The Iceberg -- A Metaphor of Congregational Life

The image of the iceberg reminds us that much of what is going on in congregational life is "below the surface". These are dynamics that are more or less unconscious to all or some of the members. When we can name in a neutral manner some of these emotional processes, the deep interests and motivations that are at work, the system dynamics that shape the way we think and act, then we are more able to work WITH and not against these natural processes.

To push the metaphor even a bit further, sometimes the changing circumstances of a congregation cause a shifting and upturning of these unconsious processes! Then that which was below the surface rolls up to the top causing dramatic waves of outward emotion. The icberg rolls over and the whole surface experience changes---sometimes this is not a bad thing.

Waves of Change

by Bonnie on September 28, 2005 03:24PM (EDT)

In the Jan/Feb 2005 NetResults, George Bullard provides a description of services available to congregations.
The Clinician Wave, post WWII, gathered folk for community/clinical learning opportunities.
The Chaplaincy Wave, 1955-1965, emphasized pastoral care and care ministries.
In the 70's, the Consulting Wave arrived bringing in tools and techniques for assessment and analysis and held attention for several decades.
We are now experiencing the Coaching Wave which shifts energy toward capacity building.
The other current wave is described as the Communities Wave bringing folk together for support, peer learning and community building.
All options have gifts to offer, and each congregation may benefit from multiple styles/waves at the same time!

Bonnie Marden

Language Shifts

by Betsy on September 2, 2005 07:17AM (EDT)
Language Shifts

I have long used reframing or the changing of perspectives to open new possibilities. I know the power of using appreciative questions and an attitude of gratitude. I continue to search for the questions that will uncover my deepest assumptions. One of the places I am beginning to challenge is long held images that shape how I understand church. A couple examples…

“The church as family” - The positive aspect of this image: This suggests a closeness, an intimacy that grows out of relatedness. We are all children of God, with a common Father.
The potential limitations of the image: There is a built in image of a size cap. One needs to be “related” to get in, so there is a subtle barrier to inclusion. There is a subtle, usually unacknowledged, hierarchy of decision making and communication.
What are the alternatives? Body of Christ is a traditional favorite. A living organism [as opposed to an organization] is another.

A second strand of my thinking has been initiated by the work of Erwin McManus in “An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind." McManus proposes that "institutions preserve culture, while movements create culture.... There is a radical difference between leading one person to faith and leading a people to faith. The former produces a follower of Jesus Christ; the latter produces a movement of Jesus Christ. A genuine movement is a leadership culture." "It is more important to change what people care about than to change what they believe! You can believe without caring, but you can't care without believing." "If you're not willing to create problems, you're not willing to lead. Leaders create problems by changing expectations."

What would be different if we were ready to lead a movement?

Rev, Betsy Waters

“NT” Pastors and Congregation Re-development

by Stewart Lanier at 09:54AM (EDT) on July 30, 2005 | Permanent Link | Cosmos
In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) the iNtuiting- Thinking (NT) type is often associated with organization design and leadership. NT’s are big-picture, principled-centered, strategy-focused leaders with vision. They tend to be less detail oriented and may overlook the impact of their designs and decisions on individual persons.

[Sensing-Feeling leaders (the typological opposite of an NT) prefer to work on a more detailed level, in a hands-on manner. They pay more attention to the impact of decisions on individual people.]

Congregations that have declined over an extended time period require transformational, non-incremental change, i.e., redevelopment, if they are to be renewed. One factor that may have contributed to decline in these congregation is "feeling" centered planning. That is, the congregation has made decisions based on how those decisions will impact people--specifically its current members. They may also suffer from a lack of ability to do long-term planning, stemming from a leadership focus on the details of maintaining routine, repetitive activities and rituals.

At a certain point on the downward slope of decline, a group of leaders (including, perhaps a district or area executive such as a District Superintendent, Bishop’s Assistant or Area Minister) may determine that the church needs dramatic intervention. The ebbing tide must be reversed - the church needs new vision and direction. Often that means calling or appointing a pastor who has strengths in strategy and planning.

A change like this brings the possibility ofchange and also the liklihodd of misunderstanding and even conflict: On the one hand there is a need for dramatic change based on new directions and strategies; on the other hand most of the current active members are those whose interests have been met thus far. What is an “NT” pastor to do?!

There is no easy or “one-size” answer. But here is a starting point: the NT pastor develops partners in leadership who have complementary preferences/orientations (such as SF persons). A team of persons that incorporates diverse styles and preferences has greater ability to create and implement a change plan. This plan will be grounded in the congregation’s current reality while maintaining a vision and commitment to moving in new directions.

Certainly tough spots and resistance will arise. But with a core group serving as a catalyst, resistance need not focus on the pastor or lead to counter-productive polarization. Whether it is the pastor or a planning team, someone needs to “climb to the top of the tree to see the long view.” Hopefully those folks will not get the tree cut out from under them! Churches undertaking redevelopment need NT gifts!

National Evangelism Workshop - Portland 2005

by Betsy on July 26, 2005 09:00AM (EDT)
Net Results [ww.netresults.org] hosts the National Evangelism Workshop, an ecumenical event that brings together Christian folks who focus on evangelism. There were representatives from 41 states and I forget how many denominations in Portland Oregon from July 20-22, 2005. I chose to go because I know I am stretched by the diversity of perspective. And I believe that happened.

Here are some of the things I learned or confirmed along the way.

My experience had been that I did not know of any worship service that successfully met the needs of people over 60 while attracting folks under 40. At NEW, I found others coming to the same conclusion. In fact, since the word "church" and even the place "church" is all but toxic to 20 and 30 somethings, it seems better to consider different ministries and to choose other places to worship. One of the most exciting examples of this I heard about was a spiritual community serving young professionals in the New York City area. It has grown to maybe 1500 participants in less than 18 months. It meets after work on Thursday night in a hotel ballroom. It is essentally lay lead, using experiential small groups and whole group praise music.

So, how might our congregations move in this direction? The best recommendation I heard was to devote half of your time and resources to folks who are not presently in your congregation. Service evangelism is one possibility: action that ranges from working in local facilities - soup kitchens, nursing homes to showing love in action to ordinary folk. Praying for and with folks not in the congregation is another way to invest this time. Use outreach programs such as Alpha, but don't be afraid to substitute material for the parts you find unacceptable theologically. Train your congregation in the evangelism continuum... meeting people where they are and inviting them to move a half step.

The preacher from Riverside Church, Jim Forbes, didn't come, but his substitute from Chicago Baptist Church did - I don't have his name -- but he powerfully presented the need to hear the spirit of the Biblical text. I heard "God is still speaking... are we listening? are we living into that call?" I was really inspired. And, indeed, what I learned most from the conference is that I need to be even more intentional about my prayer and study to continue to draw my strength and discernment from the deep water of Spirit. What we are inviting people into is a path that transforms lives. Have I let myself be transformed? Do I model testifying to transformation? Do I invite others to share their stories?

Rev. Betsy Waters
melizabethwaters@verizon.net

The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community and Small Groups, by Joseph Myers

by Greg Carpenter on July 12, 2005 08:00AM (EDT)
In Joseph R. Myers book, "The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community and Small Groups, " (2003 154 pages) he wrestles with an age-old question with new language and wisdom. He states that defining neighbor and neighborhood has been and is one of the age-old questions of the church. Living in a culture that prioritizes belonging over believing calls for new language and understandings of community and congregational connection.

Consider the hospital call requesting a pastoral visit. You discover that this “parishioner” has never attended a service or made a financial pledge, but “watches your worship service every Sunday.” In her world and in Myers paradigm, she believes that she fully belongs (until we indicate otherwise).

He states, “They want to participate in our rituals, even though they may not fully understand their meaning. They see a kaleidoscope of possibilities for belonging. But out language struggles to full express this spectrum of possibilities.” (p.27)

At the core of his book is the understanding of the equal significance of connection in different spaces. Reworking some of the concepts of E.T. Hall, he provides us with a model and language for understanding community and connection in different spaces.

Public belonging "occurs when people connect through outside influence." A example would be the connection formed as one of the few New England Patriot’s fans in attendance at a Chief’s football game in Kansas City.
Social belonging "occurs when we share "snapshots" of what it would be like to be in personal space with us." This is where you put your "best foot forward." Examples of this space might be at your place of employment or where you get your hair cut.
Personal belonging is where "we share private (not "naked") experience, feelings and thoughts." These are relationships that we typically name as friends. They know more about us than our acquaintances, but less than our “intimates” (to much deeply private information would create some discomfort).
Intimate belonging is the space where we “share ‘naked’ experiences, feelings, and thoughts. We have very few relationships that are intimate." These relationships are where we can share the deepest parts of ourselves and not feel ashamed.

Myers encourages us to see each space as significant place of belonging. In my training as a pastor and family therapist I can see where my training was loaded with a bias for connecting in personal and intimate spaces. This resulted in an unrealistic expectation in the number of deep and personal connections that could be made within a congregation. What I find helpful about Myers work is learning how to value different types of belonging that might be otherwise be described as shallow connections and as a necessary stage for reaching true depth.

"In our push to move everyone into personal or intimate relationship with God, we have forgotten the spectrum of ways God chooses to communicate with us-and the ways we choose to communicate with [God]. I believe that we are to help individuals with their connections with God in the space that they choose. We can help by providing opportunities for them to learn spiritual disciplines in that specific space."

His formula for what looks like healthy connections within a congregation is 8 parts public, 4 parts social and 2 parts personal and 1 part intimate. No wonder that most churches aren’t able to gain more than thirty per cent participation in their cell group ministries.

As we seek to create health and growth, wouldn't it be interesting to sit down with our parishioners and evaluate our understandings of belonging and look at the messages we convey about the value of belonging to one group over another. These are just a few of the discussion questions that he covers at the end of his book.

A must read for those concerned with community, belonging and connection. Concepts, questions and language that this Church Consultant will be adding to his toolbox!

Look for more information at his web site www.languageofbelonging.org
Rev. Greg Carpenter

Signs of Trouble in a church

by Bonnie on July 6, 2005 03:09PM (EDT)
Characteristics that Suggest Underlying Causes May Exist
• System has experienced significant transition, recent trauma or some sort of breech of trust.
• Participants report that anger initially directed at one source is now redirected in multiple directions and at each other.
• Behavioral manifestations or reactions appear to be stronger or out of proportion to the precipitating events.
• Participants appear to be "at their wits end" or "out of their minds" with anxiety and grief.
• Use of strong biblical language of righteousness or oppression often indicates a highly anxious state.

Bonnie Marden

BonMarden@comcast.net