Notes from Ghost Ranch – 1st Installment
Cultivating Congregational Transformation Conference
Feb. 2-5, 2009
Rev. Dr. Ann Philbrick, Presenter
Transformation is:
- A buzz word (used to be “re-development” – was too caught up with giving/ getting money, so it didn’t work due to the “baggage”), but is deeper than a “fad.” (We just didn’t do the old one well enough.)
There is something going on in the life cycle of our organizations that is calling for change. - In literature: the roots of transformation come from the Great Commission (Matthew 28).
o 1st stage: Go. (You must accept God’s claim on yourself.)
o 2nd stage: Make. (Reclaiming discipleship; Greek word for disciple means learner. How did your relationship with God change your life?)
o 3rd stage: Baptize. (Confirmation carries on choice.)
o 4th stage: Teach. (Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.)
o 5th stage: I am with you always (i.e., fear not). (See Borg’s Meeting Jesus for the First Time.)
In transforming: - Make “disciples,” not members.
- Also, make “disciples” not decisions.
- Trying to move to missional – rediscovering discipleship and church mission, i.e., identifying what the world needs. From Rick Warren: It’s about your sending capacity, not your seating capacity.
- Not maintenance, but mission (choosing to do so).
- Focus on the Great Commandment plus the Great Commission.
- Issue: Past efforts have been short-range and short-circuited.
- Dynamics of Transformation from PC(USA) (5 points – see “Living the Vision”).
- Push missional; pull missional; leap missional.
- Goal – to bring meaning and purpose into people’s lives.
Frog evangelism (sits still, sucks in) VS lizard discipleship (have to go hunt). Become a lizard! Respectfully submitted,
Janita K. Byars
 
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