Preparedness

Are you getting ready for Christmas? Have you started preparing? You may be interested to know that, while you are doing that, camp and reunion directors are already meeting to prepared for next year’s camps! This past weekend, 32 people gathered at our annual Directors Retreat to begin getting ready for next year. Tim Stanlick began the meeting by asking everyone to reach around and give themselves a brief pat on the back for this year, but after that, everyone was totally focused on 2012 and beyond.

The main item on the agenda was Emergency Preparedness. Our guest presenter was Darryl Culley, the president of Emergency Management & Training Inc. Darryl led us through a variety of situations that helped us understand why we need to be prepared for emergencies before they happen, since there is no time in the middle of a crisis to figure out what to do. For instance, we were shown a video of a fire which began in a waste basket. At first not much seemed to be happening, in fact you might not even notice, but within just over two minutes, the fire had spread to the point where the entire room was consumed and nobody would have been able to escape. The presentation was very sobering, and I am sure we each of us were thinking about the dorms and other buildings at our camps.

In addition to fire, a variety of other subjects were upheld for scrutiny, including summer storms, violence prevention, intruders on the grounds, loss of power in an emergency and more.

The Board executive of our four campgrounds were all asked to be present and share information on the plans they already have in place for dealing with an emergency. Three boards had representation present. Doug Bolger from Camp Noronto’s board had opportunity to attend a similar workshop last year and has been working hard on a comprehensive plan. Although still in draft form, Doug has generously offered to share this document with the other boards so they do not need to start from scratch.

Social Worker Jeff Stanlick also shared with the group, excellent information about Emergency Preparedness and Mental Health. Jeff shared valuable information about how to recognize serious depression or mental illness, and ways to prevent possible harm.

Mike Hewitt shared information on the new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and what our camps need to do to meet the requirement of this law. More information will be provided shortly to boards, directors and congregations about our new obligations.

While it was sobering to all of us to see the urgent need for emergency preparedness, we also realized that we have been lucky. For example, at least two of our campgrounds have had tornados touch down and do tremendous damage within a very few kilometres of where our camps were being conducted. Both occurred within the past six years. One of those storms struck a neighbouring camp resulting in the death of a 10 year old boy.

So, while you are thinking about your Christmas card list this year, perhaps you might remember the hard working people who accept responsibility for our campgrounds and lead our camps and reunions. These folks are already thinking about you and especially about your safety. I think we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Posted by Carman

ILC

As I prepare this post, a group of International leaders are gathered together for important meetings. No, this is not the G20 or any such thing. This is a group of Community of Christ leaders from around the world who are meeting together in Independence, MO. (or in IndepMO as some younger folks have humorously dubbed that place.)

At this gathering are church leaders from around the world. Some will come from various nations in Africa. The church in India will no doubt be represented, as well as various countries in Europe, Australia, French Polynesia, and Fiji. Leaders will probably come from the Philippines, Korea, and perhaps Japan. The Mexican church will be there, along with representatives from the many countries of Central and South America. Some will attend for the first time. Canada is represented at the table by our beloved Bishop, Jim Poirier.

Undoubtedly there will also be some disappointments thanks to the difficulty in getting visas to enter United States from many countries these days. I would be very surprised if our Chinese friends were able to attend, along with representatives from several other countries.

It is really quite remarkable that a gathering like this is even possible. During my youth, Community of Christ was not represented in most of those places. In fact, it was not until the 1960s, less than 50 years ago, that the church under the leadership of President W. Wallace Smith began the rapid expansion we have seen in recent years.

The gathering of the ILC (International Leadership Council) is a relatively new thing. To be honest, I really have no idea what is on the agenda this time around. It could be big things or little things, I simply do not know. What I do know is that this gathering matters. From this group, remarkable contributions to the church have already emerged. For instance, the We Share booklet that has become so familiar to us over the past two years grew out of the work of this council as leaders met to discuss the resources that were needed in all the countries where the church exists. Leaders from around the world came, put their heads together, and blessed the church. Hallelujah!

So as you go about your day today, perhaps you might want to offer a short prayer of thanksgiving for this group, and the work they are doing. Because of them, thousands of lives are being blessed, both at home and abroad. I think of that gathering, and I am grateful. May the good Spirit richly bless their fellowship and their efforts, and may each of them have safe passage back home.

Posted by Carman

History

This past weekend was the first ever gathering and training session of Canada East Mission’s new team of Mission Advocates and Bishops. They met around tables in Kitchener congregation’s fellowship hall to begin to better understand their new roles. The group spent two days listening to presentations, asking questions, suggesting answers, exploring, imagining, discerning and visioning together, all in search of understanding. They also shared in considerable joy and laughter. At the end of that time, it began to feel like we were writing on a new page in the history of Canada East Mission. Indeed we were.

Why was this meeting that important? There are probably several ways to answer that question, but I am thinking of one in particular this morning. This gathering represents a change in our approach to leadership in our mission centre. It is a change born of necessity, but it is also the right approach for our time.

The “necessity” was brought about by changing financial realities. In years past, we often looked to outside experts for guidance and leadership. We expected World Church to send us leaders to teach us about what we should do. If the people we needed were not available, we would simply hire local experts and look to the World Church budget to train and pay them. There is certainly value in that model, and we will continue to draw on the expertise of world church leaders in the future, albeit in a different way, probably in the form of guest ministry rather than resident experts.

We all know that in recent years the World Church budget has contracted and there is not as much money available, so the mission centre staff has grown smaller. We have gone from six or more specialists who were available to travel and support congregations to three, and soon we will be down to two. Because both of these positions are largely administrative, there is little time or opportunity to travel to congregations. Hence, the need for a change. Who will support the congregations as they go about their mission? Who will provide that vital link between World Church and congregations? Who will be there to help pastors, congregational financial officers and others when they need assistance?

The answer lies in recognizing that God has provided many people in our mission centre, called and available, to fulfill these vital roles. They are ministers of vision and ministers of generosity. These women and men have stepped forward and are ready to serve with energy and love. As they begin their work, they are gaining confidence in their God given giftedness and calling. They will serve well. I look forward with a growing sense of excitement as these leaders begin their work.

History has turned a page, and these new leaders are writing our story. Praise God!

Posted by Carman

Scarborough

On Monday evening, I met with the pastors of the Scarborough congregation, or as I like to call it, Toronto East. We discussed their current organizational structure, and the efforts they are making to communicate clearly, effectively, and in a modern way. The pastors discussed their six focus areas for ministry. They showed me their audio-video capacity and explained how they are using it to bring ministry. They shared about starting the year off with a baptismal service in which a mother and daughter made a covenant with Christ, and then were confirmed in a separate service. In many ways, they are off to a good start for the year.

The thing that impressed me, however, was not the plans, the graphics, or the org-chart. It was not their proficiency at creating activities or learning opportunities for their members. The thing that impressed me was the energy and enthusiasm with which they spoke about their congregation. It was clear that they are enjoying their church community and their leadership roles within it. It was obvious that their congregation actually is a community of joy for them. Said another way, their congregation is fun! Wouldn't it be great if that were always the case?

There was a second element that I found encouraging in our conversation. As I invariably asked about how the programs could bless the surrounding community, I found that there was a very “can-do” attitude present. No idea was met with a frown that said, “Oh, we couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do that,” in fact quite the opposite was the case. Every suggestion was met with a smile, an enthusiastic nod, and a comment like, “That’s a really interesting idea!” To me, leaders who are open to new ideas are always a cause for celebration.

So here’s to the leadership team in Scarborough. They lift each other up, celebrate the giftedness of their people, encourage each other, and are open to new suggestions. What more could a congregation ask?

Posted by Carman

Transition

This is a word or an idea that I’ve been bumping into quite a lot lately. I had a visit with a pastor who’s thinking about negotiating a new “working relationship” with his counselor/co-pastor to hand over the “top” position over the next several months. While he’s not really feeling burnt out, he doesn’t want to be either and is thinking this might just be the time for some new roles in that congregation.

Both leaders have been working to develop others on their congregational team and there’s lots of progress noted, plenty of growth in the young members stepping up to assume roles in planning, worship, public ministry. It does appear that it’s time for some sort of transition here. They plan to use their Mission Advocate to help them steer through any turbulence that might arise.

Another congregation is making some major changes in and around the use of their building. Lots of important community mission work means that they too are considering a transition of a different kind. A series of moves, retirements, deaths means it’s probably time to think about exactly what the next stage will be. Meet in homes? Find a suitable rental space? Another case of needing to take a step back and perhaps call in someone who’s more objective to help figure out what transition will work for them.

Working seriously on our 2020 Goal of “empowering young adult leaders” has led us into transition territory more than once. Major life events for these folks frequently create a need to pause, take stock, rethink directions and start over. New jobs, new relationships, new educational opportunities, new congregational roles (or post-congregational as the case may be) all offer new possibilities but with them come the need to transition, yet again, into some new place.

The transitions that work best are the ones done with intention. Who are the people involved or who should be involved? What kind of conversations will smooth the way? Are there new roles that need to be negotiated, priorities to be set, strategies devised? Most likely. Just as in the situation described at the top of this post, while that pastor was anticipating the turbulence, he hadn’t yet considered that there are ways to smooth the way. Probably with a couple of pretty easy conversations.

In that case, the expected future turned quickly from worried anxiety to a pleasant anticipation of working together in a harmonious way, sharing the load and moving through this transition time to a time of smooth sailing.

If you’ve got transitions in your future I recommend a pause to set your course rather than just letting it happen. Let me know how it works out.

Posted by Marion

Alive

I listened to an interview with author Michael Adams about his new book "Stayin' Alive." He's taken a good look at what the Baby Boomer generation is doing to "redefine retirement." Very interesting. You can listen to the interview here if you like.

I've been thinking all day about the implications of his observations on the church and most particularly on our 2020 Vision Goals. Our first goal is to empower young adult leaders. And according to Carman we're beginning to do a pretty good job. Yes! We have young adults ready, willing and able to lead.

But, according to Adams, and my own observation and experience, we also have a whole bunch of active Baby Boomers not yet willing to step into the sunset, remove themselves to the rocking chair, settle into their slippers and retire. In fact, many of this generation are just now considering taking up a new challenge, moving more actively into leadership roles they may have had less time for in years past and are not quite so sure they want to hand off to someone else the church or the congregation they care passionately about.

If this is really the case, then we have a dilemma on our hands. What do you think?

Can we re-frame this picture into one of new hope and excitement for an amazing future? Can we create new partnerships and tap into the combined energies of these complementary generations?

What about a leadership team that capitalizes on the creativity, new ideas, technological savvy of one group and the extra time, experience and familiarity with such things as strategy, budgeting, management tools, established networks and drive to forge an even better future for beloved grandchildren? Can we create new images that combine the efforts of all the generations? Do we have to force one group into passive retirement while another group with just as many challenges (think multiple jobs, unstable economy, new relationships, debt, time pressures of new career, new families, etc. etc.) tries to pick up the reins of a congregation on top of it all?

Seems to me we just might have a marriage made in heaven if we can figure out a way to work together. One thing I noted with interest was Adams' use of the word "tribe" to describe the various different ways his boomers view retirement (or NOT). This is exactly the same word young adult pastor and author Carol Howard Merritt uses in her seminal book about Young Adults in church Tribal Church. Seems we're not so different after all. Now let's figure out a way to use the best each tribe has to offer and there'll be no stopping us!

Posted by Marion

Leading

This past weekend, a group of young adults from around the mission centre gathered at the Bathurst Street church in Toronto. The purpose of this gathering was a Vision Workshop with Becky Savage of the First Presidency, and Erica Blevins-Nye of the church’s young adult ministries office. The workshop was number 25 of about 28 such events being held around the world to give the First Presidency a chance to dialogue with young adults and hear what they are thinking.

Of course, like any retreat, the event did not just come together on Friday night all by itself. For months, several young adult leaders have been meeting, both on-line and in person, doing the hard work of planning this event. Schedules were worked out, fun and serious activities were thought of, a budget was drafted, and dialogue sessions were planned. A trip was made to check out the facilities (meeting space, kitchen, beds, showers, parking, etc.), qualified volunteers were found to look after the participants' children, a cook was retained and meals provided. The various dialogue sessions were prepared, worship planners were found and worship leaders recruited. All of this had to be coordinated with the congregation. Small wonder then, that at the end of the event, one of the leaders confessed to feeling a little weary. Pulling off this highly successful event was a lot of work!

While there is a great deal to celebrate about this successful weekend, the aspect that is most encouraging to me is the leadership shown by this fine team of young adults. They know how to lead. They understand how to plan, and the many steps required to make an event a success. Further, they were willing to do the work in order to make the event happen. I am grateful for their willingness, their skills and their leadership.

All of this is just one more evidence of success as we work toward achieving our # 1 mission centre goal: Young Adult Leader Empowerment. We have many young adult leaders, and they have the skills they need to lead. Lets give them room and opportunity to do so.

Posted by Carman

Voting

The weeks leading up to this year's municipal election were interesting, and I think I have learned something about the difficulities of the demoncratic process in rural areas. Perhaps I am beginning to understand why voter turn-out in municipal elections is historically so low. At our house we spent several weeks before hand, trying from time to time to determine who the candidates were, and what they stood for. Their communication with their desired constituency seemed to leave much to be desired.

Up to and including the morning of election day, the following is what we had learned. We received one flyer in the mail from the township telling us where and when to vote, and that, “This flyer serves as your household’s voter’s card.” Okay, good start. We now knew we were allowed one vote for mayor, and four for council.

There were a variety of signs around the village and countryside announcing the names of several candidates, but they really didn't tell us anything except that the candidates can put up signs. Who were these people, and what did they stand for?

Our investigation located a document on the township website which told us there were two candidates for mayor (one incumbent), and nine for council. The document listed email addresses for the two mayoral hopefuls, and four of the nine candidates for council. No websites were listed, and a Google search did not revealed any. Hmmm.

We then thought there must be an all-candidates meeting somewhere, so we searched the web for information on one but didn’t find it. Later we learned from a neighbour that there had been one, and she thought she saw a sign somewhere announcing it but wasn’t sure. I don’t know where the sign was, but we certainly didn’t see it. There were no flyers in the mail or posters in the variety store/post office about it, at least that we saw. Unless other people had a better grapevine than we did I am guessing the meeting was probably not very well attended! Our frustration was beginning to build.

Several weeks prior to the election we had one knock on the door from one candidate, who turned out to be a neighbour. He also gave us a flyer with a picture of his family indicating what he supports. He did not spend long, but he came, and we can vote for him. Good Job!

We had one flyer in the mailbox from one of the mayoral candidates (not the incumbent). From it we learned that she has experience on council and was involved with the food bank. Good, I thought. She understands local issues for the poor, and is not afraid to volunteer. I think I can vote for her.

And the flyer was a good sign. Surely the other candidates pieces would be along soon, right? But that was it! Right up to election day, that was the sum-total of communication we received from the eleven candidates running in our municipality!

Then on the morning of election day, Joan went to the post office on her way back from voting, and lo and behold, there were four more flyers in the mail box. I thought, now isn’t that interesting! Since the advance poll was nine days ago, wouldn’t you have thought the candidates would have wanted their information out early?

At the polling booth, we discovered there were five candidates running for the school board. Who knew!

Now, I accept that it is my civic duty to learn about the candidates and be able to make informed decisions about who to vote for. But wouldn't it be easier to do that if the information was readily available? After all, we are all very accustomed to the so called Information Superhighway now, and most of us hardly remember where else to look for information. In this day and age, does anybody have time to chase the candidates for their thoughts? In the 21st century, shouldn't the candidates make the information available on the internet on a site where it is easy to find and in a form where is is readily understood?

Oh well, they are all volunteers, right? They probably didn’t have enough time. At least they are trying.

Is there anything we can learn from this?

Posted by Carman

Empowerment

At the CEM conference of 2009, we presented a ten year plan entitled 2020 Vision. The plan included five goals, the first of which is Young Adult Leader Empowerment. Simply stated, the goal is to give our fine young adult Community of Christ leaders a chance to lead. If we are successful in this goal, we will have excellent leaders willing to take the church into the future. If we do not succeed, we will have a problem. We are actively working at that goal.

Last Friday evening, a group of young adult leaders got together to work on the plans for an upcoming event; the 1st Presidency’s VISION PROJECT. On November 12-14, 2010, young adults from across CEM will gather at the downtown Toronto church for a weekend of fun and conversation with President Becky Savage. This planning team met to make sure we will be ready, and to determine if we had answered the appropriate questions.

• How many registrations do we have so far? Twelve, but it is early yet.
• Have we contacted all young adults in CEM? Not everybody? Well we had better get on it then!
• Do we have cooks? Yes.
• Do we have childcare for those who need it? Yes.
• Do we have sleeping accommodations? Yes, there are 22 cots at the church, and some will sleep elsewhere.
• Do we have people to lead great fun activities? Yes.
• Do we have people to lead the workshop sessions? Yes.
• Do we have people to plan and lead worship activities? Yes.
• Are those who come really going to enjoy this weekend together? YES!
  
  It is a pleasure for me to watch these young adult leaders in action. I am there to answer questions if needed, and to offer support, but mostly I am there to listen. I can sit back and let them lead. By being present, I know what the plans are and that the bases are covered. If they need my help, they have it, but mostly they don’t. They are capable, gifted leaders. I am grateful for their willingness and their gifts.
  
  Shortly, this team will send a small poster to each congregational pastor to be posted at church to help promote this event. Whether you see the poster or not, why not encourage young adults of your acquaintance to come? They will be blessed because they did, and I firmly believe, so will the church.
  
  Are there young adult leaders in your area? Are they being empowered to lead? If not, can you help? Don’t be afraid to let us know who they are and we will try to help too.
  
  Posted by Carman

MEGA

This past weekend, a group of about 30 (mostly) young adults and Seventy gathered at the Toronto West church campus for MEGA. The name MEGA is an acronym for the theme of the weekend, which was Make Everyday a Great Adventure. To avoid confusion about the above references to 30 and 70, perhaps I should explain that Seventy here refers to the priesthood title a group of missionary Elders in Community of Christ, based on Luke 10. There were four such persons in the group this weekend.)

The weekend had several purposes. One was to provide a forum for young adult leaders and potential leaders to come together. A second was for the Seventy to be together in a ministry situation, and a third was to begin to build community between these two groups.

Each of these groups has its own set of characteristics. Young adults are always bursting with energy and ideas, so being with them is always a lot of fun. Just being in their presence will inevitably lead to lots of smiles and laughter. The Seventy, on the other hand, tend to be natural story tellers. These folks have been on their own great adventure with God for many years, and have lots of stories to share. Given these characteristics, it is only logical that putting these two groups together should make for an interesting weekend. It did.

I think it is safe to say that this group found fun in everything they did. Together they played ping-pong, went bowling, and took in a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre, which several still insisted on calling Skydome. Attending the ball game was made even more fun because the Blue Jays actually won! The group also found great pleasure in assembling 150 lunches for the benefit of homeless people in Toronto, and in sharing food together themselves.

On three occasions during the weekend, the group sat around together to share stories. While the Seventy led in this, not all the stories came from them. Several young adults shared their own stories of life; some of which were happy and some of which were not. This sharing of stories led us to amazing moments of seriousness and sacrament, as several people asked for the blessing of laying on of hands for healing in their own life needs; some shared and some not.

Finally, on Sunday morning, the group met together with the host congregation to lead in an outdoor worship service. This too proved to be an adventure (competing with a neighbour’s lawnmower) and a blessing as music and still more stories were shared, followed by a bar-b-que with the congregation.

Should you happen to look up mega in the dictionary, it would tell you that this word is a prefix used to indicate something “large or great.” I suspect the impact of this gathering will be both large and great in the lives of those who participated. It was good to gather, good to have fun, and good to share stories together. We have agreed that this must not be a one-time event, but needs to happen regularly. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, as you go about your day, let me urge you to remember what MEGA stands for, and enjoy your own great adventure today.

Wise

On Wednesday evening, I met with a group of five young adult leaders and two “wise elders” to finish planning MEGA (Make Everyday a Great Adventure), the June 18-20 weekend that our Ontario Seventy will get to spend with young adults and vice-versa. Here, “elder” is used in its age related sense and not to convey priesthood. (Thanks to our dear Marion, I now know the rule for not using an apostrophe to convey possession by a pronoun, and once again, one of my elders has taught me something of value!)

In this case at least, the wise elder members of the team really were wise because they were smart enough to let the younger leaders lead. Each elder member of the team is a capable and experienced leader in his own right who could have taken the reins and led the process of mapping out this weekend event. Had they done so, we would have had a plan, and it would have been fine. But the plan would have been developed from an older point of view, and might have appealed more to a different generation than we would like to reach for this event. I can imagine the younger members of the team going silent; not really excited by the plan but not wanting to hurt the feelings of their respected elders. The plan would not have been as good.

As a result, the plan has lots of time to go and do fun things together, not just sit and talk. We will create new memories of this valued time spent together, not just share about good times from the past. We will play softball and ping-pong together, have an out-door bar-b-que, and go to a Blue Jays game. We will invite the neighbourhood to come for church and stay for lunch. Is the church too small to hold the hoped-for crowd? No problem; we’ll have an out-door service in the back yard. And we will also have time to talk and share stories together. Great! Its going to be a MEGA weekend!

MEGA has a lot to offer young adults, because young adults took the lead in planning it. In part, that is so because wise elders were smart enough to be quiet and let young leaders lead. I am impressed by their willingness to do so.

So here’s to all the wise elders in our community. Thanks for being so wise!

Posted by Carman

Need

I once had a boss who used to trumpet “Ask for what you need!” She was adamant about stepping up and making your needs known. She used to say that people operated on assumptions so much of the time that it was no wonder we “got it wrong” as much as we did—as we do, because we’re reluctant to “just ask” instead of hoping someone will notice, or guess, what we need. In fact, said she, it was amazing we ever got it right at all!

Now as I’m reading over last week’s Distinctive blog post, one sentence that jumps out at me is this one: “the sermon is based on the what the leadership team perceives is needed in the congregation.”

If you’re part of a leadership team, how much time to you spend trying to perceive the needs of your congregation? If you’re part of a congregation, do you have a way to let folks know your needs? And all of you, what part of your time is spent trying to figure out what your community needs from you?

From where I sit, it seems we spend a whole lot of time guessing what others need, regretting which of our own needs are not being met and forgetting entirely that we just might be the means of meeting many of those needs, both inside and outside a traditional congregation.

I do know we have some people in our lives who are very, very needy. Maybe there are some who would happily fill your ears with their many unmet needs. But as a truly perceptive leader, shouldn’t you be finding ways to deal with those persons in a pastoral way (maybe by delegating to those with a nurturing gift) while you work with your team as a whole to be about “what matters most”? It always seems to come back to this, doesn’t it?

Join our conversation friends. What bits of this whole conversation are resonating for you?

Posted by Marion

Team

I often hear folks express a wish for a good leader, or, better yet, good leaders. Of course, these desires are being expressed in a conversation lamenting lack of a single person willing or able to lead. To lead the congregation or to lead a particular ministry they've identified as something important to be done.

If they still deem the project or the ministry or even the survival of the congregation to be worthwhile they may resort to what they clearly see as "second best" and cobble together a group of people willing to share the job.

Let me say a few things in favour of the team! We're most likely to point to the obvious stars, the high-flyers, the charismatic loners who charge in and win the games. People who take charge, set direction and make decisions may indeed get respect and others line up eagerly to follow them, or not.

But consider the other skills it takes to go the distance, ensure long-term success, create a sense of belonging, ownership, motivation, trust, loyalty. I'd even suggest one of the most essential team skills is the ability to challenge effectively. Maybe I don't have a good idea myself, but if I can ask questions, offer refinements, push someone else to clarify their vision, are those not equally valuable to the life of the group?

Carman and I are currently working with the leadership team of our fledgling Fired Up! group. The really important, really challenging work of creating that team is going on just now. And it's very exciting to see this group coming together, clarifying its vision, making ready to develop strategies, asking the critical questions and building the trust that will be needed to achieve that vision and move into an uncertain but exciting future.

As a church we're being asked to join a team, to be part of a prophetic people, to get engaged with the discernment process, not just to wait to follow blindly the directives of our leader. This is the model Fired Up! is trying to learn--to put together a team of people with different skills, different passions, but with a vision of what such a group can do using the model of prophetic people, not just a people with a prophet.

It is a process. It takes time to practise, to recognize abilities in each other and to point those out as we are together, to notice when it's working and when it's not, to say "let's go" or "let's wait" and then to support a decision once made. Many of the congregations in CEM have leadership teams. Let's practise noticing our team processes and successes and see how far we can go.

Posted by Marion

Vision

The genius who conceived the idea of Walt Disney World in Florida was Walt Disney himself. Unfortunately, Walt died long before the park was completed. He never saw this dream come true.

And yet, in another sense, he did see it. In fact, he could “see” it when there was nothing there to see. I am guessing that before he even committed to the project, he could see the whole thing in his mind’s eye. As he developed the plans and blue prints, he could envision every detail of how the park would look and work. His was the genius behind the plan, and it was this vision that allowed it to happen. That was Disney’s vision, and his vision inspired his leadership and creative genius.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Rick Warren always says, “Where there is no vision, the people move to another parish!”

Vision is a powerful and wonderful thing, yet vision is just imagination blessed with intention. Every child is born with imagination. We could all see great possibilities when we were young, and the visionaries among us still can. A leader is merely one who says, “I can see it, and we can do it!”

Some congregations are dying for lack of vision but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can envision and create a different reality. Which future can you see?

Gestation

We normally think of gestation as related to pregnancy; the period of development in the uterus from conception until birth. One interesting aspect of this process is that the period of gestation seems to be directly related to the size of the species, with smaller animals having a shorter gestation period than larger ones. A mouse, for instance, takes only about 21 days from conception to birth, whereas an elephant takes 645 days.

Gestation, however, can also relate to the conception and development of an idea or a plan. How long does it take for an idea to grow and develop in the mind? Interestingly, it often seems that the size of the idea or plan also affect the gestation period here as well.

When I was in the book business, calling on retail stores and wholesalers, it could take me from a few minutes to several hours to complete a sale. If I spent an hour and came out with an order for $2,000, that was an hour well spent. A bigger order of $5,000 or $10,000 would take longer. Later, when I became a National Account manager, I would often develop a plan, present it to a buyer, develop a prototype, get it approved and then turn it over to the sales reps to execute. The gestation period of that idea might take a year from conception to completion, and another year before we knew how much business it would produce, but the value of business generated might be several million dollars. Bigger ideas just seem to take longer.

So let me ask you, had any big ideas lately?

Posted by Carman

Spirit

There is a lot of uncharacteristic Canadian excitement at the moment. It is all about the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. People are glued to their TV’s watching mogul skiing, speed skating, figure skating, and the awarding of medals. They check their computers for the latest results on curling and sports they probably never thought much about before. Now both women’s and men’s hockey has started, and the excitement is growing to fever pitch.

In the midst of all this amazing energy, I have found myself wondering what would happen if we each had that kind of passion for the ministry of the church. We may be about to find out.

In the past week, I have had two remarkable meeting with people in an effort to recruit them to volunteer ministry. In both cases, I was amazed to discover a level of passion for God and excitement to serve that I had not previously known they had, at least not to that degree. They were honoured to be asked, thrilled to be considered, and anxious to get started. And the best part is that for all of these people, the excitement grew out of their love for God. It was not about ego or to somehow become a public figure. It was about a chance to do something for God and make a difference in the lives of people they do not even know yet. They have true passion.

That’s the spirit we need! Do you have it?

Posted by Carman

Instilled

“The challenges and opportunities are momentous. Will you remain hesitant in the shadows of your fears, insecurities, and competing loyalties? Or will you move forward in the light of your divinely instilled call and vision?” (January 17, 2010 Counsel to the Church, verse 9e)


There is something very encouraging in the last sentence of the above quote; “Or will you move forward in the light of your divinely instilled call and vision?”

For me, a vision of greatness for our congregations and for Canada East Mission is never really a problem. Sensing who we are called to be and what we need to do is not difficult. Ideas often bubble up freely, and it is easy for me to feel inspired by the excitement of the challenge. But still, there is always the nagging wonder if this is really the right path. Call it self-doubt or sober second thought, but I always have to ask myself, is this really what God would have us do, or is this just me?

Don’t misunderstand, I firmly believe this kind of self-questioning is a good thing, and getting feedback or support from others is critically important. One does not want to be deluded with arrogance or carried away with ideas that are misguided. Careful examination of one’s ideas along with thoughtful and prayerful reflection is time very well spent. Still, the doubts often remain.

Having spent time over the past couple of weeks in careful reflection on the words of Counsel to the Church (as you probably have), I have come to value a great many of its words and phrases. It was not until yesterday, however, that the full impact of this particular quotation hit me. Your divinely instilled call and vision...are You talking to me? Can we really take this personally?

I can readily attest to the fact that the challenges before us are enormous, and that the opportunities are equally as great. In fact, that enormity is the very reason for my hesitation. I do not want to ask the people of our mission to spend enormous energy and considerable funds to chase a vision that is not do-able. And yet it is do-able! Further, I firmly believe it is at least part of what we are called to do.

We simply must trust that God is with us. It is easy to say, but not always easy to do. It is, of course, what the Scriptures have always taught us, and yet it is still so easy to lose that confidence.

I find great comfort and encouragement in the counsel to “move forward in your divinely instilled call and vision.

Posted by Carman

Model

Goal 4: The Healthy Congregation Model Effectively Deployed in Every Congregation

As a former pastor, I am quite familiar with the experience of not being able to see the congregational forest for the trees. Leading a congregation is a busy task, and it is easy to get so involved in the day-to-day issues and challenges that you can no longer clearly see the big picture. The metaphor that comes to mind is the saying that, “When you are up to your ears in alligators, it is hard to remember that you really came in here to drain the swamp!” A proliferation of alligators is not conducive to effective swamp draining or pastoring.

Add to this the fact that our pastors and leadership teams are all bi-vocational volunteers, and it is easy to see why a clear, simple model of operation is important. Among other benefits, it helps us remember exactly what we have to offer the world, and what our focus needs to be.

Community of Christ has been working with the Healthy Congregation Model for at least five years, but many people are still not familiar with it. The graphic at the top of this page may help us understand it.

A very quick explanation is that the Community of Christ is built from the bottom up on God’s Generous Grace, the Christian Tradition, and on Community of Christ Tradition. It is the Witness of Jesus Christ and the Building of Community that provides structure and supports Peace, Reconciliation, and Healing of the Spirit; the ministry the church offers the larger community. The diagram further says there are three types of ministry we engage in: Witnessing/Inviting, Gathering, and Sending/Serving. A healthy congregation will have a balance of all three. The model says that is what we do, and that is all we do.

This does not mean that every congregation will be the same. Every congregation will respond to God’s Generous Grace in a slightly different manner. They will live out the mission to which they are called according to God’s gifts to them and the leading of God’s Spirit in their midst. Each congregation will respond to the needs of the larger community in which they find themselves, and in that way, bring the Peace of Jesus Christ to those they meet. The fact that people need that peace is the very reason we need this goal.

Some days it feels to me that having the model effectively deployed in every one of our CEM congregations is an impossible task. “What was I thinking?” I ask myself. When I think that way, I realize I have gotten too close to the alligators again. I need to step back and look for ways we can do this. That is what we need to do, one congregation at a time.

Leaders

In no particular order, let me share a few names with you.

Renee, Grant, Sarah, Andrew, Kevin, Heather, Annie, Joe, Derek, Keira, Alysa, Rachel, Bryce, Karen, Aaron, Kyle, Lija, Lauren, Lisa, Serenity, Duane, Christopher, Rebecca, Meredith, Marc, Jordan, Ryan, Robyn, Matthew, Irena, Taffia, Adam, Kristin, Scott, Dariq,
Tamara, Alfredo, Mark, Natasha, Rachel, Jon, Christine, Shawn…

These are but a few of the names of young adults we have observed leading, and wanting to lead, in Canada East Mission. The list is no where near a complete list. These young leaders are honing their skills, helping where they can, and looking for places they can fit in to offer their ministry. They are exceptional, outstanding young leaders. They do not know everything, but then again, who does? They have ideas, energy, enthusiasm, and a willingness to try. You will, no doubt be able to think of more names when you put your mind to it.

(Young Adults, if you don’t find your name here, the fault is mine, not yours. We have not forgotten you!)

Young adult leaders also have frustration. Some have grown disillusioned, reporting not being listened to in their congregation, and sometimes not even being seen. Some have quit attending church, but will travel long distances to serve in our camping community, often at great personal sacrifice.

Still, they are here, they are willing, and they are able. They are the reason Young Adult Leader Empowerment (YALE) is the number one goal of Canada East Mission in the coming decade. It is number one in importance, not merely first on the list. We are blessed with a wealth of fine, young adult leaders. They may think, act, and dress a little differently than you (or not), but we definitely need their energy and ideas.

At Canada East Mission, we are looking hard for the young adults who will lead us into the next decade. We will be giving them important assignments, even if it seems they’re not really ready. Don’t be surprised. If you believe in this goal, we’ll need you to back us up. Out loud, and with real commitment.

We believe the future, under their leadership, will be amazing. Are you ready to give them a chance? Who are the young adults you are mentoring to fill your leadership roles?

Purpose

Last Saturday I attended a workshop for GTA-West congregation as they worked to identify their goals for the immediate future. The workshop was attended by 60+ people and directed by a consultant who led us through a carefully planned process. It was a wonderful day.

The day began with a reminder of the congregation’s purpose statement, which had been carefully identified at an earlier event. I am a big believer in purpose statements. Whether you are an individual, a team, a congregation or a corporation, knowing your purpose makes all the difference in the world. It is the difference between doing something because it is routine and doing something for a reason.

To take on a task without a clearly understood purpose is rather like driving on the road with no map or GPS and no real idea where you want to go. To quote the White Rabbit in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there”.

Purpose speaks of determination and resolve. It suggests that there is a desired result at the end of whatever process or activity you are engaged in. Doing something on purpose suggests that you know what outcome you want to achieve. If you know your purpose, you can identify goals that mean something, and initiate processes and programs to achieve them.

My purpose in this post is to say, "Well done, GTA-West! You know your purpose and have identified your goals. You now have a roadmap and a GPS. You are on the road to where you want to go!"