Learning Tracks

Learning Track 1: “Leading Change”

2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Mon., July 11 and Wed., July 13; Capitol Ballroom 1 & 2; Sheraton Nashville

Who will lead the transformation?

David Emery has a big voice and a bigger personality. He moved through seminary with all of the confidence that a tall, strong man, who “looks like a preacher,” possesses. He worked hard, but he’ll tell you, things came pretty easy to him in the first chapter of his ministry. He appeared successful, as congregations he served blossomed and grew under his leadership.

But part way through his ministry, as the landscape for ministry began to shift, Emery slammed into a brick wall. What had worked well in previous years simply wasn’t the answer in a time of change. Teetering on the edge of clergy burnout, he experienced a time of “holy discontent.” After a time of soul-searching and self-examination, he discovered the need to allow God to inhabit his heart, life, and ministry in a new way.

Learning from experience

That humbling experience, says Emery, who now serves as senior minister at Middletown Christian Church, a vibrant 175-year-old Disciples congregation near Louisville, Ky., was the unexpected key to his learning how to navigate change – and how to lead a congregation through major shifts. He and other Disciples pastors with similar stories are bringing those lessons to bear on the five-hour-long General Assembly Learning Track called, “Leading Change.”

Leadership today isn’t about acquiring the right set of skills or techniques, says Emery. It’s not about finding the “experts” or creating a program. Leadership in an era of great change requires relationships — with people who are already engaged in ministries of transformation, and those who are just beginning. And it requires a deepening relationship with Christ.

“If you’re not experiencing the presence of Christ in your life, it can’t happen for the church,” Emery says. “It requires tremendous risk-taking in order to begin to lead in that way.”

No roadmaps

Pastors and other leaders that have been there, describe congregational transformation as a journey through the wilderness — no map, no strategic plan, and no quick fix. It is a journey that begins with their own transformation, many report. Leading change requires learning to lean on God.

So, how to package that for a learning opportunity? How might General Assembly planners create the space for Disciples ministers to become a learning community – not only during the July gathering, but also potentially when the Assembly disperses?

Part of the emphasis will be on testimonials; telling stories in a way that enlivens the spirit within a congregation and its participants, according to Dawn Weaks, pastor of Raytown Christian Church, Raytown, Mo., who is helping develop the Learning Track.

Fostering leaders for a changing church and revitalizing existing congregations are two of the church’s “2020 Vision” priorities that led to the Disciples Leadership Summit more than a year ago, where the idea of this Learning Track first took root.

As one of a number of pastors who are leading change in their congregations, Weaks was invited to share what sustained her in that process. Among stories of heartache and hope, exhaustion and elation, these pastors reported finding ways to lead and live, even thrive, in the process.

Sustaining practices

A second emphasis will be on what leaders are learning about practices that sustain them while working in change, and how to translate those lessons to their congregations.

During this learning track, Disciples will hear from leaders of churches of all different sizes, says Weaks. The emphasis is on encouragement and empowerment — not on training or on listening to a handful of experts and taking notes.

This learning track is an opportunity to meet face to face with people who are “knee deep in transformational work,” Emery says. “You’re going to hear the stories of the joys, sorrows, successes and failures that go along with it.”

Clergy and lay leaders alike will benefit from participating in this learning track, says Linda Gardner, who is facilitating the planning team.

“This is going to be high energy. It will be innovative and participative, with lots of dialogue, lots of telling, and also lots of listening both to the Spirit and to each other,” she said.

Learning Track 2: “Can Disciples Congregations Find New Life in Mission?”

2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Mon., July 11 and Wed., July 13; Capitol Ballroom 3 & 4; Sheraton Nashville

It’s a Learning Party: New mission-focused Christian movement finds fertile ground among Disciples

As Christians experience the decline of institutional/organized church, a new ministry is emerging full of new possibilities – especially for Disciples. The emergent church movement, with its decentralization, its emphasis on an outward mission focus, and its ability to cross a wide variety of theological boundaries, has much in common with Disciples.

In a five-hour Learning Track – guided in part by one of the movement’s best known leaders, Brian McLaren, who is also the Monday night General Assembly preacher – planners hope to reveal much that will help existing Disciples congregations find new life in mission.

So, what is this movement and what might we learn from it?

We reached Disciple Steve Knight, Community Architect for TransFORM a missional community formation network endorsed by McLaren, Phyllis Tickle and others. He's working full-time in 2011 as part of the Disciples’ new Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation, and part of a new Disciples church in Gastonia, N.C.

Q. We often hear the terms “emergent church” and “emerging church.” Are they the same thing?

A. Emergence is really the bigger phenomenon happening in all of society, and it’s also happening in the Church. Within that larger concept of emergence Christianity, there have been different expressions and “streams” of emergence, if you will – some have been theologically more bounded or centered (“emerging”) and others have been more open/liminal or relationally centered (“emergent”).

In other words, some people see the challenges the Church is facing and believe our theology is fine, don’t touch it, we just need to change the way we’re doing things. Others, myself included, look at the same challenges and believe we need to rethink some of our theology as well as re-tool how we’re doing things.

Q. How does "missional" fit into all this? What does it mean to be missional?

A. There's a growing realization – by people on every point of the theological spectrum – that the Church’s role in the world is really different from what we've been taught. Most of us grew up in churches that focused inward; that operated like a mini-corporation. This approach has resulted in “country club” churches that are exclusive and often oblivious (and irrelevant) to the needs of the broader community. This corporate model looks inward and seeks to maintain the institution.

The missional shift asks, “What is God up to in our community? How do we engage with God out there?” The missional focus is a major factor for the Church in the midst of emergence.

Q. How did the emergent/missional church movement get started?

A. The history of this movement dates back at least a decade in the United States, and a little longer than that in places like the United Kingdom and Australia. For more on the history, I’d recommend: Emerging Churches by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger, The New Christians by Tony Jones, The New Conspirators by Tom Sine, and The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle.

Q. Does the emergent/missional church have a particular style of worship?

A. There isn’t one style of worship in emergent/missional churches. It’s not about a new style of worship, although the use of “candles and incense” has become a stereotype and running joke.

The shape of these churches is one of an emergent theological posture and a missional orientation. If there’s anything consistent about the form worship takes in these churches is that it demonstrates an appreciation for more ancient forms of worship expression (prayer, liturgy, etc.), combined with an openness and embrace of new media and technology.

Q. What are the core values of the emergent/missional church?

A. In his book The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier, Tony Jones shares 20 dispatches or statements that describe common beliefs and practices of emergent/missional Christians. The book includes an appendix that features the “Values and Practices” of Emergent Village, which is one network of missional Christians that has been influential in this broader movement. While I wouldn’t say those are definitive, they offer a place to start in understanding the core values that are shared by many in the emergent/missional church movement.

Q. It seems like emergent/missional church is for young, hip, and predominantly white Christians. Is that true?

A. Unfortunately, that’s been the stereotype. As with any stereotype, there’s always a grain of truth. In the North American context, a lot of this emergent/missional conversation did start out in predominately white, privileged corners of the Church. Many of the prominent voices asking the questions, writing books and speaking at conferences have been white males. But if you look at where the conversation is today, it is much broader than that.  I’m excited that the Learning Track at the General Assembly  – or Learning Party as some of us are calling it – will represent the full diversity that is in this conversation today.

We're trying to be intentional about having a strong local/global focus for the learning party, because this emergence is a global phenomenon. It affects the Church in different ways in different contexts. We all need to learn more from each other.

Learning Track 3: “Youth Ministry is Missional Ministry”

2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Mon., July 11 and Wed., July 13; Davidson Room, Sheraton Nashville

Friendship breeds possibilities for renewing youth ministry

A group of Disciples – bound by friendship and a shared passion for ministry by, for and with youth – will host a conversation of youth workers, designed to support best practices in youth ministry, during the 2011 General Assembly, Nashville, Tenn.

Disciples Youth Ministry Network (DYMN) will host “Youth Ministry is Missional Ministry,” in the afternoons of Mon., July 11 and Wed., July 13 at General Assembly.

“This Learning Track is not a lecture-based training event,” said Julie Richardson Brown, one of the event planners. “We seek to learn from one another, build relationships with one another, and share resources with one another.”

A group of peers, the Disciples Youth Ministry Network (DYMN), accepted the invitation of General Minister and President, Sharon E. Watkins to coordinate the conversation for youth workers (lay and ordained) from across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

It is an essential conversation, Brown said, that has its root in authentic relationship.

“Disciples youth not only are vital to the church’s mission now, but they are also absolutely essential to any possibility of mission in the future,” said Brown, minister to youth and young adults at Beargrass Christian Church, Louisville, Ky.

DYMN focuses on their shared passion to, “constantly bear God's love to our youth, nurturing them into being God-bearers themselves to a world sorely in need of such love.”

Participants can expect an atmosphere more akin to an internet cafe or coffee shop than a workshop, with live digital resource sharing, plenty of room to catch up with established youth ministry colleagues and to develop new partnerships in ministry; as well as lots of space to ask questions, dream and explore together.

Featured voices

DYMN has invited a host of youth ministry practitioners to be present for the conversation. They include:

The Youth Ministry Commission of Disciples Home Missions empowers and assists adult lay youth ministry volunteers across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. The commission is made of people who are dedicated to youth ministry and have several years of experience in this area.  Commission members include: Andy Campbell, Jennifer Allen, Kelley Dick, Rob McRight, Lindsey Watts, Jann McGaughey, Kevin Snow.

Daphne Gascot Arias serves as the Associate Youth Minister at Geist Christian Church. A second-generation Disciple from Puerto, she is finishing her third year at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, she is working toward a dual master’s degree in divinity and in psychotherapy and faith.

Lesleigh Carmichael serves as director of coaching for the Center for Youth Ministry Training (www.cymt.org) located in Brentwood, Tenn.  She also serves as a lead consultant for Youth Ministry Architects (www.ymarchitects.com), which works and serves with churches all over the country.

Jae Hyung Cho serves as Youth Pastor at Sallims Christian Church, Newport Beach, CA, as North American Pacific Asian Disciples (NAPAD) Youth Coordinator. He is Youth Staff for the Pacific Southwest Region. He has an M.A. from Harding University, MDiv from Chicago Theological Seminary, and PhD from Claremont Graduate University.

Suzanne Kerr serves on the Ministry Team at Lee’s Summit Christian Church. A graduate of Texas Christian University and Brite Divinity School, she has served in youth ministries and camp ministries for more than 10 years.

Cinthia Kim-Hengst advocates for youth, especially in her work with NAPAD ministries, where she has served as moderator.  She led the youth group in her local congregation, counseled at regional youth ministry events and camps in the Indiana region, and at Disciples church wide youth events.

Brian Kirk, has written for the New Earth Christian Resources for the Outdoors. He contributes regularly to YMtoday.com and Patheos.com, and co-writes the blog, rethinkingyouthministry.com. Kirk serves Union Avenue Christian Church in St. Louis and teaches at Eden Theological Seminary.

Paulo Lealaitafea has served as pastor a Samoan Church at Federal Way, Wa., since 2001.  Born, raised and educated in Samoa, he graduated from Kanana Fou Theological Seminary in 1991, and Fuller Theological Seminary in 1994.  Youth ministry is his passion because youth “are the ones who carry the torch for our ministries both now and in the future.” 

Tim Lee, an ordained Disciples minister, serves as Moderator of NAPAD.  Since 2002, Lee has taught Church History at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, as well as directing Brite’s Asian (Korean) Church Studies Program.  Before arriving at Brite, Lee served as youth director at a Korean-American Methodist congregation in Southern California.

Mayon Marcelino attends Broadway Disciples United Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is a former member of the Young Adult Commission, served as a member of the planning committee and as a counselor for the first NAPAD youth retreat, last December in Scotts Valley, Calif.

Andra Moran lives and works in Nashville, Tenn. as songwriter, singer and freelance touring musician – and at Woodmont Christian Church as worship leader, and music and arts director.  Moran has brought music to regional and national gatherings across the country. Her many recordings can be perused at  www.andramoran.com

Tiffany Murphy serves on the National Convocation Board of Trustees as consultant for youth activities for the National Convocation's Biennial Session; works with the Children, Youth, and Young Adult Task Force for the Biennial Session; and works to strengthen connections between the General Youth Council, the Young Adult Commission and National Convocation youth and young adults.

Joel Saucedo pastors First Christian Church, Pearisburg, Va.  A native of South Texas and a life-long member of Bet-El Christian Church, Robstown, Texas, he has served as a juvenile probation officer in Corpus Christi and a bilingual victim services coordinator with the Criminal District Attorney’s Office in Fort Worth, Texas.

Jacob Thorne serves as Associate Minister at Broadway Christian Church in Columbia, Mo.  In working with youth, Jacob has experienced large and small church settings, long-established youth ministries, new youth ministries, and youth ministries in transition. He co-writes the blog, rethinkingyouthministry.com.

Christal Williams serves on the Christian Church in Illinois and Wisconsin Regional Ministry Team. Since 1999, she has worked with regional youth in the areas of camps, conferences, mission trips, anti-racism/pro-reconciling initiatives and the regional youth council. Her time and experience with young people span nearly three decades.

Lee Yates serves as an Associate Minister of First Christian Church, Lawrenceburg, Ky.  Besides co-directing International Christian Youth Fellowship (ICYF) in 2008, Yates has served with a number of youth-focused ministry organizations. Yates’ curriculum writing includes Joining the Story: A Chronological Study of the Old Testament, available on DiscipleShare. He contributed to Eastern Mennonite University’s Y-STAR: Youth and Trauma curriculum.