Saturday, January 23, 2010

Cultivating Imagination

If there is one concept about missional leadership that has been in my mind lately, it is the idea of cultivating the missional imagination of the Christian community.  I believe God appoints leaders and does give them vision and inspiration to lead.  However, I also believe God can do the same in and through the followers, or members of the community.  Good leaders, I think, will help their community travel down a certain path God has revealed to them WHILE inspiring the community to find unique ways to actually go down the path.

To explore this further, maybe it is like the TV Game Show, Amazing Race.  The leaders of the show reveal and explain the destination to contestants, but do not tell the contestants exactly how to get their.  Clues are given, aides are provided, and the teams are never completely abandoned to the extent where they could be hurt.  This all adds up to empowering each team to find their way to the goal.  Some make it more quickly than others, but all eventually make it.  My guess is the experience is much more memorable and powerful (both positively and negatively) than it would have been if they were simply given directions to follow.

Leadership in the church, I believe, can empower people to use their imagination to follow the path God has in store.  The innovations, ideas, and inventions the Christian community might come up with could quite literally change lives and change the world.  Those who are speaking into my life - authors, practitioners, friends, family, teachers - are cultivating within me a missional imagination.  As the imagination is ingited by these outside sources, the Spirit of God within me adds fuel, leading to a blazing fire of imagination just waiting to burst forth into my life.  Now, my job is to spread the imagination to others.  Imagine this: 100 committed Christians imagining how God could use them to be missionaries to their own context and dreaming about how they can help others imagine the same.  I imagine that would be quite the powerful community.

Imagine if...

Monday, January 18, 2010

Conversation over Coffee

While having a cup of coffee with a friend the other day, he shared with me a frustration with his church.  My friend used to be on the worship team at his church, but was told he wasn't really good enough to have his mic turned up high enough for people to hear him.  Obviously, my friend quit.  Not many people would want to sing into a silent microphone and just be a body on stage.

During our conversation, the extent of the pain inflicted by this event came out.  I heard how my friend longed to be able to be a part of worship and to lead people in worship.  The frustration was that church was just a show where stars are needed to sing, to preach, and to do the Christian act on stage.

This was a harsh observation to be sure, but my heart broke while we talked.  Honestly, tears were coming to my eyes as I listened to a fellow Christian share the hurt caused by a church model designed to attract people in with high quality worship services.  Now, I am not one to say this model is all bad.  I believe in worship and I believe God has gifted people to lead in worship.  But I also believe the church has to find a way to allow for greater levels of participation and expression our worship gatherings.  Worship does not need to be perfect, it needs to be genuine.  Voices do not need to be the most beautiful in the world, they need to be heartfelt.  Preaching does not need to always come from the experts, it needs to come from the people of God.  One person does not need to do all the talking at a worship gathering. 

God certainly deserves excellence in worship.  Sometimes I wonder if God and the church define excellence the same way.  One thing I do know - a community that stifles the voice of one of its members longing to sing out the praises of God has some serious examination to do.

The Discerning Community

While reading Craig Van Gelder's The Ministry of the Missional Church: A Community Led by the Spirit over some coffee this morning, one sentence sent me on a tangent of thinking.  Van Gelder made the observation that Jesus taught his disciples a lot about the nature of the church/people of God, but never really said much about how it would be structured or how it would be modeled.  Instead, Jesus told his followers the Spirit would come and lead them to be the unique community.

Church leaders of all kinds--missional, emerging, denominational, traditional, pastoral, etc.-- talk a lot about models.  I, too, am often captivated by ideas and dreams of ways a church might be modeled or structured.  Van Gelder's, point, however, reminded me that God does not always reveal models to leaders.  God does send the Spirit, though, to equip the people of God for ministry and mission.  Those who lead the church would be wise to remind themselves that the ministry of the Spirit within the church is to empower the people of God.  The role of the leader is to help the people of God hear the voice of the Spirit and to create spaces for dialogue to take place.  When God's people together listen for the Spirit's voice and are constantly sharing what they are hearing, a missional model can emerge.  This model won't be shaped by the church down the road or by consumerism or prevailing church strategy.  Instead, this model will be shaped by the Spirit.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

I am missional...hear me roar

For some strange reason, as a young lad I loved to listen to my oldest sister's cassette tape of Helen Reddy's greatest hits.  My father must be so proud!  Reddy's first #1 hit in the U.S. was "I am Woman."  The song which became an icon of the feminist movement in the 1970s, opened with the line, "I am woman, hear me roar." According to a Wikipedia article (see here), Reddy wrote the song to reflect "the positive self-image she had gained from joining the women's movement."  Proud of her new found hope and pride in feminism, she let her voice ring out to the world, making it clear where she stood and what she believed.

If you could hear me now, I am doing my best impression of the first line of "I am Woman," slightly changing the words to "I am misisonal, hear me roar."  Over the last few years I have been on a journey that has been changing the way I think about and do ministry.  During this time, I could not articulate clearly what was happening and so often failed to speak up about it or communicate it to others.  I lacked the confidence in my beliefs and ideas to run them by others

As I continue to read and study missional theology and missional living, I am finding a voice for all of the thoughts and feelings I have experienced the last few years.  Having come through my "dark night of the soul" I am now ready to proclaim, I AM MISSIONAL!  HEAR ME ROAR! In my roaring, I don't want to offend others who think or live differently.  I also do not want to tell them they are wrong.  My hope is I can challenge, inspire and create dialogue so together we can move forward to more fully be who God wants us to be.

My first roar shall come straight out of a book titled, The Missional Leader by Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk.  Early in the book, the two authors compare contemporary pastoral models of leadership to missional models of leadership. (Note - they do not argue that the pastoral model is wrong.  Instead, they claim the pastoral model was necessary in the 20th century, but due to cultural change, the missional model may be more effective in the 21st century. For more on their perspective, see my forthcoming blog on Discontinuous Change and the Missional Church).  A table comparing the two styles of leadership is found on pages 12-13 of their book.  Since I cannot do columns, I will first list the qualities of a missional leader.  You can find the similar quality of the pastoral leaders numbered below.

MISSIONAL LEADERSHIP
  1. Ministry staff operate as coaches and mentors within a system that is not dependent on them to validate the importance and function of every group by being present.
  2. Ordained clergy equip and release the multiple ministries of the people of God throughout the church
  3. Pastor asks questions that cultivate an environment that engages the imagination, creativity, and gifts of God's people in order to discern solutions.
  4. Preaching and teaching invite the people of God to engage Scripture as a living word that confronts them with questions and draws them into a distinctive world.
    • Metaphor and stories
    • Asks new questions
  5. "Pastoring" must be part of the mix, but not the sum total.
  6. Make tension OK.
  7. Conflict facilitator.
  8. Indwell the local and contextual; cultivate the capacity for the congregation to ask imaginative questions about its present and its next stages.
  9. Cultivator of imagination and creativity.
  10. Create an environment that releases and nourishes the missional imagination of all people through diverse ministries and missional teams that affect their various communities, the city, nation, and world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
PASTORAL LEADERSHIP
  1. Expectation that an ordained pastor must be present at every meeting and event or else it is not validated or important.
  2. Ordained ministry staff functions to give attention to and take care of people in the church be being present as they are needed (if care and attention are given by people other than ordained clergy, it may be more appropriate and effective, but is deemed "second-class."
  3. Pastor provides solutions.
  4.  Preaching and teaching offer answers and tell people what is right and wrong.
    • Telling
    • Didactic
    • Reinforcing Assumptions
    • Principles for living
  5. "Professional" Christians
    1. Celebrity (must be a "home run hitter")
  6. "Peacemaker"
  7. Conflict suppressor or "fixer"
  8. Keep playing the whole games as though we are still the major league team and the major league players. Continue the mythology that "This staff is the New York Yankees of the Church world!"
  9. "Recovery" expert ("make it like it used to be")
  10. Function as the manager, maintainer or resource agent of a series of centralized ministries focused in and around the building that everyone must support. Always be seen as the champion and primary support agent for everyone's specific ministry.

I don't always track with the pastoral leadership they present, but I think the chart is helpful in highlighting some trends and differences nonetheless.  My hunch, is most church leaders are a combination of both.  My passions and gifts are leading me in the direction of missional and I pray for the chance to challenge others to do the same.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Missional Small Groups (& why Scott Boren is my hero!)

First, let me say Scott Boren is the hero of the day for me today! Below, I list the reasons why:
  1. With a name like Scott, he's gotta be good (shamelessly stole this slogan from Smucker's...fyi)
  2. He has a forthcoming book titled Missional Small Groups (see link on Amazon).
  3. He serves at a church in Minnesota, trying to create missional communities.
  4. His article in "Missional Small Groups," a training manual published by small groups.com helped me put the frustration of the past few years into words more clearly than ever before.  I used his words as part of my introduction to the literature review I am working on for a research project (see below)
Here is the first paragraph of my lit review: (It might sound boring, but it is worth the read to understand my perspective on small groups.  Also, it is a rough and unedited free-write.)

Small groups, as an expression of Christian community, have gone through multiple major shifts in the last century.  As Donahue (2007, p. 17) summarizes, the major emphasis on community in recent history began in the parachurch groups of the 1950s through the 1970s, took hold in the church in the 80s and 90s through movements such as the meta-church model and cell churches, and is now evidence in the form of the increasing movement of many churches to combine emphases on community with emphases on mission.  Scott Boren (2007) identifies the root problem causing churches to shift from the small group programs of the 80s and 90s to the missional focus growing in popularity today.  He writes, “In short, good old American pragmatism [has] turned small groups into a modernistic program that leaders could control and produce growth” (p. 10).  Many bought into the “set of small-group myths” to find the programs built “resulted in growth but little radical transformation [sic] (p. 10).  Hirsch (2007, p. 04) calls the small groups in the modernistic programs identified by Boren, “prop-ups to the ‘real-deal,’ weekend-based church.”  Instead of using small groups as a program to cause church growth, Bible knowledge, and connection, these authors, among many others, argue the small group ought to be seen as the church itself, the community of God called to participate in the mission dei. 
 


A Reason to Enter the City, or at least Multi-Family Buildings

Just read a stat in a work published by Bill Donahue from the Willow Creek Association.  While talking about current examples of missional communities starting up in apartment buildings, he noted that 40% of Chicagoland lives in these types of buildings, while only 5% of churches have ministries in them.

A compelling statistic.

To Heck With Strategy

Sitting here in class, doing some research on missional theology, missional living and contextualized ministry (the three components of my literature review for my action research project), I came across the following quote from Vincent Donovan, missionary to Africa and author of Christianity Rediscovered.

Dear Bishop,
… Suddenly I feel the urgent need to cast aside all theories and discussions, all efforts at strategy, and simply go to these people and do the work among them for which I came to Africa. I would propose cutting myself off from the schools and the hospital and just go and talk to them about God and the Christian message. Outside of this, I have no theory, no plan, no strategy, no gimmick, no idea of what will come. I feel rather naked. I will begin as soon as possible … (Vincent J. Donovan)


Makes me wonder, how many Christians, especially church workers and leaders, have felt like this before.  Sometimes, I think, we need to say to heck with strategy, give me the people and let God surprise me. 

Monday, January 4, 2010

A New Name for Chicago

Ezekiel 48:35 "And the name of the city from that time on will be:
       The LORD is There ."

Before concluding his writings, the Prophet Ezekiel shares an experience God gave him.  Chapters 40-48 of his book detail the vision God gives to Ezekiel of a new temple and a new land for his people.  Chapter 47 describes a living water (God's presence is one interpretation) trickling out from underneath the temple.  In just 6000 feet, the small trickle turns into a river so wide no one can cross it.  The river is remarkably life-giving.  Trees grow all along the banks of the river - trees that produce fruit every month of the year for both food and medicine.  When the river flows into the Dead Sea (the saltiest body of water on the earth) the water is made fresh and fish and plant life of all kinds grow and live within it.  In short, when God's presence flows out of the temple into the new city/land the outcome is miraculous growth, incredible fruit production, and transformation from death to life.

After detailing how the new land will be divided among the people, Ezekiel names the new land he has seen.  He calls it "The Lord is There."  All who look upon the city can not help but see God's presence and his power displayed through the growth of his domain, the life he brings, and and the good works produced.  This is my dream for Chicago.  This is my dream for the major cities of the U.S. Imagine if people looked at our cities and no longer saw crime gangs, homelessness and pockets of darkness, but instead saw a community of love.  Imagine if people saw places where people share resources in common instead of mega-millionaires living by people so impoverished they have no where to live.  Imagine if people saw charity instead of greed.  Imagine if people looked at Chicago and said "The Lord is There."

Of all the places, I believe major cities have the potential for this kind of radical change.  Maybe it is just a dream God has given to me, but I often consider the potential that lies within the major city. Here is one example - a dream I often dream.  Consider:
  • A small community of believers decides to make Chicago their mission field.  They move into a high rise condo building in downtown, pooling their resources to afford the high cost of  living.  Their mission, to reach discern and meet the needs of their neighbors.  A church is started in the condo.  Worship is held over a huge meal every week.  The community lives as the Kingdom of God and neighbors take notice.  Through evangelism, relationship building, serving and simply being a sign of God's presence, the small community begins to make a difference one just one floor in the high rise.  Another church is planted on another floor, and then another and then another.  Lives are changed, marriages are saved, hearts are turned to Christ.  The kingdom of God comes to the building. As the Christian communities in the building continue to get together and worship and serve, they ask God to show them how to live missionally, how to be missionaries in their context. 
  • God, the God who sends his people, soon makes clear he wants 5 different individuals/couples to move into a building down the block.  The communities appoint the 5 missionaries, lay hands upon them, pray for their ministry, and send them with the blessing of God.  Soon another building bows its knee to Christ.  Add a third building into the mix and you have potential for a movement to be launched.  Thousand of people begin spreading the message, feeding the homeless, giving their possessions to the poor.  Chicago, a city known for crooked politicians can be the light.  People can look at it and say "The Lord is There."

Wherever you are, a pray you open you heart to the possibility God might want to send you into a major city to launch an epidemic of kingdom proportions.  The major city near you might just be the epicenter of revival in our country.  Don't get caught in your cave of isolation.  Join the adventure.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Out of the cave...Into the city.

Continuing on the theme introduced in my first blog, I will retain the analogy of the cave.  Read the blog posted on Jan 1, 2010 to get the full story of the church and the cave.

As claimed on Jan 1, I believe the church got caught in a blinding storm of rapid and drastic cultural change.  This change caused the church to lose the privileged and influential position it once held in society and culture.  As the church tried to navigate the way down the mountain through the storm, many factors and failures caused the church in the west to lose focus and direction.  Eventually, the church took shelter in a cave for survival.  It is time for the church to leave the cave.

Part of the storm that took the church off guard was urbanization.  In the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, people across the world moved out of the rural areas and into urban populations--first into the cities, and then into the new suburbs of the crowded cities.  Consider the United States.  In 1800, about 5% of the population lived in cities.  By 1920, 50% of people in the USA lived in cities.  Today, it is estimated that some 82% of Americans live in cities and suburbs (I'm still trying to determine the populations of urban areas in the US, leaving out suburban areas).

While the people migrated to cities in droves, the church stayed behind.  Used to being in the center of social and public life--literally in the town square, right next to the court house (think Church St. and Main St.)--the church stayed in its cave of comfort instead of following the population.  Today, suburbs are filled with lots of nice churches and congregations, but the cities (large population centers) often go largely ignored. The failure of the church to move into the cities in vast numbers, is in my mind a tragedy that needs to quickly be fixed. 

If the church is to live the mission of God in the United States, it might just be we need to leave the cave and head into the city.  Over the next few weeks, I'll try to strengthen this argument with data collected from respected researchers. 

Bloggers Note: Throughout this missional conversation, I will try hard to present balanced, researched, and truthful facts.  Also, I will attempt to keep my opinions even-keeled and refrain from simply being reactionary and hot-headed.  If ever I fail to support claims or present a balanced perspective, please feel free to instruct and correct me.

For now, if you want to think missionally, think cities.  Major cities in the U.S. represent a huge opportunity for the mission of God to be revealed to millions.

Friday, January 1, 2010

A Hard Decision

In January 1995, Michael Couillard and his two sons took a brief ski trip in Turkey, where Michael was stationed with the U.S. Air Force.  Near the end of the day, Michael and his youngest son, Matthew, decided to go for one more run down the mountain.  As they rode the lift up the mountain, a "white out" storm quickly came in.  By the time they got to the top of the lift, the two could not see the trail down.  Making a long story short, Michael Couillard and his son end up getting lost and are unable to find their way back to the resort.  In fact, they accidentally went down the exact opposite side of the mountain.

On the wrong side of the mountain, trapped in a 3-day snow storm, the two eventually found shelter in a cave.  Frostbite set in in the bitter cold.  The two had nothing to eat and had no survival gear with them.  It seemed as if their only hope would be to wait for rescue.  Eight days pass without any sign of a rescue team.  Finally, Michael was forced to make a hard decision.  He could stay in the safety of the shelter with his son, continue to meet his needs as best he could, and hope for a miracle to find them.  Or he could take action and leave his child behind to find the help they needed.

Michael took action.  After finally succeeding in climbing a slope near the cave, he spotted wooden shacks down on the other side of the mountain.  Though he had not eaten in over a week, he snapped on his skis and made the trek of over two miles.  When he arrived, he found the buildings empty and vacant.  Too weak to make it back up to the mountain where his son clung to life in the cold, Michael could do nothing but sleep.  Not long after he awoke the next day, Turkish lumberjacks found him.  Within hours, Michael and Matthew were receiving the medical care they needed.

The point: rescue would not have come to the Couillards unless Michael made the hard decision to leave the cave.  Though every part of him wanted to stay with his son to protect his offspring, he ventured down the mountain.  Michael almost lost his life, as did his son, but leaving the cave brought salvation, new life.

There is a growing sense in our country that the church is stuck in a cave.  In the not too distant past, the church was on a comfortable ride to the top of the mountain, enjoying privileged and influential positions in society and culture.  Suddenly, a blinding storm of cultural change made the path forward difficult to find.  To survive, the church has been forced to find shelter in the cave of comfort and safety.  Instead of skiing down the slopes in the great adventure God has in store for his people and this world, the church is stuck in survival mode.

My proposal is this - the church needs to leave the cave.  The people of God need to leave the building and the programs behind and need to set out down the mountain once again.  It is outside the cave, on the difficult journey up and down hills, in and out of woods--a journey that may cost the sacrifice of everything once held dear--where the church will again meet the world and salvation will come not only for the world, but also for the church.

This is the story of the church as I see it.  This blog is my venue to describe this story in greater detail, help others see the story as I see it, and share what it might look like for the church to leave the cave.  Stick around.  Keep reading.  Let me know what you think.  God has planted a huge passion in my heart to help the church recapture its missional nature, calling, and vocation.  I pray God uses this blog as one way to bring turn my passion into a reality in the world.