Exploring the Gifts Among Us

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Exploring the Gifts Among Us

• A Learning Congregation Module
• August 25, 2007
• Mass Bay District
• Rev. Dr. Liz Strong Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley

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The Leadership Challenge

• Emphasis on lay authority has not translated into
  empowered lay leadership
• Chronic difficulty in recruiting lay volunteers
• Few models of lay leadership training
• Leaders get burned out and disrespected

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Congregational Assessment

• How many members?
• How many of those members are active beyond
  attending worship service?
• How many of those are involved in institutional
  maintenance in their volunteer work?
  (committees, RE, Choir, SJ)
• Are you comfortable with this percentage?
• How many of your past lay leaders are still
  actively participating?

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Assumptions

• Leadership Development requires asking what the
  work is that can fulfill the person rather than
  who can fill the slot
• Leadership development is an ongoing process at
  every level of congregational life
• Leadership should be fulfilling not exhausting -
  people should be able to grow spiritually
• We have to rethink the work of the church

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Culture Shifts

• Cant take for granted we know what the work of
  the church is
• Different mind sets brought by different
  generations
• Our Church Elders Everything is a War, people
  do their duty.
• Baby Boomers Everything is a Movement, everyone
  is involved in spontaneous work.
• The Youngers Everything is a Store, things
  should be excellent and prepared.
• The Multi-taskers Everything is complex but
  simplifiable, looking for connection beyond the
  technology.

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Culture Shifts, contd

• Can you think of examples in these categories
• What would be meaningful work for each of these
  groups
• What would span these generations

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Impediments

• Weve always done it this way
• What if the work doesnt get done
• Dont know a different way
• Letting go of control
• Trusting a new generation
• Overfunctioning

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Exercise

• Describe an experience in your congregation which
  felt exciting, energizing.
• Describe an experience which felt deadening,
  frustrating, dutiful.
• Can you identify what elements of the experience
  made it life giving or deadening?

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Culture Language Shifts

• From recruit to invite
• From delegate to share the ministry
• From volunteer to serve
• From Committee to Team
• From Goods Services Institution to servant
  leadership

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Implications for Leaders - Credibility

• Clarity of direction
• Character
• Competence

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Implications for Leaders - Context

• Different contexts call for different kinds of
  leadership
• No such thing as one superleader for all
  contexts

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Implications for Leaders - Legacy

• It takes leaders to make more leaders
• Not to develop others in leadership while
  involving them in ministry is to use and
  ultimately abuse them
• Difference between fulfilling a task and
  developing a leader

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Empowerment

• Definition Empowerment is the intentional
  transfer of authority to an emerging leader
  within specified boundaries from an established
  leader who maintains responsibility for the
  ministry.
• Building Leaders, Aubrey Malphurs Will
  Mancini

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Alternatives to Empowerment

• Directing Leader keeps both authority and
  responsibility
• Abdicating Leader gives away both authority and
  responsibility
• Disabling Leader gives away responsibility but
  keeps authority

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Spiritual Disciplines of Empowerment

• From control to faith (embracing uncertainty) --
  empowerment increases the possibility of unknown
  outcomes
• From expediency to patience -- requires a
  sacrifice of short-term efficiency to gain
  greater depth of meaning and connection

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Spiritual Disciplines of Empowerment

• From power to humility -- empowerment requires
  giving up something even when youve been
  successful at it
• From isolation to love -- empowerment
  necessitates close support and authentic community

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Exercise

• Empowerment handout

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Implications for Staff

• Much greater need for increased number of staff -
  release volunteers to do the work they love
• Everyone is responsible, but best if one person
  coordinates - facilitator of equipping ministry
• Stay informed, but let go of control

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Methods of Leadership Development

• Conversation, conversation, conversation!
• Surveys, interest forms, etc. only helpful as
  documentation, not solicitation
• Based on what members need, not what organization
  needs

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Methods, contd

• Connect - interview and assessment
• Discovery Gifts, talents, temperament, life
  experience, and passions
• Matching and Placement
• Equip
• Training, feedback, affirmation evaluation
• Recognition and reflection
• Centralized and decentralized
• Support