Navigating the new watersNavigating the new watersWhat does missional leadership look What does missional leadership look

like for these new times?like for these new times?

Sometimes things change and they are Sometimes things change and they are never the same again. This looks like never the same again. This looks like

one of those times. Life moves on. And soone of those times. Life moves on. And soshould we…….should we…….

2007 Tear Fund survey of 7000 adults in contact or not with church

“ “ this majority (66%) presents a major this majority (66%) presents a major challenge to churches. Most of them are challenge to churches. Most of them are

unreceptive and closed unreceptive and closed to attending church; churchgoing isto attending church; churchgoing is

simply not on their agenda.”simply not on their agenda.”

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

60-year-olds 40-year-olds 20-year-olds

Percentage of people with childhood experience of the church

Age in 2005%

‘‘The reality is that mainstream The reality is that mainstream culture no longer brings people culture no longer brings people to the church door. We can no to the church door. We can no

longer longer assume that we can assume that we can

automatically automatically reproduce ourselves, because reproduce ourselves, because the pool of people who regard the pool of people who regard

church aschurch asrelevant or important is relevant or important is

decreasing decreasing with every generation’with every generation’

Mission shaped church report p11Mission shaped church report p11

A missional A missional re-engagementre-engagement

with societywith society

“ we understood mission oneway and organised life to accomplish it. We have awakened to find out the mission moved on us. To keep focusing on mission, wehave to turn the furniturearound and face a differentdirection. We may even have to move into another room.”

Loren Mead. Loren Mead. The Once and Future Church,1992 The Once and Future Church,1992 Alban InstitiuteAlban Institiute

A re-imaginationA re-imaginationof what church isof what church is

(and could become) (and could become)

…do not try to call them back to where they were, and do not try to call them to where you are, beautiful as that place may seem to you. You must have the courage to go with them to a place that neither you nor

they have been before.

Vincent Donovan

In our missionaryIn our missionarysituation we situation we

need pioneersneed pioneersmore than pastors.more than pastors.

1.Missional leadership is the key

1.Most models repackage old paradigms

2.Discontinuous change is the norm

3.Congregations still matter

4.Leaders need new capacities & frameworks

5.A church is a unique organisation

Alan Roxburgh. The Missional Leader

What does a leader/pioneer for the open seas look like?

“a person with a detailed knowledgeof an area of water, who goes on to

a ship to direct it safely.”

Archegosis

‘The pioneer of our salvation’

Hebrews 2;10

Spectrum of pioneeringSpectrum of pioneering

PioneerStarter

PioneerSustainer

SustainerPioneer

SustainerDeveloper

Four enduring features?• Dissatisfied

– Not grumbler but wanting change for the better

• Visionary– Looks beyond what is to what could be

• Hopeful– Change is possible and this inspires others

• Risk takers– Acts on convictions and out of comfort zones

Stuart Murray: Ch 7 Planting Churches: who?

Danger of one model

What are missionalleaders trying to do

in these new waters?

Listening,praying & loving

in the Kingdom

Building community

Exploring Jesus

BecomingChrist like

together

Able to listen and discern

‘ if Christian mission is about, “seeing whatGod is doing and joining in”…. then

discernment & the cultivating of an environmentwhich enables discernment are the leadership

capacities most needed at this time.’

Graham Cray, The Discerning Leader Grove Book 2010

Able to love and serve

Networker and draw people together

Missionary

‘do the work of an evangelist.’

•envision•encourage•equip•example

Ecclesial former

How do we communally express what is happening

to us as we meet Jesus?

“ We are not inviting people to join an institution, nor to educate people

in a process on interior transformation.We are inviting people into a renewed creation

made possible by Christ through the Spirit.”

Rowan Williams

What kind of people are we called to be?

What kind of community is capable of raising people like that?

•Reorientation- look out

•Reconnection- walls down

•Recreation-sent out

What are the key characteristics ofsuch people?

People who arePeople who are

1. First

2. On the edge

3.Moving out

4. Bi cultural

5. Know when to go or stay

6.Know when to bring order or chaos

Disturb us Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,

when our dreams have come truebecause we have dreamed too little,

when we arrived safelybecause we sailed too close to the shore.

Sir Francis Drake

http://davemale.typepad.com/churchunplugged/

Alan Roxburgh’s Five Steps

• Creating Awareness

• Creating Understanding

• Evaluation

• Creating Experiments

• Commitment

The Missional Leader