Missional Outreach Woodmont UCC Connecticut Conference UCC David

Missional Outreach Woodmont UCC Connecticut Conference UCC David Schoen, Congregational Vitality and Discipleship United Church of Christ

Missional Church n “The Church exists to serve God’s Mission” Mission as Missio Dei, UCC Committee on Structure, 1992 n The church of Jesus Christ is the instrument and sign of God’s mission and realm. n God’s mission is calling and sending us, the church of Jesus Christ, to be a missional church in our own societies, in the cultures in which

Missional Outreach Reclaiming the Biblical focus on neighbors n Meeting your neighbors n n Relational in outreach n n It’s all about relationships Conversational in witness n n Get the church outside of itself Talking about faith and life Ministry thru Social Media

Missional focus on Neighbors n Hebraic Scripture focuses on neighbors Ten Commandments and Torah n Leviticus 19: 18 n n You shall love your neighbor as yourself n Jesus commandment -You shall love your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10: 27 n n Love of God and love of neighbor combined Jesus, Paul and James n extend ‘neighbor’ to all humankind (with some surprises)

No Matter Who You Are, or Where You Are on Life’s Journey, You Are Welcome Here!

Who are they, and where do they come from? (Revelation 7: 14) n Mission. Insite Demographics n http: //missioninsite. com/ flexible web based information system n comprehensive socioeconomic and lifestyle data n interactive mapping platform n strategic information resource for ministry n

Meeting Your Neighbors

Study Area

Who are your Neighbors

Urban Commuter Families

Who Are they?

New Generation Activists

Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits

Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits

Getting Mission. Insite Info UCC and Connecticut Conference have contract with Mission. Insite n Participants in Workshop (thanks to OCWM). n Go to Connecticut Conference Website n http: //www. ctucc. org/resources/pdfs/Mission. Insite_How-To. pdf

Meeting your Neighbor In Religious Practice

Unchurched USA • Since 1991 adult population in the US grew by 15%. • During that same period the unchurched population grew by 92%! 75 million US adults do not attend church 'Unchurched' Americans say church is 'full of hypocrites' consider Christianity to be more about organized religion than about loving God and people, …“unchristian”.

Generations and Religion

Religious Practice

Where is your Neighbor in religious belief

Meeting your Neighbors concerning LGBT Concerns

Meeting your Neighbor In Politics

Liberal or Conservative

Meeting your Neighbor In Community Service

Missional Outreach New Generations The urgency of our times should not be driven by our decline in the United Church of Christ. n The urgency of our times should be a new generation and population attuned to the values of our message and witness. n See Millenials report Pew Research n

Missional in Purpose Relational in Outreach The days of waiting for people to come to church to welcome them are over. n Instead of waiting inside, we go outside n n Bridge the gap by building relationships

Missional Outreach n Walk or Drive your neighborhood Watch for where God is at work n Take notes, make a map, collect contact data n n Who lives where n What are community needs n Who are allies and good neighbors Do this again and again n Talk to your neighbors n n What are the hopes and challenges of neighbors n How can the church be a good neighbor?

Relationship Building n ‘Hang out’ with your neighbors n Meet neighbors where they gather n Spend Sunday morning with your neighbors n n n Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, bookstore. Have meetings outside the church. n n Soccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, Exercise Bible/book studies in coffee shop, book store Council meetings in neighborhood context Engage in conversation, build relationships, Collect data of names/addresses/e-mails

Relational in Outreach Conversational in Witness n Conversational ministry is central to the future of the church in 21 st Century n Count conversations, not conversions n Brian Mc. Laren, More Ready than You Think

Conversational Ministry n The postmodern world calls for disciples who reach out to a world that is hungering for good conversation about faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death and God. Engaging in everyday faith conversations will not only help others become disciples, it will help us become disciples, who know and love the stillspeaking God more than ever.

If God is still speaking, Shouldn’t we be?

Are You Ready to Talk? Why do you love your church? What impact has believing in God and following Jesus made in your life? What spiritual experience has made a difference in your life?

Still Speaking Conversation and Invitation with Neighbors n Informal moments at work, shopping or…. Be attentive for moments for a still speaking word n Become a Still Speaking Voice n Wear your still speaking witness n Home dinners with neighbors n First Welcomers n n n New Neighbors Public Worship n Ashes to Go

Stillspeaking Witness!

E. Word = Elbow n “The e. word today is elbow. ” n n Jim Griffith Still today the way most folks find a community of faith is when they are invited to come and brought by a friend or neighbor.

Friend Raising Sunday November 6, 2011

Friend–Raising Weekend n n 315 Congregations 4, 200 visiting guests 6. 2% increase in worship St. Stephen’s UCC n n Journey UCC n n 35 guests from 79 invitations 33 members - 36 guests New Vision UCC n Guest still coming

God is still speaking, Through you and me!

Meeting your Neighbor In Technology

Missional Tools Online

Missional Outreach on-line n Connecting with neighbors on-line n Church Website n n n Invitational Interactive Messaging E. newsletter Links Facebook n n Church fanpage Your own Links Advertising

Outreach with new Technology n E-mail Blasts n Daily Devotional Twitter n You Tube n Webinars n Go To Meetings n Apps n

Meeting Your Neighbors Get started n Pray, Pray for your neighbors and congregation n This takes time, strategy and work. n Get a team of ‘bright-eyed’ people together n Study and conversation with congregation n Takes support of congregational leaders n Just get started. n Do one thing. Start with strength n Thank you for your vital leadership and n

Missional Outreach n What have you learned today? n Who are your neighbors? n How will you use this information? n What one thing will you do when you return home to start?

Missional Outreach n Blessings as you discern God’s mission for your congregation, n and discover what God is up to in your neighborhood!

Thank You! n Thank you! Your financial support is Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider Mission n And Thank you for your contributions to Strengthen the Church Special Mission Offering