Grass Roots Podcast - Episode 20 - CGGC Leadership Initiative
I have spent the last five years in the CGGC like a guy who stumbled upon a sleeping bear in the woods. I froze and have kept my eye on the bear, for the bear, if it notices me, could devour me. Then I started backing away slowly. I have not participated much regionally or nationally, though I've been told by both regional and national directors that I am welcome and would be appreciated at both levels.
Over the past five years, I have become a fan of Reggie McNeal, a former southern baptist denom official in South Carolina, who I believe understands the exact change that the North American church needs to make and who articulates it in a way that churches at large can get a handle.
So while attending IMPACT as a breakout leader (teaching Reggie McNeal's three shifts for the church), I overheard that Reggie was coming out to consult. Rather than a desire to be helpful denominationally, I selfishly have sought opportunities to sit in the same room as Reggie (and I wasn't disappointed). So I asked if I could sit in and was warmly welcomed.
The results caused me emotional confusion. I left hopeful, passionate in fact about the idea of participating in this leadership initiative, hopeful that this could be a prescription for renewal in this denom that I do truly love. Confused, because I've been wary of the bear, pulling me away from what is most important for me -- local ministry.
My fear is that the people who need to be involved in this initiative are also people who have stumbled across the bear and who also have been slowly backing away. I hope these are the people who listen to our podcasts. These (you) are all people who I have found to be intelligent and reflective and I would love to have a conversation with you about the pros and cons of this initiative. But since I can't, I did have a conversation with Lance Finley, Fran Leeman, and Bill Sloat about it. I thought the conversation was helpful. I think it might be helpful to you to listen to it and get some feel for this initiative, which Lance incredibly optimistically would like to roll out in January.
I am not an official representative of this leadership initiative. I'm just a pastor who loves our denom and who heard something that sounds hopeful coming around the bend. This recorded conversation was a frank and honest evaluation of what we know so far.
We invite your feedback.
Download: Podcast - GrassRoots - Episode 20 - CGGC Leadership Initiative
I made a compressed version that plays about 20 minutes shorter. It is the same as the other, just plays faster.
Download: Podcast - GrassRoots - Episode 20 - CGGC Leadership Initiative Compressed
Labels: Change, Denomination, Grass Roots Podcast, leadership, Missional, movement, repentance
posted by Brian at 10:22 AM
3 Comments:
A note to those who choose to listen to this podcast:
Until you get to the very end of the podcast, you're going to think that I am very much against what is shaping as our move into the world of missionality.
And, that's not entirely true.
Here's what I am:
I am convinced that significant changes are going to have to be made in Western Christianity, including the CGGC if we are going to reverse the decline that we have been experiencing in the last few decades.
I think in terms of history and I believe that a cultural shift is taking place in westerm culture as significant as the one that brought about the end of the Middle Ages.
The leaders of the the Missional Movement whose thinking we have been considering in these podcasts agree that we must abandon the shepherd dominated leadership model that began to evolve after Constantine.
They agree that we are going to have to become externally focused and abandon the attractional model of ministry that dates back to the days that Christianity was establsihed as the state religion of Rome.
They insist that we will have to stop understanding church as an institution that is at the center of the culture and accept the reality that it is a living organism.
I agree with them on all of these points.
We are living in what has been justly described as a post-Christian era and that's okay.
The Christian movement is exploding all over the place at this very moment where the church is not at the center of the culture.
If you should happen to listen to the podcast, don't listen to what I am against. Please give some serious thought to what I am for.
Thanks,
bill
Bill,
I did listen and hear what you are saying and what you are for. As I am not as eloquent as you or the rest of the individuals who frequent the blog I will keep my comments minimal. That said, I am in firm agreement that new movement erupts from the chaos created from what most consider the least of these. Your example of who was used in the OT and who Jesus associated with makes a strong case for that. For some reason, while you spoke, the passage in 1 Corinthians 1 kept ringing in my head.
" 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God. 25 This “foolish” plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength. 26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, 29 so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God."
I hear you, with intentionality, seeking out those who may otherwise be ignored by our leadership models, programs, and matrices in christiondom and finding the Spirit of God stirring something within them that we may be wise to heed and listen to. I also hear you calling for us, in your idea of fasting and prayer, to allow the Spirit room to move in the whole body of the church (the flesh and blood one) as opposed to leaving it in the hands of "Shepard" leadership which has done a pretty good job of getting us into the pickle we are. That is not saying that leaders are not part of the equation, but it is acknowledging that we are merely a part of it and not the whole (nor are we the foundation-the WHOLE church operating under the guide of the Spirit should be).
So, assuming that I understand the basics of what you are getting at (and please correct me if I misunderstood), please flesh out a little more what you think that might look like and what more we can-and should-be doing that we are not.
I understand completely that you are not in opposition of this initiative on the table, you just feel that there is more we can do.
Respectfully,
Patrick
Patrick,
Wow.
Don't ever say again that you lack eloquence!
Thanks.
You comments encouraged me.
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