"Shoulder-Tapping is Not a Hit and Run Event"

Report for “Beyond Shoulder-Tapping: Providing Meaningful Ministry Experiences for Emerging Leaders” Conference
Eastern Mennonite Seminary
January 18-19, 2007

This report details what we have learned from the presentations and discussion at the above conference.

What Aids in Leadership Development (or What creates a “Culture of Call”)

From this conference we have learned a number of things about what creates a culture of call- an environment that is responsive to leadership development.

1. A culture of call is created when leaders are respected and cared for
   1. No one wants to lead a church when leaders aren’t cared for
2. Experimentation and creativity are affirmed
3. Critique is given in a gentle but sincere manner
4. Opportunity to test gifts is given
1. This moves away from some of the “professionalism” of ministry. It became clear that this “professionalism” is a hindrance to young people who want to try various aspects of ministry.
5. Leaders care about developing other leaders and can give up some authority to developing leaders.
6. Church leaders are growing and encourage the growth of leaders.
7. Congregations realize they are not just training leaders for themselves- but for the wider church
8. Prayer, discernment and the work of God in people’s lives are the most important factors in calling
9. The pastors who have worked at this have been in the congregation 15+ years- they have trust and equity built up
10. Developing leaders are given ownership of tasks, and programs.
11. Congregations are looking for leaders
12. Leaders are encouraged to “work themselves out of a job.”

 

What issues still need work in developing this call

These are issues that still need work and discernment in calling and developing leaders

• We sometimes forget the “quiet ones.”
• Young adults are mobile and it is hard to connect with them in a home congregation.
• Congregations do not always connect with young people when they are involved in other settings where their call is being affirmed: i.e. camps, service and mission programs, church school programs, college ministries.
• Three aspects of church membership are belief, behavior and belonging- we often focus on the first two before we allow the third.
• Financial issues are a concern at many levels for developing leaders. They ask, “Can I afford to go to seminary? Can I afford to pastor a small congregation where I won’t receive health benefits etc.?
• The seminary tends to produce leaders for churches of 250-350; the seminary needs to train for a broader range of congregational sizes.

Questions Raised in the Conference

These questions were raised either in small or large group discussions. A discussion board for feedback/discussion of these questions and your questions is available on Blackboard. To enter the discussion contact Laura Amstutz at laura.amstutz@emu.edu

1. How do you change the culture of a congregation so that leadership development is possible?
2. How do smaller congregations (under 100) work at developing leaders?
1. A weakness of this conference is that no small congregations reported and very few were present so the small congregation perspective was lost.
3. What resources can the denomination/conference/seminary provide for developing leaders and churches? What resources do you wish you had for your work?
4. How might the MLI/licensing/ordination process need to change to fit situations where leaders are called from within?

Report I Models of Leadership Development I Questions for Written Descriptions I Conference Description