Field Guide For Missional (2)

Book Review/Reaction by Robert Shaw Rick Rouse and Craig Van Gelder, A Field Guide for the Missional Congregation: Embarking on a Journey of Transformation (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2008). Each chapter includes a fictional, perhaps composite, case study, “Discovery Questions,” and resources for further study. The authors first focus on attributes that must be diminished then list the desired attributes. I believe if we focus on the desired state for the church the less desired traits will fade into the background. Like any good field guide this book provides a broad spectrum of information, with questions and references to help focus a reader when additional study is indicated. The authors provide Reggie McNeal's assessment of the church and culture as six new realities: 1. Congregation members no longer constitute a majority of a community. Most people are biblically illiterate. 2. Congregations must refocus on building the kingdom of God rather than gaining members through transfer from other congregations or through confirmation of children born to members. 3. Congregations must train people for ministry in their daily living as well as serving the institutional needs of the church. 4. The congregation must serve its community as a “spiritual fitness center,” cultivating spiritual formation. 5. Congregational structures must be designed for permission giving and cooperation, resulting in empowerment and support for the ministry of all of God's people. 6. Church leaders must be open to the leading of the Spirit, to lead the church into a new and exciting future. This represents a shift from Apostolic leadership as being from the Twelve Apostles to Apostolic leadership as being sent out into the fields that are “ripe for the harvest” (John 4:35). Central to this book are seven transformational keys which are developed at length. The keys, as formulated by the authors, tend to be wordy, and I have rephrased them below. 1. Having a clear vision for ministry will support moving forward together. Once a congregation has collectively formed a missional identity, this identity must be regularly reinforced, evaluated, and adjusted as the community and congregation grow. Appendix A provides the author's understanding of a “Strategic Plan.” This “plan” merely lists aspirations for the future state of their fictional congregation. A collectively owned vision statement should be used to generate measurable goals that lead to a timed sequenced plan of action with milestones and entrance and exit criteria for major transitions, such as the addition of a new worship service or staff. 2. Focus on becoming a discipling community while deeply engaging one's context will help develop a healthy life that moves beyond institutional survival or just serving the needs of its members. The authors list characteristics of a discipling congregation: 1. More concerned with how people are living their faith and sharing the gospel than numbers. September 5, 2008

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Book Review/Reaction by Robert Shaw 2. More concerned with how we serve the needs of the world around us than how well we care for members. 3. More concerned with empowering people for ministry than maintaining institutional structure. 4. More concerned with offering our facilities to our community than preserving them. 3. Developing healthy, Spirit-led leadership can help cultivate a positive climate change within the faith community. They describe a Spirit-led leader as more reflective and thoughtful than reactive. In the case study, they provide an example of a Spirit-led leader who focuses on the benefits of a change to becoming a missional congregation rather than reacting to a members particular grievance about the implementation of a change. Having a common vision for ministry facilitates Spirit-led leadership. 4. A supportive, missional leadership team, comprised of both staff and lay-leaders, must be built carefully and intentionally. The authors provide a council docket that is evenly split between spiritual formation and business. This is practical in a congregation with functional committees. In this model, issues can be openly debated and argued, and the result communally supported when presented to the larger congregation. 5. Practice truth telling when facing conflict as an opportunity for learning and reconciliation. In addition to summarizing several scriptural examples of conflict the authors provide useful suggestions for avoiding conflict including a recommendation for supervision for all pastors and using multiple methods of communicating upcoming changes. 6. Practice stewardship while building financial viability. Herb Miller's “Consecration Sunday” provides useful theological reflection neglected by the authors. The simplified financial budget is traditional rather than a missional narrative budget that allocates personnel, property, and other expenses to a congregation's mission statement. 7. Celebrate successes along the way, especially the accomplishments of others. Over half of this chapter describes change as a continuing phenomenon, material tangentially related to the key and better discussed in the opening chapters. The page and a half related to celebrating successes would benefit from examples and critique of the methods of celebrating successes.

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