From the MGB Comm Observation Deck #1

The principles of our Presbyterian Polity trust in the fundamental work of the Spirit of Christ expressed when presbyters are gathered together in governing bodies. But how are those governing bodies best organized to be responsive both to the Spirit of Christ and the changing opportunities for discipleship? Are our historical structures the best platforms for carrying our mission into the future? Where can the General Assembly carefully discern the wider scope of middle governing body form, function, and mission?  From the Rationale for the Charge to the Middle Governing Body Commission

It’s been said that in order to truly understand and bring genuine adaptive change, leaders must be committed to both “listening on the dance floor” and “looking from the balcony.”  For the better part of the past four months, the Middle Governing Body Commission has been out on the dance floor with our ears to the ground listening for the voice of the Spirit amidst the whirl and swirl of PCUSA life.  And we are certainly not finished. 

If anything, we realize that our listening is just beginning.  And even though we are only a short bit into the dance, we wanted to stop the music for a bit and invite you all to take a breather on the balcony with us to see what we are beginning to see.  Over the next few weeks, I’ll offer some of our nascent, emerging, tentative, speculative, cautious, written-in-pencil, “rough-draft” observations (is that enough disclaimers? :) ). These are some of the patterns, concepts and ideas that are already becoming apparent, at least to us, and we think are worthy of consideration and critique by the larger church.  Consider it a moment of looking out over the church from an “Observation Deck” and my attempt to point out something so that we can ask you if you are seeing the same thing that we are. 

Observation #1: For Presbyterians, the Process IS the Product.

Well, if not “the” product, “a” (hugely significant) product.  We Presbyterians are process people.  As much as we want to get to a good result, we want to get there in a good way that is consistent with our convictions.  We want to honor our history, consider our covenants and take seriously the challenges of a changing world before we start making changes.  But especially, we want every voice to be heard.  We believe that every perspective must be presented.  Our charge for the MGB Commission even requires us to do so and we have accepted that charge most cheerfully. 

This point was only emphasized by the serendipity (irony?, divine synchronicity? ) that at the very time that Commissioners were making their way through the snow storms that covered our country, there was a whirlwind of conversation around the recent letter that came from a group of large church pastors.  The perception that any group of pastors would initiate a conversation without collaborating across the church or within their own presbyteries has led to significant criticism and widespread rejection of their ideas even before the proverbial “ink on the page” is dry.  Their process has clearly hampered their product.  At the same time, the response letter from our Louisville leaders was widely praised because they not only acknowledged the issues raised by the pastors, but also called on the whole church to join (not reject!) the conversation. 

For me, as the Moderator of the #MGBComm (as we are known in the Twitter world), charged with bringing to the next General Assembly  “models” for organizing governing bodies that are “responsive both to the Spirit of Christ and the changing opportunities for discipleship,” the most important first observation is that healthy change begins with listening.  (This is a good discipline for me, because, well frankly, I am a much better talker than listener most of the time.)  When I listen well on the dance floor, I begin to see things from the balcony that I would otherwise miss.

I was invited to the Large Church Pastors gathering in Phoenix to make a presentation on the MGB Commission.  For 8 minutes or so, I talked about the necessary collaboration that is required for a ‘new model’ to come before our Commission (beginning with working within our respective presbyteries and synods and being consistent with our current Constitution).  For the rest of the 23 hours and 52 minutes of the gathering, I mostly just listened.  And while the Commission really didn't spend much time on it (we are only charged with responding to overtures that come from MGBs and go through the Stated Clerks office), I did reflect with them a little bit on some lessons I am learning about the importance of process 

Frankly, in Phoenix, I  heard a desire for a much better ‘process’--a more open, humble and collaborative process--than was communicated in the letter.  There were repeated exhortations for a wider conversation across the whole spectrum of the church.  The four “points” of their letter were never communicated as “steps to schism” but as “streams of strategies”.  (And those four streams represented a huge diversity of opinion even within the narrow social strata in the room.) While not all, certainly the largest group of pastors wanted to work for good changes within the current denomination.

I share this because the product of the meeting (the letter) in my opinion, was not consistent with the process I observed.  And the responses to the letter have become part of what I believe is both a healthy response of critique and engagement and also a sad reflection of our history of pain and anger that can keep us locked in patterns of reactivity instead of more thoughtful response.  (Once again, I want to hold up the example of our Moderator, Stated Clerk and GAMC Executive Director as a model that I personally hope to follow.)

 Our Process is (at least a good part) of our Product.  We need to hear even more voices.  If we are going to part of bringing change to our church it is going to have to be the change that comes from the WHOLE church. 

I have already registered for the NEXT church gathering to hear from another group that is looking for ways to address the challenges of a changing world.  Our Commission is fanning out across the country to have face-to-face consultations with over two dozen groups. We are asking the Committee on Representation to help us schedule consultation calls with every constituency that we might otherwise overlook.  Our Commission has a strategy for consulting with every synod, every Presbytery, every Session, indeed, every Presbyterian.  We will have consultations and conference calls, surveys and online discussion groups.  We will be at the Big Tent and Board of Pension gatherings.  We will meet with EPs and Synod Execs and the OGA and the GAMC.  We have a team looking for models that are already bearing fruit and offering us a glimpse into a hopeful future.  We are even talking to other denominations that are facing the same challenges. 

We have a website that has all of the minutes, presentations and reading material that we are using.  We have a Facebook Discussion Group, We are “tweeting” our way through this process (@mgbcomm, #mgbcomm) and invite anyone and everyone to chime in, feed-back, suggest, probe, question, and critique… and work within your presbyteries and synods to come up with models for greater missional effectiveness in a changing world (so that we can all learn from them!)

And in case any of you still feel as if you aren’t sure how to get your voice heard, here is my personal contact information: tod@scpres.org.(You can also “friend” me on Facebook or “Follow” me on Twitter @todbol) 

The value of any product that we bring to the next General Assembly is absolutely dependent on a much larger, listening, process.  

That’s our first observation.  (With more to come.)  What’s yours?

Comments

[gooeelf]

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Tumble delivers sports and also the Entire world String. Pumpkin spots. Highly detailed clean air. Brilliantly coloured foliage is amazing. Garden and also back garden tidy up. However i feel, migrating birds tend to be Autumn's actual trademark celebration. Don't you? Think it over for a moment. You may have to travel to find fall months foliage, a pumpkin spot or even a sports sport. Yet I believe you will find a place to look at migrating parrots close to where you live, otherwise right in the back garden. Every fall months, greater than Your five BILLION birds migrate around North America, bridging your U.Azines. and also Europe from charges associated with tens of thousands and thousands every day. Now individuals are a handful of critical figures. Therefore, allows continue your migration chat along with experience. It's delayed September/early March...Do you know where the chickens tend to be? Everyone has recently been captivated by this kind of twelve-monthly migration associated with birds for millennia. The great Aristotle composed in regards to the wintering habits involving chickens 3,000 years back. He or she realized that a number of wild birds visited to be able to hotter areas to invest the wintertime. Actually is well liked wrongly believed that several wild birds just like ingests hibernated to live the harsh winter months. This particular principle persevered for two main,500 years! As you know, not all of the chickens travel. Some wild birds remain wherever these are. Clean jays, Upper cardinals as well as Chickadees are usually an example of local and native birds that remain year-round. A few birds have irruption decades in which they deomonstrate within wonderful amounts. This past year ended up being an irruption 12 months regarding Common redpolls and also Red breasted nuthatches. Parrots in which traveled hundreds of mls to identify a food source. These types of parrots have been appearing in numerous areas where they will usually are not seen. Not true moving wild birds, nevertheless chickens in which move around some decades will be the Bush breasts in the Pacific cycles coastline place. Maybe you have other wild birds in the area which don't actually migrate, but move around several (inside a approximately 200 miles) while they keep to the foodstuff solutions. A few wild birds, without the migratory hen, become nearly as intelopers. Vagabonds while they speculate about around. Plank waxwings match this kind of bill. Frequently small, and even large flocks regarding waxwings will show up through zero wherever. That they remove your current berries along with fresh fruit trees and shrubs, never to be observed again throughout the season. Some times they stuff by themselves in a drunken stupor about fermented many fruits and also go away the particular divisions they are clinging in order to. Novice bird watchers might think their United states goldfinches possess migrated. Whenever, ahead of their particular sight the Male goldfinch provides moulted from his or her excellent reproduction black and yellow limit, to some boring olive environmentally friendly. You will find, they in no way left. However, United states goldfinches could plus some areas perform travel brief miles a few a long time One hundred to 200 mls. Even so, a new documented migration of a single, banded goldfinch inside New york, Canada, found themselves within La, U . s .. A normal Goldfinch migration may well incorporate your own chickens relocating one hundred mls, but they are replaced by far more northen goldies a week or two after. A great deal regarding cast in stone rules regarding migration. However ,...A lot of us obtain fall along with winter season website visitors like Bright crowned sparrows as well as United states shrub sparrows. Wild birds through northern Canada that will winter season over in our own yards or at best stop by in order to their particular winter houses inside the middle in order to southern U . s .. Some other North wild birds such as Dim eyed juncos and also Compacted snow buntings turn into winter season favorites or even a manifestation of Winter's arriving when you see the first junco. Many birds don't bother emigrate till 12 , as well as live there in a very gentle wintertime. Although some chickens start fall or perhaps summer season migration around This summer and also September, October may be the huge 30 days regarding migration. Morning light develops shorter on a daily basis. Time timepieces are generally ticking. Some thing within tells huge amounts of wild birds in order to fatten upward. However the temperature is nonetheless nice and there's lots of foods, how is it that they're going currently? Or even it may be...It really is freezing out and throwing out, why are you ridiculous parrots even now here? Contrary to popular belief, parrots progress not really because the weather conditions becomes freezing, however since meals items may come to an end. With all the coming associated with winter season, bug existence dead straight down, snow addresses the ground, normal water stops over: Natural cupboard has become bare. Chickens that can locate a thing to eat will frequently live there, for example metropolis best racing pigeons or carrion-eating crows. A lot of robins remain in north of manchester land as long as there exists meals sufficient to enable them to make it through. Many birds change diet programs via fruit as well as insects for you to fruit as well as plant seeds or plant seeds along with insect offspring and so forth. Several wild birds we're acquainted with, similar to our cherished hummingbirds. What happens they will prey on. You may retain documents for the day you first see one when the very last 1 leaves. Daylight influence over 95% regarding starting moment, even though conditions can also add on to or even remove coming from departure moment. As an example, Typically my personal hummingbirds remain until Sept 24th/25th. My spouse and i still a good amount of flowers flowering along with the weather conditions are still warm enough to be able to gives pests. But, several decades are uncommonly cool and an earlier ice can come just before departure time. When the neat conditions persist, they're going to leave early since meals materials are lacking. In the event the climate is abnormally hot, the particular may well, may just hold off a few more days and nights. This really is more common teen that hasn't went through the rigors involving migration. Re-decorating the reason why you want to maintain bird feeders away a month or more longer. 3 years back, I had created hummers into the subsequent full week involving April. Uncommon? Yes, however it can occur. Usually these chickens depart inside very same 7 days every year along with give back within one time in the Spring. With out a alert or perhaps a easy good-by, these are long gone. Similar to clock function, ingests come and go. Acquire while the acquiring is great. Temperature is positive, foods solutions are all around. Precisely what are that they waiting for. Numerous type of birds congregate within areas, wetlands, lakes, waters and other areas waiting around. These areas are classified as hosting places. Including excess fat as well as waiting for cool times and perchance a new northerly breeze to assistance with southerly migration. Some wild birds are generally loners (hummingbirds) along with setting off on there very own. While many in our migrating chickens journey through the night in order to avoid potential predators or innovators, a few birds take a trip in daytime. The day migrants include some of the wading birds along with geese, loons, cranes, gulls, pelicans, hawks, ingests, nighthawks, as well as swifts. Rising parrots, including Broad-winged Hawks, storks, and also vultures, are only able to travel in daytime his or her function of airfare means they are influenced by updrafts produced either by simply winter convection or deflection of wind by simply topographic features such as hillsides as well as pile part rails. Swifts as well as ingests nourish positioned on flying pesky insects, and also circling flocks of the types are often noticed in late summertime eating because they travel steadily southward. Getting your current dinner quickly as we say. In the same manner, big flocks associated with Franklin's Gulls inside Fantastic Flatlands go after pests trapped within thermals. With such updrafts as a food source as well as the implies allowing rising airline flight that will bears all of them on his or her voyage along with minimal spending associated with muscle tissue strength. Significant flocks associated with Swainson's Hawks additionally move inside Flatlands Declares by winter rising. Within the Eastern, flights associated with Broad-winged, Cooper's, and also Sharp-shinned hawks tend to be frequently witnessed along the Appalachian ridges, rising around the uplifted westerlies moving over the crest from the mountain tops. Due to the fact a lot of type of wading and going swimming wild birds can give food to at all several hours, these people progress either by day or perhaps night time. Some snorkeling parrots, including ducks that will submerge while in threat, frequently travel above drinking water during the day well as over property through the night. Strong pamphlets like Excellent skiing conditions Geese will make the entire journey using their holding place in John Fresh, Europe to the wintering grounds on the La Gulf coastline in one continuous trip. Snowfall geese happen to be registered leaving David These types of and arriving around the Gulf coast of florida coastline 60 several hours later on after having a non cease flight regarding 62 a long time as well as over 1,700 a long way in an regular pace involving 31 miles per hour. Attempt that will on a tank of gas. Because most parrots are generally critters of daylight, it seems like exceptional that many should select the evening for long travel. Smaller sized wild birds just like side rails, flycatchers, orioles, most of the sparrows, the particular warblers, vireos, along with thrushes are normal evening time migrants. Fairly to get hardwoods as well as fields one day time almost unwelcoming of fowl living a good for the subsequent morning stuffed with newly appeared migrants in which came throughout the night and could commit a few days because they re-fuel their own excess fat materials. All around us, marshes along with swamplands tend to be filling along with Red-winged-blackbirds as they are in countdown. Often I see and listen to flocks involving waterfowl at night time and that i may notice additional avian close friends hurtling overheads. Findings made out of telescopes focused on the complete celestial body overhead show processions involving chickens, and one viewer approximated their verse above his or her area in the fee regarding 9,000 per hour. This provides you with some signal from the variety of wild birds in mid-air in the evening in the course of migratory peaks. Mouth observations have demostrated in which night time migration starts approximately one hour following sunset, actually reaches a new highest shortly before night, and after that progressively decreases until finally daybreak. Fowl echoes through top migration durations may possibly protect any mouth monitor. Experts recommend in which little parrots travel through nighttime to prevent their foes. To some extent this may be genuine for the reason that class contains not only vulnerable pamphlets, but also the little insectivorous chickens, for example wrens, tiny natrual enviroment flycatchers, as well as other varieties in which repeatedly stay pretty much within concealment. These kind of wild birds are most likely significantly less hazardous producing his or her flights within the safeguarding cloak regarding the dark. On the other hand, it ought to be valued that night time migrants also include sandpipers and also plovers. The majority of shorebirds usually are found in the open up and are one of the most powerful flyers, while a number of them help make annual nonstop migratory flights around Two,1000 mls regarding wide open sea. Evening travel is among the most ideal for virtually all wild birds predominantly in the perspective associated with feeding. Digestive function is incredibly rapid within birds, and yet the particular stomach associated with wild birds killed in daytime usually contains meals. To change the energy needed for prolonged trip, it is vital which possibly foodstuff end up being received in relatively brief intervals, or even stores involving fat always be put upon ahead of migration. If the scaled-down migrants were to make protracted plane tickets during the day, they might go to their destination in nightfall nearly tired. Since they will be totally sunshine feeders, they might be unable to get foodstuff until the pursuing morning. Not being able to feed would postpone further travel arrangements along with lead to excellent low energy or even actually loss of life ought to their particular night appearance coincide together with frosty or stormy temperature. Simply by vacationing during the night, they can pause at sunrise along with devote the complete period of daytime for you to different giving and also relaxing. This kind of plan makes it possible for complete recuperation as well as resumption in the voyage on the up coming nighttime following sufficient body fat have been renewed. Banding studies show that this number of days somebody lays above within a migration end will be inversely influenced by the volume of it's excess fat retailers on birth and also climate conditions. It has also been hypothesized that will evening migration is effective since environmental temps are typically much cooler. The trouble involved in migratory trip creates significant temperature. The primary manner in which traveling birds free high temperature so that you can keep a good perfect temperature is via your water loss water from oxygen sacs which are part of their inhaling and exhaling method. Without a doubt, contamination as a result of regulation of body temperature rather than the volume of fat shops most likely restrictions the gap a fowl can easily fly without layovers. Thus, by flying within chillier air, which in turn raises temperature reduction simply by transferring and also convection, much less chilling through water loss involving restricted body h2o is needed along with airline flight mileage tend to be expanded. These kinds of outstanding, feathered, hurtling equipment are to near best. Each of our Creator's nature is really a wonder in order to see so we ought to be in Amaze associated with his or her operates. Even if they do not continue to be all year round for people to enjoy. Make sure to study components A couple of and three upon migration.

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