Shifting the Focus: Changing from a church-centric to a kingdom-centric culture with Author and Church Leadership Specialist Reggie McNeal
by Vance Morton*The Central Texas Conference is thrilled to announce a unique opportunity to come together and hear from one of the leading experts of the day on how to transform yourself and your church into a more missional mindset. Please join us Saturday, Sept. 10 at First Methodist Church Mansfield, for a conversation with Reggie McNeal, church leadership specialist and author of best sellers “The Present Future” and “Missional Renaissance,” – both definitive works on the widespread movement among churches to be less inwardly focused and more oriented toward the culture and community around them.
Believe it or not, you are living in a period of renaissance. Now note that the phrase wasn’t “The Renaissance Period,” so don’t rush out to refresh your wardrobe with Shakespearean dress or spend time booking a sitting for a portrait with Michelangelo. While this period of renaissance may not fill theatres and museums with its works, it should, if embraced by the body, serve to fill the hearts, minds and souls of God’s children everywhere with the love of Jesus Christ, for this is a period of missional renaissance. Signs of it are everywhere as churches all over are doing some rather “unchurchy” things in their efforts to become more missional congregations.
So just what are those “unchurchy” things? What’s the big deal about missional church? Does God call us to be a missional church? And what exactly does that mean? All these questions and so much more will be addressed and discussed during our Sept. 10 seminar on the beautiful campus of First Mansfield. This event is designed to be applicable to all, whether clergy, long-time member of the church or those just beginning their faith journey. Check-in begins at 9 a.m., and the program is scheduled to conclude at 2:30 p.m. Childcare is available. The cost for the seminar is $25 per person (includes a box lunch). To register for the event, click here or go to www.firstmethodistmansfield.org and click on the “Special Events” tab on the right hand side of the home page.Please check back with ctcumc.org or firstmethodistmansfield.org as we get closer to this event for more details. In the meantime, we suggest that if you haven’t yet read “Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church” that you consider picking it up. While the exact program is still being ironed out, the following is the schedule as it currently exists. We very much look forward to seeing you next month for this exciting and educational event.
- 9:00 – Coffee and Registration
9:30 - Worship- 10:00 – Session 1: What’s the Big Deal About Missional Church? An explanation of missional church, with emphasis on changing from a church-centric to a kingdom-centric culture
- 11:00 – Break
- 11:15 – Session 2: Changing the Scorecard Part 1. A discussion of the three shifts necessary for the transition to a missional agenda; the ministry scorecard must change to support these shifts
- 12:30 – Lunch
- 1:15 – Session 3: Changing the Scorecard Part 2. How to use the resource reallocation approach to develop a missional ministry scorecard
- 2:15 – Worship and Wrap-up
- 2:30 - Adjourn
We would love to fill First Mansfield to capacity for this fabulous opportunity and could really use your help in spreading the word. As such, please feel free to download our promotional packet to help you share the details of this event with your church and community. The packet includes digital files for bulletin inserts, flyers, posters, paper registration forms, promotional website button graphics and slides. For questions regarding this event, please contact the fabulous Susan Briles.
*Vance is the director of communications for the Central Texas Conference vance@ctcumc.org