Advocate Spring 2018

ADVOCATE Upper New York

A publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church

Spiritually planning our way forward LEADERSHIP ACADEMY | VITAL SIGNS | INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP

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MARKERS OF VITALITY

TABLE of CONTENTS

Learn what five markers have been consistent with high-vitality congregations.

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TEAM VITAL

The Upper New York Conference has been growing Christ-following leaders who can provide leadership for congregations Find out how Team Vital will help boost its efforts.

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DEEPENING CAPACITIES FOR LEADERSHIP

Learn how the Leadership Academy uses a combination of retreats and ongoing coaching to help leaders continue their development.

25 BUILDIING LEADERS

Find out how Pastoral Leadership Development groups are effectively strengthening local church leaders.

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GETTING STARTED

Don’t know how to start your path to a vital congregation?

The Rev. Dr. Aaron Bowen has plenty of resources to get you on your way.

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Members of Cabinet meet with pastors of growing churches across Upper New York to learn from their success.

Photo by Mary Dalglish.

A DVOCATE Upper New York

Vol. 10, Issue 2

Spiritually planning our way forward

ces Resour

On the cover

Asbury First showcases their inviting and inspiring worship service. Read more on page 7.

Photo by Matt Whitmeyer.

Pastoral Leadership Development

ADVOCATE Upper New York

A publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church

Follow us online: www.unyumc.org www.facebook.com/uppernewyork www.twitter.com/uppernewyork www.instagram.com/uppernewyork

the Advocate, a publication of the Upper New York Conference, have been printed with permission.

Editor/Publisher

Social Media/Web

STEPHEN J. HUSTEDT

SHELBY WINCHELL

UNY Director of Communications (315) 898-2000 x2016 stevehustedt@unyumc.org

Social Media/Web Specialist (315) 898-2000 x2015 shelbywinchell@unyumc.org

Writer/Editor

Video/Design and Layout

SHANNON HODSON

MARY DALGLISH

Conference Writer/Editor (315) 898-2000 x2019 shannonhodson@unyumc.org

Disclaimer: All photos appearing in

Spiritually planning our way forward LEADERSHIP ACADEMY | VITAL SIGNS | INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP

Growi n Church g es

Video/Design Specialist (315) 898-2000 x2018 marydalglish@unyumc.org

Special thanks to this issue: the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens Upper New York’s Director of Vital Congregations

Office: 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088. Telephone: (855) 424-7878. The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate is a publication of the Upper New York Conference ofThe United Methodist Church, whose mission is to be God’s love with all our neighbors in all places. It is published four times a year. Materials in the Advocate may not be reproduced unless the item is accompanied by a copyright notation. Periodicals postage paid at Utica, NewYork 13504; USPS 14025. Postmaster: send address changes to Upper New York United Methodist Advocate, 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088.We reserve the right to edit or decline any items submitted for publication.

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he mission of The United Methodist Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”.

The heart of this mission is the ministry of the local church. As an Annual Conference, we have spoken frequently about vital congregations. The primary task of the Annual Conference is to increase the capacity of Christ-following leaders who will partner with God’s Spirit to build healthy and vital congregations that engage with Christ in making disciples who make disciples so that the world may be transformed for the glory of God. Although the mission and ministry of the local church are reflected throughout the whole of the Biblical account, these passages of Scripture are foundational:

The function of the local church as defined in ¶ 202 of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church continues to assist our understanding of the mission we share: “The church of Jesus Christ exists in and for the world. It is primarily at the level of the charge consisting of one or more local churches that the church encounters the world. The local church is a strategic base from which Christians move out to the structures of society. The function of the local church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is to help people to accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to live their daily lives in light of their relationship with God. Therefore, the local church is to minister to persons in the community where the church is located, to provide appropriate training and nurture to all, to cooperate in ministry with other local churches, to defend God’s creation and live as an ecologically responsible community, and to participate in the worldwide mission of the church, as minimal expectations of an authentic church.”

Several years ago, the leadership of Upper New York created a working definition that creates a picture of a vital congregation, reminding us of our purpose and invites us to be the Church God desires. A Vital Congregation is The Great Commission – to go into all the inwardly transformed and outwardly focused. world and make disciples of all nations (Matthew Vital congregations are Spirit-filled, forward28.16-20). leaning communities of believers (disciples) that The Church – All the believers were united grow, both numerically and spiritually over time; and shared everything. They would sell pieces welcome all people (Galatians 3.28); make more of property and possessions and distribute the disciples of Jesus Christ through the power of proceeds to everyone who needed them. Every the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28.18-20); and serve day, they met together in the temple and ate in the world radically like Christ, through lifetheir homes. They shared food with gladness and changing ministry and mission that build up the simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated community of faith and transform lives and social God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added conditions in the community and world (Micah daily to the community those who were being 6.8 and Luke 4.17-21). A vital congregation joins saved (Acts 2.44-47).

God in the work that God is already doing.

The Great Commandment – to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22.36-40).

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Vital churches have powerful stories, measurable fruitfulness and life-changing ministries.

We also identified markers of a vital congregation that include:

Inviting and inspiring worship New and growing disciples Small Group ministries Engaged disciples in mission and outreach

Generous Giving In the pages of this edition of the Advocate, you will find inspirational stories of vital congregations in Upper New York. You will discover resources and ideas that will assist your congregation to increase its vitality. I celebrate the vital ministries that are taking place through the local congregations of The Upper New York Conference. God is doing great things! There are greater things yet to come! Let’s live the mission! Let’s be the Church God has called and equipped us to be! Let’s be vital!

VISIT US ON THE WEB

WWW.UNYUMC.ORG unyumc.org 5

What are the five markers of vitality?

By Shannon Hodson, UNY Conference Writer/Editor

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hrough the study of thousands of congregations in various contexts, there are five markers that have been consistent with highvitality congregations: Inviting and Inspiring Worship Weekly worship services continue to be a primary place of connection with those who are already connected with the church as well as those who are not yet part of the church. With that in mind, attention should be given to offering a worship experience that moves beyond simply covering the basics of tradition and practice. This involves creating an environment where people feel invited either by a person already attending or the Holy Spirit.

Vital worship can engage a person on a visceral and emotive level. It is relevant and includes high-quality preaching. In short, vital worship is done with excellence.

New and Growing Disciples Vital congregations are congregations that are making new disciples as well as growing disciples into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Congregations that have a high level of vitality have an intentional plan in place, and actively, to help people become followers of Jesus as well as grow through the sanctifying grace of God through Jesus Christ.

In short, vital congregations are places where people are invited to encounter the grace of God in its fullness.

Small Groups Small groups in vital congregations are employed for faith formation, accountability, and encouragement.

Utilizing classic Wesleyan questions 6 UNY ADVOCATE 2018, Issue 2

such as the condition of a person’s soul and areas of struggle and sin. Small groups provide an opportunity to live life deeply together and provide opportunity to invite others deeper into the grace of God found in Jesus.

As congregations grow numerically, small groups are essential for connection and care in the life of the congregation. The rate at which a congregation can grow numerically and remain healthy and vital is in direct relationship to the quantity and quality of small groups.

Engaged Disciples in Mission and Outreach Vital congregations live out a faith that is actively partnering with God to be agents of transformation in the world. Engagement is through hands-on activity outside the bounds of the local congregation.

This is seen through activity in local, national, and international mission and outreach.

Movement is made beyond charitable support such as food and clothing pantries, toward a deeper relationship with Jesus and the church.

Generous Giving Vital congregations have healthy, biblical, and consistent conversations about a person’s relationship with God and money. Healthy conversations leads to participants of the congregation giving generously financially as well as with other resources. Significant numbers of people will report engaging the spiritual discipline of tithing. Additionally, congregations will provide financial assistance to mission and outreach locally, nationally, and internationally.

Vital congregations have an outflow of financial resources.

Following are profiles of five congregations that have been recognized for strength in a marker. The pastors of these congregations explain how intentional focus on the marker helped increase the vitality of their church.

Inviting and Inspiring Worship:

Highlight on Asbury First UMC Asbury First UMC

The Congregation at Asbury First UMC take a moment to greet each other at a Sunday worship.

Photo by Matt Whitmeyer.

By the Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady II, Asbury First UMC

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Worship is an expression of the community itself and should be a reflection of the work and mission of that community. It must have magnitude—not in terms of size, but in terms of meaning. The sermons should matter. The music should be authentic. But more than anything else, the people should be willing to share life together—in and out of worship.

To our credit, we have known that there is a problem for several decades and have done our best to fix it. We have tried everything from adjusting service times and days, to hiring bands, to using new forms of technology, to taking out the pews. The problem persists.

The neo-gothic nave of Asbury First could be dressed up to seem more hip. We could take out the pews, stop using the organ, lose the hymnals, abandon the pulpit, but to what end?

Ultimately, we are who we are, and pretending to be something we are not is not only disingenuous, it fails to make disciples. Instead, we have spent the last few years clarifying our mission, bolstering our intergenerational connections, serving the poor, and walking with one another through the highs and lows of life. As a result, our worship attendance has increased.

n the United Methodist tradition, worship is ultimately about “an encounter with the living God through the risen Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Or, so says our Book of Worship. Unfortunately, many people (including some clergy) are more likely to experience boredom in worship than God.

Could it be that the deficit is not intrinsic to the worship hour? As a part of my doctoral program, I spent a year in three United Methodist congregations interviewing youth and adults about their experience of worship. I discovered that what helps people experience God is not the kind of music sung, but the kind of community that sings it. As one young person put it, “I just want to be someplace where it feels like everyone wants to be there.”

To be clear, we have worked on our worship as well—from preaching that addresses the issues of today to music that is varied and accessible. Do people still get bored? Probably, and we still have work to do, but at least we are in it together. The good news is that God is never boring. unyumc.org 7

New and Growing Disciples: Spotlight on Olean: Christ UMC Olean: Christ UMC

Olean: Christ UMC. Illustration by Marilyn Reynolds.

By Deacon Carrie Wolfe, on behalf of the Rev. Suzanne Block, Olean: Christ UMC

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ince deciding to be intentional about discipleship, Olean: Christ UMC has learned that following Jesus on purpose is about one thing - God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” all that needed to be done was done. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have realized that our work is to let it be so.

We want Christ’s “It is finished” to become our identity. And so, this promise is becoming our creed, our hope, our purpose, and the center of our communal life together.

But in case there’s any confusion, let us be clear - this is not easy. As a church, we have found it difficult to tell the truth about discipleship. We have learned that it is not a program or a linear line. It is a difficult, messy, often resisted journey into the unprogrammable depths of God’s love for humanity.

We have often thought of the story of Jesus asking Peter “Who do you say I am?” Peter wholeheartedly declares, as any good disciple should, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the liv8 UNY ADVOCATE 2018, Issue 2

ing God.” Jesus responds by handing Peter the keys to the kingdom and declaring him to be the rock on which he will build his church. This is the discipleship story that we all long for. This is data we want to put into VitalSigns. This is the stuff good Advocate articles are made of.

Peter’s discipleship journey was a lot messier and so are most of ours and those of the people we endeavor to disciple.

If we read on, Jesus begins speaking about his impending death and resurrection and in Peter’s fear, he rebukes “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” saying “This shall never happen to you.”

Jesus counter rebukes Peter saying, “Get behind me Satan” and draws a clear line in the sand between having in mind “the concerns of God” and “merely human concerns.”

In the end, Christ UMC has this to offer: we have learned that discipleship has little to do with the human mindset of overreaching for the finish line and everything to do with trusting and helping others to trust Christ’s “it is finished.”

The death and resurrection Peter protested ended our dependence on mere humanity’s limited power and gave us access to God’s limitless concern for humanity.

Small Group Ministries: Highlight on Whitney Point UMC Whitney Point UMC

The youth group at Whitney Point UMC. Photo courtesy of Corey Turnpenny.

By the Rev. Corey Turnpenny, Whitney Point UMC

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hen I started at Whitney Point UMC in 2013, there was one small group meeting on a regular basis, the Tuesday morning Women’s Bible Study group. They had been meeting every week for over 20 years and were reading their way through the Bible for the second or third time. The curriculum I inherited put me to sleep and group discussion was like pulling teeth.

It was a less than ideal small group situation, but one I think is common for many churches.

doing one or two church-wide book studies each year. This was a great way to inspire people to find small groups for book discussion, but since then we’ve been able to help groups move beyond just reading and discussing books together to a place where they can simply meet to share, support, and pray for one another!

We formed a parents’ group that continues to meet monthly. The women’s group, which had met for a long time several years ago, began meeting weekly again in the home of a member.

We helped groups that were already meeting such as our choir and our dress makers known As we began studying and working on revias the Sew ‘n Sews, realize they are a small talization, we quickly learned how important a group with a specialized focus; they can simply healthy small group ministry is for the life of a use some of their time together to support and church. One of the first steps we took toward pray for each other. Youth group picked back improving our small group ministries was to shift up. A group began meeting after worship on from verbally sharing our joys and concerns in Sundays led by our lay leader. We offer evening worship to writing them down on a sheet before Bible studies throughout the year for people to entering. We discovered people were using ‘joys attend after work. Most recently, a men’s group and concerns’ time in worship to fulfill one of has started meeting monthly for breakfast. And the primary functions of a small group, which is our Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study now deep sharing about the highs and lows of your welcomes men and we often use videos along faith journey. This wasn’t necessarily the best use with books. of time during worship but clearly a need for the I certainly wouldn’t say we have the best small congregation. group ministry around, but we’ve seen a lot of Once we removed the ability to (over) share during worship, people began to feel the need to meet with others in small groups. We also began

improvements and we continue to look for ways to provide places of support and accountability for our members.

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Engaged Disciples in Mission and Outreach:

Highlight on Penn Yan UMC

Penn Yan UMC

Volunteers, Ward and Nancy Abbett, work on repairs at a school in Costa Rica.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Childs.

By the Rev. Jeff Childs, Penn Yan UMC

Four years ago, with the help of the Conference, we worked collaboratively with the other 11 UM churches in the county to develop a he Penn Yan United Methodist Church is New Faith Community. The Living Well was actively growing as a congregation. Not just at the right place at the right time when the only have membership and worship attendance community was flooded, and we dove into the increased over the past few years, so has our cleanup ministry. Since then, it has transitioned outreach and mission engagement. We have into a mission and outreach center with an active a mission statement that guides and drives us: ministry of cancer care and is now looking at Making Disciples – Making a difference: gathering, responding to the issue of homelessness. growing, going into the world.

Over the last few years, we have had Vol-

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We always strive to work collaboratively with other churches because there is more to be done than any church can do on its own. Each year we have a team to walk in the community hunger walk, raising awareness and funds to help feed people locally and globally. Several churches gather food items and pack Thanksgiving baskets.

Some work year-round and especially in December for a county-wide Christmas-time distribution of clothing and toys. We take turns providing after-school meals twice a week through the winter at the high school and snacks for the elementary and middle schools. We support very part-time chaplains at the local nursing homes and jail. I have a second “shut-in” list of those in jail and prison that we pray for, write to, and visit.

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unteer in Mission trips to Red Bird Mission in Kentucky, Costa Rica, and Louisiana, involving adults and college students. Youth have gone on the CCYM Mission of Peace trips. And we are planning for a team to go to Texas to clean up after Hurricane Harvey and a youth team to go to Syracuse.

This year, we are adding a couple new initiatives. With part of our Christmas offering, we will be supporting the ministry of the Rev. Doug Childress as a GBGM missionary in Estonia. And I have proposed that each small group, Sunday school class, choir, and team have a mission outreach as a part of their ministry.

None of us can do everything, but all of us can do something.

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Generous Giving: Spotlight on Saratoga Springs UMC Saratoga Springs UMC

Saratoga Springs UMC displays generousity by providing intentional hospitality.

Photo by UNY Communications.

By the Rev. Heather Williams, Saratoga Spring UMC

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aratoga Springs United Methodist Church is a community of faith that is fully invested in our Vision and Core Values. These outline the “why” behind all that we do and are clearly communicated. Our Vision is to “To embrace everyone through deep meaningful connections, to grow closer to God, and to transform lives.”

Our Core Values are Radical Inclusivity, Justice Focused Outreach, and a God-Centered Family.

We seek to align all our ministries to support these statements as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. This permeates our church culture in all aspects of the life of our congregation. For example, we embody radical inclusivity as we provide intentional hospitality to the outside groups that use our building, such as all the recovery groups who use our space. We have created a community room for these groups and have joined their gatherings as they have joined ours.

This commitment guides the way we use all our resources – our space, our time, our energy, our finances, and our involvement in the community/world. As a household of faith, we gauge our missional involvement making sure that we are justice focused in our outreach. We maintain on going relationships with the communities we

engage in mission work. The generosity of our congregation has supported ministries outside our local congregation like Sky Farm, Franklin Community Center, and missional work through large endowments from parishioners who were fully committed to transform the world.

Being clear in communication and commitment is at the heart of the generosity of Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church. As good church people it is often difficult to discuss money. The only way a congregation can respond to the financial needs of the church is to have a clear picture of how things are going. A lack of transparency leads to distrust and an inability for people to respond faithfully. As leaders within the congregation, both the ordained and laity, we need to reshape church culture so that stewardship is openly communicated.

Commitment and generosity are contagious as we work together towards a common vision and core values that define how we make decisions in the life of the church and in our everyday living. Generosity is a way of being in the world that is guided by what we value most. Clearly defining and communicating those values directs the outpouring of generosity. We are blessed by the continued faithfulness of a congregation who knows their why and are energized to support it with their time, talent, and treasure. “For where your treasure is there will be your heart also.”

(Jesus, Matthew 6:21) unyumc.org 11

Team Vital: Helping congregations work together to improve their vitality By the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations

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hat does it mean for a church to be vital? This question has come to the surface repeatedly over the past few years. Is the best measure worship attendance or people engaging through mission? Do we look at the financial situation or the discipleship situation?

The answer is found in looking at many factors while not hyper-focusing on just one.

First, it takes Christ-following leaders, clergy, and laity, who are willing to be owned by the mission of the church, and stretch toward the vision God is calling the church to become. Second, it takes intentional learning and leading.

Over the past few years the Upper New York Conference has been investing in growing Christ-following leaders who can provide leadership for congregations. As that effort continues, it is time to turn attention to providing an avenue for intentional learning and leading. Upper New York is implementing a Team Vital pilot program. Future plans include having Team Vital take place in a District or a region allowing for greater access to local congregations.

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What is Team Vital?

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their hard work. If either should fall, one can pick up the other. But how miserable are those who fall and don’t have a companion to help them up! Also, if two lie down together, they can stay warm. But how can anyone stay warm alone? Also, one can be overpowered, but two together can put up resistance. A threeply cord doesn’t easily snap. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (CEB).

Team Vital is a tool for congregations to use to create and employ an action plan to make their congregation highly vital. Team Vital creates a synergy among congregations that fosters learning from one another, collaboration, mutual accountability and support. Team Vital follows scriptural wisdom: the more cords in a rope, the stronger the rope. A congregation’s team should consist of 8-12 congregational leaders, including the senior pastor. Smaller churches might have 5-8 participants. Each team will be participating with 3-8 other congregations.

During the course of Team Vital, congregational teams will engage in a dynamic process that will identify the assets that form ministry, the challenges facing the congregation and a path for engaging in the community and growing vitality. At the end of the training, each team will have a ministry plan that will guide their growth and development.

What can a congregation expect as an outcome to participation in Team Vital?

• Stronger connection to other churches • Increased church vitality.

• Well-defined understanding of the assets in the local church • Clear view of the community and the mission field • A Holy Spirit inspired vision for the congregation • Enhanced knowledge for ministry in the five markers of vitality • An achieved ministry action plan • A fully-functioning ministry process-improvement strategy Zoom Conference Call for Pastor

Pre-Start

Prepare spiritually and work with the local Team Vital to review the materials and complete the preparation work

Step 1 Preparation

Step 2 Team Vital Session 1

Meet together for a full day at a central location with peer Team Vital congregations and a Team Vital facilitator

Step 3 Homework

Local Team Vital members work as a group at home to continue exploration of the vitality markers

Step 4 Team Vital Session 2

Meet together at a central location with peer Team Vital congregations and Team Vital facilitator

Step 5 Implementation

Receive 18 months of resourcing and technical assistance

Upper New York is starting of small with plans to grow the process larger over time. For the pilot program Bishop Webb and Rev. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations, have invited 12 congregations; one from each District to participate. The 12 congregations have already begun the work of learning and will soon have their first session together. Over the course of 24 months the congregations will follow this basic pattern:

Orientation to the process and Review Team Selection Develop the local Team Vital and introduce them to the congregation during a Worship service. Include a time or commissioning/pray for the team. Then, meet together as a team and review the Team Vital materials.

Complete: • Preparation Bible Study • The QuickInsight Report and the Quad Report from MissionInsite • The 4X4 Neighborhood Walking Survey • Section 1: Vital Congregations/Assets and Gifts for Ministry Complete: • Group Bible Study • Section 2: Claiming Our Purpose and Envisioning a New Future • Section 3: Vital Worship • Section 4: Reaching and Making New Disciples • Section 5: Moving Mission from Deficit to Asset to Transformed Community Share with the congregation your experience in Team Vital session 1 and invite the congregation to pray for the ministry of the team and the congregation.

Complete: • Section 6: Growing Vitality through Small Groups • Section 7: Generosity and Growing Vitality in the Congregation Share plans with peer Team Vital congregations. Identify steps for communicating the plan to the congregation. Identify how to involve other people and carry out the plan.

Complete: • Group Bible Study • Section 8: Finish the Plan/Move into Action • Monthly phone check-in conversations with your Team and your Team Vital Facilitator/Coach.

• Two gatherings of Team Vital Congregations to share and celebrate progress, share learnings and additional equipping.

• Small grant of $500-$2000 to begin implementing your plan.

• PLD (Pastoral Leadership Development) for Team Vital Pastors.

• Coaching for Team Vital Pastors. unyumc.org 13

UNY churches share VitalSigns testimonials

By Katherine Christiansen, Guest writer for UNY Conference

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he VitalSigns Dashboard allows churches to track church-growth indicators, including worship attendance, professions of faith, smallgroup participation, missional participation, and financial giving. It not only shows what is going on in each church, but also shares data from other churches, Sistricts, Conferences, jurisdictions, and the General Church.

VitalSigns helps congregations follow the progress of their yearly goals. Some Upper New York Conference churches using the dashboard are already seeing results and shared their feedback with the Conference.

“Another tool in your toolbox of ministry.”

When the Rev. Mark Kimpland, pastor at the Endwell United Methodist Church, first heard about VitalSigns, he was apprehensive.

He thought it was just another General Church/Conference initiative that would take time, energy, and money. But, he said, he Rev. Kimpland was wrong.

“I decided to see what this could do for the ministry at the Endwell United Methodist Church,” Rev. Kimpland said. “I have been marvelously surprised.”

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VitalSigns has enabled the Endwell UMC to take some key ministry data – such as worship attendance, professing members, giving, people who are volunteers in mission, people who are in small groups – and put it all in one portal.

Every Monday morning, Rev. Kimpland receives an email reminder from VitalSigns, and he said it takes 15-30 seconds to punch in the church’s information, filling in only the information important to his ministry. Then he’s done until next Monday.

But he said the most important way his church uses VitalSigns is the very last box that asks for anecdotal information.

“So, I would just simply encourage you to take a look at this ministry – it can be an interesting, dynamic ministry, another tool in your toolbox of ministry – and see where you want to take it and see how it might best serve you,” Rev. Kimpland said.

“It’s an incredible resource.”

After only four months of using VitalSigns, the Rev. Corey Turnpenny, pastor at the Whitney Point UMC, began seeing benefits.

“You can see the ebb and flow of church life in front of you,” she said.

Rev. Turnpenny said the dashboard is a one-stop place where churches can input relevant information

Rev. Turnpenny

that they would want to record and show others.

“It’s just such a resource that I don’t know why a church wouldn’t do it,” she said. “It’s an incredible resource.”

“Make your life a little bit easier.”

“If someone were to say that they had a way to make your life easier, wouldn’t you say, ‘Yeah, let me do that’?” asked the Rev. Steve Taylor, pastor at the Panama UMC. “Well, there is a way for pastors and leaders in The Church to make their life easier, and it’s called VitalSigns.”

up in Ezra at the end of the year, but I also think that a component that I didn’t know about VitalSigns was the ability to see across the board, rather than just seeing my data,” he said.

Rev. Phaneuf said that if a critical mass of churches use VitalSigns, it could help churches discover if a change, such as an increase or decrease in attendance, is an isolated event or happening in “a more global sort of way.”

He said an advantage of VitalSigns is its connectivity as well as the anecdotal information section, which future church pastors can peruse to find a deeper narrative of the life of a given church.

“I would encourage people to transcend the fear of the unknown and try it out,” Rev. Phaneuf said.

Rev. Taylor

Rev. Taylor recalled Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb challenging the Conference to cultivate a culture of counting.

“It’s so that we can find trends, we can pray about those trends, and we see where God is leading us into the future,” Rev. Taylor said.

And while he said VitalSigns may seem like more work, it makes year-end reporting easier because when it comes time to compile yearly data, it’s already in the dashboard.

“Make your life a little bit easier; start using VitalSigns.”

“Transcend the fear of the unknown.”

“It makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger.”

One of the benefits of VitalSigns, according to the Rev. Anna Blinn Cole, pastor at the Warnerville UMC, is the ability to track trends within Districts, Conferences, jurisdictions, and The UMC. “It makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger,” she said.

Rev. Cole

The Rev. Phil Phaneuf, pastor at the Queensbury UMC, signed up for VitalSigns earlier this year because he thought the dashboard could be more helpful than the previous attendance tracking system, Ezra.

Since Rev. Cole was already keeping track of her church’s data, she figured it would be a good thing to share that information with others through VitalSigns.

“I think it allows us to track more of the things that ultimately showed

Visit https://vimeo.com/24023868 to watch a video that shows you just how easy VitalSigns is to use.

“It would be more helpful to have more people using it to keep track of very local trends,” she said. “But it’s only helpful if people are active with it.”

Rev. Phaneuf

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Leadership Academy 101

By Kathleen Christiansen, Guest writer for UNY Conference

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he Upper New York Conference believes one of its most important role is to increase leadership capacity through recruiting, training, equipping, and deploying transformational clergy to lead congregations.

And that’s where the Leadership Academy comes in.

“The Leadership Academy is an opportunity for leaders to deepen their capacities for leading the people of God well,” said the Rev. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations.

“Leadership is not only to be studied, rather it is to be practiced, and the Leadership Academy helps leaders to engage theory, and the 16 competencies of leadership, so that the ministry of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world can happen in even greater ways.”

Built around 16 competencies of transformational leaders, the Leadership Academy uses a combination of four, three-day retreats, a capstone trip, and ongoing coaching to help leaders continue their development.

The competencies are broken down into two groups: Adaptive and Technical.

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The Adaptive Competencies include learning agility, self-awareness, comfort with ambiguity, strategic thinking, complex problem-solving, lead change, collaboration, and systems thinking. The Technical Competencies are spiritual life of the leader, Methodist/Wesleyan ethos, vision and alignment, ministry plan, faith sharing/evangelism, intentional discipleship system, from inward to outward, and passionate, relevant worship. The Leadership Academy works with church leaders to develop these competencies.

Once equipped by The United Methodist Church, these transformational leaders – defined as disciples of Jesus Christ who acknowledge the call of God and the gifts for ministry that have been given to them, while continuing to be open to the refining work of the Holy Spirit – help assess the gifts and needs of the congregation and community, set a courageous vision and goals for ministry, equip the congregation to make new disciples for the transformation of the world (the mission of The UMC), and further develop all disciples through relevant worship, vital faith formation, life-changing mission, and radical giving of time, talent, and resources.

Following this article are four articles written by individuals in Upper New York who have participated in Leadership Academy. Their reflections best showcase what one can expect from this training.

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How Leadership Academy challenges me By the Rev. Tom LeBeau, Cooperstown UMC, Leadership Academy participant 2017-2018

“H

ow’s the Leadership Academy going, Tom?” a friend or colleague would ask.

I want to duck the question with a response, “Oh, fine!” But that wouldn’t be true. It’s been uncomfortable, but for a good reason. Leadership Academy is doing exactly what it promised to do. It is challenging me in ways that I have not been challenged in a while. I’ve been in parish ministry for nearly 19 years and needed some shakeup. I was pleased that the first section of the Academy dealt with the concept of honoring a personal Sabbath. It’s absolutely essential in leadership. It is like the pre-flight instructions given on board an airliner: when the oxygen mask drops, put it on first before trying to assist others. Failure to do so may result in being useless to help anyone else. Observing a personal Sabbath is one of the ways we get our spiritual oxygen. If we do not nurture ourselves, we have nothing to give others.

Leadership Academy has challenged me to ask myself some uncomfortable questions: Why do I engage in ministry now? What’s my passion now?

I come from a nursing background. That perspective on life has always been a source of inspiration and energy. So, for me, the analogy of being a midwife powerfully relates to ministry.

Midwives do not “give” new life. They simply facilitate it. Effective ministry facilitates others’ physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, yet God is the one who gives and renews the miracle of life, physically and spiritually. Just as nurses function best when they follow a carefully-crafted nursing care plan, so too, Leadership Acad-

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Rev. LeBeau

emy challenges me to develop effective ministry action plans in conjunction with the congregation I serve that we might move forward living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being God’s love with our neighbors.

I don’t develop the plans any more than I, as a nurse, would bring about birth—but I can be helpful in facilitating it with the congregation.

This requires being fully present to those in my congregation: to listen, listen…and then listen!

Next, it means asking God for the grace to be audacious, for “the courage to change the things we can,” as the Serenity Prayer says. That courage means avoiding “weasel words” in plans like try, attempt, may, could, or should. Instead, plans answer specifically who, what where, when, and how? Leadership Academy is tough. It is also a rewarding journey with other UNYAC colleagues. I do recommend it!

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Moving outside my comfort zone through Leadership Academy

By Pastor Warren VanDewark, Edwards Chapel UMC and Watts Flats UMC

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eadership Academy is just what you would expect it to be; it’s about leadership, but that term “leadership” for the pastor could mean many things. Leadership Academy challenged my ideas of what the role of the pastor looks like.

I’ve always seen myself as a quiet leader working from within the fellowship, maybe as a shepherd who prods the flock from behind, hoping we all get to the same place together. Yes, I realize my voice does carry some weight when expressing God’s Word from the pulpit, but for the most part I prefer calm waters.

The Rev. Aaron Bouwens and his excellent choice of teachers will cause you to stretch a little bit. We have been placed into a position of leadership, and it is time we started leading and finding leaders for the cause of Christ! Jasmine Smothers from Atlanta was a recent guest presenter who led us in a session about finding our “Why.” She has an in-your-face approach to leadership that draws the very best out of you.

I’m not saying that you will be turned into Moses parting the waters with my staff, but we will have to boldly challenge our congregations to move out of our comfort zones into new territory.

Pastor VanDewark

If I can be perfectly honest with you, the reason I signed up for Leadership Academy was because leadership is my weakest point in ministry (my view) and I needed some further education credits! We are at about the middle of the curriculum and it is well worth your time, regardless of where you are in your ministry, young or old, ordained, or not.

“Leadership Academy challenged my ideas of what the role of the pastor looks like.”

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How God equips the called through Leadership Academy By the Rev. Caroline Simmons, Rotterdam UMC

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ou are enough.” These powerful words were spoken to each of us as we were anointed and commissioned to return to our congregations at the end of the “Change the World Conference” at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in March 2017. An important part of participating in the Upper NY Leadership Academy, is the incredible road trip we took to one of our United Methodist mega churches in ministry in the Dayton, Ohio area. We were amazed and inspired by the leaders and presenters as they shared the honest heartaches and challenges, along with the joys of relevant ministry in the context of their communities.

Often, we hear that “God is enough,” but hearing that “we were enough,” reminded us that God doesn’t “call the equipped,” but “equips the called.” Leadership Academy is about equipping us with the tools and leadership competencies to become the transformational leaders our congregations and ministries need to become vibrant and relevant to the churched and unchurched in our communities.

Set in a retreat-style format, Leadership Academy enabled us to be away from our normal ministry settings, so we could be more intentional about learning from the gifted presenters. The informal time outside of the presentations provided us the opportunities to ask the presenters any questions we had about

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Rev. Simmons

their expertise and thoughts on leadership. We learned from the other people in our class as we reflected and shared our ideas and experiences.

We also developed lasting friendships with each other. The Rev. Aaron Bouwens, Upper New York’s Director of Vital Congregations, inspired each of us to integrate what we had learned.

When we use the tools that Leadership Academy gives us, we will be empowered to work with our congregations and God to plan where our ministries are going. This brings a new level of excitement and engagement that helps to make our ministries relevant to the life of our communities. With God’s help, we are enough.

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Because I want the Earth to be more like Heaven By the Rev. Mike Weeden, Northern Flow District Superintendent

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ence’s Leadership Academy. I made a phone call to the Rev. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations, to see if it might help me address some of my questions and aspirations. Two months later I was turning down Casowasco Drive, beginning a year of learning and growth.

turned on my left blinker, slowly descending down Casowasco Drive. I was excited. I was unsure. Would the four three-day sessions of In Leadership Academy (LA), I discovered an Leadership Academy, spread through the year, make me into the pastor and local church leader environment that fed my curiosity as a lifelong I wanted to be? Would I glean lessons that would learner. LA engages you in a process that challenges and broadens your leadership skills as a help the local church become more vital? pastor and leader in a congregation. It brings Three years ago, I found myself asking the you in contact with national and Annual Conferquestions: How shall I feed my desire for lifelong ence leaders for an intensive time of conversalearning this year? How could I best influence the tion and learning. It exposes a pastor to current people and churches I serve for good? I was hun- thoughts and trends in the UMC and church gry for continuing education that would help the leadership. churches I serve grow in vitality. I wanted more And still LA offered more than that. It providthan another three-day seminar that offered a ed “mini-seasons” away from the congregation in five-point plan for church vitality that worked in the peaceful surrounds of an Upper New York one place but I’d find hard to translate in anothAnnual Conference Retreat Center. It offered er. I was looking for something more. space to reflect on my ministry and my adequaI wanted something more hands on; somecies and inadequacies as a leader. Learning in thing that would allow more time for ideas LA was enhanced by the presence of colleagues and topics to stew and brew as the Holy Spirit from around the Conference, each at a unique shaped things inside me and the church I served; place in ministry. Together we would debate something that honored the gnawing awareness perspectives, test ideas, share stories of success I had that at whatever size church I may serve. If and failure, and be exposed to some of the latest I would not risk assessing and growing my own thinking in leadership and congregational vitality. leadership adequacies and inadequacies - if I was My experience at Leadership Academy was not challenging my own leadership development capped off by our trip to Ginghamsburg UMC - then how I could expect the local church to for its’ “Rooted” and “Change” Conferences. take up this challenge?

There we visited church sites and church plants As I was asking these questions I became in the region, exposing us to onsite lessons in aware of the Upper New York Annual Conferleadership and church vitality.

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Did I become a buttoned-up leader overnight because of Leadership Academy? No. LA did instill in me lessons that enhance my ministry today. These include: • Leadership is a quality that is far more learned than inborn. Commitment to be a lifelong learner is critical for development of technical and adaptive leadership skills.

• The importance of maintaining and creating relational connections and coalitions in the local church and community. Every conversation has the potential to be exegeted for congregational and community basic assumptions and core values. Every conversation can be an opportunity to share a vision and mission that relates to congregational vitality.

• The importance of a personal and congregational vision. Having a passion, a mission, and a vision for what God has called us and the local church to be and become is compelling.

They lure and move us forward into a future God holds open for us.

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• We are not alone. God is with us. We are part of a great community of support and witness, many of whom serve in a Conference position and/or in the pulpit down the road, around corner, across the district, and across the conference.

I believe more than ever that ‘making disciples of Jesus Christ’ is incomplete without the second half of our Conference’s mission statement: for the transformation of the world.

I came out of the Leadership Academy with a burning compelling question that calls me forward: What would our lives, our families, our communities, and our world look like if people were transformed in ways that reflect the goodness, character, and love of Jesus? Could it be that earth would become a little more like heaven?

If and when you turn down the road toward the Leadership Academy, may the Holy Spirit burn a compelling question in your heart and ministry!

• The distinctive value of our Wesleyan ethos for making disciples and growing congregational outreach. The notions of grace, the theological and ethical framework of the quadrilateral, and the gifts of societies, classes, and bands offer promise for renewing congregational life and creating a transformational framework for outreach in our post-Christian culture.

• Technical skills matter, but adaptive leadership skills may be most critical in a postChristian culture and in the context of the demands of the itinerant system. Adaptive leadership skills enhance one’s ability to respond creatively to the challenges of leading a congregation that seeks to influence their community for Christ.

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Rev. Weeden

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By UNY Communications

G

reat preaching can be a challenge to define.

At the same time, it is easy to know when preaching is not so good.

There is not one style of preaching which has a foothold on great preaching. These factors, and others, bring the challenge of offering an opportunity to grow in preaching capacity. With that challenge in mind, the Upper New York Conference set out to help good preachers become great preachers. The journey began in 2015 when the inaugural Illuminate Preaching Academy took place. Pastors from across the Conference gathered to learn together, as well as practice preaching. Learning was focused around these characteristics of Bright Spot Preaching as demonstrated abilities, not aspirations: 22 UNY ADVOCATE 2018, Issue 2

1. Biblical: Faithful to the biblical text.

2. Wesleyan: Consistent with Wesleyan theology.

3. Engaging: Gets and keeps people’s attention.

4. Relevant: Be relevant to the daily life of the congregation.

5. Relational: Winsome, authentic and approachable pulpit presence.

6. Grounded: Speaks out of a deep and authentic spiritual life.

7. Eloquent: Skillful use of humor, stories and other communication tools 8. Deepening: Draws people into a deeper relationship with God. 9. Focused: Clear and focused on what the preacher wants people to know, feel and do.

10. Generative: Inspires, motivates and equips people to make changes in their lives.

The Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens leads an Illuminate Preaching Academy session.

Photo by Mary Dalglish.

Over the past few years it has been a struggle to gather additional cohorts for Illuminate Preaching Academy. In fact, there has only been one additional cohort fall of 2016 to spring of 2017. The design team has been diligently working to discern what adaptations needed to be made to the Academy to create a better opportunity for pastors. “The participants continued to tell us of the value they have found with Illuminate. At the same time many people shared concern about the time commitment, travel, and cost. As a design team we are working to help Illuminate Preaching Academy be a viable option for all our pastors,” said Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations for Upper New York.

Why would someone invest the time and energy to participate in Illuminate? Rev. Bouwens shared the top four benefits of participating in Illuminate Preaching Academy, “First, to gain greater clarity of your style as a preacher, and how to maximize your style so that people receive the message offered. Second, to get feedback from colleagues through a built trust, and safe environment. Third, to learn from people with preaching expertise from around the country. Fourth, no matter a person’s current preaching ability, we can all grow in our ability to be better preachers.”

Please note what was not said in the top four. Teaching of one particular way of preaching is not expected, and the starting point is the

person who is preaching. Illuminate Preaching Academy meets a preacher where they are at and helps them to grow more deeply into the preacher God is developing them to be.

Starting in the January of 2019, Illuminate Preaching Academy will employ a model designed to minimize travel and cost, while maximizing content and practice. Based around regional groups, the first gathering will take place at one of several locations around the Conference. During this session basic exploration of a primary text, preaching resources, feedback models, and the expectations for Illuminate Preaching Academy. The second session will again take place in a local region as a preaching lab, where participants will deliver a sermon and receive guided feedback from peers. A third session will take place with nationally known teachers and facilitators will share. The teachers will be live at the Upper New York United Methodist Center and livestreamed to the regional locations. A final session will be once again help in a local region where another preaching lab will take place.

The details of exact locations and final costs are still in the works. Be watching the Weekly Digest for information as it becomes available.

It is safe to say the cost will be significantly less than previous opportunities. Every effort will be made for Illuminate to be available to as many as possible while still offering the very best in teaching the Church has to offer. unyumc.org 23

Sanctuary at Hilton UMC. Photo by Shannon Hodson.

How Preaching Academy helped me implement a more cohesive worship experience By the Rev. Jennifer Green, Hilton UMC

This has helped to make me more cognizant of my surroundings and how scripture passages can be illustrated through those events.

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After the Preaching Academy, I implemented a Worship Design Team into the life of Hilton United Methodist Church. Jason Moore’s session with us gave me the practical tools to make this team happen. Before our Worship Design Team, I would try to be creative with worship and the Music Director and I would try to select songs and hymns to create a cohesive theme.

Currently, we have a vibrant team of 12 people (ages 13-75) who design a worship experience.

These are some of my favorite “church meetings.” During the process of designing a cohesive worship experience, our team is open to the Holy Spirit working through us so that scripture can be relevant to life and enhance our mission and vision.

he demands of daily ministry can sometimes lead to preaching becoming dull and flat. I often listened to others preach and wanted to continue to deliver a message that was not only scripturecentered, but also, relevant to the lives of the people sitting in the pews.

Rev. Green After 18 years of preaching in the local church, I realized I needed to enhance my preaching preparation and style.

The Preaching Academy gave me tools to reinvigorate my own craft of preaching. Each session built on the hermeneutical skills I already possessed and helped me to write and then preach relevant sermons to the congregation I serve. I enjoyed learning from Dr. Alice McKenzie, “the knack for noticing.” Noticing an event in life that can be used to relate scripture to everyday life.

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When I entered vocational ministry 20 years ago, I made a commitment to God and my congregation to be a life-long learner and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It was imperative as a preacher that I take the initiative to enhance my hermeneutical skills, my sermon delivery, and planning of the entire worship experience.

Preaching Academy helped me to do all these things and connect with colleagues who are on the same journey.

Building leaders in Upper New York By the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations

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s the Upper New York Conference endeavors to embody the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, and reach toward being the people that live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are God’s love with our neighbors in all places, three key outcomes have been identified by the Conference Leadership Team.

• Increase the number of transformational leaders • Increase the vitality of existing congregations • Increase the number of vital and sustainable New Faith Communities While working with these outcomes, three core values are kept before the team at all times.

First, the centrality of the local church. Second, that we are a connectional church. Third, the partnership of clergy and laity. All three of these values influence the ways in which the three outcomes, the vision, and the mission are reached for.

Increasingly, the Conference Leadership Team has been asking the question, “How can we continue to help connect more deeply with the local church?” They consistently ask how to keep resources as close the local church as possible.

This has meant a change in how functioning and programming in the Conference is being offered. Fewer Conference-wide events are being planned and the more regional or District level events are emerging. An active example of this began this fall each district began Pastoral Leadership Development (PLD) groups. PLDs gather regularly, most of them monthly, to spend time in spiritual formation, leadership learning, and peer mentoring.

Rather than invite people to travel great distances for interaction and learning, Superintendents have gathered pastors from their Districts

Rev. Dr. Bouwens

to learn and grow together. At this time, there are approximately 230 pastors engaged in a PLD. For some perspective, there are nearly 550 pastors under appointment in the Conference.

By offering PLDs, the hope and vision of the Conference Leadership Team is being realized as the increasing the capacity of Christ following leaders happens on an increasingly local level.

Additionally, PLDs are built around peer interaction and offer an opportunity to create a highly contextualized conversation about the content being shared.

As the first round of PLDs comes to a close, and at the direction and need of the Districts, continued opportunities for clergy to engage in Pastoral Leadership Development as well as additional opportunities, with updated resources, will be made available.

Not to leave the laity out, many Districts are in the early planning stage of how to offer a similar opportunity for the laity of their Districts.

It is a truly exciting time to be engaged in the work of building leaders in Upper New York as we move deeper into living the mission, reaching toward the vision, and equipping the local church to be the primary missional outpost of the church. unyumc.org 25

Living into our potential through Pastoral Leadership Development The (PLD) curriculum is designed to have clergy engage with one another in the discussion of various leadership topics through large and small group interaction. Each month, the clergy in each District gather for training that is facilitated by the District Superintendents and other members of clergy that have had other leadership training.

In the Albany District, we have covenanted to read the books that are recommended by the authors of the curriculum (Bob Farr, David Hyatt, and Ken Willard), and to meet monthly to discuss these books and to participate in discussion and other activities with the intention of increasing both the spiritual and practical approaches to leadership.

The topics for our monthly discussion include such things as: Our changing world, the missional church, personal leadership styles, church alignment, vision and focus, effective worship and preaching, and outreach and evangelism.

Pastor Kubitz

By Pastor Gary Kubitz, First United Methodist Church of Voorheesville & Co-facilitator of the PLD in the Albany District

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hat does it mean to be a leader in the church in the 21st century? Many pastors across the Upper NY Annual Conference have been wrestling with this question as they are participating in Pastoral Leadership Development (PLD). The PLD curriculum was developed by our brothers and sisters in the Missouri Conference and has been utilized in their region to encourage their pastors to engage in leadership that will help the church live into its Spirit-filled purpose for the Glory of God. It is the goal of our episcopal leadership that the clergy in our region gain knowledge and tools for leading the church in our current day so that we also may live into God’s call for God’s church.

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One aspect of this effort that is different than many other learning opportunities in the past is that it asks pastors to create action plans based upon the concepts that are being learned in each session. As a part of this action plan, participating members are working in peer accountability groups to as we look to support one another in living into our purpose as the church.

As I consider all that I have been learning throughout this process, I would like to start by stating the obvious; Leading for change is hard!

The members of our group in the Albany District have come together acknowledging this fact…and it may be safe to say that we are beginning to embrace this fact.

One major benefit in our discussions has been that we are beginning to move out of our respective ministry-setting silos to understand that other pastors in other contexts are working to overcome common obstacles, and that there is strength in the sharing of ideas. This is not a

Pastoral Leadership Development at the United Methodist Center.

Photo by Mary Dalglish.

new or groundbreaking realization, but given the focus on action and accountability that is at the core of the PLD, we are we are building bonds that can lead to future possibilities for effective leadership in ministry.

church. Keep seeking, keep learning, and keep loving. If you are interested in growing in your leadership capacity, I invite you to explore some of the following books which those participating in the PLD curriculum are reading:

Through this work, we are beginning to understand that our current systems are not optimal for ministry in our current age. Together, clergy are beginning to explore new avenues of leadership, new possibilities for collaborative ministries, and new and exciting ways to empower laity increase their effectiveness in mission and ministry.

• ReCreating the Church – Leadership for the Postmodern Age by Richard Hamm

As pastoral leaders of God’s Church, we are called to share in God’s vision for the world.

Because the world is changing at a seemingly unprecedented pace, we as leaders need to re-vision for the present and the future. This is challenging work. But rest assured that we are not alone – God’s Spirit is moving among us and within us. God’s Spirit is empowering us with the gifts, skills, and tools we need to effectively be the Ekklesia, the “called out ones” in a world that needs effective leaders equipped to share the love of God in all places to all people.

• Communicating for Change by Andy Stanely and Lane Jones

I encourage all children of God, clergy and laity alike, to continue to seek God’s will for our

• Direct Hit by Paul Borden • Shaped by God’s Heart by Milfred Minatrea • Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger

• The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson

• Unbinding the Gospel by Martha Grace Reese “He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Matthew 9:37-38). Through our continued work in leadership development, we are striving to be effective laborers, living into the potential that God has gifted us to be.

May our God empower us to live out the mission and purpose to which God has called us as the church in the UNY Annual Conference. unyumc.org 27

Hand to Plow Raises the Bar at Farmington UMC By the Rev. Jeff Long, Farmington UMC

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hree years ago, Farmington United Methodist Church chose to participate in the Hand to Plow process. This reasonably healthy congregation with an average worship attendance of 220 sensed that the input of some objective, outside eyes and ears would be very helpful in discerning the next steps in the church’s journey.

So, they enthusiastically embraced this opportunity and decided that locally they would name the process “Raise the Bar.” Three years later, the bar has definitely been raised! Here is how it worked: In April 2015, a team of consultants from the Conference came for a weekend and interviewed leaders, held focus groups, and presented teaching seminars. Seventy-five percent of the Farmington congregation participated in some way. During the weekend, input from congregation members was received; ideas and dreams

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Farmington UMC

were shared; and spiritual stories were told.

This was all very exciting and stimulating. The weekend was awesome! It would have been valuable had the church stopped there. But obviously the church didn’t stop.

After a weekend of listening to the church’s people, the consultants identified congregational strengths and weaknesses and ultimately made several recommendations of ways to move the church forward. One facet of their recommendations was to create four task groups that would research what other churches were doing and make recommendations regarding relational depth, intentional discipleship, community awareness, and strategic outreach.

Signage at Farmington UMC. Photo courtesy of Jeff Long.

Eighteen months later, the task group reports came in, and implementation began. Again, the bar was significantly raised, and the church moved forward. Here are some of the longterm results: • Congregation members now systematically share spiritual stories with each other. “What has God been doing in your life?” has become the first item of business in all administrative and staff meetings. Spiritual stories are shared often in the worship services. The church has bought into the idea that if we get comfortable sharing our spiritual stories in church we are more likely to share them with unchurched people out in the world.

• The church’s Leadership Team and staff implemented an annual strategic planning process highlighted by a yearly offsite planning retreat.

The church is now able to identify yearly goals and points of emphasis and monitor their implementation.

• The church’s strategy for creating disciples was perfected. A plan was adopted to help people move from “Exploring Jesus” to “Growing with Jesus” to “Close to Jesus” and on to being “Jesus-centered.” This plan is now available in brochure format, in laminated cards in every seat, and is shown every week in the worship services. People cannot miss that the church is in the disciple-making business and that

the church provides a clear path to spiritual growth.

• Signage in the foyer has been drastically reduced to create a clear focus on the main mission of the church: helping ordinary people become spiritually thriving servants of Christ for the sake of the world.

• The previous short-term system of small groups has been changed to a longer-term community group philosophy where groups meet for 30 weeks in three 10-week segments.

This has increased relational connection between members.

• The outreach philosophy was changed to be more personal and relational with fewer things done more deeply. The church wants to get to know the people it helps. Much of the church’s outreach will now be accomplished through our new community groups.

• The church established a yearly leadershiptraining event called the Farmington Summit.

This half-day training uses video from the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit and has been helpful to 30-50 people per year.

Overall, the Hand to Plow process has been extremely helpful in focusing the church on its next step. Farmington UMC would enthusiastically recommend this experience for a wide variety of churches! unyumc.org 29

How Hand to Plow has helped Calvary UMC increase its external focus nothing like this. What was attractive was the accountability factors that were built into the process. We were to be given a plan based on the congregation’s input regarding what was most necessary to change. A clear timeline complete with dates for completion was provided to keep the process moving forward. Someone from the Conference was to work alongside CUMC and the senior pastor to guide us and keep us on track. And the entire process was to be steeped in prayer. The Team was impressed

by Rev. Aaron Bouwens and the process model of H2P.

By the Rev. Janet James, Calvary UMC

From the beginning, the congregation was asked to pray for clarity in the process. God was at work. Fifteen laity representing every facet of the congregation were approached and accepted the opportunity to participate in this process.

They read books and attended seminars with other laity in the District whose churches were exploring H2P. This dedicated team reported Rev. James that all the offerings they participated in was well done. As we’ve moved forward the excitement grew, for we all realized God’s potential for CUMC.

alvary United Methodist Church (CUMC), Latham is on a journey of faith. CUMC has remained a strong, thriving congregation, with indomitable spirit, even as it has seen a decline in attendance like most every congregation in the conference.

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We adopted the UMC Mission Statement as our own, “To make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.” We then developed our Vision Statement, “Christian Worship. Spiritual Growth. Passionate Service. Open to All.”

Because the church wanted to remain vital, in May of 2015, the Church Council had Calvary’s Visioning Team venture into uncharted waters. They explored the possibility of utilizing the structure of Hand to Plow (H2P) offered through the UNY Conference with the oversight of the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations.

Rev. Aaron Bouwens and his team came to Calvary for a consultation weekend. They interviewed leaders and held group meetings with as many congregants who wanted to attend. As a result of all the input from these sessions, they presented us with a proposed plan specifically for CUMC. We had a month to make a decision.

We chose to adopt the plan with an overwhelming majority.

At first, the Visioning Team was leery the Conference might offer a “cookie cutter” approach, yet quickly realized that H2P was 30 UNY ADVOCATE 2018, Issue 2

Much work was done and is currently in process to meet the expected timeline. We needed

Calvary UMC.

to streamline CUMC’s administration. God provided a team of four who had the skills and experience to make sound choices. Each meeting began and ended in prayer that we would discern God’s will for CUMC. The team worked diligently, visiting and interviewing many churches that had successfully undergone a streamlined administrative change. They came up with a sound model to first present to the Church Council before taking it to a Church Conference for a vote. A half hour time of prayer took place before the Church Council meeting. We earnestly sought God’s direction for Calvary. After a presentation with discussion, a vote was taken regarding the viability of moving forward. The vote was unanimously in support of the model.

Calvary UMC

journey. In turn, each persons’ growth provides CUMC a greater strength in our spiritual base, so that all that we accomplish is grounded in our faith.

Calvary is very strong in mission and outreach; however, we realize now that relationships are key to true success in anything we try to accomplish. Like many churches built and modeled in the 20th century, our focus has been primarAs this is being written, we are preparing for ily inward, on ourselves, on our needs. We are our first streamlined Church Council meeting. now developing a balance, with increased exTeams are avidly working on different areas of ternal focus, as we go outside our walls in serchange that are necessary to meet our mission vice; understanding the reason for our efforts is and vision. We realize that we need community our love of Jesus Christ. We want to find God worship to bolster our spirit and that the bedin everyone we meet. We want others to see rock of the entire process was, is, and needs to God in us. When we can stir our awareness of be our spiritual strength. We became very aware God’s presence in one another, and then share that as a church community we need to offer this transforming love with others, there will clear pathways for people to grow and deepen be a transformation of the world, including that their spiritual lives at every point in their faith sphere in which we live. unyumc.org 31

Cabinet meets with growing churches in Upper New York to learn from their success stories.

Photo by Mary Dalglish

What the UNY Conference is learning from growing churches

By Shannon Hodson, UNY Conference Writer/Editor

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ne amazing aspect of being a part of the Upper New York Conference and being United Methodist is that the Conference staff and local congregations can learn from each other what it takes to create a vital congregation.

This can enable the staff to better equip churches to live the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

On Nov. 15, 2017, at the UNY United Methodist Center in Liverpool, the Upper New York Cabinet met with 37 pastors from some of the growing churches across the UNY Conference to learn what they are doing to create vital congregations. These pastors were invited so that the Conference could learn from them.

The all-day meeting started with a sermon

by Northern Flow District Superintendent, the Rev. Mike Weeden. His sermon was about how many churches lead in a doughnut fashion. There is a hole in the middle and that hole needs to be filled by Jesus. Rev Weeden said, “Jesus is the addifier. It is so important to stop and let Jesus fill the hole.”

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Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb offered communion. He explained, “The communion table reminds people that they don’t have to go through life with a hole in their heart.

It reminds us to just be (and not always ‘do’).”

After communion, the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, UNY Director of Vital Congregations, spoke about the reason for the meeting. He said, “The best way for us (the Conference) to partner with local churches at fulfilling our goal of increasing the capacity of Christ-following leaders is by learning from you. We’re working hard through Conference structure to keep that goal in front of us” Rev. Bouwens continued, “We believe you have things you can teach to other churches in your District. You are on the frontlines. We need you to help us to see how you can lead others so that more of our congregations can live out God’s calling.”

Rev. Bouwens then provided time for smallgroup discussion to answer four important questions. A cabinet member sat with each small group and took notes. The notes were compiled together, which has given the Conference a plethora of ideas that can be used to help these growing churches to assist other congregations.

The four questions: The Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens asked four questions to be discussed in small groups between the pastors of growing churches and the Cabinet. Here are those questions and the feedback.

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What is working to generate growth in your congregation both spiritually and numerically?

What resources or trainings were involved in generating growth?

There were dozens of answers to this question. Some of the answers given were: • The pastor making a presence in the community • Listening to the church and understanding the church’s culture/knowing the members • Putting an emphasis on children’s ministry/attracting young families • Being intentional at growing leaders in the church • Engaging in current issues • Being all-welcoming • Invite groups that use the church for meetings to worship

Most of the resources discussed were books, including: • Get their Name by Bob Farr • Shift by Phil Maynard • Renovate by Jacob Armstrong • Autopsies of a Deceased Church: 12 Way to Keep your Church Alive By Thom S. Rainer A variety of trainings were mentioned as being helpful, including: • Leadership Institute • Hand to Plow • New Faith Community trainings • Lay Servant Ministries trainings • Conflict Resolution/ Emotional IQ trainings

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What can your church offer other area churches?

What do you need from the Conference to assist you in continued growth?

The wide array of answers to this question, involved: • Offer Safe Sanctuaries trainings and other trainings • Have conversations with pastors of struggling churches • Have DS link growing churches with struggling churches • Get involved in pulpit exchanges in your District • Offer missional opportunities to other churches in the District • Communicate what their churches are doing to other churches in the District

There was a variety of answers to this question. Many pastors mentioned that continuing to bring high-quality speakers to Annual Conference, such as Adam Hamilton is helpful. Pastors mentioned how ecumenical networking can be fruitful. More 1:1 contact with District Superintendents was mentioned. Some pastors mentioned the need for trainings on how to merge churches. Several pastors mentioned the helpfulness of grants given to churches for trainings and to aid in growing ministries.

The UNY Conference expects to meet with growing churches often. The more the Conference learns, the better they can help churches, large and small, reach their potential at making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. unyumc.org 33

Intentional discipleship Q&A with Rev. Junius Dotson

By Kathern Christiansen, Guest writer for UNY Conference

T

he mission of The United Methodist Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” One system to create disciples is intentional discipleship.

To learn more about intentional discipleship, we reached out to the Rev. Dr. Junius B. Dotson, General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries, a visionary leader in church revitalization.

Before serving at Discipleship Ministries, Rev. Dotson was pastor of the Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan., where he helped transform the church into a 3,500-member, multi-campus congregation. He also served as facilitator for the Fitzgerald Program, a Discipleship Ministries program to equip pastors to begin startup congregations.

In our interview, Rev. Dotson discussed the importance of intentional discipleship, #SeeAllThePeople, and more.

UNY Communications: How would you describe intentional discipleship?

Rev. Dotson: I would describe intentional discipleship as a church that has a very clear process for making disciples. … It is part of the integrated whole of what the congregation does in terms of making disciples.

Every ministry, every leader sees their ministry as being interdependent and not independent, and they understand that there’s people working together as a whole … they all come to be disciples who are following Christ and who are practicing spiritual disciplines, who are sharing their gifts … and sharing their faith with others.

UNYC: What do you feel is the importance of an intentional discipleship plan?

34 UNY ADVOCATE 2018, Issue 2

Rev. Dr. Dotson

RD: I think it’s about passion, keeping the main thing the main thing: The Church being passionate about reaching people through Christ and helping them to grow. I think it’s about maximizing resources so that everybody is moving in the same direction. I think it’s about maintaining fidelity to the mission of The Church.

It’s just a way of ensuring that we are continuing to live into our call and basically to maximize the gifts and graces God has given us.

Some would suggest some of the reasons why there is stagnation and there is malaise, a lack of energy in congregations is because of the lack of focus on the process of making disciples.

UNYC: How can churches/leaders implement an intentional discipleship plan?

RD: Well, I think that it begins with the leaders, bringing together a cohort of leaders and

asking those basic questions about: We know what our mission is, but what is our process for fulfilling the mission? What does that look like within the context of this congregation? What are going to be the key elements that we focus on as a congregation? How do we keep reminding people of what our “why” is as a church so we don’t lose focus of that?

UNYC: The website, seeallthepeople.org, has a lot of information about intentional discipleship, including the free, downloadable resource Developing an Intentional Discipleship System: A Guide for Congregations. What are the biggest takeaways from this resource?

Paragraph 122 in The Book of Discipline, it really lays out for us an intentional process of discipleship. It’s a foundational point for congregations at least to begin that kind of gives them of idea of here’s a clear process in The BOD that at least can be a starting point for our congregation.

But also, if you go to our website, seeallthepeople.org, we have some examples of discipleship systems that other congregations are utilizing in different contexts ... We put them on the website so people can glean inspiration and glean a variety of models for doing discipleship.

UNYC: Tell us a little bit more about #SeeAllThe People.

RD: The premise behind #SeeAllThePeople is about reaching churches; it’s about reaching people. You can’t disciple people you are not in relationship with. So, any system of discipleship that does not take into account the need and the plan for reaching out beyond these four walls is not going to have any long-term fruit. #SeeAllThePeople really is about the starting point of discipleship: being in relationship with people. It’s about engaging our mission field.

It’s about connecting with people who claim no religious preference and/or consider the church to be irrelevant.

So #SeeAllThePeople is really designed to spark a passion to fuel the movement for making disciples. And it’s not a program, it’s just a way to inspire people to be thinking about what they’re doing in their particular context.

We produced a couple of videos, but those videos are really discussion starters … designed to help teams move further along in implementing and designing their own discipleship system.

RD: If you’re going through that guide chapter by chapter, it will enable teams to emerge with a system that is contextually and culturally relevant for their particular community.

It begins with knowing your “why,” so it’s an opportunity for churches to reconnect with its purpose, understanding how it even came to be; every church has a beginning, every church had a birth, and it’s important to know the “why” because that’s the DNA of your particular congregation. And if you reconnect with that “why” and if you reconnect with the biblical understanding of the Great Commission, therefore go, I believe that provides some inspiration …

It’s not a program or something you just pick out of the box and people go do a study and you’re done and then you move onto the next thing. It’s really about changing the culture of a congregation. It’s about changing the ethos, the behavior, patterns and norms of congregations that are stuck and saying here’s a way to jumpstart the process and lengthen the life of your church. unyumc.org 35

Resources for your path to a Recommendations by Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens

Getting Started Books: Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Unchartered Territories

by Tod Bolsinger Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. His illuminating insights and practical tools will help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world.

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

by Simon Sinek In studying the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all started by asking, “Why?” Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry

by Ruth Haley Barton Ruth Haley Barton calls spiritual leaders to engage in a process of spiritual discipline that will allow them to reconnect with the divine 36 UNY ADVOCATE 2018, Issue 2

presence in their lives and then be able to lead from that connection. Using the story of Moses, Barton sketches a process of encountering God through the practice of certain spiritual disciplines, such as solitude, silence, awareness of God's activity, Sabbath rest, and intercessory prayer.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

by Stephen Covey In this classic leadership guide, Stephen Covey presents an approach that makes attaining goals effective. The seven habits he reviews are: being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, deciphering what is important versus urgent, thinking win-win when it comes to collaboration, seeking first to understand then to be understood, combine the strengths of others through teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You

by John Ortberg John Ortberg educates his readers and what the soul is and why nurturing your soul is so essential using Christian philospher Dallas Willard’s teachings combined with his own humor and adding deeply personal moments.

Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict

by The Arbinger Institute What if in our conflicts with others there is something we want more than solutions? What if conflicts at home, conflicts at work, and conflicts in the world stem from the same root cause? And what if individually and collectively we systematically misunderstand that cause, and unwittingly perpetuate the very problems we think we are trying to solve? These are among the important questions explored in The Anatomy of Peace.

Developing the Leader Within You

by John Maxwell In this John Maxwell classic, you will discover the biblical foundation for leadership that John Maxwell has used as a pastor and business leader for more than 40 years. John Maxwell illustrates how these same principles and practices are available for everyday leadership every walk of life.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

by Brene Brown Drawing upon extensive research and personal experience, BrenĂŠ Brown explores the paradoxes of courage: we become strong by embracing vulnerability, we dare more greatly when we acknowledge our fear.

Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwen provides plenty of leadership tools.

Photo by Mary Dalglish.

Other Resources: Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast Pastor Andy Stanley converses about approaches leaders can take to go further, faster.

Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast Carey Niuwhof interviews several successful Christian leaders like Andy Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, Chris Brown, Sue Miller, Jon Acuff,Kara Powell, Larry Osborne, David Kinnaman, and more with insights to help improve the way you lead.

Lewis Center for Church Leadership www.churchleadership.com The Lewis Center for Church Leadership was formed within Wesley Theological Seminary in 2003 to promote the effective and faithful practice of Christian leadership in the church and the world. This website is filled to the brim with videos, online learning opportunities, articles, and more. unyumc.org 37

Next Steps

Resources

Books: Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythm of Rest

by Lynn Baab In a gentle, concise style, Lynn Baab recommends a weekly day of rest as a gift from God that teaches Christians about grace. She suggests that Christians customize their Sabbath: All are called to cease from work, but one person's work could be another person's play.

Cultural Intelligence

by David A, Livermore Twenty-first-century society is diverse, and Christians must be able to understand other cultures and communicate effectively between and among them. David Livermore calls this Cultural Intelligence (CQ). Rooted in sound, scholarly research, Cultural Intelligence is highly practical and accessible to all readers.

Making Room for Leadership: Power, Space and Influence

by MaryKate Morse and Leonard Sweet Making Room for Leadership is about body language in group settings. MaryKate Morse explores different types of power in the body, delineating how each type can be used for good or for harm, highlights how people gain and give leadership in group settings, and helps you identify the kind of power you as a unique individual hold.

Essentialism: The Art of Less

by Greg McKeown Greg McKeown teaches you how to distinguish between background noise and your own real voice. It widens your perspective to see that you have a choice to decide what you want to 38 UNY ADVOCATE 2018, Issue 2

do with your life at any point. It teaches you that less can and is usually more when it comes to lifestyle. It teaches you how to produce bigger results with even lesser efforts.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution

by Chris McChesney, Jim Huling, and Sean Covey The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) is a simple and proven formula for executing your priorities in the midst of the whirlwind. By following the 4 Disciplines—Focusing on the Wildly Important; Acting on Lead Measures; Keeping a Compelling Scoreboard; Creating a Cadence of Accountability—leaders can produce breakthrough results, even when a significant change in behavior is required from their teams.

Other Resources: Global Leadership Summit Podcast (glspodcast.com) In this twice-monthly podcast, you will learn from the world’s top leadership experts as they share insight on topics such as self-leadership, vision, and organizational growth.

TED Talks (www.ted.com) TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less).

Carey Nieuwhof’s website (www.careynieuwhof.com) This site contains several resources (blogs, podcasts, books, and more) written and compiled by Carey Nieuwhof that have proven to be effective in making amazing leaders out of good leaders.

Going Deeper

Resources

Books: Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of a Quick Fix

by Edwin H. Friedman Suspicious of the quick fixes and instant solutions that sweep through our culture only to give way to the next fad, Edwin Friedman argues for strength and self-differentiation as the marks of true leadership. His formula for success is more maturity, not more data; stamina, not technique; and personal responsibility, not empathy.

Intuitive Leadership: Embracing a Paradigm of Narrative, Metaphor, and Chaos

by Tim Keel As our culture shifts from modern to postmodern, pastors and church leaders are finding that old, rigid church leadership systems and structures no longer seem to work. Church leaders are searching for and discovering new, creative ways of leading--emphasizing intuition, creativity, narrative, and an embrace of the chaos and tension of our time. Tim Keel provides guidance of new styles of leadership that many will welcome.

Collective Genius

by Linda A. Hill and Gary Brandeau You might think the key to innovation is attracting exceptional creative talent. Or making the right investments. Or breaking down organizational silos. These things may help—but there’s only one way to ensure sustained innovation: you need to lead it—and with a special kind of leadership. Collective Genius shows you how.

Deep Work: Rules for Success in a Distracted World

by Cal Newport Deep Work is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world. Dividing this book into two parts, Cal

Newport first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four "rules," for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill.

Conferences to Attend: The Orange Conference—Rethink Leadership (www.theorangeconference.com) 4/25-4/27, 2018 Held in Atlanta, GA, this year’s Conference features speakers Reggie Joiner, Andy Stanley, Kara Powell, Lee Allen Jenkins, Les McKeown, Carey Nieuwhof, and Jon Acuff. This unique gathering is designed for senior leaders up for the challenge of solving the biggest issues facing their church and The Church.

School of Congregational DevelopmentMomentum (www.scdnetwork.ning.com) 8/15-8/18, 2018 Held in San Diego, this year, and hosted by the California-Pacific Conference, the School of Congregational Development is a premier event for United Methodist leaders for equipping conference leaders, clergy, and laity to lead vital, dynamic, life-changing congregations.

Church of the Resurrection Leadership Institute (www.li.cor.org) 9/26-9/28, 2018 Each year, the Church of the Resurrection (with the Rev. Adam Hamilton) hosts a Leadership Institute in Leawood, KS. Details for the 2018 Leadership Institute will be available in May. Grace in Action (www.egracechurch.com) Mid-January each year Grace Church in Southwest Fl. (with the Rev. Jorge Acevedo) hosts Grace in Action each year; it helps church leaders create a vision for revitalization in their churches. unyumc.org 39

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