Presbytery Survey / Conversation: Toward a Shared Missional Clarity

It was a pleasure to be guests of the Elders and Deacons Association as we gathered as a presbytery at Vah-Ki Presbyterian Church on April 2. Our Native American brothers and sisters provided warm welcome and gracious hospitality as we worshiped and worked under their ramada: thank you, EDA!

For my pastor’s report I asked those gathered to share their thoughts with one another about the purposes of a presbytery in general and of our presbytery specifically, and I promised I would share the results of their feedback. Below is a snapshot of their responses:

The verbal responses were, as I expected they would be, all over the spectrum, from “only do COM and CPM and nothing else” to “our minister needs to be ministered to – burn-out prevention.” If there were themes that emerged from the written responses, however, they clustered around the ideas of (1) supporting racial-ethnic ministry, especially Native American ministry, and (2) seeking a sense of relational, connectional ministry together. Below are representative comments:

      Native American and Hispanic ministry is what makes our Presbytery unique – it is our genetic DNA, and we agree that the pastoral cohorts are a good thing.

      Churches / congregations working together, sharing expertise on training / mission projects / mentoring is key.

      I think COM’s efforts to be in conversation with churches on a regular basis is, though a work in progress, great!

In a time of transition, clear, calm and connected communication is critical to the health of communities, especially faith communities. May we continue this year in a season of such communication first with God (prayer), then with ourselves (personal reflection), and also with one another (fellowship).

Grace and peace,

Brad Munroe

P.S. A big shout-out and THANK YOU to the member from Palo Cristi who wrote: “EFocus is awesome!” J

Reconciliation 101: Finding Christ in Conflict

NOTE OF APOLOGY: Before I begin this week’s missive, I need to apologize. Last week I used the word “schizophrenia” as a vernacular phrase instead of as its clinical meaning. I was politely but firmly reminded by some with loved ones who suffer mental illness that such language can be hurtful and minimizes the very real pain experienced by those who suffer and the families who love them. I want to convey my heartfelt apologies to any who were hurt by my insensitivity. I will be more careful with my words moving forward and encourage us all to use my short-comings as a writer to learn a lesson for our own choices with words (James 3:9-10).

Last week, in discussing conflict and reconciliation, I noted my own, personal resistance to engaging in conflict and my journey toward personal and professional growth in this area. I noted also that many, if not most, of our New Testament letters address issues that were creating conflict within our earliest Christian communities. As I reflect upon the notion of conflict in Christian communities, I marvel at how much more we are like the Apostolic Church than we give ourselves credit for! Without naming anyone in particular, I have visited many congregations within the two presbyteries during the last two years and have addressed issues creating conflict within 25% of the total number of our congregations.

At the Lombard-Mennonite training, one of the subjects we discussed was the difference between issues that can be negotiated to resolution versus issues that can be discussed but typically not negotiated versus issues that cannot be negotiated. Issues that can be negotiated include:

·         Behaviors such as sharing space, respecting boundaries, communicating about problems and following through on promises and responsibilities,

·         Processes regarding how decisions are made, rules followed and schedules observed,

·         Management of financial, accounting controls or maintenance of property.

Issues that can be discussed but typically not negotiated include:

·         Principles, values, personal style, emotions and perceptions (e.g. what “really happenend”).

Issues that cannot be negotiated include:

·               Addictive or abusive behaviors, issues requiring investigation of possible ethical or criminal breach.

Why are these distinctions important? These distinctions provide clarity of purpose. We can find resolution on certain things (e.g. behavioral expectations, processes, etc.) but must set clear, impermeable boundaries on other things (e.g. an ethical breach). We may desire, even passionately long for, resolution on conflicts over principles and perceptions, but such desire is typically not possible; our passionate longing for agreement on all things will remained unrequited. A more realistic goal is the cultivation of a spirituality of respect, the development of an ethos in which all parties learn to speak to truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

How about you? Is your church the shining city set on a hill when it comes to conversing about today’s difficult topics? In a season of political discontent, faithful conversation is needed that reflects the best practices of the Way of Jesus. May each of our congregations be that city set on a hill; others seeing in us the presence of Christ in our midst.

Journeying forward together,

Brad Munroe

Reconciliation 101: Finding Christ in Conflict

The last few weeks have been a bit schizophrenic for me. Oh, I don’t mean that in a clinical way – no DSM IV (or is it V?) diagnosis, at least not yet. Rather, I have lived in the world but not of the world in a radically disjointed way: I have participated in the Lombard-Mennonite’s Conflict Reconciliation training while, like the rest of us, enduring the abyss of this year’s political campaign. Talk about living in two minds!
A bit of background is in order. Grand Canyon Presbytery, through their mission priority grant program, authorized training with the nationally recognized Lombard-Mennonite Peacemaking Center for a team of six. The training was the most intensive week of education any of us have ever experienced. What I learned and am learning is that peacemaking is not only Christian vocation (Matthew 5:9) but lifelong journey. And it is certainly work that must begin within the church.
Our trainer, Dr. Richard Blackburn, a Mennonite pastor, had us participate in an illuminating exercise at the beginning of the week. He asked us to line ourselves up along a continuum, with one wall representing “avoids conflict at all cost” and the opposite wall representing “gleefully seeks conflict.” I stood closer to the “avoids conflict” wall, along with a majority of the participants, where many of us were expressing the opinion that conflict creates anxiety for us. I was intrigued, therefore, to hear a participant standing near the “seeks conflict” wall. His reason for seeking conflict is that allowing unresolved issues to remain between himself and others creates anxiety for him. Amazing! Each of us had our own stories to tell.
Conflict was a commonly told story in the early church. From Jesus’ paradigmatic model for dealing with conflict in Matthew 18:15-22 to the healthy examples in Acts 6:1-7 and Acts 15:1-35, to the unhealthy example in Acts 15:36-41, the need for and possibilities of reconciliation abound. Have you ever wondered what conflicts inspired Paul to write 1 Corinthians 6:1-6 or if Jesus had a particular kind of conflict in mind when he taught the disciples Matthew 5:23-24? Do you recall the names Euodia and Syntyche of Philippi (Philippians 4:2-3)? Conflict and the call to journey toward reconciliation litter the pages of the New Testament.
My personal journey of faith is now calling me to communicate more directly, more forthrightly, to move further away from the “avoids conflict” wall. I am not sure I will ever get anywhere near the “seeks conflict” wall, but I resolve to have the conversations I need to have when I need to have them. I resolve to handle myself, as far as is possible, with integrity and compassion: using my best “active listening” skills, making “I-statements,” and inviting others into a true dialogue which shares a common heart even if we do not share the same idea.

How about you? Is your church the shining city set on a hill when it comes to conversing about today’s difficult topics? In a season of political discontent, faithful conversation is needed that reflects the best practices of the Way of Jesus. May each of our congregations be that city set on a hill; others seeing in us the presence of Christ in our midst.

Journeying forward together,

Brad Munroe

Seeking Congregational Renewal: We got the grant! Yay!!!

It is with great pleasure that I announce that General Assembly approved our Presbytery Transformation Grant. This grant will help fund retreats, educational seminars, online training, personal coaching and demographic studies to be utilized by congregations to catalyze their efforts toward congregational renewal. These activities will be designed to benefit both ruling elders and teaching elders, as our conviction is that shared leadership for ministry is essential to congregational transformation!

            Our presbytery’s transformation grant application focuses on several themes:

1.      Promoting Congregational Evangelism – skill development for individuals, ideas for congregations, sharing the Gospel in Word through faith sharing

2.      Leading through Change – skill development for pastors and Sessions on steps required to lead a congregation in changing contexts, with adaptive rather than technical processes

3.      Cultivating Multi-Cultural Ministry – steps that encourage movement in the direction of becoming more multi-cultural as congregations, and what steps that stifle such movement

4.      Initiating Congregational Renewal – learning to evaluate one’s changing neighborhood, demographics and ministry challenges and concrete steps to take toward discussion, planning, and action

5.      Moving toward Missional Ministry – learning the theology and specific practices that help congregations move toward building community and compassion with and for their neighbors: mission + relational = missional

6.      Ministering to Millennials – learning the new cultural ethos of younger generations and how churches can respond in helpful ways relationally, missionally and, of course, technologically

The plan is to host Leadership Training Events beginning on Fridays at 1:00 the day before our stated presbytery meetings. Each training event will include two, 90 minute workshops in the afternoon, dinner, and one workshop after dinner, with the keynote presenter preaching at the next day’s presbytery worship. When possible, a workshop will be scheduled for Saturday in association with the presbytery meeting. Expenses for both dinner and hotel rooms for those traveling from out of town will be paid by the grant. Registration details will be forthcoming in July, so stay tuned!

Seeking to Row in the Same Direction all for the sake of Jesus and as the Body of Christ,