Minds and Hearts Set on Christ: A Preaching Cohort for Teaching Elders (and Native American CREs)

I am pleased to announce the Presbytery of Grand Canyon’s partnership with the Presbytery of The Inland NW and the Whitworth Institute of Ministry (WIM) in providing an opportunity for teaching elders to participate in a year-long preaching cohort that will include participation in the Whitworth Institute of Ministry in Spokane, Washington July 18-22, 2016, to be followed up with monthly gatherings from August – May for prayer, processing, personal reflection and pastoral support of our common task of proclamation. The preaching cohort is funded primarily from a grant provided by General Assembly and supplemented by PGC.

The preaching cohort invites pastors into a year-long process of:

·         Renewing our spirits - “Rekindling my love for the lover of my soul”

·         Relating in our communities - Pastor cohorts and congregations

·         Refining our craft - “Mind and Heart” preaching and teaching of God’s Word

This summer’s WIM will feature Mike Breen, Dale Bruner and Brenda Salter McNeil and addresses the question of how Christians can be effective witnesses for the Gospel during these incredibly tumultuous times of cultural change. Building upon the Book of Esther – “Maybe you were made for such a time as this!” (Esther 4:14, The Message) – WIM 2016 will address the vital question of what Christian discipleship looks like in the 21^st century. For more information on WIM, visit: www.whitworth.edu/wim.

Here are some key facts to keep in mind if you are a teaching elder in Grand Canyon:

·         Space is limited to eight persons per cohort, with registration on a first-come, first-served basis. This cohort will be facilitated by Brad Munroe. Email Carolyn McBurney to indicate your desire to participate; Carolyn will follow-up with registration details at a later date.

·         There will be a second cohort specifically for Native American teaching elders and open also to Native American commissioned ruling elders; this cohort will be co-facilitated by Martha Sadongei and Brad Munroe.

·         Registration for this preaching cohort is from April 1 – 30, so please indicate your interest sooner rather than later.

·         The General Assembly grant and presbytery supplement will cover the following costs:

o   For the general cohort: WIM Registration, housing, up to $350 for travel to Spokane, and monthly meetings in Phoenix.

o   For the Native American cohort: hotel and food costs associated with Friday – Saturday mini-retreats in August, October, January, March and May, with locations switching between the southern and northern areas.

Grace and peace,

Brad Munroe

The Transformational Journey: Jesus as Transformational Leader

For our final installment on Jesus as a Transformational Leader, I once again want to quote from
Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer, authors of Transformational Church:

1.      Jesus embraced other cultures. Jesus embodied a cross-cultural gospel focus. He was not afraid or offended by the Samaritans. He went out of his way to talk with them and refused to give up when they rejected him. The heart of Jesus is for people, all people. It is illustrated by the life-changing conversation Jesus had with a woman at a well (John 4). The Holy Spirit birthed the church in a multicultural, multilingual environment.

2.      Jesus gave up his will. Jesus surrendered his will to the Father. A transformational leader is in tune with the heart of God. He is not confused about who belongs to whom. Jesus prayed shortly before his death: “…not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). We are not able to equal his work. But as transformational leaders, we must resolve to do whatever God requires.

3.      Jesus surrounded himself with [broken, hurting] people. Jesus was attractive to [broken, hurting] people. By offering grace and truth, [Jesus offered healing]. As much as we are sincerely driven to make our churches attractive, the most beautiful element of our churches is people enjoying a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

4.      Jesus’ vision was leveraged by prayer. Prayer is continually connected to the mission of God in the life of Jesus. Jesus explained the power needed for the harvest was found in the resource of praying. “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” (Matt. 9:37-38). The source for harvest workers is not in recruitment strategies, but in prayer.

5.      Jesus felt the needs of people. Why did Jesus weep at the death of Lazarus? (John 11:35) Simply because he grieved the loss of his friend. Jesus was a man who deeply loved others. He felt their pain. Jesus felt compassion because the people were “weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:35-37). Jesus cared for people who were hungry and afraid. He cared for the physically sick, the spiritually oppressed and the economically marginalized.

6.      Rather than ask ourselves WWJD, perhaps a better question is What Would Jesus Be? Before we seek to ignite transformation in our congregations (or presbytery), we might do a bit of self-reflection. As leaders, how would we rate ourselves? At which of these five actions are we most like Jesus and least like Jesus? How can we lean into our strengths? How can we invite and enlist those around us to help us minimize the damage we do because of our weaknesses?

The Transformational Journey: Jesus as Transformational Leader

The past two weeks we have looked at how Jesus led toward the goal of transformation. Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer, authors of Transformational Church, see Jesus through a similar lens and offer ten observations about his leadership, the first five of which are recounted this week:

1.      Jesus invested in people. Jesus invested in people because he believed in people…Jesus demonstrated incredible confidence in the potential of people to let him use them for a higher purpose.

2.      Jesus saw long and far. Jesus’ leadership was evident in John 17:20 when he said, “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their message.” Jesus was living beyond the moment. With the pressures of local church leadership, it is possible for us to shorten our sight. We must never reduce God’s desire to inconsequential measurements. Transformational church leaders are looking further than ever before. Instead of a two-year church calendar, we need to plan for the next century of impact. Jesus prayed for thousands of years into the future.

3.      Jesus sent people away from him on mission. Luke 9:1-2 and 10:1-2 give the picture of Jesus sending the believers away to do ministry. He sent them to touch the hurting and work for the harvest. The environment around Jesus had disciples constantly coming and going.

4.      Jesus grieved for communities. “As he approached and saw the city, he wept over it…(Luke 19:41-42). Jesus was heart-broken over the rebellious nature of Jerusalem’s inhabitants. Jesus wept over a community and calls us to love ours. “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37)

5.      Jesus led a balanced life. By the use of the word balance, we mean his perfect investment in multiple environments. Jesus knew the value of time away from the crowds. On several occasions he retreated from crowds to spend time in prayer. The Bible reports, “After dismissing the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan” (Matt. 15:39). He pulled away from the crowds to rest and pray.

Rather than ask ourselves WWJD, perhaps a better question is What Would Jesus Be? Before we seek to ignite transformation in our congregations (or presbytery), we might do a bit of self-reflection. As leaders, how would we rate ourselves? At which of these five actions are we most like Jesus and least like Jesus? How can we lean into our strengths? How can we invite and enlist those around us to help us minimize the damage we do because of our weaknesses?

The Transformational Journey: The Great Curiosity

As churches (and a presbytery) who seek to grow ever deeper into the mission dei, the mission of God, we must ask ourselves what it looks like to walk the transformational journey toward the faithfulness, courage and compassion we are called to have for the sake of Jesus Christ. Put another way, what does it look like when a congregation (or presbytery)practices Jesus-styled leadership?

            Jesus’ giving of the Great Commission in Matthew 28 is well-known, well-loved but not often well-practiced. As such, it is a bit of a curiosity; indeed, we might call it the Great Curiosity. How can we learn from Jesus for our own leadership?

1.      Jesus received doubt. Perhaps the greatest curiosity is that when the resurrected Jesus stood before the disciples, “some doubted” (28:17). Even the greatest leader ever was doubted by his followers. As teaching and ruling elders, not everyone is going to be on board with the decisions we make. That’s okay!

2.      Jesus moved toward the disciples. Rather than be offended or taken aback, Jesus “came to [the disciples]” immediately following their expression of doubt. It is a leader’s temptation to experience others’ doubt of our leadership as rejection and to move away. Not Jesus. In the face of doubt, Jesus connected at deeper levels.

3.      Jesus gave clear instructions. In the Greek text, “go” is not in the command form and has the connotation of “as you go.” The command is “make disciples” (28:18). That is our mission – God’s mission dei. As leaders we do not need to guess what our mission is, nor do we need to write a mission statement for our church; such has been given us already.

4.      Jesus grounded mission in identity. The making of disciples is connected by Jesus with baptism (28:19), which is the sacrament of identity. Who we are gives inspiration and passion to what we do. Because we are God’s beloved – a truth we learn in baptism – we seek to share the fullness of this gift with others.

5.      Jesus reinforced truth with action. Jesus understood that a truth such as our belovedness is an abstraction if it is not reinforced with daily practices of active obedience (28:20). As leaders, we need to call Jesus followers to demonstrate right theology through right practice – be doers of the Word, especially as we seek to live into our own belovedness and teach others of their belovedness.

6.      Jesus was present. Leaders like Jesus stay connected to their people (28:20). The call to practice courageous faith requires knowing that we are not alone, never alone. God does not call us to individualism but invites us into community.

On the mountain of the Lord, Jesus broke through human doubt to invite divine faith. Can we do the same after our encounters with Jesus? With God’s help, all things are possible. But before we seek to ignite transformation in our congregations (or presbytery), we might do a bit of self-reflection. As leaders, how would we rate ourselves? At which of these six actions are we most like Jesus and least like Jesus? How can we lean into our strengths? How can we invite and enlist those around us to help us minimize the damage we do because of our weaknesses?

Change is not a four-letter word,

Brad Munroe

The Transformational Journey: Walking toward Emmaus

As churches (and a presbytery) who seek to grow ever deeper into the mission dei, the mission of God, and who live in an evolving society that finds “no religious affiliation” and “done with church” (the nones and dones) as faster growing segments of the population that “mainline Christian,” we must ask ourselves what it looks like to walk the transformational journey toward the faithfulness, courage and compassion we are called to have for the sake of Jesus Christ. Put another way, what does it look like when, as a congregation (or presbytery), we’re just stuck in the same place? What kind of leadership is required to get unstuck?

Jesus’ walk to Emmaus with Cleopas and the other disciple is an excellent illustration of the kind of leadership required to get unstuck. Jesus takes six leadership actions that help Cleopas and his brother discover a new sense of God’s purpose:

1.      Jesus comes alongside. “As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them…” (Luke 24:15) Leadership is relational, connectional, a contact sport.

2.      Jesus asks questions. “He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" (24:17) Leadership is inquisitive, interested in the insights, opinions and input of others.

3.      Jesus listens to their answers. “‘About Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘He was a prophet… Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see’" (24:19, 24). Leadership is open to others’ stories and experiences; leaders intuit implicitly that transformation begins from a particular time, place and circumstance.

4.      Jesus interprets what is happening. “’Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (24:26-7). Leadership frames our communal conversations, helping guide and direct them without controlling the outcome.

5.      Jesus lets the disciples determine their own future. “As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’So he went in to stay with them” (24:28-9). Leadership allows others the freedom to respond in compassion and courage, in faith, in hope and in love.

6.      Jesus reveals to the disciples their shared community. “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him…” (24:30-31). Leadership cultivates community and caring, the sense that we are all in this together.

Cleopas and the other disciple returned to Jerusalem and ignited a revolution. Can we do the same after our encounters with Jesus? With God’s help, all things are possible. But before we seek to ignite transformation in our congregations (or presbytery), we might do a bit of self-reflection. As leaders, how would we rate ourselves? At which of these six actions are we most like Jesus and least like Jesus? How can we lean into our strengths? How can we invite and enlist those around us to help us minimize the damage we do because of our weaknesses?

Change is not a four-letter word,

Brad Munroe