Congregational Development
God calls on God’s people to make disciples. Discipleship Ministries oversees and nurtures new faith expressions in creating new places for new people and assists in the renewal and revitalizing of faith communities.
By being relevant and vital, United Methodists will touch more lives and draw more people to Christ. Our primary purpose is not to help churches grow, but rather we seek to help them reach more people with the good news of the Gospel, to grow more people as gifted and called disciples of Jesus, and to send more people into the world to love and serve God and their neighbors in all they do. We provide tools, resources, workshops, events and training to help leaders and congregations more effectively make disciples for the transformation of the world.
CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY PATHWAY DESCRIPTIONS
THE LAUNCH INITIATIVE
Congregational leaders tend to ask themselves two questions, one focuses on the past and one focuses on the present. Questions like: “what happened?”, “what led up to this?”, or “remember when…” questions all focus on the past. Questions like: “what’s important right now?”, “how do we fix this?” or “what are our current challenges?”, tend to focus on the present.
Vital congregations ask questions focused on the future, without dismissing their past or being rooted in the present. These congregations tend to ask the “what’s next?” type of questions. Following the Resurrection, the Disciples were asking the question, “What’s next?” and Jesus provided them the answer. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gathered his Disciples on the mountain, prior to his ascension, and left them with these instructions: “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 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, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
If you’ve been asking the question, “What’s next?”, if these words of Jesus resonate with you and your congregation, then perhaps you are ready for the Launch Initiative.
This pathway is designed for congregations who are ready to get to know their community, move beyond the walls of their buildings and multiply their impact. This journey will equip and train your congregation to develop and form Fresh Expressions as a method to reach new people and engage your community. This resource will help you find creative ways to move “from the seats to the streets” and connect with people outside the four walls of your building.
A Fresh Expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church. It will come into being through principles of listening, service, incarnational mission and making disciples.
These Wesleyan Fresh Expressions of church embrace four missional values:
During this 12-month experience, each congregational team will be assigned to a cohort facilitated by a Field Guide. In addition to asynchronous learning opportunities, there will be several retreats and time for Teams to plan and dream together.
“You need to find what is genuinely yours to offer the world before you can make it a better place. Discovering your unique gift to bring to your community is your greatest opportunity and challenge. The offering of that gift—your true self—is the most you can do to love and serve the world. And it is all the world needs.” — Bill Plotkin, Soulcraft
While we recognize that each of us has a unique gift to offer, Jesus also reminds us, in John 13:34-35, how others will know that we are his followers: “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”
While the disciples had experienced and been taught many things during their three-year journey with Jesus, he was giving them one final instruction in this text. He was sharing what it would take to continue the impact of his ministry in this world. Would it be their speaking abilities, their miracle-working powers, or their courage? No, Jesus said they would impact this world as they continued to love each other.
Your next faithful step comes when you engage in the deep and adaptive work we seem to want to avoid – an intentional re-engagement with the communities in which we are located. We have to see and connect with the people God has called us to reach. This becomes the foundation of effective ministry.
The Catalyst Initiative is designed to help your Church do two things. First, it’s designed to help you love better; love one another and love your community. And it will help you discover your congregation’s call and unique gift that you can bring to your community. It is a year-long congregational cohort process of discovery, exploration, and renewal. It empowers a church to initiate a Spirit-led vision and understanding of its community; ignite faith into action, and invigorate people to claim God’s vision for your lives and community. Participants will learn to more deeply and intentionally cultivate discipleship, to discern and experiment, to build better relationships with one another and those in the community, to evaluate and design ministry for the most meaningful impact, to identify and leverage assets and to create alignment and systems that sustain ministry into the future. As a result, congregations will increase their skills, confidence and resilience so that more transformed lives transform lives. Congregations are placed into cohorts guided by a Synergist who journeys with them. >>Learn more
THE READINESS INITIATIVE
Churches of all shapes and sizes are going through challenging times. Your church may fall into this category. The once lively and vibrant building you call your church home seems more like a museum. Your church may be wrestling with what the future holds and asking yourselves, “What can we do? Where can we find answers? How do we get unstuck?”
These are the types of questions Ezekiel was asking himself - The LORD’s power overcame me, and while I was in the LORD’s spirit, he led me out and set me down in the middle of a certain valley. It was full of bones. He led me through them all around, and I saw that there were a great many of them on the valley floor, and they were very dry. He asked me, “Human one, can these bones live again?” I said, “LORD God, only you know.” [Ezekiel 37:1-3]
As you think about your congregation, do you see only dry bones or do you see the possibility of new life, through God’s Spirit? However you answer this, perhaps the Readiness Initiative is the right Vitality Pathway for you. After completing the Readiness 360 survey and having a facilitated conversation about the results, your congregation will be placed in a cohort for this 12-month journey, facilitated by a Readiness Guide. Throughout the year your Congregational Team will work through a process that will give you a 360-degree view of your congregation, leadership, ministries and community. The goal of this journey is to help your congregation discern your next faithful step. In addition to opportunities for your Congregational Team to work together, there will be “Town Hall” gatherings of the entire congregation and several retreats, during which you will learn more about the impact of the Readiness 360 drivers.
ASSEMBLING THE TEAM
Learn more about Readiness 3602023 Application Preview
Intent to Apply
September 20, 2022 - Intent to Apply opens
September 20, 2022 - Training Tuesday on Readiness 360
November 15, 2022 - Intent to Apply due
February 15, 2023 - Application Closes
February-March, 2023 - Time of Discernment
March 15, 2023 - Decisions announced
May 13, 2023 - Orientation for all Pathways