THE THRILL OF A NEW YEAR’S CHALLENGE

Even as the pandemic rages, we approach the new year with the growing awareness that vaccines will be widely distributed after Easter, likely bringing an end to this very strange season of our lives by late summer.  I have begun making plans for travel in late 2021 - hosting a church planters retreat in Colorado, spending time with the churches I coach, and headed twice overseas.  It feels so good to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.  The turning of the calendar to page 2021 is going to be energizing for many!

TURNING THE SUSTAINABILITY QUESTION ON ITS HEAD

In October, I had the pleasure of gathering (quite safely) with local church leaders in in Michigan as we explored critical questions about their church's future.  One of the questions was about their sustainability in the twenty-first century, especially as the major share of donors and volunteers fade from the scene in the next 10 years.  It was a great conversation - I have so missed working with local churches onsite in 2020!

BE CAREFUL WITH THESE SKETCHY ASSUMPTIONS

I am reminded of my father-in-law’s little quip: that “when I assume, I make an A-S-S out of U-M-E. “   There are some very sketch assumptions floating around ministry leader circles these days.  One or two of them could prove to have some lasting truth – but I would encourage us to take great care with any of these:

WHY ARE SOME CHURCHES THRIVING IN 2020?

Watching church leaders respond to the ministry ground conditions of 2020, I continue to be deeply impressed by some!

THE POWER OF COHORTS

Over the past quarter century as I have worked with leaders and congregations in ministry strategies for effectiveness, there are three distinct chapters: (1) church consulting, (2) consulting-coaching and now (3) consulting-coaching-cohort.  

THE CONTINUING PROMISE OF NICHE MINISTRY

In the ever-diversifying culture of North America and Europe, the day of  "one-size-fits-all" church is over.  There never really was such a church that could serve everyone with equal effectiveness.  However, many of us remember communities with extremely homogenous population.  In the years of monocultural neighborhoods and three national television networks, a neighborhood church might find itself able to relate culturally to 80 percent of the residents in its neighborhood.  However, today, human diversity is increasing in most zip codes.  This diversity can be seen in terms of race, education, political tribes, lifestyle hobbies, income, etc.  Today, in the rare homogenous neighborhoods that remains in the South or Midwest, we might find a dominant congregation that relates to one out of five households (20 percent), but even this is rare. Involvement (or market share) of even 1 percent is notable now - and also increasingly rare.

SHIRLEY AND MERCY IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR

There is a song based on Psalm 23, verse 6: "Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  We sang this at church when I was six.

FAITHFULNESS THROUGH A REVOLUTION

We went to a drive-in movie the other day - in my hometown. It was the first time I had been there since I was 15, when my friends and I stayed for the late show without calling home. (We all got grounded.)  Now I am too old for the late show, which had promised to be the better of the two movies.  So we quietly departed after movie number one.  The Rubidoux Drive-In had not changed at all - in a world and a city where almost everything else is different than before.  It is frozen in time, like a space alien, a holdover from another century. 

WORKING OUR RECOVERY DURING THE PANDEMIC

Years ago, I served as pastor of a church that was loaded with persons in recovery from varied addictions.  I learned that the recovery community is often two steps ahead of the rest of us.  The more recovery folks who became a part of our church, the better church we were: the better we practiced hospitality and lived grace... the better that we understood gospel and life itself.  Recently I interviewed two leaders at Mercy Street in Houston, a Saturday night worship community with an emphasis on recovery.  I was interested in how the pandemic was challenging people in recovery and what we might do about it.  I went into the conversation with some unexamined assumptions:  

LESSONS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM

I spent the better part of January in the UK, as a part of Epicenter Group's coaching work this year with 26 British pastors. From London to Wales to Scotland and down again to Cornwall and Norfolk on the southwestern and southeastern coasts, Beth Estock and I saw almost every kind of ministry setting. People have asked what we learned. Here are some observations: 

I SEE A LAND BEYOND BONKERS!

On Jan 3, 2020, a diverse group of United Methodists assembled by Sierra Leone Bishop John Yambasu unveiled their carefully negotiated proposal to the 2020 UMC General Conference to help United Methodism split into two streams.  One prominent left-of-center blogger called the whole thing 'bonkers.'  I disagree with that assessment.