Reformation of the Multipoint Parish Doesn't Have to Be Scary!

Overview of Day Dwelling in the Word Types of Multiple Point Parishes History and Community Leadership in Multipoint Parishes Forming, Strengths, and Challenges of Mutliple Point arrangements Importance for Community

Multipoint Ministry Positives Sense of shared ministry and mission Shared parish council with representation of all partners Opportunities for staff fulfilling specialized ministries Youth, music, education, nurse, others Shared visitation

Multipoint Ministry Positives Efficiency in sermon preparation Coverage during days off, vacation Need for development of lay ministry Congregations have own council Congregations retain property and congregation-specific ministries Shared office supplies, secretarial services

Multipoint Ministry Positives Perhaps increased financial viability for some of the partners May allow presence of Christian worship and witness longer than if not in place

Multipoint Ministry Challenges Independent congregational attitude Past rivalry of congregations and communities Defining shared mission Budgeting and Assessments Perceived unequal treatment Scheduling of preaching circuit, on-call, council attendance, etc.

Multipoint Ministry Challenges Different congregational traditions in worship Wanting “our” pastor Where pastors live, parsonages Congregation size incongruence Between congregations Affecting Staff

Multipoint Ministry Challenges “Hidden” surprises Parsonage repair Endowment fund Conflict within ministry team Pastoral transitions Taking seriously God’s “preferred and promised future”

Multipoint Agreements Who is lead/administrative pastor? Are calls coterminous? What is the funding plan? Based on membership? Attendance? Other? What is each congregation’s percent of parish budget? How is plan adjusted? How often? What criteria

Multipoint Agreements How is parish council membership defined? Equal representation? Proportional representation? Terms How elected? Same process in all congregations? How parish council reports to congregations

Multipoint Agreements What are shared parish expenses? Is there a central office? Where will pastor(s) live? How is worship schedule approved? How is parish budget approved?

Important to attend to these because multipoint parishes can model community – our identity as missional people of God Overcoming competition Acceptance of others Working on shared vision and mission Stewardship, sharing resources beyond ourselves Concern for and support of wider community beyond ourselves

Questions What have been “best practices”, or what has worked well in multipoint arrangements in your context? What are the biggest challenges to multipoint arrangements in your context? What is the biggest priority to address in a multipoint arrangement in your context?

Participate in missio Dei, what God is doing, by being sent into the world to actually touch people with service and gospel of forgiveness, acceptance, and hope John 13: 12-15 [plane incident]

Do this to show God’s grace and power in Jesus Christ II Corinthians 4: 7-12 Cracked pots

Participate in missio Dei for sake of the world John 12: 27-33 [LBJ and helicopter]

This is heart of reformation and ministry – all people know promises of God in Jesus Christ Will do and say some crazy things Will do and say them because they are true