A Voice in the Maelstrom
It’s called “information overload” and it’s getting worse. On these pages you will find what I hope will be useful tools for sorting, gathering, and storing distinct information necessary to your ministry. The church has long been challenged by the access to and management of information, the dynamics of which shift continuously as new technologies emerge. From Paul’s handwritten epistles carried by friends over great distances, to Gutenberg’s printing press, to the Bible on Palm Pilot®, the message has remained the same, but the mode of delivery and receipt has changed radically. More to the point, however, is the rapidly growing volume of competing messages. Advertisers learned long ago that timing is everything. It isn’t enough to have a great message: you must repeat it often enough that people remember it when they have decided the message is important. That is, viewers might watch the same car ad a hundred times without being inspired to purchase a vehicle. Advertisers hope, however, that when need and means converge, car buyers will have seen the ad often enough that they will consider the advertisers’ models. The message is the same, but people need to hear it where they are in their faith journey.
While it may not be explicit in their call, many pastors are expected to serve as quartermasters of information, keeping a mental, if not physical, file of any and all pertinent information that may have an impact on the mission and well-being of their congregations. This model breaks down in the face of overwhelming amounts of information, as the recipients begin to focus on issues they find most interesting, while paying inadequate attention to other areas of potential interest. It also does little to build consistency in an institution’s ministry.
I would suggest elders and deacons consider another epithet for your minister of Word and Sacrament: moderator of the session. This shift of paradigm suggests that the pastor is seen as the fulcrum on which the work of the session turns, rather than a quartermaster who parcels out information on a need-to-know basis. This approach allows everyone to take responsibility for the work, using each person’s God-given talents to live out his or her faith.
Information management requires that we first consider what we have been ordained to be and do. What is it that gives vitality to our congregation’s ministries? It is not the nature of our ministries and mission that are unique, so ordained leaders needn’t reinvent the wheel in resourcing identified and established work. The uniqueness lies in the particular manifestations inspired by our particular faith community as members receive and spread the good news. An advantage of connectional support is the freedom of church leadership to use its creative gifts to meet the challenges of ministry. At the same time, as a connectional denomination we know that when we address the challenge of nurturing the faith of members, we can count on resources being grounded by our Reformed faith, consistent with our missionary outreachin the world and faithful to the Scriptures.
Here is one way to begin organizing resources:
Make a list of all that needs to happen to enable your members to live as a vital congregation, beginning, if you have time, with a blank sheet. Ask yourself, “What is my church’s total ministry?” One tool you might consider to jump-start brainstorming is the Church Information Form which asks committees to pick the six most important things for a pastor to emphasize in her or his ministry.
Or start with the following list and ask what your church needs to be doing in each area. Then determine what resources (human and material) are currently available to support the work.
Answer the question posed by Don Campbell in “Who Ya Gonna Call” for a quick, clear response to your questions?
Consider these categories as you begin to organize this information so you know where to look and listen:
- Worship
- Leader and congregational development
- Denominational connections for people and resources
- Administrative and fiscal oversight
- Pastoral care, within and beyond the congregation
- Education and spiritual growth for all members
- Mission development and outreach
Some words not explicit in the list above are evangelism, stewardship, ecumenical, community, and self-care. Once you have defined the aspects that form the core of your ministry, those that you feel make yours a vital congregation in the body of Christ called the PC(USA), you can begin to gather all of the information lying dormant within your congregation. There are lots of ideas in ideas! for Church Leaders that may not be needed today. But by laying this foundation, you will be in a better position to respond quickly and effectively to questions that arise at your next meeting of Session or following the service on some soon-to-come Sunday.
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