Ministry WITH Millennials: Review of Zach Yentzer’s Ignite the Spark!

I stand corrected. I had thought the workshop was on “ministry to millennials.” Wow, was I sure wrong! Our ministries, when at their best, are seldom merely ministry “to” but rather ministry “with.” As all politics are local (in the wisdom made famous by Speaker Tip O’Neil), so all ministry is relational, which means ministry “with” others.

Zach Yentzer, our Ignite the Spark! speaker at de Cristo’s event last week and at Grand Canyon’s event next week,* reminded me of this truth. Here are a few, choice gems from Zach’s presentation:

We don’t want to have the baton passed to us. We want to walk forward together and share the baton.

We prefer to explore a topic together rather than have you give us the answers.

In an era of ever-increasing technology, the importance of place becomes more vital, which is why I am in favor of local churches. The local church, as a place, gives context to the ever-increasing stream of data and speed of information.

The key word above is “together.” We can do this!

Zach’s Ignite the Spark! presentation mined Paul’s pastoral epistles for clues on how ministry together with Millennials might move forward. As Paul, the elder mentor, wrote to Timothy and Titus, the youngers, we see a model for leveraging one of our greatest spiritual giftings – we have an abundance of silver-haired wisdom in our congregations! – toward connecting with our communities.

A look at Titus 3:14 shows a flavor of what Zach discussed with us: “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” The interesting Greek word in this verse is ergon, which is translated as “good works.” However, ergon doesn’t mean “good works” as in “works righteousness,” the act of seeking God’s approval through our goodness. Rather ergon is about the building of business, employment, and production of art and industry by one’s own hands. One might think of Café Justo in Agua Prieta as an example of ergon ministry – doing work that blesses the community.

Our churches can become places to work together to pull each other up, to help each other launch for work and launch for care. Can you imagine encouraging a younger adult toward their vocational goal – and to do this as an act of the sacred? Can you imagine sharing mutual wisdom with a younger adult – them teaching you and you enlightening them – toward the goal of deeper discernment of our world today and God’s call upon the Church? Can you imagine not just handing a younger adult the baton of committee work but walking side-by-side to discern God’s vision of where we need to take the baton next – together?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you might be a Reformed Christian, ready to be always reforming according to the Word of God. Stay tuned for more next week when I will give a few practical tidbits on what ministry with millennials can look like.

You can register for Grand Canyon's session with Zach coming up November 3 at Desert Palms PC.
Click here.

Ready to share a baton,
Brad Munroe

The “G.A.S.” Factor in Ministry: A Conversation with Mike Johnson

I met Mike Johnson for the first time the evening he stayed at my house. Mike was teaching a class on Discipleship at Fuller and making a visit to Tucson. My wife had been in Mike’s class, and offered our extra bedroom. From simple beginnings, my friendship with Mike began.

Mike is the executive director of Ascending Leaders and led a two-day workshop on discipleship formation this week at Northminster. Mike is similar to the guy I discussed last week, Greg Hawkins, in believing the importance of G.A.S. for ministry, but Mike is also a highly strategic thinker. He pushes church leaders toward clarity and intentionality in their conduct of ministry. Do you know how you expect your people to grow? How a specific ministry contributes to someone’s spiritual formation? What is the desired outcome in someone’s life? In what ways does the ministry help or hinder the facilitation of the desired outcome?

I confess, I sometimes find Mike’s call for intentionality exhausting. As a pastor, and now as a mid-council leader, I have my hands full just getting the basics accomplished: Session meetings and worship services, volunteer recruitment and pastoral visits. And Mike wants me to think strategically and tactically? I don’t have time for that!

            Or maybe I am missing the point.

With limited resources in ministry, focus forces us to serve more wisely rather than merely serve with greater frenzy. Rather than trying to juggle, focus helps us get honest about how much is on our plates. Focus liberates soul-space so we can own what is truly worthy. Do we see the Lazarus who is at our gate? Do we have time to encounter the leper who approaches from afar? Can we see Jesus in the least of these? Or are we so busy we miss God’s invitation to be a blessing?

Mike reminds me of the maxims: sometime less is more, and work smarter not harder.

Mike’s ministry focus is on discipleship formation, which also happens to be one of my passions, as it seemed to be fairly important to Jesus also (c.f. Matthew 28:16-20). Mike’s reminder to those of us gathered at Northminister is helpful:

1.      People are at different stages of faith development,

2.      Different ministries connect better at one stage rather than other stages,

3.      Focus efforts such that there is a connection between ministry and where people are.

Mike said much more than this three-point synopsis, but it gives us a place to start conversations with each other about moving beyond activity to intentionality, beyond programs to passion, beyond more information to deeper relation with Jesus.

Step on the G.A.S.

Brad Munroe

The “G.A.S.” Factor in Ministry: A Conversation with Greg Hawkins

Greg Hawkins does not look like he would be leading a ministry revolution. Somewhat mild mannered, handsome but not quite a pretty boy, no formal theological education, Greg’s background is in marketing and business. Twenty-five years ago, Greg went to work on the business side of things at a little church outside of Chicago: Willowcreek. Eventually, Greg was organizing 18,000 people into literally thousands of small groups, a veritable assembly line of Bible study, prayer, faith sharing, leadership training, and – lest we neglect to mention what is truly astounding – org charts.

And Greg suspected everything he was doing did not matter all that much.

Fast forward to a project called REVEAL, which was a study conducted internally by Willowcreek staff, in consultation with researchers (nice to have resources, eh?). The REVEAL study concluded that all the busyness, all the programming, all the beehive like activity, failed to impact their members’ faith formation in the ways for which they hoped. It’s not that the programs were bad, they were even somewhat helpful, they just weren’t impactful in the ways church leaders hoped.

Fast forward again to two books Greg has co-authored or authored: Move and More. In these books Greg reports on REVEAL’s research findings and the lessons he has discerned from both his own experience as well as in consultation with pastoral leaders from churches – big and small, mainline and independent – who are making an impact in their congregations, and whose congregations are making an impact in their communities. The essential message of Move and More is that activity alone does not transform – without the G.A.S. factor nothing truly impactful in a disciple’s life, or in a church’s ministry, happens.

Fast forward to yesterday when I participated in a webinar with Greg Hawkins. Having read both Move and More, most of what Greg said was material I had previously encountered. What struck me in the webinar is what happened when Greg stepped on the G.A.S. When he started talking about moving beyond activity to intentionality, beyond programs to passion, beyond more information to deeper relation, Greg lit up. His voice rose an octave, his rate of speech increased speed, his volume, too: G.A.S. clearly mattered to Greg. G.A.S., according to Greg, is what makes the difference between a life of discipleship and just playing church; G.A.S. is the difference between churches that impact people and those who don’t.

Greg never used the phrase G.A.S. – let me not blame him for my phrase! G.A.S. is my term for Greg’s clear primacy of intentionality over activity, of passion over programs, of a deeper relation with God in Christ Jesus rather than more information about God-stuff. G.A.S. is what I call that which drives impact, and G.A.S. stands for “Give A S***.” Without G.A.S. nothing in a disciple’s life or a church’s ministry will make an impact.

Do you have G.A.S. in your spiritual tank, or are you running on empty? If you’re tank is full, go be used of God to build the Kingdom. If you’re tank is empty, let’s talk together, let’s pray together, let’s find together the way to restore what God knows – and what you probably suspect – you need: G.A.S.

On the edge,

Brad Munroe

Millennials? Igniting the Spark of Conversation

Is it supposed to be “ministry to millennials” or “ministry for millennials” or “ministry with millennials”? Are we supposed to be getting millennials to come to our church or going out to find millennials with whom we can do church? What do we do if don’t have any millennials in the congregation? Do we worry about this or focus our attention on other forms of ministry?

These questions are something of a caricature of a typical congregant, and most of us are not quite so clumsy in our conversations. However, assuming even a caricature has some truth attached, I hear in the above questions a couple of things: (1) we tend toward confusion bordering on cluelessness regarding what to do and how to move forward (not to be too unkind!) in this area of ministry; (2) our heart’s desire is to connect in authentic ways to, for, and with a younger generation (and for all the right reasons, too!); and (3) we need help engaging this conversation.

            Enter Zach Yentzer.

Zach is a millennial raised in Tucson, the son of a pastor, an entrepreneur – a barista with a business degree, and author of the book Creative: Designing Churches that Engage Generations Together. Zach will present our Ignite the Spark! workshop from 9:00 – 4:00, with lunch provided, the day before each presbytery meeting: Green Valley on October 20 and Sun City West on November 3. You can register HERE.

You might find Zach’s message surprising. He doesn’t advocate ministry to millennials as an age-specific endeavor; no youth ministry for twenty and thirty-somethings. Rather Zach proposes something completely radical: intergenerational ministry. He audaciously suggests that ministry connect people across the generations, that churches seek to congregate rather than segregate folks, that we learn to build bridges of age diversity rather than boxes of age conformity. As I have listened to Zach speak, whether in church or over coffee, I have thought to myself, “Hey, that’s something even Presbyterians can do!”

            Zach gives me hope.

Our Ignite the Spark! workshops will not and cannot transform your congregation; they are not designed so to do. Rather they are designed to ignite the spark of conversation, fan the flame of creative engagement in what ministry might look like in a tumultuous era for Christian ministry. I invite you to join in this conversation. Learn from Zach about the Creative Church and the power of incubation, mentorship, and investment. Not sure what I mean by these words? Come November 3 to learn what they mean. (Participants get a copy of Zach’s book!)  Don't wait to register- See you there!

Choosing hope in the face of fierce evidence to the contrary,
Brad Munroe

The Five Solas: The Power of Conviction

As we approach the 500^th Anniversary of the Reformation, I am reminded of the power of conviction to create energy for transformation. One may suggest the genius of Martin Luther was his conviction. One sees in Luther there exists a link between the ability to state clearly one’s convictions and the effects on self, others and society those convictions have to impact the good.

            Or ill.

If it is true that the stating of convictions has power, the dunamis unleashed impacts in all directions; Ghandi and Hitler are a kind of photographic negative of one another, the good Kirk and his evil twin both had influence (for those of us who are Star Trek fans). Thus, in today’s church and in today’s world, it is not only that we have opinions but the values and principles expressed by these opinions matter. Are our opinions worthy of Jesus?

The genius of Luther was the genius of conviction in a particular direction. Simply put, Luther had a grace obsession. Luther’s “five solas” – that salvation is through the work of Christ alone, offered by grace alone, received through faith alone, as communicated in Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone – are infused throughout by the transforming reality of grace.

For Luther, the power of the Gospel is found in the free gift of God, the Divine Initiative to love, keep loving, and persevere in love even at the ultimate cost. This love which will not let us go is the good news that, in Jesus, God is reconciling the world to restore the creation’s original shalom. It is to this good news that Luther’s convictions spoke, and these convictions still have power.

We do not need more people speaking with conviction in today’s polarized world but rather more people speaking good news with conviction. In our churches, over tea or coffee, on our Facebook pages, and on walks around our neighborhoods, the Church – written with a capital C to include all of us – is God’s chosen instrument to speak good news. Is there a way to speak of the call for justice as good news? Is there a way to speak of deeply held values as good news? Is there a way to speak the life-giving, culture-transforming, hope-offering, suffering-sharing work of Jesus Christ within our world today and speak it as good news? If we cannot answer the above questions in the affirmative, then may God have mercy upon us all.

Now that’s a prayer to which Luther would say yes.

Grace and peace,

Brad Munroe

P.S. Don’t forget the 500^th Anniversary Reformation Celebration in Douglas / Agua Prieta on November 10-11! Register by emailing office@fronteradecristo.org.

Celebrating 500 Years of Reformation: An Invitation to Fiesta on the Border November 10-11

This year marks the 500^th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Celebrations will abound in many of our churches, commemorations will be marked, even the Roman Catholics and Lutherans have moved from “agreeing to disagree” to “agreeing to agree.” Love is in the air.

The power of the Reformation, at least in part, is the power unleashed when God’s people speak from a place of core conviction, speak to the timeless truths revealed in  God’s Word, and stand upon these truths and convictions for the sake of people’s freedom, justice, and salvation. To speak truth to power unleashed God’s Spirit then, as we do so again God’s Spirit will be unleashed now.

There are several ways to describe the foundation upon which the Reformation was built, one of which is to highlight was in known as “the five solas”:

·         Sola Christus (Christ alone)                *Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)

·         Sola gratia (Grace alone)                    *Sola Gloria (God’s glory alone)

·         Sola fide (Faith alone)

These five solas form a kind of short-hand to describe the theological foundation upon which the Reformation was built, but the genius of the Reformers is that they knew better than merely to settle for a Church with only a foundation.

Upon the foundation of the five solas, the Reformers instituted a change mechanism that requires growth, engagement, discernment, reflection, and transformation. I am speaking, of course, of the mantra The Church Reformed, Always Being Reformed according to the Word of God. Neither Luther nor Calvin would likely recognize our congregations as too similar to their own, but I trust they would recognize our congregations as Spirit-inspired great-great-grandchildren whose common life is a faithful response to the crucible of history, culture, and missional needs with which we are confronted.

Celebrating how we got from there to here, from Luther and Calvin to who we are today, is the theme of a 500^th Reformation Anniversary celebration to which you and all your friends are invited. This celebration is co-sponsored by the presbytery, Frontera de Cristo, and our brothers and sisters in the Presbyterian Church of Mexico. It will take place in Douglas – Agua Prieta on Friday evening and Saturday morning, November 10-11 (click on this flier for full details).

The theme of Reformed and Always being Reformed will be conveyed through two keynote presentations by distinguished speakers from the PCUSA and the PCM. The Rev. Dr. Jose Luis Casal, Director of PCUSA World Mission, will present the first keynote: 500 Years of Reformed Missiology: How We Came to Our Understanding of Mission Today. The Rev. Dr. Ramon Garcia from the Presbyterian Church of Mexico will present the second keynote: Reformation and Migration: A Social-Theological Reading. I will preach at our bi-national worship service, (though my sermon will likely be a wee bit less scholarly than either of the Revs. Drs. Casal or Garcia). A good time will be had by all; even more, the Spirit will move and we will continue to be Always Being Reformed.

Ven a la frontera,

Brad Munroe

The Gospel of Lament: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

“My soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.”

            My wife, Laura, took a class on Scripture interpretation this summer, and at the beginning of a lecture on psalms of lament the professor read from Psalm 88. In her written response to the lecture, my wife commented on how life-giving and soul-refreshing were the words of the psalm. Laura’s colleagues were startled by her response: “How can lament such as Psalm 88 be life-giving and soul-refreshing?” In a summer of family tragedy, and with her family living in Houston, and with my family living in Florida, she found the unflinching, unapologetic honesty of Scripture to be the balm in Gilead.

“I am shut in so that I cannot escape, my eyes grow dim with sorrow.”

 This week I had the privilege of meeting the new class of Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs). One of the YAVs, Leah Bishop, asked my thoughts about the pain and suffering they had already encountered, even in their first week: parents locked in detention centers, homeless families, the list continued, even as they knew they would bear witness to more pain and more suffering. Our conversation swirled around the notion that the Christian life invites a cruciform spirituality. In Christ, through Christ, and with Christ, we do not avoid the darkness but move through it to encounter the light. We do not escape brokenness but accompany it - within ourselves and others - trusting we are accompanied by Golgatha’s most famous resident who himself bore our suffering. One expression of cruciform living is the ability to rise to the occasion in times of crisis, to allow the Spirit’s life to be expressed as tangible compassion. As a people, we respond.

“They surround me like a flood all day long; from all sides they close in on me.”

 Many of you have reached out to the presbytery asking about our denominational response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. You want to respond! Let us also remember the fires in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, and California. And, yes, help is needed and your response will be appreciated. Here is the good word from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which is funded through your gifts to the One Great Hour of Sharing:

• Put together Gift of the Heart kits, especially hygiene or clean-up buckets: pda.pcusa.org/page/kits.
• Contact the PDA Call Center about volunteer opportunities: 866-732-6121.
• Give directly to the crisis of your choice: pda.pcusa.org
• Stay aware by getting connected: Facebook.com/PDACARES.

“O Lord, God of my salvation...incline your ear to my cry.”

Grace and peace,

Brad Munroe