Oh, you wanted me to do it!

An intriguing conversation in progress at the moment where one person has taken on a role in the church and the expectations and assumptions of them, the dog collar and the members are all rather disconnected and the body that is Church is rather disjointed. All in all it's rather reminiscent of a lecture I had whilst learning the role of an Industrial engineer where the lecturer brought the 'self made man' into the equation.

"The problem with many 'self made' managers is that many of them have put themselves together without any manual or construction guide and if what they do works in and shape, size or form then the assumption that they're got it right is enough to keep them repeating their mistakes until they, you, or the organisation dies!"

The real problem appears to be that those who do stuff in a Church setting are rarely properly trained to do whatever it is that they do - even when they are the problem exists in that those who do are rarely told what is expected and how they are expected to do it - and this might well be the problem with the person I'm conversing with.

Consider the hypothetical situation whereby someone takes on the role of feeding, watering and generally caring for a church's Gerbils. Now they do this on behalf of the dogcollar, the person who normally cared for the Gerbil (being charged to do so when they were licensed to the church) so that the dog collar can move away from Gerbil husbandry and move on to other more pressing needs within the Church; a situation that finds its parallels in the creation of deacons in the early Church (see the book of acts).

Now all goes well at first and the 'Gerbillator' waters, feeds and keeps the dear little creatures happy and content whilst the dogcollar goes of to do whatever it is that they've been freed up to do. A few weeks pass and there are reports that all is not well with the Gerbils; so the dogcollar pops by and casually takes a look at the situation. The reports are true and indeed the Gerbils are unhappy and generally just a little uncared for.

"This is all your fault," cry the Friends of the Gerbils, "You're the Vicar, and you've let us all down - we are unhappy and all feeling uncared for!"

The poor old dogcollar, taking it on the chin, issues a 'mea culpa' and changes the straw, feeds the Gerbils that remain and mutters apologies to all who hear (and they do!) of the poor animal husbandry on offer at St Funtzbuckets by the Green. They are universally acknowledged as b
'being poor'  - the woeful goings make for a very sad situation indeed.

A few days later our hapless dog collar bumps into the 'Gerbillator' who is full of smiles and wearing their Gerbil Minister Badge with pride. Upon asking how things are going (knowing full well that they are perhaps a little out of control already) the dog collar is stunned to hear that all is going 'wonderfully well' as the keeper of the Gerbils has been away on an eight-week cruise around the world!

Out comes a bundle of photographs of the places visited and the meals consumed and for dessert the comment is made that some of the members are quite concerned about the Gerbils and the care they have received from the church (which of course means the dog collar)!

So, taking courage in both hands, the dog collar remarks, "But that's your area of responsibility!"
The response is one that every person who dares to delegate fears: "Yes, but I've been busy doing my own thing haven't I?"

Now, unless some church I know nothing of does have Gerbils, this is hopefully a safe portrayal of the conversation I have been having. My friend is stuck somewhere up a gum tree because at the end of the day they are indeed responsible for the delivery of whatever has in my story become Gerbils!

The reality is that what should have been done has not and at the end of the day and in the final analysis (and all those other great expressions) - the blame lies quite squarely at the dogcollars feet (but should 'blame' ever be part of Church I have to ask - another thought for another day!).

The problem is that we are entering the world of 'can't live with them - can't function without them' and this is where it gets interesting.

My friend has encountered this before and when they tried to address it the previous Gerbillator left in high dudgeon because 'too much was expected' of them. Not only that but supporters of both the Gerbils and the Gerbillator also left because of the poor care exhibited and the way their friend (the Gerbillator) was treated - going off to the promised land, a place of straw and water (milk and honey don't do it for Gerbils you know), and overflowing Gerbil nuts (the food, not the characteristics of the congregation - mind you, now I think of it ....).

So some pleas:

If you take on a role, discharge it as well as you can - make sure you have what you need to do the job and if you decide to take a world cruise (or just go to Blackpool for the week) please let those who need to know that you're not doing whatever it is that you're supposed to be doing so they can arrange cover (or you could do that yourself) and make sure that no Gerbils are injured during the making of that thing called Church!

If you happen to be a leader in Church - please make sure you keep a weather eye on the things happening (or perhaps not happening) on your patch - it might upset those who are doing stuff (but it is NOT 'checking up on them) but it will avoid the mea culpa situations later. It's good to do regular chats and have staff meetings and the like but it's the stuff you find out from others (usually as they're leaving) that speaks loudest.

AND

If you're doing something and it's going wrong - or perhaps you're not doing stuff and that's why it's going wrong - switch on the grey matter and talk to the dog collar, not the rest of the blessed Church, because the minister, not those around you, need to know there's a need to be resolved - it's called being team.

Now - when my friend reads this will they show it to their Gerbillator I wonder?

All-member Ministry

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a cleric in possession of a calling, must be in want of a church filled with people who are enthused, engaged, equipped and released.

This is, I'm sure, how any manual of church leadership written by Jane Austen would have begun - with a simple undeniable truth. So why do I find myself musing over the situation whereby those who, having offered themselves, been accepted, trained and released to engage in that Church ministry, called 'Lay', find themselves ignored and largely unused?

William Temple, one of my many heroes, once said that we, the Church, 'Were the only organisation that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.' This summation of the missional role of the Church, its donning of the mantle called 'servanthood', when combined with doing evangelism and living collegially becomes, in my view, complete.

Jesus came to earth to fulfil the expectations of those who were the then Church's members - the Jews, expectations. He also came to earth for those who were not members. servant to all of creation those inside and out. Temple's quote calls us to look outside of ourselves and the body called 'Church' and the problem is that some of us have taken this so much to heart that we have forgotten perhaps to look inside and treasure those we have within.

It is easy for some of us to become so taken up with ourselves, 'Our ministry' and 'Our Church' that we draw everything to us - seeing the church we are part of as ours as a possessive rather than participative. Collaborative ministry is the only way in which Temple's words can be truly fulfilled. If we do not seek out and encourage callings in others then we are destined to be managers of decline rather than ministers of love, life and acceptance.

Can I encourage those who might read this to stop for a moment and consider those who stand with you in your churches and celebrate the fact that they are there - pray for them and talk to them.

Might I further encourage you to work at developing the callings of those alongside and within your church - it's dangerous and painful at times - but I reckon that's no different to the ministry of Jesus.

Finally, can I encourage you to look at the many roles and responsibilities within the church you inhabit and, prayerfully, seek to discern what might be done by others and, that done, work at enabling, encouraging and supporting the members of the church to make them theirs.

As for me - I need to understand how to utilise those who have offered themselves in ways that fulfil and bless and help then to develop their ministries and deepen their joy.

Pax

So many ideas - So few to take them up

Last night past conversations crowded in. One upon another they crashed together causing sparks and yet, despite the highly flammable material of life, there was not even a hint of smouldering!

I woke with a start as the memories of so many opportunities for engagement were identified, acknowledged and . . . Passed by!

People issued the cry, 'Why doesn't someone do something about [insert any need you might have identified]?' That done, they look at me to provide an endorsement of their perspicacity and well-honed Christian missional skills and agree that, 'There must be someone!' And of course there is. But who?

So far this year I've worked with people in various settings and circumstances and, between us, we have tried:

+ sign up' sheets - but no one signed them!

+ vision meetings - but myopia appeared to rule!

+ training courses - but Downturn Abbey provided a greater attraction!

Many years ago I read a book by Richard Bach (illusions) which contained the words, 'Argue for your limitations and, surely, they are yours!'

I have found this year to contain more people who have told me why they can't do anything (it wasn't even 'more'); more people who have bemoaned the lack of engagement from 'the church' and complained about those who, 'Need to do more!'

I have engaged with people who are full of promise and ability who have promised much and delivered so much less than nothing as their inactivity (always accompanied by a reason and often an accusation) also debilitated others and rendered them, and us, impotent and defeated too!

There are eight months left to us in this current year:

+ eight months to make the case for all-member engagement (collaborative church)

+ eight months to motivate and mobilise members (courses, sermons, vision meetings) with no quarter given

+ eight months to get the message across that being Christian is not a hobby

Those who come to church, those on PCC or DCC, Volunteers, Pew Warmers, Lay Ministers, Clergy (for no one is exempt) - the gauntlet has to be laid down (and taken up).

It's so hard to smile and nod when people tell you that they can see the needs but don't care (they don't use those words, they merely absent themselves or tell you about their hobby, family, whatever; that takes them away to other things).

It's galling when people tell you that they've been challenged by something they heard so went somewhere else to avoid the feeling again!

So here is a plea to all who read this:

Get involved, get praying, get engaging or get the estate agent in and get ready to close our doors. We can no longer exist as museums showing where 'God used to live'; architecturally magnificent holy shrines to a former age; holy huddles who exist to meet for themselves, not their communities and certainly not God.

So here’s another line drawn - another challenge issued.

Please hear it, pass it on and respond to the call.


Pax