Partnership for Missional Church

1. Partnership for Missional Church Introduction & Preview Central States Synod- ELCA

2. A “Missional” Church—Or NOT 1 4 2 3

3. Five Questions

4. What will you “have” at end of PMC? • Extensive demographic study of congregation and community with theological reflection (Church Future Finder) • Ethnographic study of life of congregation (Congregational Discovery) • Congregational History (Congregational Timeline) • Identified Missional Focus ( Missional Challenge) • Missional Action Plan (MAP) • Missional Vocation Statement • Vision for Embodiment • Long range plan • SMART Plans of action • Staff Covenant

5. Everett Rogers declares that there are even five different stages that members of a culture go through when they have met a change… adoption experimentation evaluation understanding awareness

6. KEY: kickoff event cluster gatherings Celebration event ! Partnership for Missional Church Phase 4 - Learning and Growing Phase 3 - Visioning for Embodiment Phase 2 - Missional Experimenting Phase 1 - Discovering our Partners Preparation, finding leaders Sharing & Mentoring

7. What Happens in Partnership Congregations? The results of a 15 year longevity study conducted by external auditors found these results.

8. What happens in congregations • A God-centered, biblical vision for mission through the practice of corporate spiritual discernment. • A greater sense of God’s activity in their congregation. • Ownership of the mission of the congregation by members • Members committed to and capable of making disciples • Both a vision for being missional and a practical plan of action to achieve it. • Recognize the strengths of the tradition of their congregation.

9. What happens in congregations cont’d • Practical skills for managing change and attending to conflict. • The habits or practices of a missional church • Dramatic expansion of the involvement of church members • Decision process for planning activities and budget. • A faithful and hospitable congregation • Relationships with other partner churches

10. Changes in life of congregation • Expand number of members in congregation who are involved in life and mission of congregation. • Discover sense of mission that uses gifts and character of congregation. • Develop clear and strong relationships with a segment of the community to whom God has sent the congregation. • Members of congregation have experimented in connecting with part of community in mission.

11. Four Discoveries • The Christian imagination of lay leaders is critical to the missional church. • Missional churches decide to change from just maintenance, or from “having mission”, to being and doing mission. • Missional churches learn how to make disciples in an age of consumerism. • Missional churches learn how to receive and embrace change as God’s gift for Christian growth.

12. Journey

13. PMC May Not Be for You Now If: • Congregation is in severe conflict • Congregation already has answers to the questions about how God has called it into His mission and is effectively responding to that call • The Congregation has solved the process of change.

14. For Further Information Contact • Len Daleat the Synod Office Phone: 816-8616584 E-mail: Ldale@css-elca.org • Alan Walter Phone: (913) 486-8745 E-Mail: aw@alanwalter.com