District News and Ministry Developments...January 6, 2010

To keep you abreast of District Ministry Developments…

1. Three churches merged recently in Springfield to form a “Faith UMC”: Central, LaGonda, and Story Hypes. Pray for them as they begin to live into new.

2. Have a District Revitalization team in development to assist our churches in turn around strategies.

3. Developing some neat partnerships across the district linking up churches for greater effectiveness in mission and ministry.

4. A large number of appointments are in process this year, 27 at last count. Pray that God will raise up just the right leader for each and every context.

5. District Trustees are forming and will be evaluating District Endowment investments.

6. Apportionments came in right at 80%, a strong showing as we climb out of the economy. Looking to pick back up this year as everyone mobilizes to maximize our dollars for true kingdom work.

7. Looking ahead to new District, website launch and opportunities for our local churches to get in on the fun too with platforms uniquely created for any size church.

8. Locking in key dates and first class growth opportunities for the New Year. Stay tuned.

Feel free to comment with a great God-Story from your neck of the woods…

Church Visits, "Contemporary Excellence," Urbana and Sulphur Grove UMCs

In the last couple of week's I've visited two of our more traditional churches that have gotten in the last couple of years new, contemporary services in some form or fashion off the ground.

Observations from Urbana...one of the finest sanctuary remodels I have ever seen. The best of old and new...post modernity at its best. They retained some of the finer, more ancient accessories and decor, e.g. stained glass windows, fine trim, a beautiful paint scheme, etc. at the same time they upgraded with the latest and greatest sound and lights. The best multi-media equipment has never been more affordable. It is worth the look-see.

Observations form Sulphur Grove's service in the Y...you never would have known we were worshipping smack-dab in the middle of a gym. The worship space was transformed. The hospitality outstanding, relationships authentic, preaching and music relevant and on target.

May we all find the heart beat of God for our mission field and passionately give ourselves all out for it. The world knows when we are just going through the motions.

Church Visit, "My Favorite Day Yet," McKinley and Dayton Korean UMCs

It was a long day, but it ended up being my favorite day. Another good 12-14 hours. I’m working hard adjusting to a sustainable pace. But this ended up glorious. Started the day in worship at McKinley UMC in Dayton, one of our District’s African-American congregations, where they rocked the house in worship. Had an amazing worship leader. Involved all ages and especially the children. Pastor Diane hit a home run with the message. Went on to Dayton Korean UMC for a celebration of their 38 years of ministry and recognition of their new class of leaders. I had no idea our District had such wondrous diversity. The bounteous buffet filled with one Korean dish after another was emblematic of the feast of the kingdom I enjoyed all throughout the day. Then I ended it all with a tough but blessed meeting with a leader who is making some hard decisions for an even more success-filled future. Good job Miami Valley.

Church Visit, "Special Event Services/Radical Hospitality," South Charleston UMC

South Charleston UMC, like many, offered special services in view of Veterans Day. They honored servicemen and women, sang great songs, performed a cantata, and told some great stories. They even had a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator. The church was packed. “Special Event” type services can be highly strategic. Quality of worship is launched to a whole new level. Your church gains a bigger vision of what they can do. The community gets introduced to you all over again. Just make sure your hospitality is raring to go. New people will come. Be ready on the welcome and follow up side. Whether or not people come back or not is determined best by things we probably wouldn’t naturally think. It’s not the preaching and music. It’s 1.) The welcome and first impressions that they receive in the first 10” on your campus; and 2.) The number of positive “touches” they feel in your assimilation and follow up process. From the time they park the car till when they first sit down, most have already made up their mind. Doing the expected and polite doesn’t count as “Radical Hospitality.” How can we go over-the-top for Christ? We aren’t ultimately introducing them to us. We are introducing them to the overwhelming love of God. May we never forget who we represent.

THRIVE: A District Office Vision

An emerging for the District Office's vision to serve you and your local church is as follows. Key elements are also listed. Please feel free to comment and let us know what you think.

T...Trust that God is Moving in Every Place.

· Whether large or small, rural, urban, or suburban, encourage every church to develop a ministry growth plan for their church.


H...Help Every Church Find and Fulfill Their Mission for Christ.

· Work with our District’s Revitalization Teams to partner with local congregations in developing new vision for their church and coaching them for success.
· Teach and Train on the most fruitful practices of ministry and encourage collaborations for greater effectiveness.


R...Recruit, Develop and Deploy Christian Leaders of Passion and Excellence.

· Assist and partner with our DCOM, BOM, Cabinet, Lay Leadership Teams, Coaching, and Cluster System to deploy the best possible leaders in the Miami valley District.


I...Invest and Align Our Resources for Maximum Kingdom Impact.

· In coordination with District Leadership teams, maximize our collective resources for the cause of Christ.


V...Vision News Ways to Reach New People.

· Keep alive the culture of innovation within the Miami Valley and assist local churches in the exploration of new ministry models.


E...Engage the World Beyond the Walls.

· Encourage every church develop a size-appropriate missions program to go beyond their walls.

· Work with the District Strategy Team to develop BHAGs for our District (Big, Hairy, and Audacious Goals)

Change the World Conference, Ginghamsburg Church UMC

As usual, it was a world-class event all the way around. Mike Slaughter and his team always help me get out of my box. And they call the Church to the same. GUM has really honed in on the most kingdom impactful trend, turning your church inside out and “going missional,” living for those beyond the walls more so than within them. It can take years of discipleship, mission experiences, preaching, and teaching to get your people there, but there is no more meaningful an expression to living the life of Christ. It becomes so much more than just the mere survival of church your. Folk are brought to the point of being willing to lose themselves, which is at the heartbeat of Jesus’ call. Several exciting initiatives are coming into being that attack poverty like never before. What if all of us in the Miami Valley got behind that? Many are already doing some really great work.

Church Visit, “No Substitute for Passion,” Verona UMC

I got to see Leo Cunningham and the fine folks at Verona UMC last Sunday. It took over an hour for me to get there. Had to try three different routes for all the detours. Worth every bit of effort. While one might say, to a nonresident, “It’s out all by itself, what’s going on there?” The answer is everything. Leo gave a great message, vision-casting for their future. Getting ready to organize themselves accordingly. Mobilizing ministry to meet the needs of those around them. There is no substitute for passion. When you might think you have an excuse, even in the most rural areas, people are waiting to be reached. Laity are ready to get at it for Christ. Everybody is hungry for a pastor to light fire.