New Wineskins: Repositioning Churches

NOVEMBER 2015
New Wineskins: Repositioning Churches
Three Camps are Decommissioned
Leaders Converge at La Croix
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Where are they when they’re grown?
S
Fred Koenig, Editor
Missouri Conference
Publications
Published by
The Missouri
Conference of
the United
Methodist Church
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Columbia, MO 65202
Phone: 573-441-1770
About the Cover:
People take a lunch break
on the lawn of the Clayton
campus of The Gathering
during the New Wineskins
conference.
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everal years ago I was sitting around a table with some of the top leaders in the
Conference who were talking about their families. One person mentioned that his adult
children aren’t involved in church. The person next to him said hers weren’t either. It went
around the table, it was immediately clear that none of these United Methodist pastors had
raised kids who were active in church. This wasn’t a random sample – these were some of our
best pastors.
Not to rank, but if you were going to try, you might put Adam Hamilton near the top of
pastors in terms of fruitfulness. He’s lamented publicly that his daughter doesn’t go to church,
either.
So the conclusion is clear – raise kids in the Methodist church, and as soon as they are old
enough to make their own decisions they will never go to church again.
But wait – that can’t be right. Many of our best leaders are preacher’s kids. It seems
sometimes pastors who can grow churches like crazy don’t convince their kids that church
is where they need to be once a week, but some do. For enlightenment, I turned to La Croix
Executive Pastor Bruce Baxter. I had the privilege of working alongside of Bruce in the
Conference office and know he’s a guy who thinks things through. And I heard him mention
in a workshop that he’d seen pastor’s kids get so off track that it was enough to make him
scared to become a pastor.
But become a pastor he did. And both his kids are not only in church, they have lead roles
in church music programs. So in the middle of trying to host a church full of other pastors at
Converge (see pages 8-11) I sprung the question on Bruce – “So… parenting… how’d you do
it?” Rather than be annoyed at the personal pop quiz while sitting up the room, Bruce was
happy – excited even – to answer.
He prefaced his statement by saying he discussed this at length with his wife Audrey, and
they were in agreement on their strategy. He even had it broken down into bullet points:
1. No undue pressure on the kids: “We decided we would never tell the kids that they
couldn’t do something because they were the pastor’s children. They might be told
no because we are people of faith, but it wouldn’t be because they were part of the
pastor’s family.”
2. Don’t let church take all of your time: “In my 30s, a lot of guys in their 50s told me they
regretted not spending more time with their kids. No one ever told me they regretted
spending too much time with their family, or not enough at work.” He adjusted his schedule for the kids. “From 4 – 6 p.m. was family time – we’d be out in the street playing ball.
As a former corporate guy it felt early to me to be off by 4, but I knew as a pastor I’d have
other demands on my schedule late in the evening.”
3. Be consistent and authentic: “I didn’t want my kids to see me behaving one way at church
or out in public, and behaving a different way at home.”
4. Don’t drag home church problems: “Every pastor occasionally has rotten things that happen to him or her at church. But if you’re always venting negatively about ‘church people’,
you’ll give your children a negative, and distorted, perspective about what it means to be
part of a church.”
Although Bruce came at this from a pastor’s perspective, I think the same wisdom could be
applied to any church member. It’s no guarantee, but at least it doesn’t leave the kids starting
off in a hole they need to climb out of before they can see church as somewhere they might
want to be.
Fred Koenig, Editor
Missouri Conference Publications
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November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
NOVEMBER 2015
EDITOR
Fred Koenig
WRITERS
4
Camp Decommissioning
8
Converge
12
New Wineskins
18
Vacation Bible School in Ladue: Around St. Louis & the Globe
22
Mozambique: Taking Initiative
24
Foundation: Bringing in the Sheaves Gifts of Crops
25
Music Matters: Mixing it Up When it Comes to Style
26
New Hires
PHOTOGRAPHY
27
Laity Voices: Two More "words" for a Fruitful Lay Ministry
Fred Koenig
28
Wesley in the World: The Other Wesley
30
Now Read This: Free Resources for Just Say Yes
Brian Hammons
Hal Knight
Fred Koenig
Ryan McLouth
Kimberly Wallace
Eric Mattson
31
Calendar of Events
www.moumethodist.org
3
Camp
Decommissioning
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November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
WILDERNESS CAMP
This past June the Missouri Annual
Conference voted to sell three of
the four Missouri Conferenceowned camps. The camps were
decommissioned in early October,
and put up for auction on October 21.
On October 3, about 100 people
gathered around the campfire
at Wilderness Retreat and
Development Center. Benches were
arranged in a circle, with crosses on
each side of the circle.
“The crosses represent how we
brought our sons and daughters
here from the North, South, East
and West,” said Rev. Jenn Klein.
“There were not hundreds, but
thousands of them. Many of them
met Jesus here, some of them for
the first time.”
Prayers were given by two
youth from Lawson UMC, the
closest United Methodist Church
to the camp. Northwest District
Superintendent Cindy Buhman
brought a message from Bishop
Robert Schnase.
“As you gather this morning at
Wilderness, I am aware that many of
you are experiencing loss and seeking
God’s healing love as you more
forward,” his message stated. “You continue to be in my prayers
and I hope that this opportunity to
gather in worship together will be a
source of hope and healing for you.”
Dennis Hisek, former director of
the camp, told everyone to take a
deep breath, and take a moment to
give thanks for all of the wonderful
things that had happened at the
camp. “I love hearing laughter here
today, because that’s what this place is
about – joy and laughter,” Hisek said.
Klein prayed for a transformation
to take place so that people may
accept the grounds as God’s.
“Fifty years ago God had a plan
for this place. We have witnessed
it, and experienced it. Hearts have
exploded with God’s love here, and
been sent back out into the world,”
Klein said.
Klein said they struggled with
the word “decommissioning” in
planning the worship service,
because hearing the word really
hurts. “God commissioned this
camp 50 years ago. We commission
it now to be blessed in the next
thing, even though we don’t know
what that will be yet,” she said. “It’s the gospel story, one of
life, death and resurrection. We’re
trusting in God. We believe God
is at work, even if we don’t know
what’s next.”
In the 50 years of the camp, there
were only two site directors. The
first was Robert Wayne Cleveland,
serving from 1964 – 1985. When
Cleveland died his ashes were
scattered at the camp. His children,
Brett and Michelle, had grown up
at the camp, and were there for the
decommissioning.
Rev. Andy Bryan made the
comment that everyone knows the
platitude, when God closes one door
he opens another. “I don’t believe it
for a second, because I don’t believe
God is in the door closing business,”
Bryan said. “But when we come up
against a wall, we can find that God
has already opened a door for us
somewhere else.”
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CAMP DECOMMISSIONING
GALILEE
At 10 a.m. on October 10, people
gathered at the tabernacle, also
known as “The Big Slab”, to pay
tribute to Camp Galilee.
“We’re here to celebrate the
legacy of these grounds,” said
Rev. Melissa Dodd.
Rev. Jon Spaulding of the
Missouri Camping and Retreat
Ministries Board told how he
had came to the camp for the
first time when he was in the
second grade, taking a bus with
children he didn’t know from
other churches all the way across
the state.
A 10-page document on the
history of the beginnings of
Camp Galilee from 1944 – 1955,
written by Rev. Keith Berry, was
shared with those gathered.
Spaulding noted that the
camp was proposed in 1944,
when the Southwest Missouri
Conference was only five years
old and the country was in the
midst of World War II. The
location was debated for years.
The purpose was “…to make
possible one of the most effective
methods of influencing youth to
follow Christ.”
Rev. Ross Fulton recalled
camping at Galilee before any
structures had been built.
“There was nothing here
but copperheads, ticks and
chiggers,” he said. One of those
copperheads found its way inside
of his sister’s tent.
Through the years, the original
93 acres that were purchased
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November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
were added to, bringing the
present acreage total to 191. There are now more than 20
structures on the property.
Dodd said she came to the
camp for the first time in junior
high, feeling awkward and shy.
When she was getting droppedoff, she wondered if she would be
able to make it there for a whole
week on her own. Over the years
she went on to spend a total of 21
weeks of her life at the camp.
“I’m still shy, but what God
has done through this place to
me is indescribable,” she said. “A
lot has happened here that can’t
be summed up in words – only
in memories.”
Dodd said the transformations
that occurred at the camp went
on to impact the lives of people
in immeasurable ways.
“What God did here, whether
it was 60 years ago, or 16 months
ago, was never meant to stop at the
gate, but to go out for the transformation of the world,” she said.
Southwest District
Superintendent Mark Statler said
Camp Galilee was a sacred place
to him when he spent a week
there for the first time in 1985
with 25 other junior high kids,
and has continued to be sacred
through the years as he came
back. He described it as a place
where he observed as mysterious
God made real, a holy God made
accessible and the extraordinary
became ordinary.
“It’s not so much the ground
here that is holy – it’s the people
and the experiences that are
holy,” Statler said. “God isn’t
about to stop doing that.”
BLUE MOUNTAIN
On at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday,
October 11, people joined
together at Blue Mountain
Camp and Retreat Center to celebrate the ministry that had
taken place at that site.
The gathering opened with music led by Chris Nall, who
had provided music for many Blue Mountain camps, and
Epworth camps as well. Rev. Kent Wilfong of Doniphan
and Neelyville UMC welcomed people to the camp, and
Rev. James Sanderson, a retired elder and former director
of camping ministries for the Missouri East Conference,
opened with prayer.
Southeast District Superintendent Fred Leist read a
statement sent by Missouri Bishop Robert Schnase.
“I give thanks for the ways in which Blue Mountain has
served the mission given to it by Jesus Christ,” Bishop Schnase
stated. “And I give thanks for the ways in which each of you
remain committed to the mission of the church to create
disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Bishop Schnase’s statement, read at all three camps, also
offered the following prayer of healing and blessing:
I pray God’s blessing upon us all,
and ask that the Holy Spirit be poured out
upon all who gather in his name.
Cleanse away all that would separate us from him.
I pray that our brothers and sisters may be comforted
in their loss and made whole.
When they are afraid, give them courage;
when they feel weak, grant your strength;
when they are afflicted, afford them patience;
when they are lost, offer them hope;
when they are alone, move us to their side.
May the Lord who heals all bless and keep you;
the face of the Lord who heals all your afflictions
shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the light of the presence of the Lord who redeems your life
be lifted upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Karen Shanks, Director of Adventure Camp, offered a
litany of Thanksgiving that was written by Rev. Andy Bryan
and read at every camp.
“For the joy of new believers confessing faith in Christ, for
the conviction of those who have heard God call them into
ministry, for the celebration of the sacrament that nourishes
many in faith...” the litany read in part.
At the conclusion of the service, people were asked to take
a small rock and throw it into the lake. As they watched the
ripples fan out from the splash, they were to reflect on what
God has done through them because of the camp.
“All that has been commissioned to be used by God should
create a ripple that goes from the source out into world,”
Wilfong said. “Blue Mountain was commissioned to create
a ripple. What took place here was never meant to stay here.
God moved in this place to move out from this place. May we
live the ripple in our lives, showing who God is to the world.”
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November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
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CCONVERGE
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onverge is an annual event in which Missouri
Conference pastors are encouraged to come together
and encounter God. Rev. Jim Downing, chair of the Order
of Elders, is the primary organizer, and is supported by
Missouri Conference Director of the Center for Pastoral
Excellence Karen Hayden.
The event traditionally provides time for worship, time
for learning, and time to connect with fellow pastors or
just relax. Previous locations of the event have included
First UMC in Sedalia, Saint Paul UMC in Joplin, Woods
Chapel UMC in Lees Summit and Morning Star UMC
in O’Fallon. This year it was at La Croix UMC in Cape
Girardeau, hosted by Senior Pastor Ron Watts and
Executive Pastor Bruce Baxter.
Next year Converge will be back at First UMC in
Sedalia on September 12-14, 2016.
On the Border
When Missouri Bishop Robert Schnase had an
opportunity to address the Missouri Conference clergy
at Converge, he didn’t give reports, recommendations or
platitudes. He shared a personal story, and his feelings
about borders.
Bishop Schnase was born in Eagle Pass, Texas, 400 yards
from the Mexican border. When he visited the hospital
where he was born recently, it is abandoned. Behind is a 20
foot tall steel fence that didn’t used to be there.
“To people who grew up here, the presence of that fence
is insane,” Bishop Schnase said.
Cactuses grow on the roof. As he looked at it he
considered how different his life would have been if he
had been born 400 yards to the south as Roberto Sanchez,
and what implications that would have had regarding his
educational opportunities, economic opportunities – even
his mortality.
He went fishing in a nearby lake, one of his favorite places
to fish. He showed a picture of a large fish that he caught
there, and noted that the lake is catch and release only.
“There is something about getting up early, focusing all
your energy on catching a fish, and then saying thank you
and releasing it back into water,” Bishop Schnase said.
“Many organizations I’ve spent time with have quality of
catch and release.”
From the lake you can see three tethered blimps
floating in the sky. They are monitoring the border with
sophisticated surveillance equipment. He was there at the
same time presidential candidate Donald Trump was in
Laredo, talking about building a wall.
“As I looked out over the vast expanse of desert, it struck
me that all over the United States people are talking about
how this area is what they need to be afraid of,” he said.
While in Texas, he met up with some old friends that he
gets together with every year, and they canoed through Big
Bend National Park on the Rio Grande River, which serves
as the border between the United States and Mexico. In
places the river is as narrow as a small creek, and often very
shallow. There are majestic canyons alongside of it, but no
fences or walls.
“During the course of the day we would cross the border
between the countries a couple of hundred times,” he said.
Being concerned about people across the border, and
how they affect the job markets and other things is not
unique to the United States. People in Panama talk about
Columbia, people in Mexico talk about Central America.
In Costa Rica, they talk about Nicaragua. Bishop Schnase
shared a personal experience about this.
While taking an immersive Spanish class in Costa Rica,
he saw a brochure for a tarapon fishing trip. He inquired
about the trip and found it to be expensive, but if he took
public transport to get there, it would be much cheaper.
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November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
Before he left on the trip, several people at his Spanish
school cautioned him that he was going near Nicaragua,
and he should be careful.
The bus ride took several hours. At one point three
rowdy, drunken men boarded. Before long one turned
his attention to Bishop Schnase, and started a rant about
how he didn’t want to share a bus with an American,
that America is the root of all of Nicaragua’s problems,
Americans are killers, and so on. Bishop Schnase realized
that no one was going to do anything, and started
considering contingencies. He remembered advice given
to him by his friend who was into karate, to keep physical
confrontations close so to minimize the force of any blows
or kicks, and to use his size to his advantage. Then he was
struck by absurdity of physically fighting these three men
on his own.
Then he considered how he’s a marathon runner, and
if he just had a few steps, he could probably outrun the
three drunks if need be. About then the bus stopped and
the driver said, “Los Chiles.” He was at the end of the
line, his stop, and in a small village without electricity,
cloaked in absolute darkness. To take off running also
seemed preposterous.
Instead he approached a woman whom he had spoken
to briefly as they were waiting for the bus, and told her
that he needed help finding his hotel. She sent a couple of
teenage boys who were there with her family to greet her
to escort him to his hotel, and said she was sorry about
the guys on the bus – that they were just drunk. He spent
the rest of the evening having a relaxing meal with a cook,
who was from China, and a young local man who would
be his fishing guide the next day. The fishing conditions
weren’t good the next day, and he caught no fish, but had
a good day with the guide viewing nature in this remote
area. His return trip to San Jose was uneventful.
He later reflected on what had happened, and how the
men on the bus had done him no harm, he was then shown
hospitality by strangers, and he left the experience with
some insight on what it is like to be despised by someone
who doesn’t even know your name, for actions that you had
nothing to do with.
“An addictive quality of fishing is you never know what
the mystery of the water will give you,” he said.
Dispelling the Illusion
Disillusionment isn’t something most people aspire
towards, but Rev. Nannette Roberts said sometimes it is
necessary.
Roberts is the lead pastor for Grace United Methodist
Church in Olathe, Kansas, and was the keynote speaker at
Converge in Cape Girardeau.
“Disillusionment is not so bad – it is a loss of illusionsillusions about our world, ourselves, or our God,” she
said. “It happens when God does not conform to our
expectations. Disillusionment happens when we turn
away from God that is supposed to be to the God that is.
Did God fail to come when I called? Perhaps God isn’t
Roberts on School Shootings
T
wo days before the shooting on the Oregon
college campus, Annette Roberts made a
passing reference to school shootings during one
of her addresses to the group at Converge. Roberts
said she is tired of everyone but the church being
blamed for school shootings.
“Why isn’t church being blamed for school
shootings? Because we’re not part of the conversation, because we’re not relevant,” Roberts said.
To be more relevant, her church created a peace
academy for children, trying to teach children to
live like Jesus. Parents had to be involved, too.
Soon, single people without children were asking
to be involved.
“We all need to learn how we can be in
disagreement with people without hating them,”
Roberts said. “Maybe as a church we can do that.
I get together with high school principal, and ask
how we can be a proactive voice with a community
of kids who have isolated themselves through
social media.”
my minion...so who is God? God is finely, utterly beyond
my control.”
Roberts shared the story of one of her church members,
Jeff Warren, who played basketball for the University of
Missouri-Columbia in the early 1990s. He was still in top
physical condition, but last year has was diagnosed with
non-hopkins lymphoma. He tried many treatments – none
of them worked.
“He finally accepted it, but his pastor (me) refused to,”
Roberts said. Warren had been everything you could hope
for in a church member, and was an outstanding father to
boys in the sixth and third grade. He asked Roberts to talk
to his children, so she did.
“I said ‘Mitch, where are you with God?’ and he said ‘I
don’t like God to much right now.’ I said, ‘Sometimes I
don’t either.’ He said ‘You shouldn’t say that, we might get
struck by lightning’.”’
She told him she needed him in youth group. He replied,
“Even if I don’t like God very much?” She said, “Especially
because you don’t like God very much.”
After Jeff died this summer, Roberts said she was mad
at God, because Jeff wasn’t here, and because Jeff was such
a good church man, and such a good father, and men like
that are hard to find. His son Mitch asked her, “What
good is it to have faith in God like my Dad did, and then
you just die?”
“I refused to answer, because I trust God more than I
trust me,” Roberts said. “I trust God with Mitch more
than I trust my ability to solve Mitch’s problems.”
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11
New
Wineskins
Repositioning the
Church for the Future
Bob Farr and Jim Ozier had been
getting a lot of questions from their
colleagues around the country. Many
Conferences were dealing with all of
the aspects of closing churches that
had faded, while trying to start new,
vital churches, and trying to put those
two things together in a way that is
both effective and efficient.
As the people who relate to this
process for the Missouri and North
Texas Conferences, Farr and Ozier
had seen examples of this working
very well, and sometimes not
working at all, when the closing
12
church becomes a second campus
of a vital church. It was a topic that
needed discussion.
“We put together the New Wine
Skins conference to convene the
beginning of a national conversation
around this idea,” Farr said.
A national conversation it was,
with people showing up from every
jurisdiction of the United Methodist
Church. About half of the attendees
were district superintendents, in some
cases nearly the entire appointive
cabinet of a Conference was present.
The location of the Conference in
St. Louis supported the underlying
theme of the meeting. “The Clayton
campus of The Gathering was a great
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
place to have it, because they have
the facilities to host it, and it’s an
example of one church becoming the
second campus of another that has
gone very well,” Farr said.
The church is entering an era when
most large churches will be multicampus churches, Farr believes.
“Multi-campus churches will be the
primary way we start new churches,
and we restart fading congregations,”
Farr said.
Cautionary Tale
Rev. Junius Dotson offers a cautionary
tale when it comes to launching a new
campus where there was an existing
church. It has a happy ending, but it
“We put together the
New Wine Skins conference
to convene the beginning
of a national conversation
around this idea.”
BOB FARR
isn’t without its drama. Dotson told
the whole story to everyone gathered
at the New Wineskins conference
in Clayton. His church, St. Mark
UMC in Wichita, Kansas, is a 103
year-old-church. It was feeling called
to launch a new campus to reach
new people and to create a more
diverse congregation. St. Mark’s is
a predominantly African American
congregation.
Another United Methodist Church
in Wichita named Epworth was in
rapid decline. It was a large facility
in good condition. The District
Superintendent contacted Dotson
and explained that Epworth was
surviving on its savings account, and
at the current rate that would run
out in about 18 months. The District
Superintendent didn’t want to lose
a United Methodist presence in this
historic part of Wichita.
Dotson did a tour of neighborhood
and talked about possibilities. He
talked to God about it. He thought it
would be a great place to do ministry –
the southeast part of town is the most
diverse area in Wichita.
Both churches started a
discernment process. For Epworth,
they had to consider if they were
ready to give up control to live beyond
themselves. For St. Marks, they had
to consider if this was the right time,
right location and right opportunity
to take on an initiative as bold as
launching a second campus.
Dotson wanted Epworth to know
exactly what the church was getting
into: there would be no official
leadership from Epworth. The
church would be a second campus of
St. Marks, and part of one church,
with one vision and one mission. All
financial control would go to
St. Marks.
It was during this discernment
process that unfortunate actions were
taken. Epworth spent $40,000 on
new cabinets for the basement, an area
which Dotson said no one was using.
“It was sabotage,” said Dotson. It
wasn’t just the Epworth congregation
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“We were a 103 year old
church, about to give birth
to a new baby. A lot of people
at St. Marks were not happy
about that. When the parents
bringing home a new baby,
who gets the attention?”
JUNIUS DOTSON
that had mixed feelings about the
merger. Plenty of people at St. Marks
were nervous.
“We were a 103-year-old church,
about to give birth to a new baby,”
Dotson said. “A lot of people at St.
Marks were not happy about that.
When the parents bringing home a
new baby, who gets the attention?”
Epworth voted on the merger.
About 60 people came to the church
meeting, which was more than had
been coming to church. It passed, by a
one-vote margin. St. Mark took their
vote following week. It was the largest
church meeting in 13 years, with
more than 150 people attending.
14
After some discussion, one person
shared his own personal testimony,
talking about his journey to St.
Mark, and how it was the first time
in his life that he had found a church
that loved him and made an impact
in its community. He asked “Why
wouldn’t we want to extend that
to another community?” The vote
passed 133 to 13.
Dotson had decided that it didn’t
matter if there were dissenting votes –
once the votes passed the church was
going to go in and do ministry. But
there was immediate volatility when
the keys were turned over.
“I found this important difference
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
between a large church and small
church – not everyone has keys to a
large church,” Dotson said. “When we went into Epworth, we
discovered, man, a lot of folks here
have keys.”
First the drums went missing.
Then someone came and collected
the salt and pepper shakers. The
worship team resigned. Then social
media started blowing up, with
comments such as people saying their
grandparents would be turning over
in their graves because Epworth was
never intended to be a black church.
“It was vile stuff from people
who call themselves believers in
Christ, and call themselves United
Methodist,” Dotson said.
Within a week the church put
in alarm system. Soon the police
were at the church, with someone in
custody who was trying to break-in
to reclaim her items.
“The police officer looked at me
and said, ‘This is really sad, that
I have to be in the middle of a
church issue’,” Dotson said. “It was
embarrassing. We were trying to be
accommodating and understanding,
and to be honest, looking back I
think we wasted a lot of time and
energy trying to be accommodating
and understanding.”
Dotson’s faith in God remained
strong, but his self-confidence was a
little shaken.
“I was disappointed, because I
believe I’m an effective leader, and
I thought I could paint a picture (of
the vision) and people would get on
board,” he said.
They proceeded with having
worship at Epworth, while preparing
to launch a new campus of St. Mark’s
there. The launch team came up with
a four phase plan to connect to the
community:
1. Prayer Walk: “This was a literally
transforming event. People were
asking for prayers, saying I’ve
been waiting for you, we ended
up with stack of cards of people
to follow up with. We knocked
on doors, and 99.9 percent of the
people gracious and hospitable.
200 people showed up.”
2. Community Block Party: “We
simply wanted to have an opportunity to bring the southeast
community together. We collected names by having people
register for give-aways.”
3. Gas Buy-Down: “We partnered
with Quicktrip to give people $20
worth of free gas. This was when
gas was $4 per gallon. We had cars
wrapped all through the neighborwww.moumethodist.org
15
hood. I was out talking to people
waiting in line, because people in
the cars were captive audience
4. Open House: “After the launch
Sunday, we did an open house
invitation to every executive director of every non-profit in town,
and to the Chamber of Commerce. We had a room filled with
community leaders.
The goal was to launch the church
with 300. In the six month lead up
to the launch they did direct mail
and radio advertising, but also had a
personal presence, including going
door-to-door.
“There are a lot of pastors who have
never knocked on a door, never done
that type of evangelizing,” Dotson said.
He met with editorial boards to
introduce St. Marks Southeast so
they could come to know the church’s
unique story.
“The Saturday before launch we
were on the front page of the Wichita
Eagle,” Dotson said. “You can’t buy
that kind of advertising, and it doesn’t
happen by accident.”
The goal was to have 300 people
for the big launch, and they had 399.
Regular attendance started at about
160, climbed to 220 in a few months,
now is close to 300. St. Marks now has
a 9 a.m. worship service at their main
camps, and an 11 a.m. service at St.
Marks Southeast. The two campuses
average close to 1,200 in worship.
Repositioning
One thing Bob Farr is certain about
– when it comes to repositioning
a church, the future is uncertain.
There is no step-by-step formula with
guaranteed results.
“Our process is firmly in jello,” Farr
said. “Every time we go to do one of
these, things turn out differently.”
Farr was addressing a group of United
Methodist Conference-level leaders,
primarily district superintendents and
Conference staff, who came from all
across to the country to meet at The
16
Gathering in Clayton (St. Louis) to
talk about multi-campus ministry. Although every church is different,
Farr has learned a lot from each
individual church he has worked with
in the repositioning process. There
are now 18 churches in the Missouri
Conference who have been through
these steps through Farr’s center of
Congregational Excellence.
The process typically includes a
church recognizing that it does not
have a viable future on its current
trajectory. Without a major shift,
which would usually include a closure
and a restart, the church will continue
to decline while being unable to
afford even basic maintenance on
its building, and cannot invest in
renewed efforts for ministry. But
even in extreme situations, it can be
very difficult for someone to see their
church close and give itself over to
something different.
“People feel grief and anger which
can lead to dysfunction. But even if
they are working against the process,
you must remember these are good
people. Each person thinks they
are defending the church that they
love,” Farr said. “Many of these are
generational churches. People can
tell you about the grandparent who
planted church, sometimes these
were the first generation in the
family in the country. As clergy this
a painful process for us, but we’re not
experiencing the same kind of pain as
a member who is seeing the break-up
of a lifelong relationship with his or
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
her church. Sometimes I’m driving
home with this on my heart, saying
‘What did we just do?’”
It seems it would be easier to let
a church in decline simply continue
to decline, and eventually fade away.
But to do so would not be staying
true to the mission of the United
Methodist Church: to make disciples
of Jesus Christ for the transformation
of the world.
“We must try not to be held
hostage and end up missing the
ministry of Jesus Christ,” Farr said.
“People may get angry and leave,
but when that happens they usually
just go to a different church. By
taking action, you’re not jeopardizing
anyone’s salvation. But if you just let
them be, you may miss the mission of
Jesus Christ.”
When Farr talks about
repositioning, 15 out of the 18 he
has worked with in the Missouri
conference has involved starting a new
church as a second campus of another
church. Being backed by a vital church
makes many steps of the process
easier, and opens more possibilities.
But sometimes taking this as a new
disciple-making opportunity isn’t easy
for people to accept.
“Some people in a congregation
may feel that by taking on another
campus, they’ve become a two-point
charge, after they’ve worked hard to
become or remain a single charge,”
Farr said. “In these cases nothing we
could say would convince them that
they hadn’t been demoted.”
There is one problem with the
plan of doing a church repositioning
with the mother-daughter church
new plant model: it takes a mother.
There are more small churches edging
closer to closure that need a restart
than there are large, vital churches to
initiate a restart.
“I have a dozen requests on my desk
from churches who are interested in
becoming a legacy church, and closing
to give their building and resources to
a new-church start,” Farr said. “Out
of our 800 churches in Missouri, we
only currently have about 40 that
are well-positioned to launch a new
campus, and most of those are in
one of three geographic areas. Some
churches that are hoping to become
part of another church are more than
two hours away from a large church.”
Facilities can also be an issue.
Some church buildings are too large,
or too far gone in terms of deferred
maintenance, to be good candidates
for a new church start. Rev. Matt
Miofsky, senior pastor The Gathering,
which was hosting the Conference,
said an example of that is St. John’s
UMC in downtown St. Louis. The
beautiful, Theodore Locke designed
building of woodwork, stained
glass and marble was too large and
would require too much money to
be a location where they could start
something new. After it closed, the building proved
hard to sell, and was on the market
for years, eventually receiving only
a fraction of what would have been
market value some time earlier.
An example of being right-sized
was the church that was the location
of the Conference – The Gathering at
Clayton. This church was still in good
condition and had money in the bank
when it voted to close and become a
new campus of The Gathering. The
building was also the right size to
launch something new.
Someone asked Miofsky if he was
concerned that the sanctuary at the
Clayton campus would limit the size
of the congregation because it isn’t
big enough. He said he didn’t think it
would be an issue.
“With multiple services we could
grow this site to 500 – 600, maybe
more,” he said. “If it needs to be able
to accommodate 1,000 someday, we’ll
cross that bridge when get there.”
Even smaller churches in good
condition can require quite a bit of
money during a restart.
“A building like this will take
$150,000 - $200,000 to get up to
speed. Even when it’s fine, it’s dated,”
Miofsky said. “It’s hard to start
something in a big space. This place
will feel good with 150.”
A person from Texas asked
about a church in her district that
was valuable due to its location in
a downtown commercial district,
but was near closing and wasn’t an
attractive church building. Should it
be sold, or revitalized? Farr replied
that it is important to have a strategy
for the entire area. Someone from
Georgia replied that they consider the
“highest and best use,” and in most
cases like this the church would be
sold. Miofsky said you have to keep
the mission in mind.
“Are we in this to invite new people
to follow Christ, or are we trying
to save the churches that we have?”
Miofsky said.
Farr outlined a three phase
conversation process that takes place
between a district superintendent or
Conference staff person and a local
congregation that is considering closure
so their church can be repositioned.
The process is not for the timid.
“We’ve had many churches
go through conversation 1 or
conversation 2 and decide not to go
onto the next step,” Farr said.
Looking at the Life Cycle
Church consultant Jim Ozier views
churches on a continuum of a life
cycle, and breaks that cycle down into
“Are we in this to invite
new people to follow
Christ, or are we trying
to save the churches
that we have?”
MATT MIOFSKY
the stages of birth, growth, maturity,
maintenance, decline and death.
“It’s important to have a Conference
strategy to identify and assess
declining churches,” he said. Ozier
has planted three new churches. He’s
now the director of new churches for
the North Texas Conference, and has
worked as a consultant in 30 United
Methodist Conferences.
Ozier is passionate about addressing
churches in decline, because he’s seen
too many slowly fade to death without
taking action. It’s not just a United
Methodist issue, thousands of churches
a year close across denominations.
“If you’re a District Superintendent,
a reality that will swamp your life is
church closures,” Ozier said.
When Ozier is doing assessments,
every church is a different quadrant on
this matrix: Growing in a Declining
Area, Growing in a Growing Area,
Declining in a Declining Area or
Declining in a Growing Area. After
working with 42 churches last fall,
Ozier came to the realization that most
churches start considering the need to
change far too late.
“In some cases we only had one or
two people showing up – not even
enough to do an assessment. There
wasn’t anyone left,” he said. “Rather
than intervening when a church goes
from 40 to 20, we need to look at
churches that are going from 180 to
150, or 450 to 400.”
For more from Jim Ozier, go to
www.oziercoaching.org.
www.moumethodist.org
17
Vacation Bible School in Ladue
Around St. Louis
& the Globe
18
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
BY KIMBERLY WALLACE
W
hen summer arrives at Salem United
Methodist Church in Saint Louis,
Children’s Ministry Director Patty
Peterson is already in the midst of
planning for one of her busiest times of year—Vacation
Bible School season. Since Patty has began serving Salem
in 2008, VBS has become a centerpiece of the Children’s
ministry in our community, and, for the past two years, she
and her teams have taken this ministry beyond the walls
of Salem to our partner ministry, Kingdom House in the
City of St. Louis, and to our sister UMC congregation,
The Connection in Carondelet, and to the back yard of a
neighborhood in nearby Kirkwood.
In the second week of June each year, Salem’s Sanctuary
becomes a magical place where children are enchanted by
storytellers and character that bring the words and lessons
of the Bible to life. The theme this year, “EVEREST—
Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power,” used
stories from the Bible to teach the children how God’s
strength is real and can be a source of comfort and hope for
them in their lives.
After the VBS team finishes the work of hosting a
week of fun at Salem, the ministry continues as Church
members and staff join together for a week of teaching,
games, crafts, and music for VBS at Kingdom House. This summer, Kingdom House VBS took place July 1318, and there were 14 volunteers serving in the ministry to
our inner-city friends. The weeklong program reached 75
children in the St. Louis City neighborhood that Kingdom
House serves. Executive Director of Kingdom House, Scott
Walker said, “We are so grateful for the service Salem
UMC provides to Kingdom House children each summer.
The first year, we took our kids to Salem to be a part of
their program, but we realized that more kids would be
reached if Salem could come to us. So, in 2014, Patty and
her team came to the Kingdom House facility, and they
brought a great learning opportunity and time of fun to
the children who participated. After two years, we feel
this partnership will provide an ongoing outreach to the
families of Kingdom House.”
Finally, the summer VBS ministry of Salem also has
partnered with the pastor of The Connection UMC in
www.moumethodist.org
19
the Carondelet neighborhood of St. Louis to provide
a week of fun and Bible learning in South City. The
Connection Vacation Bible School was held July 27-31
in the evenings. The church provided a meal for the
participants, and 32 children enjoyed Bible lessons,
songs, art projects, recreation, and received the Love of
Christ through the work of 16 volunteers from Salem
and 12 from the Connection.
In addition to these formal programs, the materials
and props of Salem’s VBS program are also used for
a backyard Bible club in Kirkwood. This summer,
13 children attended the Kirkwood Club, and five
volunteers shared God’s love with them through this
extension of Salem’s children’s programs.
Another amazing part of the VBS ministry of Salem is
that it is economical and ecumenical. Patty Peterson has
joined with a VBS co-op group of eight churches in the
St. Louis area that all use the same Group Publisher’s
Vacation Bible School curriculum package for their
summer children’s ministry. Each spring, this co-op
pulls together their resources of money, time, and talents
to build a more elaborate VBS set than would normally
be possible if they were working solo. The churches plan
out the summer calendar so that each church gets to use
the set and additional decorations to produce the best
VBS experience one week at a time. Salem provides a
workspace for the co-op and uses the set and decorations
first. Then, at the end of each week, the next church
on the schedule comes to pack up the set and move
it to the next VBS. This group of Christian churches
joining together in this way is a true example of biblical
stewardship at work.
Finally, Patty’s experience of planning and executing
VBS has also had an international facet. In February, Patty
went on Salem’s mission trip to Costa Rica where she and
eight other members of the Salem mission team, plus one
Costa Rican team member produced a children’s event
similar to VBS for 66 children. Nine members of the June
Costa Rica team along with three Costa Rican volunteers
used materials from Salem’s VBS toolbox to provide a VBS
program again in the early summer for 80 children.
When asked about the program, Patty Peterson said, “It
is exciting to see God use Salem’s VBS ministry to reach
children within our midst and beyond. I am blessed to
be able to see the eyes of children light up as they learn
about Jesus. This year, our VBS ministry reached a total
of 437 children. We have proclaimed the love of Christ
to all these kids, and we know He can grow the seeds we
planted. It is exciting to watch to see how God will use the
children we are teaching and loving to build His kingdom
as they grow in faith and maturity.”
20
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
Rev. Terri Swan, Senior Pastor of Salem United
Methodist Church, is also pleased with the work of
Salem’s children’s ministry VBS programs. She said,
“At Salem, our vision statement is reaching out in
extravagant love to fulfil God’s mission in the world.
Our vacation Bible school program and extensions of
it through Kingdom House, The Connection UMC,
backyard club, and Costa Rica Mission Project is
making that vision reality. Through VBS under Patty’s
leadership, we are fulfilling God’s mission in the world.
Isn’t that what serving Him is all about?”
AS HE WAS SENT...
now, so are we.
Sent
Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas
Jorge Acevedo
God sent Christ at Christmas.
In turn, Christ sends us into
the world to be his hands and
feet, head and heart. Dynamic
pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us
on a 5-week Advent journey to
discover how, where, and why
we are sent. Joining him on the
journey are four young clergy
who challenge us through story,
art, and Bible study.
Resources include:
Participant Book.
Large Print
Participant Book.
Devotional.
Leader Guide.
DVD.
Youth Study Book.
Children’s Leader
Guide.
“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . .”
—John 17:18, CEB
FOR CHILDREN
FOR YOUTH
Jorge Acevedo is the Lead Pastor at Grace
Church, a multi-site United Methodist
congregation in Southwest Florida.
Jacob Armstrong is the founding pastor
of Providence Church, a five-year-old
United Methodist church plant in Mt. Juliet,
Tennessee, reaching 1,000 people each
week.
Justin LaRosa is a licensed clinical
social worker and Deacon who leads
the new ministry of Hyde Park United
Methodist Church in downtown
Tampa, Florida.
Lanecia Rouse is an artist,
Rachel Billups serves as the Executive
Pastor of Discipleship and as part of the
preaching team for Ginghamsburg Church
in Tipp City, Ohio.
photographer, workshop leader, and
author of numerous articles on Christian
formation. She has held pastoral roles
in the United Methodist and British
Methodist Church.
Cokesbury.com | 800.672.1789
Community Resource Consultants
www.moumethodist.org
21
Mozambique:
Taking Initiative
Stevenson Ready to Lead MI Into New Era
T
he new Mozambique Initiative
coordinator may look a little
familiar. He was on the front
page of the Missouri Conference
newspaper a decade ago, when he
gave the Conference Council on
Youth Ministries Report at Annual
Conference Session. He was back on
the front page a year later, as one of
eight youth who had participated in a
mission trip to Mozambique.
Stevenson isn’t a youth anymore.
With a degree in political science and
a Masters in Public Administration,
Stevenson has been working for the
University of Missouri in healthcare
legislative policy and federal relations.
Although he had one foot in
higher education and the other
in the political side of the federal
government, Stevenson remained
grounded in the church.
Post-high school, Stevenson was
active in the Wesley Foundation at
Missouri UMC in Columbia. That
became his home church after he
completed his first degree. During this time he was an
active part of a process through
22
the Center for Pastoral Excellence,
in which he helped advise several
campus ministries in the Conference
regarding their effectiveness.
On his first trip to Mozambique,
when he was president of CCYM,
the youth spent time digging a ditch
for a security fence at Chicuque
Rural Hospital.
“I knew I was going back to
Mozambique, I just didn’t know
when,” Stevenson said.
It ended up being in 2012, after
completing his college, Stevenson and
his wife Brittney joined a group from
Missouri UMC.
At this time Stevenson was
president of the Mozambique
Orphanage Fund. He spent a small
amount of time there in 2012, but
needed to go back. He did so last
August, with a group of 14 people
that included Missouri leaders in
the orphanage fund, as well as board
members from other states. “We had
people from all over the country in
our group,” Stevenson said.
Several times in Stevenson’s life
people had asked him to consider his
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
call to ministry, and he always said he
felt he would serve in his own way as
a lay person. When Carol Kreamer
resigned from the Mozambique
Initiative coordinator position in
2012, he didn’t think he was ready for
the post quite yet, but he told his wife
that the next time the position came
open, he would apply.
Last summer during Annual
Conference session, three different
people asked Stevenson about
considering his call to ministry. A
couple of weeks later, Mozambique
Initiative Coordinator Sarah Bollinger
announced her resignation. The next
month Stevenson was enrolled in the
candidacy summit to further explore
his call to ministry.
“I didn’t know if I would be hired
for this position yet, but I was moving
toward deepening my ministry,”
Stevenson said.
He is currently still considering
becoming a licensed local pastor,
and is also looking at seminaries,
considering pursuing ordination on
the Deacon tract. Stevenson worked
at the University of Missouri until
Visit www.mzinitiative.com for more information
October 9 as a healthcare lobbyist.
The first thing on the to-do list
for Stephenson is getting to know
more churches around the Missouri
Conference. He’ll be highlighting
the new curriculum that just
debuted at Annual Conference.
“This curriculum is a phenomenal
way to get to know the people and culture of Mozambique,” Stephenson said.
Stephenson and his wife have been
foster parents for seven children, and
are currently in a long-term fostering
relationship with Alex, age 16.
Brittney is an occupational therapist
at the Thompson Center in Columbia.
Since 1998, the Missouri Annual
Conference and the Igreja Metodista
Unida Em Mozambique have partnered together to holistically transform people and their communities
toward the image of Christ. Three key
ministry areas help focus that work:
transforming the body, transforming
the heart and mind and transforming
the community.
“The Mozambique Initiative is a
fruitful and innovative ministry that
reflects a new type of connectionalism
sustained by direct
personal relationships, congregational contact, and
frequent communication with little
superstructure or
centralization,”
explained Bishop
Robert Schnase. “Visionary
leadership for this
ministry is vital and
I look forward to
seeing how Craig
carries this partnership, together with
Ezequiel Marcos
Nhantumbo our
MI representative
in Maputo, into
the future.”
www.moumethodist.org
23
THE MISSOURI METHODIST FOUNDATION
Bringing In the Sheaves Gifts of Crops
H
ow many
soybeans would
the offering plate
hold at your church?
How many trips
would the usher
have to make to fill a
bushel basket? Could
a grain truck roll
down the center aisle?
Fortunately, there is no need for a church to build a
grain elevator in order to accept such gifts directly off
the farm. Farm crops can be a wonderful and costeffective gift. There are tax-advantages for the farmer
and an easy process for the church to turn the products
into usable cash proceeds.
For many cash basis farmers, significant tax savings
can be achieved by donating crops grown in a previous
tax year directly to the church. Typically, the gift
actually occurs at the local grain elevator when it
is delivered. The church sets up an account at the
elevator, and the farmer has the grain put in the name
of the church. The church gives the order to sell and
the proceeds check is issued and mailed directly to the
24
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
church. The key is that ownership is transferred and
clearly documented in the name of the church before
the sale occurs.
The farmer has deducted the cost of production of
the gifted grain as a trade or business expense and the
income from the sale of the crop is avoided. This can
result in greater tax savings than a simple charitable
gift of the cash proceeds. Indeed, many farmers do not
itemize deductions and, therefore, cannot claim the
benefit of a separate charitable deduction.
Here at the Foundation, donors have used this
type of gift to make an outright gift, to create an
endowment, and even to fund a charitable gift annuity.
If you would like to learn more about these gifts visit
the Foundation website (www.mumf.org) or call 800332-8238.
The old refrain is still true today, “We shall come
rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.” And the ushers can
leave their shovels at home!
MUSIC MATTERS
BY RYAN MCLOUTH
Mixing it Up When it
Comes to Style
H
ello again from
music ministries
at Central Methodist
University! I am so
excited to be with
you here again for my
second installment
of Music Matters. For this month, I would like to talk
about the things that are probably on everyone’s mind
when it comes to music ministry. What kind of music
is appropriate in a Christian church service? More
specifically, what kind of music is appropriate in a
Methodist church service? I’m sure that we all have
our concept of what is right, and we
stand by it firmly. Some of us may have grown up in a
congregation where traditional music
was the focus, if not the only option.
This would be my experience. As a
young person, I can rarely think of a
time when worship was not led by voice
accompanied by piano or organ. In my
congregation growing up, an acoustic
guitar as the accompaniment instrument
was just about as far to the progressive
end of worship as things would have ever
been. Hymnals were fun. It was exciting
to find your seat before church, and then
mark the spot of each selection before
the service began. A projector would
have been as equally out of place in my
home church as any sort of drum.
After graduating high school and beginning college,
I became aware of a new unheard of entity called
Christian rock. To me, this name in and of itself was
an oxymoron. However, this style of music in worship
seemed more popular during my college years than I
would have thought possible. Being a guitar player by
trade, I was invited to participate in Christian rock
outfits during this time. It dawned upon me while
serving on my college praise and worship team at a large
youth event, that the tables had turned, so to speak. What had happened to the sweet melodies of my
favorite hymns and the lush harmonies of the organ? It
seemed to me that I had lost touch with my roots, and
some sort of paradigm had shifted. Or had it?
Though my part time vocation in college seemed to
conflict with the roots of my hometown experience,
I now realize that both have a place and a purpose,
and so does any style in between. Although we do not
consider ourselves “performers” as worship leaders,
I would argue that we must always consider our
audience. What kind of music moves the members of
our congregation to be most uplifted in worship? What
gives us the opportunity for worship
to be a “corporate” experience? Does
the congregation consist of members
most comfortable with traditional
music consisting of prose crafted by
Charles Wesley? Or do they feel more
at home with a rousing rendition of a
contemporary worship tune? I would also
ask, would your congregation be even
more comfortable with an appropriately
set version of a re-purposed pop song?
These are all questions that we must ask
ourselves as worship leader, pastors, and
congregation members. They are all valid points, and ones that
should continually be considered, but I
would argue that none of the above should
ever be excluded. We must always keep
in mind which music will glorify God, uplift our spirits,
and create a comfortable/participatory experience for our
congregation members and guests.
Thank you again for taking time to let me share my
thoughts with you. I hope that I have left you with some
things to consider, and want to remind you that if I can
ever be a resource, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Email me at [email protected] or contact
me by phone at 660-651-9964. Until next time, keep
playing and singing!
“We must always
keep in mind which
music will glorify God,
uplift our spirits,
and create a comfortable
experience for our
congregation members
and guests.”
www.moumethodist.org
25
Connor Kenaston
Mission, Service and
Justice ministries has
added Connor Kenaston
to the staff. Connor
is a Global Mission
Fellow, US-2 and will
be working with as an
advocate for racial justice
and reconciliation in and
through the Missouri Conference.
Kenaston works part-time at the new Center for
Social Empowerment and Justice in Ferguson, parttime in Columbia with interfaith organizations, and
part-time creating a “Faith and Race Podcast” and
accompanying small group materials that will detail
the experiences of African American Methodists
in Missouri through a series of recorded interviews.
Coming in February, this resource will help
stimulate constructive dialogue and understanding
in Methodist churches across the conference. This
may be the way for your church to start addressing
these important issues.
Kenaston’s interest in racial justice from a faith
perspective stems from his research on the civil
rights movement as an undergraduate at Yale
University. Even though he grew up in West
Virginia, Connor has strong ties to the Missouri
Conference as his sister, Rev. Diane Kenaston,
currently serves University UMC (St. Louis) and
his great-grandfather also served as a Methodist
pastor in Missouri in the 1930’s. Kenaston worked
the first year of his US-2 experience at the Center
for Faith & Service at Central Methodist University
in Fayette.
26
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
Lucas Endicott
Lucas Endicott has also
joined the Mission,
Service and Justice
staff this Annual
Conference. Prior to this
appointment, Endicott
served as the Director
of the Center for Faith
and Service at Central
Methodist University in Fayette where he served
since 2010. He brings with him a passion for mission
and a desire to connect with the local church.
A native of southwest Missouri, Endicott
attended Missouri State University and attained
graduate degrees in history and theology from
Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia
and Princeton Theological Seminary. Ordained
in 2014, he is an elder in the Missouri Annual
Conference. Endicott’s appointment with MSJ
is part-time and his work has two primary foci:
developing discipleship models related to mission
that particularly engage people on the periphery,
and further supporting the Conference’s growing
work in Haiti. We are excited to see the fruit of this work as
the MSJ office continues to labor to educate, equip,
empower and resource congregations in their
missional engagement.
LAITY VOICES
BY BRIAN HAMMONS
Two more “Words” for a Fruitful Lay Ministry: Mission & Pastor
T
his month we continue with the
next two of my “10 Words for a
Fruitful Lay Ministry.” As you recall,
the ten are: Jesus, Mission, Pastor, Field,
Connect, Read, Simple, Discipline,
Fruit, and Spirit. Last month we noted
that Jesus is “THE Word.” Now we
turn to “Mission” and “Pastor.”
Leaders in the church absolutely
must have a clear focus upon their
“Mission,” or purpose, if they want to
be successful in ministry. We’re very
different from other organizations,
as our purpose involves a focus upon
following Jesus Christ – loving God as
he did, and loving others as he said.
Jesus’ last words to his followers
on earth are known as the Great
Commission: “Go, therefore, and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them . . . and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded
you” (Matt. 28:19-20).
From this we get the purpose, or
“Mission” of the church: “to make
disciples of Jesus Christ for the
transformation of the world” (Book of
Discipline par. 120).
Make disciples of Jesus Christ. That’s
it! Our purpose. That’s what we’re
supposed to do – the “main thing”.
It’s not to maintain the building or
institution. The church exists in order
to make disciples – followers – of
Jesus Christ. Not just for Sunday
morning, but for all of life. As more
people genuinely follow Jesus, as
they experience their lives being
changed through living with other
believers in the way Jesus taught, then
transformation can occur in families,
communities, even our world.
That’s really the point – God
transforms the world into something
better through people who truly follow
Jesus Christ.
If we really believe that, then we
reach out – we evangelize – to our
friends, neighbors, and everyone we
meet. We spread the Good News that
God in Jesus Christ is still doing a “new
thing” in the world and in each person.
We live as disciples together, learning
and growing to more closely follow
Jesus. And, most importantly, inviting
others to be part of the movement.
If we as leaders renew our focus
upon our Mission, and align all our
church’s actions to it – reaching out
and making disciples of Jesus Christ
– then we’ll begin to see the fruit of
changed lives and a new vibrancy, even
growth, in our church. That’s why our
primary responsibility is to focus upon
the Mission, with a specific vision for
our congregation’s unique setting. I’m
thankful that Bishop Schnase and many
leaders here in Missouri are providing
practical ideas and inspiration for this
vital leadership task.
The next important word is “Pastor”.
Why is that so important to fruitfulness
in lay ministry?” Well, if the church is
to grow and be successful in its mission,
pastors have to lead. Not just shepherd,
but really lead – with excellence. Laity
in a congregation provide leadership too,
but in a different way. For a fruitful lay
ministry, we have to support the primary
leadership role of our pastors. We must work along with the pastor,
not separate from (and certainly not in
conflict with) the pastor’s vision and
leadership. The book Winning on Purpose
by John Kaiser describes ministry as a
“team sport” where the pastor leads, the
staff manages, and the congregation
(laity) does ministry. This is the basis for the
“accountability leadership model”
with a single board that many of our
congregations are implementing.
Effective pastoral leadership is
essential if a congregation is to
be fruitful. Pastors are now held
accountable for the congregation’s
effectiveness and growth. That can
be tough, but we’re recognizing now
that somebody has to be in charge
and responsible for the results of the
church’s ministries. That’s why the
Missouri Conference has a whole
center for “pastoral excellence”
and offers many opportunities for
continuing learning. So, what can we
as lay leaders do to help?
First, pray. Pray for your pastor. Pray
with your pastor. Meet with him or her
regularly to discuss God’s vision for
the congregation, along with ideas and
plans for moving forward.
Encourage your pastor, providing
honest insight privately. And support
your pastor, both privately and publicly,
so that God’s transformative mission
for the church can be advanced. The
best lay leadership is in partnership
with pastoral leadership. So develop
that prayerful, supportive partnership.
Finally, participate in Learning
programs with your pastor, such as
Compass, or those recommended
by your pastor such as Lay Servant
Ministry courses.
Our pastors are continually learning
new ways to lead in reaching people,
making disciples of Jesus Christ. It’s a
tough job. Our most effective ministry
as lay leaders begins with supporting
and encouraging our pastors as
they lead the congregation. And
encouraging other laity to do the same.
As we lead toward fruitfulness in
ministry, let’s embrace the Mission
and support our Pastors in leading to
accomplish it – assured of Jesus’ spiritual
presence and power to accomplish even
more than we can ask or imagine.
www.moumethodist.org
27
WESLEY IN THE
WORLD TODAY
BY HAL KNIGHT
The Other Wesley
W
hen we speak of “Wesley in the
World Today” we mean John
Wesley, whose teachings and practices
shape all those who call themselves
“Wesleyan” or “Methodist.” But there is
another Wesley who had an enormous
impact on Methodism and beyond,
John’s younger brother Charles.
Like John, when Charles arrived at
Oxford University he became lax in his
Christian devotion. But also like John,
he read spiritual writers that convinced
him to become “serious” about religion,
and this put him on a life-long journey
toward holiness centered in love.
It was Charles who first assembled
the group of fellow students to study,
pray, and serve together that would be
derisively called the “Holy Club.” When
John returned to Oxford they invited
him to take charge. John would later call
this the “first rise of Methodism.
Charles reluctantly went with John
as a missionary to the Georgia colony
in 1734. Continually ill and treated
unjustly, Charles happily returned to
London over a year before a dejected
John would join him there. Both
brothers had tried to serve faithfully
with all their effort, but knew
something was still missing in their
lives. A group of Christians, called the
Moravian Brethren, who had impressed
the Wesleys by their peace and joy in
the midst of danger, told them they
lacked faith, a trusting in Jesus Christ
for their salvation.
Then occurred the most well-known
event in John Wesley’s life when he
attended a prayer meeting on Aldersgate
Street at which his heart was “strangely
warmed,” found he did trust in Christ
for salvation, and was assured he was
28
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
a child of God. What is not as
well known is that a similar event
had occurred to Charles three
days earlier. Charles was ill and in
bed at a friend’s house when the
sister of the friend, led by God in a
dream, came into the room and said
“Believe, and you shall be healed.”
Charles found he did trust in Christ,
receiving an assurance that he was a
child of God.
Charles also felt called to write
a hymn on the occasion, probably
“Where Shall My Wondering Soul
Begin.” This was the first of over
6,500 hymns Charles would write.
Though both initially reluctant,
Charles followed his brother in the
controversial practice of preaching
out of doors and in buildings not
consecrated for that purpose by
a bishop. Together the brothers
brought the Methodist movement
into being. They would later have
differences but when Charles died,
John’s grief and affection for his
brother was evident.
Charles’ legacy is his hymns. Many
are familiar: “Hark! The Herald Angels
Sing,” “Come, Thou Long-Expected
Jesus,” “Spirit of Faith Come Down,”
“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,”
“And are We Yet Alive.” “Love Divine,
All Loves Excelling,” “Christ the Lord
is Risen Today,” Others should be
better known: “O Love Divine, What
Hast Thou Done ?,” “O For a Heart
to Praise My God,” and what many
consider his best hymn, “O Come Thou
Traveler Unknown.” Multitudes of
Christians who have never read John
Wesley have regularly sung the words
of brother Charles.
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Ways to
Read The
Missouri
Methodists
Individual Mailed Subscription
Read Via Email
This magazine is automatically sent to all clergy and
selected church leaders, but is also available to anyone
for $20 per year. Send checks payable to the Missouri
Conference to Lorraine Sanders at 3601 Amron Court,
Columbia, MO, 65202.
Subscribe for free to have a PDF of each issue emailed to you
by selecting The Missouri Methodists at
www.moumethodist.org/stayconnected
Bulk Subscriptions
This is a good way for churches to distribute to members at
less than half the cost of individual subscriptions.
Prices are $100 to receive a box of 10 magazines monthly
for a year, 25 magazines monthly for $200; 50 magazines
for $350, or 100 magazines for $500 per year. Send checks
payable to the Missouri Conference to Lorraine Sanders at
3601 Amron Court, Columbia, MO, 65202.
Read Online
Every issue of The Missouri Methodists is available on our
website at www.moumethodist.org/momethodists.
Use An App
The magazine is available as an app for most smartphones
and tablets. Just search your usual marketplace (like iTunes
connect or Google Play Store) for Missouri Methodists.
Share & Speak Up
Reading this magazine on paper or online? Don’t forget to
share. Paper copies can be passed around, and links to the
digital version can be e-mailed, posted on social media or
posted on websites. If you have anything you would like to
share about the magazine, or if you want to connect Fred
Koenig, Editor of The Missouri Methodists, with a talented
writer, photographer or videographer in your congregation,
e-mail [email protected].
www.moumethodist.org
29
NOW READ THIS
Free
Resources
for Just
Say Yes!
Y
“The energy of the Holy Spirit jumps off every
page and right into your heart and mind in a way
that could make all thing new.”
— Patricia Farris, Senior Pastor, First United
Methodist Church, Santa Monica, CA
“Significant turnaround could happen in churches
everywhere if each congregation worked through
this book, chapter by chapter.”
— Sue Nilson Kibbey, Director of the Missional Church
Consultation Initiative, West Ohio Conference
“If we take this book seriously we will see people
unleashed for ministry. In the process we may just
rediscover why our churches exist in the first place.”
— Clayton Oliphint, Senior Pastor, First United
Methodist Church, Richardson, TX
30
November 2015 | The Missouri Methodists
ou’ve read Just
Say Yes! by
Missouri Bishop
Robert Schnase. You’re excited about making
changes to allow everyone in church to follow
their passions to serve. But how do you go from
being a reader and believer to a doer? That just
got easier.
Just Say Yes! was designed to be a book of
action from the beginning. It includes discussion
questions, scripture references and prayers at the
end of each chapter to help facilitate its use in
small groups. Bishop Schnase has now released
several new supplemental materials to help people
put the ideas of Just Say Yes! into motion. They
are available as free downloads from the website
www.sayyestoministry.org. Resources include:
• Leader Retreat Guide
• Invitational Postcard
• Leader Retreat Powerpoint
• Small Group Study Powerpoint
There are also several videos available for
download to support the ideas behind Just Say
Yes! Bishop Schnase put so much energy into
this idea because he believes that Yes can be the
gateway for many churches to change course.
“I’ve seen people give up on the church, not
because they abandon their faith or disagree
with our mission, but because they feel stifled,
restrained, shut down, and closed out by archaic
and impenetrable systems and by defensive and
controlling leaders who are averse to change,”
he said. “My prayer for Just Say Yes! Unleashing
People for Ministry is that people whose passion
has been simmering for years, who yearn to be
told Yes will be given new hope through practical
ways church leaders can rethink fundamental
assumptions about organizations and leadership.”
Visit www.SayYesToMinistry.org
for more information.
NOVEMBER 7, 2015
Summit ‘2’
SUMMIT ‘2’ is the second annual gathering of Disaster
Responders from throughout the MO Annual Conference. This
is a highlight event that provides, information, inspiration,
and community building for the approximately 200 trained
responders who work on debris removal, roof tarping, and
flood clean up as well as spiritual and emotional care. SUMMIT
‘2’ will also include those who enter the disaster during
the recovery stage. These volunteers are called Repair and
Recovery ministers and are a crucial part of helping to mend
the lives of survivors.
During the past year our ERT’s and R/R Teams have been
active in a number of areas of the Midwest. They include flood
clean-up near Wimberley, Texas, debris clearing in Oklahoma,
home rebuilding in Brookport, Illinois, flood muck out in Taylor,
Missouri and home repair in Marshfield, Missouri as well as
extensive chainsaw work in Independence, Missouri. Even
though our state has not had a broad range devastating natural
disaster in 2015, our disaster volunteer teams have continued to
serve within the United Methodist jurisdiction and beyond.
SUMMIT ‘2’ will feature UMCOR Assistant General Secretary,
Greg Forrester, the keynote speaker. Tony Richards, a popular
Columbia leadership speaker, will be the opening speaker. A
one time major event at the SUMMIT will be ‘Project Equip’.
This is a massive tool and equipment provision opportunity for
local teams who could use these free items to supplement their
current inventory.
All volunteers active in disaster response are invited to SUMMIT
‘2’ at the Conference Office from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. There is
no registration fee and lunch is provided. Attendees are asked
to enroll at: http://summit2.eventbrite.com.
NOVEMBER 14, 2015
UMC Bountiful Harvest Smorgasboard
& 21st Annual Auction
Time: 4:30-7pm
Location: North Country Community Center, 18765 US HWY 69,
Lawson, MO 64062
Contact: (816) 296-7793 | [email protected]
Cost: $10 for Adults, $5 for Children Ages 4-10
The Lawson United Methodist Church Smorgasbord & 21st
Annual Auction will be held Saturday, November 14. The meal
is served from 4:30 to 7 p.m., with silent auction bidding during
that time. The live auction begins at 7:30 pm. Meal tickets are
$10 for adults and $5 for children ages 4-10.
For more event information visit
www.moumethodist.org/events
Proceeds support the mission and ministries of the church.
Donations of goods and services are invited and receipts are
provided for tax purposes. To donate, call Gail at (816) 5194282. For tickets or information, call the church office at (816)
296-7793.
www.moumethodist.org
31
THE
MISSOURI
METHODISTS
Missouri Annual Conference
3601 Amron Court
Columbia, MO 65202
55MM NIKKOR F/1.2 WIDE OPEN, ISO 100, SHUTTER 1/1600)
For the next several months The Missouri Methodists will be featuring the photography of Rev. Eric Mattson (First UMC New Madrid/
Lilbourn) on the back cover. To see more of Eric’s work, go to www.flickr.com/photos/eric_mattson
W
hy the winners of photo
contests are selected is
something I enjoy trying to figure
out. Once I asked one of the judges
(whom we’ll call Judge 1) why the
winning picture was picked. Judge
1 said, “because it uses ‘the rule of
thirds’ so well, and it’s ‘tack sharp’.”
My jaw must have dropped. The
photo seemed boring and lifeless
next to the honorable mention. I
asked, “What? Where’s the vision;
what’s the story? How does your
eye move through the picture and
where does it come to rest? What
does looking at this picture do for
you?” Blank stare, chirping crickets.
Judge 1 finally answers, “But did
you notice, you can see every blade
of grass?” In our churches, meetings
may move like Swiss clockworks,
never a discouraging word heard,
attendance levels holding up. But,
is that enough? Where’s the vision?
Where can we see evidence of
the Holy Spirit blowing through
the congregation? How is God’s
kingdom coming to earth in this
spot right now? The same can be
asked of our personal life. What do
you think Judge 1 might say about
my picture shown here?