SCD Ideas

In preparation for this year’s School of Congregational Development here is a list of books from some of our leaders that you might want to read:

7 Myths of the United Methodist Church

Written by Craig Kennet Miller and with contributions from leading edge pastors 7 Myths talks about the things we say to ourselves that keeps us from growing.  This is a must read for anyone who wants to get a fresh look at the current state of the United Methodist Church or who wants to lead a study in his or her local church to see their church in a whole new light.

Go to www.gbod.org\7myths for more information.  You also can download presentations to share with your congregation.

http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=541308

Deeping Your Effectiveness

Dan Glover and Claudia Lavey

This is has been a best seller at the School of Congregational Development since it came out.  It gives great insights of how to develop a discipleship system for your local church in a way that allows you to impliment its principles in your congregational setting.

http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=343629 

Touch

Rudy Rasmus

Touch tells the story of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, a once dying church that is now one of the largest churches in the country.  As Rudy tells his story of redemption you can’t help but be encouraged to take a new look at your ministry and to view the people in your community as God’s gift to your church.

http://www.amazon.com/TOUCH-Pressing-Against-Wounds-Broken/dp/0849919851/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215114547&sr=8-1

Dirty Word: The Vulgar, Offensive Language of the Kingdom of God

Jim Walker

Dirty Word is an honest and sometime raw theological story of church mission and ministry with people who are turned off by the practices and appearances of the traditional church.

http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=564487

The newest results of the Pew’s U.S. Religious Landscape Survey show an American populace that professes belief in God without having to pay the price of discipleship.  While 92% of people say they believe in God and 58% pray once a day, when it comes to living it out with others the numbers drop dramatically.  

While worship attendance tells one part of the story (see links to survey results below), the amount of influence religious belief has on daily living seems to be in decline.  For example, while 78% of Americans say there are “absolute standards of right and wrong” only 29% rely on their religion to determine these standards.  Only 14% say religion is the “main influence on political thinking.” Other questions in the survey talk about heaven and hell, preserving religious tradition, and salvation.

When seen as a whole, the answers point to a population who embraces the concept of spirituality without absolutes.  Belief is a good thing, but what you believe is up to the individual.  The final arbiter of what is right is not the church or the religious institution, but what seems to work in the moment. 

While this may appear to be a minefield for the leaders of Churches, this also gives the leader of a local church a unique opportunity to shape the spiritual life of people who participate in the life of his or her congregation.  Rather than coming with preconceived notions of what it means to be a Christian, people who participate in the life of the local faith community are open to learn what you have to offer.   The church finds itself in the teaching mode rather than the caretaking mode. 

Fifty years ago the assumption was that everyone was a Christian and all you had to do was to remind people to do the right things and to remember the creeds and prayers of the historic church.  Today it is normative for people in church to be surprised to learn about different kinds of prayer, or about the Trinity, or how a daily devotion can shape the spiritual life of their family.  The life of John Wesley and his brother Charles becomes a witness to those who have never heard the story.  The Book of Acts is a eye-opening account of the power of the Holy Spirit as the church was born.

What becomes attractive is a congregation who strangely enough is living what they are teaching.  It’s no mistake that many of our largest congregations have a well thought out strategy for teaching the basics of the Christian faith, for helping people experience many different types of worship, small groups, and prayer, and offer multiple opportunities to be in service to their communities and in mission to the world. While the results of the survey may appear to be discouraging it challenges the local church to step up its efforts to communicate the gospel message in a way that connects with people so that they may know the joy of Christian fellowship and following Jesus as part of a community of faith.

Go to these links to find some great interactive tools relating to the survey: 

http://usatoday.com/news/graphics/2008_pew_religion/flash.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-06-23-pew-religions_N.htm

The School of Congregational Development allows participants to qualify for 4 Continuing Education Units.  If you are part of an Annual Conference that encouarges you to take part in events that help you grow in your understanding of the church and in your ability to lead in a congregation or an Annual Conference , the SCD gives you a great opportunity to learn.  The School offers a unique learning experience as participants learn in four different ways:

Plenaries:  This is where you will hear leading edge thinkers and presenters.

Ministry Track:  This is your home room where you will focus on developing a Ministry Plan for your ministry settings.

Workshops:  At both sites you will be able to choose from a variety of workshops that gives you the nuts and bolts on a specific area of ministry.

Teaching Church:  This is where you will go on a field trip to learn how one particular congregation has grown and evolved over the years.

So if you are looking for an experience that challenges you to grow in a variety of different ways, the SCD will give you an experience that will shape your ministry for years to come.

Here are some tips for your travel planning this year.  Below you will find info about Hotels and Car Rentals: 

Hotels:

If you are planning on attending this year’s School of Congregatoinal Development, we want to encourage you to make your reservations at your hotel as soon as possible, especially if you are going to Orlando.  We were fortunate to make the Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando our host hotel.  The good news is that is it in a great locale.  You can walk across the street to the Universal Orlando Theme Park and to its entertainment complex.  The bad news is that it’s extremely popular.  It usually sells out during the summer months. So if you would like to stay at the Doubletree, don’t wait.

If you are going to Grand Rapids, the same is true.  Grand Rapids is an attractive destination in the summer and boasts (if you are into shopping) one of the largest malls in the United States.  The Holiday Inn is where the leadership team will be staying and it is surrounded by many restaurants as well.  See below for hotel info — you can contact them directly to make your reservations.

Car Rentals:

As a reminder we are not offering transportation at this year’s school.  In the last couple of years we have found fewer and fewer participants want this and as we are in desinations where people want to see the area, people enjoy having their own cars to get around.  One of the best places to rent cars is at www.hotwire.com.  So take a look at that site and see what you can find. Keep in mind that while rates may appear low in Orlando, its almost double the price because they love to tax the tourists!

Doubletree Hotel
at the Entrance to Universal Orlando
407-351-1000
800-222-8733 - reservations
SCD Reservations Online
5780 Major Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32819

Holiday Inn Express
To make reservations call:
800-875-6000
Group Name:
School of Congregational Development
6569 Clay Avenue SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49548
www.hiegr.com

Comfort Suites South
616-301-2255
7644 Caterpillar Court
Grand Rapids, MI 49548

On Tuesday I had one of those road warrior days where I pushed it on the edge of my travel schedule.  It started at 5:00 am with my drive to the airport in Nashville to get my flight to Chicago.  Once I arrived at Midway I had 90 minutes to get to the location for my meeting but I did not factor in the long line at the car rental counter.  Forty minutes later I was on my way and ended up 35 minutes late.  The meeting went well but being late is never a good idea. 

After a dinner meeting I headed back towards Midway and 90 minutes later found the hotel after a nail biting drive through unfamiliar freeways and city streets.  By end of the day, I was a frazzled, road weary traveler who was a victim of his own folly of putting too much into one day.

Finally, I got to my room only to find out it was occupied by another being.  At first I was startled — this had never happened to me before but then I saw the note.  It explained that Mr. Bubbles, a little gold fish swimming in a standard gold fish bowl, would be spending the night with me.  I was not to do anything for the fish as he had already been fed; I was just to enjoy his company. Strangely it worked.  Mr. Bubbles calm nature as he casually swam back and forth was a blessing. 

This week’s scripture reading has to do the Noah and the Ark.  While children think its a great story about animals and such, a careful  reading of the text points to its focus on obedience.  On the one hand there were those who had strayed so far from God that their every thought was immersed in violence and retribution.  Noah, on the other hand, was found to be a person of God and in the midst of the chaos of the world around him he listened to God and did as he was asked.  The ark saved his family and the animals that came aboard.  A new covenant was established and a new era of God’s relationship to humanity was begun.  In that story there is something to be said about our connection to nature — in our increasingly urban enviornments it seems we become too disconnected to the land and the world upon which we live.  Mr. Bubbles was a gentle reminder to me to give myself a break, to calm down, and to look at those things that both bring beauty into my life and connect me to God’s creation.  I hope some day when you are on  the road a Mr. Bubbles will remind you that God is with you, no matter where your feet may trod.