wfn.org | [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 332-'Change is good, ' pastor tells church development school

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

'Change is good,' pastor tells church development school

>Aug. 5, 2008

NOTE: A photograph is available at http://umns.umc.org.

>By Mary Beth Coudal*

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (UMNS)-In a video, the face of a pastor is pasted
onto the dancing body of Napoleon Dynamite, the title character in a
cult comedy movie of 2004.

People under 30 would appreciate the image; those over 40 might not,
said the Rev. Mark Beeson, who used the clip to introduce his address to
the 2008 United Methodist School of Congregational Development.

>His topic: "Innovate or Die."

The point throughout the animated presentation was that the church
should not fear changing ministries to reach young generations. If the
church does not reach the young people of today, it will not have much
of a future. "Change is good," he said.

The pastor of Granger (Ind.) Community United Methodist Church, Beeson
spoke to two audiences: one gathered in Grand Rapids and one by
satellite link in Orlando, Fla., as part of the six-day school that
ended Aug. 5.

"It's unbelievable the changes in technology and what it has done to
us," Beeson said. "We no longer learn in a linear fashion. ...
Everything is story and image."

The Gospel and the mission of the church never change, he said, but the
church must find strategies that will engage postmodern people to help
them take the next steps toward Christian discipleship.

Punctuating his point that change is good, Beeson said the church
expects people to change when they accept Christ. "The whole world
doesn't go to church," he said. "You have to give them a reason (to
come). Give them a why. ... Help people take their next steps towards
Christ. ... Is your cause worth the price of change?-because you're
asking people to change."

The School of Congregational Development is held annually to bring
together United Methodist pastors, administrators and laypeople to
become catalysts for church renewal and growth. The event is sponsored
by the United Methodist boards of Discipleship and the Global
Ministries.

Ministry tracks focused on new church starts, church renewal and
outreach to ethnic and minority populations. In speaking both of new church development or older church
revitalization, Beeson put heavy emphasis on vision, mission and the
question "so what?"

>"Mission is why you exist," he said.

Beeson founded the Granger church 22 years ago, and the congregation now
has a membership of about 5,000 and weekly worship attendance of about
6,000 in multiple services. He encouraged other pastors to challenge
members to use their best talents for the Gospel.

"Most of the people in our churches are under-challenged," he said,
recalling a woman who led a multimillion-dollar company but was only
asked to usher once a month by her church. "We do not challenge
high-capacity people enough," the speaker said. "Most people would
rather be swallowed by a whale than bitten to death by small fish."

*Coudal is a staff writer for the United Methodist Board of Global
Ministries.

News media contact: Linda Green, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

>********************

United Methodist News Service Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org

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