Indiana Annual Conference Christian Faith Formation Transforming the World

George Howard Deputy General Secretary, Global Ministries Christian Faith Formation Transforming the World

Christian Faith Formation Transforming the World

Christian Faith Formation Transforming the World

Personal Christian Faith Formation

Where is God calling you to Stretch and Grow? Which practice will you focus on?

Growing Movements around the world: Models of Development

Three Self Patriotic Movement Self-Governance Self-Support Self-Propagation

John Wesley model King’s foundry for cannon A charity school A dispensary An almshouse for nine poor widows A loan society Daily worship services Class meetings

The Wesleyan tradition

North Katanga UMC model Church Parsonage Garden for the pastor’s family School Medical clinic Well

UM Church for All People model Worship Housing Community music and arts Healthy eating and living Afterschool Medical clinic

What do you notice about these models? What do they have in common? What are/were some of the keys to the growth of the church using these models?

Call to Worship: Leader:God’s love is deep and wide. Community:God loves all people. Leader:Beyond differences that may divide us. Community:No matter who we are or what we have done. All:We are all beloved children of God.

Leader:We are a church for all people. Community:We give our love to everyone no matter who they are or what they have done. All:Welcome to this circle.

Relief-Rehabilitation-Development Relief The urgent provision of emergency aid to reduce suffering resulting from a natural and/or man-made crisis. Relief is by its very nature, immediate and temporary. It is prolonged only when self-reliance is impossible. The basic dynamic is provider and receiver.

Rehabilitation The restoration of people and their communities to their pre-crisis state and minimization of future vulnerabilities. Opportunities for moving from doing for to doing with. Local population involved in the work. Serves as a bridge between relief and development. Relief-Rehabilitation-Development

Development The process of on-going change that is moving people closer to being in right relationship with God, with themselves, with others and with nature. Development isn’t done to people or for people but with people. The key dynamic is promoting an empowering process. This will typically be done around or result in some “products/project”.

Growing Christian Movements Values Church Relationship Driven Asset Based Healthy Partnerships Holistic

Values Relationships vs. Resources Partnerships vs. Dependency Asset Based vs. Need Based Broad vs. Narrow Connectional vs Congregational

Methodism began as a movement of the poor, for the poor, by the poor, and with the poor. Failure to be in friendship and ministry with the poor, the imprisoned, and the vulnerable people of the world is a betrayal of the gospel as communicated through the Wesleyan tradition. Bishop Kenneth L. Carder

Adaptive Challenge: Transition to New Concept of Partnership Short Term Needs-BasedRelief Long Term Asset-BasedDevelopment

Holistic Church Model Church Food Security Health Education Faith Formation

Your Church Model

Church for All People Core Affirmation GOD loves us just the way we are and GOD is not finished with us yet!

Participatory Continuum CoercionComplianceCooperationConsultingCommunity Initiated

Participatory What Kind of Participation? Functional participation: Involvement in project/program activities that are predetermined by the implementing organization. Empowering participation: Building capacity of people by involvement in the planning, implementing and evaluation of the project/program.

5 Steps: 1) Start a 50/50 Conversation: Set Expectations Begin actively listening & learning. Move beyond assumptions. Use 50/50 as framework for goal setting Ask Questions: What are your dreams and aspirations? What do you hope for our partnership together? 2) Assess & Discern: Where are you? Where are you going? 50/50 as an assessment for current ministries and partnerships. Are they 50/50? It’s a lens for helping you focus on relational opportunities with long term impact in missional engagement. 3) Know your Gifts: Appreciative Inquiry Self-discovery or gifts mapping - List assets of each partner with emphasis on non-resource based ones to build local capacity. Ask questions: What has God blessed each of us with? What do each of us have to offer vs what do they need? What can we do WITH you vs what can we do FOR you? 4) Plan Together: Strategic Vision Casting based on 50/50 You’re writing your own manual! Imagine what your ministry together will look like as a locally sustainable program. 5) Frequent Communication: Long-Term Deepening of Partnership Share best practices, address mistakes and spiritually ground relationship through class meetings and online worship

Quality direct service Positive relationships Practice radical hospitality, creating a vibrant context Acknowledge and work to bridge differences Sustain over time Promote mutuality Cultivate affinity with people who are poor.

Four Foundational Relationships Relationship with God – Glorify and enjoy God forever Relationship with Self – Created in the image of God giving worth and dignity Relationship to Others – Created to dwell in loving, grace- filled relationships Relationship with the Rest of Creation – Stewardship of the earth and all of God’s creation

Avoid Paternalism Don’t do for others what they can do for themselves. Types of Paternalism Resource Paternalism – We’ve got the Funds Spiritual Paternalism - We’ve got the Word Knowledge Paternalism - We’ve got the Know-How Labor Paternalism - We’ve got the Muscle Managerial Paternalism - We can git‘er Done

Passionate worship Transforms relationships A dress code designed to make people feel comfortable Worship styles, language, visual images invite diversity Embracing diversity, drawing upon various traditions Never just about Jesus and me God reaches us in new ways when we leave our comfort zone Music can lead the way Sharing of joys and concerns. A living body of Christ

I had come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor. Shane Claiborne

There is a divine economy of abundance. All successful ministry is asset based. Value and develop the capacity of each person. Good ministries start small and build over time. Continually seek new partners. Developing ministries with the poor that transform individuals and communities

Key characteristics of ministry with the poor Relationship building Vulnerability (affinity) Power equity Inclusive worship Asset based Sustainable impact

Ministry with the poor The UMC has been anointed to bring and receive good news with the poor. Through developing mutually engaging relationships, we, the living body of Christ, work together to make disciples of Jesus Christ, build inclusive worship communities, transform our world and experience abundant life. Dallas Round Table of MWTP Practitioners November 2013