conference
• Established Leadership

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Traditional Ministries

• Diana Butler Bass has done some excellent work
  with Mainline congregations.
• Flood of second career baby boomers have a lot of
  passion for serving traditional churches
• There remains a lot of potential for most
  congregations to continue and create vital
  ministries
• A lot of potential among ethnic communities
• Since the late 1980s there has been an influx of
  folks returned to mainline traditions. This is a
  reverse of the fleeing of mainline traditions in
  the late 1960s through the early 80s.

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Traditional Ministries

• Exciting time to reflect on where the conference
  and congregations are going
• NOTE Before we run away from historical
  Christian practices, know that younger
  generations are interested in historical
  spiritual practices.
• Mainline traditions have a history and richness
  that has been too often overlooked

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Christian, but not Religious

• It is less easy to speak of Christian
  spirituality than in the past, and more accurate
  to speak of spiritualities of Christians.
  Philip Sheldrake Spirituality and History

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New Types Leaders for New Types of Searchers

• Younger folks who grew up in church, but left
  after high school.
• 20-30 somethings who never grew up in church, but
  are very spiritual
• Christian, but not religious. Those often wounded
  by the church
• Interfaith or blended faith seekers
• Migrating Evangelicals
• Christians who want a change from the traditional
  form of church

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Diverse Leaders for Diverse Populations
Lay leadership to gather and nurture into
community of faith Increasing numbers of ethnic
Local Pastors (candidacy and support) 1.5 and 2nd
Generation ministries - Younger and bi-cultural
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What Types of Leaders Do We Need?

• Both/And context means we need a variety of
  leadership skills and styles, which will include
  both clergy and laity.
• We have struggled some to encourage people to
  enter ministry. Now it the task is getting more
  complex.
• Importance and rise of Lay Leadership for both
  traditional and new expressions of ministry.

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Creative, Alternative, Non-Traditional
Ministries

• Can United Methodism move beyond itself?

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Creative, Alternative, Non-Traditional
Ministries

• Exactly what type of ministries fit into this
  category?
• Totally independent
• Sponsored by or through a funding source or
  sources
• Connected to existing Church-congregation
• House Church Models

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21st Century Ministry Culture
Non-Traditional
Alternative Ministries
Creative Ministries
Wilderness Way
Coffee House Service
The Underground
Micahs Village
Enterbeing
Soul Café
Church of the Apostles
Traditional Ministries
Multicultural Ministry
UMCOR
UMW
Ethnic Congregations
Down Town 1st Church
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Examples of Church related, Creative,
Alternative, Non-Traditional Ministries

• n

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The Underground

• Leader Kirk Hurd (40s)
• United Methodist
• Connected to the 1st UMC in Salem.
• Style Christian night club (The Underground is
  located in the basement of the MICAH building
  next to the 1st UMC
• Size 25-60
• Support Limited funding from 1st UMC
• Audience 20s, 30s, 40s with some 50s and above

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Coffee House Service

• Rev. Carley Friesen (40s)
• Presbyterian
• Connected to Tabor Heights Presbyterian
• Style Comfortable Coffee-Club setting in a large
  room in the old section of the church.
• Size 15-40
• Support Limited funding for the church
• Audience Single women with children, younger
  people with a mix of others

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Enterbeing

• Scott Brazieal (40s)
• Lutheran
• Connected to Redeemer Lutheran
• Style small group, book conversations,
  inter-faith practices
• Size varies with activity
• Support Limited funding from church and
  denomination
• Audience spiritual seekers, recovering folks

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Micahs Village

• Chuck Cooper (60s)
• United Methodist
• Connection Ecumenical, Christian based
  interfaith.
• Style Creative worship, seminars, workshops
• Size 15-50
• Support OR-ID conference Salary support
• Audience recovering Christians, seekers,
  Christian but not religious

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Soul Café

• Jill Rowland (30s)
• Lutheran
• Independent, but Lutheran based
• Style weekly gatherings, studies, relationship
  based
• Size 12-35
• Support Self supporting with some grant money
  and Lutheran support
• Audience seeker, recovering Christians,

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How Do We Move Into the Future?

• Preparing Ourselves

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Organizational Change

• 1 Vision, 99 Alignment (Collins, Good to Great)

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Accountability

• Healthy organizations consistently match
  authority with responsibility (Doug Anderson,
  Bishop Ruben Center for Leadership Development)

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What Are the Central Issues?

• What are the issues your board or agency will
  encounter in the next four years?
• Are these common issues for other boards and
  agencies?
• What will you need, to address the needs before
  you?
• What two things can be discussed today to move
  you forward?