Transitions

Introduction to Transitions

David — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:08:09 -0700

One of the motivations of this site was to provide a place for those transitioning United Methodist churches to discuss, dream, and connect. I've noticed that those discussing Missional church are either church planters or theorists. While that might be a broad generalization, I've found it difficult to find pastors, especially of United Methodist Churches, who are discussing missional issues.

When I would type "missional Methodist" into a search engine, my results would include mission budgets, or some type of mission trip. There is a need for United Methodist to enter conversation and dialog about missional issues.

The "Transitions" topic will contain articles discussing transitional issues for those pastors moving a traditional United Methodist church to a missional mindset.

Words of Transition: Place

David — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:44:04 -0700

How important is the place where you are? Does it really matter? Over the past year I've begin to work on a theology of place. I was in a class and Dr. Susan Muto said that the place where we are has an effect on who we are and who we become. She said St. Teresa wouldn't have been St. Teresa without Avila. With Castles all around her she wrote her spiritual classic Interior Castles. She also mentioned that St. Catherine wouldn't have been St. Catherine without Siena. The place where they were had an effect on who they became.

Dr. Seamands pointed me to an article from the Christian Century that discussed Wendell Berry who is both a farmer and writer. Berry knows how important place is. He is spending 17 years reclaiming some land. He believes it might take longer. Berry is committed to that plot of land. The article's author Kyle Childress discusses how this attitude is important for good pastors. I would add that it is vital for anyone wanting to transition to a missional mindset.

So a word of transition for me is place. I'm still working on my "theology of place", but I'm discovering that the ability to embrace where your placed is one of the first steps in missional transformation. If you are not able to embrace where you live (or are appointed) it is difficult to if not impossible to live incarnationally which is vital to missional living.

Under an appointment system there is the chance that you will be appointed to a place you really don't want to be. Perhaps you love the country and are appointed to the city. Or, you might love the city, but keep being placed in a rural setting. Regardless, we are called to embrace the place where we are. It might mean you will have to accept your appointment as a sacrifice to what God is calling you to. We can be angry with the bishop and/or cabinet or we can decide that we will sacrifice our preferences for whatever purposes God might have for that place.

I know from experience that some of the places I never wanted to go became the places I discovered God working the most. When it was finally time for me to leave I didn't want to go. I then remembered how, at the beginning, I didn't even want to be there. It is amazing how God can grow desire in our hearts where no desire exists. So, instead of being unhappy where you are and looking forward to your next appointment, why not seek God in what he wants to happen in your current one? You never know what God is wanting to do in that place, or in you, until you hand your unhappiness over to God.

Place is important. It makes us who we are. In order to be missional and live incarnationally we must embrace our place whether we want to be there are not. We must offer that place to God and discover what God is wanting to do and follow that fully to His glory.

Words of Transition: Patience

David — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:56:56 -0700

I was asked the other day if I was moving anytime soon because I've been at my current appointment for four and a half years. I don't think the person was asking because they were hoping I would move (at least I hope that wasn't the reason!!!). Instead, they had noticed that most of their pastors had moved after three years of ministry. They assumed it was some type of 'policy' of the United Methodist Church that pastors shouldn't stay at a church for more than a few years.

I told them that I believe some of the reason why pastors move is because we see enough stories of churches that grow from 90 to over 200 that if it doesn't happen for us in a few years of ministry we believe it is time to move on to where it might. Of course, there are other reasons why pastors might want to move. There might be conflict that we don't want to deal with, or perhaps it just isn't a good 'fit' so we tell the bishop that we are willing and able to move.

Yet, I believe that the reason for many moves is because we lack the patience to stay. We believe that if we are just assigned to the 'right' church then things will flow smoothly, people will start coming to the church, the church will grow and the conference will rise up and call us blessed. We desire transformation to take place and pray that it happens quickly. When it doesn't, we become convinced that if we were only at a different congregation transformation would happen.

Mike King notes that the lack of patience, or what he calls, stability, is because there is an expectation in our evaluations. There is an expectation that we are able to make things change, or create transformation. In reality, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can transform, but we try to take matters into our own hands. King writes:

Why do we have difficulty living as if it's up to the Holy Spirit to transform them? The answer is because we're consistently evaluated in ways that pressure us to take results into our own hands. We're expected to have the "right kind" of kids in the youth group. We're expected to make our youth so spiritually mature that they don't get into trouble at school. (82-83)

Even though King is writing about youth ministry, the same is true in pastoral ministry. We are expected to produce results and that usually is equated with numerical growth. We feel so pressured that we simply don't have the patience to allow the Holy Spirit the time and space to work. We push, we pull, we convince, we beg, we plead, we manipulate. Then, when it all falls flat, we move.

If we are serious about transition in our congregations then it means we must be willing to take the long-view. It means we must be willing to wait for the Spirit to work within the lives of those we are called to serve. It means that there may be seasons when all we are called to do is wait and pray. It also means that we might not ever see the fruit of the transition.

While there are stories of overnight transitions and transformations, those are rare. Instead, transitions usually take time. Sometimes a lot of time. It must have been difficult for David to have to allow his son to build the temple. After all, David had done so much. It will be difficult for us to set transition into motion especially if it means we might not see the fruit of our labor. Perhaps that is just a reminder, that it isn't about us.

Good Things Come....

David — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:33:52 -0700

I've been told that good things come to those that wait. As a pastor I've discovered I need to keep repeating that to myself. While I'm amazed when I hear stories of overnight transitions, I've never experienced one. Instead, I've found that transitions take a while; sometimes a long while.

I am a child of my culture with a lust for the immediate. I am use to being able to get what I want when I want it and when it doesn't happen I get frustrated and, at times, angry. Paul says that patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit, one that is still not fully ripe in my life. I want things quick, I want them instant. I want changes I implement to take effect quickly and to see the effects immediately.

Euguene Peterson has helped me immensely in this area. In his book The Contemplative Pastor he introduces me to a new metaphor. For most of my ministry I saw myself as the CEO of an organization (Perhaps that was because of all the business books I was told to read as a pastor). In contrast, Peterson talks about an agricultural metaphor (3). I find this a helpful metaphor.

Peterson continues by talking about some of Wendell Berry's writings. Berry is both a farmer and poet, so he understand the importance of patience. Berry writes of taking decades to 'reclaim' a section of land. Peterson asks me, as a pastor, am I willing to take decades to reclaim the people and church I serve for God?

For most United Methodist pastors, our answer would have to be, "I don't have that kind of time! I'm only guaranteed a year appointment at a time. If I'm going to be able to 'make a splash' I'm going to have to do it quickly.”

I wonder if this type of attitude causes us, as pastors, to do things that are effective short term, but not so effective long term. Perhaps we can implement programs in such a way that it can show effects of change and transformation, but deep down we know it can't last. After we leave, the church will return to the "way it has always been done."

It is much quicker to paint a house than it is to fix foundational problems. In a church it is difficult to deal with foundational issues such as "Who are we in Christ and what is God calling our church to do and be?" It is easier to add a couple of programs that might draw new people into the church, than to walk with people as they open up to God's call in their lives. It is quicker to simply 'assign' people to ministries that “keep the folks coming”, than to allow and help people to discover the ministry God has created them for.

While I want things to transition quickly, I'm learning that for lasting change, transformational change, to happen I must allow God to produce in me the fruit of the Spirit...which includes patience. As we watch God working in people's lives over time, I'm convinced that God will amaze us. It isn't quick. It isn't easy. Transitions never are.

Beginning Where You Are

David — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:57:09 -0700

One of the most important lessons I've learned about transitioning to missional is the lesson of beginning where you are. There is a temptation to believe life would be better somewhere else. We convince ourselves if we were at a different church, with different people, with different (or more) resources, etc., then we would be able to effectively do what we are trying to do.

The truth of the matter is you are where you are and that is the best place to begin. Actually, there isn't really a lot of choice. Of course you could spend your three years and request to be moved, but if you're looking for the perfect church or the perfect situation you are not going to find it.

One of the characteristics of Saddleback, Willowcreek and any of the other 'successful' churches (if you want to use them as an example of success), was they began where they were, with the people they had and their current circumstances.

Of course it is nice to have some sort of short cut, but fact it, ministry is difficult. It is tough work. If we are wanting to find shortcuts we will always fall short of what God is calling us to. Transitions take time, energy, prayer and patience.

Roxburgh and Romanuk point out that the incarnation reminds us that God uses those you least expect. Throughout the Bible, God continually uses the most god-forsaken people to accomplish God’s purposes. God never asks the wrong people to “get off the bus” (The Missional Leader, 17-19) so the right ones can get on. Just think which would give God more glory; Giving you the perfect conditions for transition, or using your current situation with all of its problems and imperfection?

So...my first rule of transition is to begin where you are.