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Missional Congregations

Missional Congregations. The potential for growth wherever the gospel touches ground. Problem or Opportunity?. When we decided to start a second morning congregation in 2011 we committed to an evaluation within two years. Mostly the feedback has been very positive.

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Missional Congregations

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  1. Missional Congregations The potential for growth wherever the gospel touches ground

  2. Problem or Opportunity? • When we decided to start a second morning congregation in 2011 we committed to an evaluation within two years. • Mostly the feedback has been very positive.

  3. Our attendance has recovered • Combining the morning services in 2011 saw the average Sunday attendance drop by nearly 100 people. • Since then new people who have joined us have enabled us to restore what the combined service “cost us.”

  4. Loving Sundays • Folk really enjoy the different services, with the different worship settings and styles connecting strongly with different people. • The minefield for leaders has been cleared

  5. However • We would be naive to not think that more challenges will present themselves. • In particular...

  6. Multi-site dynamics • Sometimes the current arrangement can be like watching a remote preacher on TV, whereas people prefer the preachers to also be their pastors. • Classic appreciate the preaching but miss the follow-up conversations when Craig leaves.

  7. Multi-site dynamics • Sometimes the current arrangement can be like watching a remote preacher on TV, whereas people prefer the preachers to also be their pastors. • Classic appreciate the preaching but miss the follow-up conversations when Craig leaves. • Craig arrives “cold” at Explore, missing the prayer preparation, and the connecting especially with the key volunteers.

  8. Under-utilising People and Gifts • While Ken is doing his job description, he honestly feels he could and should be doing so much more.

  9. Pastoring Explore • Vaughan and Corne, who are fully committed to leading the steering team at Explore, at times feel we are missing out on so much ministry simply because someone is not full-time.

  10. Maintenance Mode • PBC has been locked into an approximate size range for 3 to 4 decades. • This cannot be explained as purely a lack of spirituality or commitment to God or to others. • Our structures inhibit breakthrough growth.

  11. Maintenance v. Mission • As our community and city grows the effect of maintaining is that we are reaching fewer people.

  12. Historical Challenge • We don’t seem to make room for some of our best young leaders and team members. • We do not want to keep losing some of our best (younger) people because we are not really giving them any room to fly.

  13. So where to from here? • How are we going to respond?

  14. We Choose To Not Maintain • We do not believe that we should be reverting to a single service, medium size, model . • The likely best scenario were we to do so is that we continue to attract the same numbers of people and members as we have for the last 3 or 4 decades. • This model has reached its ceiling one various occasions, only to drop off later again.

  15. The Need for this Change • This is not intended to slight previous efforts or minimise wonderful blessings and ministry seen in the past. • Nevertheless, while our historical structure ensures a security and strength, it also embeds a ceiling to mission.

  16. What are other main mission options? • Aim to be a  big (400 to 800) or even mega-church in a single service (800 plus). • Plant new churches within Pinelands. • Multi-site: Run multiple services that worship at different times and/or places but receive no delegation of mission. • Multiple missional congregations that worship at different times and places and receive delegation in specific key areas.

  17. This presentation • Looks at these options and proposes one of them going forward.

  18. A. “Big”Church One Medium /Big /Mega Tree Further growth requires massive change at each stage Eventual Plateau

  19. A. Aim to be a  big (400 to 800) or even mega-church (800 plus). • This was not considered the best option: • The reason for staying a single congregation is to maintain the sense of “Church Family.” • This chemistry a local gathered family would be lost even if we were to remain a single congregation that grew progressively larger.

  20. Further challenges to “Bigger” will be • Relocation or a massively expensive knock down and rebuild of facilities would also change the nature of a community connected church. • Mission would be postponed until we have the money.

  21. B. Plant new churches within Pinelands • People would join the local congregations as their churches and appoint their leaders and determine their own direction.

  22. B. Plant new churches within Pinelands • This fits under the one church model as the eventual necessity for ongoing mission. • So now the one big oak tree must drop a single acorn and hope it grows and survives.

  23. B. Plant new churches within Pinelands • Concern if we did this too soon the congregations forfeit very useful resources. (Facilities, shared ministry, larger volunteer base) • Those same resources become under-utilised elsewhere. • The proximity in an urban context makes such a model both draining and wasteful.

  24. C. Multiple Services (Also multi-site) Primary purpose to accommodate more people. Makes an established church more accessible.

  25. C. Multiple Services (also multi-site) Diversity is marginal Tends to centre on high profile individual

  26. C. Run multiple services • Worship at different times and/or places but receive no delegation of mission. • Their main freedom is varying forms of worship services. • This has been something of what we have been doing, trying to emphasize that we are different services as opposed to different congregations.

  27. D. Missional Congregations The potential for growth wherever the gospel touches ground

  28. D. Missional Congregations The “new” tree roots and thrives while still connected to the “old” and both benefit.

  29. Even that which appears to die...

  30. Can be the start of new life

  31. Both carry the same DNA

  32. D. Missional Congregations • Missional congregations are corporate expressions of Kingdom life geared to a fast-changing world. • They organise themselves around evangelism to the various communities they find themselves in.

  33. D. Missional Congregations • They serve those outside the existing church • They listen to people and enter their culture • They make discipleship a priority • They intentionally form Christian community

  34. The Executive Proposes that PBC Develop into multiple missional congregations that worship at different times and places and receive limited delegation in four specific key areas.

  35. 1. Building community • Finding out how to create genuine discipling community that is able to engage the culture in which lost people find themselves.

  36. 2. Doing mission • As congregations we have to learn to think like missionaries would because we cannot assume that the culture around us is centred upon a Christian world-view or values. • In most cities this will require the flexibility for individual congregations to target specific sub-cultures. • We must give each congregation the mandate to decide how they will work together to reach others in their communities.

  37. 3. Worship • Genuine faith and culture come together to express something unique to the particular gathered group of people and the grace God has given them.

  38. 4. Teaching and Learning • The direction and form of teaching and learning becomes the responsibility of the steering team leader.

  39. Teaching and Learning Detail • As is currently the practice, the teaching direction will proposed by the steering team leaders to be considered by the eldership of the whole church. • The senior pastor will have the final say but will not view that say as the normal mechanism, but only as the exception when mutual submission has not yielded clarity or agreement.

  40. What remains in Common? • A single membership • A single eldership and church council • Shared objectives, beliefs and principles • Shared ministries (missionaries, courses, youth and children ministries, etc.) • Shared resources (admin, buildings, finance, staff not allocated to a congregation, volunteer base)

  41. What is open-ended? • Life Group formation and link up can fall within or cross over between congregations. • (Life groups will become more important than ever!)

  42. In practical terms • Greater responsibility goes to individual steering teams. • Craig will spend more time at Explore. • Ken preach and teach more at Classic • The evening service will also develop a steering team, most likely under Damian.

  43. Is this not just a Split? • Then we would be proposing to separate leadership, membership and finance as well.

  44. However, mission must multiply • We must continue to reproduce or we fade away. • The best time to reproduce is when you are young and healthy.

  45. If one day... • These do become separate churches then we have had an enormous influence upon their identity and DNA BUT • We honestly don’t believe the time is right to do this now.

  46. Out of Our Passion to... • Reach and evangelise our community and city • Make room for people • Be truly responsive to God and to people • We Propose...

  47. The Executive Proposes that PBC Develop into multiple missional congregations that worship at different times and places and whose steering teams receive limited delegation in four specific key areas: • Building Community • Doing Mission • Worship • Teaching and Learning

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