Tag Archives: transformation

Vital Ministry Webinar: Rev. Justin Hancock

Posted on May 10, 2016 | Leave a comment

LINK TO OUR WEBINARS PAGE HERE.

Justin Hancock in chancelWHEN: Thursday, May 26, 1:30 pm CDT

TOPIC: Our guest will be Rev. Justin Hancock, MDiv.

The topic is “Disability, Ministry and The Church – beyond inclusion and accessibility.” Justin will help us explore new ways of understanding disability, how to think and talk about it in the church, and how the disabled and no disabled can form communities of mutuality and reciprocity.

HOW:  We use the Zoom.us platform for our webinars. You can connect via computer, mobile device or phone. Instructions are available here.
(NOTE: you will need to download and install the zoom app, which takes a few minutes, in advance of the 1:30 start time.)

MORE ABOUT REV. HANCOCK:
Justin leads The Julian Way, a ministry to the church and the community that affirms the God-given embodiment of each person and the importance of true community as a means of enabling all people to progress toward their fullness in God. Justin and his wife Lisa (a PHD candidate in systematic theology and disability at SMU) live in intentional Christian community as part of the Missional Wisdom Fndn (MissionalWisdom.com). You can find Justin on Facebook at @TheJulWay – ( https://m.facebook.com/TheJulWay/ )

Hear directly from Justin on his The Julian Way Youtube Channel

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Vital Ministry Webinar with Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer

Posted on May 10, 2016 | Leave a comment

LINK TO OUR WEBINARS PAGE HERE.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 18th, 1:30 pm CDT.

TOPIC: Rev. Dorhauer will share his latest thoughts related to his recent book Beyond Resistance: The Institutional Church Meets the Postmodern World. Following the presentation we will have time for discussion on a range of topics.

HOW:  We use the Zoom.us platform for our webinars. You can connect via computer, mobile device or phone. Instructions are available here.
(NOTE: you will need to download and install the zoom app, which takes a few minutes, in advance of the 1:30 start time.)

MORE ABOUT JOHN:  In June of 2015, Rev. Dorhauer was elected to serve as General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. He is the author of two books, Steeplejacking: How the Christian Right Is Hijacking Mainstream Religion  and Beyond Resistance: The Institutional Church Meets the Postmodern World. He also publishes on Huffington Post.

See the book on Amazon now.

Book description from Amazon:

Beyond Resistance is a template for those devoted to the the idea that faith should be just, generous and inspire commitment to the common good. The rise of postmodernity and its influence on the expression of faith are not the cause of religion’s perceived diminishment in capacity, relevance, and impact. To the contrary, both the Institutional Church and those who hold faith in a postmodern key can—and should—be allies in a common cause. What is unfolding is nothing short of a second Reformation, and this Reformation (unlike the previous one) can unite both the change agents and the changing institution as partners on the same playing field. This book addresses the realities faced by what too many have called a dying institution. It is a call to move the institutional church out of a modality of denial and into a perspective of hope; out of a paradigm of scarcity and into a world of possibility with a growing multiplicity of options and allies; out of a time of end-game scenarios where only the fit will survive, and into what James Carse calls an “Infinite Game,” where those who play ensure that the game continues long after they have left the field.

 

Bio from HuffPost:

John grew up Roman Catholic, and spent eight years studying for the priesthood before choosing another pathway. He met and married Mimi, and a few years later attended Eden Seminary and getting ordained into the United Church of Christ. He served two churches in outstate Missouri for 15 years. From there, he served as Associate Conference Minister on staff in Missouri, and then seven years as Conference Minister for the United Church of Christ in the Southwest. In June of 2015, he was elected to serve as General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. He is the author of two books, “Steeplejacking: How the Christian Right Is Hijacking Mainstream Religion:;” and “Beyond Resistance: The Institutional Church Meets the Postmodern World.” He is the recipient of Eden Seminary’s Shalom Award, given by the student body for a lifetime commitment to peace and justice. He has a Doctoral degree in White Privilege studies, witha focus on how white privilege affects the church. Father of three and grandfather of one, married to Mimi now for 31 years, John finds much joy and pride in and with his family. He is an avid biker and baseball fan.

Download the official Bio from UCC.org.

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Patient Trust

Posted on May 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.trust in the slow work of god
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We would like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet, it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability –
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually – let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time,
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming in you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ:
This is from the wonderful little prayer book titled Hearts on Fire: Praying with the Jesuits. It’s a great book – highly recommended.

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Author Talk || Morgan Guyton

Posted on April 26, 2016 | Leave a comment

Friends –

I’m pleased to invite you to our next Author Talks with Rev. Morgan Guyton, author of the just released – How Jesus Saves the World from Us: 12 Antidotes to Toxic Christianity . Morgan will talk about the book and why he wrote it. Then there will be opportunity for conversation about the themes of the book.

JUST ADDED:
#1  Online – AuthorTalk via Vital Ministry Webinars

Tuesday, 5/3 @ 5pm CDT.
Follow the instructions here to join the conversation or just listen in.

NOTE: If you join online and you’ve never used Zoom.us, you’ll want to download the Zoom app a few minutes early and navigate to the meeting room.

Then you can return there to listen to the recording in about a week.

 

#2  In Person – Author Talk, Lunch & ConversationMGuytonHowJesusSavesTheWorldFromUs

Guest: Morgan Guyton
When: Wednesday, May 4, Noon
Where: The Mix Coworking –
9125 Diceman Drive, Dallas, TX 75218

 

Morgan blogs on Patheos here at Mercy Not Sacrifice.
You can find him on Facebook @RevMorganGuyton.
And on Twitter @MAGuyton.

Hope you can join us.

See the book on Amazon here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Christianity has always been about being saved. But today what Christians need saving from most is the toxic understanding of salvation we’ve received through bad theology. The loudest voices in Christianity today sound exactly like the religious authorities who crucified Jesus.

This is a book for Christians who are troubled by what we’ve become and who want Jesus to save us from the toxic behaviors and attitudes we’ve embraced. Each of the 12 chapters proposes an antidote for the toxicity that has infiltrated Christian culture, such as “Worship not Performance, “Temple not Program,” and “Solidarity not Sanctimony.” Each chapter includes thought-provoking discussion questions, perfect for individual or group study.

There are many reasons to lose hope about the state of our world and our church, but Guyton offers one piece of good news: Jesus is saving the world from us, one Christian at a time.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Morgan Guyton is the co-director of the NOLA Wesley United Methodist Campus Center with his wife Cheryl. His first book How Jesus Saves the World From Us: 12 Antidotes for Toxic Christianity is being published by Westminster John Knox Press. He blogs at www.patheos.com/blogs/mercynotsacrifice and has contributed dozens of articles to Red Letter Christians, Huffington Post Religion, Think Christian, Ministry Matters, United Methodist Reporter, and Rethink Church.

 

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Virtual Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

Ash Wednesday and Lent
the Spiritual Reset Button for your life.

reset-buttonSecular and religious people have many important things in common. One of those, that is being remembered and honored by Christians today, is the need to experience repentance and forgiveness. Who among us has not fallen short of the moral, ethical or relational standards we set for ourselves, to say nothing of the standards others try to set for us? When I fail to honor the sacredness of friendship and love. When I make a promise that I am unable to keep. When I speak words in anger or fear that assault and wound. When I neglect my duty to nurture and care. When I tear down rather than build up, degrade rather than construct, poison rather than nourish. When my silence supports systems of oppression, particularly when I then gain in the process.

When I do these things, what then? How can I move from this position to a status of restored relationship? What can I offer, what do I need to receive? Who can help?

In my own life, I have found the story of Jesus to be a compelling witness to my own brokenness and frailty and lack, because he shared in it, even to the point of death and fear of the same. For me the greatest pain in my own failures is not that I have committed them, but that I may be unable to experience restoration. What if things can’t be repaired (some can’t)? What if time runs out and I never get to say, “I’m sorry,” and hear, “You are forgiven”? What if… I live not in certainty, but in hope.

I hope that you know where to turn, to whom you can go, to find the help that you need when you face these issues in your own life. I also hope that you are able to extend compassion and mercy to others, not because they deserve it, but because you need it too.

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I want my life back

Posted on February 26, 2014 | Leave a comment

He sat in his car, which was parked in front of his office. The voice mail he just received reminded him of the program at his daughter’s elementary school that day, and his son’s basketball game that evening. His day was meetings from 9am till 9pm, with quick breaks for lunch and dinner. Again, he found himself choosing between his commitments to his work, which he recognized as important and valuable, and his family, which he valued beyond measure. “After all,” he thought, “I’m doing all of this for them, aren’t I?”

True, we all have choices to make, and often are faced with far more opportunities than we can possibly entertain. Yet this fellow has built a professional life that he feels is robbing him of time with his wife and children – time he can’t get back. He does not want to continue this way, but also does not know what to change, or how. All he knows is this, “I want my life back.”

Where can you turn when faced with this dilemma? Who has been there before, and can walk with you toward the life you desire, the life you dream of? Contact iVM and let us connect you with someone who can help.

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I can’t hear my call

Posted on February 18, 2014 | Leave a comment

The pastor has celebrated fifteen years of ordained ministry, having served in three congregations, including a student internship during graduate school. Coming out of seminary she was filled with passion and vision for ministry and a love for congregation and community. That was then.

Now, after nearly two decades, she’s not sure where to turn. Somewhere along the way her sense of vocation started to fade away. The things she loved no longer bring her joy. The relationship interactions, sadly, leave her empty and deflated. She desperately wants to love these people and this place, but she’s forgotten how.

Interestingly enough, many of the folks in the congregation seem to feel the same way, not just about the pastor, but about each others. The congregation has a general sense of surface affection that masks a deeper anxiety. They are warm and welcoming to newcomers, but have little energy or inclination for going deeper in relationship or providing lasting hospitality.

Over time, both the pastor and the congregation have lost a sense of hearing God’s voice calling and leading. They want to hear. They remember what it was like to hear. They even remember what they heard. But now, it seems that God has fallen silent. Their theology tells them otherwise; it says that God is now and will continue to speak, to call, to redeem and lead.

So the question comes: How do I/we learn to hear again?

++++++++++

The Institute for Vital Ministry exists to partner with this pastor AND the participants of this congregation – those who are asking these questions, but don’t know where to turn, and may even be afraid of the answers they might find.

We bring together agencies, institutes, organizations and practitioners to form collaborative partnerships that facilitate contextual learning in a trusted community of companion travelers on the journey of discovery and transformation.

iVM will help you engage, equip, and extend your ever deepening faith out into the community and world around you. Get in touch and let’s learn together.

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Who is my neighbor?

Posted on February 18, 2014 | Leave a comment

A congregation of generous, warm, and loving folks sits in a neighborhood that has changed around it. In decades past many of the congregation’s active participants lived within walking distance, but over time the community transitioned, and now most of the folks in the pews come in from other parts of town. The congregation is also aging, and the members and staff are trying to figure out how to connect with their new neighbors. They say to themselves:

“We don’t know where we fit in the world anymore.”

(To tell the truth, many also don’t make meaningful faith connections with the people in the communities where they now live either. Is that the same problem, or a different but related one?)This congregation has read books and some of the folks have even attended conferences and workshops. They hear lots of great ideas, and get inspired to do amazing things for God. But somehow, when they get back home, they struggle to connect the ideas with where and how they really live. And all that energy and enthusiasm they felt with the hundreds of others who gathered for training – somehow they can’t manage to keep up that level of passion. They feel that they are letting down each other, their neighbors, and God.  The questions come:

  • How do we connect with our community?
  • How do we get to know them?
  • Who do they need us to be here?
  • What is God calling us to do here?
  • What should we do next?

The Institute for Vital Ministry exists to partner with the staff AND participants of this congregation – those who are asking these questions, but don’t know where to turn, and may even be afraid of the answers they might find.

We bring together agencies, institutes, organizations and practitioners to form collaborative partnerships that facilitate contextual learning in a trusted community of companion travelers on the journey of discovery and transformation.

iVM will help you engage, equip, and extend your ever deepening faith out into the community and world around you. Get in touch and let’s learn together.

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