Im curious.........
What characteristics must exist in an IC (institutional church) to make them a good candidate for a missional turnaround?
Some current IC's are going to survive and thrive the form will not completely die. But Im curious what will the characteristics of one that transforms or morphs into a missional focused church.
I know that many IC will survive as continuing manifestations of the mega church model or a traditional model. But many in order to survive are going to have to morph.
So brainstorm with me........ what ingredients are already in place in those churches that will make the change.
Yes, I know it will be Spirit led, that's a given, but what is in the primordial ooze that will grow this transformation?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Saturday, March 03, 2007
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5 comments:
wait, whats an IC?
I might ask the question differently. What difference would there be in emerging churches that survive and their older ICs that survive?
It is my take that emerging churches will experience some degree of institutionalization or die. Meanwhile, the way existing denominations and associations exits will morph in much more decentralized entities.
Institutionalized Church = IC
michael - I agree TO A POINT. But in the semantic we're dealing with here, it's pretty understood that while "progressive churches" might need a certain amt. of "institutionalization" they would never be considered institutional.
As for the question, I would say that first they need a certain amt. of "holy discontentment". They need to see that something is off, that something isn't working in terms of seeking the sought (ht to Earl Creps for the phrase).
Then they need people in their community who have already seen it and have input (which means they need to be humble and open to "reverse mentoring" - another HT to creps from his book offroad disciplines)
they also need an apostolic voice as a leader/senior pastor
those are my first thoughts
Webb emailed me this comment
I said: A well-seasoned UMC pastor once explained to me that most Integrated Circuits have a remnant of folks who really keep the church together spiritually. They are the ones who must first be convinced that your vision is from God. But the other element is that one person with whom everything in an Institutional Church that happens succeeds or fails. That person is the one soul that everyone else will follow. He or she may or may not be a part of the remnant. If not, then we have a problem, because if she won't come on board, she will hinder every effort to bring change, no matter how worthy that change may be.
Once those two elements are on board, the process can begin.
Webb
I suspect that the churches that will survive and thrive are those who create true disciples. Not just people doing evangelism and social justice but people who experience their lives as moment by moment community with God and others. Evangelism and social justice will spring out of that context. That means leaders truly equipping and discipling, which will mean a reordering of leaders priorities. When congregations and leaders change priorities, then higher structures will be compelled to change the nature of how the see themselves as the church.
Bottom line, if we turn our energies toward creating disciples in community I think that will reorient the structural paradigms (and I think there will be more than one.)
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