Transforming the Church for Vital Ministry
A Travel Free Learning Article, January 3, 2011 Edition
By George Bullard, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership
Voice: 803.622.0923, E-mail: GBullard@TheColumbiaPartnership.org
Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org
The mission that drives the passion for Christian ministry by The Columbia Partnership [TCP] is transforming the Church for vital ministry. This mission is addressed when a congregation takes sustained action that increases its capacity to function with vitality and vibrancy as a Christ-centered faith-based community.
This mission is addressed when a pastor, staff minister, or lay leader is captivated by a new vision for Christian ministry. This mission is addressed when a denominational organization [international, national, regional, judicatory, etc.] realizes that old models of denominationalism will not work in the 21st century and takes actions to reconceptualize its core ministry.
This mission is addressed when a congregation who needs significant funding for a major building project moves into a zone where it realizes that what it is really doing is funding ministry. This mission is addressed when a leader develops new insights and capacities through a combination of reading articles and books, teleconferences and webinars, seminar attendance with follow-up coaching.
Understanding the Mission
The Columbia Partnership is a process-based Christian ministry. What does that mean? It means that we do not have a boilerplate approach to helping our clients. We do not have boxed products to sell that lead to predetermined outcomes. We do not believe that one size fits all. Instead, we have a process approach that focuses on journey, discovery, capacity building, and customization.
Our key question for you is, what does your congregation, denomination, or ministry organization need to do to be transformed for vital ministry? Or, you may say to us that you want to be transformed, you think these are the issues you need to address, but you are not sure. Can The Columbia Partnership help you begin to ask the right questions? Yes.
We believe transformation is the opposite of business as usual. We believe transformation will focus your ministry on its full kingdom potential and not just survival or making incremental process. We believe transformation is more a journey than a destination. We believe transformation is not a one-time event or project, but one that must be revisited at least every decade or when a major hinge point is experienced.
We focus exclusively on the Church in it various expressions. While we believe congregations are the basic building block of Christian ministry, we also focus on ministry leaders, denominational organizations, and those parachurch organizations who champion or enhance the local and worldwide ministry of the Church. We have great appreciation for other organizations and their leaders who serve the life needs of humankind. That is just not our mission.
Describing Our Passion
The five passion categories for The Columbia Partnership are the following:
- Congregations who are transformed for vital ministry.
- Denominations who are repositioned for 21st century ministry.
- Leaders who are captivated and motivated to action by a new vision for ministry.
- Ministries who are generously funded to fulfill their mission.
- Learners who acquire the knowledge and capacities they need to engage in excellent ministry.
A few ways this passion has been addressed during the past year are these:
- Co-sponsorship of Hopeful Imagination which was a conference attended by more than 300 people from traditional congregations seeking greater intentionality and effectiveness in their ministry settings. Ministry Colleague Eddie Hammett was the key coach for the planning, execution, and follow-up of this experience, and one of three TCP Ministry Colleagues speaking during this event.
- Launching of a Funding Ministry Team to assist congregations, denominations, and parachurch organizations with their annual giving, planned, giving, and capital campaign needs. With more than a quarter of a century experience in this area of ministry, Ministry Colleague Ruben Swint leads this team.
- Engagement with numerous congregations through a process of Spiritual Strategic Journey as a strategic planning approach that focuses on developing their future story of ministry. Six Ministry Colleagues lead these processes.
- Training coaches in processes for transforming congregations, including the Spiritual Strategic Journey process. The focus has been on training these coaches in regional denominational organizations/middle judicatories to increase their capacity to serve their congregations.
- Providing executive leadership for two denominational collaboration organizations. Ministry Colleague Dick Hamm is executive administrator for Christian Churches Together in the USA, while Ministry Colleague George Bullard is general secretary for the North American Baptist Fellowship.
Let’s Begin a Conversation
At this point you might expect a list of products and services TCP would like for you to buy from us. Rather than doing that I would like to invite you to a conversation. Let’s begin a conversation about your individual or organizational needs. Let’s keep it simple. Try answering the following questions:
- What is your mission? [This can refer to you as an individual leader or to your Christian ministry organization.]
- What are the three to five top priority issues you feel you or organization must address over the next 12 months to be transformed for vital ministry?
- How will you measure success? [What will you or your organization be doing different if you successfully address these three to five issues?]
- What assistance do you need from outside yourself or your organization to address these top priority issues?
- Would you like to have a free 22-minute conversation with a Ministry Colleague from The Columbia Partnership about approaches to addressing these issues?
I invite you to send your answers to TCP at Client.Care@TheColumbiaPartnership.org. Or, better yet, to click on this survey link and answer them online. Someone will be back to you within 48 hours or less.
Important Things to Know
George Bullard is a Ministry Colleague and the Strategic Coordinator with The Columbia Partnership. He is also General Secretary [executive director] of the North American Baptist Fellowship of the Baptist World Alliance. The Columbia Partnership is a non-profit Christian ministry organization focused on transforming the capacity of the North American Church to pursue and sustain Christ-centered ministry. Travel Free Learning is a leadership development emphasis. For more information about products and services check out the web site at www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org, send an e-mail to Client.Care@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, or call 803.622.0923. 7
