PASTORS E-NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2012
Hi fellow Pastors!
As a Pastoral Leader one of the challenges we are constantly facing is dealing with change, both for ourselves and in assisting our congregations to make appropriate adjustments. Change is inevitable when we are open as individuals and communities to God’s transforming power in our lives. Alan Deutschman, a leading writer on change and innovation speaks of the importance of the ‘three R’s’ for positive change: relate, repeat and reframe. He argues that it is hope, not fear, that inspires positive change. His reflections on the positive benefits of change can be found in a brief edited interview on www.faithandleadership.com/qa/alan-deutschman-the-benefits-change.
A related area for those in leadership roles within churches is the place of organizational culture and the health and ill-health such places may generate. Organisational change takes time and needs to proceed through a period of transition to bed-in. It then needs to be regularly ‘reviewed’ to ensure it retains not only its health but adjusts to ongoing changing circumstances. Andy Stanley has identified five important truths that we need to note about organizational cultures. The details can be found on www.msd.org.au/resources.
REVIVE
Revive is not a conference but an opportunity for those of us who are part of our Baptist movement to get together to celebrate what God has been doing in our midst, to be encouraged, to be inspired in our ministries and also to be challenged and better equipped. Revive is our annual event where we gather as an association to support each other and recognize our collective identity. This year we have invited Matthew Barnett to inspire us and to speak into our corporate life and local ministry. Let me strongly urge you to make this an important date not just for your diary but also for your church’s calendar.
The Revive Pastors Launch will be held on Wednesday, May 2 at Morling College meeting at 9:30am for a 10:00am start and finishing at 12:30pm. This is usually our largest gathering of pastors each year and is an opportunity to engage with our fellow pastors and see how Revive may contribute to our local endeavours. See you there.
BAPTIST CHURCHES AGM
The recent AGM was the opportunity for us to recall our directions as an association beyond 2012 and to finalise a number of consultations about where we believe God is leading us. The primary focus at the AGM was in regards to a new constitution that aims to support the Directions 2012 decisions that we made last year. Following numerous submissions and consultations with the Constitution Committee, the proposed constitution was overwhelmingly adopted with a few minor changes.
The new Association Constitution will come into effect next September with the appointment of the Interim Assembly Council to replace the BU Executive. However, many of the current committees and taskforces will need to continue functioning until the Council is able to make new appointments. As a priority the Council will be advertising and interviewing for the Director of Ministry. This nomination will come to the next AGM in March 2013.
A Nominations Committee (John Brew, Graham Henderson, Virginia Ellis, Keith Jobberns and Tim Burns) has been appointed to consider persons to nominate to Assembly for the Interim Assembly Council. This will be an important group of persons with a key governance role for our association. May I encourage you to prayerfully consider whether there may be appropriate persons in your congregation who might be approached to serve in such a capacity. The Council will need persons with a range of skills. You might also prayerfully consider whether you might make yourself available. Please contact any member of the Nominations Committee if you have some suggestions.
Assembly Council shall be empowered to exercise all the objects, powers, duties and obligations of the Incorporation Act including (these are only part of their responsibilities):
(a) To develop an overall strategic direction for the ministries of the Association established to achieve its objects and, when approved by Assembly, for communication, implementation and promotion
(b) To develop an overall financial plan for the Association and, when approved by Assembly, for communication, implementation and promotion
(c) To regularly review the financial position of the Association
(d) To exercise such of the powers of the Association as are reserved for the Executive Committee under the Incorporation Act, that is, to act as the Assembly between Assemblies
(e) To develop and adopt appropriate strategies for itself and any, ministry or affiliated group reporting to it policies for:
(i) human resources management including job or role descriptions and annual performance reviews for everyone having a specific role in the Association’s governance arrangements
(ii) conflict management
(iii) risk management
(iv) conflict of interest
(v) annual calendar of tasks
(vi) annual self-assessment, and
(vii) such other policies and procedures as it deems appropriate
(f) To act as the ‘Executive Committee’ for the purposes of the Incorporation Act and the Baptist Churches of New South Wales Property Trust Act.
The moment we voted
FOUNDATIONS of COACHING and MENTORING
The next Foundations of Coaching and Mentoring Seminar is to be held at the Baptist Ministry Centre on Saturday, 12th May from 9am – 4pm. A flyer with details and registration can be found at www.msd.org.au/resources.
LIFEWAY RESOURCES (Southern Baptist USA)
Lifeway Resources has some new resources that they have been developing for adults, students, and children called the “Gospel Project”. It has the capability of being a “downloadable” resource and non-dated for international churches and partners. The actual curriculum will be live September. But at this point, a church or ministry leader can sign up for one FREE MONTH of resources to test out the curriculum. LifeWay would also appreciate the feedback from churches so that they could make changes before September. They have almost 6000 churches at this point signed up for the free month. They are interested to hear from churches in Australia and their take on this material.
http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/The-Gospel-Project?type=learn&cid=gospelproject (on this page, click each cover for one sample lesson plus the place to sign up for the free month)
http://www.lifeway.com/Article/LifeWays-The-Gospel-Project-focuses-on-Jesus-throughout-biblical-narrative (extra article)
If you also have an article or link that you would like to share with your colleagues in ministry, please pass it on so that I can include it in further newsletters.
Ken Clendinning
Director of MSD
Regarding the “5 Inescapable Truths…” by Andy Stanley: The name says it all – define a set of statements as non-negotiable truths and they cannot be argued with can they? This approach is much like John Maxwell’s. It makes some very good points – but is simplistic and is not a fair coverage of Point 5. Conservative thinking people are resistant to change and are especially resistant of change for change’s sake. It is too easy to reject or label people as unhealthy because they don’t instantly agree with someone else’s idea/vision of change. Much more thought and work needs to be done on recognising and dealing with the blockages to change.