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Reformation of the Multipoint Parish Doesn't Have to Be Scary!

This overview delves into the reformation of multipoint parishes, exploring their history, structures, and challenges. Learn how communities are revitalizing ministry through shared leadership and resources. Join the journey of fellowship and transformation, honoring the Holy Spirit's work in diverse congregations.

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Reformation of the Multipoint Parish Doesn't Have to Be Scary!

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  1. Reformation of the Multipoint Parish Doesn't Have to Be Scary!

  2. Overview of Day • Dwelling in the Word • Types of Multiple Point Parishes • History and Community • Leadership in Multipoint Parishes • Forming, Strengths, and Challenges of Mutliple Point arrangements • Importance for Community

  3. Learn from each other how the Holy Spirit is working to reform and re-form ministry, particularly in multipoint parishes • Honor and give thanks for your work • Fellowship

  4. Dwelling • Luke 10: 1-12

  5. Names for Multipoint • Yoked Parish (2-point, 3-point, etc.) • Two or more congregations • Share the compensation costs of a pastor • Few, if any, programs are shared by the partners • Budget for the staff person(s) is usually shared as a covenant or contract (formal agreement) with the other congregation(s).

  6. Names for Multipoint • Multi-point Parish • Two or more congregations • Share pastoral leadership and perhaps other staff and congregation programs • May have a parish council to manage shared staff and programs • Each congregation has its own congregation council and maintains property and non-shared programs

  7. Names for Multipoint • Cooperative Parish, Multiple Area Parish (MAP), Geographic Parish • Three or more congregations • Share a staff of two or more pastors or associates in ministry • Has formal agreement • Has Board with representation from each congregation • Board coordinates cooperative budget and activities • Congregations maintain their individuality, property, and separate budgets

  8. Names for Multipoint • Ecumenical Shared Ministry (ESM) • Multi-point parishes that involve congregations of 2 or more denominations

  9. Names for Multipoint • Cluster • Informal group of congregations sharing ministry but usually not staff • Area Ministry Strategy • Congregations, ministries, and others develop a partnership to both have a collective impact on a specific area and to renew congregational ministry in the community

  10. Back to the Future • Have had multiple point arrangements in many places before • Circuit pastors • This is the standard pattern in many parts of the church in the world • Is one pastor/one congregation an anomaly? Are we going back to where we have been?

  11. History • Townships • Wuthnow: “The Middle West was a planned community if ever there was one.” Remaking the Heartland, p. 2 • Designated sections • Homesteading • Transportation: Water, Railroads, Highways

  12. History • This history continue to impact community and congregational relations • Bonding and Bridging (Putnam, Bowling Alone) • Bonding – internal ties • Bridging – external ties

  13. History • 4 Cs motivating parishes • Convenience • Competition • Change (ex. Mrs. Anders) • Cooperation • Amato on cooperation (ex. County seat, Economics, Sports)

  14. Current Context • Two factors influencing context today • First: Movement from Christendom • Second: Social/economic context of rural

  15. Movement from Christendom • Post New Testament and Pre-Constantine • Outlawed • Persecuted • Risk to be Christian • Whole life affected • Continues to be in Mission, to be Sent

  16. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • Post Constantine • Legalized • Instituted and protected by government • Enjoyed a privileged place in society • Assumptions of a Christian nation, and that all citizens were Christian

  17. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • Post Constantine (continued) • Labeled “Christendom” • Mission no longer as big a priority • Church not sent, but an established institution

  18. Diocese With Parishes Cathedral Parish Church Monastery Bishop Rule Labeled “Christendom”

  19. Prince Bishop, Consistory & Superintendent Parish Church Prince Bishop, Consistory & Superintendent Supervision

  20. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • In the United States • Immigrants brought experience of Christendom • However, no government-established religion in the United States • A variety of religious expressions coexisted • No particular expression established as official

  21. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • In the United States (continued) • This situation led to the development of denominations • However, religious organizations still had a cooperative and privileged relationship with government and society – often called a “functional Christendom”

  22. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • In the United States (continued) • Examples: -tax status -notion of a Christian nation -respectable people belonged to a church, and the church raised respectable citizens (social desirability and social contract) -laws which allowed and defended Christian practices

  23. A building, a pastor and enough laity to pay the bills is the functional nature of the church for more than a few congregations in the old context.

  24. “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore …”

  25. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • In the United States • Religious organizations in a less cooperative and privileged relationship with government and society • No longer an assumption that we are a Christian nation • Many other religious groups are visibly present (religious pluralism)

  26. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • Respectable people no longer assumed to belong to or active in a church • Laws may no longer favor and defend Christian practices as before • Church is no longer as influential in decisions of government and society

  27. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • Some suggest that the church, in relation to the society, now finds itself in a context that is much closer to the pre-Constantine church • Review -Outlawed -Persecuted -Risk to be Christian -Whole life affected

  28. Movement from Christendom (cont.) • In this approach the church’s call is to be a missional church • The United States is now a mission field (Newbigin) • The church participates in the missio Dei – The mission of God for the sake of the world (John 3: 16)

  29. Social/Economic Context of Rural • Definition of rural • Extractive, recreational, retirement • Increase in farm size • Increase in inputs • Decrease in population • Different people being called into our contexts

  30. Social/Economic Context of Rural (cont.) • Less control over what impacts lives – politically and economically • Decisions affecting community often made by those at a distance • Consolidation of services • Result is often fear of loss and of being able to survive

  31. Been Here Before • Numbers 13:1 – 14:10 -- Spies sent into Canaan • I Samuel 17 – David and Goliath • Giants in the Land, Giant problems affecting community • See uncertainty about what is happening and what to do about it

  32. Been Here Before (cont.) • Luke 24 – Angels at the tomb • John 20 – Locked room in Jerusalem • Fear has paralyzed the people • God comes saying “Have no fear” and “Peace be with you”

  33. Learnings from Missional Church Conversation • God is still present and active, even in midst of challenges • Joseph in Egypt • Discernment of what God might be up to in midst of change and challenges • Second petition to Lord’s Prayer • Kingdom is coming/near

  34. Learnings from Missional Church Conversation (cont.) • This is the missio Dei – The mission of God for the sake of the world (John 3: 16) • “The church has a mission.” • NO! • “God’s mission has a church.”

  35. Learnings from Missional Church Conversation (cont.) • The church participates in the missio Dei as part of its being because God of God’s call • I Peter 2: 9-10: … you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, holy nation, God’s own people, … declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness … once you were no people, but now you are God’s people … .

  36. Learnings from Missional Church Conversation (cont.) • The church is sent (Matthew 28, John 20, Acts 1) • This ‘sentness’ reflects the Trinity -The Father sent the Son -The Father and the Son sent the Spirit -The Trinity sends the church All for the sake of the world, to redeem it

  37. Learnings from Missional Church Conversation (cont.) • So, the church is missionary by nature because God has sent it on a mission under the leading of the Spirit (Van Gelder The Essence of the Church 2000, p. 98) • Missional is the identity of the church – given by God

  38. The Church for the New Context:A missionary outpost equipping and sending Christians into the world Life/ministry as witness and “parable of the kingdom”

  39. Learnings from Missional Church Conversation (cont.) • The church is • The church does what it is • The church organizes what it does • This both promise and challenge of reformation of parish – can multipoint parishes help us organize for mission, to be what is our nature?

  40. Questions • What implications does our identity as missional have for our ministries? • What history is still having an impact in congregation and community? How are these impacts manifesting? • What are the fears of the congregation and community? How might the gospel of Jesus address these?

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