Transforming Followers for Transforming Churches

Pakistan - Sargodha

2011-01-29T11:17:00.000-06:00

Today was the main event of the trip - the dedication of the classroom that Minnesota Valleys Presbytery contributed to build, as well as two other classrooms in the girls school, and the groundbreaking for the new boys school. We received the full red carpet treatment - our seven trip members, members of the PEB Board, some members of the local parliment, and the principles of all the other PEB schools in Pakistan. I got a kick out of the kids who were wearing spiderman masks as they threw rose petals at us. I think they were supposed to throw them at our feet to walk on, but they had more fun throwing them at our faces :)

The school currently has just under 800 students, girls and boys, some in English medium, some in Urdu medium. The new boys school, when all three phases are complete, will have over 2000 boys. This area is desperately in need of a boys school. It is expected that once the boys school is filled (there is already a waiting list), it will provide income for scholarships for needy Christian students. There was a lot of excitement at the school, and after the program, several parents came up to me and were sharing their thanks for the boys school. The parents in the area have been asking for one for a while, especially since the government requires girls and boys after grade 5 to be in separate schools, and some of there kids were already older than that. If there was no school built for the boys, the boys currently in the school would lose the quality education they were getting at the PEB school. So the need was great and immediate. The first phase of the school should be finished in about a year. The other two phases will be completed as funding comes in.

We did have a bit of a bump on the way home - most of our people were in a bus, a few of us were in a van and we had to pull over on the motorway because it was overheating. After numerous phone calls, we reunited with the bus and another car, and transfered over, and were on our way again, leaving a few faithful PEB staff people to deal with the broken down van.

This was a great end to the trip - and it really highlighted what PEB is about - giving hope to children, and building hope for the future of Pakistan, by educating children and teaching them the values that will help them be good students, good citizens, and good people. I have been so impressed to see during these two weeks the work the Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan is doing here, and the lives that they are already changing. If we want peace in the world, it will begin with educating our children, no matter who they are, or where they are.

Tomorrow we worship in the morning and spend a little time at the PEB office in the afternoon. Then we will take the entire PEB staff out to dinner, then off to the aiport for our long flight home. It has been a good visit! If anyone ever wants to see first hand what PEB is doing here, I would recommend you come and visit. You will be amazed at what they are doing, with so little!

Signing off...

Sue Coller
~Rooted in God
~Open to Grace
~Filled with Joy!

Pakistan - Wagah Border Crossing

2011-01-28T09:06:00.001-06:00

Another day in Pakistan, another change of plans. Remember in my last post I said we were to do a tour of the Old City of Lahore? Well, due to security concerns, we had to cancel that. Yesterday there was an incident in which a US embassy employee shot two youth in self-defense (they were trying to rob him), and another embassy employee, on the way to the police station to help, got into an accident with a motorcyclist, who died. Things are very unstable in Pakistan right now, and with this incident involving US embassy employees, the PEB decided that it was not wise to take us into the old city. We trust there judgment. If there was anyone wanting to retalite against Americans because of this incident, there simply aren't many around! It really is interesting that when we are out in the schools or driving around Lahore, we see no caucasians except the ones working at Forman Christian College, where we are staying. I've traveled many places all over the world, and I think the last time I experienced the utter lack of white faces around me was in China in 1981!

So we had a quiet morning at the college, then a few of us went over to the PEB offices to have some lunch and meet with some of the children.

This afternoon we were able to keep to our original plans and visit the Wagah Border for the flag lowering ceremony. This is a unique event, that takes place on the border between India and Pakistan. It is almost like a half time pep rally at a football game - rally songs, flag waving, orchestrated cheering, offiers marching with exagerated steps, and finally the Indian and Pakistani solders meeting at the flags, a lot of posturing, throwing their ropes in each other's faces, and lowering their flags in unison. Obviously well reheresed! And fun to watch. Apparently about 5000 people attend each day, although the crowd was a little spare today. Apparently that is not unexpected on a Friday.

So a little disappointing that we had to miss the historic tour, but a good day nonetheless.

Tomorrow is the culmination of the trip - a drive to Sargoda, to dedicate a classroom funded by Minnesota Valleys Presbytery, and to participate in the groundbreaking of a new boys dorm for the boys school. Usually there is about a dozen of us when we've gone out to visit schools, tomorrow there will be about 35 of us going up in a bus for the four hour dive to the school.

Stay tuned....

Sue Coller
~Rooted in God
~Open to Grace
~Filled with Joy!

Pakistan - Day ?

2011-01-27T02:04:00.000-06:00

It's amazing how you lose track of time here! It has been a couple days since I have last upated the blog. Some of you may have seen on my facebook page that there was a suicide bomber in Lahore a couple days ago, in which 7 people were killed. We all called home to assure our families that we were all well.

Since then, part of the group went on to a Mission hospital. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go, as was another of our group members. Several of us have gotten sick, so that has definitely put a damper on the trip. Forunately Veeda, our host, is very flexible, and the old city tour of Lahore that was planned for today has been rescheduled for tomorrow, in hopes that we will be feeling well enough to go. Anyway - a short update today - time to go back to bed!

Pakistan - Pasrur School

2011-01-24T21:27:00.000-06:00

On our way to Pasrur PEB School, about a three hour drive from Lahore on what one of our group members said was the worst road she had ever been on! It was rough enough the PEB staff wouldn't let any of us sit in the back of the van! The countryside was beautiful - and interesting. Almost all of the farming and work is still done by hand - brick making, oxen plowing fields, harvesting by hand. We even saw two men on scafolding building a brick wall almost two stories up, with a third man throwing bricks up to them one at a time!

About two hours in, it was tea time, so of course we pulled off on the side of the road, and the PEB staff (the men only!) set up the tea service and served us all. We took pictures of them serving and cleaning up so we could show their wives they really are capable of housework!

When we got to Pasrur school, we discovered why Ed Morgan didn't want to miss this school. The entire school turned out for our arrival (that part was normal), and started yelling "Ed Morgan!" Who knew we had such a celebrity in our midst? Ed's Iowa congregation had adopted this school and had given a significant amount of money to rehab the school and build the girls boarding house.

This school is a model of what can happen with the other PEB schools with the right investment. Even then, we saw classes meeting in the hallways because they are still short on classrooms.

Each class we visited welcomed us warmly, and gave us homemade cards. Most said something like "welcome." One said "we welcome you with zest and zeal!" That was fun. A sobering one from one girl just said "do not foregt us." Looking at the kids it is easy to forget that utter proverty most come from and the sacrifices their parents have had to make so their children could attend a good school. Without the help of churches like the Iowa City church and others, many of these kids would not have much of a future. Let us not forget them.

Sue Coller
~Rooted in God
~Open to Grace
~Filled with Joy!

Pakistan - Naulakha Presbyterian Church

2011-01-23T19:49:00.001-06:00

Today we joined in worship with the Naulakha Presbyterian Church in Lahore. It was a rich experience - Rev. Sandy Murray from our group preached the sermon, and Rev. Ed Morgan gave greetings on our behalf. After worship we met with a group of young people and church elders, and we shared with each other the various missions and ministries of our churches and presbyteries. Like many of our churches, they are involved in serving the poor, in providing medical care, and in flood relief.

One of our ministries that they were very interested in was our Leadership Development for Ministry program. They are interested in building leadership within their own congregation, and were excited to learn about what we are doing in the US.

One of the purely fun parts of the morning was having the church children ask to have their pictures taken with us, I guess this was our brush with being celebrities!

Lunch at a local restaurant with the pastor and his family, a relaxing afternoon, and dinner with the executive director of PEB and friends, and a round of "Who can top this?" rounded out the evening. In case you were wondering, 2 men and 3 goats on a small motorcycle trumps 8 people on a small motorcyle!

Stay tuned for more!

Sue Coller

Pakistan - Martinspur and Sangla Hill

2011-01-22T12:38:00.000-06:00

Today we traveled by van to the town of Martinspur, a very unique town in Pakistan, in that it is 99.9% Christan. It was established in 1898 by a Presbyterian missionary, the Rev. Dr Samuel Martin.

First we visited the home of a FC College student. Their homes are very modest - made out of mud,with only a room or maybe two, and a courtyard, that also serves as the family bedroom. They served tea and cookies, which we ate under the proud eyes of the family. It is a symbol of honor to have Westerners visit your house.

After that we visited the girls school and the boys school in town. Also founded by Presbyterian missionaries (the boys school in 1915), when it was denationalized in 2002 (see my previous post) the Presbyterian Education Board (PEB) received it back in terrible shape. Parts of buildings had to be torn down, some classrooms were unusable, others, barely usable. They also did not, and still do not, have enough classrooms to handle all the enrollment requests. Basically, the whole school needs to be reconstructed and enlarged, but they are doing the best they can. And they are doing well. During the nationalization period, student test scores plummeted. Now they are almost back up to where they were before the government took over all the schools. So in spite of very inadequate conditions, the teachers and administrators are doing exceptional jobs. They are what makes the school what it is. We heard several former students stand up at their welcome for us, and talk about how their education at this PEB school changed their lives, gave them confidence, and gave them a future. Because of the work of PEB in Pakistan, new worlds are opening up to students who may not have had any hope before. The PEB schools really focus on reaching out to the poorest of the poor with education, scholarships, and resources, to give them a chance at a bright future, and to help them be good citizens, with good values.

The Principal of the boys school shared some comments about the needs of the school, and in addition to reconstruction, he said that the biggest need the school has is a photocopier! They have to travel 15 km to make a photocopy, something many of us can do in our own homes.

We then visited the girls school and boarding house in Sangla Hill. Another impressive school, much work has already been done there to reconstruct the school, and with the help of the PW Birthday Offering, to build a girls dorm. It is a beautiful facility! We participated in the dedication of two classrooms there, made possible by the donation of a very generous individual.

Another ministry that PEB has at the girls school is SHE - a project that helps poor women learn skills so they can sell their crafts to help support their families. They also have a women's shelter on campus for abused and battered women and their children. There are currently 8 families there that the PEB is working with.

Today was a day that really emphasized the lives that PEB is changing through their schools and other ministries. It is not often you can say one particular organization will have an unmistakable positive imprint on a people, but I think we can say that in this case.

If any of you reading this are interested in helping with some of the needs at the PEB schools, so that more children can be empowered and educated, you can find out more at the Friends of PEB website: www.friendsofpeb.org.

We ended the day by attending a Muslim wedding. This was day two of a three day celebration, and we all had a great time! The Pakistani people have been wonderful and welcoming to us all, and a real pleasure to get to know.

Sue Coller
~Rooted in God
~Open to Grace
~Filled with Joy!

Pakistan - Forman Christan College

2011-01-21T10:34:00.000-06:00

Today we focused on Forman Christian College, or FCCollege as it is known in Pakistan. TheTtrembles, our hosts on campus, gave us a quick tour of the campus, and then we had a series of meetings with the college president and other administration officers. Peter Armacost, the Rector (President) of FCC, shared a history of the college. It was founded in 1864 by Presbyterian missionaries, and grew to be one of the formost colleges on the subcontinent. In 1974, it was taken over by the Pakistani government, when they nationalized all schools in Pakistan. During those years the quality of education plummeted. The college was the first on the subcontinent to admin women in 1902, but during those years of nationalization no women were allowed to be students. In 2003 the college was finally returned to the church. Today there is a very strong female presence, and Christian presence, which also was almost non-existent during the nationalization years.

The school faces a lot of challenges, but it is also one of the best hopes Pakistan has for positive change. Numerous meetings with faculty, staff and students today shared one common theme: education is the only hope Pakistan has, and FCC is a leader in graduating students who have been, and will be, positive leaders in Pakistan.

So much more could be said...

I could tell you about a free program Dr. Armacost's wife has set up for the poorest women workers on campus, to teach them how to read and write, and how 2 years after the program began, the mothers were coming to her asking for them to educate their children. They didn't know how important education was, until they began to get some themselves.
I could tell you about how FCC is developing programs to train teachers in other schools, to increase the quality of edcuation beyond FCC
I could talk about how FCC models peaceful interfaith harmony
I could talk about how it is the only place in Pakistan where Christians can come to learn the Bible, Christian theology, and grow in Christian leadership
I could talk about the dedication to Christian faith and Christian mission the faculty has, in the face of real danger for Christians in today's Pakistan.

I could go on, but suffice it to say, God is doing amazing things here, and so much more still needs to be done. Keep the college and their leaders in your prayers!

One last thing - we particpated in the assesments of students as they did the English exams, and it was a joy to be a part of their educational experience!

Pakistan - Kinnaird Academy

2011-01-20T20:41:00.001-06:00

Yesterday we arrived in Pakistan, our group from Minnesota Valleys Presbytery and friends, and after a short nap (we arrived at 2 am!), our adventure began. First we visited Kinnaird Academy High School in Lahore, Pakistan, one of the Presbyterian Education Board schools. The school has nursery thru 10th grade, which is when they gradutate from high school. We visited classrooms, the children, all taught in English, sang to us and recited poems. We visited with teachers and administrators to learn about some of the challenges of running the school.

We also met with the PEB building committee and heard a presentattion by the architects working on the new boys school being considered for land the PEB recently received back fron the government. That's a long story! The school will serve 2800 boys, for a cost of 2.9 million US dollars. There is such great need for schools in Pakistan - education is the best hope for the future of this country, and for the lives of these children. One of the people we met was the PCUSA property manager, who is an attorney who has worked for years at getting the schools back from the government. He told stories of his children being kidnapped, knives and guns in his back. It is a dangerous place.

In the evening we visited with our PCUSA mission co-workers, Doug and Margie, who work at Forman Christian College in Lahore, where we are staying. We heard from a Pakistani something of the history and culture of Pakistan and some of its challenges and opportunities.

We were going to go to a pre-wedding party after that, but we were all to exhausted!

This morning - back to Forman Christia College to meet with students, administrators, and also to help with student assessments in English.

More to come!

Sue Coller
~Rooted in God
~Open to Grace
~Filled with Joy!

Who inspires You?

2010-12-22T16:03:00.000-06:00

It was with sadness that I read last week of the death of Carol Weir. (You can read the Presbyterian News Service story here) Carol and Ben were wonderful friends. When I was in seminary I got to know them both very well, as I cleaned house for them, helped them with dinner parties, and carted many loads of stuff to the dumb. I remember one trip to the dump site with Carol sitting in the passenger seat of my truck. I was asking her about how she handled things when Ben was held captive in Lebanon for 16 months. She spoke of her efforts to prod and move the Reagan administration to work for Ben's release. It became clear as she talked that she would much rather have remained the quiet person in the background, but she realized very quickly that help would only come if she put aside her quiet nature and became the bulldog that wouldn't let Ben's kidnapping fade away into yesterday's news. To a large part because of her efforts to keep Ben's kidnapping on the front page, the wheels of government turned, and after 16 long months, Ben finally came home to his family. Carol found in that experience strength and courage she never knew she had.

I think about Carol often. We often feel that one person can't make a difference, that one person can't change the course of history, that one person, namely me (you), can't possibly do anything because after all, who are we? Yet one ordinary person can make a difference. Carol did. And we've seen others too. The question is, do we care enough to try, do we love enough to put ourselves out there in ways that may be uncomfortable, and are we willing to put ourselves on the line and take a risk for what we believe in? Are we willing to discover hidden resources of strength and courage in ourselves?

As I said, I think of Carol and others like her often. They are my inspiration, and my encouragement, as I stand up for what I believe in, and as I fight for what I believe is right and just.

Who is your inspiration?

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

Youth - The Future of the Church?

2010-10-18T16:19:00.002-05:00

Those of you who know me know that I would never say that – the youth are the present of the church! We all are the future, no matter what our age. But I raise this question for a different reason. Most of our churches want youth in church. Why? Many reasons, but one large one is that they are looking to the future, and a population that is steadily growing older, and dying. If the youth are not present in our church today, then what hope do we have for the future?

I was just reviewing some slides from a Heads of Communion retreat with the Minnesota Council of Churches. One of the slides projects that by the year 2030, people over the age of 65 will outnumber children 15 and younger in the United States. What does that mean for our churches? Can we put all our eggs in one basket for the future, and hope we get more kids so that our churches will continue? We can, but I think we all know that children don’t grow on trees. Many churches put a lot of energy, even if it is just worry energy, into a ministry for youth. I certainly think churches need to attend to that, especially if they have youth. But I think we are missing a vital ministry – to the older members of our communities. Not just the older members of our congregations, but the older members of our wider communities. The need for health care, visits, cards, meals, pet care while in the hospital, support for caregivers, etc., will only continue to grow in the years ahead, and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. Why not develop a strong outreach/care ministry to those who are growing older, and don’t have a community around them to care?

If the church is going to have any meaning at all in the world, then we need to look beyond the way we’ve always done things, and look beyond what we hope for (youth!), and see the real needs that are around us, and anticipate the ones to come. There are some real needs coming up on the horizon. Take a look at them, and then go meet them head on. You may be surprised at how that gives new life to the church.

Sue Coller, Executive Presbyter
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

The $100 Challenge: Results Part 6

2010-10-18T12:12:00.000-05:00

We've got another story of how one church used the $100 challenge issued to them at the end of last year. Union Presbyterian Church in St. Peter took the $100 and handed out $1 to everyone on August 1, 2010. I have to admit - I've heard of churches handing out $20 to each person, but $1? What can you do with $1?!? Well, This was part of Union's plan to emphysize personal discipleship, and keep reading for the results. I've decided to put all the stories on here, because there is something about reading them all at once that reminds us what individually, we can have a huge impact with the small gifts we have. It just takes creativity, and a heart, and faith.

Union Presbyterian Church, St. Peter - the $1 Challenge
Rev. Andy Davis, Pastor

1.    I bought a card for someone celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

2.    I put it with my own money and went shopping for school supplies. I dropped these in (a student's) box at Econofoods. Her senior project is to gather school supplies and give them to Nicollet County Social Services.

3.    I used my dollar to get the phone number for and call an old multi-millionaire friend to tell him about what Kids Against Hunger is doing with Haiti’s Port of Prince as a model for an “each one reach one” dream. Then I encouraged him to google Ashton Partridge to look at what he’s doing with solar panels. I did this because Dr. Partridge’s name came to me in a dream, and we were talking about him. Funny thing is I had never heard of it or checked it out before the dream.

4.    I gave the dollar to the Salvation Army.

5.    The combined $1.00 that each of us received grew to $200.00 and went to a Methodist Church in Mexico that had a special need.

6.    We combined our dollars with a few of our own and bought items for the birthday box.

7.    Fire Department

8.    I gave it, with other moolah, to a friend who lost her job.

9.    I multiplied it and mailed it to the Red Cross to aid Pakistan flood victims.

10.    We added a check with our dollar and sent a card to a little girl who has recently had her fourth surgery due to brittle bone disease. Her parents are on a limited income and have had numerous expenses.

11.    For just 31 cents Care provides a hot, nutritious meal for a hungry, hurting child. My dollar was the seed for a $30.00 contribution that will feed 97 meals to hungry children.

12.    On a family outing to the North Shore our grandson wanted us to see the soup kitchen where he helped serve meals on a mission trip a few years ago (Union Gospel Mission - Duluth); how could we not take our dollars plus a few more and contribute to this mission effort.

13.    I sent my granddaughter the dollar plus more dollars for school supplies and clothes because her father is unemployed.

14.    I bought two red roses and a bud vase and gave them to a lady in a nursing home; she is recovering from a broken hip.

15.    I added $9.00 to provide a birthday kit for a St. Peter child.

16.    I sent it with additional $$ to my sister and brother-in-law in Eluthra in the Bahamas for mission work there as they fly to Haiti to help there, also.

17.    I gave it to to VINE.

18.    I gave it with extra money to the Mayo Clinic.

19.    I gave it with extra money to the 2010 cancer appeal at the Mayo Clinic. Donating to this fund can save 5 percent more lives in just one year.

20.    I bought a scratch ticket and gave the results to the church to be given to the food shelf.

21.    Through ChildFund International (formerly Christian Children’s Fund) I sponsor two children in Africa – one in Mozambique and one in Zambia. With my dollar and more dollars, I sent a gift of money to the children’s communities for them to apply to a need. I recommend that people in our congregation consider sponsoring a child in a poor area of the world. The Mission Committee may want to sponsor a child as an outreach project.

22.    We gave surprise flowers and a card to one of our grandma’s friends who is also our friend.

23.    I gave it to VINE – along with a $30.00 check.

24.    I added it to my contribution to the disabled veterans.

25.    I visited a friend in assisted living and brought her home-made goodies. I sent another shut-in a “thinking of you” card.

26.    I put my dollar in the McDonald’s donation box.

27.    We donated our dollars to Kids Against Hunger.

28.    A patient at the Clinic, with no gas in the car, needed to go to a dentist in Savage. I was able to give her the money for gas to get there from my family.

29.    I took my dollar to buy a wedding anniversary card for some college friends. I then included $100 in the card because they’re experiencing some financial stress, and I sent it anonymously so they won’t feel obligated to repay me somewhere down the line. What a fun thing to do!

30.    I had a nice pencil case so used the dollar and others to fill it with school items. Some local businesses had collections for needy kids. I was visiting on your Dollar Sunday. Thanks for the opportunity!

31.    I purchased school supplies (25 of each – notebooks, crayons, rulers, pencils. I planned to send these to (a mission) Bangladesh. However, the post office was not able to send it to that area, and if they could, it would have cost over $200 in shipping, so I donated the items to Nicollet County Bank’s school supply collection box.

32.    I added money and sent a donation to the Bella Voce Young Women’s Choir of Southeastern Minnesota.

33.    Ever since I heard of microlending (giving business loans to entrepreneurs – mostly women – in developing countries) I’ve wanted to contribute. When I received the dollar on Sunday, I decided it was time to do something about that. I loaned the dollar, along with some money of my own, to a group of women who sell food in the Dominican Republic. They will use it to fund and expand their businesses.

34.    Gave donation to Caring Bridge; donations ensure patients, family and friends receive healing, encouragement and hope.

35.    I used my dollar to purchase a coin bank at the dollar store. I put all my spare change in the bank during August and then donated what I saved ($38.70) to the new regional pet shelter (BENCHES).

36.    Added money to the $1 and bought school supplies for needy children

37.    Pakistan flood relief

38.    We added our $2.00 to our gift for the Pakistan flood relief where it will buy a lot more than a local thing

39.    The first week I added $1.00 per day; the 2nd week, $2.00 per day, week 3, $3.00 per day, and week 4, $4.00 per day. I multiplied the remaining 3 days by 3. Please use the $80.00 to help the Presbyterian Church in Pakistan

40.    Made banana bread for a grandson who had just had surgery

41.    We bought a packet of white price stickers, put them on a bunch of unneeded household things and sold them at a garage sale. The attached $20.00 is the “tithe” from that sale.

42.    I want to give $1.00 towards stamps for the deacons.

43.    I shared it with the fellow who bagged my groceries.

44.    Kids Against Hunger; food packed in Mankato and sent to needy children. One dollar feeds four children. On September 23 a speaker on such will be at the Wilds.

45.    I donated it to the DNR at the State Fair.

46.    I added some money to it and gave it to the Pakistan flood relief offering.

47.    Our daughter-in-law, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, is going on a Lutheran mission trip the end of October. They will be visiting the Children of Israel Orphanage on the southwest coast of Haiti, in the city of Les Cayes. We will be adding an additional amount to the money we received on Dollar Sunday and giving it to the Caribbean Children’s Foundation. Their needs are many, with a priority of rebuilding what was damaged in the earthquake.

48.    I added $19.00 to the dollar and donated two bags of groceries to the food shelf.

49.    I added $24.00 to the dollar and made a donation to Kiva.com. Kiva makes micro loans to individuals in underdeveloped countries to start self-sustaining businesses.

50.    I gave my dollar for a forget-me-not from the DAV.

51.    I posted a sign on the bulletin board I the foyer of the Arts Center, which said:
“If you need some money, feel free to take some.
If you have some money, please pin some here. Someone may need it.”
I pinned my dollar on the sign. Over the course of the month, I saw as many as four dollars on the sign and, sometimes, it was empty. I did add four of my own dollars.

52.    I bought a thinking of you card for my cousin who is in the Navy.

53.    I bought a get-well card for Grandpa, who was diagnosed with bone cancer.

54.    I added more $ and purchased items for a birthday bag.

55.    I added to my dollar to make $100 and sent it to my sister’s church in Mexico. The custodian needed money for her daughter’s needs for school.

56.    Added to make $100 and sent it to a Methodist church in Mexico. Another custodian needed to buy a hearing aid for her husband.

The $100 Challenge: Results Part 5

2010-07-28T15:33:00.002-05:00

Finally, I'm posting a couple more stories. After taking a break for General Assembly info, it's time to share with you what a couple more churches have done with their $100. As a reminder, in December, the council of Minnesota Valleys Presbytery gave $100 to all churches at our December Presbytery meeting, with a challenge to multiply it for mission. Our stories this time come from Osakis, Edgerton and Lismore.

Osakis Presbyterian Church, Osakis - Witnessing

Osakis Presbyterian Church received a one hundred dollar grant from Presbytery to be use for something new. So we did something really, really new. With the aid of an additional one hundred and sixty dollars provided by our Men's Group, we purchased yard signs for every household in the congregation. These signs will be displayed in our yards several times each year. It is not sackcloth and ashes, but, "Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.” Jonah 3:9

Rev. Tim Sutton, Pastor

First Presbyterian Churches of Edgerton and Lismore - Food and Help

Our two churches were able to raise a total of $1,735.60. To this we each added the $100.00 given to us by the Presbytery for a grand total of $1,935.60. Lismore sent the following funds off accordingly: $400.00 for Haiti relief and $490.60 to the Manna Food shelf in Worthington. This would include the initial $100.00 given to us by the Presbytery. Edgerton sent the following funds off accordingly: $200.00 for Haiti relief and $845.00 to the Food Shelf in Pipestone. This also includes the initial $100.00 given to us by the Presbytery. Edgerton also is sending in food items as well. We all can be proud of what our two small rural churches have done to turn a small amount entrusted to us into something great and useful that will benefit many, many others at this time. Congratulations to our two churches and thank you very much.

Rev. Terry Olthoff, Pastor

General Assembly - Moderator's Post-GA Letter

2010-07-10T15:25:00.000-05:00

I've put a link here to the post-GA letter from the Moderator, Stated Clerk, Vice-Moderator, and Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council. It is a good summary of what happened. Included in the letter are five FAQs you can download on five of the hot-button topics that this General Assembly dealt with. Those FAQs are included here:

Civil Union and Marriage FAQ
Form of Government FAQ
Middle East Peacemaking FAQ
Middle Governing Body Commission FAQ
Ordination Standards FAQ

Please share this letter and these resources with your congregations.

Moderator's Letter: http://ga219.pcusa.org/news/2010/7/10/post-general-assembly-pastoral-letter-moderator-an/

Sue Coller
     Rooted in God
     Open to Grace
     Filled with Joy

General Assembly Update - Friday

2010-07-10T00:17:00.002-05:00

Rather than a separate blog on each issue, I'm going to recap all of what I think were the most significant issues addressed today in one post. Ready? Here goes!

Some were administrative; the one that is probably of most interest to congregations is one about church articles of incorporation. A question was asked about whether a session is supposed to provide the presbytery with a copy of its articles of incorporation. In short, the answer was yes. At the very least they need to be entered into the minutes of the church, and any amendments to them would be reflected in the minute books. The Advisory Committee on the Constitution further advised that "A congregation therefore lacks the power to adopt changes to its articles of incorporation, regulations, bylaws, or standing rules that are contrary to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) This is part of a new authoritative interpretation issued by the General Assembly today in response to the question asked of the Advisory Committee.

Another overture was defeated that is especially relevant to presbyteries like ours which use commissioned lay pastors to serve small churches or are commissioned to serve the Lord's Supper in a geographical region for a specified period of time. The proposed overture would have provided for a new classification of commissioned lay pastor, CLP-at-large, to serve at the discretion of the presbytery; allowed the CLP-at-large to provide services, while not commissioned to a particular congregation, including officiating at the Sacraments; and would have allowed the CLP-at-large to to serve in his/her own church should even though it may have pastoral leadership, somewhat similar to a parish associate.   This overture was defeated.

A significant overture in terms of the focus of our denomination was one that instructed the General Assembly Mission Council to make mission support a priority for 2011-12, and invites each presbytery to share the cost of one mission co-worker during 2011-12.

A major decision was to reestablish an Office of Collegiate Ministries in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as a vital and integral part of the ministry and mission of the church and to direct that office to prepare a strategy for mission in higher education in concert with middle governing bodies, congregations, and, where possible, ecumenical partners, to be presented to the 220th General Assembly (2012). We struggle with college ministry, and this decision places a higher emphasis on it than we have had in recent years.

Probably one of the most controversial decisions of the day relates to pension and medical benefits for church workers and their same-gender spouses, domestic partners, and their children. The exact wording of the action adopted is: That the 219th General Assembly (2010): 1. Urge the Board of Pensions to adopt amendments to the Benefits Plan to extend eligibility for spousal and dependent benefits under the Plan to Benefits Plan members, their same-gender domestic partners, and the children of their same-gender domestic partners, on the same basis as, and equivalent to, benefits made available to Benefits Plan members, their spouses, and the children of their spouses. 2. Approve an increase in dues for the Benefits Plan of up to 1 percent, effective January 1, 2012, to be allocated among the plans of the Board of Pensions, including but not limited to the Pension Plan, as the Board, in its sole discretion, deems necessary to fund the cost of the additional benefits. Should the Board not implement these benefits for any reason, approval of the increase in dues is rescinded. Comment: That the Board of Pensions be highly urged to provide relief of conscience, to be implemented simultaneously with these actions, for those congregations for whom these actions cause a moral dilemma. This passed with a vote of 366 yes, 287 no, and 9 abstaining. It should be noted that for those who are not aware of it, many church workers, such as musicians, secretaries, and christian educators, just to name a few, are participants in the Board of Pensions medical and pension plan.

Another resolution related to the Board of Pensions was adopted that "urges the Board of Pensions to develop a plan to ensure that funds from any Relief of Conscience churches do not go to fund abortions through any avenue."

An issue that has been ongoing has been our denomination's relationship to Caterpillar. General Assembly voted (Affirmative: 418 Negative: 210 Abstaining: 9) to denounce Caterpillar for “profit-making from non-peaceful uses” of some of its equipment in Palestine/Israel and adopted a policy statement to guide our continued engagement with this company.

And finally, with a vote of 558 for, 119 against, and 7 abstaining, the General Assembly voted to approve the Middle East study report, Breaking Down Walls, with some modifications from the original report. They replaced part of the report with voices from “authentically Palestinian perspectives” and “authentically Israeli perspectives” to address the concern expressed by some that there were some perspectives missing from the report.

There were many more actions taken by the General Assembly, some of which would be of interest to you, others, probably not. If you want to see all the actions, you can go to pc-biz.org and check out the business items under each committee.

In the weeks and months to come, you will be hearing more about these, as we engage them as a presbytery. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Sue Coller
     Rooted in God
     Open to Grace
     Filled with Joy

General Assembly Update - Marriage Issues

2010-07-08T23:50:00.000-05:00

This has been one of those topics that has stirred up a lot of people on both sides of the issue - those who slide up to me after church and say, "they better not change the definition of marriage!" and those who quietly come up to me and whisper hopefully, "do you think it has a chance of passing?" This is a subject that our denomination is just now beginning to delve into, and no doubt it will be a subject we will be wrestling with for some time to come.

There were several overtures to the General Assembly this year to change the definition of marriage to between two persons, and other overtures that sought to ask General Assembly to strongly reaffirm the current understanding of marriage as that between a man and a woman. There was also a recommendation that an authoritative interpretation be approved that would allow ministers and sessions in states where same-gender marriage is legal to respond pastorally to same-gender couples who come to them with legal marriage licenses, requesting to be married or to have their marriage celebrated in the church. This authoritative interpretation was deemed necessary because pastors and sessions in states that allow same-gender marriages have already found themselves in a bind of conscience in seeking to be faithful to our PCUSA constitution and seeking to provide pastoral care and support to their congregation members.

Before dealing with those issues, the General Assembly looked at a study document commissioned by the 218th General Assembly (2008) to study:

a.     The history of the laws governing marriage and civil union, including current policy debates.

b.     How the theology and practice of marriage have developed in the Reformed and broader Christian tradition.

c.     The relationship between civil union and Christian marriage.

d.     The effects of current laws on same-gender partners and their children.

e.     The place of covenanted same-gender partnerships in the Christian community. (Minutes, 2008, Part I, p. 259)

There was also a minority report that the Assembly looked at. Neither report called for the definition of marriage to be changed.

The Assembly voted 439 for, 208 against, and 12 abstaining, to approve the majority report and send it to the presbyteries and the churches for study. Also included in the motion was to send the minority report for study along with it.

After that action, the Assembly voted, by a very narrow margin (348 for, 324 against, 6 abstaining) to essentially not deal with any of the other overtures and recommendations that were before it from this committee. Some commissioners felt that since they had just sent a study document to the church, it would be premature to also send proposed amendments to the church that were related to issues about same-gender marriage.

So there you have the highlights. No doubt this is a topic that will come up again in two years when we meet again in 2012. So let's take the time to study this, to talk about this with each other, so that when this comes up again, we will be able to contribute to the conversation with prayerful consideration and thought.

Sue Coller
     Rooted in God
     Open to Grace
     Filled with Joy

General Assembly Update: Ordination Standards

2010-07-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

Yes, our conversation about ordination standards has not ended, and in reality, I don't believe it ever should. I think we should always be attentive to our standards and how they are lived out and how they challenge us, affirm us, and lead us to grow as we seek to be faithful leaders of Christ's church in this, and any, day and age.

The particular issue related to ordination standards we are dealing with today is a proposal to change the wording of G-6.0106b FROM:

"Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament."

TO:
"Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.”

Each paragraph lifts up the importance of standards for those who serve in leadership roles in our churches. There are two major differences between the two paragraphs. One is the order of priority in who or what we submit our lives to. The first paragraph (what is currently in our Book of Order), lifts up scripture and the confessions as what we submit ourselves and our lives to. The primary emphasis in the paragraph is the confessional standards above the scriptures. The second not only changes that order, it adds Jesus Christ as the first and primary one we submit our lives to, guided by scripture and then by our confessions. This order, especially including Christ, parallels the fourth ordination question elders, deacons and ministers of Word and Sacrament answer when they are ordained or installed.

The other difference is the one that gets the majority of the news coverage, the "fidelity and chastity" sentence, which is not in the new paragraph. The problem with that sentence, even for some who oppose the ordination of actively practicing homosexual persons, was that it lifted up one particular standard as more important than any other standard for ordination and installation. Some fear that taking that sentence out will open the door to the ordination of practicing homosexuals and lower standards. Others say that taking that out does not lessen the importance of the standard of faithfulness in our relationships, but instead lifts up all standards equally.

The debate was thoughtful, prayerful, and passionate. I was pleased to see how carefully eveyrone listened to each other, and pray that such will be the model we continue in our churches as we debate this issue ourselves. For by a vote of 373 for, 323 against, and 4 abstentions,the General Assembly voted to send this proposed change to our Book of Order to the Presbyteries for their vote. Presbyteries will have one year to vote on this proposed amendment. A majority of presbyteries need to vote in the affirmative for this change to go into effect.

No doubt those of you reading this will have divergent views of this proposed change, and I have no doubt that each of you comes to your particular view with great faith. I hope that no matter what your perspective is on this matter, that we will honor each others faith and respect each others right to understand this matter in their own way, trusting that each has reached their place in faith. I also hope that as our presbyteries debate this amendment, that we listen to each other with grace.

Sue Coller
     Rooted in God
     Open to Grace
     Filled with Joy

General Assembly Update: Flexible Presbytery Membership

2010-07-08T11:48:00.000-05:00

An overture came to the General Assembly asking for permission for churches to affiliate in new presbyteries formed, not only on geography, but on "geographic, theological, missional, or other considerations of importance to those congregations."

The General Assembly has repeatedly defeated this request, and it was just defeated again. I, for one, am glad this was defeated, for several reasons. The main reason is that such an action would encourage us, not to talk more with each other, but less. One witness that has come out of several study committees is that when people who differ theologically with each other sit down and wrestle over time with significant issues, they come, not necessarily to agree with each other, but to respect each other and to work more closely with each other for the furthering of God's kingdom in this world. When we take action to separate, even when we stay within the same denomination, we run a huge risk of speaking more and more at each other, and less with each other. I, for one, value the voices of those who have different views than I do. They help me fine tune my own, sometimes I even change my view. Sometimes they do. Either way, or when no change happens, we grow stronger together.

One of the hallmarks of the Presbyterian Church USA is that we do welcome and value the voices of those who differ from us. I, for one, am glad that this value has stayed constant.

General Assembly Update: Middle Governing Body Commission

2010-07-08T11:28:00.000-05:00

This morning the Assembly created a Middle Governing Body Commission to address issues related to Synods and Presbyteries between General Assemblies. In a really tiny nutshell. Keep in mind that no nutshell can contain the whole truth! I've put at the end of this post the actual powers of the commission as approved by the General Assembly, so take a look at that. This is significant because there has been debate for years about the continuation of synods, and the role of presbyteries. This commission will not end those debates, but will allow us to try out new forms and make changes without waiting two years before the next General Assembly meets. This is especially important for those presbyteries and synods that are in severe financial and leadership crises.

One important part of this formation is that the commission cannot act without a TWO THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE. Some were concerned that they had too much power to redraw presbytery and synod lines and form new presbyteries and synods. The General Assembly added this requirement of a 2/3 majority vote, and was careful to put limits on the powers of this committee to change synod and presbytery bounds and create new synods and presbyteries, or do anything else with presbyteries and synods, only when specifically requested by the synods and presbyteries affected by the requested action.

The action passed with a vote of 566 for, 104 against, and 4 abstentions.

Action of the General Assembly:

The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly recommends that the 219th General Assembly (2010) direct the Moderators of the 218th and 219th General Assemblies (2008 and 2010), in consultation with the General Assembly Nominating Committee, to appoint twenty-one persons to a General Assembly Commission on Middle Governing Bodies with the following focus and powers:

1.   The commission will consult with sessions, presbyteries, synods, and the wider church on the mission and function of middle governing bodies.

2.   The commission will develop models that reflect the roles of middle governing bodies in our polity and the changing context of our witness in the United States and their relationships with other governing bodies.

3.   The commission will prepare a report to the 220th General Assembly (2012) of its findings and any recommended Book of Order changes.

4.   The commission will implement, within the powers granted it, any decisions forwarded from the 219th General Assembly (2010) and approved by presbyteries regarding the form and function of middle governing bodies with a report to the 220th General Assembly (2012).

5.   By direction of the 219th General Assembly (2010), or upon a majority affirmative vote of the affected presbytery or presbyteries or a majority affirmative vote of the presbyteries in the affected synod or synods, the commission is authorized to act as the General Assembly according to

      a.         G-13.0103m: “to organize new synods and to divide, unite, or otherwise combine synods or portions of synods previously existing;”

      b.         G-13.0103n: “to approve the organization, division, uniting, or combining of presbyteries or portions of presbyteries by synods.”

6.   The commission will supervise the Special Administrative Review Committee on Puerto Rico and act on any recommendations they may make within the powers given to the commission.

7.      The actions of the commission shall require a two-thirds majority for approval.

General Assembly Update - the New Form of Government

2010-07-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

For well over 10 years, if not closer to 20, there have been calls for either a new Form of Government to replace our current Form of Government (the first section of our Book of Order), or for massive revisions and rewriting of our current Form of Government. No polity is perfect, and ours is no exception. For the last almost 30 years, we as a denomination have tweaked and changed and "perfected" to the best of our ability our form of government, and as a result it has grown larger and, in some cases, has even become a hindrance to ministry in some of our presbyteries and congregations. So for about the last 10-15 years or so, various proposals have been put forward to simplify and revise our Form of Government so that it can be more responsive to our ministry needs and yet still keep the standards and identify that make us who we are and bind us together. Today, the General Assembly has finally found a version they felt was worth of passing on to the Presbyteries for their vote.

The new Form of Government can be found at our PCUSA website here: http://oga.pcusa.org/formofgovernment/pdfs/fog-report-feb2010.pdf. NOTE: THis is the UNAMENDED VERSION. The General Assembly today made a few amendments to what you will find at this URL. Once we get the link to the revised version, I'll post that as a comment to this note. Those amendments were not numerous, so if you want to read it right away, this will still get you the general idea.

The process now is for every presbytery to look at this again (this or a version of this has been around for almost 4 years now) and vote on whether or not we want this to replace the Form of Government section in our Book of Order. If a majority of the 173 presbyteries vote to replace the current Form of Government with the proposed Form of Government, then in one year's time the new version will become the rules we live by. Of course then we'll start tweaking it, and in about 30 years or so we'll probably start the process over!

So take a look at this. We'll have opportunities to discuss this at our presbytery before we vote, and we'd like as many people to be a part of our conversations as possible.

If you've got questions - ask away!

Sue Coller
     Rooted in God
   Open to Grace
     Filled with Joy

General Assembly Update – Growing the Church Deep and Wide

2010-07-07T20:25:00.000-05:00

Two years ago on the 218th General Assembly, our denomination embraced a focus to grow the church deep and wide. This is a commitment to grow the church deep and wide in evangelism, diversity, discipleship and servanthood. http://deepandwide.ning.com/ is our denominational website full of stories of how churches are embracing this commitment, and resources to help churches grow deep and wide.    Here is the exact resoluation the General Assembly developed:

The General Assembly Mission Council recommends that the 219th General Assembly (2010) renew its commitment to help grow Christ’s Church deep and wide by doing the following:

1.   Extend a churchwide commitment to participate in God’s activity through Jesus Christ in transforming the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through the 2011–2012 biennium.

2. Encourage synods, presbyteries, sessions, and all agencies, entities, and networks of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to commit to foster the growth of Christ’s Church deep and wide in the following areas:

a.         Grow in Evangelism: Share the good news of Jesus Christ. Invite persons to join in the church’s worship and fellowship. Baptize children and adults (Mt. 28:19–20; Lk. 15).

b.         Grow in Discipleship: Rediscover Scripture, including daily reading and study. Nurture relationships with Jesus Christ in the context of our Reformed heritage (Lk. 14:33; Jn. 8:31, 13:35, 15:8).

c.         Grow in Servanthood: Stand alongside the wider community to promote the well-being and love of neighbor. Embrace stewardship in all of life (Jn. 13:12-17; Mt. 25:34–40).

d.         Grow in Diversity: Welcome everyone. Learn from others. Reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of God’s peoples in the world including leadership (Gal. 3:26–29; Rev. 7:9–10).

3.   Encourage the General Assembly Mission Council to support the whole church’s commitment to foster the growth of Christ’s Church deep and wide in its ministries and mission.

4.   Request each session to commit time on its agenda during 2011–2012 to cast a vision for each of the four “Growing Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” areas.

You will notice that the last recommendation adopted requests that each session commit time on its agenda to cast a vision for each of the four “Growing Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” areas. I encourage you to explore the website, learn more about each area, and then take up the challenge – talk at your sessions about how you will seek in the next two years to grow your church Deep and Wide. I look forward to talking to you about your vision and how you will take up this challenge in the congregations entrusted to your care.

I believe that our presbytery is MORE than capable of growing in all four areas, if we would diligently and with faith apply ourselves – our creativity, our energy, our passion, our faith, our resources, and our courage to the task. There is no reason we cannot show an increase in numbers – except if we fail to embrace the vision and put our efforts into reaching that vision. Will you accept the challenge?

If you would like help thinking about how to do that, I would be more than happy to meet with your session or other group in your church to help you think about how to do this, and to make an action plan to move forward.

Let’s grow!

Sue Coller
     Rooted in God
     Open to Grace
     Filled with Joy

General Assembly Blog - Proposed Addition to the Book of Confessions

2010-07-07T20:03:00.001-05:00

Well, we’re at it! The General Assembly committees are done, and the business and their recommendations are now before the assembly for action. This year there are many controversial recommendations coming to the floor for debate and vote, some of which deal with the “hot topics” of ordination standards, definition of marriage, and benefits for same sex partners. We won’t know until Thursday or possibly Friday what the G.A. decides on those issues, whether any proposed changes will be coming to the presbyteries or not for action. As soon as action is taken on those items, I’ll post a blog for your comments.

Two blog posts are coming at you right now. This first relates to business we tackled this afternoon related to the Book of Confessions, one of our two books in our constitution. One action taken by the assembly was to appoint a committee to come back to the 2012 General Assembly with a new translation of the Heidelberg Catechism. We are not the only denomination that has noticed that there are many translation errors in the version currently in our Book of Confessions. So we have formed a committee to work in concert with another reformed denomination working on the same issue to come back with a more accurate translation. We’ll be looking at that in two years.

The other action taken was to recommend to the presbyteries the Belhar Confession of 1986 for study and inclusion in our Book of Confessions. This confession comes out of South Africa’s Apartheid history. Whether we want to admit it or not, racism is still an issue in our country, and an issue for people of faith to take seriously. We have the Confession of 1967 which talks about many social issues of that day, but we do not have any confession that addresses the issue of racism. So the assembly is sending to you for consideration the Belhar Confession.

You can find the Belhar Confession on the PCUSA website here: http://pcusa.org/media/uploads/theologyandworship/pdfs/belhar.pdf

You can find a study guide for the Belhar Confession here: http://pcusa.org/media/uploads/theologyandworship/pdfs/belharstudyguide.pdf

Whenever we consider adding a new confession to our Book of Confessions, that is a serious matter, because our confessions reflect how we as a Church of Jesus Christ attempt to live out our faith in response to real life issues of our day. Those of us who are ordained ministers, elders and deacons take an oath to be guided by the confessions as we seek to lead the people of God in our day. So if we as a church adopt this confession, it does not mean that we have to agree with everything in the confession, but it does mean we have to take seriously this expression of our faith and not disregard the what others thought was important in bearing witness to Jesus Christ in the world. So it is my hope that we in Minnesota Valleys Presbytery will take seriously this opportunity to study this unique confession and prayerfully consider whether we will vote to add this to our Book of Confessions.

The process is that this confession will be given to the presbyteries to study and vote on its inclusion in the Book of Confessions. If 2/3 of the 173 presbyteries vote to include this in the Book of Confessions, the 2012 General Assembly will take a final vote on the matter, and if that General Assembly also votes, then the Belhar Confession will become part of our confessional heritage.

So read it (it’s only a couple of pages long!), take advantage of the study guide, and share your thoughts here with others!

Sue Coller
     Rooted in God
     Open to Grace
     Filled with Joy

The $100 Challenge: Results Part 4

2010-05-04T14:34:00.000-05:00

Yes, we've got another mission story! As a reminder, in December, the council of Minnesota Valleys Presbytery gave $100 to all churches at our December Presbytery meeting, with a challenge to multiply it for mission. We've had some great stories so far, but this one really represents what we hoped would come from this challenge. Here is the story from First Presbyterian Church, in Dawson, Minnesota.

First Presbyterian Church, Dawson - Renewed Focus on Mission

The receipt of the $100 challenge gift was discussed with the congregation at the annual meeting. A number of options were presented. At the January work meeting of the session, the decision was made to renew the emphasis on missions in the life of the congregation. We recognized there would be limitations and we could not be all things to all people. We would focus our attention on missions in two broad categories, local and non-local.

Non-local would focus on three areas: Heifer International, Haiti earthquake relief and Presbyterian missions.

We decided we would provide through Heifer International two water buffalo at the cost of $250 each. The $100 challenge gift would be applied to this project. So far, the congregation has given an additional $585. We have also given $455 to Haiti relief. Within these amounts is $61 from a project by our Jesus Gang (Sunday school). They drew some pictures that were made into note cards and sold to members of the congregation. We have also met our Presbyterian mission pledge for the year in addition to giving to One Great Hour of Sharing.

We have been a little more creative in funding our local mission program. The men of the congregation served the women dinner on Valentine’s Day. One of our members wrote a musical entitled Noah’s Ark, The Complete Story. The choir along with some additional support presented this as a dinner theatre. These two projects raised a little over $400.

To keep us focused on our mission projects we have inserted a minute for mission in our worship services.

The most important result of the $100 challenge has been that missions has become the focus for ministry at the Dawson church.

Stan Menning, Elder

The Importance of the Leader's Attitude

2010-03-08T01:00:00.004-06:00

I read an interesting article on the "Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership", by Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis (September 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review). In it, Goleman and Boyztzis talk about a recent discovery of "mirror neurons" in our brains - neurons that pick up on what is happening in someone nearby, and mirror it in it's "host" brain. In a way, this is not new information. We have all experienced situations where the energy and emotion of those around us seem to come over us as well. What is new is that there is finally proof that such "mirroring" is actually a real, physical process, in which we pick up on emotions in others, and our mirror neurons reproduce those same emotions in ourselves.

When we think about this in terms of leading the church through these challenging times, it reminds us that as leaders, our own emotional state has a critical impact on those around us, both positively and negatively, depending on what emotional state we are in at any given moment. Take anxiety. One of the qualities of a good leader is the ability to maintain a non-anxious presence in the midst of change, conflict, and chaos. Non-anxious doesn't just mean hiding our anxiety from others, but truly being non-anxious. Whether we show it or not, if we are anxious, others will pick up on it, even subconsciously, and our own anxiety will be mirrored in others, adding to what is probably an already anxious system. So one of the challenges before us as leaders is the challenge of managing our own anxiety so that we can be a truly non-anxious presence.

Mirroring doesn't happen with just the unhelpful emotions, though, it also happens with the positive ones. Scientists have found that there is a subset of these mirror neurons that are only responsible for detecting other people's smiles and laughter, prompting the same in return. Research has also found that being in a good mood helps people process and remember information better, it aids in group formation, and it helps people respond more nimbly and creatively, especially in the midst of chaos, conflict and change.

So the emotions we bring to a situation, positive or negative, no matter how well hidden we think they are, have a real, physical effect on those around us, and can and do affect the ability of the group to respond in positive, healthy ways.

The ultimate goal is to learn how to deal with our emotions that are not helpful for a situation, in such a way that they don't become stumbling blocks. Unfortunately this blog isn't the place to go into that kind of depth, but there are resources out there for those who want to work on their emotional intelligence (such things as coaching, feedback session, practice, learning to relax, process feelings etc.) But before we can come up with a plan to keep them from being stumbling blocks, we need to be aware of what emotional baggage we carry with us. Without that awareness, no plan will be helpful, and without that awareness, we'll most likely end up complicating situations and raising anxieties in others, without ever being aware of it, or intending to.

So the challenge to us to to first, be aware of what we are feeling. Second, to consider the emotional field of the group or organization we are interacting with. Third, if our emotions are ones we'd rather not see mirrored in others, we need to come up with a plan to deal with our emotions in such a way that they do not become stumbling blocks to others.

As leaders (and while this is a topic for a future blog - no matter what position you hold in an organization - you can be a leader in this, even if you don't have the title) - as leaders, you have a huge impact on the ability of your group to be healthy, to function well, creatively, and joyfully. What kind of an impact do YOU want to have?

Sue Coller, Executive Presbyter
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

The $100 Challenge: Results Part 3

2010-03-01T01:00:00.001-06:00

More stories of churches accepting the challenge to take $100 and multiply it for mission. A reminder of what started this:

At our December Presbytery meeting last year, our presbytery council gave $100 to every church present with a challenge - multiply it for mission. That was the only instruction, and the sky was the limit. This is an old idea - Jesus told a parable about it in Matthew 25, where an owner entrusts various amounts of money to some servants as he departs, and comes back to find that two of the servants doubled what they were entrusted with, the third, out of fear, just buried it in the ground. The two who took risks to invest and multiply what they were entrusted with were praised and trusted with more, the one who simply buried it had even that taken away.

This week read about how the First Presbyterian Church in St. Cloud, First Presbyterian Church in Maynard and United Presbyterian Church in Kerkhoven met the challenge. Let us celebrate what God can do with just a little investment and a lot of creativity!

Sue Coller, Executive Presbyter
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

First Presbyterian Church, St. Cloud - Sewing and Textile Training Cooperative

The First Church, Saint Cloud, at the request of the Mission/Social Witness Committee, has given $200 as seed money to the Sewing and Textile Training Cooperative – a project of the African Womens Alliance or AWA. (note: the original challenge grant from Presbytery was doubled.) The purpose of the Coop is to empower Somali and Sudanese women living in St. Cloud to become financially independent in an attempt to provide basic needs of their families. The majority of Somali women are from refugee families. The program involves 6-8 women meeting in the church building on weekdays to work on sewing projects. They are in the process of purchasing 6 sewing machines, basic sewing supplies and storage containers. A volunteer sewing instructor will coordinate the program and classes will begin in late March. Items will be sold at local markets or e-commerce sites. The AWA functions under the umbrella of the Multi-Cultural Center of Central Minnesota.

This project will get started soon because they have a grant from the Multi-Cultural Center (MCCCM) for purchase of sewing machines and a job description for a volunteer coordinator. The church can continue to help with providing basic sewing supplies. As we know of these needs, we will publicize then in our Tower newsletter, and who knows, the basic challenge grant may continue to grow!

Lynne Osterras, Clerk of Session

United Presbyterian Church, Kerkhoven and First Presbyterian Church, Maynard - Heifer International

When we (United Presbyterian Church, Kerkhoven) received the $100 from Presbytery, our session had no idea how to use this money. Our confirmation class at this time was trying to get enough money to buy one goat through the Heifer International. This would cost $120. The Maynard Church would pay half, as they had a student in the class. A challenge was made to the men in our church to match the $100 from Presbytery so we could buy 2 more goats (with the $100 from Presbytery). They met the challenge and more. When the Maynard Church heard of this they decided to give their $100 toward a goat too. So we were able to buy 4 goats and 2 shares in a goat and sent a check for $500 to Heifer International from the Kerkhoven and Maynard Churches.

The goats will not only provide milk but fertilizer for the family garden. They will reproduce and some can be sold to provide income. May our gifts help someone to become self sustaining and be a gift that literally keeps on giving and improve the life of another person.

The $100 Challenge: Results Part 2

2010-02-22T05:00:00.001-06:00

More stories of churches accepting the challenge to take $100 and multiply it for mission. A reminder of what started this:

At our December Presbytery meeting last year, our presbytery council gave $100 to every church present with a challenge - multiply it for mission. That was the only instruction, and the sky was the limit. This is an old idea - Jesus told a parable about it in Matthew 25, where an owner entrusts various amounts of money to some servants as he departs, and comes back to find that two of the servants doubled what they were entrusted with, the third, out of fear, just buried it in the ground. The two who took risks to invest and multiply what they were entrusted with were praised and trusted with more, the one who simply buried it had even that taken away.

Last week I shared the stories of the First Presbyterian Church in Winnebago, MN and Zion Presbyterian Church in Ellsworth, MN. Today, read about the First Presbyterian Churches in Lismore and Edgerton, and Cambria Presbyterian Church in New Ulm.

Sue Coller, Executive Presbyter
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

Cambria Presbyterian Church, New Ulm - Hospice

Cambria Presbyterian Church took the challenge. The stewardship committee brainstormed over what charity we would like the money to go to and how we would increase it. We decided to let the congregation decide on which one after we had narrowed it down to 5. We wanted it to stay in the local area but not to go to one we support regularly. The congregation voted for hospice on the 31st of January. February 7th, we had a potato bake. The proceeds with the seed money came to 445.00 which is being divided between Blue Earth and Brown Counties hospice programs.

Betty Thorson, Commissioned Lay Pastor

First Presbyterian Churches, Edgerton and Lismore, MN – Feeding People

At the December 1st Presbytery meeting held in Renville, each church present was given a $100.00 bill. We were challenged to use this in ways that it would multiply for the purpose of missions, locally and globally. The churches of Edgerton and Lismore were having a joint session meeting on Monday, December 14th. It was decided that our two churches would work together on this project, combining our $100.00 gifts into $200.00 to be used as the seed money. Proceeds then would be divided and sent to our respective Food Shelves in Worthington and Pipestone. Several events were then planned to add to our gift of now $200.00. We would take up a free will offering at each of our Annual Meeting potlucks held in January. Then again in February each church would hold an additional potluck where a free will offering would be collected. In addition to this our weekly Lenten services would, at least for this year, offer a coffee fellowship time to follow the service with a free will offering taken at that time. There are also plans in the working for a catered meal to be served in March with the proceeds from that to go towards the $100.00 mission challenge. It was already a practice that the offerings taken during the Lenten services would be earmarked for our respective Food Shelves in Worthington and Pipestone. As mentioned above, the joint sessions decided that the funds collected from all of these events would be used to multiply the $100.00 that each church had initially received and would then be given to our respective Food Shelves in March when they, the Food Shelves, would match the funds given to them. The Lismore church session also voted to take $200.00 of what they had or would receive to donate to the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund. Edgerton also is collecting funds for Haiti and when announced that we were doing so, one parishioner from Edgerton donated $100.00 that Sunday alone. I know that members of our two congregations have stepped up to the plate to help multiply our initial $100.00 gift through the giving to the Souper Bowl for Caring giving which our Lismore church collects, the potluck free will offerings, and the special gifts designated and used for Haiti relief. All in all I am proud to be the pastor of these two great congregations who truly know how to multiply all that God has given to them so that others may come to know the blessings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Rev. Terry Olthoff, Pastor

The $100 Challenge: Results Part 1

2010-02-15T09:32:00.000-06:00

At our December Presbytery meeting last year, our presbytery council gave $100 to every church present with a challenge - multiply it for mission. That was the only instruction, and the sky was the limit. This is an old idea - Jesus told a parable about it in Matthew 25, where an owner entrusts various amounts of money to some servants as he departs, and comes back to find that two of the servants doubled what they were entrusted with, the third, out of fear, just buried it in the ground. The two who took risks to invest and multiply what they were entrusted with were praised and trusted with more, the one who simply buried it had even that taken away.

So we were all anxious and curious to see what would come of this $100 challenge. As you know, $100 isn’t a huge amount of money, so we wondered how creative the churches would get. Well, we found out, and what stories were told! Below I would like to share two of the stories that were shared at the February presbytery meeting. As you read them, I hope you start to think about what just a small sum can truly make possible, when it is paired with passion, creativity, and faith. Next week I’ll post two more stories.

Congratulations to these churches, who accepted the challenge! Isn’t it wonderful what God can do with just a few dollars, and lots of faith and creativity!

Sue Coller, Executive Presbyter
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

Zion Presbyterian Church, Ellsworth, MN - Haiti Relief
Jesus should have told this story – in the parable the servants only doubled the money!

Zion Presbyterian Church elders received seed money from the Minnesota Valley Presbytery to be used for a specific project. Although initially, session members were surprised and amused that this seemed the first time that Zion received any financial contribution back from Presbytery, they didn't have a clue as to what kind of a project to thrust themselves into. Then the earthquake in Haiti happened. The pictures on TV, the devastation, and hardship of the people of Haiti affected not only Zion Presbyterian Church but the rest of our town as well. Zion Presbyterian Church and Bethel Reformed Church have been doing several events together over the last few years. In session meeting the idea arose to hold a Sub-sandwich luncheon with chips, a drink and a bar for the area residents to raise money for the people of Haiti. The $100.00 from Presbytery would be used as seed money for supplies for the project. Before the discussion went too far, the idea of partnering with Bethel Reformed in this project was raised and accepted. Bethel Reformed's pastor and people readily joined the project. On Sunday in the kitchen the organizers and workers discussed how to split the funds (originally the idea was to split the proceeds down the middle.). The amount raised was $1461.00. When the folks from Bethel Reformed learned about the possibility of sending double the money for the Haiti people, they readily agreed that the best use of the money was to send it through Presbytery for the Haitian people. At Presbytery meeting a generous individual provided the added funds to double the proceeds. The total of the project is $2,922.00 plus $150.00 that came in later. God can do amazing things when his people believe, have faith and give! May his name be praised!!

Rev. David P. Poppen, Interim Pastor

First Presbyterian Church, Winnebago – Kids Against Hunger

The Gift & Challenge were presented at the December Session Meeting -- leading to much spirited discussion -- one idea was put forward at the meeting was using it to "prime the pump" to partner with the new "Kids Against Hunger" site recently begun in Winnebago. This idea triggered a story from one of our elders, who had recently returned from a medical mission in Guatemala. While talking with residents there about hygiene / nutrition / and basic health care amongst children...one of the Guatemalans pointed to a wall of boxes, and said, "And when children are brought in that are close to starving...we use these."...which turned out to be "Kids Against Hunger" packaged meals. While waiting for this and other ideas to be written up as proposals...a young church member approached me on Christmas Eve, asking if he could contribute...donating $250. Other gifts have begun to come in. With the additional emphasis on hunger issues in Haiti, the Kids Against Hunger Project (and potentially one other) were selected -- we are inviting additional donations; will be hosting an all Church "packing" day following worship in the next month or so; and have placed challenge material in the sanctuary.

Rev. Michael Roys, Pastor

The Gift of the Community of Faith

2009-12-15T15:44:00.004-06:00

I turned on NPR the other day and Peg Chamberlain, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Churches and new president of the National Council of Churches, and Joel Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed, were talking about faith and its role in public life. During the call-in portion of the show, someone asked “I have my own faith, my own spiritual practices, but am not part of any religious tradition. Why should I join one?” Joel had a wonderful answer. He said that it is good to have your own faith and your own personal relationship with God, it is good to have your own personal spiritual practices, but fundamentally, Christianity is a communal endeavor. We join together in a church to, in part, broaden our perspective and invite others to reflect with us on the faith journey and to bring in their perspectives to enrich our own.

There are many reasons to join a church, but I think Joel Hunter lifted up something we often forget. As part of a community of faith we are reminded that our own view or perspective on faith, the world, love, neighbor, justice, etc., is limited, and we need the views of others to broaden our understanding and our vision, to more fully encompass the God who is so much more than we can ever define.

The danger of relying only on our understandings of God and God’s work in the world and claim on our lives is that we run the risk of putting God in a box of our own making, and all that challenges the boundaries of that box are dismissed. The beauty of inviting others to actively be a part of our faith journey, especially others who have different ideas and positions than ourselves, is that the box keeps getting bigger and bigger, and we begin to see more and more of the vastness of God who truly is beyond our complete understanding. As the box keeps getting bigger, it challenges us to examine more and more closely the way we live our lives, the way we act on our faith, the way we bring honor and glory to God, and how we live up to the responsibility that comes with all the graces God has given us.

This Christmas season we are once again reminded that God is so much bigger than our own ideas of God, as we celebrate the God who did the unthinkable and become one of us through the life of a tiny baby born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. May we gather together in our various churches on Christmas Eve as one community of faith, to worship this God who is bigger than any box we can construct. As we worship, may we commit ourselves to use this next year to share the gift of our own understanding of who this God is and the life God calls us to, and open ourselves up to receive the gift of the different understandings of our brothers and sisters in faith. Together, may our vision grow broader and our faith grow deeper, to the glory of God.

Sue Coller, Executive Presbyter
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

The Power of the Word

2009-10-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

No, I don’t mean the Bible. I mean the words we use to talk about ourselves. I was in a conversation with someone the other day about this, and she noted that in our presbytery we don’t tend to speak very well about ourselves. In fact, we often do the opposite. We too easily focus on what we don’t like, we complain to whoever will listen and we tear each other down much more readily than we build each other up. It doesn’t take long before no one wants to be around us! After all who wants to keep hearing complaints and bad news? Negative talk breeds more negativity, both in how others see us, and in how we see ourselves.

Let me give you an example: in my last church, we spent one year making sure that every week in the local paper, we had some news about the church ” an event going on, a report of a successful event, an invitation, or some good news to share. We also did something unusual that year. We made a decision not to have a stewardship drive that year. Instead we called every member to get a sense of how they were feeling about the church. The goodwill people had toward the church was higher than it had ever been. It showed in the weekly offerings, which were significantly higher than usual. People in town also began to take notice of the church in a positive way. The next year, we let our positive self-talk slip, and all of a sudden people in the community said "we heard you were closing" and even more concerning, conflict started showing up in the church left and right. What changed? We stopped talking good about ourselves and eventually started a landslide of negative self-talk.

How we talk about ourselves is powerful. It changes our view of ourselves and it affects how others see us. The more we focus on the negative, the more negative we become and the more others see us as troubled. The more we focus on the positive, the positive and hopeful we become, and the more others see us as beautiful.

These days are hard for the church. We have lots of things that worry us and challenge us. The more we focus on the good, the better equipped we will be to deal with the anxieties and challenges facing the church today, and the better we will feel about ourselves.

So here’s the solution: lift up the good things that are going on! Brag about your church! Brag about what you are doing, what you’ve accomplished, what you are trying, risks you have taken. Shout it from the pages of your newsletters and newspapers. Speak of it at your worship services and committee meetings. Celebrate the good that God is accomplishing among you, and I guarantee you will see a brighter and more hopeful future.

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

Let us Talk Together About Difficult Things

2009-08-27T13:53:00.002-05:00

When I was considering ministry as a career, I had a choice about what denomination I wanted to belong to. There were several reasons I chose the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., but one of the primary ones was the emphasis the denomination put on education. In the church, we value education as part of our reformed heritage. Part of the reformed tradition is the foundational belief that everyone, whether they are a minister or not, has the right and the responsibility to read the Bible and study it on a regular basis, and to come to his or her own conclusions about what it means for them and for their life. We are NOT simply to take the word of someone else regarding what it means. We are to dig into it ourselves and come to our own conclusions. Certainly we learn from the thoughts and opinions of others who have also studied, but we are responsible for our own education and study of the scriptures and traditions of the Church.

I mention this because I have had a few conversations in the last couple days about the decision of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) to allow the ordination of homosexuals in committed relationships. This is something that is very controversial in the ELCA church as well as the PCUSA and the Methodist church and other mainline denominations. Not everyone will be in agreement with this decision, nor would everyone be in agreement with a decision to bar such people from ordination.

So who is right? We often go straight to that question, but I believe it is the wrong question. The better question is, have we done our homework? In other words, have we simply taken someone else’s opinion as our own, or have we studied the scriptures themselves, wrestled with the internal contradictions, taken seriously the different ways of interpreting scripture, sought to understand the viewpoints of those who come to different conclusions, and done the often painful work of asking why we lift up some sections of scripture as more authoritative or influential than others? (We all do that, no matter where we come out on this issue.) Whether we like it or not, it is never as simple as saying “But the Bible says…”.

The people I respect the most are the ones who, after stating their beliefs and options, and how they arrived at them, end by saying, “but I may be wrong.” Whether we want to admit it or not, no matter how sure we are, we do not know the mind of God. We can only do our best to discern God’s mind, act in faith that we have done our best, and act with grace, mercy and love toward all, knowing that despite our best efforts, we may be wrong.

I have no doubt that there will be conversations in some of our churches about the recent decision of the ELCA, and questions, perhaps hopeful or perhaps fearful, depending on where you stand, about whether the PCUSA will follow the path that the ELCA has begun. As you have those conversations, grab hold of one of the shining traditions of our reformed, Presbyterian heritage, and study this from all sides before coming to a conclusion, seek to truly understand where other people of faith come from who have different conclusions, and always, always, treat each other with grace, love and mercy, and perhaps most importantly in a spirit of humility.

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

Learnings from Transformation Pastors

2009-07-07T13:10:00.001-05:00

Transformation is hard work. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it!

Yesterday a group of pastors gathered at the office who are involved in intentional transformation work with their churches. Some are working with Natural Church Development, some have worked with an independent consultant, some are using a process they developed themselves. This was a chance to touch base and talk with each other about how the process is going.

One of the questions I asked them was what they had learned so far. I’d like to share their learnings with you, in the hopes that it will help you in your ministry.

Learnings in the Transformation Process:

1. Spend time listening to the stories. Stories often reveal deep truths and concerns that will directly affect the transformation process. Sometimes we end up stumbling over old pains and hurts as we work, which often has the power to derail any attempts at growth if we are not aware of them. Listening to the stories people tell can give us clues as to what those old hurts and pains are, so that we can be sensitive to them and address them in helpful ways, as opposed to having them rear up and take us by surprise.

2. Let those who have passion and energy run with them. If you have a group of people passionate about remodeling the bathroom, or starting a new outreach, let them! Remember that you don’t have to have everyone on board for any given idea or plan, in fact, you never will have everyone on board. But if you’ve got people with passion and drive who are willing to put in the work to see their plan come alive, let them! Help your sessions become permission giving bodies and not just regulatory bodies, so that we don’t hinder creative efforts to grow our churches and reach out to others.

3. Focus on tasks people have passion for. This is related to #2. If there isn’t passion for something, maybe that “something” isn’t what the church should be focusing its energy on at the present time. Go where the energy is.

4. Remember that the issue that surfaces may not be the real issue. Whenever we try to change something, conflict will rise up. That is natural, and there is no way to avoid it. When it does, listen carefully to the conflict, explore what is behind it, and you will most likely discover that the “presenting” issue isn’t really the issue at all. Get to the bottom of the complaint before you try to “fix” it.

5. If someone is feeling left out, go talk to them. Engage them, watch for attendance patterns, and don’t let too much time pass before connecting with those who feel left out. Transformation processes work best when everyone feels like they have a chance to contribute. It doesn’t mean they have to agree with everything, but we do need to be sure that everyone has a chance to have their voice heard and to be considered fairly. People often withdraw when they feel they don’t have a voice.

6. We often underestimate our congregations. They often look to the pastors, and sometimes sessions, for the “answers,” but there is great wisdom in the congregation too, as well as great determination and desire. Don’t underestimate the gifts and drive present in the congregation. Which is great for us leaders – it means we don’t have to have all the answers!

7. Remember what love is first, from 1 Corinthians 13. Before all else, love is patient. Without patience, the other virtues of love fall away. As one of our pastors said, you have to learn to walk as slowly as the congregation walks, or you will leave them behind. That doesn’t mean we don’t prompt them to move a bit faster sometimes, but be careful not to leave them behind. We sometimes forget (maybe I’ll just speak for myself – I sometimes forget!) that we may be a bit ahead of the congregation on the transformation journey, and as leaders, it is our responsibility to help them move forward, but to do that in a positive way takes patience and guidance. So be patient with your congregations, and while you’re at it, pray that they will be patient with you too.

Nuts and Bolts of Positive Reinforcement for Church Leaders

2009-06-17T09:31:00.004-05:00

Can you take the techniques of positive reinforcement training with dogs and apply them to our daily relationships? Sure you can! Just don’t tell your friends you’re treating them like dogs – unless, of course, you treat your dogs better than your friends!

The title of the dog training seminar I attended in Iowa was “Get SMART about Training,” and it was led by Kathy Sdao, a top animal trainer in Tacoma, Washington (www.kathysdao.com). SMART stands for “See, Mark And Reinforce Training.” See the behavior you want to strengthen or reinforce, mark it so the one doing the behavior knows what they did right or well, and reinforce it positively by giving the dog something it really wants – play, food, petting, etc.

To some this may seem manipulative when applied to human relationships, but the reality is we do this all the time. Money, for some, is a positive reinforcer. Receiving that encourages us to increase or intensify some behaviors in the hopes of receiving more. Praise from a significant person in our lives can also be a positive reinforcer. Sometimes something as simple as someone noticing we did something well or made progress is enough.

At our last council meeting we had a wonderful conversation about this, and about how we can be more proactive in encouraging and helping people have healthier relationships within the church and how that can help us work better together and find more joy in our work together.

The first challenge we saw was to simply SEE those things that are positive that we can affirm. Which means we have to be looking for it. It is often easy when we are with someone we like, someone who is already doing thing well, but much harder when we are talking about someone we don’t like, or who acts as a bully or a controller. If we want to encourage people who are generally unpleasant to strive to be better, then we have to begin to notice even the smallest things that could grow into something positive. This is one of my challenges. For example, when I am preaching, if you are scowling at me because you don’t like what I’m saying, you are wasting your energy, because I literally don’t see you. I naturally focus on those people who are focused and giving me good energy when I’m preaching. It takes a lot of effort for me to break away from those people and really notice others. It is typical for us to focus most on those who give us positive energy and feedback. So the first challenge – see the behavior, or even the beginnings of a behavior, that is positive and helpful for the systems we are in.

Second challenge –MARK the behavior. Somehow, let the person know that we noticed, and be specific about it. We use a clicker with the dogs. As soon as she hears the click, she knows that whatever it was she just did was right on. It could be as simple as “I really liked it when you …” or “thank you for …” Be specific, give good feedback, so the other knows exactly what it is we noticed that was good. Even if we never do anything more, I suspect we all know how reinforcing and uplifting it is to have someone say specifically what they noticed about us that they liked.

Third – REINFORCE. What is a positive reinforcer to the other? Here we have to be careful. What may be reinforcing to us, may not be to another. One of our council members shared that touch is very reinforcing to her, words, not so much. Just a hand on the shoulder is enough to say “well done! Thank you!” For others, that would create great anxiety. So it is important that we get to know our people and find out what is important and valuable to them, and not assume we know what that is based on what we like.

Is this manipulation? I don’t believe so. We all have free choice about what we will do and how we will respond to what is around us. But is this a valuable thing to remember if we want to help people grow, develop healthy ways of interacting, and have healthy churches and groups? You bet! And yes, I will be giving clickers to the council members at our next meeting….

Happy clicking!

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

Parallels Between Dog Training and Church Life

2009-06-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

A bit more than a week ago, I had a last minute opportunity to attend a dog training seminar in Iowa. Yes, many of you know I do have a dog (Jas), who has, as I fondly say, “issues.” But I wasn’t going there as a dog owner. I was wearing my executive presbyter hat as I sat in the seminar. One thing I have learned the more I work with Jas, is that there is a lot of cross-learning to be had in moving back and forth between the dog world and the human world, especially since some of the science that backs positive reinforcement training with dogs comes from the human world.

The basics of the seminar was on building a positive relationship with your dog, which pays off in a mutually beneficial relationship. Contrary to what some might think, it isn’t really about getting a dog to do what you want. It is more about creating an environment where the dog wants to work with you, where preserving, and better yet, increasing, the dog’s joy becomes one of your primary goals. When that happens, your joy also grows, and the whole relationship reaches a new level.

What would that look like for us if in our relationships with each other, our goal was to create an environment where positive interactions were the norm? Or where our goal was to increase each others' joy as we work together? If those were our goals, then I believe it would have an impact on how we are when we worship, work, and play together. It would certainly deepen our relationships, enrich our work and worship. I also believe it would have an impact on how effective we are when we work together, because when our goal is to encourage and lift up those around us, we help each other move into a positive frame of mind where we can put others' needs above our own and put aside our own agendas for the sake of the group and the task. When we do that together, at least for myself, I find that my own needs are met in ways I never anticipated, and I have the added joy of knowing together we can do so much more than I could ever do alone.

I also find that when I am with people who regularly lift me up and seek my joy when I’m in a bad mood, that my mood quickly changes to one of joy and possibility. Their positive reinforcement of me changes me for the better, and I am then able to have a more positive effect on those around me, which ultimately is the life God calls each and every one of us to.

Finally, when we lift each other up it will also have an immediate impact on those who are not part of our community, as they see us relate in healthy, positive ways. We sometimes forget that one of the biggest stumbling blocks to people connecting with the church is how they see us treat each other. When we do well, it moves even those who hate us to admire us. Even the emperor Julian, in 362, who was staunchly anti-Christian, wrote a letter complaining that pagans needed to equal the virtues of Christians, as he watched how they cared for each other and anyone else in need.

When we treat each other well, with respect and with joy, when we seek to build each other up, when we are sensitive to each other’s burdens and seek to help them carry them, when we truly love each other and want the best for each other, well, there is no better witness to the world of the life God created us all to have, and no better life for us to enjoy.

More nuts and bolts from the seminar in my next post…

Sue Coller

~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

Finding Our Way Out of the Wilderness – Part 3: Insights into Trust and Leadership

2009-05-10T07:22:00.002-05:00

Probably the most significant conversation that has come out of this experience of getting lost in the badlands has to do with the subject of trust. There was a moment when one of us surrendered to the leadership of the other in our quest to find the path out. My friend willingly put herself in second place, trusting me to find the right path that would lead us safely out. Later we talked about what had to be in place in order for one to surrender to another’s leadership in a risky situation, and she shared four specific things that I’ll list in a moment. But first, think about the kind of trust we ask our church members to have in us as leaders, to lead the church in ways that are faithful to our calling, or our understanding of God’s purpose for the church. We ask for a lot more than I think we realize, and the responsibility that goes with that trust is much more significant that I think we realize as well.

These are the four things we learned about trust in this situation.

1. Trust involves a physical component. One could only defer to the other's guidance or leadership if they trusted that they would be physically safe in the process. In other words, my friend trusted me to have her safety in mind, and that I would not do anything unnecessarily put her in jeopardy.

2. Trust involves an emotional component. In this case, my friend trusted that she would have less anxiety and conflict if she followed me.

3. Trust involves a mental component. My friend had to trust that I was worthy of that trust, that I would do what I said, that I would be consistent, and that I would follow through. If in the past I had not shown that level of integrity, it would have been very difficult for her to commit to me and my leadership.

4. Trust involves a spiritual component, on two levels. On one level, it meant that my friend trusted that in spite of deferring to my leadership, she was still free to be her own person, that I was not going to oppress her or deny her, but instead would honor her and work with her. On another level, it meant surrendering to God. (Don’t worry, I'm not developing a god-complex here!) But there is a component of trust that I believe is only possible when we completely surrender ourselves to God and trust that through whatever situation we are in, whoever we are with, God is overall and works for good.

I will leave it to you to expand on these four as makes sense to you, and I hope you'll share your thoughts by commenting. There is something very significant about this issue of trust that is vital for us to consider if we are going to have faithful, forward-looking churches. This could also be a very interesting conversation at a session meeting, if you’re up for it.

I do think that the level of trust we ask church members to have in us is huge. (By the way – the “us” isn’t just pastors, but all session members.) We are asking them to trust us on many different levels, and each level requires a kind of surrender, a willingness to give-up self and will to another. Here the spiritual component of trust is especially important, because I do believe they are asking us to not oppress them or abuse this incredible gift they give us with their trust, but instead to honor the leading of God, and to honor them as they follow to the best of their ability at that moment.

I also think about the responsibility that comes with that trust. When my friend handed me her trust on all those levels, it set me back for a moment. I wasn’t expecting it. And I knew it was huge. I was incredibly honored and profoundly humbled that she trusted me that much, and that sparked in me an even greater desire to be worthy of that gift, every moment. It still does, even though we are beyond that particular moment. When someone offers you that kind of trust, even briefly, it has the power to change both the one giving and the one receiving that trust in profound ways.

So as you seek to lead the church through these challenging, changing times, think about the trust your congregation places in you. Think about the trust you ask of them. Think about the honor and responsibility that comes with that offering. May we all be worthy, at all times, of such honor, for the glory of God.

Finding Our Way Out of the Wilderness – More Lessons Learned

2009-05-07T16:06:00.000-05:00

OK – you read the story of my getting lost in the badlands in the last post, so I won’t repeat that here. There were, though, some more lessons learned that I think have some relation to where we are as a church in this changing world. For now I’ll just list five of them them and see where that takes us.

1. When we first realized we were lost, we took our time. We kept going back to the last place where we knew we were on the right track, and kept trying new directions from there. When you know you’re on the wrong track, don’t be afraid to go backwards for a bit. Sometimes its in going backwards that we discover the right path. That’s what happened to us! By continually going back to our lunch spot, we finally saw the path we had missed.

2. Be prepared – when we realized there was a chance we may be overnight in the wilderness, we realized we did not bring along some key survival gear. Travel light, for you are traveling, but also take along the things that will help you weather storms or unexpected detours. Take along things that will help you stay warm, and find your way.

3. Rely on each other – you are not out there alone. Draw on the strength of those around you and be a source of strength to them when things get tough. Challenges are much easier to face together.

4. Persevere – when you aren’t sure where you’re going or how to get there, keep trying – if the first way doesn’t work, try something else. Don’t give up. If we give up, there may not be anyone around who will step in for us.

5. Don’t be afraid to explore and take off in new directions – there is a whole world out there of wonderful surprises that most of us have never experienced! That is true both for the wilderness and the church! Don’t let the risks stop you from growing.

What other lessons do you draw from the story?

One more post to come….

Sue Coller

~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

Finding Our Way Out of the Wilderness

2009-05-04T16:35:00.001-05:00

First, a story, then a reflection…

Let me begin by saying that God did an awesome job in the North Dakota Badlands! Beautiful country, so beautiful you could get lost in it. Which I did. To make a long story short, a friend and I went off trail down a hoof track, had an awesome hike, stopped for lunch, and then couldn’t find our way back. What was such a clear path leading one direction was not at all clear when you went the opposite direction. We found several hoof paths we never noticed going in, tried out many, but none seemed right. We kept having to go back to our lunch spot to try another one. Finally, out of the process of elimination, we found our trail, and with huge sighs of relief, we set off for the car.

All went well, until we got back to the main trail. And again, we found ourselves at a loss – what seemed like one trail leading out, turned into about four possible trails leading back. Did I mention that the main trails look exactly like hoof tracks? Again, we tried one after another, and none looked or felt right. There was one trail we couldn’t try – three bison had decided it was a great nap spot and there was no way around them, so we finally just picked a hoof path and took off, even though we knew we were not on the right trail. We just had to commit ourselves to a direction and go, risks and all, and hope it got us close to where we wanted to be. (Yes, I know, all advice says stay put, but trust me, that was not the best option in this case!)

It was a very humbling experience, but it was also very empowering. We knew that if we kept trying, we would eventually find our way out. But if we panicked, or if we froze, or if we waited for someone else to come along and rescue us, it could have been very bad. We had to step out in faith, and take the risk that even if it we weren’t on the best path, it would still get us where we wanted to go. Needless to say, we made it out, and we felt awesome!

These are confusing times for the church. By now we’ve figured out that if we stay right where we are, that’s not a good thing. But there is no clear path forward. Instead there are many paths, many directions, and we have no guarantee which one will get us where we want to go, that is, if we even know where we want to go. What worked for us was that we knew the general direction we needed to go, and even if we weren’t right on the right path, if we kept as straight a path as we could, we would eventually find our way out.

In the church, we may not know exactly which way to go, what to do, or what “program” to follow. But we do know the general direction we need to go. I would draw your attention to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 as a good guide: seek to make peace with others, walk humbly in this land, show mercy to all, offer grace to all, work for justice, right wrongs when you can, care for others, keep your word, love your enemies, give generously. If we, individually and as congregations, go further and further down that path, then I believe that we will eventually find ourselves where God desires us to be, and let me tell you – not only will it feel awesome when you realize you’re heading the right way, but you’ll be able to look back at where you’ve come and see the beautiful footprints you have left behind in the lives of others.

International Churches Know How to Welcome

2009-04-23T08:11:00.002-05:00

I just got back late, late Monday night (or technically, very early Tuesday morning!) from a week-long trip to Costa Rica for some Sabbath time. While there, I visited one of our pastors who serves an English-speaking international church, Escazu Christian Fellowship, in San Jose. (Check out their website: http://www.ecfcr.net/index/Welcome.html).

International churches are unique animals, often made up of people from many different countries from around the world, who have moved to their new country for business. Many come for 5 years or so and then move on, others end up staying for 20-30 years. What they all have in common, though, is that they know that it is important to be part of a community, and they waste no time in joining in. They won't wait one or two years before deciding to join in, because they know that they may only be there for a few years anyway. They jump in right away. And they invite others in quickly too.

Four of us visited this church last Sunday. We got there a little early and were immediately recognized as visitors, but that didn't stop one woman from enlisting our aid in putting up a welcome banner almost as soon as we walked in the door. To welcome us, she said! A little later, someone else came up and introduced herself and welcomed us, and engaged us in conversation. While I was apart from the rest of the group someone else introduced himself and engaged me in conversation. After church, several people stayed and visited with us, and because we were all standing and not sitting around tables, it was easy for people to move in and out of conversation with us. It wasn't overbearing, but there was none of that awkwardness that sometimes happens when we have visitors (should we say hi? Should we introduce ourselves? What will we talk about!?!). It was genuinely welcoming.

As I reflect on that experience, I think I would say that one of the unique things about international churches is that the members know that wherever they are, they are only there for a short time. It is where they are at the moment, and they take full advantage of that moment to belong, to be involved, and to welcome others. Jesus reminded us in his great prayer in John 17 that we "do not belong to this world." We are just sojouners here for a time. But we are called to live that time fully, for the glory of God, welcoming others into the fellowship of believers. That is what I experienced at Escazu Christian Fellowship, and I hope that is what all visitors find when they visit our churches as well.

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

Incarnational Prayer

2009-04-11T06:58:00.003-05:00

As a follow-up to my last post, I share with you a Celtic "Breastplate Prayer" from Fursa of Ireland, 7th century, that Len Sweet tweeted yesterday. A breastplate prayer is a prayer that asks for God's protection. There is such a physicality to these celtic prayers that it is hard for me not to both feel Christ's/God's presence and to want to be that for others.

The arms of God be around my shoulders,
The touch of the Holy Spirit upon my head,
The sign of Christ’s cross upon my forehead,
The sound of the Holy Spirit in my ears,
The fragrance of the Holy Spirit in my nostrils,
The vision of heaven’s company in my eyes,
The conversation of heaven’s company on my lips,
The work of God’s Church in my hands,
The service of God and the neighbour in my feet,
A home for God in my heart,
And to God, the Father of all, my entire being. Amen.

As we come to Easter and celebrate the resurrection of the one who was incarnated in a human body for us, let us reflect on what it means after Easter for us to now be the body of Christ in the world.

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

Incarnational Churches

2009-04-08T16:02:00.004-05:00

Been doing a lot of thinking about the missional church - so what else is new? :) More specifically, thinking about Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk's book The Missional Leader, Sara Miles' book Take This Bread, and Margaret Feinberg's book The Organic God.

It seems to be that what these three very different books have in common is the importance of the incarnation. In The Missional Church Fred and Alan issue a call to action, a call to be passionate, to be involved in the life of our communities, the life of our churches, and the life of our members. In Take This Bread, Sara speaks of the deep calling to be incarnational in ministry with the hungry in San Francisco, to be the feet, the hands, the eyes, the ears, the heart of Christ in more ways than just handing out food, but to eat and drink and share and give together. In The Organic God, Margaret also talks about the call to a Christian life as living an incarnational life, touching others with real hands, entering someone else's world, connecting with others in deep meaningful ways.

As I think about the challenge we face as a church today, the answer is seeming more and more simple. To be the church, to be followers of Jesus Christ, to live a Christian life, to be fruitful in that life, is to be the embodiment of Jesus Christ for others - touching with real hands, feeding with real food, sitting with real people, taking time to listen, to care, to help, to get out of our four walls, and to be the body of Christ in something more than a symbolic way.

There is power in that kind of a connection and ministry, power that is lost when we pull in and close ourselves off, power that is lost when we focus solely on survival of our own. When we get outside of ourselves, literally and figuratively, God's power is unleashed in often surprising and powerful ways, and because of that, lives are changed.

What will it take for you, and your church, to be more incarnational? In a big way? Yes - I said BIG - we are beyond the time when thinking small will do much. I firmly believe that God calls us to big things, risky things, after all, that's what the incarnation was to begin with - God giving up all the privileges and power of God's own self, becoming one of us, even to the point of dying on a cross - when we answer that call to risk big, and to keep risking big for the sake of the world God loves, we will bear much fruit.

Pick Up Your Cross

2009-04-08T15:57:00.001-05:00

Many of you celebrated the joy of confirming young people into membership over the last few weeks, or you may have a class joining the church on Pentecost. Reflecting on that and on our recent Easter celebrations reminded me of one exercise I used to do with my confirmation classes. We took a 6 foot length of 6x6 hardwood, and had the kids one by one pick it up, put it across their shoulders and walk up and down the aisle of the sanctuary. It was a significant experience for those kids, as I asked them to think about what Jesus went through as he walked to his cross, carrying his crossbeam, feeling the wood cutting into his already-wounded shoulders, and to think about Jesus’ words to his disciples – if any would come after me, let that one pick up his/her cross and follow me.

Easter is a wonderful time in the life of the church – my favorite part of the year. But after Easter comes the hard work of being followers of Jesus Christ, and the hard work of being the church. Picking up our cross and following, bearing the load, and yes, sometimes bearing the pain.

We are coming into the season of Pentecost – a time to focus on who we are as a church. I want to invite you to take these coming months to really wrestle with two questions.

First, “what does it mean for me, personally to take up my cross?”
What are you asked to bear personally, for the furtherance of God’s kingdom in this world?
What role are you asked to fulfill? What are you called to sacrifice?

Second, “what does it mean for this church to take up its cross?”
As a church, what are we being asked to sacrifice for the sake of the gospel?
What burdens has God placed before us that we can be a gospel response to?

Think about your community and the needs of those you pass on the street. Think about the resources you have available (keeping in mind the joke that the church has all the resources it needs – it’s just that most are still in our pockets!). Explore where God is calling you to stretch yourself and the church to be true Good News for others.

As we approach Pentecost and beyond, may you reflect on these, talk about these, and finally, take action for the sake of your Lord Jesus Christ, and the world that he died to reach. Who knows – if we can do that, then we too may experience the kind of growth the church did that first Pentecost.

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy~

Bibles with a Twist

2009-01-22T10:47:00.002-06:00

I've been checking out a few bibles recently that you might be interested in checking out.

The first is called Bible Illuminated: The Book: New Testament. What is different about this is it looks like a magazine. It is a very different reading experience. The cover is literally "eye-catching" with a closeup of an eye on a black background. When you open it up it is the Good News Translation, four columns to the page. I noticed two things immediately. First - there are no chapter and verse numbers, which, I don't know about you, but I find VERY refreshing. My brain is much more ready to read it like a story and not parse it by verse. The second thing I noticed was the pictures. Throughout the bible are modern photos interpreting scripture verses. The pictures themselves become a conversation piece challenging us to think about what pictures from today's world we would use to illustrate the scriptures. Click on the link below to go to the book on amazon.com and you can read more about the thinking behind this format. We've also got a copy of it at the presbytery office if anyone wants to borrow it or come in and look at it.

The second bible is called The Green Bible. It is a much more traditional type bible - nice size to carry, New Revised Standard Version, and it does have your chapter and verse markings. What makes it different is that it is made out of 100% recycled material, and verses that relate to the environment are - yes - in green. You'll find a link to this one below too.

Another Bible you may want to check out is the new Discipleship Study Bible. This also is the NRSV translation. Like many study bibles, it has some scholarly background on the various books, although if you read the reviews some like it and some don't. What I like about it is in the notes it raises questions that prompt us to think more concretely about how what we read speaks to our own socio-political situations, as well as to our own spiritual growth. In other words, the comments grow out of our 21st century society, not the mid or early 20th.

Each is very different, each was published with different goals. If you've found other bibles you use that you've found helpful or thought-provoking, please share them with us.

Fresh Expressions - Does it open any doors for us?

2009-01-15T13:22:00.002-06:00

I've been spending some time exploring a ministry called Fresh Expressions - a ministry of the Church of England the the United Methodist Church in England. It is an effort focused on creating what it calls 'Fresh Expressions. We might call it church planting in a post-modern world. As I browse the site, though, I see lots that can be applicable to existing churches too, or at least existing churches that are trying to shift from having an inward focus to an outward focus (or "missional"), and to more empowered and committed ministry by church members.

For example, here is the general outline it has for anyone interested in starting a "Fresh Expressions" church:

* Get together with at least one other Christian. As you check whether your expectations are on the same page, hopefully a sense of shared call will emerge.
Getting together → a shared call

* Explore the possibilities through '360 degrees listening' – to the people you may be called to serve, Christians you are close to, the experience of the wider church and to God directly in prayer and Bible study. Hopefully a vision for what to do will be confirmed or emerge.
Exploring possibilities → a shared vision

* Think ahead. Imagine how the venture might become church. What are the really important things you would need to do to make this happen? Might these become a statement of values?
Thinking ahead → shared values

* Organise support – prayer support, from the people you are called to serve, permission-givers and the wider public (eg, through good child protection and health and safety).
Organising support → a shared venture

* Nurture the team through appropriate training, making sure everyone is clear about their role and so on.
Nurturing the team → shared leadership

As you browse the site you'll find lots of helpful information, ideas about process, and even some free training courses that you can use in your own church.

Check it out at:
http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/
http://www.sharetheguide.org/

Is your church on Yelp.com?

2008-12-24T17:02:00.002-06:00

Bruce Reyes-Chow, our PCUSA moderator, mentioned on another site (deepandwide - you'll find the link on the left menu bar) that about 75% of the visitors check out his church's yelp reviews. Something I never thought of! It may be more relevant in larger cities, but you never know. I just searched for churches in Willmar and found all the churches in the area listed. One actually had one review. Someone else in a smaller community mentioned that they get people by having a link on the chamber of commerce website and by having a good google presence.

I can attest to the importance of the last - before I visit any church (even in my own presbytery), I check out their website. I learn a lot about a church from their website - what does it say about them? Is it up to date? Do they have pictures of people and not just buildings on it? Things like that.

So think about how people find your church. How can you make your church more accessible before people ever decide to get in their car and visit?

Other blogs sites to check out

2008-12-24T10:56:00.002-06:00

Here are some other conversations going on online that you may be interested in:

One website I’m finding very refreshing and good is deepandwide.ning.com. This is a place for conversations growing out of the denominations efforts to help the church grow – deep and wide.

The new denominational website focused on sharing resources and stories about church transformation, redevelopment and new church development: www.presbygrow.net/.

Another really good resource for anyone interested in what is happening in the church is www.mod.reyes-chow.com/. Bruce Reyes-Chow, the Moderator of the General Assembly, is the most accessible moderator we have ever had. He blogs regularly and sends out regular emails sharing what he is seeing and hearing around the church. And he always welcomes feedback. Even though he is from the more liberal end of the spectrum of the denomination, he has made it a point to attend gatherings of groups that span the theological spectrum, the right, left, and everything in between, with the simple goal of listening, learning, understanding, and conversing. He regularly shares what he is hearing thru his emails. I highly encourage everyone to check out his website and subscribe to his blog (you’ll see the subscription box in the upper right corner of the page), and feel free to email Bruce with your questions, thoughts and comments.

There’s lots of good conversations going on on the internet. Check it out! And then be a part of the conversation!!! And if you know of others, post them here so the rest of us can check them out.

Merry Christmas!

Patents for Sheep?

2008-12-24T10:30:00.002-06:00

I'm reviewing notes I made in a book - Jumping the Curve: Innovation and Strategic Choice in an Age of Transition, by Nocholas Imparato and Oren Harari. I just have to share with you a great line about mid-way thru the book - "there is literally no way for a company to seize opportunities if it is saddled with an overly layered, overly centralized, and overly functionalized structure.... As former 3M CEO Lewis Lehr has said, 'If you place too many fences around people, they can easily become a pasture of sheep. And how many patents are assigned to sheep?'"

We may be "the sheep of God's pasture," but somehow I don't think God intended the people in the churches to be the sheep of the congregation's pasture, or the sheep of the presbytery's pasture.

One thing that we've been looking at in Minnesota Valleys is the level of layered, centralized structure we have, and asking the question - does it help or hinder the creativity and calling of individuals (and churches) to follow where God leads, or to do things that need to be done? There needs to be a balance, but there needs to be freedom too.

As a local church pastor, one question I would ask whenever someone had an idea of something they'd like to try was "how much permission do they need to go ahead?" I firmly believe that checking in and keeping people in the loop of what you're doing is necessary. I also believe that we don't need to be all doing the same thing - even in the church. The reality is in many of our churches and presbyteries, if someone has a passion to do something, by the time they jump thru all the hoops of permission granting, either the passion has died or so many barriers and objections are raised that they opt out or move on to other churches.

We need people who have passion, who are willing to try new things, and leadership in churches and presbyteries who are able to let go of enough power to let people learn how to fly. So what if not everything works. I can guarantee that will be the case. No one hits a home run every single time. Or even gets a hit half the time. (Let's not be afraid of failure!) But if we can't encourage people to discover and follow where God is leading them, and support them, aren't we missing something?

The Two Most Important Things...

2008-12-03T20:43:00.003-06:00

Recently I have been cleaning out files and old emails, and was reading thru a bunch I've accumulated around the theme of transformation. Over the course of the last three years I've read countless books and articles on the subject, attended events where we've focused on it, and picked up skills in specific tools for transformation efforts in churches. It comes in handy when I am with some of our church members and they ask for help.

The answer, though, isn't a particular tool or strategy plan. Now don't get me wrong, I think tools, such as Natural Church Development, the Acts 16:5 Initiative, and such, are very helpful - when we don't know where to start, they give us direction. But in every example of a church that has made a successful transition and shown sustained growth and vitality, there were two key factors present:

1. They began with a spiritual base. They were intentional about developing their prayer life, Bible study, discernment, and spiritual practices. Pastor, elders, deacons, members all. Let's not forget who we follow and who calls us! First and foremost, we are followers of Jesus Christ, who calls us into an ever deeper and richer relationship with God. God is also our source of strength in every endeavor. The though of trying to do anything of substance in the church apart from God is sheer folly. Churches that are meeting the challenge of being relevant and thriving in this changing world are building a strong spiritual base.

2. They showed courage. They were willing to risk. More importantly, they were not only willing to risk doing things they've never done before, they actually stepped up and did them! They had courage to try things that scared them. Let's be honest - we'd love it if we didn't have to go outside our comfort zone for the church to thrive and be relevant in today's world. But the reality is, that is exactly what Christ calls us to do, and that is what it will take for our churches to make a turn-around.

As I said at Tuesday's presbytery meeting, we are in the season of Advent, when the angel Gabriel said to Mary, "Don't be afraid." Of course, when the angels say that, I have to wonder - is there something I SHOULD be afraid of? There must be! But what follows "don't be afraid" is "I will be with you." God will be with us. We are not alone.

Encourage your churches to build their spiritual base, and to step out in courage and take some risks. Not only is there really no other way, but when they do, they will discover a new strength and joy in serving God and sharing God's grace with others.

God be with you!

Sue

What message are you sending?

2008-11-24T09:54:00.002-06:00

Below is the intro and link to an article from a recent Alban Institute email. It is well worth reading. But what I want to talk about is something Lynne said in the first paragraph - "people involved in a congregati0n are shaped by what they hear about that congregation." I know first hand the truth of that statement!

I know I've told this story before, but I think it bears repeating. At one of my churches, EVERY WEEK we made sure we had something in the local weekly paper - whether it was an announcment in the local events section about an upcoming event, a paid ad (professional ad with "kick"), or a news story with photo. We were not doing anything different than we had before - we were just telling the community about it. The 'buzz' in the community was fascinating - people started talking about us! They would say "you sure are doing a lot at that church!" And people IN the church started feeling proud about being a member of the church. That was also the year we decided not to do a stewardship drive. Giving went up dramatically (over 30%), there was a lighter spirit in worship and meetings, there was a noticable decrease in conflict in the church.

The next year when we let our publicity slip. so did giving, and conflict rose. I can't help but believe there was a direct connection.

People are shaped by what they hear about their church. What are message is your church sending it's members (and community)

Myths about Communicating Congregational Identity
by Lynne M. Baab

Conveying a congregation’s identity and values clearly and through a variety of means of communication will help the congregation connect to the community around it. At the same time, clear expressions of values and identity will also have a deep impact on the congregation itself. The people involved in a congregation are shaped by what they hear about that congregation. Their expectations for the life of faith and for their involvement in the community are influenced by the ways in which the congregation talks about itself and its values.

For decades congregational leaders have been making decisions—both consciously and unconsciously—about identity and values and how they are communicated. The nine myths below lay out some of the underlying issues that may influence these choices and their effectiveness.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=6712

DNA Coaching Link

2008-11-13T09:31:00.003-06:00

I have added a link under "Ministry Links" on the side to DNA Coaching. It looks like they have several tools that might be of interest to churches working on transforatmion. Feel free to check it out, and if you use any of their tools, I would be interested in hearing what you think of them.

Sue Coller

Opportunity to Meet People Where Their Need Is

2008-11-13T09:29:00.003-06:00

I was just reading an article by Don Nations, of DNA Coaching, that had a great suggestion for how our churches can really meet people where they are at today. This is what the newsletter said:

“In the local church: People in the church and people in the community are reassessing where they are financially, they are reconsidering some of their expenses, they are working to make ends meet and they are looking for assistance. This may be the perfect time for a church to begin offering programs such as Good Sense, Financial Peace University, Crown Financial Ministries, etc. Help people better understand their finances and take control of them. Help people better understand stewardship and grow spiritually in this area.”

This is a great idea – especially since it is hard for people outside the church (and sometimes inside the church) to see how the church can be relevant where the rubber hits the road in everyday life. This is one area where the church can really reach out and offer an opportunity that no one else is offering. I am a little familiar with Crown Financial Ministries – you can find their info here: http://www.crown.org/financialwisdom/church/startcrown.asp. I know of one church that used that and had very good results with it. I’m sure the others are also very good.

One of the keys for doing this well is to do something different than we usually do when we offer a new program. Most of us typically announce it in the bulletin, newsletter, on Sunday, and maybe in a notice in the local paper. And then we’re typically disappointed with the turnout. The church I am aware of that used the Crown Financial Planning program did something different – the leaders committed to being a part of it, and then they called EVER SINGLE MEMBER OF THE CHURCH, whether they were “active” or “inactive”, and invited and encouraged to sign up for a small group. The way it reaches out into the community is then for the people who have signed up to invite their friends and acquaintances, being sure to say why they are going to attend for themselves.

That particular church had a HUGE response – I have forgotten the exact percentage of participation, but I think it was something like over 75% of the members. Whatever it was, it was a significant majority of the congregation. Who of us wouldn’t die of joy to have that level of participation?

Remember these days people are thinking a lot about money, how they save, how they spend, what they can do, what is wise use of it, etc. As I’ve already said – we, the church, have something to say to people to help them navigate these times. And that is no matter what size church we are. How can your church offer an opportunity to your members and your community to talk and learn about faithful ways to approach, view, and use money these days in a safe environment?

Share your comments here, and any other resources you know of to help churches address the issue of faithful finances in these up and down times.

Sue Coller

We've gone bloggers!

2008-11-07T17:38:00.000-06:00

We've made the move! The transforming Followers E-News has moved into a blog format! we've done this for two reasons. First this move will make it easier for me to keep up with it. There's something about only having to write one note instead of several articles that is really appealing and less daunting. And second, it is much easier for you all to respond and converse with each other about the postings.

So feel free to comment on posts and respond to each others' posts. What will make this most useful for all of us is what comes from the conversations, not just from my thoughts.

You will also find all the articles from the previous email versions of the Transforming Leaders (Followers) e-news, so comment on those too if you'd like.

I look forward to the conversation.

Sue Coller

from November 5, 2008 Opening Note

2008-11-07T17:36:00.000-06:00

I don't know what's been going on for you, but lots has been going on in Minnesota Valleys - retreats, biblical "advances," top-notch keynote speakers and retreat leaders, and that's just in one week!

In this issue I want to share with you a few of the things we've been learning in Minnesota Valleys, and I hope you find it helpful to you as you seek to lead your churches down the path of faithfulness.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from November 5, 2008 A leader or a follower be...

2008-11-07T17:35:00.000-06:00

You might have noticed that the name of this e-news has changed. It was "Transforming Leaders of Transforming Churches." Now it it "Transforming Followers for Transforming Churches." And this is why the change:

About a week ago, wehad our first "Biblical Advance," with author Leonard Sweet as our teacher for the event. The title of the event was "From oranges to apples: coming alive to the living Word," and we had just about 100 people attend, half adults, half youth. If you have not heard Len Sweet, he is a dynamic, thoughtful teacher and theologian, who has a real gift for helping people see the Bible in a new light.

One of the things Len said really caught me - he was talking about our tendency to read everything we can get our hands on about leadership, to study the leadership models in society, to study all the "habits" of successful leaders, so we can be good leaders in the church. Well, this is what he pointed out - read the Bible and notice how many time God calls people to be leaders, vs. how many times God calls people to be followers. Of course we can all think of the many "follow me" scriptures in the gospels. But even Moses, whom we think of as a great leader, was really called to follow - after all, he didn't set the direction in the wilderness - it was the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day! Even Paul stresses not his leadership qualities, but his followership qualities, as he follows Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in his ministry.

So let me just ask you a question, and let you sit with it for a while - how does it affect your ministry, whether you are a pastor, elder, deacon, or lay person, to see yourself primarily as a follower of Jesus Christ, instead of a leader of God's people? What does it mean for you to lead as a faithful follower?

from November 5, 2008 Do you take Sabbath time?

2008-11-07T17:34:00.000-06:00

This is an interesting question - we recently did a survey of our pastors to see how many days off a week they took, how much of their vacation and continuing education time they used, and how many hours a week they typically worked. The results were somewhat surprising, specifically the number of pastors who did not even take one full day off a week, many of whom also did not regularly use all of their vacation time. (I could also talk about the extraordinary number of hours some of the pastors worked, but that's just too depressing!)

On one hand, this is a concern because as pastors, we are supposed to be spiritual leaders (followers? :) ). When we get so busy working, one thing that many pastors says quickly gets left behind, is time to nurture their own spiritual life. It's hard to do that when you're working 60-70 hours a week and not taking regular time off. But it's also a concern because, like many in our congregations, we are tired. We have so many demands on our time - work, family, the chores that don't seem to get done by themselves, and should we actually want a social life - well, good luck on finding time for that!

What is even more important to realize,though, is that this problem is not limited to pastors. Many of our working church members face the same problem - they too are overworked, over-scheduled, and facing too many demands on their time. Many may have two days off a week, but other demands fill that time - family, some have second jobs to make ends meet, other commitments.

As an executive presbyter, my concern is the pastors - how can I encourage them to adopt more healthy work habits and lifestyles, so that they can stay refreshed and thrive in their ministry and be effective pastors of churches? But as leaders of churches, you would do well to ask that same question about the people in the pew - what can the church do to help them stay refreshed and thrive in their work, which is their ministry? Most people can't take a three month sabbatical. Even taking a full day to rest, relax, and nurture their relationship with God is a challenge. So how else can the church provide moments or spaces for Sabbath that will work for people? Keeping in mind, of course, that those who need it most probably won't be the first to respond to an invitation!

Some churches provide prayer booklets, some churches have a prayer room that is always open. Some add time for silence in worship - significant times of silence. Others have an annual retreat of a day or two for spiritual renewal. I'm sure there are many other ideas out there too.

As we approach Advent, a time of holy waiting, this might be a good time for us to find ways to provide that space and time for people to "wait upon the Lord" and rediscover the center out of which we find our life.

from September 15, 2008 New Commissioned Lay Pastors Facebook Page

2008-11-07T17:33:00.001-06:00

Bill Evans, a commissioned lay pastor in Tower, Minnesota, has just started a facebook group for commissioned lay pastors, and it's open to everyone.

There's not a lot of opportunities for commissioned lay pastors to compare notes, get ideas, and encourage each other. If you are a commissioned lay pastor, this group can be that.

To join this group you need to create a facebook account/profile if you don't already have one (go to www.facebook.com and follow the links for registering). Once you create your facebook account/profile, in the search box in the upper right corner of your page type "commissioned lay pastors of the PCUSA" and you'll find it. There will be a link to join the group on the right side of the page. Please pass this on to all the commissioned lay pastors you know.

from September 11, 2008 Opening Note

2008-11-07T17:32:00.001-06:00

Like many of you, my summer has been full of vacations, work trips, and, of course, getting ready for fall. It seems like this fall there's a lot going on, so summer hasn't been as relaxed as I would have hoped. But it seems like that's my story every year! Anyway- Transforming Leaders took a summer vacation, and now we're back. I hope you were refreshed over the summer, and have survived the start of Sunday school!

Today I want to point you to three web resources you may find helpful / thoughtful as you seek to lead your church in this new day, and pose a question that is becoming more and more urgent.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from September 11, 2008 Database for Workshops

2008-11-07T17:31:00.000-06:00

The PCUSA sponsors a searchable database for workshops and continuing education events. You can search by keyword, subject, date, audience, sponsoring agency, location, and even learning mode. You may want to bookmark this.

www.faithandwisdom.org

from September 11, 2008 PresbyGrow.Net - a website worth checking out

2008-11-07T17:30:00.000-06:00

The PCUSA has begun a new website, and I'm hoping you have already discovered it. You can find it here: www.presbygrow.net. You'll find there links to resources about new church development, church transformation, and church growth. There are announcements of upcoming events, book reviews, resources, and discussion groups. Check it out, and use it. They've got some good resources.

from September 11, 2008 Facebook - more than social networking

2008-11-07T17:29:00.000-06:00

Do you have a facebook page? If not, you might want one after reading this. I got on facebook this summer, and am still discovering all kinds of resources there. For example, presbymergent has a facebook page, and you can take part in conversations there. Our moderator, Bruce Reyes-Chow has a facebook page, and some group pages, and you can keep up with his activities around the church and his thoughts as he travels.

There's groups for new pastors, groups for people thinking about leadership, for people wanting to talk about the Presbyterian church, and of course, groups for people who love dogs :)

One of the things I've enjoyed with facebook is that it is an easy way to keep in touch with people. You can update during the day what you're doing, and read what your friends are doing, and it's amazing how such a little thing helps build relationships.

Some people are using facebook simply to keep in touch with their kids. Others use it to keep connected with the church young adults as they go away to college. I've used it to find college friends I haven't seen since college.

The sky really is the limit for how you can use it. It can be a great tool when you spend a little time learning about the opportunities it presents. But warning - it can also be a great time waster, if you get too caught up in street race!

Check it out. You'll have to set up your own page first, and then "friend" me. I've learned most of what I know about facebook by visiting my friends' pages and seeing what they're doing.

www.facebook.com

from September 11, 2008 A Question: What do we do about money?

2008-11-07T17:28:00.000-06:00

Let's be blunt - money is becoming more and more scarce in our churches. Even churches not trying to make changes for the future are experiencing a decrease in giving and increased expenses, especially for buildings and staff. But if you are in a church that is actively seeking to grow and make significant changes, you may have already felt the financial pinch.

• First, you too may be dealing with increasing costs for building upkeep and staff.
• Second, when we make changes, it is not uncommon for some long-term members to begin to withhold giving as a way of expressing their displeasure over change.
• Third, if we are bringing in younger people, they often don't have the giving habits of our older members, and thus even if we are growing numerically, we may be seeing a decrease in giving.
• And fourth, concern over the economy is trickling down into the church. We have even been seeing that at the presbytery level. In Minnesota Valleys, for over a decade churches have been great at keeping up their mission giving, even with declining membership. But it finally reached us, as churches reached the limit of what they felt they could give, and thus at the regional level, we too are facing some challenging financial decisions.

Now you may be reading this thinking/hoping that I will have some great answer for you about how we deal with this challenge. Unfortunately, I don't. I wish I did. But I do raise the question - how will we faithfully meet this challenge without compromising our mission and vision? How has your congregation struggled with this? What have you tried? Are there things you have given up so that resources could be available for other things? Have you found creative ways to meet your needs?

I invite you to share both what you've tried, ideas, and your struggles. We're all facing this - can we help each other and encourage each other through this challenge?

from May 6, 2008 Opening Note

2008-11-07T17:26:00.002-06:00

I hope you all had a good Easter season - now that Pentecost is about here, many of us are looking forward to summer. Somehow Pentecost has come to mark in many churches the time when we can relax - Sunday school classes coming to and end, committees taking breaks, let's face it - people taking breaks, many of whom we won't see back in the pews until mid-fall. Yet that's not what that first Pentecost was - it was the beginning - not the end! In this issue of Transforming Leaders, we're going to go back to the beginning with some very basic questions - what are we doing, and why are we doing it? Read on!

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from May 6, 2008 Quote of the Day

2008-11-07T17:26:00.001-06:00

God cannot fill what is full. - He can only fill emptiness - deep poverty - and your "Yes" is the beginning of being or becoming empty. It is not how much we really "have" to give - but how empty we are - so that we can receive fully in our life and let Him live His life in us.
...
Keep giving Jesus to your people not by words but by your example - by your being in love with Jesus - by radiating His holiness and spreading His fragrance of love everywhere you go.

Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light

from May 6, 2008 Book Notes: Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, ed. by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C.

2008-11-07T17:25:00.001-06:00

Originally I was reading this book for our presbytery book club, but as I got further and further into it, I thought this was something that just might be of interest to those of us trying to lead our churches in being faithful to God as we move into the future. In many ways, that is what Mother Teresa's story is about - being faithful to God in all circumstances. She made a vow early on to never deny Jesus anything - and that vow had an immense impact on her life and ministry - and one that exacted a cost that was far more than she ever anticipated. This is that story of living that vow faithfully, and the story of the tremendous cost it took on her.

In a way, as you read the book, it might make you wonder why it seems so complicated to lead the church in these changing times. Is it really as complicated as we make it out to be? We spend a lot of time making sure we have the right tools, the right programs, the right answers, before we make a move. In reality - I wonder if that search for the "right" things are really excuses not to do what we know God is calling us to do, because we fear the cost will be more than we want to pay? Just a question.... Even though the logistics of starting the Missionaries of Charity and nurturing it and leading it as it expanded had it's own challenges, the task was very simple: to quench Jesus' thirst by ministering to the poorest of the poor and unseen no matter who they were or where they were.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, clergy or not, who wants to think more about what God is calling you, or your church, to do.

from May 6, 2008 The Simplicity of it All

2008-11-07T17:24:00.000-06:00

When Mother Teresa was hospitalized in Rome in 1983, she wrote her thoughts on the answer to the question: Who do you say that I am?" from Matthew 16:15. Here is part of her answer to the specific question: Who is Jesus to me?

Jesus is the Word - to be spoken.
Jesus is the Truth - to be told.
Jesus is the Way - to be walked.
Jesus is the Light - to be lit.
Jesus is the Life - to be lived.
Jesus is the Love - to be loved.
Jesus is the Joy - to be shared.
Jesus is the Sacrifice - to be offered.
Jesus is the Peace - to be given.
Jesus is the Bread of Life - to be eaten.
Jesus is the Hungry - to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty - to be satiated.
Jesus is the Naked - to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless - to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick - to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely - to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted - to be wanted.
Jesus is the Leper - to wash his wounds.
Jesus is the Beggar - to give him a smile.
Jesus is the Drunkard - to listen to him.
Jesus is the Retarded - to protect him.
Jesus is the Little One - to embrace him.
Jesus is the Blind - to lead him.
Jesus is the Dumb - to speak for him.
Jesus is the Crippled - to walk with him.
Jesus is the Drug Addict - to befriend him.
Jesus is the Prostitute - to remove from danger and befriend.
Jesus is the Prisoner - to be visited.
Jesus is the Old - to be served.

She lived that out every single day - taking to heart Matthew 25:40: "just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

As I think about our struggle to find a way for the church to be vital and alive and living out God's mission in the world, sometimes I think we make it too complicated. It's really very simple - how well do we - as individuals and as a church, care for the least of these, who are members of God's family? Do we really love them? If so, how far are we willing to go to show that love in word and deed? Let us remember that following Christ is a call to serve, not a call to be served. Is it easy? Not always - in fact maybe rarely so. But it is an invitation to see Christ in those around us, to see the need behind the eyes, and to respond with the love of Christ in concrete ways. It does cost to do that - but that too, is a gift. Perhaps the cost we pay, if it is a meaningful cost, opens the door for us to see more clearly Christ in those we are called to love and serve, and to recognize, as Mother Teresa did, that then we are truly in the presence of Christ.

from May 6, 2008 Thoughts to Ponder...

2008-11-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

Mother Teresa attempted to answer the questions:

Who do you say that I am? (asks Jesus)

and

Who is Jesus to me?

How would you answer those questions?

What does it mean to say who Jesus is to you? How do you live that out in your daily life?

Mother Teresa lived it out in every interaction she had with another human being - loving, caring, sacrificing, serving.

What does it look like in your life?

Is that enough?

from March 24, 2008 Opening Note

2008-11-07T17:16:00.000-06:00

This week I'm including a press release with comments by Scott Vaughan, a church communication specialist. As we seek to lead our churches to be vital, healthy, alive, and relevant parts of the Body of Christ in our areas, we need to think carefully abuot what we do, why we do it, and how we tell people about it. I think you'll find his comments particularly helpful in that.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from March 24, 2008 Thought for the day

2008-11-07T17:15:00.000-06:00

Some people say it's not what you say, but how you say it.

The reality is, it's both.

What we communicate is ultimately what is most important, but how we do it will determine if what we say gets heard.

from March 24, 2008 'It's not really what you do; it's why you do it'

2008-11-07T17:13:00.000-06:00

Scott Vaughan talks church community strategy at Western Canada's ChurchWorks '08 Abbotsford, British Columbia - March 5, 2008 - Today's church audiences and prospects are less interested in what the church is offering, and far more interested in why ministries and events are offered.

Speaking at ChurchWorks 2008, in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Scott Vaughan, of Scott Vaughan Communications, LLC, said, "In church planning and promotion, we must start with some tough questions: Why are we organizing this ministry or event? How will it improve the lives of others? How will we see the reflection of Jesus in what we are doing? What are the benefits of this activity to our prospective audiences? What are we willing to change or give up to make it reality?

"I am not giving up an evening or weekend to attend something just because the church is doing it. I don't have that kind of institutional loyalty," Vaughan said. "Your planning and communication message must motivate me to 'give up' my personal interests at home, work or play in order to engage your church."

Vaughan admits that its a selfish attitude on the part of consumers, but it's a reality that the church must be willing to forgive. "And, when we attract them to our property and our ministries, we must engage them so lovingly and joyfully that they want to be a part of where God is working."

Vaughan said too many church planning teams or committees are really planning for themselves and their friends - and that may not always translate into success.

This was an excerpt from a press release Scott Vaughan's communcion e-newsletter. You can subscribe to his free e-newsletter by clicking on the "Scott Vaughan Communcation" link under Ministry Links in the left sidebar.

from March 24, 2008 Thoughts to Ponder...

2008-11-07T17:11:00.000-06:00

Look at your church - the building, the newsletter, the bulletin, anything that an outsider might see. Even the interactions among members.

What message does all of that send to someone who is not part of your congregation?

BULLETIN: Do you have to have the words to any prayers or songs memorized to participate? Do the announcements make sense to someone who is not already involved?

NEWSLETTER: Take it to someone who is not part of any church and ask them to critique it for you.

BUILDING: Do you have to know which door most people use? Are there signs to point the way to restrooms or nurseries? When you walk up to the building is it inviting or more like a fortress?

BEHAVIOR: When non-church people see members in the community, do they see you acting in a way that reflects the best of our faith? Or do they see you treating someone unkindly? Are you generous and helpful in the community?

We communicate even when we aren't aware of it!

from March 4, 2008 Opening Note

2008-11-07T17:09:00.001-06:00

Can you believe it's already March?! Time has flown by. A little over two months has passed since the last issue of "Transforming Leaders" and whether you serve at a local church or at the presbytery, it's a busy time. Especially with Easter coming so early. We are all in the midst of Lent, traditionally a time for teaching new disciples what it means to say "Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior" and giving them the tools to begin their new life as followers of Jesus Christ.

In that spirit, this issue will focus on just two things:

1. Listing education events - probably especially interesting to clergy who are thinking about what education events they will attend this year. There are some very good ones coming up.

2. Something I shared with a group of elders and deacons at an officer training event this last Saturday, reflecting on the meaning of our first ordination/installation question - which gets at what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to say he is our Lord and Savior.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from March 4, 2008 Question of the Day

2008-11-07T17:03:00.000-06:00

Do you trust in Jesus Christ your Savior,
acknowledge him Lord of all and head of the Church,
and through him believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

Ordination/Installation
Question #1 for officers in the PC(USA)

from March 4, 2008 What does it mean to say Jesus is LORD?

2008-11-07T17:02:00.000-06:00

Especially for a church officer, this is a BIG question! It is in essence, a membership question. One becomes a member of the PC(USA) thru "faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and acceptance of his Lordship in all of life" (Book of Order - G-5.0101a). Members profess that faith and acceptance, and promise to participate in the worship, mission and ministry of the church. But church officers (Ministers of Word and Sacrament, Elders, and Deacons) are called to particular responsibilities and given unique authority within the church, including being an example for others to follow, seeking out God's will for the church, teaching the people about God and God's ways, caring for the people, and leading the church in faithfulness.

Because, as leaders, we are entrusted, by both God and the congregation, with such a precious treasure as the Good News and the church, we begin our service by reaffirming that most basic membership question.

What does it ask us to affirm? I will just lift up three things.

1. That we put our primary trust in Jesus Christ.
When we put our trust primarily in ourselves, we are saying that we have all the wisdom that is needed to faithfully lead God's people. But do we really? When we try to "go it on our own," we deny that anyone else, including God, might have something to add to the conversation. And rarely, if ever, do we make good decisions when we rely only on our own resources and wisdom. Especially when we serve a God who often challenges conventional wisdom. As it says in 1 Corinthians 1:20-25:
"Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

2. That Jesus is not just our Savior, but also our Lord.
Remember Peter's declaration of faith at Caesarea Philippi? "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Mt. 16:13-15). Caesarea Philippi is an interesting place - it was site of one of the headwaters of the Jordan River - also the site of the birthplace of the Greek god Pan, a worship site for an ancient Canaanite god,and the site of a temple to the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. In the midst of those temples, in the midst of those competing loyalties, Peter makes his confession. That is us today - we are asked, in the midst of all the competing loyalties we have, and in the midst of all the competing demands on our time by family, friends, work, even church work, we are asked to give our first and primarily allegiance to Christ. Especially those called to lead the church. That asks a lot of us, no doubt. And at times it may ask a lot from our families. It is always a balancing act. Yet it means something to say, "Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior", and our congregations need to know that Christ is first in our lives, and in leading the church, we seek to be faithful to him above all else.

3. That the church does not belong to us.
We are called to exercise leadership by one who judges our leadership and who also gives us an example of how to lead. The decisions we make should reflect his will, not merely our own opinions. So by acknowledging Christ as Lord of the Church, and not just our Savior, we state clearly that we are accountable to him for our actions and decisions, and we will seek his guidance at all times. This is, after all, Christ's church, not ours, and we are called into the church so that we can be the Body of Christ reaching out into the world.

As each of you seeks to lead the church in these changing times, I pray that you always remember this vow you took when you were ordained, and every time you were installed. Remember this, and you are already on the right path to faithful leadership!

from March 4, 2008 Thoughts to Ponder...

2008-11-07T17:00:00.002-06:00

When you answered that first question at your ordination (or when you joined the church), what did it mean to you?

How is your assent to this question essential to the faithful exercise of your leadership?

What would happen to the church if YOU were to abandon this vow? (we're just talking about you - not anyone else!)

How will you keep this vow this year?

from December 24, 2007 Opening Note

2008-11-07T17:00:00.001-06:00

It's Christmas Eve Day - hopefully no one is reading this today! As important as it is to be thinking about the church, planning for how we will lead, contemplating what it will take to help our churches make the switch from the past to the future, it is just as important to take the time to worship - to remember why we care about this in the first place. One of our privileges as Christians is to worship God who became one of us in Jesus of Nazareth. May you have a worshipful Christmas season, and remember what God has done for you - and the world.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from December 24, 2007 Quote of the Day

2008-11-07T16:59:00.001-06:00

The primary job of a church is to be a spiritual community that forms people in faith.

Diana Buler Bass

from December 24, 2007 BOOK NOTES: Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith, by Diana Butler Bass

2008-11-07T16:57:00.002-06:00

This is a refreshing book - one of the few that is looking at existing mainline denominational churches, and discovering that some of them really are growing! In this book Butler Bass talks about what she found in growing churches, and 10 "signposts" or practices of churches that are growing and inviting others to join them on a journey of faith.

One of the things that stuck with me in the boo was this quote: "The primary job of a church is to be a spiritual community that form people in faith." That in itself is nothing new, but what she found was that those churches that are growing, take that seriously and are intentional about faith formation - both for existing members, and for members. One of the other things that can be a new learning for many of our churches is that those churches who are growing have a very clear sense of who they are and what they do. When asked to tell people about their church, members know what to say - something other than "we are a friendly church." They have a very clear sense of identity and purpose, and they understand the spiritual needs of those they reach out to.

A good read with lots to think about.

from December 24, 2007 Just how much talking should we do?

2008-11-07T16:57:00.001-06:00

Maybe that's a strange question, but one I think we need to ask every now and then. Under Upcoming Events, you'll find a link to "Church Unbound," a conference coming up at Montreat in July. It looks like it will be a very good conference, and I would recommend some of you check it out. The flyer advertising it says
How can the PC(USA) become a church for the next generation? What will it take to bridge the boundaries of age, culture, gender, grace, and theological differences? Come join others who care about the leadership of the church, present and future. Be part of an exciting conversation aimed at fashioning a new vision for a new day - of a Church Unbound!
There are 29 names of people well-known in the PC(USA) on the list of people leading this event, and it looks like there are some very good workshops.

My concern? Sometimes it seems like we go to these things, sponsor such events, do a lot of talking, maybe even get fired up, but that's about all. At some point, we actually have to DO something! If the church is going to meet the challenge of being relevant to those seeking meaning in life, hope, spirituality, etc., then we, as individuals, and as individual churches, are going to have to make some changes. Talk won't do it.

I hope as you all go to events, read books, and talk about these things with each other, I hope you also make a decision to DO something too. It almost doesn't matter what you do - or whether you are successful or not. Even failure is a step in the right direction, because it means we are trying - and if we keep trying, change will happen, and maybe our churches will be featured in the next book about growing mainline churches!

from December 24, 2007 Thoughts to Ponder...

2008-11-07T16:56:00.000-06:00

What was the last thing your church tried and failed at? If you can't remember, then it means you are not taking risks. And if you aren't taking risks, you're playing it safe - and safe rarely leads to the kind of faith-walk that sets followers of Jesus apart.

We are known by what we risk - what are you willing to risk in order to reach those for whom Christ died, who are not already in your pews?

from November 11, 2007 Opening Note

2008-11-07T13:52:00.000-06:00

Another issue on the missional church. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing all of us is how to help the church get a new understanding of what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from November 11, 2007 Thought of the Day

2008-11-07T13:51:00.000-06:00

The church does not have a mission

it IS the mission

God's mission to the world.

from November 11, 2007 BOOK NOTES: Developing the Missional Church: Essays from the Reformed Reviews

2008-11-07T13:50:00.000-06:00

FEATURES OF THE MISSIONAL CHURCH - George R. Hunsberger
"I have come to use the language of "missional church" to describe the manner of church life and identity necessary for the churches of North America as we move into the uncharted waters of a post-Christian and postmodern world. It is not about what ventures the church sends out, but about how the church itself is a "sent" community. It is about mission as the essential character of the church. The missional church is one that knows that its life is always undergoing renovation and is willing to receive the impact of its founding story over and over again."

Thanks to Rev. Bob Houser, Executive Presbyter / Stated Clerk of Central Nebraska Presbytery for this recommendation.

from November 11, 2007 Are we ready to be "sent"?

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As I read the review above, I was struck by the sentence about the church being a "sent" community. For those who read much of the missional literature, this is not a new idea. I forgot where I first heard this, but someone said that the church does not have a mission, the church is the mission - God's mission to the world. Or to put it another way, it is not what we do, it is what we are.

That is a HUGE shift in self-understanding for most of our churches. For most of our formative years in the church, we thought about mission as something we do. We "do" mission projects. We "go" on mission trips. We "send" money to missions. Many of those events and projects were life-changing to many people sitting in our pews today, and are to be valued and celebrated. But what does it mean to "be" God's mission? What does it meant to be the ones "sent" instead of the ones doing the "sending"? What it means to me is that we are the ones on the front line, not someone else. What it means to me is that "going" to church is not the destination, it is the pit stop. What it means to me is that we gather to be fed and to be in community, but also that what we gain from that gathering is in service to our then going out into the world. What it means to me is that as important as Sunday it, Sunday is perhaps the least important part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. And all that is new, and probably even uncomfortable, for most of the long-time members of our congregations. What we are asking of them has changed, and that is no small thing.

As leaders of churches that are seeking to find their place in this changing world, the biggest challenge before us is helping them to come to a new understanding of what God asks of us in this new day.

Do I have the answer about how to do that? Not today, I don't. What I can say is that it will take time, and leaders with persistence, courage, and faith. But if we will give ourselves over to that task, then how can God's mission fail?

from November 11, 2007 Thoughts to Ponder...

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Leadership doesn't happen by accident. If we want to be the best leaders we can be for the changing church, then we need to approach the task with intentionality.

What steps, specifically, will you take to help your church discover it's new identity as the mission of God in and for the world?
• Will you work with the session and study articles and books about what it means to be a missional church?
• Will you weave the mission church identity into your sermons or teaching - not just once in a while, but every time?
• Will you personally identify a growing edge for your faith and attend to that?
• Will you challenge all church committees and small groups to include a missional component to their work and fellowship?
• Will you include God's call to be God's mission in and for the world in ALL your prayers? Especially public prayers?
• Other ideas?

from November 7, 2007 Thought to Ponder ...

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1. What are the challenges you are finding as you try to be a leader of a changing church?
2. What have you learned thru those challenges?
3. What do you still need to learn?
4. What are you willing to try or risk as you leave here and go back into that challenge?

from October 19, 2007 Opening Note

2008-11-07T13:46:00.001-06:00

This is the second issue focusing on spiritual care and wellness for leaders. Many of us, ministers and other leaders, find the fall a particularly busy time, and need all the help we can get to stay healthy!

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from October 19, 2007 Thought for the Day

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Martin Luther is reported to have said that some days he has so much to do, he couldn't possibly even begin before he had spent 4 hours in prayer. What can we learn from him?

from October 19, 2007 BOOK NOTES: The Ministry Marathon, by Tim Wright and Lori Woods

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Do you view ministry as a sprint or a marathon? In the book The Ministry Marathon, Tim Wright and Lori Woods explore the notion of ministering over the long haul. They suggest that marathons are won and lost on the basis of the kind of care and rest we offer our bodies. Likewise, they believe that the care and rest a pastor gives his or her body is critical to a pastor's ability to minister. They contend that the overall wellness of a pastor is vital to his or her ministry
They use the word "marathon" as an acronym: "Massage your mind, Adjust your attitude, Replenish your resources, Affirm your affections, Track Your Time, Hone your heart, Own up to others, Nurture your nature."
This book is an easy read with several wisdom nuggets. It serves as a good reminder of the importance of clergy self care. As a person who tends to sprint through life, the book challenged me to live a healthier lifestyle.

Thanks to Rev. Candace Adams, pastor at Hope Presbyterian Church in Spicer, Minnesota, for this recommendation.

from October 19, 2007 Have You Breathed Today?

2008-11-07T13:43:00.000-06:00

As I said in the intro, fall is a particularly busy time for pastors and other church leaders. We often slow down during the summer, and then have a marathon effort to get the fall programs and activities ready to go in September. Then it doesn't slow down until Christmas, usually! First it's the start of Sunday school, it's youth programs, it's stewardship drives, it's nominating committees, it's thanksgiving dinners, budget preparation, advent, Christmas, you get the idea. It is hard to find time to stop and breathe. When I pastored local churches, I had a pattern for my vacation, that I developed after many years of trial and error. One week vacation after Easter (Jan-Easter was also a big crunch time), two weeks in the summer, and one week sometime in October, often Columbus Day weekend. By then I found I really needed a vacation or else I would burn out. Of course when Easter was late, it was a LONG stretch between October and the post-Easter vacation.

The big challenge for us all, though, isn't necessarily when to schedule vacation time, but how to pause in the midst of the crunch times, and breathe. Rest. Nourish our souls. For some people, Internet devotion sites are wonderful - a few minutes they can do even at work on a daily basis. Others take a segment of time in the morning or evening for prayer and study. Others make a habit of going to the gym, or taking a walk. Different things word for different people.

It's too easy to say "I'm too busy" to pray, to do devotions, or to take a walk. Yet if we don't take even a few minutes a day for those things, we end up paying a price later, if not right away. But when we do take the time to breathe - and specifically to breathe in the grace and presence of God, we often find that the day goes better, our stress level is lower, we focus better, and we appreciate life better. What a blessing!

from October 19, 2007 Thoughts to Ponder...

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A pastor recently sent me this website for a 3-minute daily devotion you can do even in a short pause at work.

http://www.findinggod.org/retreat

What I both like and am frustrated by with it, is that it doesn't give you the "continue" button right away after you've read what's on the screen! You have to wait!!! Even if it is just for a few seconds. But what a gift those few seconds are.

Have you found helpful Internet devotion sites or other ideas to help busy people pause and breathe during the day? Please send them to me and I will pass them on to you all. In working with a couple churches that are focusing on nurturing passionate spirituality in their congregations, this is one of the biggest challenges they've identified - how to help people who have no time nourish their souls.

from October 4, 2007 Opening Note

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This issue looks at spiritual care and wellness for leaders. regardless of whether you are a pastor or a elder, deacon, or lay leader, if we don't pay attention to our own spiritual well-being, we can't serve our church well.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from October 4, 2007 Quote of the Day

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"Be still, and know that I am God."

Why do we have such a hard time with that?

from October 4, 2007 BOOK NOTES: Practicing Our Faith: A way of life for a searching people, by Dorothy C. Bass, editor

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This is already a classic, and chances are, many of you are already familiar with this book. Yet I lift it up to you anyway. If you are like me, it sometimes helps to go back to resources that are familiar. Often, by going back to them, they remind me of what I already knew, but fail to practice!

This book has chapters on everything from honoring the body, to rediscovering the practice of Sabbath, to forgiveness, to healing, to the all important - "Saying Yes and Saying No." In short, it is about integrating spirituality into every aspect of our life.

I lift this up, yet if you are like me, the thought of finding a way to integrate one more thing - even good, spiritual practices, into my life, can seem like one thing too many in an already hectic, busy life. The good news - you can take this book one chapter at a time, even one chapter a month, if that's what works for you! You can take your time with it. The important thing is, do you want a deeper spiritual life? Do you want to be able to draw more deeply on God's resources as you seek to be effective leaders in the church? Then it does take some discipline from us, it does not happen without our investment. But as I said - you can do one chapter a month! Or whatever works for you. The most important thing is - to start!

from October 4, 2007 What Makes Your Heart Sing?

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This question comes from a Leadership and Spirituality conference I went to about 10 years ago, led by then Alban Institute Consultant Roy Oswald. Even today, it was one of the best continuing education events I have attended in my years of ministry. We spent a lot of time "living" with questions - questions about our ministry, our spiritual practices, our desires for our relationship with God, and my favorite - what makes your heart sing? What is it that really lifts, feeds, nourishes you, and lifts you to a point of awe? And the follow-up question - how are you incorporating whatever "that" is, into your life on a regular basis?

Too often we know the answers to those questions, but we let ourselves get so busy, that we are too busy to do that which will most help us and revitalize us.

Another helpful question is what stops us from doing that which makes our heart sing? Is it because we are too busy? Too busy doing what? What is more important that is taking up all of our time? Is it because we are worried/afraid of what others might think? So what! Why do we let our fear of other's reactions get in the way of us doing what we know is good? And maybe even holy? Is it because it costs too much money? Then maybe it's not something we can do every day - but let's be honest - we all have plenty of money. How can we modify our spending in order to set funds aside to do what makes our heart sing every once in a while?

If we are to be the leaders God calls us to be, then we need to pay attention to our own spiritual well-being. I don't believe God expects, or even wants, us to burn out or to deny ourselves what is most meaningful to us when it comes to nurturing our relationship with God. In fact when we nurture that side of ourselves, we become more effective leaders, because we will be leading out of a center that is rooted on God. God becomes the source of our strength, our wisdom, and our joy. And THAT will make us good leaders!

from October 4, 2007 Thoughts to Ponder...

2008-11-07T13:35:00.000-06:00

What makes YOUR heart sing?

How are you incorporating that into your life and ministry?

from September 17, 2007 Opening Note

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This issue begins a look at the missional church and the question most of us really want the answer to - how do we move a congregation that is older, established, and maybe a little tired, in the direction of a missional church?

The book we'll look at addresses that directly.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from September 17, 2007 Quote of the Day

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Missional transformation occurs in a series of small movements, actions, and behaviors among God's people.

Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk

from September 17, 2007 BOOK NOTES: The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World, by Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk

2008-11-07T13:30:00.000-06:00

When I first started this book it had me hooked by the second paragraph - then I realized I was reading about the Network that produced the book - I wasn't even on page 1! And I haven't been disappointed as I kept reading. This book talks gives a very simple definition of missional leadership: "creating an environment within which the people of God in a particular location may thrive." Which means we as leaders don't have to change a church - but we are responsible for the goal of creating the environment in which a church can move toward the missional model.

There are two things that really stood out for me in this book. First, it challenges us to rethink the assumption that if a church seems dead, listless, unmotivated, etc., that we would make better use of our time and efforts to focus on those churches where there is already energy and understanding. The authors remind us that is is precisely where the people of God have been most knocked down, depressed, or even dead, that God's Spirit does it's most dramatic work! (Remember Easter - dead, then alive....)

Second, it talks about specific things we as leaders can do to help churches awake to the Spirit of God at work in them, and move toward that missional model. This includes nurturing attributes in our own character, and steps we can take in conversation with others, to awaken that awareness and foster a new desire.

If you are trying to find a way to get your church off "dead-center" or to take it to the next step on it's missional journey - or if you are still trying to figure out what this "missional" thing is, you might want to spend some time in this book.

from September 17, 2007 What is Your Vision?

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The book this time talks about moving an already established church toward being a missional church - one engaged in outreach, in mission, in discipleship. One thing that is absolutely vital in order for there to be any movement, is vision. Specifically, you, the leader, needs to have a vision of what you believe God is calling/challenging the church to become. Vision gives direction and inspiration. Well communicated, it gives hope.

What is your vision for the church? You might ask, "how do I get vision?" "How do I know what God is calling us to become?" Well, as a friend of mine said, "I probably do it wrong - I go away for a weekend, pray until I get a vision, I go back and share it with the church, and then we work until we've achieved it." Wow - what a concept - pray!

Here's another idea - read the Bible - read stories of God at work in the early church - read the Acts of the Apostles - see what God was calling the church to become then, and what God was calling the disciples to become. I believe that God's call to us today is not far different from God's call to that first church.

Here's another idea - talk about it with each other - with the session and with church members. Out of conversation, God's voice is often heard - if we listen for the underlying voice of the Spirit beneath the words we speak to each other when we speak of the things of God.

Don't worry about getting the vision "right." We may not fully get all the details the first time, but if we can catch the bigger vision, share it in powerful ways with the congregation and with each other. They (you know -that nebulous "they") say that rarely will a person be motivated to change his or her life because of the threat of negative consequences (such as those associated with smoking), but they will often change when they catch a vision that motivates them.

What vision motivates you?

from September 17, 2007 What is Your Vision?

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from September 17, 2007 Thoughts to Ponder...

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What motivates you, personally, to reach for something greater? What is the vision you have for the church that inspires your leadership in the church?

from August 18, 2007 Opening Note

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They say summer is slow in the church - Hah!!! Not in my experience - how about yours? This summer has ended up being busier than normal, and so I am about a week behind in this issue, and I will probably only get one issue of this out in September too. So I've adjusted the schedule below to reflect that.

This issue is a light one this time - relatively speaking. This issue has the second installment of two in the Rules for Transformative Leadership that we began almost a month ago. Having re-read the first five, and now reading the second five, I could probably just reprint these over and over. They are rules that we seem to easily forget, but they are so essential if we are going to be leaders of a changing church.

Also in this issue is a look at Natural Church Development. We have several churches in the presbytery using this approach to health and growth, and our Congregational Growth and Development Committee in September will be looking at how we can make it available to more churches. So this is your preview of the Natural Church Development process.

Peace,

Sue Coller
~ Rooted in God
~ Open to Grace
~ Filled with Joy

from August 18, 2007 Natural Church Development - One Path to Health and Growth

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Recently I have been coaching several churches in Natural Church Development - a process for looking at church health and growth and increasing both over time. We're still in the early stages, but already I can see the potential of this process for so many of our churches. Natural Church Development, in a nutshell, says that healthy churches grow, and healthy, growing churches, all have certain characteristics that are not as strong in plateaued, or declining churches. Those eight characteristics are:
1. Empowering Leadership
2. Wholistic Small Groups
3. Loving Relationships
4. Need-Oriented Evangelism
5. Inspiring Worship
6. Gift-Oriented Ministry
7. Passionate Spirituality
8. Functional Structures

The process is to take a survey to get your relative scores on each, the to focus, not on all of them, but on one. Just one. Only one. Sound good? The process involves gathering the congregation in small groups to talk about the characteristic with the lowest score - ideas about what contributes to it having the lowest score, narrowing down those ideas to the 3-5 reasons that seem most relevant, and then involving the congregation in small groups again to brainstorm ideas for dealing with each of the 3-5 key reasons. Then, the leaders take all of those ideas, and come up with a workable plan for that particular congregation to address those reasons and thus to increase it's capability in that one area.

One of the most attractive things about the process is that you do focus only on one thing at a time, which greatly lessens the possibility of burn-out among leaders!

None of the churches have yet gone far enough into the process to have a plan in place to deal with their minimum factor, but reports are that even the simple step of having small group gatherings to discuss the minimum factor have been a positive thing and a learning experience for the leaders.

In the resource section you'll find a link to the International Natural Church Development website and the US affiliate.