COLLABORATIVE MINISTRY

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COLLABORATIVE MINISTRY

• Sharing Gods Gifts
• for the sake of Gods Mission

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A True Story
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What is our problem?

• Not establishing a sense of urgency.
• Not creating a powerful enough guiding coalition.
• Lacking a vision.
• Under-communicating the vision by a factor of 10.
  
• Not removing obstacles to the new vision.
• Not systematically planning for and creating
  short-term wins.
• Declaring victory too soon.
• Not anchoring changes in the church's culture.
• from John Kotter Harvard Business School

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A Closer Look at three

• Not establishing a great enough sense of urgency.
  
• Lacking a vision.
• Declaring victory too soon.

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What does the future hold for the Church?

• Loren Meads Five Challenges for the Once and
  Future Church
• To Transfer the Ownership of the Church
• To Find New Structures to Carry Our Faith
• To Discover a Passionate Spirituality
• To Feed the Worlds Need for Community
• To Become an Apostolic People

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We share a common mission

• Ministry of word and sacraments-- the very heart
  of Christs body.
• Nurtured and strengthened by Gods grace.
• Differing contexts, same mission-- the Great
  Commission.

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Our challenge

• What gifts has God given us?
• How can God best use our gifts?
• How can we share the gifts of God in ways that
  build up our common mission?
• How can we work together to advance Gods mission
  in the world?

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A major paradigm shift

• A new way of thinking about being church.
• Thinking collaboratively requires a paradigm
  shift
• We are all gifted.
• We are all connected.
• We accomplish much more by sharing our resources
  for the common good.
• When we work together, we are more creative, and
  we expand the possibilities.

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A complex challenge

• Such a paradigm shift affects the entire system
  we are part of.
• This new way of being and doing church, affects
  all levels in the Church
• Churchwide, synodical and institutional leaders,
• Seminaries, clergy, lay leaders, and whole
  congregations.
• What do we need in order to open up the church to
  adopt another way of being church?

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Developing Collaborative Ministry Possibilities

• Consider your options
• Can we develop broader partnership between people
  within our own congregation?
• Can we create partnerships with nearby churches,
  Lutherans, full communion partners, others?
• Can we develop partnerships with other churches
  within our conference or synod?

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Parish Collaborative Ministry

• An example of how one church did it . . .
• Total Life Caring Ministry
• Initial Stage
• Forming a team to develop the concept
• Setting goals for sharing the concept
• Organizing a way to involve the whole
  congregation
• Implementing a plan
• Recruiting interviewers
• Devising tools for interviewers to use
• Equipping interviewers
• Processing data received

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TLC Develops Ministries

• Developing Ministry Teams
• Working with a Leadership Team
• Prioritizing areas for developing ministries
• Identifying potential members for the team
• Equipping teams for ministry
• Commissioning and implementing a team plan

• The Five Major Dysfunctions of a Team
• Lack of Trust
• Avoidance of conflict
• Inadequate level of commitment
• Unwillingness to be accountable
• Inattention to results

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Managing the System

• Some basics
• Encourage teams to meet when necessary.
• Review the work of the team and make adjustments
  as needed.
• Keep congregation informed of whats being done.
• Update database as changes are needed or as new
  people become members.
• Develop additional ministry teams as gifts and
  needs become evident.

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Partnering with other churches

• Form a Possibility Team to lead the process of
  exploring alternatives.
• What really is our current situation?
• What assets do we have for ministry?
• What church(es) might have an openness to explore
  a partnership in ministry?
• How would we go about starting a dialogue with
  others about the future?

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Local Collaborative Efforts

• Factors to consider in finding partners
• Existing or historic connections
• Shared view of ministry
• Compatible (but not equal) situations
• Critical mass available
• A shared sense of urgency
• A willingness to think outside the box
• An ability to listen and share
• The ability to play nice

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Force Field Analysis

• What forces would contribute towards the
  development of a partnership between churches?
• What forces would hinder the development of a
  partnership between churches?

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Getting Underway

• Develop a forum for dialogue.
• Identify some immediate forms of sharing
  resources.
• Set a few short-term partnership goals.
• Get people together for worship, study,
  fellowship, and service activities whenever
  feasible.
• Report continuously about whats happening.
• Pray a lot together-- with your partner.

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Some Cautions

• Partnering takes time courting and
  engagement takes time and energy.
• Keep your assumptions to a minimum. Explain what
  you are thinking and why it is important.
• Listen and ask questions about things that you
  dont understand.
• Remember that the goal of partnering does not
  need to be a merger or the closing of a
  church.

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And in addition to that . . .

• Remember to
• keep minutes
• write out any resolutions adopted
• give members accurate information
• respond to any misunderstandings that arise
• celebrate all successes, no matter how small.

• Dont forget
• resistance to change is normal, natural, and
  often quite healthy
• todays antagonists may become tomorrows
  champions
• it always takes longer than we expect for changes
  to take root
• the Church is Gods Project from beginning to
  end.

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We are here to help you

• Contact the Commission for Evangelical Outreach
  through the Synod Office.
• Contact the Total Ministry Development team.
• Refer to our website www.totalministry.net