RISKTAKING MISSION AND JUSTICE MINISTRIES

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RISK-TAKING MISSION AND JUSTICE MINISTRIES

• 2010 Ministry Plan

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Risk-taking Mission And Justice Ministries Team

• Rev. Pauletta Lehn
• Tim Shaw
• Rev. Charlotte Abram
• Rev. Rebecca Hjelle
• Susan Perry
• Rev. Secundino Morales - Cabinet
• Rev. Carol Windrum - Staff

• Andrea Paret Team Leader
• Rev. Fred Richart
• Tom Black
• Sandy Sypherd
• Rev. Roger Gillming
• Susan Schoen

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Executive Summary for our Ministry Plan

• Our focus for 2010 is to begin shifting
  Conference resources and support to empower local
  churches to engage in risk-taking mission that
  challenges people to take risks leading to
  faithful action and to engage in justice
  ministries that strive to eliminate systems of
  oppression within our communities and the world.
• Our primary energy will be focused on achieving
  outcomes that
• Involve local churches, clergy, laity, and young
  adults in risk-taking mission and justice
  ministries
• Integrate concepts of RTMJ work into leadership
  development and congregational transformation
• Align RTMJ work around the Conference and General
  Conference strategic initiatives.

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2010 Outcomes for Our Ministry Plan

• In 2010, we will be focused on achieving the
  following outcomes
• Ninety percent (90) of the clergy fifty
  percent (50) of laity in the Conference are
  practicing acts of mercy and justice.
• Risk-taking mission and justice ministries,
  including both local and global components, will
  be evident in the Discipleship Plans of 75 of
  our churches.
• We have an increase in the number of small groups
  teaching and living out the United Methodist
  Social Principles and John Wesleys social
  holiness through risk-taking mission and justice
  ministries.
• We see an increase in the number of people who
  are participating in hands-on risk-taking mission
  and justice ministries while sustaining acts of
  mercy.

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2010 Priorities for our Ministry Plan

• Expand young adult leadership opportunities by
  recruiting six young adults for the Micah Corp.
  
• Create opportunities for reflection on systemic
  justice issues encountered by six Volunteers in
  Mission (VIM) teams during their mission trip.
• Explore with each District strategy group or
  team opportunities for local churches to
• witness to justice issues
• engage in risk-taking mission
• collaborate with social justice organizations.

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2010 Priorities for our Ministry Plan

• Create a prophetic congregation certification
  program based on the four components of
• Prayer
• Education
• Risk-taking mission
• Justice ministry
• and certify three congregations in 2010.
• Increase the knowledge, networking, and advocacy
  skill capacity for young adult, clergy and laity.

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2010 Priorities for our Ministry Plan

• Expand hands on risk-taking mission and justice
  ministries opportunities for clergy, laity, young
  adults, youth and children.
• Empower six local congregations to engage in
  risk-taking mission and justice ministries with
  Justice Ministries Seed Money.
• Complete the organization of risk-taking mission
  and justice ministries and programs to align with
  the Conference and Quadrennium strategic
  initiatives.

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2010 Priorities for our Ministry Plan

• Create a process that improves the
• Assessment
• Evaluation
• Accountability
• of Risk-Taking Mission and Justice ministries and
  programs.
• Explore faith-based community organizing as a
  tool of empowerment and determine its uses to
  further the mission and vision of the Nebraska
  United Methodist Conference.

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Priority One Micah Corp

• Focus of Priority
• Recruit six young adults and create a covenant
  community to
• explore their faith,
• sharpen their leadership skills, and
• integrate faith with action
• share their enhanced understanding of risk-taking
  mission and justice ministries with local
  churches in all six districts.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1 6
• Timeline
• Start March, 2009 Complete December, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with conference support
  staff, advice of new Board of Church Society
  and RTMJ Team material and travel expenses.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority One Micah Corp

• What will be your general approach?
• Recruitment of six young adults with small
  stipends
• Direct supervision support from RTMJ Conference
  staff
• Small covenant group dynamics
• Deepening faith experience by exploring different
  prayer practices, spiritual guidance and
  reflection
• Linking faith, grounded in the Bible, with acts
  of justice
• Learning advocacy skills from experienced social
  justice advocates
• Experiencing a week with national leaders in
  Washington, D.C.
• Collaborating with social justice groups and the
  Nebraska Districts
• Connecting with local churches across Nebraska

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Priority One Micah Corp

• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• Leadership Development Team
• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• 27,700 from the Conference Budget for stipends
  and expenses for interns, plus salary, travel and
  material expenses and staff support for full time
  RTMJ conference staff volunteer travel expenses.
• Measure of Success
• Six young adults recruited and engaged in Micah
  Corp activities.

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Priority Two VIM Social Justice Reflections

• Focus of Priority
• To enrich and deepen Volunteers in Mission (VIM)
  experience through an intentional focus on
  systemic justice issues.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 3,
  5 6
• Timeline
• Start August, 2009 Complete April, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with designated conference
  support staff, advice of new Board of Global
  Ministries and experienced VIM mentors material
  and travel expenses.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority Two VIM Social Justice Reflections

• What will be your general approach?
• Determine VIM opportunities in 2010
• Identify six VIM pilot teams, including young
  adults youth
• Research existing education modules
• Confer with General Board of Global Ministries
  and Church and Society
• Contract for development of module if necessary
• Facilitate in-service opportunity before VIM team
  trip, and
• De-briefing with VIM team members and local
  sponsoring church pastors after the team returns
  to lead to acts of justice in their local
  community or in the context of the VIM trip.

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Priority Two VIM Social Justice Reflections

• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• None
• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• 5,900 program plus salary, travel and material
  expenses and staff support for full time RTMJ
  conference staff volunteer travel expenses.
• Measure of Success
• Six VIM teams used curriculum to reflect on
  social justice issues and deepen their
  understanding of risk-taking mission and justice
  ministries.

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Priority Three District Strategy Teams

• Focus of Priority
• To assist each District conceptualize how
  risk-taking mission and justice ministries would
  be developed and implemented in their area of
  Nebraska.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 3,
  5 6
• Timeline
• Start July, 2009 Complete November, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff, Micah Corp young adult
  interns, advice of the RTMJ Ministries Team and
  collaboration with social justice organizations.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority Three District Strategy Teams

• What will be your general approach?
• RTMJ conference staff, RTMJ Ministries Team
  members, and Micah Corp Young Adult interns will
  meet with each district strategy group to
  explore opportunities to engage in risk-taking
  mission or justice witness.
• Recognizing that each church and district will
  have unique insights and challenges, there will
  be an effort to present a common vision of
• risk-taking mission taking risks that leads to
  faithful action
• justice ministries striving to eliminate
  systems of oppression
• through the Conference staff and RTMJ Team.
• As appropriate collaboration with social justice
  organizations would be encouraged to address
  significant issues or develop specific plans.

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Priority Three District Strategy Teams

• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• None
• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• Salary, travel and material expenses and staff
  support for full time RTMJ conference staff
  volunteer travel expenses
• 10,000 to fund stipends for social justice
  organizational staff time.
• Measure of Success
• Meetings with six district strategy groups and
  draft plan for risk-taking mission and justice
  activities in each district.

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Priority Four Prophetic Congregations

• Focus of Priority
• Creation of a program that encourages local
  churches to deepen their understanding and
  commitment to risk-taking mission and justice
  ministries.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 3,
  5 6
• Timeline
• Start July, 2009 Complete December, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with designated conference
  support staff, advice and input from the Board of
  Church and Society, and RTMJ Ministries Team
  material and travel expenses.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority Four Prophetic Congregations

• What will be your general approach?
• Build on existing models from other conferences
• Create program with four key components
• prayer,
• education,
• risk-taking mission, and
• justice ministries
• Local churches that complete the program become
  certified as a prophetic congregation
• Local churches recognized with a unique symbol of
  achievement as a prophetic, risk-taking mission,
  and justice congregation
• Recruit and certify three congregations in 2010.

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Priority Four Prophetic Congregations

• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• Leadership Development Team Congregational
  Transformation
• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• 1,500 to commission artwork for special
  recognition of prophetic congregations plus
  salary, travel and material expenses and staff
  support for full time RTMJ conference staff
  volunteer travel expenses
• Measure of Success
• Program designed and three local churches
  certified as prophetic, risk-taking mission, and
  justice congregations.

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Priority Five Capacity Building

• Focus of Priority
• Create a core of young adults, clergy and laity
  who have grown in their understanding and
  commitment to risk-taking mission and justice
  ministries.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 5
  6
• Timeline
• Start November, 2009 Complete December, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with designated conference
  support staff, advice and input from the Board of
  Church and Society, Board of Global Ministries,
  and RTMJ Ministries Team.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority Five Capacity Building

• What will be your general approach?
• Organize a Come to the Hill retreat for 70
  participants
• Provide scholarships to the Schools of Christian
  Mission
• Mentor an Assistant Peace with Justice Young
  Adult Coordinator.
• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• Leadership Development Team

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Priority Five Capacity Building

• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• 10,900 program costs plus salary, travel and
  material expenses and staff support for full time
  RTMJ conference staff volunteer travel expenses.
  
• Measure of Success
• One Come to the Hill retreat held for 70
  participants
• Scholarships awarded to the Schools of Christian
  Mission
• Continue support of an Assistant Peace with
  Justice Young Adult Coordinator.

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Priority Six Hands on RTMJ Ministry

• Focus of Priority
• Building relationships between local churches and
  existing RTMJ programs and ministries.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 3
  6
• Timeline
• Start June, 2009 Complete December, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with designated conference
  support staff, material and travel expenses
  advice and input from the Board of Church and
  Society, Board of Global Ministries, and RTMJ
  Ministries Team.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority Six Hands on RTMJ Ministry

• What will be your general approach?
• Encourage VIM teams to engage in local actions
  when they return home from their mission trips.
• Create a RTMJ presence at Annual / Young Adult
  Network / Youth / Children Conference to provide
  opportunity for acts of mercy and justice.
• Building relationships and capacity between local
  churches and existing RTMJ programs ministries
  through criteria established in funding
  agreements
• immigration justice programs,
• Nigeria / Nebraska Partnership,
• Native American community,
• rural community and farmer support programs, and
• projects of the Missouri River District and
  Elkhorn Valley District ministries.

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Priority Six Hands on RTMJ Ministry

• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• Leadership Development Team Congregational
  Transformation Team
• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• 464,461 from the Conference Budget for existing
  RTMJ programs and ministries, plus salary, travel
  and material expenses and staff support for full
  time RTMJ conference staff volunteer travel
  expenses.
• Measure of Success
• During the first year there will be a 30
  increase in clergy involvement and a 20 increase
  in laity involvement in risk-taking mission and
  justice programs and ministries.

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Priority Seven Empowering Local Churches

• Focus of Priority
• Creative and bold actions by six local churches
  that model risk-taking mission and justice.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 3,
  5 6
• Timeline
• Start June, 2009 Complete December, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with designated conference
  support staff, advice and input from the RTMJ
  Ministries Team.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority Seven Empowering Local Churches

• What will be your general approach?
• Funding priorities from the social justice
  statements of the Social Principles of the UMC
  will be identified by the RTMJ Team
• Local churches or affiliated programs will be
  invited to submit proposals to be funded
• Up to six 1,000 proposals will be funded.
• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• None

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Priority Seven Empowering Local Churches

• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• 6,000 plus salary, material expenses and staff
  support for full time RTMJ conference staff
  volunteer travel expenses.
• Measure of Success
• Six local social justice projects meeting the
  proposal criteria are funded.

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Priority Eight Complete the Reorganization

• Focus of Priority
• Completion of the reorganization of risk-taking
  mission and justice ministries and programs to
  align with the Conference and Quadrennium
  strategic initiatives.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 3,
  5 6
• Timeline
• Start February, 2009 Complete June, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with designated conference
  support staff, advice and input from the RTMJ
  Ministries Team.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority Eight Complete the Reorganization

• What will be your general approach?
• Complete assessment of the current programs and
  ministries of the Conference and allocation of
  resources. (See Priority Nine)
• Development of a plan to align the risk-taking
  mission and justice ministries with the strategic
  initiatives.
• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• Leadership Development Team Congregational
  Transformation Team

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Priority Eight Complete the Reorganization

• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• 90,941 plus salary, material expenses and staff
  support for full time RTMJ conference staff
  volunteer travel expenses.
• Measure of Success
• Realignment and organization of risk-taking
  mission and justice ministries consistent with
  the Teams plan.
• Creation of a Board of Church and Society and a
  Board of Global Ministries.

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Priority Nine A Process of Accountability

• Focus of Priority
• An effective process of assessment and
  accountability of RTMJ ministries and programs
  related to RTMJ outcomes.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 3,
  5 6
• Timeline
• Start August, 2008 Complete June, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with designated conference
  support staff, advice and input from the RTMJ
  Ministries Team and stakeholders.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message and use of virtual meeting
  technologies.

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Priority Nine A Process of Accountability

• What will be your general approach?
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop criteria
  that incorporate use of SMART goals, outcomes,
  and indicators of success.
• Implementation includes quarterly reports based
  on criteria.
• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• Leadership Development Team
• Funding Needed (Conference Budget) - See
  Priority Eight.
• Measure of Success
• Accountability reports demonstrate alignment of
  RTMJ programs and ministries with annual goals,
  quarterly progress reports, and assessments of
  the effectiveness of each program or ministry
  relative to RTMJ outcomes.

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Priority Ten Faith-based Community Organizing

• Focus of Priority
• Creation of approaches to planning and
  implementation of Conference objectives that
  emphasize collaboration and input from
  stakeholders for effective and accountable
  programs and ministries.
• Nebraska Conference Quadrennium Outcomes 1, 3,
  5 6
• Timeline
• Start August, 2009 Complete December, 2010
• Resources Needed
• RTMJ conference staff with designated conference
  support staff, advice and input from the RTMJ
  Ministries Team with the assistance of a
  consultant and facilitator.
• Conference and district communication to market
  the message

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Priority Ten Faith-based Community Organizing

• What will be your general approach?
• Contract with a skilled community organizer to
  conduct a series of meetings focused on knowledge
  building of the participants in effective
  faith-based community organizing and
• Follow-up with a facilitated planning retreat to
  determine how best to use faith-based community
  organizing in the Conference.
• What other teams do you need to work with to
  accomplish this priority?
• Leadership Development Team

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Priority Ten Faith-based Community Organizing

• Funding Needed (Conference Budget)
• 20,000 to contract with consultant and
  facilitator and to convene meetings and retreat
  plus salary, material expenses and staff support
  for full time RTMJ conference staff volunteer
  travel expenses.
• Measure of Success
• Determination made by a group of knowledgeable
  people on usefulness of faith-based community
  organizing in the Conference.
• A core of knowledgeable people in faith-based
  community organizing and a report to the Common
  Table on the use of faith-based community
  organizing in the Conference.

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High-Level Funding Summary
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Ministry Plan Summary

• A bold and creative Conference-wide ministry that
  
• Creates opportunities for young adult, lay
  members and clergy to deepen their faith,
  collaborate, and build their capacity to be
  disciples who can make a difference and
• Empowers local churches
• to engage in risk-taking mission that challenges
  people to take risks leading to faithful action
  and
• to engage in justice ministries that strive to
  eliminate systems of oppression within our
  communities and the world.