Volume 2, Number 6: November-December 2007
Forward
Together
—
to WCG Next
By Ted Johnston
Director, Generations Ministries
WCG
denominational and congregational leaders have been meeting, praying and planning in search of God’s vision for us—we refer to what we see as WCG Next. It’s summarized in our vision statement:Going forward with Jesus:
making disciples who make
disciples; in new generations,
new cultures and new places.
Each phrase has significant meaning:
•
Going forwardWCG Next is about our future and a strategy to go there together. We serve a God of forward movement, who invites us to go with him in his service.
•
With JesusWCG Next is not about what we do for Jesus, but what we do with him—participating in the ministry he has in our world.
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Making disciples who make disciplesJesus’ ministry is about fulfilling his Great Commission to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), motivated by his Great Commandment love for God and for people (1 John 3:23; 4:21). As our world changes, our ministry methods must change as well.
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In new generationsAs a reflection of God’s lavish love for all people, WCG Next emphasizes ministry to, with and through all generations—young and old alike. Generations Ministries (GenMin) will play a key role in this emphasis; equipping ministers, parents and members of all age groups for ministries that disciple the young, strengthen families, and train and provide opportunities for the next generation of leaders. GenMin will host increased numbers of camps, mission trips and retreats that help congregations start and develop intergenerational ministries.
| WCG Next is a vision for transformed lives in new generations, new cultures and new places. Here’s what some of our WCG brothers and sisters are seeing already as they’ve participated in the initial steps we’ve taken toward WCG Next with the assistance of Generations Ministries (GenMin) and Church Multiplication Ministries (CMM). | ||
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“I’m so grateful for Servants Passage, it has helped me see clearly my calling to ministry within my church” —Horace Hammond, White Plains, NY, member | |
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“Camp was an ‘incubator’ that birthed a children’s
ministry in my congregation.
Now we’re building on this foundation, and GenMin is
helping us build with 'gold, silver and costly stones' (1 Cor. 3:12)." "CMM shows us our future in a whole new light—giving us ways to gather, choose and empower church planting leaders. These are strong foundations for the next decades.” —Glen Weber, Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR pastor |
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“CMM new church planting training is giving WCG new focus and hope for our future.” —Alberta Ecker, San Bernardino, CA, pastor's wife |  |
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New cultures and new placesDiversity is a WCG distinctive. We are multiracial, multicultural and worldwide in scope. WCG Next expands this diversity by reaching out to new cultures and locales. The CAD Ministry Development Team will equip existing congregations for this growth. And Church Multiplication Ministries (CMM) will equip individuals and congregations for planting new kinds of churches to reach people in new cultures and places.
Bearing fruit
God has been blessing our initial steps forward. As Jesus said, "By their fruits you shall know them"—and several WCG Next initiatives are already bearing fruit:
• GenMin camps have grown from one national camp to 16 regional camps reaching over 1200 campers and 700 staff members. Hundreds of young lives have been changed.
• GenMin seminars have equipped hundreds of children’s and teen ministry leaders and workers. Many new congregational ministries have been birthed.
• GenMin Servants Passage is training and coaching over 500 congregational leaders and workers as they participate in an extended journey of growth in ministry by means of church-based "mentoring communities."
• CMM seminars have introduced dozens of congregations to the potential for new church planting. A vision for church multiplication has begun.
• CMM seminars and personal coaching have equipped dozens of individuals to serve as assessors and coaches for new church planters. Several new church plants are underway, and the infrastructure to help them is being built.
What do we see ahead?
We’re on our way forward, but WCG Next calls for accelerating progress through deepened partnerships between congregations, district pastoral networks and denominational ministries. What will these partnerships accomplish? Here is the fruit that we envision being produced over the next few years:
• GenMin camps. Expand to at least 24 camps with a capacity for 2,000 campers in order to serve each U.S. district pastoral network more effectively. We envision nearly all U.S. congregations using a GenMin camp as a catalyst for intergenerational growth.
• GenMin mission trips. Provide training and opportunity for short-term mission trips that bring all generations together in outreach that leads to long-term, intergenerational mission work within congregations.
• GenMin retreats. Partner with district pastoral networks to host multiple annual retreat events where members of all ages gather with families and friends in an intergenerational setting to experience and celebrate the joy of our shared life in Jesus (see box below).
As
this article goes to press, GenMin, in partnership with the district pastoral
network serving southwestern Ohio, northern Kentucky and parts of Indiana, is
putting the finishing touches on the first of what we hope will be many GenMin
family retreats. Members from all over are invited! This event is named Encounter
2008. It will be held Oct. 9-12, 2008 near Cincinnati, OH. Look for more
details here and in Christian Odyssey. Our goal for future years is to
provide
Encounter
retreats in multiple locations throughout the US.
Coming to the Cincinnati area Oct. 9-11, 2008
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GenMin seniors’ ministry. Provide new ways to minister to, with and through adults in their retirement years.• GenMin young leader development. Identify and develop young leaders to serve WCG congregations and denominational ministries. We are already addressing this urgent need through Servants Passage, Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM) and training initiatives from CAD’s Ministry Development Team. As we go forward, we hope to expand our assistance to congregations and ministries in identifying, recruiting and equipping younger leaders.
• CMM church planting. Our goal is to plant at least 12 new churches in the United States each year. We hope to reach this target by 2010.
Funding WCG Next
The bulk of funding for GenMin and CMM initiatives and events currently comes from the denominational budget. Since 43 percent of the denominational budget comes from apportioning a percentage of our congregations’ donation income, we thank our members and congregations for this financial support. It’s accomplishing a great deal! But for us to expand the scope of our WCG Next work, we need funding beyond our current levels.
And so we’ve set up the WCG Next domestic mission fund. Dan Rogers recently wrote to U.S. pastors to explain how their congregations may contribute to this fund as part of their congregations’ mission outreach. If you’d like to know more about the fund, we encourage you to talk with your pastor or read our WCG Next flyer posted online at http://fly2.ws/iC9B0fv .
Going forward together
WCG Next is a vision that sees all of us (members, congregations, pastoral networks and denominational ministries) going forward together into a future of new possibilities, opportunities and challenges. This forward progress will not always be easy (good things seldom are!) and it will necessitate innovation and experimentation.
Sound intimidating? Perhaps, but in the WCG we’re no strangers to change, are we? So let’s embrace the changes God will bring our way as we travel forward together to WCG Next.
We are seeking even greater clarity concerning this vision, and we invite insights and comments from WCG members. Feel free to email them to me at WCG.Next@wcg.org . We’ll prayerfully consider all ideas as we seek the Lord’s will for us.
To the next article in this issue
Copyright 2007 Worldwide Church of
God
