Ministry and Mission in Uncertain Times

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Ministry and Mission in Uncertain Times
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Ministry and Mission in Uncertain Times
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Challenging Tasks in Times of Stress

1. Remember the calling
2. Help people reflect personally
3. Weave a helpful narrative

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1. Remember the Calling

• Revisit congregational stories and statements
  that express
• Who are we?
• What are we here for?
• Who is our neighbor?

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leadership message

• Our fundamental calling hasnt changed
• Weve adjusted how we do it many times before
• If we stay flexible, we can move ahead in
  ministry together

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2. Help People Reflect Personally

• Start with peoples lives, not with church
• Create safe space to share
• Invite faith reflection

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dialogue questions

• Which economic headline jumps out at you right
  now?
• How is this news affecting you personally?
• Where is God for you in this situation? Or how
  might faith help you respond?

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sample dialogue format

• Allow 60 minutes
• Keep groups small (3 or 4)
• Clear ground-rules
• Twice around the group with no interruption
• Time keeper raises hand when one minute left
• Share only what you wish to
• Whats shared here stays here
• Hand out questions on worksheet

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format

• Quiet Time Jot down own answers (5 minutes)
• Round One Each person answers questions A B
  (up to 5 minutes total)
• Round Two Each person answers question 3 (up to
  5 minutes)
• General Discussion As time allows

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3. Hear / Shape the Story

• Notice how the story is being told
• among ourselves, in the media
• Consider how else this story
• might be told
• Search for resonance in
• biblical story
• Choose how you will frame
• this situation as leader
• Keep weaving that narrative
• over time

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3. Hear / Shape the Story

• Stirring a 'Gumbo' Theology, Reverend Otis Moss
  III speaks on Church Vitality and Discipleship in
  a Hip Hop Worldhttp//www.ucc.org/vitality/ready
  -set-grow/video/otis-moss.html

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Making Sound Strategic Choices in Anxious Times

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Maintain Thoughtfulness

• Anxiety provokes reactivity --thoughtlessness,
  defensiveness, automatic behavior.
• Anxiety triggers the desire to do something --
  a false sense of urgency.

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Maintain Thoughtfulness

• Acting too quickly can result in bad strategy
  choices
• Across the board budgetary cuts are rarely the
  best course of action.

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Maintaining Thoughtfulness

• Step 1 Be honest about your reality
• Step 2 Keep mission focus at the center of
  decision-making

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Maintaining Thoughtfulness

• Step 3 Set priorities on the basis of mission
  contribution and resource requirements
• Step 4 Develop strategies for doing more with
  less

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Step 1 Be Honest about the Reality

• Reflect on facts, not fear
• Compile and analyze the recent trends, not just
  whats happening in this moment

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Step 1 Be Honest about the Reality

• Consider a variety of what-if scenarios
• Assess the potential impact of a short term and
  long term deficit period

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Step 2 Keep Focused on Mission

• Ask yourself, What has really changed?
• Evaluate the impact and quality of your programs
  and ministries (What do we do best? What is
  uniquely ours to do?)
• This may be a rare opportunity to convince people
  to eliminate programs that are no longer fruitful

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Step 3 Set Priorities
Low contribution to our mission High contribution to our mission
Low use of our resources Ask ourselves Is this really a good fit for us? Keep or expand these ministries
High use of our resources Reconfigure or eliminate these ministries This is our core- Can we do it differently with fewer or different resources?
Source Kate Barr, Executive Director of the
Nonprofits Assistance Fund
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Step 4 Develop Alternatives

• What are the essential functions?
• What can we delay, postpone, minimize or
  eliminate?
• Where can an increase in volunteerism help?
• What new partnerships can we form?
• Who might help drive our resource engine?

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Final Thoughts

• Dont unilaterally ask your staff to do more with
  less.
• Make good strategic choices that will position
  you well for your next chapter of ministry.

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Becoming Vital Congregations and Generous
Disciples in tough times

• Plan for the future! Seize this as the opportune
  time to reposition your congregation for a
  healthy and robust future.  This recession will
  pass.
• What steps can you take now to become the vital
  generous church that Gods calls us to be in the
  future?

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Questions

• What are you doing to prepare for the future
  during these difficult times?
• What will you take from this presentation back to
  your church?