Carlos makes a point while Salomon listens and Mario sits in disbelief.
Friday, October 26, 2007
RCA History,Missions and Polity (Spanish) Finishes Well
Carlos makes a point while Salomon listens and Mario sits in disbelief.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
This week, the MFCA is offering its third course in Spanish - the course is RCA History, Missions and Polity as taught by Rev. Jhonny Alicea-Baez. This is the second course he is teaching for the MFCA; the first offering was also taught by him - RCA Standards. These courses have been taught annually at the Reformed Church Centre in Paramount, California.
This year's course includes
six individuals from Canada, four from Toronto and two from Montreal. There are ten different countries represented among fifteen (15) individuals. Countries include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico. An eleventh country could be counted in Venezuela - Candidate Kirsten Shepler - Ross from New Jersey is taking the course because she needs it in order to meet RCA requirements in the Certificate of Fitness for Ministry process - she is able to take the course in Spanish because she grew up in Venezuela where her parents were RCA missionaries.Among the participants are Meire and Carlos Rosa, originally from Brazil where the language is Portuguese. As MFCA candidates the Rosas find it easier to take courses in Spanish as opposed to English. The Rosas are planting a Portuguese speaking congregation in Montreal where the dominant language is French. The Rosas are members of the Classis of Ontario - exclusively English speaking.
Pictures are of Rev. Jhonny Alicea - Baez teaching the class at the Reformed Studies Centre on the campus of Emmanuel Reformed Church in Paramount, California. Pictured behind Jhonny are Felix Lescano, Carlos Arana, Daniel Castillo, Ana Mabel Renderos, Meire Rosa and Carlos Rosa.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Learning from Alan Hirsch
The other day Alan Hirsch spoke to the gathering of the Classis of California. He is the author of The Forgotten Ways and appears to be the latest of a group that is impacting RCA evangelicals. Others would include Erwin McManus, Leonard Sweet, Brian McLaren and Reggie McNiel. I personally am also reading books by Robert E. Quinn… highly recommended!
Alan Hirsch had some interesting things to say to the group at the classis meeting; below are some of my scribbles:
“The church does not have a mission, the mission has a church.”
He said the church needs both missional and incarnational people if it is going to be relevant.
MISSIONARY PEOPLE – look outward
INCARNATIONAL PEPOLE – are about deepening
We need to be about “recovering the ethos of apostolic movements.”
“Church growth has not worked in USA because we have institutionalized church growth movements.”
“Movements mobilize the people of God. Movements are reproducing and reproducible.”
“Missionary Movements employ ministerial leadership according to Ephesians 4. There is a distribution of gifts so we might mature in leadership.”
“Ephesians 4 mentions: Apostles (A), Prophets (P), Evangelists (E), Shepherds (S), Teachers (S) – How can you have a movement when you remove 3 of the 5? APE’s are exiled.”
“You must broaden out the idea of leadership if you are going to grow the church.”
“APE’s are “non status quo” people.”Ephesians 4 is genetic material for the movement of church
Apostolic movements:
“Be attractive, but don’t be attractional.”“Bring Jesus to the people and the people to Jesus.”
“Being attractional in a missionary environment is also a matter of being extractional.”
“We need to extract people out of their culture and institutions.”
For the MFCA context I heard Hirsch say that we should continue to prepare the best shepherds and teachers as we have in the past, and, that we should also legitimize and prepare apostolic leaders, prophetic leaders and evangelists. The question would be: “How do we do that; what do we need to add or do differently?” The input from others is welcome!
Cor
Alan Hirsch had some interesting things to say to the group at the classis meeting; below are some of my scribbles:
“The church does not have a mission, the mission has a church.”
He said the church needs both missional and incarnational people if it is going to be relevant.
MISSIONARY PEOPLE – look outward
INCARNATIONAL PEPOLE – are about deepening
We need to be about “recovering the ethos of apostolic movements.”
“Church growth has not worked in USA because we have institutionalized church growth movements.”
“Movements mobilize the people of God. Movements are reproducing and reproducible.”
“Missionary Movements employ ministerial leadership according to Ephesians 4. There is a distribution of gifts so we might mature in leadership.”
“Ephesians 4 mentions: Apostles (A), Prophets (P), Evangelists (E), Shepherds (S), Teachers (S) – How can you have a movement when you remove 3 of the 5? APE’s are exiled.”
“You must broaden out the idea of leadership if you are going to grow the church.”
“APE’s are “non status quo” people.”Ephesians 4 is genetic material for the movement of church
Apostolic movements:
“Be attractive, but don’t be attractional.”“Bring Jesus to the people and the people to Jesus.”
“Being attractional in a missionary environment is also a matter of being extractional.”
“We need to extract people out of their culture and institutions.”
For the MFCA context I heard Hirsch say that we should continue to prepare the best shepherds and teachers as we have in the past, and, that we should also legitimize and prepare apostolic leaders, prophetic leaders and evangelists. The question would be: “How do we do that; what do we need to add or do differently?” The input from others is welcome!
Cor
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
MFCA Challenges
David Daniels, a columnist for Christian Week states in his September 15th article: “Visionary thinking, prophetic action, courageous decision-making – these are the ingredients most likely topping the list of desirable traits in contemporary pastoral leadership.” (Pg.11) The Ministerial Formation Certification Agency (MFCA) statement of purpose mentions as its desired traits: academic preparedness, spiritual maturity, personal wholeness, ministry competence and denominational identity. Comparing the two lists the reader very quickly notices how different they are. If Daniels’ list reflects reality better than the MFCA list, then successful preparation of individuals for ministry, as we do it, may be close to impossible. Even though we encourage visionary, prophetic, and courageous leadership for our candidates, we do not claim to know how we would go about creating and monitoring such traits as Daniels suggests are at the top of the list in 2007.
It is with this knowledge and implicit tension that the newly formed MFCA faces the future. The MFCA Board of Trustees will be broaching the difficult task of shaping a program that is aware of what contemporary pastoral leadership should look like while at the same time implementing an effective strategy that has integrity -- respecting Reformed Church in America (RCA) values. Board member Bart Strong, a specialist in strategic planning from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario will be leading the discussion at the next meetings of the board and it is anticipated that he will be asking the members to answer some difficult questions. In his article in the Educause Quarterly Strong asks, “What is happening in higher education and in the world today that may affect what we do and how we do it in the next three years…?” (Strategic Planning for Technological Change, Fall 2007, Pg. 50). It is assumed that he will ask a similar question of the MFCA Board.
Being one to anticipate matters, I would venture that Strong’s question in the context of the MFCA might read as follows: “What is happening in the life of the Church and in the world today that may affect what we do and how we do it over the next three years?” The MFCA board’s considerations in answering this question might include:
~ Traditional education, usually provided by seminaries, is less valued and churches look to people in their midst who are exercising gifts and show potential for ministry and place them in leadership positions.
~ Many individuals experience a call to ministry through parachurch organizations, camps, and campus ministry efforts, entering ministry preparation with no denominational loyalty.
~ Choosing not to be part of a denomination, many individuals design their own preparation process which tends to be reactionary to individual and present needs as well as those of the ministry in which they might be serving.
~ Younger leaders tend to be relational with a bias against institutional mindsets. This causes them to make themselves accountable to local people with whom they have a relationship and thus feel no need for accountability to authorities outside of their immediate circle.
~ The internet and technology place resources at people’s fingertips – large portions of a seminary education can be found for free online – why move oneself and family to a different location at great expense when it is possible to stay put and be making a difference in ministry here and now at no financial cost.
~ Mega churches, with high visibility tend to impact people sensing a call to ministry. These same churches tend to create their own movements and programs for developing leaders which often do not include seminary level education.
~ The Reformed Church in America (RCA), like many mainline denominations, has turned to credentialing commissioned pastors. This process fast tracks people into ministry while requiring a limited education, ministry preparation and critical assessment. According to those in favor of this movement this saves time, money and energy and allows individuals to be employed in ministry expeditiously.
~ The RCA, like many others, has intentionally decided to emphasize church multiplication and to birth new churches. There are indications that some of the people who are chosen for church start assignments are chosen on the basis of their ability to produce fruit (numbers) and are not necessarily assessed on whether or not they have a seminary education; providing the ability to think critically about scripture and reflect theologically about the practice of ministry. This could limit their ultimate potential for in depth preaching and teaching.
~ There is also a tendency to bring people in from outside of the RCA in order to staff the increasing number of ministries – many of them are gifted and proven in ministry but do not meet the educational requirements stipulated by the RCA. These same individuals are committed to the mission of the RCA (Our Call) but have no other loyalty to the denomination.
~ Theological education is becoming more expensive and there are indications that a denomination such as the RCA will have to face a new reality where assessments for programs and excessive infrastructure will no longer be tolerated and thus disappear. The MFCA is very dependent on assessment money.
~ Ethnic and racial diversity is becoming more of a reality as well as a pressure point for our next generation of church leaders. Questions we are beginning to encounter include: “How will we accommodate different language groups and traditions and yet maintain collegiality in churches and classes?”
~ Being “Reformed” is no longer a priority for a significant number of our churches and leaders. How will the RCA define being “Reformed” in this day and age with pressure to be concerned about being “evangelical” and “ecumenical” in contrast to being Reformed?
Strategic planning, when there are so many variables, will be a challenge for the MFCA Board of Trustees. The encouragement for those of us involved in this challenge is that we will do this with prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Like the sons of Issachar, we will do our best to read the signs of the times and to listen and look for the leading of the Lord. Please pray for the MFCA and its board.
It is with this knowledge and implicit tension that the newly formed MFCA faces the future. The MFCA Board of Trustees will be broaching the difficult task of shaping a program that is aware of what contemporary pastoral leadership should look like while at the same time implementing an effective strategy that has integrity -- respecting Reformed Church in America (RCA) values. Board member Bart Strong, a specialist in strategic planning from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario will be leading the discussion at the next meetings of the board and it is anticipated that he will be asking the members to answer some difficult questions. In his article in the Educause Quarterly Strong asks, “What is happening in higher education and in the world today that may affect what we do and how we do it in the next three years…?” (Strategic Planning for Technological Change, Fall 2007, Pg. 50). It is assumed that he will ask a similar question of the MFCA Board.
Being one to anticipate matters, I would venture that Strong’s question in the context of the MFCA might read as follows: “What is happening in the life of the Church and in the world today that may affect what we do and how we do it over the next three years?” The MFCA board’s considerations in answering this question might include:
~ Traditional education, usually provided by seminaries, is less valued and churches look to people in their midst who are exercising gifts and show potential for ministry and place them in leadership positions.
~ Many individuals experience a call to ministry through parachurch organizations, camps, and campus ministry efforts, entering ministry preparation with no denominational loyalty.
~ Choosing not to be part of a denomination, many individuals design their own preparation process which tends to be reactionary to individual and present needs as well as those of the ministry in which they might be serving.
~ Younger leaders tend to be relational with a bias against institutional mindsets. This causes them to make themselves accountable to local people with whom they have a relationship and thus feel no need for accountability to authorities outside of their immediate circle.
~ The internet and technology place resources at people’s fingertips – large portions of a seminary education can be found for free online – why move oneself and family to a different location at great expense when it is possible to stay put and be making a difference in ministry here and now at no financial cost.
~ Mega churches, with high visibility tend to impact people sensing a call to ministry. These same churches tend to create their own movements and programs for developing leaders which often do not include seminary level education.
~ The Reformed Church in America (RCA), like many mainline denominations, has turned to credentialing commissioned pastors. This process fast tracks people into ministry while requiring a limited education, ministry preparation and critical assessment. According to those in favor of this movement this saves time, money and energy and allows individuals to be employed in ministry expeditiously.
~ The RCA, like many others, has intentionally decided to emphasize church multiplication and to birth new churches. There are indications that some of the people who are chosen for church start assignments are chosen on the basis of their ability to produce fruit (numbers) and are not necessarily assessed on whether or not they have a seminary education; providing the ability to think critically about scripture and reflect theologically about the practice of ministry. This could limit their ultimate potential for in depth preaching and teaching.
~ There is also a tendency to bring people in from outside of the RCA in order to staff the increasing number of ministries – many of them are gifted and proven in ministry but do not meet the educational requirements stipulated by the RCA. These same individuals are committed to the mission of the RCA (Our Call) but have no other loyalty to the denomination.
~ Theological education is becoming more expensive and there are indications that a denomination such as the RCA will have to face a new reality where assessments for programs and excessive infrastructure will no longer be tolerated and thus disappear. The MFCA is very dependent on assessment money.
~ Ethnic and racial diversity is becoming more of a reality as well as a pressure point for our next generation of church leaders. Questions we are beginning to encounter include: “How will we accommodate different language groups and traditions and yet maintain collegiality in churches and classes?”
~ Being “Reformed” is no longer a priority for a significant number of our churches and leaders. How will the RCA define being “Reformed” in this day and age with pressure to be concerned about being “evangelical” and “ecumenical” in contrast to being Reformed?
Strategic planning, when there are so many variables, will be a challenge for the MFCA Board of Trustees. The encouragement for those of us involved in this challenge is that we will do this with prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Like the sons of Issachar, we will do our best to read the signs of the times and to listen and look for the leading of the Lord. Please pray for the MFCA and its board.
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