Ministry Focus Event Next Level Innovations Alexandria and

Ministry Focus Event Next Level Innovations Alexandria and Arlington Districts

Next Level Innovations Is a three year process and investment in your church Your church (your pastor and your leadership) were chosen by your DS

Next Level Innovations Your pastor has been in monthly clergy peer learning group Associates and Executive Directors have also been trained Your NLI team has worked alongside your pastor and staff to begin implementing smaller changes based on monthly training.

Next Level Innovations Ministry Focus Event is part of the process Upcoming steps – self study and Innovation Weekend After the weekend your pastor and church leadership will be working with your mentor to implement innovations to take your church to its next level of vitality

Our Mission Matthew 28: 18 -20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. ” United Methodist Church Mission To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world

Tonight’s Goal Create a greater understanding of how our church’s ministries and programs support our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ

Why do we do this? Many of our churches have more ministry and mission than they have people to do them. Many churches have ministry and events that too few people are willing to help accomplish We tend to add ministries, but never let some come to an end. The Attractional Model of connecting to our communities no longer works We are two to three generations removed from the ‘church as we know it’; the next generations don’t know us or care about our kind of community

Introduce Yourself Please share your name How many years ago did you start to attend this church? How did you initially become connected to this local church? (briefly share)

Observations How many stories that were shared of finding this church did you already know? How do the people of this church seem to find this church? Are there common entry points? Are there different entry points between those who came 15 -20 years ago and those who came in the last 5 years?

Our Ministries and Programs How do people become part of this church? How are they discipled by this church? How does this church help you become more like Christ? How do you live out your ministry with this church?

Observe What do you notice about the lists? Which one is the longest? Are care ministries focused on people inside the church? Outside? Balanced between the two?

Observe Do people come to the church from all the connection ministries, or just some? Are there enough opportunities to be discipled well as you look at the lists? What percentage of the church participates in discipling ministries?

Questions to Consider Are the connect ministries fruitful in building actual connections with your neighbors? Are some ministries more or less fruitful? Are the ministries of the church that disciple equally fruitful? Are some more, some less?

Questions to Consider Are the caring ministries equally helpful to people inside and outside the church? Have you taken a prayer walk through your local mission field? Have you listened to people in your local mission field, or are you making assumptions about their needs?

Questions to Consider What do the community and people of your mission field have to offer to the church? How would you characterize your mission engagement? (hands on, donors, local, global, focused, wide-spread, etc. ) Share a time when you were engaged in hands-on mission in your targeted mission field on behalf of the church.

So why did we do this? Many of our churches have more ministry and mission than they have people to do them. Many churches have ministry and events that too few people are willing to help accomplish We tend to add ministries, but never let some come to an end. The Attractional Model of connecting to our communities no longer works We are two to three generations removed from the ‘church as we know it’; the next generations don’t know us or care about our kind of community