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40 Days of Prayer

May 18, 2009

Starting today the 18th of May, there is a prayer campaign – 40 days of prayer – for the purpose of renewal of the United Methodist Church, and I pray for the whole church.  It is being facilitated by Ben Simpson, who has organized forty young clergy authors to write prayers, then to organize themselves and others to be in prayer for direction, confession, and purpose.

I am blessed to be able to include these prayers within my weekly radio devotions (see the page with links).

I see this as an important ministry as we near the end of the Easter season, as we celebrate and remember Christ ascending, calling the early church to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit….and to pray!  They were to wait and pray, so that they might be given direction and purpose.  As we move towards the Day of Pentecost may we be open to the power of the Holy Spirit, that it might convict us, mold us, and call us forward into renewal and transformation.

God, use us and these forty days to ignite a fire of purpose and vision!  Amen.

Posted in Church Leadership, Goodland United Methodist Church, Ministry, United Methodist Church, Young Clergy | Leave a Comment »

I’m still here.

April 21, 2009

Hello all.  It has been almost two months since my last post.  I am sorry to be so slow with updating my blog.

Today I am in Washington, D.C., with the Lewis Fellows program.  We just had a session about Fruitful Leadership with Lovett Weems.  He pointed out the need for clergy to fulfill all three of these areas (skill sets): Character, Competence, …. AND Contribution.  He talked about the importance of asking about the fruits of our work and ministries. Lovett used the phrase, “so that” to get at the heart of our fruit and contribution.

To explain: we do the various aspects of our ministry (worship, preaching, visiting persons in the hospital, praying with people, visioning, facilitating meetings, etc.)….so that… (here we would fill in the fruit we plan to produce and harvest).  The practice of asking the “so that” question is vital to get at the heart of why we do what we do, or to what end.  It is really all about vision and the calling God places on us as clergy leaders and as congregations!

Lovett invited us to discern the fruit of the following practices to try this question out:

we worship…so that…_____________
we have a choir…so that…_____________
we have ushers…so that…_____________
we have a bulletin…so that…_____________

How we answer each of these questions ought to line up with one another and connect with the larger vision of our church!  Try it for yourself!

There are other learnings from the Lewis Fellows program that I want to reflect upon, but asking the “so that” fruit question is one of the most helpful!

Posted in Church Leadership, Ministry, Theology, Young Clergy | Leave a Comment »

Emotional Intelligence

February 18, 2009

I am a part of a group called KEEN (Kansas East Elisha Network), which is maybe a little wired, now that I am a member of the Kansas West Conference.  None-the-less, I was asked to make a post on a leadership topic.  Below is that post, which I invite your thoughts and comments.
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As some of you know I have been in the Lewis Fellows program through the Lewis Center for Church Leadership (connected to the Wesley Theological Seminary in D.C.).  We read a couple of books and discuss them every three months as part of our program.  One of the texts we have worked with is Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence, by Goleman, et. al (a link to Amazon.com). 

Here is my synopsis of the text:
The central finding of Emotional Intelligence research is that emotions are essentially contagious, and thus a leader’s attitude and energy can “infect” a workplace either for better or for worse.  With this in mind the authors stress the importance of “resonance“, which is the ability of leaders to perceive and influence the flow of emotions (including motivational states) between themselves and others with whom they work.  The fundamental importance of resonance rests, in part, upon a leader’s ability to put into practice the skill of empathic listening, as explored throughout the book.

Because of the implications for improving resonance, the authors emphasize throughout Primal Leadership the importance to leaders of self-awareness, which includes the ability to perceive and moderate the effect one is having on others.  This self-awareness is coupled with the ability to employ different leadership styles (they list and explain six) given the appropriate situation to create resonance. 

Here is a link to the six leadership styles they talk about.  Note that the styles of “Pace Setting” and “Commanding” have value and are important, but given specific situations.  If they are utilized too often or in the wrong context, they are most likely to produce dissonance and resistance to your vision.

Reflections:

  • When and where have you experienced the presence of resonance? And how were you or others able to affect its presence with your emotions?
  • What steps have you taken before (and ought to take again) to better understand your self-awareness?
  • What is your default leadership style? When is it most appropriate? How might you strengthen some of the other styles?

What are your thoughts?  I recommend this book for everyone!

Posted in Book Reflection, Church Leadership, Ministry | Leave a Comment »

Small Group Home Visits

February 9, 2009

One of the relational practices that we are doing in these first months at Goodland is organizing small group home visits.  They consist of about 10-16 people who gather for a meal or desert in someone’s home.  So far we have participated in four of these gatherings, with four more scheduled, and few not yet scheduled. 

During our time together we share in food and fellowship, getting to know one another better.  It is so life-giving to break bread with one another!  We also spend some time discussing three sets of questions:

  1. What do you like best about our church?  Why are you connected to our congregation?
  2. How can I best serve as your pastor?
  3. What do you want our church to be known for in five years?  What kind of church do you want us to be?

I have found that these questions are helpful to get us talking about the vision of who God is calling us to be.  It has been a joy to be in conversation about the various ministries and ways we might sharing in making disciples and working to transform our lives, our community, and our world. 

If you are a part of the Goodland congregation (or if you are visited this site and don’t attend our congregation, but have thoughts to add), please comment and offer your reflections on these questions!

Posted in Church Leadership, Goodland United Methodist Church, Kansas, Ministry | Leave a Comment »

Lewis Fellows in Atlanta, GA

January 20, 2009

Today I fly out for my third session of the Lewis Fellows program.  I am really loving this program.  I so appreciate the opportunities to be networked with many other younger clergy leadership from across the nation.  I appreciate the ministry sites we are able to visit and learn from.  I enjoy the texts that we have read and the assessments we have participated in.  I very much cherish the leadership from Dr. Lovett Weems and Ann Michel. 

If other younger clergy would like to learn more about this program and inquire about future classes, I am very open to receiving emails and sharing my reflections!

The Atlanta session will have a personal focus of “Physical Health.”  This focus is very practical and applicable for my life and ministry.  My most recent health exam highlighted that I need to eat better and exercise more regularly, so as to lower my cholesterol and keep my heart in better health.  The assessment I took in preparation for the Atlanta session of the Lewis Fellows, called Fit to Lead, highlighted the same needs.  I am beginning a program through the United Methodist Church called HealthMiles, which focuses on tracking and rewarding the walking we do every day.  I hope it, will be a good start to my strengthened health. 

The Atlanta session will also feature a leadership focus of “Leading Change.”  This is always a vital aspect of the leadership of clergy, as we help congregations live into God’s vision for their next steps.  In preparation for this session we were invited to read two texts: Leadership on the Lineby Heifetz and Linsky, and Rocking the Boatby Meyerson.  Both of these resources name ways in which leaders help affect change in their organizations, not for the sake of change, but for the purpose of helping the organization address their values, goals, and visions for life (and ministry!).  From a church prospective, it is about helping congregations live out their espoused identities and visions, doing so by making adaptive changes in their behaviors, habits, values, and worldviews.  Below are graphics for these two texts and links to purchase them via Amazon.com.

Leadership on the Line                                    rocking-the-boat

Posted in Church Leadership, Ministry, Uncategorized, Young Clergy | Leave a Comment »

New Page – More About Me

January 15, 2009

It is amazing that the most popular page/post of this blog is the one about me (232 views as of Jan 15, 2009).  I guess that is normal.  If I like a site/blog, I usually want to learn about the author…and am often left wishing there was more info.  So, this is my attempt at providing a little more story, background, and juicy details (OK, not really)!

Clergy Family:
Maybe the most unique part of my story is that I am a UM clergyperson, as is my wife, her sister, and the sister’s husband!  Yep.  All four of us (two sisters and their husbands) are UM clergy.  All four of us went to seminary at Saint Paul School of Theology and now serve in the state of Kansas.  Here is a pic from when Shelly was ordained, with all of us together in a row.


Pastoral Journey:
I have been very blessed with some really cool (and very diverse) pastoral placements since 2000.  I first served as the circuit riding pastor (not a horse but a Dodge Stratus) for three small-membership congregations south of the Kansas City Metro area – Parker, Beagle, and Fontana UMCs.  It was a really great first appointment.  The people really took as part of their ministry the raising up of new clergy leaders.  I was blessed!  I lived half of the week in Parker and the other half in Kansas City, MO. 

When I graduated from seminary (with a Master of Divinity degree) I moved to Northeast Philadelphia.  It was culture shock no doubt, but a really cool adventure!  Over the course of the first two years I served as the pastor of two congregations in urban settings with changing neighborhoods (Tabernacle Memorial and Central/Rehoboth UMCs).  I served part-time while attending Princeton Theological Seminary seeking a Master of Theology degree in Biblical Interpretation: New Testament.  (I had thought I might be called to a ministry of teaching in a seminary.)

My third and final year in PA was one where I served and focused my ministry on one congregation – Bristol: Harriman UMC.  It was an opportunity to focus more on my local church ministry and the importance of its context and local community.  I also enjoyed my role within the Conference Committee on Finance and Administration.

In 2006 Shelly and I shared in being placed together in a larger membership church in Olathe, KS.  Yes, we came back to our home state.  We were both Associate Pastors (not main preaching pastors, but had other more specialized ministries).  I served as the pastoral of discipleship and evangelism for Grace UMC of Olathe.  Much of my ministry was that of adult education, helping people get connected, and reaching out with various ministries. 

I hope to provide more information – or change it at times.  Let me know your thoughts!  Dustin

Posted in Church Leadership, Clergy Couples, Family, Kansas, Ministry, Theology | Leave a Comment »

I’m Back!

January 9, 2009

Hello all!  It has been a little crazy moving this past month, celebrating the Advent and Christmas seasons, getting to know many of my new congregation in Goodland, and trying to get unpacked.  We still have a lot of boxes to go through.  Thanks for everyone who offered us so much care and support in this transition!  We appreciate you!

I look forward to getting back into the flow of blogging and communicating about my ministry, what is going on at Goodland UMC, and sharing my reflections about discipleship on the way!  Sorry for the long break.

Website:  We are working on a new website for the Goodland United Methodist Church, which is in its early stages, but I am hopeful!  I just made it live, so here is a link.  We will get our church’s domain name connected soon.

Radio Spots:  I will begin on Monday, the 12th of January, a new radio ministry – new to me.  On KKCI and KLOE at 6:10am MST each day of the week, I will have a short devotion as part of the Good Neighbor Hour programing.  I have recorded the first week’s sessions, and have plans to connect those recordings to this blog and the church’s new website, so that people can listen to them again or hear ones that they missed. 

Shaylin’s Baptism:  Shaylin was baptized on January 4th by the United Methodist Clergy of her family: Jenny, John, Shelly, and myself.  It was quite a site to see.  I don’t have all the pics ready, but will get them up soon.

Shaylin’s First Christmas:  Don’t you just love this cute pic!

Posted in Church Leadership, Family, Goodland United Methodist Church, Kansas, Ministry | Leave a Comment »

Giving God Thanks!

November 27, 2008

It is with great thanks to God and those around me that I post today!  We (my family and I) are truly blessed.  This past year has been a one of much chaos and great blessing and so I take this time to reflect and say thanks. 

We were blessed with the birth of an amazing little girl, who continues to be healthy and a joy – thanks be to God!  We are blessed to have great family who support us, challenges us, and love us – thanks be to God!  We are blessed to have had a great journey with Grace UMC these past 2.5 years – thanks be to God!  We are blessed to begin now a new journey with Goodland UMC – thanks be to God!  We are blessed to have had a great home in Olathe, and now a great parsonage in Goodland – thanks be to God!  We are blessed to have Shelly graduate from Drew with her D.Min. degree – thanks be to God!  We are blessed to have such great relationships with our clergy peers throughout Kansas and to be connected in so many different ways – thanks be to God!  We are blessed to have ministries where we can grow our walk with God and deepen our understanding of what we are called to do and be and pastoral leaders – thanks be to God! 

We are blessed.  Thanks be to God.  Thanks be to those who shape and form our lives.

For what do you give thanks?

Posted in Family, Ministry | 4 Comments »

Grace to Goodland – 6 of 6

November 14, 2008

Today I offer my final reflection in this cycle where I have sought to name my grief and hope in this transition.  I actually need to get packing (not a figure of speech, but literally!), so I may have only a few posts for a few weeks.  First, here is our schedule:

  • Last worship services at Grace (all five) – Nov 22 & 23
  • Loading our stuff onto the truck – Nov 24
  • Unload in Goodland – Nov 26
  • See family for Thanksgiving – Nov 29-30
  • Start at Goodland – Dec 1

One of my joys (along with being able to teach classes as part of the Lay Academy, organize the Lay Academy, work on the new website, and learn more about ministry and visioning in a large church) has been working on the Site Planning & Expansion Task Force.  Since I arrived in 2006 we have been looking at and reflecting on our current space and the ministry to which God is calling Grace.  It has been a joy to help bring together statistical data to describe and illuminate our situation.  It has been a joy to hear of people’s visions for ministries. 

I see Grace moving forward in a building project within a few years, if not in the coming year.  I have been able to learn about and work through the capital campaign and initial drawings of the space we seek.  My grief is that I won’t have the blessing of learning and helping to lead through the whole process.  I am a guy who likes numbers, visioning, imagining spaces, conceiving of ways to bring transformation to people’s lives, …oh and blueprints!  Especially blueprints!  I will miss the difficulties and joys of seeing this possible project through and then helping Grace reach out in ministry and discipleship with this new tool.  Blessings on the team who has been working on this for these past years. 

Who knows, maybe building space for ministry is still in my future!

Posted in Church Leadership, Ministry | Leave a Comment »

Grace to Goodland – 5 of 6

November 13, 2008

Today’s reflection is one of joy for being in Goodland, KS …in two weeks!  I love Western KS.  I love the open spaces.  I love the wheat fields.  I love the general tenor of the people that live there.  They are my people!  I am excited about being in the smaller community and going to the local sports events.  I look forward to maybe participating in harvest – I used to drive a combine during harvest you know (an 860 Massey-Ferguson with a 30′ header)!  I look forward to living closer to my extended family – my mother’s side from Cheyenne County, my wife’s father’s family in McDonald, and even my family in 2-3 hours away in Hays, McCracken, and Russell.  Finally, I am excited to live closer to the Rockies (this is the joy that many people of Olathe highlight for us!).

Posted in Church Leadership, Family, Kansas, Ministry | Leave a Comment »

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