Archive for category: August

It’s seldom easy to accept change. We may often hear people say, ‘In the good old days … ’ and ‘This is the way we’ve always done it’. Still, as worship numbers dwindle and congregations struggle to remain viable in parts of the LCANZ, we wonder what the future holds for our Lutheran communities. Pastor and writer Reid Matthias asks if this is the end of the church as we know it, what’s next?

by Reid Matthias

It’s painful to write this.

When someone you know and love is nearing the point when end-of-life decisions must be made, we tend to desire miracles. Pleading with God, raging against the machinations of a seemingly fickle existence, we pray that the disease might be taken away so that we can return to normal life.

All of us know someone, maybe many, who is dealing with a debilitating and/or terminal illness. Whether cancer, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s or dementia, these painful attacks on the body cause us to confront our own mortality, but even more pressing, the mortality of those we love who are about to be moved into the dreaded realm of memory only.

In times like these, the dying process can be helped by utilising palliative care where the aims are ‘to give the best possible quality of life to someone’ who is seriously ill or about to die. ‘It helps people live their life as … comfortably as possible’ (Health Direct definition). During the palliative process, the dying and their families are given options. In palliative care, the patient and family do not necessarily end all treatments, but they select which treatments are important and which are not.

Similarly, the church, as we know it, is dying. There are many diseases that have ravaged the body over the centuries; yet it has survived. I won’t list the cancers or syndromes which have been chronicled ad nauseam by a particularly virulent anti-religious world press. But it feels like in the past 25 years or so, the writing has been on the wall.

The church we’ve known and loved, the place of relationship and connection, of spiritual health and healing, of music and ministry to the joyful and the bereaved, is waiting for the end.

There are options, of course. Treatments will not end. Worship in buildings will continue. We will share the stories of the past with great fondness. Similar to attending to a loved one as they move on from this life to the next, sharing humorous moments, times of connection, we, the church, will gather to reminisce about the time Jane accidentally tipped the communion cup onto the floor, Ezra knocked out a window playing cricket in the church hall or those wonderful Christmas services where we came together to celebrate a God who descended to us as Immanuel – a baby born for all people.

Yes, we will still share the stories and we’ll make the church feel comfortable as the pain overtakes it. As it intermittently writhes in agony, with the shock and fear of what comes next, we will attempt to treat it with loving kindness, hold its hand and tell it we loved everything about it – the good, the bad and the exquisite.

But, the statistics don’t lie.

We don’t need to be spiritual doctors to read the charts. All metrics for church ‘attendance’ are down. Buildings are being closed and repurposed. Financial donations are shrinking. A secular world, that has no interest in the things of the Spirit, tears down faithful, caring and serving communities.

Can you see that the building is crumbling?

And yet isn’t this the very thing that Jesus spoke about when they were on a lovely morning walk? ‘As he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What impressive buildings!” Jesus said to him, “Do you see great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another – all will be thrown down”’ (Mark 13:1,2).

In John 2:19–21, ‘Jesus answered (the Jewish officials), “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days”. Therefore they responded, “This temple took 46 years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?” But Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body.’

Isn’t Jesus still speaking about the temple of his body? Isn’t the body of Christ still the people of Christ, the living, moving and breathing church? The people who, from the very beginning, ‘ … were God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared ahead of time for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10)?

As the church buildings from around the world enter the final phase of their existence, the next generation of faithful people, those who have received the stories of a loving God from the faithful before them, must have ‘their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith’ (Hebrews 12:2). The living, moving and breathing church, the people, must seek God’s vision for the people post-church-building/temple age. What does this look like?

Firstly, we have the opportunity to treat the building-centric church with dignity, care and respect. We continue treatments of joy and celebration for all that God has done. We remember.

Secondly, we engage the collective energy and wisdom of new generations of believers who are champing at the bit to understand both their faith and how it is utilised in the same world that has brought about the last gasp of the building-centric church. We, as older members of the body, diligently take a step back to hear and to be led by the newest church builders full of what John Perry Barlow calls ‘Digital Natives’, who understand the next phase of building up the church and reinforcing it with spiritual pillars rather than those of stone.

Lastly, we thank God for the gift of life in Jesus. Many things may pass away, but the Word of God will not.

Reid Matthias is Lead Pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Para Vista, in suburban Adelaide. He is also the author of the faith-reflection internet blog I Reid, where this story was first published as ‘The Church in Palliative Care’, and the novels Butcher and Baker.

by Libby Jewson

Change is not easy and can bring fear, uncertainty and insecurity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to our home, work and worship lives, including some that we would have thought unimaginable just 18 months ago.

It has put further pressure on our faith communities, too, through church closures, ongoing but ever-changing restrictions, increasing compliance requirements and the need to re-think and adapt how we conduct and take part in worship and how we engage with and serve the communities around us.

I believe this has left many people weary – especially in my home state of Victoria – and, in some cases, they are disheartened about life and church.

Even before COVID, some people within the LCANZ expressed fears that change in the world around us would threaten the very survival of our church as we have known it. Others believe a viable future for the church comes down to whether or not we are prepared to change to connect with and minister to that ‘world’. Coupled with already-dwindling attendances in many mainstream churches, including ours prior to 2020, we may feel that we face the multi-pronged attacks of hostility from without and division within.

But it’s not all doom and gloom – far from it. We are all God’s children, and his unfathomable love is the one constant, unchanging reality for the world. Also, our Father, Son and Spirit have promised to be with us, walk alongside us and hold us in loving arms as we face the trials of life, including unexpected and unwanted changes.

And many great things are happening across the Lutheran community in Australia and New Zealand. There are indeed differences in thinking across the church about how and whether we need to change to not just survive, but thrive as we seek to further God’s kingdom. But I believe we can work together to address these differences. And I am hopeful we can do this collaboratively in a spirit of trust and respect.

From my experience in both church and professional life, I believe that managing change well and coming through the other side stronger is all about working in respectful partnerships with others, including – and even especially – those we may disagree with.

One image used to describe this partnership of ‘opposites’, is that of the place where the river meets the sea – fresh water and saltwater mingling into one body, but each still existing in its own right. It’s an image evoked in the Archie Roach song Liyarn Ngarn which, translated from the Yawuru First Nations language, literally means ‘a coming together of spirits’. It is a place of richness and vitality. It is also the metaphor used for the theme of the LCA’s Reconciliation Action Plan website (www.rap.lca.org.au).

Such collaborations of disparate partners suggest that, when we are open to and respectful in working with people of different viewpoints, each can learn from and be enriched and blessed by the other.

We also may come to humbly recognise that each person is individually gifted by God and has a role to play in bringing the good news of Christ’s saving sacrifice and love to the world, as we read in 1 Peter 4:10 (‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace’), 1 Corinthians 12:14 (‘For the body is not one member, but many’) and elsewhere. I am an accredited partnership broker and partnerships and system change have been passions of mine for more than two decades. Perhaps more helpfully described as a change-maker, bridge-builder or servant leader, a partnership broker is an active ‘go-between’ who supports partners in navigating their journey together by helping them to create a map, plan their route, choose their ‘mode of transport’ and change direction when necessary.

Partnerships can be reactive, adaptive or transformative. Reactive partnerships are formed as a strategy to deliver outcomes within the framework of the existing status quo – in other words, without significant change. Adaptive partnerships are designed to deliver development that occurs somewhat separate from, but alongside, the mainstream – so it will involve some change, though not likely fast or revolutionary. Transformative partnerships are intentionally created to challenge and change mainstream systems and mindsets.

The world’s longest-established organisation dedicated to multi-stakeholder partnering, The Partnering Initiative (https://thepartneringinitiative.org/), outlines the ‘partnering cycle’ in The Partnering Toolbook. This cycle goes through the phases of scoping needs and building relationships, managing and maintaining such elements as governance arrangements and partner capacities, reviewing and revising the partnership effectiveness and collaboration agreement and, finally, sustaining outcomes within partnerships. The cycle can then continue as the partnership matures and develops.

Many things can threaten productive partnerships, according to the Partnership Brokers Association (PBA), the international professional body for those managing and developing collaboration processes.

Challenges that partnerships commonly face include anxiety about differences between the partners, power imbalances, hidden agendas, competitiveness and uncertainty.

In each case though, the PBA says there are core principles the partnership can adopt to address these, and benefits that result from them, as outlined in the table below.

CHALLENGE                              KEY PRINCIPLE            LEADS TO

Anxiety about difference               Diversity                                New value

Power imbalance                            Equity                                     Respect

Hidden agendas                              Openness                               Trust

Competitiveness                             Mutual benefit                      Commitment

Uncertainty                                      Courage                                 Breakthrough results

Some relationships don’t reflect partnership behaviour – there may be an imbalance in communication between the members or the intent of partnership principles may not be understood. These are simply about exchanging information or are more operational.

A genuine partnership features mutual accountability and shared risk between the partners. The partners are equal and develop goals and strategies together, paving the way for exciting and often unimaginable outcomes at the start of the partnership journey.

Of course, there are many benefits and blessings that can flow from working together in genuine partnerships, including in our church. We gain knowledge, capabilities and resilience in the face of change. Partnerships can also help each member to develop a healthy curiosity about the other member/s and a willingness to understand and learn as they work together. This helps to get rid of rushing to judgement about other ministries. And this is not a new concept; there are many examples of this happening already.

In a simple example, when congregations and families team up, aided by resources and support from district and churchwide child and youth ministries, the faith of our youngest members is nurtured. For many years, congregations have established and partnered with Lutheran schools, and work with them in mission. Partnerships can also exist between churches located in the same region, as through this collaboration they discover opportunities for projects and ministry that haven’t even been thought of yet!

So how do we use the same strategy of working in genuine, equitable partnerships when we face far more complex questions, uncertainties and change together as a church? The development of a partnership agreement derived using a collaborative process and the framework as outlined allows for this. Once the partners begin to follow the principles and work together, there is no end to the projects that could develop and exciting opportunities that may arise.

The key is to recognise that it is only through God’s grace that we can hope to put aside our will and prayerfully seek to follow his leading together, especially when circumstances change. Then we can explore ways in which partnerships could provide opportunities for the unforced rhythms of grace (Matthew 11:28–30) – continually coming in to Jesus’ rest and going out in his grace. Working together is always more effective than working in silos.

We will hear God’s voice through the partnership as we put aside our differences to work together and seek to do his will. Are there more opportunities that we have not yet taken up as a church where we can adopt a partnership approach?

A member at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church North Geelong, Victoria, Libby Jewson has worked in organisation and systems design, agency partnerships, leadership and management and, most recently, leadership in the family violence sector. She also has extensive experience in multi-sector and multi-organisational partnerships. She is the chair of the Greater Geelong Lutheran Forum, which brings together the leaders and pastors of three Lutheran parishes, Geelong Lutheran College and Araluen Lutheran Camp, to explore opportunities to do things better together that they can’t do alone.