Lay and Clergy Partnership Creating Fruitful Leaders

Agenda  Prayer  Devotion  Listening  Appreciative Inquiry  Building Relationships  How Laity & Clergy Work Together  How we Build Leaders  Reflection

Prayer & Devotion

Discovery “What gives life?” (The best of what is) Appreciating Dream “What might be?” (What the world is calling for) Envisioning Results Design “What should be – the ideal?” Co-Constructing Destiny “How to empower, learn, and adjust/improvise?” Sustaining Appreciative Inquiry Process

What is a powerful question?  Thought provoking and invites reflection and finding deeper meaning  Expands possibilities or focuses attention  Brings underlying assumptions to light  Stimulates curiosity and creativity  Can help a group move forward

Dimensions of a powerful question Less Powerful Questions More Powerful Questions Yes/No Which Who When Where What How Why* What If

Using Appreciative Inquiry  Spend time crafting questions:  Start by discussing the end-in-mind for the discussion or process  Work with panning partners to write down several questions relevant to the topic  Discuss and rate the questions:  What is best constructed to promote reflection and creativity?  Which has the right scope for the end-in-mind?  What are the underlying assumptions embedded in each question?  Experiment with changing the construction and scope to get a feel for how each can change the direction of the inquiry  Give each question the “genuine test” – Is this a question to which we do not already know the answer? If we already know the answer or have a present response, it is not an inquiry  Run the question by an outside key informant to see how well the question works and where it leads the discussion.

Building Relationships

The Greatest Commandments 28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:

8 Lessons Jesus Taught Us About Relationships 1. Jesus helps us to see what’s right when we’re with people 2. Jesus said love it non-negotiable 3. Jesus is our role model for how to love people 4. Jesus told His friends not to do life alone 5. Jesus redefined family 6. Jesus put others’ needs before His wants 7. Jesus shared meals with people 8. Jesus emphasized individuals over tasks

Ways To Be In Relationship With Each Other  Spend time together – outside of church  Make it personal – know about each others strengths and weaknesses  Have patience, tolerance, forbearance for others  Refuse to give up on each other  Find value in the work we do together and separately  Take the judgment out of it  Pray together

How Clergy & Laity Work Together Jason Young Southport UMC

Southport UMC Example  Fruitful Congregations Journey  Consultation Weekend  Prescriptions (recommended actions)  Move to Accountability Leadership Structure  Single Board System  Not much additional Direction

Guiding Principles  Winning on Purpose by John Edmund Kaiser  Accountability Leadership Structure  Provides framework for governing & leading the church Sr. Pastor = Leadership Admin Council = Governance/Oversight Staff = Management Congregation Leaders (You) = Ministry

Guiding Principles  Mission Principles  Purpose: Object of the game  Audience: Admin Council to Sr. Pastor  Boundary Principles  Purpose: Rules for game  Audience: Admin Council to Sr. Pastor  Accountability Principles  Purpose: How to keep score  Audience: Leadership Team to Chair

Guiding Principles

Mission Principles  Based on Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20)  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Mission Principles  Primary Focus = New Disciples  The highest priority of Southport United Methodist Church shall be to make disciples of Jesus Christ and welcome them into the Body of Christ whether they be unchurched or dechurched in background.  Secondary Focus = Building Disciples  A significant and supporting priority of Southport United Methodist Church shall be helping believers to become grounded in the Christian faith by actively engaging in the Connect – Grow – Serve – Give discipleship process so that they are transformed and mobilized.

Discipleship Process ConnectGrowServeGive Guest?? No AttenderMonthly?? Maybe MemberYes Tithe LeaderYes Tithe + Offerings

Outline  The Story of Spiritual Leadership, Inc.  Discoveries along the way  What we value  What we do  Our Hope  Our Challenges

Spiritual Leadership, Inc. In 1997 a pastor and two church members began meeting weekly for accountability and rediscovered a team approach to ministry. 23 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.1 Peter 4:10

Spiritual Leadership, Inc. SLI is a Kentucky based, 501(c)(3) public foundation founded in June, 2000 as a coaching ministry for leaders. 24

Spiritual Leadership, Inc.  Our journey began as we recognized how serious the situation has become for the American church.  We wanted to understand the root cause of this serious situation and find a way to help reverse the trends.  We hoped to use the gifts that we have been given. 25

What we discovered  A lack of unity within the leadership of any body will prevent healthy growth.  To truly love as Christ loved, we must be willing to risk becoming incarnational leaders--leaders who leave the comfort of their own culture and circumstances to find ways to connect and unify others.  When working with God you should expect the miraculous. 26

Therefore: We continue to expect and we are seeing God accomplish “immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to God’s power that is at work within us…” Ephesians 3:

Central District Spring Lay Servants School April 11, 2015 Plainfield UMC Online Registration Coming Soon

Reflection

Contact Information Jason Young Co-Lay Leader - Central District Southport United Methodist Church Anthony Swinger Lay Servant Ministries Doris Clark Conference Lay Leader Megan Fetter Associate Director of Leadership Development - Laity