Florida-Bahamas Synod Assembly

Rev. Ruben Duran

With All Boldness

Our Time Together

• Our Goal:• We will examine our Christian Call in

relation to God’s mission in the world, in our church and in our communities.

• A time for learning and encouragement to live, serve, and witness with all boldness.

Sessions

• Session I: “A Community in Mission”

• Session II: “Leadership for Such a Time as This”

Session I

A Community in Mission

Dwelling in the Word

• May the Word of God dwell in you richly!!

• 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21

2 Cor. 5:17-21

• So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation, everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God who reconciled us through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world back to God, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

2 Cor. 5:17-21

• So, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making an appeal through us, we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The Constant: Revealed in Christ

God is working to redeem the world and bring about the Reign of God as the culmination of history

and in Christ invites us to participate.

MISSIO DEI: God’s mission

• The point: God is a community in mission

• Since creation: Genesis……Creator, SpiritColossians 1…..Jesus• Today: 2 Cor 5:17……new creation• Anytime now: Revelation 21, a new

heaven and a new earth.

A Community in Mission

• The 3 amigos: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• Creative• Diverse• United in mission and purpose• Powerful; “dunamos”; power of God’s word• Isaiah 55…..word of God never comes back

empty, it always accomplishes God’s purposes

God’s mission

• “restoring community”• Bridge over troubled waters!!• Reconciling creator and creation• “religion”…from Latin word “re-ligare”, that

is “re-connecting” ligaments, re-uniting.• Ezekiel 37: dry bones in the valley can live

again by God’s breath; • “revive”, “renew”, “reawakening”, “reform”.

Reign of God

• Here now, not yet fully implemented• SALAM---SHALOM: God’s peace• At the heart of God’s mission• God’s aim: good news and justice for all• Justification and Justice together• I.e.. Jesus: “your faith has made you well”;

and/or; “take your mat and walk”

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen

GOD AT WORK: 2 Kingdoms

• Right Hand: God operating in and through the Church

• Left Hand: God operating in and through the public arena; society.

• 2 ways of working, only one history

As the world changes, the constant of God’s purpose remains

God’s work to bring about the Reign

Reign of God

Church called to participate in God’s work

The Changing World

Witness and engagement

Church

What Are we Learning about the Health and Vitality of Congregations?

• We take some cues from these studies:

-- ELCA Study of New Churches• Natural Church Development Research

ELCA Study of New Churches

• From 2001 to 2009• LEARNINGS:• A. Growing churches connected to their

context• B. Network of church partners praying and

supporting these new churches

• It’s about restoring community!!!!!!!

Research: Natural Church Development

• 98,000 churches so far, 800 ELCA.• Worldwide• 18 languages• Inter-denominational• Looking for signs of healthy congregations• Looking for principles that propel the

church to grow naturally

What the pattern shows:

• Passionate Spirituality: How intentional are we about cultivating a relationship with God?

• Contextual Evangelism: How intentional are we about cultivating a relationship with our neighbors?

• Holistic Small Groups: How intentional are we about cultivating a relationship with ourselves?

• It’s about relationships!!!!!

The Emerging ChurchLife/ministry as witness and “parable of the kingdom”

The Changing Church

“Communities of care” “Missionaries of grace”

Dr. Alicia Vargas

Laity infiltrate through vocation

Some key paradigm shifts

• Institutional and survival• Pastor dominated• Program = success• Facility centered • Physical welfare the goal• Charity focus• Autonomous models• Grants reward survival• # Served = criteria

• Relational/evangelical• Lay ministry based• Relationship = success• People centered• Spiritual welfare at core• Do and promote Justice • Interdependent models• Grants advance goals• New disciples = criteria

Dangerous combination

• Faith only Privatized +• Ministry only Institutionalized+• Leadership only Professionalized=

• A church paralyzed

Missional dynamic

• 1. Faith: private and public• 2. Ministry: institutional and organic• 3. Leadership: profession and vocation• ……1+2+3= a church propelled

• Emerging chemistry to increase vitality and capacity for evangelical outreach in the ELCA

Signs on the Journey- benchmarks

• Church PARALIZED• Scarcity• Entitlement• Limited capacity• Help the Pastor• Survival• Resistance to change• Focus on past/present

• Church PROPELLED• Abundance• Thanksgiving• Increased capacity• Exercise vocation• Living hope• Willingness to change• Focus on

present/future

A Community in Mission

• God’s mission has a church• The church is a means, not an end• God says GO; Lutherans: Here we stand!• ELCA is 24: time to get out of the house!• To see God at work in the world 24/7• To receive God’s hospitality, in

community, in new relationships• Key: trade judgment for curiosity!!

GOD’S VISION FOR COMMUNITY

How should we live together?

Who’s at the table? Left out?

What’s difference between God’s vision and our reality?

TWO PATHS--TWO SOLUTIONS

Needs Assets(What is not there) (What is there)

Services to meet Connections &needs contributions

Consumers Local leaders

Programs are answer People are the answer

Bethel community -Identifying physical assets

*Garfield Park*Churches*Conservatory*Transit stop atLake and Pulaski*Access to downtown*Industrial Park*Closed down hospital(Beth-Anne Campus)*Schools (Al Raby)*Expressway

DISCOVERING ABUNDANCE

• Asset Mapping - teams of two (community and congregation) - eyeballingo New eyeglasseso Learning conversationso Discovering with our feeto Discovering together

Businesses Schools

Parks

Hospitals Nonprofits

Libraries

Churches

Social Groups Self-Help Groups

Block Clubs

Local Institutions

Associations

Income

Youth Elderly

Artists

Labeled/Marginalized

Gifts of Residents

Community Assets

Unemployment Housing Projects

Poverty

Uninsured

Illiteracy

Child Abuse

Truancy Addiction

Crime

Teen Mothers Gang Members

Community Needs Map

Mentally Ill School Dropouts

Homeless

Delinquency

Social capital - the connections among individuals, social networks-with reciprocity; the more relationships someone (or some institution) has in their community, the more

likely to be effective, employed, engaged, volunteer

A Community in Mission

• Building relationships in the public arena• Restoring community• At home in church and world• Serving and witnessing with all boldness

• Jeremiah 29:7 Seek the welfare of the community where I have sent you, and pray on its behalf, for in its welfare you will also find your welfare.

The Emerging ChurchLife/ministry as witness and “parable of the kingdom”