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Transforming Existing Congregations

Transforming Existing Congregations. Churches do not exist to support an Annual Conference. The Annual Conference exists to strengthen congregations and to multiply the fruitfulness of their ministries.

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Transforming Existing Congregations

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  1. Transforming Existing Congregations

  2. Churches do not exist to support an Annual Conference. The AnnualConference exists to strengthen congregations and to multiply the fruitfulness of their ministries.

  3. 1. Embrace extraordinary risk and change in order to grow – they experiment, innovate, adapt, create and learn new paths.

  4. 2. The vision, spiritual energy and leadership come from within the local church – not the Conference. The Conference can provide support, consultation and encouragement but must not coerce.

  5. Blessed with excellent pastoral leadership, who know that the mission field is “out there” not “in here”. • 4. Enjoy streamlined • structures and a • permission giving • environment.

  6. 5. Actively and extravagantly engage in community and global ministries.6. A taste for excellence – stop doing what is not working (fruitful).

  7. How can the Annual Conference Help?

  8. 1. Focus everyone on a few agenda items – reduce obstacles.2. Reward effective leaders – no rewards for those who do not produce.

  9. 3. Reward innovation, risk taking and creativity.4. Strengthen the stream that feeds gifted young leaders.5. Create a culture of learning – reward and expect excellence.

  10. 6. Align money (conference budget) with priorities of growth not entitlement. Develop a policy of “planned abandonment.” 7. Find ways to do congregational intervention.

  11. 8. Do not wait for denomination-wide programs to provide solutions and don’t apply one program or strategy conference-wide.9. Do not treat all churches or pastors the same. Focus unapologetically on high potential churches and pastors.

  12. 10. Forget the changing mission statements, subsidies that create dependence, focusing attention on dysfunctional churches and pastors, or get distracted by the “revolving door” of people who want to suck you into their single issue agendas.

  13. Current Reality

  14. 1. The UMC has lost membership in the US for 46 years in a row.2. There was a 55,000 person decline in worship attendance last year.3. In Kentucky we have 808 churches.

  15. 4. Fifty-three percent or 424 had no professions of faith in 2009.5. Fifty-nine percent had no baptisms.6. Sixty-one percent of our churches in Kentucky worship less than 50.

  16. 7. Eighty-four percent of our churches in Kentucky worship less than 100.8. Only 80 of our churches have a worship attendance of over 150.9. Only 13 have a worship attendance over 500.

  17. 10. Worship attendance has fallen by 5,000 persons since 1998.11. One in six of Americans are unaffiliated with any religious group.12. One in four young adults (18-30) are unaffiliated.

  18. 13. On any given Sunday, only 10- 15% of the American population attends worship.14. Despair? No.15. Zechariah 9:12 – “prisoners of hope”.

  19. 16. The answer is not in doing church better – it is in being a part of the movement of God.17. Missional Renaissance18. The church is not an institution – it is organic – it is a who not a what.

  20. 19. The church is a verb not a noun.20. The church is me and you where- we are.21. The church is not the Kingdom of God – we can be a part of God’s Kingdom but not all of it.

  21. 22. The Kingdom of God is running wild in the streets of the world and God will stop at nothing to reach God’s people.23. Good Samaritan – get off your donkey and help somebody.

  22. 24. Church is like an airport – not a destination but a tool for connecting people to abundant life.25. Here is our question – “Could you give Jesus a second chance – relationship not institution?”

  23. Discussion

  24. 1. Towers/Watson study of 33,000 United Methodist Churches.2. 15% Vital 48% Moderate3. Drivers of Vitality A. Small Groups B. Lay Leadership C. Worship D. Pastors

  25. Isaiah 43:18“Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

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