One of the most common complaints I hear about the MAP is that churches are 'forced' to do them and this, it seems, makes the MAP a chore rather than a blessing. As a result some of those I come across a solo efforts intended merely to tick the box (which is actually worse than useless)!
Others are seen as an invitation to 'dream dreams'. One of these saw what was a declining and critically failing church reversing the trends and growing to a thriving community of hundreds. When I looked at the ageing congregation and experienced the desperate 'we're declining and doomed' atmosphere my first question was to ask how they (the church) thought they were going to reach their goals. The answer was a bit of a surprise: "We're expecting God to send them in!" The same answer was given as to the workers they would need, the skill sets and any other resource.*
Now, I am often troubled by those with whom I engage in that one of the critical factors in creating a MAP, having a vision and engaging with it, is the often perceived lack of prayer. Obviously this wasn't the case for this church, they had prayed and had faith a plenty - but the goal and expectations weren't realistic. This caused me great problems because I had found myself in the role of doubting what they believed God could do, and of course He could, couldn't He?
As conversations with both of the two examples here progressed it was obvious that timescales and performance indicators (i.e. did it happen?) were the missing, and much needed, elements here.
One of the common problems with the MAP is that like the one-armed fisherman, there is no way of understanding just how big the result of their efforts was! ("It was this big," they cry, "Holding out one arm!").
A PLEA
When you set about writing your MAP (we'll revisit the process some time soon) PLEASE:
1. Set timescales for the things (goals or objectives) you are planning/hoping/praying to see.
2. Review them at regular (predetermined) periods (6/12/18/24 months?)
3. Be realistic. If you have expected to see 50% growth and the result is different, review the goal and the means by which you were hoping to achieve it and modify (or even 'bin') the goal and/or process.
4. Keep the congregation informed and 'on side'. A congregation that owns and works towards the goals is one that is engaged and 'doing' rather than 'done to'.
5. Pray. In small groups, in services, in special events and anywhere and everywhere (ouch! Do I do enough of this? Probably not, but I can resolve that now!).
I hope this provides some stimulation for those who are struggling with MAPs. If you have problems, contact you local missioner (or mail me and I'll help if and where I can).
Happy Friday
* The goals for the 'church of hundreds had been in place for two years during which there had been rather rapid decline and the MAP hadn't been visited since it was written. If we don't understand where we are how can we hope to move towards our intended/hoped for destination?
Showing posts with label prayerful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayerful. Show all posts
Friday, 4 May 2012
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Living (and working) to rule
No, I'm not trying to organise industrial action, I'm trying to get people to realise that they need a rule of life and once they have one, to live by it!
When one is ordained there are a number of facets on the gem that is Christian ministry, namely:
We accept the Holy Scriptures as being the source of everything we need to know about eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
This means that the Bible is not a second thought and puts paid to all the universalist tosh that gets peddled. We preach Christ, and Him crucified, risen and alive and teach obedience to the word of God (written and living, logos and Logos!).
We will be active and consistent regarding prayer and in reading, and studying, the Bible and other stuff that will deepen our faith and help us to be witnesses to the truth of the gospel.
If we can't, won't or don't do this then we should never have taken the shilling. Without this we are not 'fit for role' and should remove ourselves from ministry. We are all called 'to stir up' the gift of God that makes us the living witnesses spoken of later - living in holiness and grace.
Believing the doctrine of the Christian faith as received (and practised) by the Church of England and teaching it.
Amazing how many people (many with dog-collars and some in purple) struggle with this.
Being a living witness, a type of Christ in the place you find yourself, living through teaching and example to make Christ's love and life known.
Amazingly, there are many who fall down on this one too!
Caring and serving those 'in the household of God' in the same way Christ came, as a servant, not the dog-collar whom must be served and have status.
Caring and serving, living in and running our own families as an example and as a discipline.
An old Vicar once told me that if you couldn't run your own life and the life of your family, you had no chance with a church!
Working together for the building of the whole Church, making disciples and displaying the unity of the Church across denominations and groupings.
We need to seek where we can share and be united rather than look for the things that separate us for being Church. Too many people taken up with their piddling little gatherings at the sake of a wider, and more effective, Church unity (which if present builds ALL the churches by making disciples and setting the conditions for growth).
Submit to those in authority.
This is a key point and makes sense of the fact that we need to be careful whom we entrust leadership (at all levels) to. Some of those who disregard all the above elements make themselves extremely difficult to obey or respect, for some are (sadly) barely Christian! Yet, there is still the question of rightly placed authority to be considered then!
There we are - everything that the ordinal (the ordaining rule book) requires from Christians not just for ordination but for those who truly wish to live their baptismal calling too!
Pax
When one is ordained there are a number of facets on the gem that is Christian ministry, namely:
We accept the Holy Scriptures as being the source of everything we need to know about eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
This means that the Bible is not a second thought and puts paid to all the universalist tosh that gets peddled. We preach Christ, and Him crucified, risen and alive and teach obedience to the word of God (written and living, logos and Logos!).
We will be active and consistent regarding prayer and in reading, and studying, the Bible and other stuff that will deepen our faith and help us to be witnesses to the truth of the gospel.
If we can't, won't or don't do this then we should never have taken the shilling. Without this we are not 'fit for role' and should remove ourselves from ministry. We are all called 'to stir up' the gift of God that makes us the living witnesses spoken of later - living in holiness and grace.
Believing the doctrine of the Christian faith as received (and practised) by the Church of England and teaching it.
Amazing how many people (many with dog-collars and some in purple) struggle with this.
Being a living witness, a type of Christ in the place you find yourself, living through teaching and example to make Christ's love and life known.
Amazingly, there are many who fall down on this one too!
Caring and serving those 'in the household of God' in the same way Christ came, as a servant, not the dog-collar whom must be served and have status.
Caring and serving, living in and running our own families as an example and as a discipline.
An old Vicar once told me that if you couldn't run your own life and the life of your family, you had no chance with a church!
Working together for the building of the whole Church, making disciples and displaying the unity of the Church across denominations and groupings.
We need to seek where we can share and be united rather than look for the things that separate us for being Church. Too many people taken up with their piddling little gatherings at the sake of a wider, and more effective, Church unity (which if present builds ALL the churches by making disciples and setting the conditions for growth).
Submit to those in authority.
This is a key point and makes sense of the fact that we need to be careful whom we entrust leadership (at all levels) to. Some of those who disregard all the above elements make themselves extremely difficult to obey or respect, for some are (sadly) barely Christian! Yet, there is still the question of rightly placed authority to be considered then!
There we are - everything that the ordinal (the ordaining rule book) requires from Christians not just for ordination but for those who truly wish to live their baptismal calling too!
Pax
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