LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

 

Know God Know yourself Know your congregation  Know your community

 

by Stan Segran

 

After the AGM concluded on Thursday afternoon, pastors, elders, deacons and other leaders from RCA churches across Canada gathered at our church from Friday morning to Monday morning for a conference entitled “Freed 2 Lead.”  There were many aspects of the conference as you will see below.  Every element of the conference stressed that we must have a deeper knowledge of God, ourselves and our churches if we are to overcome obstacles to leading our congregations toward the goals God has in His mind and heart for them. 

HERRINGTON AND TAYLOR:  CALLED TO CHANGE THROUGH AUTHENTICITY

            “Our choice is either deep change or slow death.”  With those words Jim Herrington and Tricia Taylor challenged the 100 or so participants gathered in our sanctuary.  Jim and Tricia are gifted leaders who have been working with 30 congregations in the RCA over the past 4 years or so to empower them to change in deep and lasting ways so they may further God’s kingdom.  (RCA congregations in Canada have been invited to participate in this engagement through a program called the Ridder Initiative. What we heard over Friday and Saturday was a taste of what these congregations have learned.) 

            People tend to have “mental models” which sometimes inhibit them from hearing the message God is seeking to get across.  A new mental model is the church as “missional” rather than “attractional.”  Instead of attracting people to come to us, we need to go to them in mission.   A core value of churches in mission is “authenticity.”  Christians must be real about their brokenness if those outside the Church are to believe us.  Jim and Tricia drew a distinction between “church members” and “followers of Jesus.”  Followers present themselves to God  (Rom. 12:1-2) in terms of: radical obedience (examining where we are failing to follow Christ in our daily lives), reflective living which embraces: prayer and other spiritual disciplines such as fasting and authentic community: people loving and listening to each other

            As disciples we have “integrity gaps:” we have not done what we say  we will do when we say we will do it and in the manner it was supposed to be done.  If we are honest about these gaps, apologize, deal with the consequences and “repromise” we may move forward in mission.  In order to make “deep change” happen so we may e faithful to God’s mission we must “generate and sustain creative tension.”  The tension is between a “clear shared and compelling picture of what is alongside a clear shared and compelling picture of God’s preferred future.”  We tend either to diminish the tension or seek to move ahead too quickly. 

            The other main thesis of Jim and Tricia is the recognition of the role and anxiety in the quest to change for the sake of God’s mission.  Change causes anxiety as its natural byproduct. The goal is not to pretend anxiety is not present but to manage it wisely.  We have to resist: blame, quick fixes, distancing from others and overfunctioning (doing more than I should) or underfuntioning (doing less than I should).   Finally we were encouraged to “be the Church” wherever we are-school, work, neighbourhood, family.  Ask: What is God’s intended design for this part of my life and what is my part in working with Him in making that design a reality? 

            Of course this is just a summary of their presentation.  The sessions were recorded and we look forward to applying what we learned in various ways especially as we seek God’s Preferred Future through our Visioning Journey. 

 

WORKSHOPS: FOCUS ON ASPECTS OF MISSIONAL LIVING

            On Friday evening 5 workshops were presented on various ways of promoting a missional focus in our congregations. 

 

            YOUTH PANEL:  HEART AND HEAD

On Sunday afternoon (after enjoying worshiping in the morning with some of the participants in the conference) we were treated to a panel made up of 4 area youth.  The Rev. Carson Culp, pastor of the RCA church in Welland, asked them a number of questions concerning their spiritual journey and their attitudes toward the Church.   A few of the themes which emerged:  Faith must be practical and demonstrated. One panellist says he wants to be known as a “Christian” not by what he says about himself but by what people see of his life.  Relationship (the heart) must be stressed as much or more than doctrine (the head).  Christian unity is an important witness to the gospel. When we are fighting among ourselves people are turned from the gospel.  Listen to youth.  We (young people) want to be heard as well as to listen to those older than we are.  “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Mt. 9:37-38).  Is God calling you and me to be workers for Him in word and deed among youth and people of all ages?  After the youth panel Pastor John Kapteyn and the Rev. Dr. Tom De Vries, General Secretary of the RCA, met with all the youth who had come from churches in the area.  Along with the themes already shared in the youth panel, these youth asked to be challenged by the church rather than hearing a “watered down” message from the church”.  

 

             

            WORSHIP:  “The Church God Blesses” 

            On Sunday evening, after praising God and basking in His presence in song and prayer, the Rev. Dr. Tom De Vries, , preached a sermon based on Acts 11:19-31.  Dr. De Vries’ sermon painted a picture of the church God blesses as exhibiting 5 signs: 1. A heart for personal evangelism 2.  The Hand of the Lord is evident. 3.  Honest leadership 4.  Helping others 5. A heart for global evangelism.    

 

            BRAINSTORMING

On Monday morning we gathered to brainstorm as to what we had learned could be applied to the RCA churches in Canada.   Concerns were expressed about a perceived apathy among some members, reluctance to change, and discouragement about reaching the community around the church.  On the other hand the group was encouraged that many are recognizing the need, are eager to evangelize, and many leaders are starting to ask hard questions. 

 

            CLOSING COMMUNION

To conclude the Leadership Conference, we gathered in the sanctuary to receive the

Signs and seals of God’s love in His Supper.  The minister leading our celebration of Communion, the Rev. Steve Wilkinson, reminded us that ultimately our mission is all about Jesus Christ. All we heard and learned was really about receiving Him and sharing Him with our thirsty and hungry world.  When we become overwhelmed at the task ahead, let us recall that Jesus said: “I am with you to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20).