Cookman United Methodist Church: Surviving Fears, Change, and Conflict Cookman United Methodist Church: preživjelih boji, promjena i sukoba

Cookman United Methodist Church: Surviving Fears, Change, and Conflict Cookman United Methodist Church: preživjelih strahovi, promjena i sukoba

From a ministry perspective, in the mid 1990s, Cookman United Methodist Church was doing great. Od ministarstva perspektive, u sredine 1990-ih, Cookman United Methodist Church je bio velik događaj. New holistic ministries were taking root-meal programs for children and adults, a youth entrepreneur program, and an evangelistic play that shared the gospel with hundreds of neighborhood residents. New holistički ministarstava su preuzimali root-obroka programi za djecu i odrasle, mladih poduzetnika program, i jedan evangelistic igrati da dijele evanđelje, sa stotinama susjedstvu stanovnika. The church even won a state contract for an extensive Christ-centered welfare-to-work program, and women in the program were coming to faith. U crkvi čak osvojio u državnom ugovoru za opsežnog Krista usmjeren welfare-to-rade program, i žene u programu su bili dolazi u vjeri.

But under the surface, tensions and conflicts within the congregation were coming to a boil. Ali pod površinu, napetosti i sukobi unutar zajednice su dolazite do kuhati. A significant segment of the membership were unhappy with the changes initiated by the energetic new pastor, Rev. Donna Jones. Značajan dio članstva bili zadovoljni s promjenama koje je pokrenuo energetski novi župnik, vlč Donna Jones. The church board wondered if Cookman was stretching itself too thin and exposing itself to too many risks. Crkva zajednica čudio ako Cookman je istezanje sebe previše tanke i sama da se izlažu previše rizika. The welfare-to-work program, in particular, raised misgivings. Blagostanja za rad programa, a posebno u uskrisi misgivings. Some members did not like the idea of having so many people on the property throughout the week who were not attending Sunday services, and they feared for the safety of members and of the building. Neki članovi ne vole ideju da tako mnogo ljudi na imovinu tijekom tjedna koji su bili ne pohađaju nedjelja usluge, te su se bojali za sigurnost članova i zgrade. Some were uncertain whether it was proper for a church to work with the state. Neki su se nesigurno da li je ispravan za crkvu za rad sa stanjem. Compounding matters, the small church had significant financial struggles. Složen pitanjima, crkvica je značajnim financijskim borbe. There was a danger that the church could not cover their debt to the denomination, and the building might be sold and the congregation merged with another church. Postojala je opasnost da se crkva nije mogla pokriti dug na njihovu vjeroispovijest, a zgrade mogu se prodati i zajednicu spaja s drugom crkve. The question was raised whether Rev. Jones was the right pastor for the church at that time. Na pitanje da li je uskrsnuo Rev Jones je pravo župnik za Crkvu u to vrijeme.

One factor underlying the conflict was the question of the church's identity. Jedan faktor ispod sukoba je pitanje Crkve identiteta. The church had nearly closed after the original white congregation moved out of the neighborhood. U crkvi je gotovo zatvorena nakon izvorne bijele zajednica preseljena iz tog kraja. For the last 15 years before Rev. Jones' installation in 1993, it had been considered a "mission church" by the denomination, and this influenced the congregation's view of itself as needy. Za posljednjih 15 godina prije Rev Jones' instalacija u 1993, je smatra "poslanja Crkve" uz vjeroispovijest, i ovo utjecati na zajednicu u pogledu kao potrebita. The congregation was more familiar with being on the receiving end than the giving end. Kongregacija je više upoznat sa se na kraju primanja od davanja kraja. Some felt that their own needs were now being neglected for the sake of ministering to "outsiders." Neki osjetio da vlastite potrebe su sada zanemariti zbog služe da se "vani". Rev. Jones promoted a different image of the church, as a ministry outpost with valuable gifts to share with the community. Rev Jones unapređen drugu sliku od crkve, kao ministarstvo predstraža s vrijednih darova podijeliti sa zajednicom. She pushed the congregation-too quickly, she now admits-to reorient its sense of purpose and take ownership of the hope the church could offer to the community. Ona je gurnula zbor-prebrzo, ona sada priznaje da reorient njen smisao i svrha preuzeti vlasništvo nad nadu crkve mogao ponuditi u zajednici.

Rev. Jones had been caught off-guard by the strength and immediacy of the congregation's resistance, and as a result had to spend a lot of time putting out relational and administrative fires sparked by the conflicts. Rev Jones je bio ponesen off-straže od snage i neposrednost u zajednici's otpora, i kao rezultat je da provedete puno vremena gussenja relacijske i administrativne požari sparked do sukoba. She reflects now that it would have been wiser to develop a stronger base of support and understanding within the congregation before moving forward with major ministry projects. Ona odražava sada da bi bilo mudrije da se razvije jača baza podrške i razumijevanja unutar zajednice pred kretanje naprijed s glavnim projektima ministarstvo. As time went on, she found a better balance between taking visionary initiative, and cultivating the congregation's sense of ownership and responsibility for ministry. Kao što je otišao na put, ona je našao bolju ravnotežu između uzimanja vizionar inicijativu, i obrađuju zajednicu u smislu vlasništva i odgovornosti za služenje. She also strengthened her relationship with core lay leaders who shared the vision for outreach. Ona je također ojačao njezin odnos s core stavi lidera koji dijeli viziju za outreach.

One pragmatic response to the conflict by the pastor and lay ministry leaders was to set up a new nonprofit, called Neighborhood Joy Ministries (NJM), as an umbrella for the church's outreach. Jedan pragmatičan odgovor na sukob je župnik i stavi ministarstvu lidera je da osnuju nove neprofitna, pozvao Susjedstvo Joy Ministarstva (NJM), kao krovna za crkvu's outreach. This measure was intended both to reassure the congregation that they would not be financially and legally liable for the programs, and to protect the ministries from opposition by the church. Ova mjera je namijenjen i na zajednicu uvjeravati da oni neche biti financijski i pravno odgovoran za programe, i kako bi se zaštitila ministarstava iz opozicije prema crkvi. NJM was run by an independent board, which by stipulation included the pastor and at least one officer from the church board. NJM je vožnja po nezavisnom odboru, koji uz uvjet uključena je župnik i barem jedan časnik iz crkve board. Everyone selected for the board was enthusiastic about its vision. Svi odabrani za pansion je bio oduševljen o svom viđenju. This arrangement allowed the work of ministry to go forward without getting bogged down by the conflicts, while maintaining the connection between NJM and the church. Ovaj aranžman dozvoljeno rada ministarstva ići naprijed bez uzimajući bogged dolje do sukoba, dok je održavanje veze između NJM i crkve.

Rev. Jones took another major step toward resolving the conflict by listening more intentionally to the voices of opposition in the congregation. Rev Jones je uzeo još jedan korak ka rješavanju glavnih sukoba po slušanje više namjerno na glasove opozicije u zajednici. She explains, Ona objašnjava,

The "old guard" did not understand what the "new guard" was doing. "Stara garda" nije razumio što je "nova garda" bio događaj. And we had not respected and honored what the old guard had done. A imali smo ne poštuju i ccast što stari branič je učinio. . . . When I started listening to all the parties-when I stopped fighting and started listening-things changed. Kad sam počeo slušati sve stranke-kad sam prestao borbe i počeli slušajući stvari-promjena. I got into the heart of each faction and discovered that people I thought did not have passion for ministry really did. JA je dobio u srcu svakog frakcija i otkrio sam mislio da ljudi nisu imali strast za ministarstvu stvarno učinio. I had made assumptions about the old guard, about how they thought about themselves and ministry. JA je napravio pretpostavke o starim straže, o tome kako oni mislili o sebi i Ministarstva. I did not see what they had done before I came. Nisam vidjeti što su učinili prije nego što sam došao. Their contributions were not lifted up. Njihovi doprinosi nisu podiže.

Rev. Jones looked back through old church records and discovered ministries that had been discontinued before her arrival. Rev Jones pogledao natrag kroz stare crkve evidencije ministarstva i otkrio da je bio prekinut prije njezina dolaska. She asked the members who had originally been involved, "How did you feel about what you did? How did you feel when this ministry stopped?" Ona je, pitali su članovi koji su izvorno bili uključeni, "Kako ste osjećate o tome što vam je? Kako ste osjetiti kada ovo Ministarstvo zaustavio?" This helped her-and the congregation-realize the importance of community ministry in the church's history. Ovo joj je pomogao i zajednicu-shvatiti važnost zajednice Ministarstva u povijesti Crkve. This encouraged a shift in people's view of the new ministries, from a risky innovation to a reversal of a decline. To je ohrabrilo promjenu ljudi u pogledu novih ministarstava, iz risky inovacija do preinačenja nekog odbili. Then she got people talking about what kinds of ministries they hoped to see develop. A ona je dobio ljudi koji govori o tome šta se vrste ministarstava nadao se vidjeti razvijati. Says Rev. Jones, "I helped connect their past with the future." Rev kaže Jones: "Ja sam pomogao povezati njihove prošlosti s budućnosti."

Along with listening to members, Rev. Jones and a core leadership team also invested in re-shaping the congregation's theology and self-understanding. Uz osluškivanju članova, vlč Jones i temeljni rukovodstvo tima također uložio u re-oblikovanje zajednicu, teologije i self-razumijevanje. A key theme in teaching and preaching was the central importance of holistic mission in the Christian life-that Christians are saved not only for themselves, but for the sake of reaching out to others with the love of God. A ključ temu u nastavna i propovijedanje je bio centar važnost holistički misija u kršćanskom životu-da su kršćani spasio ne samo za sebe, nego radi postizanja out drugima s ljubavlju Boga. Another significant step was helping the congregation see how the church's community service also served them. Drugi značajan korak bio je pomaganje zajednici vidjeti kako Crkve Pučka služba i služili im. Ministry leaders invited members to sign up for the computer lab, GED classes, and other services. Ministarstvo lidere pozvao članove da se prijave za računalo učionicu, GED klase, i druge usluge. This eased members' feeling of being in competition with non-members for the church's services. Ova eased članova osjećaj da su u konkurenciji sa za ne-članove Crkve usluge. It helped break down the wall between members and "outsiders" receiving services. To je pomogao probija zid između članova i "vani" primanje usluga. Along with the effort to motivate and equip the congregation for outreach, Rev. Jones addressed their need for internal nurturing as well. Uz nastojanje da se motivira i opremanje zajednicu za outreach, vlč Jones obratio njihovu potrebu za unutarnje nurturing kao dobro. Pastoral teaching and counseling encouraged members to grow in the knowledge of their salvation and to rest in Jesus' forgiveness and healing. Pastoralni nastavna i savjetovanje ohrabrio članove da raste u poznavanju njihova spasenja i na ostatak u Isusa 'praštanja i ozdravljenja. New discipling ministries were started, such as a women's group. New discipling ministarstva su počela, kao što su ženske grupe. Times of intentional reconciliation allowed the congregation-including the pastor-to confess their faults to one another and receive forgiveness. Times of namjerno pomirenja dozvoljeno zajednicu-uključujući-župnik da prizna njihovu faults jedni drugima i primiti oproštenje. These steps helped to create an atmosphere where people could open up to one another about the hurts and struggles in their lives, and build trust. Ove korake kako bi pomogao stvoriti atmosferu u kojoj ljudi mogu otvoriti i do jedan drugome o boli i borbe u životu, i izgrađivanju povjerenja.

For Rev. Jones, the crisis prompted a period of soul searching. Za Rev Jones, krize zatraži period od duše u potrazi. Was she committed to staying with the church? Ona je počinio na boravak s crkvom? Was she willing to continue making outreach a priority, despite the resistance? Ona je bila spremna za nastavak izrade outreach prioritet, i pored otpora? Did she have the strength or the leadership ability to carry on at Cookman? Da li ona ima snagu i sposobnost rukovodstva da nose na to Cookman? A turning point came, she says, when she found she could "let go and trust God to be in charge of the process." A prekretnica došla, kaže ona, kad je pronađena ona mogla "otpusti i povjerenja, Bog biti zadužen za proces." Giving the church and its ministries over to God was one of the hardest things she had to do as a pastor, but it brought her peace. Davanje crkve i njenih ministarstava da Bog je jedan od najteže stvari ona je morala raditi kao župnik, ali je donosio joj mir. "I decided if I was going to stay there, that was God's will, and I would stop worrying." "Ja sam odlučila, ako je odlaskom na boravak ondje, da je Božja volja, i ja bih prestati brige." Her confidence grew that Cookman's mission was the work of the Lord, and that by God's grace it would continue. Njezino samopouzdanje je raslo da Cookman misije je djelo Gospodnje, kao i da po Božjoj milosti da bi nastavili.

Despite all these constructive steps, the conflict did not entirely go away-but by the new millennium it had significantly lifted. Unatoč svim tim konstruktivne korake, sukoba nije u potpunosti otići-a od strane novog tisućljeća je značajno podiže. The congregation increasingly accepted the vision for community ministry. Kongregacija sve prihvaćene vizije za služenje zajednici. New funding sources providentially appeared, and the threat of closure grew more remote. Novi izvori financiranja providentially pojavio, i prijetnju zatvaranja rastao više daljinski. The congregation did lose some members, especially those who clung to the desire for a more traditional church. Kongregacija je izgubiti neke članove, posebno onih koji prilijepiti na želju za više tradicionalne crkve. But slowly new members have been added to Cookman's family, some who found salvation through a church ministry. Ali polako novi članovi su dodani na Cookman obitelji, neki koji našao spasenje kroz crkvu ministarstva. The "trial by fire" strengthened Rev. Jones' leadership, and brought a team of dedicated lay leaders closer together. "Suđenje vatre" ojačan Rev Jones' rukovodstva, i odvede jedan tim posvećenih laika lideri bliže zajedno.

The growing acceptance of holistic ministry has "completely transformed the congregation. We are more capable, more confident, and more effective in what we do," says Rev. Jones. The raste prihvaćanje holistički Ministarstvo je "potpuno transformirao i zajednicu. Mi smo više sposobni, više uvjeren, i učinkovitiji u ono što radimo", kaže vlč Jones. She reflects on the change the church has undergone. Ona odražava na promjenu je kroz crkvu. "We used to be a mission church-people sent us money. Now we're a church in mission." "Mi se jedna misija crkve-narod nas je poslao novac. Sada smo crkve u misiju."

[Adapted from Churches That Make a Difference, chapter 14]. [Prerađeno prema crkvama koje će razlika, poglavlje 14].