As we begin the Season of Lent, the change of the seasons this year is more apparent than in some past years. The lenghtening of the days, the warming of the air, and the changing energy in the world around us helps me see that change is something that is regularly a part of our lives. Much of my time has been devoted to working with congregations in transition these past several weeks. And therefore, being present to the anxiety that exists when a congregation is seeking a new rector is part of the rhythm of life -- and yet it is never routine.
While at Living Stones, we heard from Mike Wagner, who is a consultant dealing with large corporations, and he is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian tradition. He offered some helpful insights regarding change. I share them with you, so that we can partner together in dealing with the "changes and chances of this life." May you begin a blessed Lenten journey.
Focus on ‘change’
1- If you don’t feel strange, awkward, or weird, it’s not change. Performance goes down before it goes up.
2- People have different levels of readiness and as leaders its our responsibility to help navigate that.
3- People experience change as loss- even when it’s positive change. Let people grieve the change.
4- Change is a journey that must be managed because if we don’t lead it & manage it, things will go back to the way they were before.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Living Stones
Today the Bishop, Debbie Egnatuk from Trinity, Marshall, and I offered a 'case study' as part of our partnership in Living Stones.
Here's a little background: Living Stones is a partnership of 27 Canadian & US dioceses who gather once a year and reflect on the ways in which the Church offers leadership with an emphasis on the Ministry of the Baptized.
Our Baptismal Ministry Experience & Reflection will be posted on our Website (www.edwm.org). Suffice it to say, our reflection was focused on the ways the diocesan staff and volunteers who work on behalf of the wider church serve individual congregations as 'ministry developers.' In our cluster (or reflection) group are folks from the dioceses of Olympia (which is Western Washington state), Ruperts Land (Canada), Nebraska and Chicago. They offered much food for thought, and encouraged us to foster an understanding that developing ministry in congregations is helping congregations become the people of God. Also, we received the invitation to celebrate the ministry of the baptized in every congregation -- all the time. And the ministry of the baptized is identified through our baptismal covenant, which is also reflected in our diocesan vision & mission statement. We in the Diocese of Western Michigan need to look at the gifts within each congregation, and celebrate those ministries and individuals who live out the faith of the baptized...and it's not merely functioning within the bounds of the church. Doctors, nurses, plumbers, lawyers, electricians, students, teachers, and all of those who live outside the few hours of church on Sunday are exercising their baptismal ministry -- or at least have an opportunity to do so.
What do we do to celebrate and acknowledge this? Who is God calling our congregations to be and how do we live into the best we are called to be? How do we invite everyone who attends worship in our congregation to name and claim their ministry? This is the invitation and call of ministry development.
Here's a little background: Living Stones is a partnership of 27 Canadian & US dioceses who gather once a year and reflect on the ways in which the Church offers leadership with an emphasis on the Ministry of the Baptized.
Our Baptismal Ministry Experience & Reflection will be posted on our Website (www.edwm.org). Suffice it to say, our reflection was focused on the ways the diocesan staff and volunteers who work on behalf of the wider church serve individual congregations as 'ministry developers.' In our cluster (or reflection) group are folks from the dioceses of Olympia (which is Western Washington state), Ruperts Land (Canada), Nebraska and Chicago. They offered much food for thought, and encouraged us to foster an understanding that developing ministry in congregations is helping congregations become the people of God. Also, we received the invitation to celebrate the ministry of the baptized in every congregation -- all the time. And the ministry of the baptized is identified through our baptismal covenant, which is also reflected in our diocesan vision & mission statement. We in the Diocese of Western Michigan need to look at the gifts within each congregation, and celebrate those ministries and individuals who live out the faith of the baptized...and it's not merely functioning within the bounds of the church. Doctors, nurses, plumbers, lawyers, electricians, students, teachers, and all of those who live outside the few hours of church on Sunday are exercising their baptismal ministry -- or at least have an opportunity to do so.
What do we do to celebrate and acknowledge this? Who is God calling our congregations to be and how do we live into the best we are called to be? How do we invite everyone who attends worship in our congregation to name and claim their ministry? This is the invitation and call of ministry development.
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