Following is an edited transcript of Kay Kotan’s presentation in the Laity Session of the 2018 Susquehanna Annual Conference. You can view the presentation at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video
All of us are a called people and we are called for kingdom impact. Each and every one of us, not just clergy. One of the best examples of a lay leader in the Bible is Nehemiah. He had all the strengths of good leadership; he was decisive, he was well organized, he was a wise overseer of other people, was a good administrator, a skilled project manager, and he knew how to get things done. Regarding spiritual leadership he had; godly character, a consistent testimony, a burning zeal for the Lord, a desire to serve, and a commitment to honor God in all that he did. Above all, Nehemiah teaches us what a vibrant prayer life ought to be. He was passionate, but not driven by his emotions. He was a hardworking man, but also understood the importance of delegating tasks. And he loved people, but never compromised on matters of principle.
Nehemiah is a model for lay leadership. He was not a priest, a scribe, or an expert in the law. He wasn’t a theologian, he wasn’t a teacher. He was a servant in the king’s palace in Persia. He labored among the people of Jerusalem as a fellow worker and he earned their respect by serving them, and by being a flesh-and-blood example of what the people of Israel ought to be. Servitude is the best kind of training for spiritual leadership. A servant is exactly what Jesus said a true leader ought to be. Nehemiah teaches us that whoever we are, whatever our background or training is, or whatever our position in life is, God has called us to use our gifts as servants. If we’re willing to serve, God can use us in mighty ways.
John Wesley knew about the laity movement as well. He said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergy or laymen, such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.” Amen.
I’m calling for a renewal, a reclaiming of our role as laity. Each and every one of us is called for a God-sized impact. I cringe at that a little bit, as a layperson myself, and I’ve been guilty of thinking, “Oh, I am just a lay person.” Let’s remove “just” from our vocabulary. We are lay people and we are called for God-sized impact.
As I’ve travelled the country I’ve found that we’re lacking equipping and opportunities for knowing our role as laity. I’ve heard a number of people saying, “Oh, I’m just a lay person,” or “That’s clergy work.” I began to have a little heartache around that, along with a clergy friend of mine. I asked, “How do we reclaim our roots? We are a Wesleyan movement. How are we going to once again be raised up to be the [laity] in the movement that we once were?” And thus was born this book “IMPACT! Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry.”
Methodism was founded on the movement of laity and through that millions and millions of people were reached. United Methodists are a declining denomination. How can we reclaim those roots and once again reach millions for Christ? Wesley believed that all people could have impact, not just clergy. I’m calling for a rekindling, a sparking, and a set-the-laity-on-fire to reach new people, as we’re called to do.
Our mission is to make disciples. We need to have greater impact and reach new people. With the professionalization of clergy, more and more schooling was required and it changed the way laity started thinking about themselves. Like, “I’m not equipped for that. I haven’t gone to seminary, therefore I can’t (fill in the blank.)” Because of that professionalization we gave away our movement, and our power and impact as lay people.
Acts 6 tells us that that the disciples were increasing daily. The priests couldn’t give up their responsibilities for preaching and teaching to care for the sick and the poor. So what did they do? Seven people were commissioned for this work. Lay movement right there. How are we doing that in our local churches today?
We’re looking for outcomes with a God-sized impact. How do we ignite, once again, our culture that is no longer church-centric, a culture where church people are the minority? I don’t want that to continue on my watch — do you want that to continue on your watch? There are enough of us to effect change if we decide we want to have a God-sized impact. Let’s get to work.
In the book we identified eight different areas for God-sized impact in your church:
- Christ’s Church for Christ’s Impact
- Cultural Impact
- Discipleship Impact
- Relational Impact
- Missions Impact
- Worship with Impact
- Impact-focused Lay Leadership
- New Pastor’s Arrival: An Opportunity for Impact
Christ’s Church for Christ’s Impact
It’s time to plant and harvest in a new way. The way we were taught and did evangelism — invite people to church or create the right event — is not working. We first have to build authentic relationships with people and then we can talk about God and the church. We have to be willing to get in the trenches and do life with people if we’re going to build the church and have a God-sized impact once again. We have to have a complete buy-in and commitment. A recent Barna study asked a number of church “members” how their church was fulfilling the Great Commission. Most didn’t know what the Great Commission was and less than half knew their church existed to make disciples.According to Adam Hamilton, seekers are asking four questions: 1. “Why God?” Why do we choose to follow this God? Why is it important? Why do we choose this lifestyle? How does it make a difference in our life? 2. “Why do I need a church?” What does a church have to do with it? Why would that make a difference? 3. “Why your church?” 4. “To whom does the church belong?”
The church belongs to Jesus Christ. When we forget who we belong to our own personal preferences and relationships with one another overtake the mission. We have to go from persuasion and consensus to collaborative leadership. We’re looking for accountable, missional leadership that leads the church in its mission to make disciples.
Cultural Impact
The church is struggling to keep up with culture. The world is moving on but we think it’s okay that the church remains exactly the same. We believe that there’s sacredness in the building, or sacredness in the traditions, or in the way we’ve always done things. The sacredness is being the church and making disciples.The US population is expected to become majority-minority by 2044 and if you look around this conference, we are a predominantly Caucasian, middle-class denomination. That does not reflect our culture. We have become culturally irrelevant.
The world around us is changing the way it learns and communicates. We have to communicate in a new language, both metaphorically and literally, in order for the world to be able to understand. We need to stop using church language like “Narthex.” Does anybody else know what that is besides a church person?
Discipleship Impact
Everything we are doing in the church should be helping people develop into disciples, who will disciple others. How does someone come into your church and become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ? Do you have an intentional faith-development process? Discipleship is not a Bible study, or a curriculum — those may be elements of a discipleship pathway. Discipleship includes generosity (giving) and we need to allow pastors to talk about that. And we need to remember Wesley’s idea of small groups — classes — where we disciple one another and hold each other accountable, asking, “How’s it going with your relationship with Christ?” and “How can I be helpful or supportive?”Relational Impact
We are in the relationship business and as such we have to make ourselves available. Are you preparing for and expecting guests each and every Sunday? It starts with hospitality — making that first impression. More importantly radical hospitality — going above and beyond baseline expectations — because that’s what people will remember. Are there three points-of-contact: outside the building, at the exterior entrance — more than one entrance = more than one person — and then at the sanctuary doors? What is the pre-worship experience atmosphere? Is there anything scrolling on screens; is there any music in the background? What do you do after worship? If they come once, what’s going to have them come again? How do you follow up? How can we as lay people have a God-sized impact as part of hospitality and the connection process?Then there’s congregational care, which is different from pastoral care. Pastoral care (“the big stuff”) is done only by the pastor. But we can pray. We can go and share care and concern, and say, “Our pastor is aware that you are suffering, or having this issue, or is celebrating with you, and I’ll report back.” It’s about training. As laity we are called for congregational care, caring for one another.
Missions Impact
What does outreach mean? I think it’s both missions and service: good news and good deeds, together.Is your mission field your zip code, your school district, a two-mile radius? Is your mission field a street to the north, south, east, and west, or a highway, a dirt path, or a river? Name it and claim it! Intentionally name who God is calling your church to reach, own it, and then go after it. Communities are changing constantly so you should re-identify your mission field every year, making tweaks to your ministries, and sometimes even your vision.
You’ve got to partner with, and be an integral part of your community. Find out what your community needs are and how your church can be helpful. Jesus did not only hang out in the temple, He hung out with the sinners. Where do we go to hang out with the people that we’re trying to reach? Fresh Expressions is creating new places for new people in some very unusual places. Kayaking. Bar church. Meeting at the winery. Gym, yoga, hiking … all of those are meeting people where they’re at. What’s your passion? Where do you like to hang out? Begin a group, begin a Fresh Expression, and create those places outside your church for missions impact.
Worship with Impact
“WOW” worship” is when you say, “Wow! I experienced God.” “Wow! I can’t wait to tell somebody about that message.” “Wow! I can’t wait to invite someone to come with me.” You walk away changed, thinking about something, wanting to do something differently. It’s not flashing lights, a big band, and lots of noise. Worship is vertical and horizontal; it has to be multi-layered and meet all of the senses. Clergy and laity should design and lead worship together. Our hearts must ache more for the unchurched than for our preferences and traditions in worship.Impact-focused Lay Leadership
Our ministries should help us live into our vision and our mission. We need to be asking how each ministry is helping us make disciples. How are we stepping up with passion, in our areas of spiritual giftedness, to lead? It’s the job of laity to lead the ministries, not the pastor who is the teacher and the equipper.Do we have an intentional leadership development processes? We need to be raising up the next generation of leaders. Young people are looking for authentic, transparent leadership. Lay leaders should be governing the church and not managing it (the job of the pastor and staff.) We cannot be afraid of conflict. How you manage conflict, how you treat one another, how you come to the table to have healthy conversations make a big difference. Lay leaders need to mentor and collaborate with young people.
New Pastor’s Arrival: An Opportunity for Impact
A new pastoral appointment is a restart, an opportunity to look at your church through new eyes, to seek and listen to new ideas. Take advantage of it. As laity, take ownership of the mission and vision of your church. Reassess how you communicate. Reassess your mission field. Look at your strategies for making and growing disciples, building relationships, and developing leaders, and make changes as needed.
