“But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33

Just as we strive first for the kingdom of God, this chapter is about identifying the most pressing issues we face in our lives and our ministries. This is one of the most important roles of a coach -  to ensure that an individual’s or team’s time, attention and resources are directed towards what matters most.  

We all benefit from having coaches in our lives that bring out our very best.  In fact, most of us already have at least two “coaches” in our lives whom we gladly pay to uncover our blind spots, give us a reality check and direct our attention to pressing concerns.  I see my dentist twice a year to make sure that I have healthy gums and no cavities.  I see my financial planner who helps me save more, spend less and invest wisely.  A former colleague of mine and pastor checks in with me each month, asking me about my prayer life and how I’m growing as a Christian. These “coaches” help define reality for me and are willing to walk alongside me if needed. I often wonder how Tiger Woods’ life might have been different if he had a marriage coach in addition to a golfing coach.
So, if you were hoping for the quick fix, wanting to try the ministry flavor of the month, or ready to pursue ten easy steps to a growing congregation, this workbook is not for you. But if you yearn for a vibrant congregational culture that actually transforms the spiritual lives of its faith community and are willing to invest the necessary time, energy, and resources over a period of time to make vibrant faith part of their DNA, then by all means, read on!

Jim LaDoux
Vibrant Faith Ministries

Assess Your Purpose
One of the first things to look for when assessing a congregation is their mission statement.  A good mission statement serves as a “bullseye” - a reminder of what everyone is aiming for. If people are unclear about the primary purpose of the organization, this lack of clarity will permeate the rest of the organization. During onsite coaching visits, I ask paid staff members to share their congregation’s mission statement with me and I find that very few can muster up an adequate response.  At Council or Session meetings I often provide leaders a blank 3 x 5 index card and ask them to write down the congregation’s mission statement to the best of their ability.  The assignment immediately raises the blood pressure for half of the group. About a third of the participants can mention a word or phrase related to the statement.  About ten percent can recite the actual statement and another ten percent will ask, “Do we have one?”

When I see a group struggling with their responses, I often say to them, “Let’s forget about your mission statement. Let’s pretend I’m a visitor on Sunday morning and I ask you what the congregation is about.  Write down what you’d tell me.”  Some of the responses I received the last time I did this exercise included, “We have a tremendous music program here!”; “We have great social programs for seniors” and my favorite, “We’re known for our annual Lutefisk Dinner!”  I had to remind myself that I was meeting with Christian leaders from a congregation, not leaders from a local community center.

At a leadership training session in South Dakota, I told participants, “Mission statements need to be clear and compelling, and remind people why you exist.  They should be short enough to fit on a t-shirt and, if necessary, could be repeated by members at gunpoint.  A fellow questioned how realistic my suggestions were and asked,  “So if you had to write a mission statement for a new congregation, what would it be?”  I replied: “Helping people experience Jesus.”  I went on to tell participants that I’d fulfill the mission statement by addressing four vital questions:

• Who is Jesus?
• What does Jesus do for us?
• What is Jesus calling us to do for the sake of the Gospel?
• How do we help each other live like Jesus everyday, everywhere?

I remarked that the congregation’s programs and ministries would serve as pathways for helping people experience Jesus by addressing the four questions.  For example, congregations might offer specific programs and ministries to help introduce people to who Jesus is and what Jesus did for us.  Congregations may provide training events or mentors to help people discover their spiritual gifts, passions, strengths and personality types in order to better understand what Jesus is calling them to do.  Congregations would help people live like Jesus by teaching them how to practice faith everyday, everywhere.  Congregations that work with Vibrant Faith Ministries learn how to have Caring Conversations where life and faith stories are shared at home, at work, in our cars and in our congregations. They are shown how to practice Devotions, learning how to worship, pray, read and reflect on the scriptures, and share their faith story.  They are equipped to deploy their gifts in service to their family, their congregation, and their communities.  And finally, they learn how to celebrate the rituals and traditions in life through the lens of faith.

A good mission statement serves as the ultimate measuring stick for a congregation.  The importance and effectiveness of all programs and ministries should be evaluated by how well they help fulfill the congregation’s mission.  Consider ending programs and ministries if there isn’t a direct connection to fulfilling the mission - or at the very least, diminish the amount of time and energy you put into them. If you’re still struggling with what your congregational mission might be, ask yourself and other leaders the following questions:
How would our people and our community be different if our congregation ceased to exist?
In what ways are we helping people to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19)?
In what ways are we helping people love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)?
In what ways are we helping people love their neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31)?

I trust that your answers to these questions will help clarify what it means to be the church.
Listed below are some of the questions I ask congregational leaders by phone or email when we begin a coaching relationship and before I schedule an onsite visit.  These questions provide me with snapshot of how the congregation lives out its mission and values, and what it deems important:

• What do you consider to be the primary purpose of your congregation?
• What would like your congregation to be celebrating five years from now?
• What would you like others to say about your congregation?
• What expectations does your congregation have for people choosing to be a members?
• In what ways has the congregation helped you grow spiritually the past two years?
• What do you hope people would experience when visiting your congregation?
• If you had to move to out of the area, what would you miss most about your congregation?
• When’s the last time you invited a friend, neighbor or work colleague to your congregation?
• What are two hopes and two concerns that you have for your congregation?

ASSESSING DISCIPLESHIP:  What’s your Scorecard?

“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:28-29)

If we as leaders are intent on helping people experience Jesus and helping raise up the next generation of Christian leaders, then it’s important that we take into consideration what a person of mature, vital or vibrant faith looks like.  A document we make available to our coaching congregations includes a list of 34 observable criteria found within the seven categories that provide indicators of a mature faith for young people as defined by two previous Search Institute studies, Five Cries of Youth and Effective Christian Education. They describe the many facets of the desired end outcomes for youth ministry programs, and also serve as a resource for ways to assess one’s spiritual vitality, regardless of age.


ASSESSING TRENDS:  What’s the trajectory of your life? Your ministry? Your congregation?
Coaches pay particular attention to the trajectory of one’s life and ministry.  I recently asked a senior pastor who’s worship attendance has been dropping five percent a year, “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing for the past ten years, what do you anticipate your average worship attendance will be ten years from now?”  Another pastor confided in me, “I turned 40 last month and I’m 40 pounds overweight. I realized that I’ve been gaining two pounds a year for the past twenty years.” I responded with a trajectory question: “If you continue to do what you’ve been doing for the past twenty years, how much do you think you’ll weigh by the time you retire?”  The alarm bells went off as he visualized that answer to that question.  He took to heart Will Rogers’s advice, “When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!” Living out of his commitments rather than his excuses, he changed his eating and exercising habits and has been losing a pound a month ever since.  

During my initial coaching conversation with pastors, I state that effective pastors and Christian leaders focus on multplying their efforts by grooming AAA Christian leaders who in turn develop more AAA Chrisian leaders. I challenge them to track how many leaders they are developing rather than just how many followers they’re encouraging.  I mention that Jesus spent most of his time grooming 12 leaders with the expectation that they would be the ones carrying on the ministry, and then ask the question,  “If you continue to do what you’ve been doing for the past five years to develop leaders who in turn develop more leaders, how many leaders do you expect to have five years from now?” The most common answer I get is, “I’ve never thought about my ministry in that way before.”  I think it’s a question every Christian leader needs to consider and be able to answer. Multiplying our ministry efforts is essential for growing God’s kingdom.

ASSESSING CONGREGATIONAL IDENTITY:  What are your core beliefs and values?
Vibrant Faith Ministries coaches look for how congregations articulate of their core theological positions: What they believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, the purpose of the Church, etc.  Their responses help inform the decisions they make, what language they use and how they carry out their mission.  Listed below is a statement of beliefs from my home congregation. It serves as an example of how a congregation might articulate their beliefs.

Sample Statement of Beliefs
God
We believe that God is love and has created all things in love and for love. God exists in loving community as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, and draws us into relationship with God, one another and the world. God is working to restore, reconcile and redeem all things. We believe that God is vibrantly active in the world revealing goodness, beauty and joy. God calls us and all people to partner with God in this life-giving mission.
Genesis 1 & 2; Genesis 12:1-3; John 1:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:16-20; 1 John 4:7-21

Sin
We believe that sin is essentially our inability to love God, neighbor and all of creation with perfect selflessness. We believe that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. Rather than authentically living in love, trust and dependence upon God we act out of self-interest and self-preservation. Our sin breaks God’s heart because it falls short of God’s perfect love.
Genesis 3:7-10; Psalm 1; 1 John 1:8-10; Romans 3:9-11

Jesus and Salvation
We believe that Jesus is God’s Son and the One through whom salvation has come for all people and all creation. God is fully revealed in Jesus. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection God has proclaimed love and forgiveness for all of creation, inaugurating the Kingdom of God on earth. By grace through faith the cross and empty tomb sets us free from sin and death and empowers us for Kingdom living. It is our encounter with the story of God’s work in Jesus that draws us into this freedom and empowers us for Kingdom living. The resurrection is God’s “yes” and final word, proclaiming that life and love win over sin and death for all creation.
Philippians 2:1-3; Isaiah 43, Isaiah 53; Romans 10:5-17; Acts 4:8-12; John 1:1-5; Romans 8

The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the active presence of God in all of creation. The Spirit calls us to life through the Gospel, comforts us in hardship, shapes and empowers us for service, points us to Truth and sends us into God’s world to be about God’s mission and ministry.
Galatians 5:16-26; John 20:21-23
Ezekiel 37:1-14; Acts 2; Mark 13:9-11; John 16:12-15; John 1:1-5;

The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the inspired witness of God’s people throughout history. We believe that the Bible is true primarily in the sense that it truly points to Jesus, the Truth, who is the Word of God incarnate. While God speaks to us through the written word, Jesus is the Living Word. We read the bible through the lens of Gospel, God’s Good News for all people.
Joshua 1:8-9; Psalm 119; Isaiah 55:8-12; John 1:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Church and Mission
We believe that the Church is the universal gathering of forgiven sinners, set apart and sent into the world, partnering with God in God’s mission. Empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit we are called to love, worship and glorify God, and proclaim God’s love and forgiveness in word and deed. In each and every role of life – friend, employee, family member, citizen, neighbor – we are called to be about God’s mission, revealing the Kingdom of God, proclaiming the Gospel and partnering with God in the work of reconciliation.  
Judges 18:5-6; Micah 6:6-8; Romans 12:1-13; 1 Corinthians 12:14, 12-27;                             2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Ephesians 4:1-16

The Importance of Core Values
Programs and ministries should not only support the fulfillment of the mission, they should also reflect the congregation’s core values. I can usually identify an individual’s or congregation’s core values by listening to what they talk about, how they devote their time and resources, and what guides their decision-making. When I hear members talking passionately about serving their community it’s apparent that outreach is a core value.  If I hear people of all ages share stories about practicing or expressing their faith, I know that life-long faith formation is important.

Some congregations list their values on their website as a way to describe their congregation to website visitors.  I’m a fan of having values posted on a website as long as two conditions are met: 1) There are no more than six values, and 2) The values posted are actually lived out. One website I visited recently listed 22 core values. Believing that when we emphasize everything we emphasize nothing, I  found their list to be less than helpful. Concerning the “actually lived out” condition, I find that many congregations list on their website what I call aspirational values - values that they hope their congregation lives into in the future but don’t reflect their current situation.  For example, many congregations list “welcoming” or “hospitality” as one of their values but if you talked to some of their disillusioned visitors you’d hear otherwise.  As one visitor remarked, “Their words and actions didn’t match their website.”

If you were to view a dozen congregational websites, you’d find that there’s no shortage of ideas for values a congregation might embrace.  Three values that I rarely see but consider to be vitally important are:  
Storytelling
Changed lives
Simplicity

When we value storytelling we are willing share our faith story and our faithfulness to Jesus along our individual and shared journeys. We share the joys and challenges of following Jesus everyday and, as a result, we have the opportunity to give and receive encouragement. Valuing changed lives reminds us that we’re here to serve our neighbor and that shows up through changed lives and changed communities.  If our efforts do not result in changed lives, it gives us permission to end ineffectual programs and traditions that no longer serve the community and replace them with experiences that transform lives and communities. Honoring the value of simplicity helps us keep our ministry easy to manage and easy to multiply. Simplicity has served as a strategic value for Apple who recently became one of the largest technology companies in the world by focusing on just four key products - iPhones, iPads, laptops and desktop computers. In grade school, I used to participate in baseball training camps where we’d spend the entire week working on three fundamental skills - fielding, hitting and running bases.  Doing only what matters most allows congregations to excel in what they do best and let go of the burden of trying to be all things to all people.  Complexity complicates communication, immobilizes members and overwhelms leaders. Valuing simplicity allows us to quit majoring in mediocrity and help us to  “do less but go deeper.”  Whatever values are chosen, the key is to actually live them out.  Listed below are the core values from a congregation I currently coach. They have been very proactive in ensuring that the values are experienced in all facets of ministry.  They have also created a congregational covenant that they recite at staff and leadership meetings as a reminder of their core values and how they intend to treat each another.

Sample Core Values

• Christ Centered Worship & Programs. We reflect the Word of God in all our ministries that are lived out faithfully through the fellowship of our community of Christian believers.
• Life-Long Faith Formation. We equip and nurture all ages in the principles, practices, and experiences in the Christian faith that are inherent in leading a fulfilled and faithful life of discipleship.
• Serving Our Neighbor. We embrace the stewardship of time, talents, and financial resources to serve local, national and global opportunities.
• Hospitality. We strive to be an inclusive community where all are welcome, cared for, and challenged to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.
• Courageous Risk Taking. We seek ways to make the Gospel relevant to the culture in which we live.  We are willing to explore new frontiers of ministry to capture God’s work among us.

Sample Congregational Covenant
As a ministry team, we will:

• Affirm, encourage, support, pray for and bless one another and the ministries we represent.
• Appreciate and affirm each other’s gifts, backgrounds, and viewpoints.
• Arrive on time for meetings, fully present to address issues at hand.
• Speak well of each other to build up the body of Christ.
• Communicate with each other in honest, open Christ-like ways.
• Commit to on-going personal, professional, and spiritual growth.
• Honor each other’s individual pace and working style, and offer grace to one another.
• Be open to new ways of seeing and doing things.
• Nurture a culture of transparency.

For assistance in identifying potential core values, consider completing the “What are your Ministry Rocks?” form found in the Leadership Toolkit (Tool #10) .

ASSESSING CONGREGATIONAL CULTURE:  What’s your congregation’s personality?
One cannot define a congregation’s identity without making note of its culture. Cultures can be difficult to describe and some liken it to a congregation’s personality.  Film maker Ellen Wallach states that, “Organizational culture is like pornography; it is hard to define, but you know it when you see it.”  It usually goes unnoticed, unspoken and unexamined but leaders would be wise to spend at least as much time analyzing and investing in their culture as they do crafting their new vision, strategy, and marketing plans.  For the purpose of this workbook, I define a congregation’s culture as the sum total of its past and current assumptions, experiences, philosophy and values that hold it together, and are expressed through its shared beliefs, attitudes, rules and behaviors.  

To get a handle on a congregation’s culture, here are some of the questions I ask members:

• Who are the heroes? What makes them heroes? Who determines who the heroes are?
• How much input do members have into the direction and strategy of the congregation?
• Who has the ear of the top leaders? How did these people win a hearing with the leaders?
• Who is rewarded, and for what accomplishments?
• What is the level of loyalty up and down the organizational chart? What factors build loyalty?
• What is the level of creativity and enthusiasm throughout the organization?
• How are decisions made, deferred, or delayed?
• What happens when deadlines get missed?  Projects get dropped?  
• What happens when expectations among staff and leaders are not met?
• How is conflict managed?  Is conflict dealt with in a timely fashion?
• Is there any confusion related to people’s roles and responsibilities?
• Who are the non-positional power brokers? Who gives them power?
• Where are control problems and power struggles most evident?
• How is “turf” defined and protected?

These are a few of the questions I’m seeking answers to when I do an on-site visit:

• What is the mood and energy level of staff members?  Congregational members?
• Do leaders cultivate an atmosphere of trust and respect?
• Is authority decentralized, or is it concentrated among just a few people?
• Is there a sense that people gather for a cause bigger than themselves?
• Do staff and leaders set goals and hold each other accountable for results?
• Is creativity is rewarded? Are failures are viewed as stepping-stones for growth?
• How much time do leaders spend with each other?  How is that time spent?
• Are there any topics that are taboo? Is there any unresolved tension among members?
• Do leaders seem to enjoy spending time with each other? Do they encourage one another?
• How much time is spent evaluating?  Planning?  Brainstorming and visioning?
• Are there staff members who tend to be complainers?  Play the victim role?
• Our conversations focused on fulfilling the mission?

Two features of all healthy organizational cultures are trust and respect. They turbocharge an organization’s capacity to change. Assessing congregational culture should be an ongoing process.  Do you have a plan for the ongoing process of gathering and interpreting data, and if so, do you have a plan for exploring the implications of what you learn?  Do not underestimate the importance of culture.  It trumps strategy and will profoundly impact your ministry effectiveness.

ASSESSING LEADERSHIP:  Do you have the capacities to move forward?  

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. ~  Warren Bennis

A pastor I coached a few years ago mentioned that they were using our coaching services to become unstuck.  He stated, “We had a clear vision and a well-thought out plan for moving forward. What we didn’t have were the skills and practices that allowed us to implement our plan.”  The pastor went on to say that they spent little time developing trust, they didn’t know how deal with conflict in a healthy manner, and that they didn’t have a history of following through on previous commitments.

Pastors often remark that their seminary training did not adequately prepare them to provide effective leadership needed for navigating the changes they currently face.  The roles and skills that served them well 30 years ago are not necessarily the ones that are needed today – and may in fact be counterproductive to their congregation at this time. As one pastor put it, “I need to unlearn some old habits, assumptions and beliefs if I’m going to provide leadership in the post-Christendom, postmodern world.”

Effective leadership enables ministry to move forward.  Effective leaders create opportunities for people to make a difference by successfully integrating their gifts and talents into projects that help fulfill the congregation’s mission.  

One of the most important roles of a leader is making decisions that influence the long-term health and sustainability of the organization. When a leader makes a decision, he or she intentionally “kills” off options that distract the organization from its primary mission. An effective leader is like a tree pruner who clips off the deadwood and errant branches so that there’s sufficient resources to develop the branches that remain.

Leadership is not coming into a situation with all the the answers or the vision. It’s about mobilizing to engage and make progress on its deepest challenges. Ron Heifetz, in Leadership Without Easy Answers, states that one of the most important tasks a leader does is to determine if a pressing issue requires a “technical change (the application of current knowledge, skills and/or tools to resolve a situation) or an adaptive change which is called for when the problem cannot be solved with one's existing knowledge and skills but rather requires people to make a shift in their values, expectations, attitudes, or habits of behavior.  

Most leaders address congregational challenges using technical approaches rather than adaptive ones because they are most familiar to us and more easy to implement. Rarely, however, do they deal with the causal factors that created the distress in the first place and rarely do that make things better long term. Congregations caught up in this trap will simply “try harder” to fix the problem or attempt a slightly modified version of previous “tried and true" responses from the past. As mentioned earlier, effective leaders focus their time, energy and resources on the issues that are most pressing and these are almost always adaptive challenges that require an adaptive response.  

Effective leaders realize that their power lies in their presence rather than their knowledge or techniques. They are forward-thinking, spending time discerning God’s preferred future for themselves and their congregation and community. They lead people out their comfort zones and direct their energies towards fulfilling the organization’s purpose. They focus on strength, not pathology; on challenge not comfort; on self-differentiation, not herding together. They also expect to be sabotaged by others simply as a result of providing effective leadership.  

Effective leaders avoid getting enmeshed in triangles that are the plaque in the arteries of communication and they avoid becoming viral in a toxic system.  They avoid spending energy on people who are unmotivated to change and avoid trying to be reasonable with those who choose not to be.  When working with pastors focused on developing their leadership capacities, I typically ask them is to read The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner which outlines the five most important practices a leadership must master:

• Model the way
• Inspire a shared vision
• Challenge the process
• Enable others to act
• Encourage the heart

A good portion of our initial interview process is related to assessing the leadership capacties of paid and volunteer congregational leaders. We begin by asking leaders to complete the “Confidential Feedback Form” (Tool #12), and if they’re a paid team member, we have them complete the “Healthy Team Checklist” (Tool #13). If a congregation does not have a list of clearly identified core values, then we often use the “Values Clarification Exercise” form (Tool #14). In additon, we ask pastors and program staff to complete the “Leadership Self-Assessment” form (Tool #11).  The “Questions for Congregational Leaders” form (Tool #9) is a great tool for assessing how paid and volunteer congregational leaders understand their role as leaders of the congregation. These basic tools provide a coach with insight into the strengths and challenges of leadership charged with facilitating the C.H.A.N.G.E. process.  

ASSESSING READINESS:  Is your congregation willing and able to move forward?
Our coaches are fully aware that the timing is not always right to move forward with certain types of significant change efforts.  Listed below are 10 questions every congregation should ask to discern if now is the right time to move forward:

• Do members have a clear understanding of the congregation’s mission?
• Is there a clear and compelling vison for where God is leading the congregation?
• Can most members articulate the congregation’s mission and vision?
• Do the majority of members feel that the congregation is moving in the right direction?
• Do most members feel that the congregation is being lead by competent and caring staff?
• Do congregational communication tools provide a clear and consistent message?
• Do members see how their contributions of time and money result in changed lifes?
• Do most members understand their role in helping fulfill the congregation’s mission?
• Does the congregation have in place, healthy ways to deal with conflict?
• Do members feel their voice is heard, and their feedback valued?  

As a leader, consider asking members one or more of these questions on a regular basis. Schedue time during your monthy meeting agendas to share feedback received from members and reflect on the implications of the feedback you’re receiving. Vital congregations establish ways to gather data continuously and translate their findings into more excellent ways of doing ministry.  

ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Congregations that receive coaching through Vibrant Faith Ministries often begin the process by completing a “Check Your Ministry Pulse” form (Tool #8) and then move into a series of more specific and comprehensive assessments such as the the “Congregational Vitality Audit” (Tool #14), the “Communication Audit” (Tool #15), The “Hospitality Audit” (Tool #16), and the “Congregational Website Audit (Tool #17). These assessments are followed up with face-to-face and phone interviews with congregational leaders, and then an onsite visit. Upon completing these three tasks,  a 10-15 page report summarizing data gathered through interviews, observations, and demographic research is submitted to the congregation. The most pressing issues are noted and a list of recommendations for moving forward is provided.  Only when this step is complete can a coach offer insights on how congregations might best utilize their time, energy and resources.  
____________________________________________________________________________
Questions to Ponder

1. What practices are currently in place to assist congregational leaders in defining the current reality of their congregation?
2. What aspects of congregational life and ministry are in most need of a current assessment?
3. How would you envision the information gathered through these assessments leading to further conversations and possible action steps?
4. What resistance might you encounter as you gather information about your current reality?
5. What is your leadership philosophy? What does effective leadership look like to you?
6. Based on what you’ve read in chapter, what do you celebrate about your congregation?  What are some of your concerns?

ASSESSING DISCIPLESHIP:  What’s your Scorecard?

“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:28-29)

If we as leaders are intent on helping people experience Jesus and helping raise up the next generation of Christian leaders, then it’s important that we take into consideration what a person of mature, vital or vibrant faith looks like.  A document we make available to our coaching congregations includes a list of 34 observable criteria found within the seven categories that provide indicators of a mature faith for young people as defined by two previous Search Institute studies, Five Cries of Youth and Effective Christian Education. They describe the many facets of the desired end outcomes for youth ministry programs, and also serve as a resource for ways to assess one’s spiritual vitality, regardless of age.

Vibrant Faith Ministries often recites the phrase “theology matters” and refers to The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) as one of their foundational texts.  It’s perhaps the most important confession in the Old Testament and in Judaism, and is freqently confessed by orthodox Jews.

"Hear, 0 Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."  Jesus confirms the significance of the Shema in Mark 12:28-31 when he states, “Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."  Jesus explicitly describes what it means to be a true disciple:
to love God
to love others and,
to live this out authentically in God's world.

As we love God in and through the whole of life we discover the true nature of worship.  As we love our neighbors as ourselves we rediscover our relationship to the world and our obligation to "the other." This monotheistic worldview provides a unique lens through which we can rightly interpret the world and its surroundings.  It also reminds us that with no mission, there is no discipleship. To be a disciple and to be the church, we must view ourselves as modern day missionaries who relate to issues beyond our own personal morality, and which get worked out in the context of the larger community. Jesus is the central reference point for all Christians and sets the standard by which we assess our discipleship and spirituality.  When Jesus invites us to come and follow Him, he’s inviting us to become become living versions of him!

Indicators of a young person of mature Christian faith
Seek Spiritual Growth, Both Alone and With Others
Are heard referring to having prayer, devotions, and meditation times.
Ask sincere and searching questions about the nature of a life of faith in God.
Prefer and attend gatherings where they can learn more about the Christian faith.
Accept opportunities for learning how to speak naturally and intelligently about their faith.
Are involved in Bible study and/or prayer groups.
Join Christian groups to build friendships and learn how to be a friend.

Believe God is Present in the World
Speak openly about seeking or experiencing God's guidance.
Are heard asking each other about what God has recently done in their lives or the lives of others.
In times of trouble, reassure others that God is active to make things work out all right in the long run.
Occasionally speak of having been keenly aware of the presence of God.

Act Out of a Commitment of Faith
Speak publicly about their relationship with Jesus Christ.
When providing a rationale for their actions will at times cite specifics of their faith.
In conversation with family and friends brings up topics of faith or Christian living.
Pray for people especially needing God's help.

Are Active With God's People

• Regularly attend worship services.
• Have willingly participated in two or more of the following:
• - taught Sunday School, Bible class, or Vacation Bible School
• - served with a group to improve conditions at school or neighborhood
• - made a presentation before a faith group or in worship
• - helped in raising money for a Christian project or mission trip
• - served on a congregational or denominational committee or task force
• Regularly contribute money to a congregation or faith project.

Possess a Positive, Hopeful Spirit

• Enjoy being together, as evidenced by their laughing, singing, and conversation.
• Show a gracious, loving attitude to people not easy to like (e.g., the difficult, rude, shunned, loser).
• Have friends of widely diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious background or persuasion.
• Have been heard describing the Christian faith as a necessary force in society, helping people develop attitudes of understanding, sympathy, and cooperation.
• Are known for their general optimism, trust, and positive expectation of other people, being convinced that one person can do much to make the world a better place.
• Are eager, responsive, and cooperative rather than unresponsive, disinterested, and apathetic.

Live Out a Life of Service

• Give portions of time and money for helping people.
• Attend conferences or workshops that present the challenge of service professions such as the ordained ministry.
• Speak out publicly against specific social injustices.
• Try to offer comfort or support to a friend or neighbor in the event of a death or tragedy either by talking or by action (personal presence, help with routine tasks, transportation, visit in hospital, etc.).
• Defend a friend or acquaintance who is being talked about when he/she isn't there.
• Organize and participate in study or action groups to address injustice or immorality.
• Are involved in activities of service related to church, community, or world.
• Are assuming responsibility for some aspect of their youth ministry.

Live a Christian Moral Life

• Are heard referring to seeking help from scripture in deciding what is right and wrong.
• Actively seek to discourage friends from cheating at school.
• Have a reputation for not participating in activities such as lying, stealing, substance abuse, etc. and have a reputation for honesty, integrity, hospitality, and acts of kindness.

We all benefit from having some type of scorecard that raises our awareness of how we’re growing in faith. A simple assessment I use to check my own spiritual vitality is how fully I live out the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galations 5:22-23. What tools do you find most helpful in measuring your own spiritual temperature? Your congregation’s temperature? How do your findings and insights lead to new behaviors or next steps in your faith journey?

ASSESSING TRENDS

What’s the trajectory of your life? Your ministry? Your congregation?
Coaches pay particular attention to the trajectory of one’s life and ministry.  I recently asked a senior pastor who’s worship attendance has been dropping five percent a year, “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing for the past ten years, what do you anticipate your average worship attendance will be ten years from now?”  Another pastor confided in me, “I turned 40 last month and I’m 40 pounds overweight. I realized that I’ve been gaining two pounds a year for the past twenty years.” I responded with a trajectory question: “If you continue to do what you’ve been doing for the past twenty years, how much do you think you’ll weigh by the time you retire?”  The alarm bells went off as he visualized that answer to that question.  He took to heart Will Rogers’s advice, “When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!” Living out of his commitments rather than his excuses, he changed his eating and exercising habits and has been losing a pound a month ever since.  

During my initial coaching conversation with pastors, I state that effective pastors and Christian leaders focus on multplying their efforts by grooming AAA Christian leaders who in turn develop more AAA Chrisian leaders. I challenge them to track how many leaders they are developing rather than just how many followers they’re encouraging.  I mention that Jesus spent most of his time grooming 12 leaders with the expectation that they would be the ones carrying on the ministry, and then ask the question,  “If you continue to do what you’ve been doing for the past five years to develop leaders who in turn develop more leaders, how many leaders do you expect to have five years from now?” The most common answer I get is, “I’ve never thought about my ministry in that way before.”  I think it’s a question every Christian leader needs to consider and be able to answer. Multiplying our ministry efforts is essential for growing God’s kingdom.

A Framework for Creating a Culture of Vibrant Faith
Vibrant faith ministries encourages congregations to focus on the factors that have the greatest impact on spiritual vitality and has developed a Vibrant faith frame based on three decades of faith formation research that helps congregations concentrate their energies on the principles and practices that lead to a spiritually vibrant congregational culture. The Vibrant faith frame sets the church in two locations—home and congrega- tion—and helps people see what a culture of vibrant faith looks like from that perspec- tive. The Vibrant faith frame identifies Six Locations of ministry, five Principles of a vibrant church, and four Keys for practicing faith that result in people living a vibrant faith that is authentic, available, and affirming. Below is a summary of the Vibrant faith frame.

The Six Locations of Ministry
The Six Locations identified within the Vibrant faith frame illustrate that the work of the people of God is everywhere. it names the arenas where our incarnational God— the God disclosed in Jesus who enters the world as fully embodied and unconditionally part of creation—enters into our lives with grace, mercy, and peace. The places listed below describe where God’s presence is among us and where we may practice our faith every day, everywhere with everyone:
1. children and youth: they are recognized and equipped as disciples of Jesus christ.
2. Homes: every home is a place of worship and a mission outpost.
3. congregations: the congregation equips people to practice faith 24/7.
4. community : where faith is expressed in service to neighbor.
5. culture: christians experience God’s presence while being part of God’s. transformational work within culture.
6. creation: christians live as stewards of God’s handiwork in creation.

The Five Principles of a Vibrant Church
These five Principles describe how faith is formed and passed on from one generation to another. They describe the essence of the church and what it means to be part of the body of christ.
• faith is formed by the power of the Holy Spirit through personal, trusted relationships—often in our own homes.
• The church is a living partnership between the ministry of the congregation and the ministry of the home.
• Where christ is present in faith, the home is church, too.
• faith is caught more than it is taught.
• if we want christian children and youth, we need christian adults.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES Matter
The four Keys of caring conversation, devotions, service, and rituals and traditions are ways to practice the means of grace, extending God’s love and saving work to the world on a daily basis. These keys not only strengthen the faith lives of individuals and communities within households but they also serve as the means to strengthen congregational vitality through healthy, nurturing, faithful homes. each faith practice is described below:

• Sharing our Stories.  Caring conversations express an interest in others—their hurts, their joys, their con- cerns and dreams, their values and faith. caring conversations require time to be available to listen and to speak. congregations are encouraged to help families identify the holy ground of their lives where precious, caring conversations take place and where lives are strengthened and nurtured by the love and mercy of God through the support and guidance of others and genuine interest in others.
• Devotions.  Devotions are a way to practice the presence of God through the word of God.  Many families and individuals need help with the language of prayer and faith in daily life. developing a devotional life involves developing a consciousness and a way of life more than following a formula to accomplish a certain task. family devotions connect the generations with the faith, hope, and love found in the gospel of Jesus christ and set against the backdrop of a world that often speaks and operates very differently.
• Claiming our Callings.  Service to one’s neighbor is the calling we are given through the life and message of Jesus christ. for a christian, the love that we have first received from God motivates service. Service communicates that love to others and is a concrete expression of one’s  own faith and values. family service projects are a vital way to pass on faith from generation to generation. children and youth are greatly influenced by the lives of others, especially the practices and priorities of parents and other family members.
• Celebrating Milestones.  Rituals and traditions are patterns of behavior that occur on a routine basis and commu- nicate meaning in life. The way people greet one another each day, a table grace, bedtime prayers, the blessing of a christmas tree, a birthday or baptismal anniversary celebration are all examples of family rituals and traditions that can effectively communi- cate the good news of Jesus christ.

These four Key faith practices offer simple and succinct ways to embody God’s reign in the world every day, everywhere. The good news shapes the conversations we have, defines what we are devoted to, motivates us to serve others, and informs our rituals and traditions that in turn reinforce the values and priorities of God’s reign of grace, mercy, and peace in christ.

Being in Community
A christian lives doing God’s work on earth today, affirming that God is alive and well blessing, serving, and gifting lives. Hence, we describe christians as aaa: authentic, available, and affirming. These individuals understand their faith as “under construction” and view faith formation as a lifelong process in which the Spirit continues to mold them and guide them. chapter 1 will address in more detail what it means to be authentic, available, and affirming.

The Six Steps of Change
The Six Steps of cHaNGe described in the following chapters guide the transformation process. for those of you who have created strategic plans for congregations, you may notice that the process is remarkably similar with the exception that the CHANGE steps also provide a much more detailed roadmap for navigating the transformational process.

The first step in the CHANGE process,

1. Connect.  focuses on building trusting, aaa relationships through caring conversations. These relationships are the foundation for successfully implementing the remaining steps. 
2. Highlight. identifies the most pressing issues facing your congregation. 
3. Align. ensures that your congregation’s strategy, structure, language, and resources are focused on your desired outcomes. 
4. Navigate. provides the specific roadmap and timetable for moving ministry forward, ensuring that the right things are done at the right time. 
5. Guide. deals with how to monitor progress, celebrate wins, and address roadblocks that leaders will encounter as changes take place. 
6. Evaluate. describes ways to gather continuous feedback on leaders, programs, ministries, and change efforts and how to use this information to inform future actions and decision making.

The cHaNGe agent’s Toolkit exercises found at the end of this workbook pro- vides tools for helping pastors and lay leaders successfully navigate the six cHaNGe steps. They will support leaders in developing trusting aaa relationships, prioritizing efforts, ensuring thoughtful, consistent progress, and building the leadership capacities of your congregation. Like a set of weights, they will help build the faith and leadership muscles needed to create a culture of vibrant faith where a newly toned body of christ learns to practice faith every day, everywhere, with everyone. You’ll find that some of the tools lend themselves to personal reflection while others may be used to engage leadership teams and even the entire congregation in conversations about spiritual vitality. for additional tools and resources, please visit my blog, www.surfacetosoul.org.
a person learns to swim by jumping in the pool, immersing oneself in the process, and practicing! one doesn’t learn to swim by simply reading about swimming or talking to others who know how to swim. Practicing faith and creating a culture of vibrant faith is a lot like swimming in that it requires more doing than discussing. So jump in and learn what it means to be an aaa christian—one who is authentic, available, and affirming. Start swimming by doing the exercises found in the cHaNGe agent’s Toolkit. my hope is that congregations of all stripes (Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, methodists, episcopalians, etc.), sizes (mission start to megachurch), and types (house church, multisite, and more) will find this workbook an impactful, time-saving guide for living into God’s preferred future. feel free to mark it up or copy a few pages to give and discuss with other leaders in your congregation. may the adventure begin!