A lot of old cliche’s have found new life in the church today…for good reason. Here are some favorites:
- Insanity is doing the same things over and over, expecting to get different results. (Or its common variation, “If we keep doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep getting what we’ve always got.”
- We don’t know what we don’t know.
- No one is an island.
- Without a vision the people perish.
- No one plans to fail, but often fail to plan.
So it is that – in our rapidly changing and infinitely diverse world – we in the church keep doing what we have always done, maybe a tweak here or a twist there – and we continue to decline in influence and effectiveness in doing what we have been called to do. We are getting older and smaller, more discouraged and often more cranky. And yet we persist in calling the same old committee meetings for yet another brainstorming session about what we can do differently…yet our vision is limited to what we already know, our isolation prevents us from benefiting from the insights of others, and we feel like we’re just spinning our wheels but not getting anywhere.
What is often helpful in getting out of this rut is becoming open to new ideas and inspiration from others who have “been there” and can help lift our eyes to see new opportunities, new paths to follow, which can take us to different results in the lives of people. Helping this to happen in the 124 congregations of our synod is the work of Pastor Kerry Nelson.
As Director of Evangelical Mission, working together with the synod staff, the participants on the Mission Strategy Table (evangelism) and the Mission Support Table (stewardship), and the Deans of each of the ministeriums of the synod, Pastor Kerry seeks to provide resources and equip congregations by resourcing and equipping congregational leaders.
Learning Events are seminars which can happen in local congregations, or preferably, in gathering clusters of congregations, which get down to the basics of effective practices toward more effective evangelism and stewardship development. The following is a list of Learning Events which you can schedule to help move your ministry forward. You can schedule a Learning Event by contacting Pastor Kerry at revkerry@gmail.com or calling him at 832-492-3858.
EVANGELISM LEARNING EVENTS
Evangelism 101 – The heart of evangelism begins by seeing the world through the eyes of people who have nothing to do with the church, and then helping them find connections that they never imagined. In this Learning Event you will learn about “spiritual orphans”, “prodigal children” and the “blessed rest”. You’ll look at Acts with new eyes and see the ways that people come to faith. And you’ll learn about the four windows into people’s lives that are open to the breath of the Spirit. 2 hrs.
Contagious Christian – For many of our people, their understanding of “evangelism” has long been corrupted by fear, shame, and a deep sense of powerlessness. Unfortunately, in our failure to provide effective information and leadership, we have also let our people live with those feelings and therefore have blunted their ability to “own” their faith, listen closely to others, and become living vehicles through which God can reach new believers. This learning event will help you plan a 6-7 week teaching campaign to equip your people to own their personal gifts for evangelism, to share their faith honestly and fearlessly, and to help you expand your reach into the lives of new people. 6 hrs.
Worship and Christian Hospitality – Sunday morning remains the central thing that sets the Christian church apart from other non-profits and helping organizations in our culture today. It is also the place that many people will experience your congregation for the first time. And yet it remains the central place in our congregation where we are gripped with the weight of “we’ve never done it that way before” or “we’ve always done it this way” or “we tried that once and it didn’t work.” This Learning Event will help you look at the Sunday morning experience with fresh eyes and new resolve. 4 hrs.
New People/New Faith – Why would God send a brand new person, newly hungry for faith, a baby Christian, to a congregation that doesn’t take seriously what it means to welcome new people, engage them and equip them for life as a faithful Christian and participant in a local congregation? Exactly. God wouldn’t. God loves us too much for that. And yet many congregations fail to plan for or provide much more than a traditional “Pastor’s Class” or “New Member Forum.” We can do better, this Learning Event will help you chart a path and create a system that will prepare you to help new people find their place in the faith in new ways. 4-6 hrs.
Why Men Hate Going to Church – Why do so many people think that “church is for girls?” Why are we losing so many of our young men after confirmation? Why do so many wives yearn for their husbands to take a more active role in the faith, both at church and at home? Based on the book of the same title by David Murrow, this Learning Event will open our eyes to the subtle and not so subtle ways that we make Sunday mornings a very unwelcoming experience for men and what we can do about it. 1-2 hrs.
STEWARDSHIP LEARNING EVENTS
Stewardship 101 – A presentation of the basic stewardship principles and best congregational practices that root personal stewardship in faithful living and inspire generous giving. 2-4 hrs.
Training Lay Parish Callers – Ministry is all about relationships, truth telling and faithfulness. Sin is all about isolation, silence and fretfulness. Mobilizing members of your leadership team to make personal visits in the homes of their fellow congregational members remains one of the best way to break down the barriers that divide us, open new lines of communication, and create a sense of “we’re in this together” in your church. 1-2 hrs.
Year Around Stewardship – If you really want to reach your congregation’s potential then a key congregational best practice is to incorporate all aspects of Christian stewardship of time, talents and treasure into every Sunday, every month, all year long. This learning event will teach you many different ways to communicate the good news of generous living all year long. 1-2 hrs.
GIFTS: Growing in Faith Through Service – Paul tells us in the New Testament that, in the Body of Christ, everyone is different and everyone is gifted. The GIFTS Learning Event will help you design a system for helping your people discover their spiritual gifts, learn a bit more about themselves, and imagine ways that they can use their talents to serve God and others. 2 hrs.
