This Week in Mission – Oct 20, 2008

 

My seminar on Long Island is on the theme “Rediscovering Credibility”, based in part on my books Why Should I Believe You and Mission Mover. It’s pretty clear that many established churches want three “impossible things”:

 

  • Growth without change;
  • Depth without discipline;
  • Direction without leadership.

 

The frustration of clergy is pretty clear. They struggle to counteract these impossible expectations because so many churches separate responsibility and authority. Clergy are given the responsibility to grow, go deep, and focus the future … but none of the authority. The authority is reserved for councils and committees who tell leaders what to do, and absolve themselves of responsibility to do it.

 

Now here is the next challenge. I suspect that many establishment clergy also want three “impossible things”:

 

  • Change without growth;
  • Discipline without depth;
  • Leadership without direction.

 

Now it is the laity who are frustrated. They struggle to counteract these impossible expectations because clergy are unwilling to stake their careers on mission. Laity are encouraged to have the passion to grow, go deep, and focus the future … but none of the calling. Without recognition that laity are called … not just gifted … there can be no real mutual accountability with clergy.

 

Church transformation and personal transformation go together.

 

 

 

 

3 Responses to “This Week in Mission – Oct 20, 2008”

  1. 10:52 pm, 30 October, 2008 р.
    phill says:

    glad you are doing this…adding you to my reader

  2. 8:24 am, 31 October, 2008 р.
    Debra Avery says:

    You describe this: Clergy are given the responsibility to grow, go deep, and focus the future … but none of the authority. In both my previous calls, I would say this was the case. But I find myself in a congregation that wants me to be responsible, go deep, focus the future - all by myself. In other words - Pastor, we love all the things you’re doing. We believe we need to grow. We know that adult spiritual formation is key. But we aren’t going to be part of those things. We just want to come on Sunday morning. It seems an odd thing and very different for me to be able to have full impunity with regard to change and have very little in the way of actual participation beyond Sunday morning and the occasional committee meeting.

  3. 11:34 am, 11 November, 2008 р.
    deveb says:

    This is why mentoring becomes so important for the future of the church. See my recent This Week in Mission post for Nov. 8.

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