Initial reports

Today the Strategic Planning Council wrapped up in Nashville. I wasn’t there, and I have not yet been briefed by the delegates from our district, but I have heard from a few individuals who were in attendance. Obviously we need to get a full report, but from what I have picked up from some who there the reviews are mixed at best.

Apparently, they had some excellent speakers who challenged the delegates, and the opportunities for fellowship are always enriching. But, I also heard concerns about the whole process, which did not really address some of the real, pressing issues that we face (including some of the ones I mentioned). Some were just plain frustrated with the breakout sessions and how the discussions were handled and ultimately processed. In any case, it sounds like there were some important affirmations regarding leadership development, and some emphases on evangelism.

While I truly pray that this gathering will bring positive results for the Church of God I have some serious concerns about the process itself. I really question whether it is possible to bring together a wide range of people from across the continent for less than 48 hours and expect to accomplish serious, effective strategic planning that is going to facilitate Kingdom expansion? Brainstorming and dreaming, yes. But, strategic planning that will shape our direction?

Anyone who was there want to comment or provide us more information?

My wish list

Tuesday the Strategic Planning Council begins in Nashville. As I mentioned in my previous post, I won’t be at that this one due my sabbatical. I have heard some interesting ideas expressed in the past few weeks from others concerned about what could result at this gathering. For example, on Twitter last week @epfry responded to my call post with the following provocative list of key issues for our movement to address: “We pay lip service to females but refuse them leadership … We've confused berating our youth as discipleship … We reverted to the past instead of building upon tradition … We dared call ourselves a peace church yet refuse to be prophetic … We are at best reactionary to a postmodern society”

Here are some of the key outcomes that I hope will emerge this week:

•  A call for the Church of God to recover its role as a movement within and for the sake of the larger, universal church.
•  A serious commitment to begin church-wide dialogue on restating our message of holiness and unity for this age.
•  A plan for meaningfully connecting our churches and leaders despite our broad geographic, cultural and theological diversity.

I urge all of us to pray as our leaders meet.

Our future

Next week Church of God leaders from across North America will convene in Nashville, Tennessee for the Strategic Planning Conference. This event usually takes place every five years or so and is an opportunity for direction setting for Church of God Ministries and our national efforts.

Due to my sabbatical, I will not be attending this year. Nevertheless, I will certainly be praying for the event and watching with keen interest what emerges out of it. As with many of you, I have a deep love for the Church of God and deeply desire to see our message flourish and take hold.

I am particularly interested in this year's conference because I am convinced that we are at a critical juncture in the story of our movement. In the coming weeks I will comment on some of the issues that we are confronting, but for now let me say that I believe we have lost our soul and are struggling to find it. In the process, we have fractured into various directions which threaten to significantly change who we are and our effectiveness in carrying out God's work.

Along with delegates to the conference, I am reading Gilbert Stafford's book, Signals at the Crossroads, an up-dated edition of his previous two Crossroads books and the inclusion of some new material that was never completed before his death. I will provide a more detailed book review here soon, but for now I can say that I am still not convinced that Stafford provides the solution.

Will you be attending the Strategic Planning Conference? If so, what will you be looking for? If not, what do you believe are some of the critical issues that we face at this time?

I look forward to this conversation as it unfolds.

Sabbatical

Today I begin a sabbatical from my normal routines as part of a regional pastor and overseer. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity that the Pacific Northwest Association has built into my employment agreement to make this happen. I am also encouraged that increasingly, across the Church of God, churches are recognizing the value of providing a sabbatical for their pastors.

I have several realistic objectives planned for my two months of respite. A minor one is to get back into a regular pattern of blogging. This past year has seen a dramatic increase in my workload and expressing my ideas and reflections in writing has taken a back seat. While I have no intention of making this an obsession, I look forward to occasions when I can share some of the thoughts I am having about our movement. This seems timely, especially with the Strategic Planning Conference coming up in a few weeks.

Hopefully, a few of you are still following this blog and will engage in some of the issues I raise.