Intentionality is one of the key threads running through my doctoral thesis. I’m playing with some nested statements to provide a summary of one of the main threads:
- Growing disciples requires intentional formation and education in Christian faith.
- Christian formation and education require intentional Christian faith practices and community-building.
- Christian practices and community-building require intentional leadership.
- Leadership needs to be intentionally adaptive in order to connect past traditions with present contexts.
- Adaptive leadership intentionally involves people in (re)forming Christian learning in the present and for the future.
For leaders, intentionality means being proactive and purposeful in these areas:
- Leading a learning community
- Fostering growth in Christian practices
- Exercising the ministry of teaching
- Choosing and/or designing curricula (resources for teaching and learning)
- Fostering a positive relational climate for learning
- Improvisation and innovation in learning
- Connecting learning with mission
What might this look like in terms of congregational leadership?
Here are some possible indicators:
- A high and regular priority on the Church Council agenda
- Designated leaders for formation and education
- High level of participation by the minister/s and church staff
- Equipping and encouraging leaders
- Forward planning in terms of programming
- An adequate budget and resources
- Positive language and expectations about growth in this area
- Regular communication with the congregation about this area
- Constant conversation among key leaders about this
- Formal and informal evaluation processes
- Celebrating growth in individuals, groups and the congregation as a whole
- Active experimentation about how to do things more effectively
- Active promotion and recruitment to increase participation
What do you think?