Here is our Schedule for All-Committee Day this Saturday, January 22.
8:30 am - Continental Breakfast in Fellowship Hall, All committee members are invited
9:00 am - Opening activities and presentation around the theme of "Missional Renaissance"
9:30 am - Committee meetings in Building II
11:30 am - Final gathering and reporting in Fellowship Hall
Noon - Lunch for Session members only
1-3 pm - Session Meeting in Session Room
Our theme for Saturday will be "Missional Renaissance" and it is based on making these three shifts.
Shift #1: Internal focus to an external focus
The shift is from the church at the center to the Kingdom of God at the center. Ask yourself if this particular ministry will "bless the world." Will this ministry, as it is lived out, reveal God's heart for the world? Is it bigger than the church in your place? In this shift, the church is no longer seeing the ministry as a way to attract new members, but rather as a way to point back to the church's mission in the world. The mission is beyond the individual church.
Shift #2: Program development to People development
This mission is beyond well-conceived programs. The church is not looking for another well received program. The mission should attract people in the church and also beyond the church. "We should feed the hungry people; but when their stomachs are full, we should also teach them or mentor them or find them work, whatever we can do to elevate their capacity to provide for themselves." The ministry should move the church from a participation mindset to a mindset that encourages spiritual maturation. As we examine the ideas submitted we hope to find ministries that move to the development of individuals and their lives. Growth through service!
Shift #3: Church-Based to Kingdom-Based Leadership
The shift here would be from the old model of the church which is institutional, maintenance-oriented, positional, pastoral, church-focused and highly controlled to Kingdom-oriented leadership where words such as organic, disruptive, personal, prophetic, kingdom-focused, empowering can be used. Those who participate in this ministry will, in all likelihood, have a
focus on the kingdom and how to draw individuals into a ministry. This shift no longer looks at the leadership of the church as directors, but rather producers. Training is to move the individuals out!
The shift is from the church at the center to the Kingdom of God at the center. Ask yourself if this particular ministry will "bless the world." Will this ministry, as it is lived out, reveal God's heart for the world? Is it bigger than the church in your place? In this shift, the church is no longer seeing the ministry as a way to attract new members, but rather as a way to point back to the church's mission in the world. The mission is beyond the individual church.
Shift #2: Program development to People development
This mission is beyond well-conceived programs. The church is not looking for another well received program. The mission should attract people in the church and also beyond the church. "We should feed the hungry people; but when their stomachs are full, we should also teach them or mentor them or find them work, whatever we can do to elevate their capacity to provide for themselves." The ministry should move the church from a participation mindset to a mindset that encourages spiritual maturation. As we examine the ideas submitted we hope to find ministries that move to the development of individuals and their lives. Growth through service!
Shift #3: Church-Based to Kingdom-Based Leadership
The shift here would be from the old model of the church which is institutional, maintenance-oriented, positional, pastoral, church-focused and highly controlled to Kingdom-oriented leadership where words such as organic, disruptive, personal, prophetic, kingdom-focused, empowering can be used. Those who participate in this ministry will, in all likelihood, have a
focus on the kingdom and how to draw individuals into a ministry. This shift no longer looks at the leadership of the church as directors, but rather producers. Training is to move the individuals out!
I wonder St. John's and your involvement may be different if we made these three shifts? That is what we will consider as we begin a new year in ministry at All Committee Day this Saturday, January 22 at 8:30 am in Fellowship Hall.
