The Vision for a Stronger Mennonite Church Canada

1. The Vision for a Stronger Mennonite Church Canada

2. Current Context • Increasingly secular society • Culture has lost touch with a faith-based world view • Decline in church membership • Aging congregations • Decline in young adult engagement in congregations • Movement of dollars from the regional and national church to the congregation

3. A Generous People

6. Congregational Concerns: • MCEC 2014 Listening Project • We want to learn how to reach out • Our congregational structures need to adapt • We have to re-vision our mission and ministry • We need to embrace diversity • We have to focus on essentials

7. Emerging Themes: MCEC 2014 Listening Project • We can’t name or articulate our mission • We have excellent words but not the action to go with it • More capacity to articulate our experience of God • Every member should be able to talk about their faith. • Every congregation should be involved in the community. We need to get the church into the neighbourhood.

8. Emerging Themes (continued) • People are worried about the future of the church. • Half of our churches are in survival mode instead of engaging in mission • Change is needed but few are proactive. • Want MCEC to provide support to work at these issues. • Some want lots of change & experimentation

9. Emerging Themes (continued) • We need a new understanding of mission • Congregations tend to think of themselves as only worship and nurture centres • Congregations need to regain a sense of mission • Need to find God at work in the neighbourhood • Need to be local centres of mission activity

10. Future Directions Task Force (FDTF) Study • Process initiated June 2011 and FDTF formed in Fall 2012 • Task Force formed of reps from national and Area Churches • Final Report from FDTF November/December 2015 • The final report is a vision and directions document • Not a structure document but pointing the way

11. Future Directions Task Force Study • Findings affirmed by the research and study of the FDTF • MCEC experience was similar to the national scene • Christianity in Canada is in the midst of immense change • Not the first time the Church has experienced a change of this magnitude. Compare the 16th century Reformation • So what is God calling us to in this 21st century?

12. Vision for Future of Mennonite Church Canada • 1. Strong, healthy, revitalized congregations • Spiritually engaging worship and faith formation • Supportive community and pastoral care • Actively engaged in expressing their Christian faith through local and global witness

13. Vision for Future of Mennonite Church Canada • 2. Strong Area Churches Resourcing Congregations • Empowering congregations to engage in ministry • Support pastoral and lay leaders • Oversee pastoral credentialing and calling of pastors • Help congregations innovate • Equip for ministry within and beyond the congregation

14. Vision for Future of Mennonite Church Canada • 3. Strong National Church that Resources Area Churches • Area Churches align around a common covenant and collaborate on national priorities • Initiatives at a national level are determined by the needs of the Area Churches • Ongoing national discernment with pastors and lay leaders through biennial study conferences

15. What will this look like? • Redesigned national structure • National structure no longer governed by delegates but by a national board comprised of reps from each Area Church • National structure only does what the Area Churches discern needs to be done so that the church is strong and healthy

16. What will this look like? • National staff focused on key priorities as discerned together by the Area Churches • National staff will be required to achieve the following priorities

17. 1. Identity, Vision & Executive Oversight • Fostering Anabaptist/Mennonite identity and vision • Executive leadership role • Representational function to the ecumenical community • Representational function to the secular community

18. 2. International Witness • Coordination of international mission opportunities • Regional missional facilitation for confirmation of call • Facilitation of CRA compliance • Facilitation of financial obligations • Training for overseas assignments • Liaison with other mission partners

19. 3. Communications • Maintenance of integrated national/regional websites • Integrated national/regional logo and branding • Integrated communication vehicles to congregations • Collective communication coordination across Area Ch. • Regional reporting with integration of the national • National webmaster resource

20. 4. Leadership Development • Integrated ministerial leadership training events • Spokesperson to MC USA and interdenominationally • Oversight of a Congregation of Ministers • Support, coaching and training for AC Ministers • Oversee national protocols for credentialling • Oversee national development of leadership policies

21. 5. Integrated National Strategy for Disciple-making • Area Churches collaborate around a vision for disciple-making • Focus on disciple-making both within and beyond the congregation • Integrated training and resourcing for Area Churches • Sharing of internal and external resources

22. 6. Indigenous Relationships • Representational role to the indigenous community, ecumenical community, and broader society • National educational material • Helping the church to build healthier relationships with the indigenous community • Integration and collaboration with regional initiatives and the work of other Mennonite agencies such as MCC

23. 7. Gathering and Curating Anabaptist Resources • Acquisition and development of Anabaptist oriented resources • Expanded resources to congregations through the existing CommonWordplatform • Digital and online resources for Congregations

24. 8. Mennonite Education & Leadership Development • National strategy for pastoral training and postsecondary education • National strategy for calling, formation and development of pastoral leaders

25. 9. Support Services • Administrative functions • Event planning for national events • Administration of health benefits for pastors • Administration of a pension plan for pastors • IT services

26. The Impact and Vision of a New MC Canada • Stronger focus on mission, especially congregational • Stronger national Anabaptist/Mennonite identity • Stronger Area Churches to better equip congregations • Stronger congregational connection to international witness • Stronger leadership development across the Area Churches

27. The Impact and Vision of a New MC Canada • Stronger, integrated disciple-making across the Area Churches • Stronger focus on discernment through the Congregation of Ministers and national study/discernment conferences • Stronger integration of Mennonite education and leadership development • Stronger, simpler, sounder, more financially viable denominational structure

28. MCEC Executive Council Recommendation • Endorsed by MCEC Executive Council in December 2015 • Approved for recommendation to delegates at 2016 Annual Church Gathering • Executive Council requested congregations be updated via regional information and consultation meetings

29. Implementation • Affirmation in principle by Area Churches at their AGMs • Affirmation of MC Canada delegates in July in Saskatoon • Appoint a Transition Working Group post July 2016 • Further approvals as needed by Area Church boards or delegates if required

30. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11