Your Church ALIVE David Schoen – Congregational Vitality and Discipleship

Your Church ALIVE Going Local – Getting Your Church Outside Itself Missional and Relational Outreach Becoming Public with your Faith Conversational Faith Sharing and Invitation Getting Digital What Does YELP Say About Your Church? Online Ministry, Outreach and Invitation

Times Have Changed 96% claim spirituality 48% participate in faith communities Total church participation in US has declined even though 51 million new people Younger generation opting out in masses Growth in Racial ethnic population decline in Anglo growth rate Mobility rates increased 500 Year Phenomena

Disciples and Churches ALIVE Missional, Relational & Conversational Missional in purpose Relational in outreach Conversational in witness in person and online

Missional Discipleship The Church exists to serve Gods Mission ~ Mission as Missio Dei, UCC Committee on Structure, 1992 The church of Jesus Christ is the instrument and sign of Gods mission and realm. Gods mission is calling and sending us, the to be to be a missional church in our own societies, in the cultures in which we find ourselves.

Missional in Purpose Vital disciples clear sense of purpose Vital disciples are sent people Vital disciples reach out beyond themselves reclaim Biblical focus on neighbors Vital disciples multiply new disciples/ministries/congregations

Reclaiming the Biblical focus on NEIGHBORS Hebraic Scripture focuses on neighbors Ten Commandments and Torah You shall love your neighbor as yourself ~ Leviticus 19:18 Jesus commandment - You shall love your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. ~ Luke 10:27 Love of God and love of neighbor combined If we love our neighbor and God, we will find an appropriate way and time to share our faith with them Jesus, Paul and James extend neighbor to all humankind (with some surprises)

Who are they, and where do they come from? (Revelation 7:14) MissionInsite Demographics flexible web based information system comprehensive socioeconomic and lifestyle data interactive mapping platform strategic information resource for ministry

Meeting Your Neighbors

MissionInsite Reports

Population Growth

Population Age

Racial/Ethnicity

Religious Practices

Socio-Economic-Consumer Types

Who Are they?

Survey of Religious Beliefs, Preferences and Practices

How to use MissionInsite Map your congregation homes Learn their mosaic types Compare to communities, learn your niche Gear programs, small groups to meet population to to needs and interests New neighbor listings Track guests and friends Cluster home groups

How to Register

QUESTIONS?

Missional in Purpose Relational in Outreach The days of waiting for people to us to welcome them in church are over. Instead of waiting inside, we go outside Bridge the gap by building relationships

Celtic Evangelism The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West…Again George Hunter writes about the difference between what he describes as the evangelism approach in Roman and Celtic Christianity.

Celtic Evangelism Roman Model Celtic Model Presentation Fellowship Decision Ministry and Conversation Fellowship Belief, Invitation, Commitment

Belonging and Believing Christianity is more caught than taught! As Professor Robin Gill observes, belonging comes before believing. For this reason, evangelism is now about helping people belong so that they can believe.

No Matter Who You Are, or Where You Are on Lifes Journey, You Are Welcome Here!

You Are Welcome Here! er_embedded&v=5BzusJvw_io

Relational in Outreach I stopped wondering about how to draw younger folks into my church and started focusing on how to draw my congregation out of its building and into relationship with the world outside its doors.

Missional Outreach Walk or Drive your neighborhood Watch for where God is at work Take notes, make a map, collect contact data Who lives where What are community needs Who are allies and good neighbors Do this again and again Talk to your neighbors & community leaders What are the hopes and challenges of neighbors How can the church be a good neighbor?

Relationship Building Hang out with your community Meet neighbors where they gather Spend Sunday morning with your neighbors Soccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, Exercise Pastors office in a coffee shop, fast food, bookstore. Make Worship and Faith Public Have meetings outside the church. Bible/book studies in coffee shop, book store Council meetings in neighborhood context Create Community Garden Engage in conversation, build relationships, Collect data of names/addresses/ s

Joining God in the Neighborhood Getting Started Develop New Eyes for Your Neighborhood Teach Radical Neighborliness – No matter who you are, or where you are on lifes journey… Meet Neighbors where they are, Listen to Neighborhood Stories Discern What God is Up to in the Neighborhood Get Involved The congregation will begin to do ministry with the community not to it. What am I/We learning - What Do I/We Do Next?

Michigan 2 x 2

Faith,In Project

Be Bold !

Becoming Public with your Faith through Conversations Conversational ministry is central to the future of the church in 21 st Century Count conversations, not conversions Brian McLaren, More Ready than You Think

Conversational Ministry The postmodern world calls for disciples who reach out to a world that is hungering for good conversation about faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death and God. Engaging in everyday faith conversations will not only help others become disciples, it will help us become disciples, who know and love the stillspeaking God more than ever.

Just because people arent in church doesnt mean they dont believe

Since 1991 adult population in the US grew by 15%. During that same period the unchurched population grew by 92%! 75 million US adults do not attend church 'Unchurched' Americans say church is 'full of hypocrites' consider Christianity to be more about organized religion than about loving God and people, …unchristian. Unchurched USA

44 percent -- agreed that "Christians get on my nerves. Vast majority of young non-Christians view Christianity as anti-gay, judgmental hypocritical, unwelcoming, too political, out of touch. But 78 percent said they would be willing to listen to someone who wanted to tell them about his or her Christian beliefs. Almost three-quarters percent -- agreed that God "actually exists and an even larger percentage percent -- said they believed they could have a good relationship with God without church involvement.

Start Conversations Spiritual Seekers want to talk. We are the ones not talking Fear of Intruding on Others faith Missional outreach is faith-sharing. An unchurched world doesnt know but wants to hear why we do what we do and believe what we believe.

If God is still speaking, Shouldnt we be?

Still Speaking Conversation and Invitation with Neighbors Informal moments at work, shopping or…. Be attentive for moments for a still speaking word Wear your still speaking witness Home dinners with neighbors First Welcomers New Neighbors Sunday Guests Public Worship/Activities Ashes to Go Communion to the street Community Fairs/Events

Stillspeaking Witness!

God is still speaking, Through you and me!

Eight Challenges Richard Peace – Holy Conversations Learn how to talk about Jesus Create spaces that bring seekers and Christians together to explore their spiritual journeys. Learn how to invite others Move beyond our stereotypes, fears and negative experiences of evangelism for new creative and authentic ways of outreach.

Eight Challenges Richard Peace Evangelism and justice issues are a both/and not an either/or. Find the energy to engage in and to sustain an outreach ministry. Stay open to transformation, our own transformation even as we invite others to be transformed. Learn how to discuss all of this in non- theological terms.

E. Word = Elbow The e.word today is elbow. Jim Griffith Still today the way most folks find a community of faith is when they are invited to come and brought by a friend or neighbor. Come and See! One beggar telling another where there is food.

Conversational Invitation

Come and See Who are you going to invite to come and see? Audiences for evangelism Outsiders Become Insiders Forgetters made Rememberers Beloved Children become Belief-ful Adults

How To Get Started Pray, pray, pray Practice your stillspeaking elevator response Find a partner to practice speaking about faith Start a Faith Sharing Group at church Share What My Faith/Church Means to Me Testimonies in worship Pray for those you who want to reach out to Just get started, talking and listening!

Are You Ready to Talk? When did you have a moment of experiencing Gods presence in your life? What impact has believing in God and following Jesus made in your life? How is God still speaking in your life?/ What would you tell someone about your church and why you participate/love it?

What not to do!

QUESTIONS?

Your Church ALIVE Going Local – Getting Your Church Outside Itself Missional and Relational Outreach Becoming Public with your Faith Conversational Faith Sharing and Invitation Getting Digital What Does YELP Say About Your Church? Online Ministry, Outreach and Invitation

Go Forth into the Digital World

The socialization of the web... is now forcing a renaissance that is transforming information distribution, human interaction and everything that orbits this nascent ecosystem. Brian Solis, PR2.0, Unveiling New Influencers 6/29/2009 The socialization of the web... is now forcing a renaissance that is transforming information distribution, human interaction and everything that orbits this nascent ecosystem. Brian Solis, PR2.0, Unveiling New Influencers 6/29/2009 The Socialization of the Web You Now Control the Message!

Lets Get Digital

Outreach on-line Church Website Invitational Interactive Messaging E.newsletter Links

A Welcoming Website

Outreach on-line Facebook Church fanpage Your own Like/Share Links Advertising

Outreach with new Technology

Twitter

Useful tools for Church Life Skype calls, meetings, visits Go to meetings Webinars - On line bible studies, courses Wikipedia, Google Documents

Yelp.com

Church of the Wider Fellowship

Interactive Digital Worship Tweet, Text, Post Im in worship at (your) UCC Tweet, Text, Post Insights, prayers, quotes from worship Tweet or Text prayer requests to screen Tweet or Text comments and questions to screen Text a friend that you are praying for them

God is still speaking, Through you and me.. In person and Online!

QUESTIONS?

You and Your Church ALIVE Missional in purpose – Go! Relational and Invitational in outreach Conversational in witness in person and online

Resources

Crossroads Mass. & New Beginnings

FAST FACTS: Designed to lead stuck congregations to make a BOLD DECISION about their future Entire process takes about 6-8 months It works best when leadership teams work in clusters with other congregations Helps a congregation face reality, and gain courage for contextually relevant mission

The New Beginnings Process: The Assessment House Meetings Making a Decision Crossroads Coaching

Making a Decision Given our resources, passion and skills: What is God calling us to do? What would that require us to give up? What would we look like when we are doing it? How would the world be different if we did?

New Beginnings – This Fall 2013 COME and SEE Event Introducing New Beginnings in Michigan Conference For Pastors & Congregational Leaders September 14 & 15 Saturday 10 AM and 2 PM Sunday 2 PM

QUESTIONS?

What one thing stood out today? What does it mean for you? What one thing will you do to get started in your own life, in your congregation? You and Your Church ALIVE

Your Church ALIVE Blessings as you discern Gods mission for your congregation, and discover what God is calling you to be & do as disciples and a church ALIVE in the place and world God has placed you.

Thank You! Thank you! Your financial support is Changing Lives: Thats Our Churches Wider Mission Thank you for your vital leadership and discipleship!