1. Parish and Community Development Ministries Roundtable: Mississippi Annual Conference of the U.M. Church Presented by: Rev. Embra Jackson Administrative Assistant to the Bishop

2. “Our Iceberg Is Melting: So What Do We Do?”

4. The Role of Stories Sociological Morality Religious (Jesus and parable)

6. A.Divide into groups from local churches/clusters B.5 Minutes Respond to these questions: 1.Does this story relate to our denomination, conference, your church/cluster? 2.What are the lessons to be learned from this story that relate to our denomination, conference, cluster? C.Each group shares their findings Story Discussion

7. 1.Create a Sense of Urgency. Help others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately. 2.Pull Together the Guiding Team. Make sure there is a powerful group guiding the change—one with leadership skills, credibility, communications ability, authority, analytical skills and a sense of urgency. SET THE STAGE How did the penguins succeed?

8. Decide What To Do 3.Develop the Change Vision and Strategy. Clarify how the future will be different from the past, and how you can make that future a reality. 4.Communicate for Understanding and Buy-in. Make sure as many others as possible understand and accept the vision and the strategy. Make It Happen

9. 5.Empower Others to Act. Remove as many barriers as possible so that those who want to make the vision a reality can do so. 6.Produce Short-Term Wins. Create some visible, unambiguous successes as soon as possible. 7.Don’t Let Up. Press harder and faster after the first successes. Be relentless with initiating change after change until the vision becomes a reality.

10. 8.Create a New Culture. Hold on to the new ways of behaving, and make sure they succeed, until they become strong enough to replace old traditions. “Make It Stick”

12. Is Our Iceberg Melting? How effective are we as a denomination and as a conference?

13. “To make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World”

14. “Methodists went where the people were.”  Lovett Weems Quote

15. “Between 1776 and 1850 the Methodists in America achieved a virtual miracle of growth, rising from less than 3% of all church members in 1776 to more than 34% by 1850, making them far and away the largest religious body in the nation and the most extensive national institution other than the Federal government. Methodist growth terrified other more-established denominations.” Christian History Institute HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED METHODIST DENOMINATION

16. By the middle of the nineteenth century, Methodists boasted more than 4,000 itinerants, almost 8,000 local precahers, and over a million members. It was nearly one half size larger than any other Protestant body and could muster more than ten times the preaching force of the Congregationalists, who, in 1776 had double the number of clergy of any other church. By 1850, in a nation where only 25 to 30 percent of the people claimed any religious affiliation, almost one in fifteen Americans belonged to a Methodist church (1.5 million out of 23 million).” Nathan Hatch in Church History Journal, June 1994, p. 179

17. The original focus of Methodism was on people beyond the walls of the church.

18. T HE C URRENT C ONTEXTUAL R EALITY Issues Within The Continental U.S. Culture

19. Contextual Reality The combined communicant membership of Protestant churches over the last ten years declined 9.5% or 4,498,242 people while the U.S. population increased 11.4% or 24,153,000 people. ASCG Journal of Church Growth

20. Some Ways of Looking at Mississippi Conference Churches

21. Membership, Attendance and Professions of Faith 350+ 26 churches 125-349 96 churches 125 or less 26 1,021 96

22. Mississippi Conference Churches Average Attendance = 65 Median Attendance = 35

23. Total Expenditures 2007 26 1,021 96 350+ 33% 126-349 30% 125 or less 37%

24. A free online newsletter of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Delivered via e-mail every 2 weeks - Providing thoughtful, relevant, and succinct information for church leaders - Bringing the best leadership resources to the revitalization of churches www.churchleadership.com

25. Five Minutes Break

26. Next Faithful Steps – Where do we go from here?

27. Lifecycle of A Church

28. Acts 2:42-47 Defines the Vital and Healthy Church  Grows both numerically and spiritually  Lives in community and experiences low levels of conflict  Processes adequate resources for ministry  Provide significant impact for the community and connection of the Body of Christ

29. Health of Local Churches FIVE PRACTICES OF FRUITFUL CONGREGATIONS 1. The Practice of Radical Hospitality 2. The Practice of Passionate Worship 3. The Practice of Intentional Faith Development 4. The Practice of Risk-Taking Mission and Service 5. The Practice of Extravagant Generosity

30. Select one area of Healthy Church and as a group decide how you/your church/cluster will become healthier in this area. Be specific. Group Activity

31. Helpful Quotes A Changing World All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership. John Kenneth Galbraith Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced. James Baldwin

32. ACTS 29 Plan Ministry Action Plan A2 Areas of HealthSpecific Action Measurable & Attainable RewardsTime Frame G ROWTH Numerically Spiritually L IVING IN C OMMUNITY Consider levels of conflict A DEQUATE R ESOURCES Monetary Personnel S ERVICE & M ISSION Local Projects Donations Projects Outside of Area

33. Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation Specific Action Measurable & Attainable RewardsTime Frame P ASSIONATE W ORSHIP I NTENTIONAL F AITH D EVELOPMENT R ADICAL H OSPITALITY E XTRAVAGANT G ENEROSITY R ISK - TAKING M ISSION AND S ERVICE

34. All too often people and organizations don’t see the need for change. They don’t correctly identify what to do, or successfully make it happen, or make it stick. Businesses don’t. School systems don’t. Churches don’t.