Session 1 - Context and Calling

CONTEXT AND CALLING

Understanding the Culture and Commitment to Make a Transformative Impact

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Mike Regele, Death of the Church

Characteristics of Change

TimeTime TimeTime

ComfortableComfortableChangeChange

continuous andcontinuous and incrementalincremental

DiscomfortingDiscomfortingChangeChangechaoticchaotic

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Character of Chaotic Change

Glocal – no where to run to Rapid – no time to reflect Complex – too much information to

absorb Comprehensive – impacts every area

of life Unpredictable and Discontinuous –

cannot be planned for

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The Future of Leadership

Warren Bennis, The Future of Leadership

We need new leaders… not just younger leaders, but leaders with new competencies; listen to the under thirties and over seventies.”

Bill Easum, Leadership,On The Other Side…many of today’s most significant leaders are

under 30 and we have never heard of them.

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Chaos Theory

Moving from a compart- mentalized to an inter- active world of complexity

The world of human relationships is always untidy

Refusal to ignore those relevant facts that do not fit our theories Bits of messiness that interfere with our

neat picture

Chaos describes that Chaos describes that inferno of inferno of unfathomable unfathomable complexity laying just complexity laying just beyond the flat world of beyond the flat world of empirical evidence.empirical evidence.

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What’s Different?

Attitudes to authority Availability of information Commitment to institutions Two income families

Fewer volunteers Work schedules

Longer hours Flexible schedules

Travel time to and from work Single parenting and blended families

A recent survey A recent survey in the Wall in the Wall Street Journal Street Journal revealed that revealed that four out of ten four out of ten employees were employees were less than three less than three years in their years in their job. Ten years job. Ten years ago it was about ago it was about 3 percent. 20-25 3 percent. 20-25 percent are percent are temp-orarily out temp-orarily out of work.of work.

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From Modernity to Postmodernity

Leading by navigatingLeading by navigatingon uncharted, stormy on uncharted, stormy waterswaters

Leading by reading the map

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The Sigmoid Curve

A

BB

CC

Time of great Time of great

confusionconfusion

Mark with an X where you are on the curve!Mark with an X where you are on the curve!

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Understanding The Times

The Sons of Issachar had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do (1Chron 12:32)

Understanding–leadership is describing reality Wisdom–knowing how to respond

appropriately Timing–grasping the opportune moment

(kairos) But note: Influence does not always signify

prominence

CALLING IN RELATION TO CONTEXT

General CallingPersonal CallingSpecific Calling

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Philippians 2:6,7 (NRSV)

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,who, though he was in the form (morphe) of God,

did not regard equality with Godas something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,taking the form (morphe) of a slave,being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,he humbled himselfand became obedient to the point of death–even death on a cross.

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The Morphing of the Church

Morphing rather than deconstruction

Deep level, comprehensive changeMorphe (Phil 2:7) Jesus took the very nature (NIV) of a servant He took on this new identity in order to undertake

his mission The Church must be prepared to die to itself:

crucifixion–resurrection (Jn 12: 24)

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Discerning and Engaging Culture

Condemn

Critique

Copy

Consume

Create: the artist

Cultivate: the gardener

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Called to Faithful Obedience

Calling is essential to a life of discipleship Not a once in a lifetime experience, but the

ongoing response of the disciple Os Guinness, The Call: “...a life lived listening to the

decisive call of God is a life lived before one audience that trumps all others – the Audience of One.”

Evidence of the presence of God in the person’s life “God’s calling is the key to igniting a passion for the

deepest growth and highest heroism in life.”

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Who Are the Called?

The myth of the restricted call The called are the whole people of God

Individuals obsessed with their own sense of calling marginalize those around them

Jesus called the disciples not in isolation, but as part of a community Os Guinness, The Call: The call of Jesus is personal

but not purely individual; Jesus summons his followers not only to an individual calling but also to a corporate calling

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Called to Salvation and Service

Laity are not amateur contributors in the structures of the church

Still less are they passive or critical consumers They are not volunteers to support clergy

controlled programs “Laos” signifies the people of God called to a

priestly and apostolic ministry (1 Pet 2:9; 2 Cor 6:16; Tit 2:14)

Consequence of an absence of the sense of call

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Contextually AppropriateFollowing Jesus’ Model

Radical identification Clear about his own identity

As the Son of God As a first century Palestinian Jew

We must not downplay the humanity of Jesus

Rediscover the gospel in the Gospels