Dave Daubert's Second Powerpoint Presenation

A Dilemma
Mainline churches are no longer in the mainline
Membership and worship attendance are in decline
Anxiety permeates most denominations and is highly present in many congregations
The current paradigm for “visionary leadership” doesn’t seem to be providing enough leaders

An Alternative
Shared vision discernment
Accessible to many not to few
Grounded in seeing what is better rather than in seeing what isn’t
Communal practices to assist in communal ownership and participation

Jesus’ Message and Ministry
“ The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come, and near; repent believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15).
“ Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?” (Mark 8:18)
Jesus was more concerned with the kind of eyes that the power of the Holy Spirit enables to see what is happening and we are to be doing in the present .

Everyone is involved!
‘ In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
(Acts 2:17-18)

Vision Thesis
Thesis: The core of biblical vision for congregations is not primarily about when (the future) but what (in the present).
This is not to say the future is unimportant but rather that it is more for us to trust it to God than it is to see it for ourselves (trust frees – the need to see binds).
Values clarification is necessary to navigate the tension between the reign of God and our present within our daily lives.

A Path to “Seeing”
“ It all begins with utterance which invokes real conversations among the faithful, and that leads to mission.” (Walter Bruggemann)

Three Keys to “Seeing”
1. Prayer : Keeping hearts, minds and eyes on God.
2. Bible study : Listening to God speak in scripture.
3. Conversation : Sharing insights and drawing communally from how God speaks to each of us and all of us.

Vision: What’s Involved? (Note this assumes God can and is doing amazing things in the church and in the world) 2. Contextual Engagement: A). Assets, gifts and passions B). Needs in the world 3. Faith Community: A). Assets, gifts, and passions B). Needs in the church 1. Missional Identity (Purpose and Guiding Principles) VISION Vision Emerges

Practices for the Work: Purpose
Grounded in the church as missional by nature/definition
Purpose in this process is defined to be our role in the mission of God.

Practices for the Work: Guiding Principles
Values that are biblically grounded and which further the purpose. They should therefore be behaviorally defined (in sentence form with active verbs).
Habermas’ test for truthfulness as congruence between words and actions will be a stressor that presses the congregation to either reject the purpose because they do not own it or to engage in new behaviors in order to increase the integrity of their witness.

Faith Community
Gifts, Assets and Passions
Needs
Process assumes that God is at work in the church

Contextual Engagement: The World
Gifts, assets and Passions
Needs
Process assumes that God is at work in the world (Luther’s Two Kingdoms are helpful here!)

An Example of How the World Can Contribute
Omaha, NE
Southside congregations interested in health care issues
Fishbowl to ask health professionals
The world had higher expectations of the church than the church did!

Vision: What’s Involved? (Note this assumes God can and is doing amazing things in the church and in the world) 2. Contextual Engagement: A). Assets, gifts and passions B). Needs in the world 3. Faith Community: A). Assets, gifts, and passions B). Needs in the church 1. Missional Identity (Purpose and Guiding Principles) VISION Vision Emerges (NOW!) GOD NEIGHBORS OURSELVES

Leadership Roles
Shape the dialog – leaders are not responsible for having all the answers as much as being sure the church has asked all the questions. Accountable process management/facilitation is an essential leadership skill.
Monitor that all three parties (God, neighbor, church) are fully engaged and that dialog is raising up possibilities routinely. When conflict arises, call people back to the center.
Sense the energy and encourage action/embodiment.
Raise up and encourage others to lead and invite others into the work as well (multiply!).

Keeping our feet planted with God and God’s world

A Look at Acts
Acts 5:12-16
Acts 10:34-48
Acts 18:1-8…
The Story of Acts

God’s Mission
Dear world,
I am on a mission…
Love,
God

Another Look at Acts
Acts 1:6-11
Acts 2:1-11
Acts 6:1-7
Acts 8:26-40
Acts 10:34-48
The Story of Acts

God’s Purpose for the Church
Dear world,
I have given this world the church. And so, my purpose for the church is
Love,
God

God’s Mission & the Church
Our purpose is to be about God’s mission…
To be a witness to and
A participant in…
God’s mission to
bless and save
all of creation

Clarity – Making behavioral claims
Jesus is Lord and Savior
Deepening faith strengthens our discipleship
Everyone is a minister
God sends us as gifts to the world.
We love to tell the story.
We invite all to join us in God’s work.
We follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
We deepen our faith to strengthen our discipleship.
We honor, equip and encourage the ministry of every person.
God sends us as gifts to the world.
We love to tell the story.
We invite all to join us in God’s work.

Vision: What’s Involved? (Note this assumes God can and is doing amazing things in the church and in the world) 2. Contextual Engagement: A). Assets, gifts and passions B). Needs in the world 3. Faith Community: A). Assets, gifts, and passions B). Needs in the church 1. Missional Identity (Purpose and Guiding Principles) VISION Vision Emerges (NOW!) GOD NEIGHBORS OURSELVES

The Bottom Line
1. Reliance on “visionary leadership” is a recipe for disaster in the church as a whole (even if may be helpful when the right combination of gifts is present in a given setting).
2. What are needed are communal processes that involve people discerning what God is doing in the world, particularly in their context, as well as what God wants to get done now in the world and then saying how can we get involved ? Missional conversation is essential here!
3. This allows almost everyone to access vision and to “see” not what is far off in the future, but what is “at hand” as God works in the present.
4. Everyone, including the world (our neighbors), gets a voice when the work is being done well. The world is not just a problem to be solved but also useful to God already!
5. Articulating and discerning vision is a communal responsibility, not just a talented leader’s responsibility. Healthy leaders and faith communities will organize around this truth.

Dave Daubert's Second Powerpoint Presenation

by Lutheran Church of the Redeemer on Jul 16, 2010

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

Statistics

Dave Daubert’s Second Powerpoint Presenation — Presentation Transcript