Ch. 6
It is a true gift to receive feedback about yourself as a leader (112).
I was told by my supervising pastor that I will receive high praise from people that think I can't do anything wrong and harsh criticism from people who will never like me. He said the real positive and constructive feedback will come somewhere in the middle. He also taught me that in harsh criticism, try to objectively reflect if any of it could be true. Acknowledge the truth and dismiss what is not true.
Figure 6.2 (114) Interaction of Personal Attributes and Congregational Readiness Factors:
Self: Personal Leadership Attributes
Congregation needs a high level of confidence in leader's character = trust pastor.
People: Attributes for Cultivating People (mentors)
Able to hold listening conversation with one another at levels of awareness and understanding.
Congregation: Attributes for Innovating a Missional Environment
Develops through life of people. Emphasis on dwelling in Scriptures, habit of listening, daily prayer, silence, regular hospitality to the stranger (115)
Context: Attributes for Missional Engagement
awareness and understanding cultivated in neighborhood, community, social reality, and changing issues. Leader must be a good "navigator" or "orienteer" of community.
Missional leaders still need skills of other community leaders: forming effective staff, developing teams, communicating processes, etc. However, the missional leader's purpose (telos - end) is different (117). Our telos is to know God.
Discussion today is about cultivating safe spaces for seekers without any expectations or demands. This is different from the telos of Tertullian. "Tertullian's primary concern as a leader was formation of a people around a specific set of habits and practices that came out of his engagement of Scripture" (119).
Incarnation - Participation in God meant forming a community of God's people whose lives often challenged the political and social institutions of their day (120). God chose to meet us in our place and time, thus the material/physical matters.
Missional leader is called for the formation of a people in the nature of the Triune God. Relational, engaged in disciplines of Jesus.
"The gift of the Spirit means the church is the place where we are invited to risk, in relationship to the open-ended adventure of the Spirit's presence" (123). I love this! We are really not comfortable with risk in the HS. I want more adventure in the church!
"God eludes our systemizing; God's ecclesia cannot be mastered or managed or made. God gives us our future by the Spirit..." (124). Maybe the PCUSA is needing to seek a little more ardor and a little less order.
Ch. 7
Characteristics of a mature leader: self-aware, authentic, present to realities and concerns of those being led (127). Need for an inner compass. "In North America, success entails ability to control and manipulate the external environment to produce certain outcomes" (128). This is the standard for success for which I have been judged. In my MCA, I discovered that too much of my energy was being spent on outward success and not enough on my own inner self.
Trusting the pastor is key, but also building a community of leaders that trust one another is vital for space to discern the spirit (130-31). "Trust is built as you (or they) demonstrate consistency in values, skills, and actions" (139).
"The authentic leader is one whose actions and words are coherent and internally consistent" (131). Leader = self aware. Attributes described: calm, watchful, confident, always listening, with direction, will not judge or criticize others (133).
Conflict Management (134): Conflict is normal in change. Personal courage is necessary.
Biblical story of trust - In the book of Hosea, God uses personal and intimate language. You are my people. Another example - Moses.
Ch. 8
Begin call by listening to the members' stories instead of beginning by implementing change. Rodger Nishioka tells us in Christian Education to wait a full year before implementing any change. "God's future is not a plan or strategy that you introduce; it is among the people of God" (145).
"Imagination is... about the capacity to use forms of thinking other than linear, cause-and-effect, and ordered" (146). It is creative, outside the box, intuitive, unexpected. We encounter imagination in the biblical texts (ex: Jesus' parables). "Imagination also deals with the capacity to entertain what is not yet present but can be encouraged to emerge from the core of one's deepest convictions" (148).
"Cultivation involves working with the plant in its growth" (152). From gardening/horticulture. Release the peoples' imaginations. Worship, the sacrament of the Lord's supper, is a way of cultivating growth.
-Daily offices (time for daily scripture and prayer): important bc (1) one is shaped in the imagination that life is a gift from God and bc (2) we realize how easily stories other than the gospel shape our lives.
-Practicing Hospitality: genuine and complete welcoming of the stranger. Outward focus.
-The Practice of Learning: congregations are increasingly composed of people without knowledge of the biblical story. We must emphasis learning - giving back biblical language.
Enabling Change. Must distinguish between change and transition. "Internal emotional responses are crucial for a congregation caught up in the change. The transition determines how we react to" the change (161).
Build coalitions (groups sharing mutual support) and not committees. Echoes formal ->Informal. Coalitions can birth mission (163-4).
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Missional Leader (Part 1 chs 4-5)
Chapter 4: Missional Change Model
Systems analysis (62) "A congregation is made up of a series of relationships, traditions, and networks ceaselessly interacting and affecting one another."
Principal One: Focus on the Culture, Not the Organization (63) - only way things will change
"The culture of a congregation is how it views itself in relationship to the community, the values that shape how it does things, expectations of one another and of its leaders, unspoken codes about why it exists and whom it serves, how it reads Scripture, and how it forms a community"
Principle 2:Focusing on Culture Does Not Change Culture
Instead of viewing places and relationships as potential church growth, view them as places and people where God is at work and calling us to listen with love. In other words, be open to learning from culture, not trying to assimilate it to church culture.
Principle 3: Change Takes Time and Small Steps and Principle 4: Baby Steps
Principle 5: Starting with "Alignment" Is Not the Answer (64)
Lining up congregation's strategy, structure, staff, resources, etc in a common goal. Performative
Alignment is not something that we can plan. It has to emerge from experiments and dialogue.
(65) Changes throughout our culture since the end of the Cold War.
Post- September 11 world - insecurity and threat. Sense of being together in community is replaced by smaller group alliances that protect against those who appear different.
Job insecurity. Need for church to address the anxiety and confusion of people. Allow expression of these frustrations. People are losing orientation (66).
Bible used as a tool for people in their private lives. It is "colonized by narcissistic, private anxieties in the service of therapy" (67). Need to make this more communal. "People no longer have the language with which to articulate the meaning of their experience of discontinuity and anxiety except in terms of the private and personal" (69). We need to find ourselves in the larger biblical narrative. Importance of language in shaping how we see the world (72).
Missional congregations formed through the interaction between Christian narrative (passed down through generations) and listening to the people in their community (73).
We often masks our fear and anxiety in the wrong thing. Look for source (74). Paulo Freire- gave space and language for people to name what is happening to them and how God is calling them to action (specifically the oppressed) (77). Parker Palmer - teaching is creating space.
"Hospitality creates a safe place where people can risk expressing their experiences, emotions, and concerns about being the people of God today" (78).
Ch 5: The Missional Change Model
Change rarely happens in a straight line.
1. Awareness - start with where people are. (story of woman's pain - her children not in church)
"Giving something or someone speech, giving words to an experience or an unformed feeling, can foster relationality and transformation" (88). Amen! This process of naming experience takes time (90). 4-6 months
2. Understanding - using dialogue to integrate thinking and feeling. Goal - get beneath the surface of awareness to underlying questions and issues (tree metaphor). Time to gather additional information, try out ideas and receive feedback from others. (94) 3-5 months
3. Evaluate - examines current actions, attitudes, and values in light of new understanding. Questions on pp. 95-96. Not time for action, only evaluation. Process can create anxiety. 3-5 months
4. Experiment - risking some change (not all). Not tactical change - assumes same approach as used in past, rather adaptive chnage - design a new approach. (ex: seniors picking up trash, not assuming trust of multicultural community). 3-8 months
5. Commitment - signing on to new ways of being Church. Experimenting gathers new people and confidence grows. Being a missional church is not dependent on one person/leader, but the personality of the whole congregation.
Readiness for this movement is key. Timeline (104) for percentages of church that will be ready for change. Who to work with when.
Steps for Missional Leader: (1) Take Stock of What You Know (2) Know Yourself as a Leader (3) Listen (4) Focus on Key Areas and Issues (5) Develop an Action Plan (6) Commit
Systems analysis (62) "A congregation is made up of a series of relationships, traditions, and networks ceaselessly interacting and affecting one another."
Principal One: Focus on the Culture, Not the Organization (63) - only way things will change
"The culture of a congregation is how it views itself in relationship to the community, the values that shape how it does things, expectations of one another and of its leaders, unspoken codes about why it exists and whom it serves, how it reads Scripture, and how it forms a community"
Principle 2:Focusing on Culture Does Not Change Culture
Instead of viewing places and relationships as potential church growth, view them as places and people where God is at work and calling us to listen with love. In other words, be open to learning from culture, not trying to assimilate it to church culture.
Principle 3: Change Takes Time and Small Steps and Principle 4: Baby Steps
Principle 5: Starting with "Alignment" Is Not the Answer (64)
Lining up congregation's strategy, structure, staff, resources, etc in a common goal. Performative
Alignment is not something that we can plan. It has to emerge from experiments and dialogue.
(65) Changes throughout our culture since the end of the Cold War.
Post- September 11 world - insecurity and threat. Sense of being together in community is replaced by smaller group alliances that protect against those who appear different.
Job insecurity. Need for church to address the anxiety and confusion of people. Allow expression of these frustrations. People are losing orientation (66).
Bible used as a tool for people in their private lives. It is "colonized by narcissistic, private anxieties in the service of therapy" (67). Need to make this more communal. "People no longer have the language with which to articulate the meaning of their experience of discontinuity and anxiety except in terms of the private and personal" (69). We need to find ourselves in the larger biblical narrative. Importance of language in shaping how we see the world (72).
Missional congregations formed through the interaction between Christian narrative (passed down through generations) and listening to the people in their community (73).
We often masks our fear and anxiety in the wrong thing. Look for source (74). Paulo Freire- gave space and language for people to name what is happening to them and how God is calling them to action (specifically the oppressed) (77). Parker Palmer - teaching is creating space.
"Hospitality creates a safe place where people can risk expressing their experiences, emotions, and concerns about being the people of God today" (78).
Ch 5: The Missional Change Model
Change rarely happens in a straight line.
1. Awareness - start with where people are. (story of woman's pain - her children not in church)
"Giving something or someone speech, giving words to an experience or an unformed feeling, can foster relationality and transformation" (88). Amen! This process of naming experience takes time (90). 4-6 months
2. Understanding - using dialogue to integrate thinking and feeling. Goal - get beneath the surface of awareness to underlying questions and issues (tree metaphor). Time to gather additional information, try out ideas and receive feedback from others. (94) 3-5 months
3. Evaluate - examines current actions, attitudes, and values in light of new understanding. Questions on pp. 95-96. Not time for action, only evaluation. Process can create anxiety. 3-5 months
4. Experiment - risking some change (not all). Not tactical change - assumes same approach as used in past, rather adaptive chnage - design a new approach. (ex: seniors picking up trash, not assuming trust of multicultural community). 3-8 months
5. Commitment - signing on to new ways of being Church. Experimenting gathers new people and confidence grows. Being a missional church is not dependent on one person/leader, but the personality of the whole congregation.
Readiness for this movement is key. Timeline (104) for percentages of church that will be ready for change. Who to work with when.
Steps for Missional Leader: (1) Take Stock of What You Know (2) Know Yourself as a Leader (3) Listen (4) Focus on Key Areas and Issues (5) Develop an Action Plan (6) Commit
The Missional Leadery by Roxburgh and Romanuk (Part 1, chs 1-3)
Part 1 (chs 1-3)
Skills necessary for a missional leader (12)
-imagination
-ability to engage conflict and make tension OK
-create an environment that releases and nourishes missional imaginations of all people
*I was introduced to this skill in Stan's class on the Gospel Parables. We were encouraged to engage the various meanings, identify the tensions, and live in the ambiguity of what Jesus meant when describing the Kingdom of Heaven. I also learned the importance of releasing and nourishing the imaginations of others by opening up the meaning of the parables to a diverse group of people and creating a dialogue of responses.
Missional Leaders must thrive in the midst of ambiguity and discontinuity. It is important to give vision that will in turn create hope.
"The narrative imagination of Scripture challenges our assumptions about what God is up to in the world and reminds us that leaders can do great things when they align their expectations with God's" (16)
Must take the Incarnation seriously! God is to be found in the most unexpected places.
"God's future is among the regular, ordinary people of God" (20). This is a great reminder that we are worthy not because of our success, but because God deemed us worthy.
We must discern God in change. Ask questions like "Where is God at work in this particular context?" A cultural change - shifting focus from self to God. (24)
The description of pastor as caregiver is accurate. In my time serving churches (especially with aging members) this is what gives someone the title "pastor" - if they care for the congregational needs.
These authors push pastors to be more. Leaders that work the soil so others can cultivate the environment (29).
3 new kinds of awareness that the missional leader must cultivate:
-awareness of what God is doing among the people of the congregation
-awareness of how a congregation can imagine itself as the center of God's activities
-awareness of what God is already up to in the congregation's context (important to remember that God has not left the current church!) (31-32)
Church must be a place to talk about the realities of life - job stress, family issues, hopes, fears, etc. Again, we as missional leaders are called to listen, not to talk or attempt to fix.
Needed change in our use of scripture (34):
"Scripture has become like a bank safety deposit box holding a depository of information and knowledge that can be collected when needed. But all the uses of Scripture as a tool fail to engage it as the narrative presence of God."
-I like the idea of inviting the church staff to live with a piece of scripture for the year as a means of developing skills to listen to God and to one another.
Getting back to these basic Christian habits and practices is important. I've really appreciated the Company of New Pastors for this very reason. As individuals and as a small group, we read scripture daily and pray. This simple practice changes my posture toward God and others.
Ch. 3 Change and Transition: Navigating the Challenges (diagram on p. 41)
Congregations will experience the zones of this cycle:
-emergent zone
-performative zone
-reactive zone
The upper section of the emergent zone (pioneering emergent) values creativity and the ability to adapt. These congregations thrive in ambiguity. The lower section is the experimenting emergent congregations who learn as they go because they are in situations where they have never been before (44). Leadership is bottom-up (shared). Focus is on cultural change, not organizational change. Change is not crisis, but an opportunity to be embraced.
The upper performative zone: organizational culture that focuses on performing well what has worked in the past. The focus is not on creativity, but on passing along knowledge and skills to the new generation. Functions best in stable environments. (45-46). "They resist change that requires them to shift signficantly away from the habits, skills, and capacitites that have brought success" (46).
Characteristices of the Performative Upper Zone:
-specialization of roles and organizational hierarchy
-well developed structure
-leadership is focused on ability to perform required skills for "running" a congregation
-source of knowledge is from experts, not local community
-formal meetings replace informal social interactive
We have experienced the performative zone in the 20th c. N.A. church.
Reactive Zone Congregations: stick to what they know best (past success). They are unwilling to try something new (48).
I believe the two churches I have worked for are experiencing this zone (Conyers Presbyeterian Church and College Park Presbyterian Church).
This zone is what happens when an upper performative congregation experiences discontinuous change.
"In the reactive zone, leaders work harder, for longer hours, and with fewer resources at what they have been doing all along" (49). This is soooo true in the case of College Park. The fight to survive eats away all of the time and energy for imagining new ways of doing church.
Reactive Zone crisis manifested in "battle lines form[ed] around issues other than those that are critical to the life of the system" (52). I think this is true of the PCUSA as a whole.
Reactive lower congregations are confused congregation - marks a period of maximum confusion and discouragement (53).
Performative Lower Zone (55) - congregations have the potential of inviting people to imagine fresh ways of being God's people. Extreme polarity during this stage (those that want to make radical change and those that want to maintain elements of tradition that have shaped them in the past). In this stage, the missional leader must facilitate discussion among the group to address the transition issues. Often leaders and communities go straight to another change and do not deal with the issues of transition (loss, anger, grief, excitement,etc).
So far, I hear a lot of echoes of the core values of the PCUSA - shared leadership (teaching and ruling elders), time to discern and share values with others in community. However, there are so many organizational issues that I am learning as I study for ordination exams that tend to keep us back from re-entering the emergent zone soon. What type of transformation do we need to take as a denomination to give more local levels voice and discern together the presence and will of God so that we can better participate in God's ministry?
Skills necessary for a missional leader (12)
-imagination
-ability to engage conflict and make tension OK
-create an environment that releases and nourishes missional imaginations of all people
*I was introduced to this skill in Stan's class on the Gospel Parables. We were encouraged to engage the various meanings, identify the tensions, and live in the ambiguity of what Jesus meant when describing the Kingdom of Heaven. I also learned the importance of releasing and nourishing the imaginations of others by opening up the meaning of the parables to a diverse group of people and creating a dialogue of responses.
Missional Leaders must thrive in the midst of ambiguity and discontinuity. It is important to give vision that will in turn create hope.
"The narrative imagination of Scripture challenges our assumptions about what God is up to in the world and reminds us that leaders can do great things when they align their expectations with God's" (16)
Must take the Incarnation seriously! God is to be found in the most unexpected places.
"God's future is among the regular, ordinary people of God" (20). This is a great reminder that we are worthy not because of our success, but because God deemed us worthy.
We must discern God in change. Ask questions like "Where is God at work in this particular context?" A cultural change - shifting focus from self to God. (24)
The description of pastor as caregiver is accurate. In my time serving churches (especially with aging members) this is what gives someone the title "pastor" - if they care for the congregational needs.
These authors push pastors to be more. Leaders that work the soil so others can cultivate the environment (29).
3 new kinds of awareness that the missional leader must cultivate:
-awareness of what God is doing among the people of the congregation
-awareness of how a congregation can imagine itself as the center of God's activities
-awareness of what God is already up to in the congregation's context (important to remember that God has not left the current church!) (31-32)
Church must be a place to talk about the realities of life - job stress, family issues, hopes, fears, etc. Again, we as missional leaders are called to listen, not to talk or attempt to fix.
Needed change in our use of scripture (34):
"Scripture has become like a bank safety deposit box holding a depository of information and knowledge that can be collected when needed. But all the uses of Scripture as a tool fail to engage it as the narrative presence of God."
-I like the idea of inviting the church staff to live with a piece of scripture for the year as a means of developing skills to listen to God and to one another.
Getting back to these basic Christian habits and practices is important. I've really appreciated the Company of New Pastors for this very reason. As individuals and as a small group, we read scripture daily and pray. This simple practice changes my posture toward God and others.
Ch. 3 Change and Transition: Navigating the Challenges (diagram on p. 41)
Congregations will experience the zones of this cycle:
-emergent zone
-performative zone
-reactive zone
The upper section of the emergent zone (pioneering emergent) values creativity and the ability to adapt. These congregations thrive in ambiguity. The lower section is the experimenting emergent congregations who learn as they go because they are in situations where they have never been before (44). Leadership is bottom-up (shared). Focus is on cultural change, not organizational change. Change is not crisis, but an opportunity to be embraced.
The upper performative zone: organizational culture that focuses on performing well what has worked in the past. The focus is not on creativity, but on passing along knowledge and skills to the new generation. Functions best in stable environments. (45-46). "They resist change that requires them to shift signficantly away from the habits, skills, and capacitites that have brought success" (46).
Characteristices of the Performative Upper Zone:
-specialization of roles and organizational hierarchy
-well developed structure
-leadership is focused on ability to perform required skills for "running" a congregation
-source of knowledge is from experts, not local community
-formal meetings replace informal social interactive
We have experienced the performative zone in the 20th c. N.A. church.
Reactive Zone Congregations: stick to what they know best (past success). They are unwilling to try something new (48).
I believe the two churches I have worked for are experiencing this zone (Conyers Presbyeterian Church and College Park Presbyterian Church).
This zone is what happens when an upper performative congregation experiences discontinuous change.
"In the reactive zone, leaders work harder, for longer hours, and with fewer resources at what they have been doing all along" (49). This is soooo true in the case of College Park. The fight to survive eats away all of the time and energy for imagining new ways of doing church.
Reactive Zone crisis manifested in "battle lines form[ed] around issues other than those that are critical to the life of the system" (52). I think this is true of the PCUSA as a whole.
Reactive lower congregations are confused congregation - marks a period of maximum confusion and discouragement (53).
Performative Lower Zone (55) - congregations have the potential of inviting people to imagine fresh ways of being God's people. Extreme polarity during this stage (those that want to make radical change and those that want to maintain elements of tradition that have shaped them in the past). In this stage, the missional leader must facilitate discussion among the group to address the transition issues. Often leaders and communities go straight to another change and do not deal with the issues of transition (loss, anger, grief, excitement,etc).
So far, I hear a lot of echoes of the core values of the PCUSA - shared leadership (teaching and ruling elders), time to discern and share values with others in community. However, there are so many organizational issues that I am learning as I study for ordination exams that tend to keep us back from re-entering the emergent zone soon. What type of transformation do we need to take as a denomination to give more local levels voice and discern together the presence and will of God so that we can better participate in God's ministry?
Monday, July 25, 2011
Ford (chs 5-12)
"Cracking code" (79). Ford says that finding an organization's code is more of an art than a science. It requires use of both sides of the brain (logic and intuition). To crack code, take in symbols: architecture, decor, heroes, rituals, myths, strategy, mission, vision, values, code. Questions to use on page 80.
Power is taken. Authority is granted. Leadership is practiced (95)
"Changing circumstances lead to competing values." (100) "Change cannot occur without healthy conflict" (122).
Pacing change is important (116). "When you change the music on a particular Sunday, don't have the ushers come in through the window at the same time." - Haddon Robinson.
Cloister/Missional
Many churches are on permanent retreat from the world (125).
Many churches are under the assumption that "if we build it, they will come." This consumer model for church is unsustainable and not what God has called us to be. We must be missional.
Mission is based on love. Fear is an antonym for love. Fear manifests itself in many symptoms (insecurity, incompetence, insignificance). As a leader, you must be on the lookout for these symptoms and be able to get to the source of fear in order to lead well through change. (133)
Mission statement - must state reason for existence, intended outcome, primary beneficiary.
Strategy - do a few things well. Don't try to be all things to all people. It is not possible.
Inertia/Reinvention
Inertia - Newton's first law of motion (159) "the tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest or of a body in motion to remain in motion in a straight line unless disturbed by an outside force." Churches function similarly. If moving/successful, they usually continue in this path. If slow/immobile/stuck, they usually remain here UNLESS disturbed by an outside force.
Say no to some good minstries that aren't part of your strategic plan (182). Funny, I've received the same advice for my own personal ministry/leadership. "Say no, in order to say yes to something else." It really is important not to spread yourself too thin. God does not expect me (any other leader or organization) to be a part of every good thing.
This book has caused me to reflect on this question: What are my red zones?
I think I just identified one in my last statement - wanting to participate in every good thing.
I would like to incorporate Ford's statement into my own missional/leadership statement: "empower people to become partners and not consumers" (183).
Ford's purpose of the church: To transform people in the image of Christ (187).
Power is taken. Authority is granted. Leadership is practiced (95)
"Changing circumstances lead to competing values." (100) "Change cannot occur without healthy conflict" (122).
Pacing change is important (116). "When you change the music on a particular Sunday, don't have the ushers come in through the window at the same time." - Haddon Robinson.
Cloister/Missional
Many churches are on permanent retreat from the world (125).
Many churches are under the assumption that "if we build it, they will come." This consumer model for church is unsustainable and not what God has called us to be. We must be missional.
Mission is based on love. Fear is an antonym for love. Fear manifests itself in many symptoms (insecurity, incompetence, insignificance). As a leader, you must be on the lookout for these symptoms and be able to get to the source of fear in order to lead well through change. (133)
Mission statement - must state reason for existence, intended outcome, primary beneficiary.
Strategy - do a few things well. Don't try to be all things to all people. It is not possible.
Inertia/Reinvention
Inertia - Newton's first law of motion (159) "the tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest or of a body in motion to remain in motion in a straight line unless disturbed by an outside force." Churches function similarly. If moving/successful, they usually continue in this path. If slow/immobile/stuck, they usually remain here UNLESS disturbed by an outside force.
Say no to some good minstries that aren't part of your strategic plan (182). Funny, I've received the same advice for my own personal ministry/leadership. "Say no, in order to say yes to something else." It really is important not to spread yourself too thin. God does not expect me (any other leader or organization) to be a part of every good thing.
This book has caused me to reflect on this question: What are my red zones?
I think I just identified one in my last statement - wanting to participate in every good thing.
I would like to incorporate Ford's statement into my own missional/leadership statement: "empower people to become partners and not consumers" (183).
Ford's purpose of the church: To transform people in the image of Christ (187).
Friday, July 22, 2011
Transforming Church by Kevin Ford (chs 1-4)
Importance of community (10). I understand the kingdom of God to be very communal. Drawing from the parables of the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Persistent Neighbor asking for bread at midnight, the Unforgiving Servant, etc. I know that the parables resist reduction to one meaning, but I do get some overall sense that Jesus is teaching us about genuine community.
Ford focuses on the issue of incongruence between the values that you say and what you actually do.
Leadership does not equal power and control. Rather it should mean service and sacrifice (servant-leadership) following in the footsteps of Jesus. This is how he demonstrated his power. We should participate in shared leadership and invite others to lead. (11)
I really enjoyed Ford's description of "monkey business" (13). He describes how monkeys are placed in a room with bananas attached to the top of the pole. They start to climb the pole and are sprayed with water, so eventually they stop climbing. A new monkey is brought in and attempts to climb the pole, but the other monkeys pull him down. Eventually all of the monkeys are replaced with new monkeys and they keep one another from climbing the pole. At one point, when a new monkey is introduced, it just sits there looking at the bananas understanding the code - these bananas are not for eating. However, none of the current monkeys know why they can't climb the pole. This illustrates how organizations have unspoken codes.
A transformational church exists for those outside. Ford claims that this is the purpose of the church. This is consistent with Pagitt and McNeal.
Ford mentions that even Paul was willing to change. Paul writes that he will "become all things to all [people]" (1 Cor. 9:22).
Ford mentions that we need to broaden our idea of ministry. This was an important concept in my experience of campus ministry. As college students were discerning faith and vocation, it was important for us to see that all vocations (engineer, teacher, chemist, historian, environmentalist, janitor, food specialist) were vital ministries to Christ's mission in the world.
Another leadership strategy I appreciated was to invite input from as many people as possible (use social media). In my own leadership, I've found that this is the way I choose to lead. By giving others voice, I extend the ownership of the project to them. This process usually results in less stress (more support) for me and more participation for others.
Create strategy for assimilation: We cannot just assume that people will find ways to connect in the church. We must strategically provide the necessary hospitality to help them feel welcomed, connected, and involved.
Create small groups - great way to get people connected. Ford says that 7-15 people is a good number. They can come together over a shared passion (mountain biking) or a breakfast meeting or Bible study. One thing I would add to Ford's comments is that we should make sure that the timing of the meeting is conducive to the people interested. Too many times I have observed churches attempt to create small groups in the middle of most people's work days or insist that the youth meet on Sunday mornings.
Third place - I found this concept intriguing. I have never really considered the importance of casual hang out space and more specifically, "small talk" in creating community. It makes sense. So happy CTS practices coffee break! (50)
Instead of starting a ministry with a program, it is more effective to start with a person (or group of people) with specific gifts/passions for ministry around them. (61)
Shared code of the biblical text: redemption, covenant, revelation, promise (64).
Must stay true to your code! (Authenticity) (69).
Code can be hard to find. I appreciated Ford's illustration of this in his story of the church that thought their code was family and then discovered that it was really security. Once they figured out that "church as a safe place" was important to them, they could start doing important ministry to the community around them by creating safe space for the elderly and Hispanic community that surrounded their doors.
Ford focuses on the issue of incongruence between the values that you say and what you actually do.
Leadership does not equal power and control. Rather it should mean service and sacrifice (servant-leadership) following in the footsteps of Jesus. This is how he demonstrated his power. We should participate in shared leadership and invite others to lead. (11)
I really enjoyed Ford's description of "monkey business" (13). He describes how monkeys are placed in a room with bananas attached to the top of the pole. They start to climb the pole and are sprayed with water, so eventually they stop climbing. A new monkey is brought in and attempts to climb the pole, but the other monkeys pull him down. Eventually all of the monkeys are replaced with new monkeys and they keep one another from climbing the pole. At one point, when a new monkey is introduced, it just sits there looking at the bananas understanding the code - these bananas are not for eating. However, none of the current monkeys know why they can't climb the pole. This illustrates how organizations have unspoken codes.
A transformational church exists for those outside. Ford claims that this is the purpose of the church. This is consistent with Pagitt and McNeal.
Ford mentions that even Paul was willing to change. Paul writes that he will "become all things to all [people]" (1 Cor. 9:22).
Ford mentions that we need to broaden our idea of ministry. This was an important concept in my experience of campus ministry. As college students were discerning faith and vocation, it was important for us to see that all vocations (engineer, teacher, chemist, historian, environmentalist, janitor, food specialist) were vital ministries to Christ's mission in the world.
Another leadership strategy I appreciated was to invite input from as many people as possible (use social media). In my own leadership, I've found that this is the way I choose to lead. By giving others voice, I extend the ownership of the project to them. This process usually results in less stress (more support) for me and more participation for others.
Create strategy for assimilation: We cannot just assume that people will find ways to connect in the church. We must strategically provide the necessary hospitality to help them feel welcomed, connected, and involved.
Create small groups - great way to get people connected. Ford says that 7-15 people is a good number. They can come together over a shared passion (mountain biking) or a breakfast meeting or Bible study. One thing I would add to Ford's comments is that we should make sure that the timing of the meeting is conducive to the people interested. Too many times I have observed churches attempt to create small groups in the middle of most people's work days or insist that the youth meet on Sunday mornings.
Third place - I found this concept intriguing. I have never really considered the importance of casual hang out space and more specifically, "small talk" in creating community. It makes sense. So happy CTS practices coffee break! (50)
Instead of starting a ministry with a program, it is more effective to start with a person (or group of people) with specific gifts/passions for ministry around them. (61)
Shared code of the biblical text: redemption, covenant, revelation, promise (64).
Must stay true to your code! (Authenticity) (69).
Code can be hard to find. I appreciated Ford's illustration of this in his story of the church that thought their code was family and then discovered that it was really security. Once they figured out that "church as a safe place" was important to them, they could start doing important ministry to the community around them by creating safe space for the elderly and Hispanic community that surrounded their doors.
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Present Future
Introduction:
Reggie says, "He (God) never forecasts. God always backcasts?" (xi) How does Reggie know? I don't believe God is bound to our space and time.
Reggie states that it is hard to feel at home in church because it lacks spiritual purpose and missional vitality.
What is the purpose of the church? Reggie's answer - Missional covenant with God to be a part of kingdom expansion.
Irrelevance of the church (xv)
"Most church leaders are preoccupied with wrong questions" (xvi).
Questions we should consider instead:
1. How do we deconvert from Churchianity to Christianity? (11)
"The death of church culture will not be the death of the church" (1)
Builders (born before 1946)
Boomers (born between 46-64)
Busters (65-76)
Bridgers (76-94)
Post-modern world will demand a new church expression (5).
People don't trust the church, try to encounter God on their own (18).
Dangers with this: No guidance, no partnerships, no relationships of self-seeking spirituality without a community.
Benefits of the church growth model/fad asserted cultural relevance
2. How do we transform our community?
Go to them (public space, streets), don't wait for them to come to you. They need what people always need - God in their lives. (27)
Stubbornness of church-goers as reflected in the story of Samaritan woman - Jesus had a harder time reaching disciples than he did the Samaritan woman
"Religious people don't see people; they see causes behaviors, stereotypes
Our bubble (church life) is only available to people who will assimilate.
*Practical/Applicable idea: Use public spaces for worship
My own reflection: What do I appreciate about the church? pastoral care (agrarian age), collective mission work (denominations, industrial age), biblical teaching (education emphasis of informational age), what will we learn from this next age?
"When you start thinking with kingdom eyes instead of church eyes you begin to see everyone." Ben Johnson
I just finished the Continuing Ed Summer Scholars course on Interfaith encounters. This experience has lead me to vibrant dialogue and spiritual disciplines with diverse people about the power and deeds of God. My food for thought - how are we (church) getting in God's way?
3. How do we turn members into missionaries? (48)
We must go to language school - church words (lost, saved, etc) don't communicate in modern world. (52) Amen to this! We need relevant language.
"Faith, in the modern world, is about intellectual assent." (55) Results: parents can't talk to their children about their faith. Couples are embarrassed to pray together.
*Wow, this is right on. This needs to change. We have to share our faith on a personal level.
People are in search of righteousness not in terms of right relation to the law, but right relationships between people (58). We should focus on forgiveness and reconciliation issues.
Persecution is no longer coming from outside the church but inside. (68) People leave not because of outside criticism, but because they are tired of dealing with "club-members."
4. How do we develop followers of Jesus?
Physical Trainer analogy. Like the YMCA, we should have "life coaches" that welcome new people. Explaining what we do, but also working one on one to encourage spiritual and missional growth. Interview them to inquire about how they would like to grow spiritually and how they would like to serve the community (78-90).
Danger - individual consumption of God. We must keep it communal.
"Belonging to others is part of a healthy expression of life." (83)
The agenda is more and more being set by the learner. There is an interest in moving worship to homes (87).
5. How do we prepare for the future?
Reggie distinguishes between the verbs to plan and to prepare. In reality you cannot plan for the future. In Scripture, God always had the plan and the followers had to be ready (prepared) to go along with God's plan. They often had to take a leap of faith (contrary to the advice of all around them) and follow God.
Reggie points us to creating a vision. We may not have the exact times, numbers, dates, etc, but we can seek clarification of the values of our faith community and determine a vision.
I appreciated Reggie's thoughts on "strengths." We are a culture that identifies strengths and then often neglects those strengths in order to focus on the weaknesses. We are not perfect, nor can any of us reach perfection (perfect balance and wholeness) by working on our weaknesses. The shift to focus on people's strengths is powerful because it recognizes and gives praise to God for the gifts that God has given us. Though we cannot forget our weaknesses altogether, I do think our communities (and individual selves) will be more joyous when we seek to lift up our strengths.
6. How do we develop leaders for the Christian Movement?
Emergence of Apostalic Leadership:
The challenges to church leaders in the emerging 21st century parallel those that faced leaders in the first Christian century - religious pluralism, globalism, and the collapse of institutional religion, accompanied by increased interest in personal spiritual development (125)
Leadership Development: (130)
Must pay attention to paradigm issues, microskill development, resource development, and personal growth.
The resource development models made a lot of sense. We need to be an outwardly focused community.
It does make a difference if leaders are passionate about what they are doing and feel that they will grow spiritually by leading! (135)
Learning Communities (practical/applicable). "You need both organic and organizational community" (137)
Purpose for church leaders: "to share God's heart with God's people" - I like this vision!
From "What I didn't say:"
"I have discovered through the years that once I champion cultural relevance and the ability to have conversations with people outside the church bubble, it becomes necessary to defend my orthodoxy" (142).
I've found this, too. It is disheartening because Jesus spent his life with the "other." "Others" are not going to feel any conviction to follow Jesus if we ignore or disrespect them.
Not all churches need to be contemporary, rather "each culture must worship God in its own heart language." (143)
Hunger for Jesus will lead to biblical devotion. "People do not need to agree with our definition of the truth to come to the Truth." (144)
"It takes enormous courage to give spiritual leadership in the North American church culture, because the church is increasingly hostile to anything that disturbs its comfort and challenges its club member paradigm" (145).
Conclusion - words to rest assured that the future is already present for God. These changes are all part of God's plan. We can rest in God's sovereignty.
Jesus tells us "that if we can see things the way they really are (not just the way they appear), we can partner with God through prayer in fast-forwarding the future" (148). Instead of "fast-forwarding the future," I might say it is so that we can live into God's kingdom now, here, this day. I think Reggie and I mean similar things, I'm just uncomfortable with pushing God into time frames.
Reggie says, "He (God) never forecasts. God always backcasts?" (xi) How does Reggie know? I don't believe God is bound to our space and time.
Reggie states that it is hard to feel at home in church because it lacks spiritual purpose and missional vitality.
What is the purpose of the church? Reggie's answer - Missional covenant with God to be a part of kingdom expansion.
Irrelevance of the church (xv)
"Most church leaders are preoccupied with wrong questions" (xvi).
Questions we should consider instead:
1. How do we deconvert from Churchianity to Christianity? (11)
"The death of church culture will not be the death of the church" (1)
Builders (born before 1946)
Boomers (born between 46-64)
Busters (65-76)
Bridgers (76-94)
Post-modern world will demand a new church expression (5).
People don't trust the church, try to encounter God on their own (18).
Dangers with this: No guidance, no partnerships, no relationships of self-seeking spirituality without a community.
Benefits of the church growth model/fad asserted cultural relevance
2. How do we transform our community?
Go to them (public space, streets), don't wait for them to come to you. They need what people always need - God in their lives. (27)
Stubbornness of church-goers as reflected in the story of Samaritan woman - Jesus had a harder time reaching disciples than he did the Samaritan woman
"Religious people don't see people; they see causes behaviors, stereotypes
Our bubble (church life) is only available to people who will assimilate.
*Practical/Applicable idea: Use public spaces for worship
My own reflection: What do I appreciate about the church? pastoral care (agrarian age), collective mission work (denominations, industrial age), biblical teaching (education emphasis of informational age), what will we learn from this next age?
"When you start thinking with kingdom eyes instead of church eyes you begin to see everyone." Ben Johnson
I just finished the Continuing Ed Summer Scholars course on Interfaith encounters. This experience has lead me to vibrant dialogue and spiritual disciplines with diverse people about the power and deeds of God. My food for thought - how are we (church) getting in God's way?
3. How do we turn members into missionaries? (48)
We must go to language school - church words (lost, saved, etc) don't communicate in modern world. (52) Amen to this! We need relevant language.
"Faith, in the modern world, is about intellectual assent." (55) Results: parents can't talk to their children about their faith. Couples are embarrassed to pray together.
*Wow, this is right on. This needs to change. We have to share our faith on a personal level.
People are in search of righteousness not in terms of right relation to the law, but right relationships between people (58). We should focus on forgiveness and reconciliation issues.
Persecution is no longer coming from outside the church but inside. (68) People leave not because of outside criticism, but because they are tired of dealing with "club-members."
4. How do we develop followers of Jesus?
Physical Trainer analogy. Like the YMCA, we should have "life coaches" that welcome new people. Explaining what we do, but also working one on one to encourage spiritual and missional growth. Interview them to inquire about how they would like to grow spiritually and how they would like to serve the community (78-90).
Danger - individual consumption of God. We must keep it communal.
"Belonging to others is part of a healthy expression of life." (83)
The agenda is more and more being set by the learner. There is an interest in moving worship to homes (87).
5. How do we prepare for the future?
Reggie distinguishes between the verbs to plan and to prepare. In reality you cannot plan for the future. In Scripture, God always had the plan and the followers had to be ready (prepared) to go along with God's plan. They often had to take a leap of faith (contrary to the advice of all around them) and follow God.
Reggie points us to creating a vision. We may not have the exact times, numbers, dates, etc, but we can seek clarification of the values of our faith community and determine a vision.
I appreciated Reggie's thoughts on "strengths." We are a culture that identifies strengths and then often neglects those strengths in order to focus on the weaknesses. We are not perfect, nor can any of us reach perfection (perfect balance and wholeness) by working on our weaknesses. The shift to focus on people's strengths is powerful because it recognizes and gives praise to God for the gifts that God has given us. Though we cannot forget our weaknesses altogether, I do think our communities (and individual selves) will be more joyous when we seek to lift up our strengths.
6. How do we develop leaders for the Christian Movement?
Emergence of Apostalic Leadership:
The challenges to church leaders in the emerging 21st century parallel those that faced leaders in the first Christian century - religious pluralism, globalism, and the collapse of institutional religion, accompanied by increased interest in personal spiritual development (125)
Leadership Development: (130)
Must pay attention to paradigm issues, microskill development, resource development, and personal growth.
The resource development models made a lot of sense. We need to be an outwardly focused community.
It does make a difference if leaders are passionate about what they are doing and feel that they will grow spiritually by leading! (135)
Learning Communities (practical/applicable). "You need both organic and organizational community" (137)
Purpose for church leaders: "to share God's heart with God's people" - I like this vision!
From "What I didn't say:"
"I have discovered through the years that once I champion cultural relevance and the ability to have conversations with people outside the church bubble, it becomes necessary to defend my orthodoxy" (142).
I've found this, too. It is disheartening because Jesus spent his life with the "other." "Others" are not going to feel any conviction to follow Jesus if we ignore or disrespect them.
Not all churches need to be contemporary, rather "each culture must worship God in its own heart language." (143)
Hunger for Jesus will lead to biblical devotion. "People do not need to agree with our definition of the truth to come to the Truth." (144)
"It takes enormous courage to give spiritual leadership in the North American church culture, because the church is increasingly hostile to anything that disturbs its comfort and challenges its club member paradigm" (145).
Conclusion - words to rest assured that the future is already present for God. These changes are all part of God's plan. We can rest in God's sovereignty.
Jesus tells us "that if we can see things the way they really are (not just the way they appear), we can partner with God through prayer in fast-forwarding the future" (148). Instead of "fast-forwarding the future," I might say it is so that we can live into God's kingdom now, here, this day. I think Reggie and I mean similar things, I'm just uncomfortable with pushing God into time frames.
chs 6-11
Pagitt provides some very practical advice in the second half of his book:
- Pastors can help facilitate change by asking "why" questions. This is a great way for pastors to model the values of the Inventive Age for a congregation that is seeking ways to be faithful in this time and place.
- Pay attention to space and aesthetics. They matter! (63)
I really appreciated Pagitt's description of how the Christian Church is divided between Evangelicals/Pentecostals and Denominational/Mainline. It is fascinating to me how each group is out of balance. E/Ms are great at changing their objects, but they don't want the ideas to change. The mode of delivery can change, but not the message. D/Ms are willing to change their ideas, but hold tightly to their objects (liturgy, tradition, etc). Pagitt definitely has a point that we are both off balance and could afford to learn from one another (54-).
- We need all types of churches to move forward. There is not one model for future growth and change. Pagitt's description of churches "for," "with," and "as" the Inventive Age. (76-)
Pagitt's dialogue of the relationship between a "with" church and an Inventive Age church reminded me of the relationship between an Anglo-PCUSA church and a immigrant Hispanic church. The struggles in this "parent-child" relationship are real and hard. I was sure to make note of his suggestions:
- Listen to one another (Become the learner)
- Practice hope (Don't complain unless you want to stick around to find a solution)
- Be welcoming
- Be authentic
- Allow the worship committee for the Inventive Age church to be comprised of people who are of the Inventive Age (or at least are sensitive to those issues). Otherwise, you will not create a church of the Inventive Age. You will resist it.
Authenticity and Meaning are two themes that Pagitt briefly mentions that I would argue are core values of the Inventive Age. When I visit a new worshiping community they are the two things I value most. It does not matter to me if the people sing a capella or with an organ or five piece band. What matters is whether or not the people are singing with gusto. What matters is that the people pray like they know God.
This quote is a good reminder for me why it is so important to keep diverse opinions at the same table:
"It's easy for people of the Inventive Age to think we have discovered fire when we have simply found something new to light. Your stories remind us of what's come before and inspire us to follow that path of creativity and faithfulness" (85).
Pagitt mentions congregations on Second Life and I find myself uncomfortable with the idea of "going to church" through the internet. Maybe this is an area where I need to be pushed? I have googled the congregation that Pagitt mentions - Koinonia Congregational Church of SL, but I have to have an account to visit. What is it about this that makes me nervous to join?
- Pastors can help facilitate change by asking "why" questions. This is a great way for pastors to model the values of the Inventive Age for a congregation that is seeking ways to be faithful in this time and place.
- Pay attention to space and aesthetics. They matter! (63)
I really appreciated Pagitt's description of how the Christian Church is divided between Evangelicals/Pentecostals and Denominational/Mainline. It is fascinating to me how each group is out of balance. E/Ms are great at changing their objects, but they don't want the ideas to change. The mode of delivery can change, but not the message. D/Ms are willing to change their ideas, but hold tightly to their objects (liturgy, tradition, etc). Pagitt definitely has a point that we are both off balance and could afford to learn from one another (54-).
- We need all types of churches to move forward. There is not one model for future growth and change. Pagitt's description of churches "for," "with," and "as" the Inventive Age. (76-)
Pagitt's dialogue of the relationship between a "with" church and an Inventive Age church reminded me of the relationship between an Anglo-PCUSA church and a immigrant Hispanic church. The struggles in this "parent-child" relationship are real and hard. I was sure to make note of his suggestions:
- Listen to one another (Become the learner)
- Practice hope (Don't complain unless you want to stick around to find a solution)
- Be welcoming
- Be authentic
- Allow the worship committee for the Inventive Age church to be comprised of people who are of the Inventive Age (or at least are sensitive to those issues). Otherwise, you will not create a church of the Inventive Age. You will resist it.
Authenticity and Meaning are two themes that Pagitt briefly mentions that I would argue are core values of the Inventive Age. When I visit a new worshiping community they are the two things I value most. It does not matter to me if the people sing a capella or with an organ or five piece band. What matters is whether or not the people are singing with gusto. What matters is that the people pray like they know God.
This quote is a good reminder for me why it is so important to keep diverse opinions at the same table:
"It's easy for people of the Inventive Age to think we have discovered fire when we have simply found something new to light. Your stories remind us of what's come before and inspire us to follow that path of creativity and faithfulness" (85).
Pagitt mentions congregations on Second Life and I find myself uncomfortable with the idea of "going to church" through the internet. Maybe this is an area where I need to be pushed? I have googled the congregation that Pagitt mentions - Koinonia Congregational Church of SL, but I have to have an account to visit. What is it about this that makes me nervous to join?
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Church in the Inventive Age (chs 1-5)
I found truth in Pagitt's description of our changing values as we move from the Information Age to the Inventive Age. I am 23 and feel like I am straddling these two ages. Education - the pursuit of more knowledge - was the motto of my childhood. Now, as I study in a setting of higher education, the focus has shifted from what you know to what you can create.
I find his historical description of the phases of our existence helpful for our understanding of a changing church in the 21st century. I certainly sense that smaller churches better facilitate individual and family participation, ownership and engagement. People want to be among friends and family and know each others' names and stories. The dangers I see in the smaller church is that diversity is often compromised.
Another consequence of the changing values of the Inventive age is a change in the role of the pastor. Pagitt says that the pastor will shift from teaching, preaching, and leading to "facilitating open source faith experiences for the people of the church" (33). This is an idea that I have been playing with for some time. How would a church respond to a sermon that gives many people voice to interpret scripture? In my speculation - I think it would give permission and create the needed space for all to raise their voice and deeply consider scripture for themselves. In a time where biblical literacy is on a quick decline, this might be a great way to give people access to the scriptures. The danger is that we might leave the conversation of interpretation confused, frustrated to have to live in ambiguity, and feeling lost without one shared direction. The benefit is that all take ownership and live out the "priesthood of believers" not relying on anyone to spoon feed them the Gospel.
A few quotes/ideas I've enjoyed thus far:
"We are not called to change for change's sake. We are called to live faithfully in the time and place in which we live" ... if you just make change without thoughtfully considering why and how, you will only trade one set of problems for another. (5)
"The past is not our standard. It is not the test of whether something is right or good. But it's also not an albatross we need to shuck off as quickly as possible." (8)
"They (people who do not like that culture affects the church) like to think of the church as a bastion of stability in a sea of turmoil." (13)
Culture is what we think, what we value, what we do, and how we do it. Culture is like language, when we become accustomed to it we stop thinking about it. (38)
Expressions of culture in church - songs we sing, way we talk about the Bible, role of women, children, and elderly, arrangement of our furniture, the time we meet and the food we share. (39)
When language dies, culture dies with it (42). What are the implications for the language of the Bible in the 21st century?
"We tend to believe values are universal." (46) They are not. I've experienced this in my friendship with an African - I (American) value honesty and justice and she (African) values loyalty. What happens when these cultural values come into conflict? How do you negotiate/compromise values?
"Once a tool changes our sense of what's possible, it becomes inconceivable to hold on to the old way of thinking or understanding or being" (51)
I find his historical description of the phases of our existence helpful for our understanding of a changing church in the 21st century. I certainly sense that smaller churches better facilitate individual and family participation, ownership and engagement. People want to be among friends and family and know each others' names and stories. The dangers I see in the smaller church is that diversity is often compromised.
Another consequence of the changing values of the Inventive age is a change in the role of the pastor. Pagitt says that the pastor will shift from teaching, preaching, and leading to "facilitating open source faith experiences for the people of the church" (33). This is an idea that I have been playing with for some time. How would a church respond to a sermon that gives many people voice to interpret scripture? In my speculation - I think it would give permission and create the needed space for all to raise their voice and deeply consider scripture for themselves. In a time where biblical literacy is on a quick decline, this might be a great way to give people access to the scriptures. The danger is that we might leave the conversation of interpretation confused, frustrated to have to live in ambiguity, and feeling lost without one shared direction. The benefit is that all take ownership and live out the "priesthood of believers" not relying on anyone to spoon feed them the Gospel.
A few quotes/ideas I've enjoyed thus far:
"We are not called to change for change's sake. We are called to live faithfully in the time and place in which we live" ... if you just make change without thoughtfully considering why and how, you will only trade one set of problems for another. (5)
"The past is not our standard. It is not the test of whether something is right or good. But it's also not an albatross we need to shuck off as quickly as possible." (8)
"They (people who do not like that culture affects the church) like to think of the church as a bastion of stability in a sea of turmoil." (13)
Culture is what we think, what we value, what we do, and how we do it. Culture is like language, when we become accustomed to it we stop thinking about it. (38)
Expressions of culture in church - songs we sing, way we talk about the Bible, role of women, children, and elderly, arrangement of our furniture, the time we meet and the food we share. (39)
When language dies, culture dies with it (42). What are the implications for the language of the Bible in the 21st century?
"We tend to believe values are universal." (46) They are not. I've experienced this in my friendship with an African - I (American) value honesty and justice and she (African) values loyalty. What happens when these cultural values come into conflict? How do you negotiate/compromise values?
"Once a tool changes our sense of what's possible, it becomes inconceivable to hold on to the old way of thinking or understanding or being" (51)
Friday, July 15, 2011
Introduction
This blog will serve as a book journal for my independent study with Professor/President Steve Hayner.
Dates: July 1 - August 30
Book List:
1. Church in the Inventive Age by Doug Pagitt
2. The Present Future - Six Questions for the Church by Reggie McNeal
3. Transforming the Church by Kevin Ford
4. Missional Leader by Roxburgh, Romanuk, and Gibbs
5. Cultural Intelligence for a Changing World by Soong-Chan Rah
Dates: July 1 - August 30
Book List:
1. Church in the Inventive Age by Doug Pagitt
2. The Present Future - Six Questions for the Church by Reggie McNeal
3. Transforming the Church by Kevin Ford
4. Missional Leader by Roxburgh, Romanuk, and Gibbs
5. Cultural Intelligence for a Changing World by Soong-Chan Rah
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