Galen's additional info

Denominational Guidelines for Continuing Education.

We expect that our study will speak to at least two, and possibly three, areas of continuing education as listed in the 2002 Guidelines for Continuing Education. Our learnings around missional movements will most certainly speak to the areas of Pastoral Leadership and Church Growth and Evangelism. We expect our experience together will also contribute to Spiritual Hardiness.

B. Study Focus

Issues in Ministry

Tim, Rob, Galen and Dave Ulm serve in congregations of a traditional nature which have a long history and a deeply seated sense of who they think they are as a church. The struggle here is against rigid traditionalism, people growing comfortable with the way things have been, trust in programs that have worked in the past and the tendency to be internally focused. These pastoral leaders seek to establish new vision for the church, increased passion for outreach and an openness to change, while honoring the history and heritage of the congregation and meeting the legitimate needs of the existing members.

Ministry Context

Tim, Rob and Galen serve in one of the largest Church of the Brethren congregations in the nation. It is one of the few churches that has a multiple staffing beyond just two or three people. The Ephrata Church is located just a mile or so from the famed Ephrata Cloister, so there is a rich sense of heritage. The church also is just across the yard, so to speak, from the Ephrata Middle School. It is located in an upper-middle class community. The town of Ephrata itself is about 12,000 people, situated in a larger area of 50,000 or so. The community has significant social service needs. About 55% of the community is considered “unchurched.”

E. Evaluation

Galen—I do not feel that I have a comprehensive understand of what it means to be missional. I hear the word tossed around today and, on the one hand, I think it is simply the new word for being “evangelistic,” but, on the other hand, I have this sense that there is much more to it. I hear of a missional movement, but very frankly have been so busy building a growing church over the last several years, that I have not had the time to read material coming out of these missional movements. (And it bugs me that my spell checker keeps flagging this word “missional.”)

At the end of these two years I would like to be able to intelligently discuss this concept, even if it means I do not buy into it. For sure I would like to be able to define what parts of it resonate with me and what parts seem foreign. I begin with the assumption that it is good to be missional—I may be wrong about that. I begin with the assumption that I am already somewhat missional and that makes me want to be more so—but I may be wrong about that, too.

I expect that growing understanding, a change in how I think about the church, more intentionally focusing outward and more courage in my life personally to reach out, would be markers that something is changing in relation to our study together.