Holy Currencies Part II
Last month I began to explain the concept of Holy Currencies. These are the 6 main blessings that God gives us that our church needs to sue if we are to develop sustainable ministry growth that changes lives. There are two goals we have in delving into this study
- To transform the way our community and church leaders think about church from a static, linear and maintenance-type mode to a dynamic, circulatory, and rejuvenating vision. To be a church that interacts with the wider community by maximizing the flow of spiritual, human, and economic resources.
- To empower our church and community leaders with skills and knowledge to serve their communities more inclusively by facilitating and developing access to their Holy Currencies, thereby making both the churches and their related communities more sustainable. (adapted from Eric Law, Holy Currencies Chalice Press 2013).
Previously I discussed the currencies of Relationship, Truth, and Wellness. This week we will examine Gracious Leadership, Time & Place, and Money.
Currency of Gracious Leadership: It is the ability to use skills, tools, models, and process to create gracious environments (grace margins) within which mutually respectful “relationships” and the discernment of “truth” across differences can be built.
Currency of Time: Refers to paid and volunteer time the leaders and members offer to the church or ministry.
Currency of Money: “Money” here means something generally accepted as a medium of exchange; a measure of value, or as a means of payment.
Let’s look further into the currency of Gracious Leadership. Gracious Leadership happens when we create a culture or environment around all of our meetings, activities, events, and worship – where people can encounter God’s grace. This is an intentional type of leadership. One that is based on lifting up certain values that can bring about or cultivate this kind of culture at each of our events. When this happens two results occur: 1) people of varying backgrounds, ages, race, or cultures immediately feel like they have experienced God’s grace and 2) These same people feel connected to God’s family. They feel like this is a place where they belong (despite our differences). This allows space for the currencies of relationship and Truth to be used to further connect people to God and thus bring about transformative change. The currency of Gracious Leadership is one that can often be sacrificed or ignore as we try to fulfill other values or goals. But if it is ignored, then there is no “space” for the currencies of Truth or Relationships to flow. The result is the cycle of blessings dries up and our ministry falters.
To be continued… in our next summit. “Seeing the overall picture of how this can revitalize our church.”
* * * * *
[button url=”http://www.alpinelutheran.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Summit-071017.pdf” target=”_blank” color=”blue” size=”large” border=”false” icon=”fa fa-file-pdf-o” btn_content=”Click Here to View the Full Summit”]