GLACIER PRESBYTERY CORE VALUES
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1. LEADERSHIP
Jesus worked on leadership development with his disciples. Luke 22:25-27 is an example.
The disciples were arguing about which one was to be regarded as the greatest. Jesus told
them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them . . . but not so with you; rather the greatest
among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. I am among
you as one who serves.”
Servant Leadership
Clearly, servant leadership is the biblical norm. But how is servant leadership implemented in
church life? Christ’s servant leadership was neither passive nor laissez faire. He was an
activist.
On one occasion, Jesus humbly washed the feet of the disciples; but on another occasion, he
allowed himself to be lavishly anointed with expensive perfume. Not only did he honor
children and widows, he chased moneychangers out of the temple. His brand of servant
leadership wasn’t naive and idealistic. It was “street smart” and focused on accomplishing his
mission on earth.
The leadership of presbytery includes as well as the paid staff, volunteers, and elected leaders
(moderator, council chairperson, heads of key committees, etc.) An effective presbytery has
leaders who are servants: activists who focus on accomplishing tasks.
Because an effective presbytery employs a staff with skills which advance the presbytery’s
purposes, it is imperative that it determines its key purposes and priorities before it hires a
staff.
Leadership Style
The best leaders for a presbytery are those who are flexible and who can adapt their
leadership style to the needs of an ever-changing situation. When the situation requires
working as equals with others, and collegial style ideal. It permits the participatory processes
that are key to an effective presbytery.
At other times, presbyteries need leaders who are catalytic, or enabling, or, listening. The art
is for leaders to expand their leadership skills beyond their natural tendencies or preferences
and become adept at using other styles when needed.
Emotional Maturity
It is vital that presbytery leaders be emotionally mature, that they take responsibility for their
own emotional well-being. They do not expect the “church to take care of them”.
Effective presbyteries have leaders who take clearly defined position, yet remain in contact
with those who may disagree with their views. Winston Churchill once said, “A leader who
straddles the fence with both ears to the ground is not in a position to command respect.”
Effective presbyteries need leaders who are able to articulate a vision and involve others in its
pursuit. Leaders need to be able to stimulate others into action by persuasion and motivation,
not by coercion.
Basic Competencies
Leaders need to develop their leadership competencies, interpersonal competencies,
administrative skills, technical knowledge, and situational competencies (or how to apply these
to the particular presbytery they are currently serving).
One of the key leadership competencies is understanding the basics of change
management and the principles of how to guide a group through major change. Good
ideas are not good enough to persuade a group to embrace a change. How an idea is
introduced and implemented is as important (or more important) for success than the idea
itself. Leaders need skills in moving a presbytery through transitions. The pace of change will
only increase in the twenty-first century. And the ability of presbytery leaders to give wise
guidance concerning change is critical for the future of the church.
Conflict Style
Presbytery leaders need to be skilled in conflict management. They should know the classic
conflict styles and the basic strategies to deal with conflict. They should understand their own
natural preferences and what situations are best served by their onboard tendencies and
preferred conflict styles. They need to be able to confront conflicted situations and know that
avoidance of conflict usually leads to larger problems down the road.
Sometimes the best approach to conflict is collaboration, or the ability to work with adversaries
toward a mutually discovered “solution” to the conflict. Other times compromise is the
appropriate strategy. In cases of emergency or crisis, compelling people or controlling the
situation is best. If the issues of a conflict are less important than the relationships between
the parties, then an appeasing strategy makes the best sense. Other times avoiding the
conflict all together rather than confront it is wisest. Not all issues are worth dying for, or even
spending time and money on. Wise presbytery leaders know how to respond to conflict, both
as a consultant helping others deal with their conflicts, and as a participant in conflict.
From: Seven Keys to an Effective Presbytery, by Gerry Tyer
Discussion Thoughts
? How is following Jesus a key concept to church leadership? What are the
implications of following in order to lead?
? What is your leadership style? How do you manage conflict?
? What is your vision for Glacier Presbytery?
2. SERVANTHOOD
PART 1 SERVANTHOOD - Congregational Support
Jesus reminds us that “whoever wishes to be great among you must be the servant . . .
just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.” (Matthew 20:26-28)
The right relationship between congregations and presbyteries is servanthood. They
are to serve one another. One is not to be the “authority” over the other. They are both
to serve the interests of the other. They both have God-given resources to share with
the other.
A one-way relationship isn’t helpful. Neither top-down nor bottom-up control is good.
Mutuality of service is helpful. Congregations have people, money and other resources which
can be used to serve the presbytery. The presbytery has people, money and other resources
it can use to serve the congregations.
Idea Broker
The Book of Order defines “presbytery” as “the churches and ministers within a certain district”
(geographical area). Sometimes Presbyterians refer to the churches of the presbytery
and the presbytery itself as two distinct entities. In fact, they are one and the same.
Therefore, an effective presbytery acts as a “broker” or coordinator linking
congregations together.
If evangelism is “one beggar telling another where to find food,” as D.T. Niles said, then an
effective presbytery is one poverty-stricken church telling another where to find riches. The
presbytery builds up the body of Christ, shepherds the churches, and serves the
congregations. It is not a regulatory agency. It is a resource provider.
Since the presbytery is the part of the “extended-family” of the denomination which is
closest to congregations, it is best suited to engage in the sort of interaction necessary
for healthy relationships.
Fire Department
There are a number of services which are important to congregations and for which
presbyteries are ideally suited. First is crisis intervention for congregations when troubles
arise. The presbytery is the fire department called when a disaster befalls a church.
It also engages in fire prevention. Before problems arise within congregations, an effective
presbytery helps churches stay healthy, strong and vital. For instance, helping churches deal
constructively with change will help avoid disruptive conflict. Sharing the principles of healthy
emotional systems will prepare congregations to face conflicts with confidence.
Resource Provider
Training programs are offered for elders, pastors, teachers, deacons, and other
congregational leaders in order to equip them with knowledge and skills needed to accomplish
their purposes, build their part of the Kingdom, and maintain healthy congregations.
Effective presbyteries provide resources in the form of centers for print and videos, and
consultants. Other resources such as personnel policies, staff evaluation procedures and
compensation issues are given to congregations in order to help churches avoid “reinventing”
these wheels. Camp and conference facilities are very important in some parts of the country
to serve the needs of congregations.
Interactive Communicator
Good communication between and among congregations is critical. The whole needs to
communicate well to the parts, and the whole needs to listen well to the parts. Accountability
is a part of this interaction between congregations and presbyteries.
Presbyteries challenge churches to see the mission of God on a scale beyond their local
neighborhoods. Congregations challenge presbyteries to stay grounded on the foundation of
their shared vision.
Excellence, not Mediocrity
Effective presbyteries learn from the world of commerce that a service business must be
customer-oriented. Presbyteries need to be congregation-oriented. The “customers” of the
presbytery are local church leaders. Only high quality services should be tolerated. And
communication of available resources must be effectively accomplished.
However, service to congregations alone raises the question: Why? The reason presbyteries
serve churches is to equip congregations to serve God’s world, not to serve their own interests
alone. Service to congregations is not an end. It is an intermediate step toward a
greater goal: serving the world in the name of Christ.
PART 2 SERVANTHOOD – Church Professional Support
Ministers, church educators, youth workers, program coordinators, organists, choir directors,
preschool administrators, parish nurses, secretaries, office administrators, building
maintenance personnel and other staff make up the church professionals who work for
congregations.
A presbytery cannot effectively serve congregations without serving the needs of those who
are employed by churches.
“Tend my Sheep”
The care of God’s servants is critical to the success of God’s servants is critical to the success
of God’s mission. One of the last instructions Jesus gave to his disciples was to take care of
the church. In John 21:15-17 Jesus tells Peter, “If you love me, feed my lambs . . . Tend my
sheep.” The presbytery feeds, tends and nurtures the church professionals who serve the
church.
It is particularly important to help new church professionals (especially ministers and church
educators) be welcomed when they arrive in the presbytery and be assimilated int the life of
the presbytery. These are key people in an effective presbytery. Their attitude toward the
presbytery often determines the attitude of the congregations they serve.
Starting Strong
When church professionals begin a new ministry, it is critically important for them to start
strong. A presbytery is well suited to help. For instance, a presbytery could sponsor a “greatexpectations” seminar at the beginning of each new ministry. Participants would include the
church professional, search committee, session, and other key staff members. The purpose
would be to discuss expectations for the first year. Often the search committee and the new
person are clear about expectations, but after the ministry begins, the search committee
disbands and the person is left to work with the session. Since most assumptions are
unexpressed, an intentional conversation early in a new ministry can bring out these tacit
expectations. Also, such a meeting helps set first year goals.
Caring for the Care Givers
Even though church professionals are in the business of providing spiritual care to members of
congregations, their own spiritual needs are often neglected. The presbytery is ideally suited
to provide spiritual growth opportunities, encouragement, and professional development
events for church professionals.
Some pastors have unwittingly accepted the notion that they are above the need for
counseling. “There’s something wrong with me if I can’t make it on my own,” is an attitude
harbored by many clergy. Some ministers get together regularly in so-called support groups.
But these can often digress into pity parties. Genuine support includes tough love from time to
time. Presbyteries can be the kind of caring community church professionals need: tender
loving care mixed with accountability.
Ministers and church educators need personal and emotional support. Like other people in
the caring professions, they find it difficult to seek care for themselves. Support/challenge
groups for church professions is one way to address this need. Mentor/coaching teams is
another.
Clergy and educators must take personal responsibility for their own care. Only passive
dependent people expect others to take care of them. Church professionals cannot afford the
luxury passive dependency. They need to take the initiative. Their colleagues in the
presbytery are ideally placed to provide both the encouragement and accountability for them
to take care of themselves.
Always Growing
The professional development needs of ministers and church educators are ideally addressed
by a presbytery. Church professionals are expected to schedule continuing education in order
to keep growing throughout their careers.
Presbyteries can encourage them to develop a professional growth plan, provide cutting-edge
seminars, encourage (and model) sabbaticals, and promote accountability and self-care.
Support staff member also profit from continuing education. These services are “natural” for a
presbytery to deliver.
From: Seven Keys to an Effective Presbytery, by Gerry Tyer
Discussion Thoughts
? How can the Presbytery serve your congregation? What are their expectations
of the Presbytery?
? As a Presbytery, what are our areas of strength in servanthood to our
congregations? Where can we grow?
? How can the Presbytery serve its church professionals? What are their
expectations of the Presbytery?
? As a Presbytery, what are our areas of strength in servanthood to our church
professionals? Where can we grow?
3. MISSION
Besides being a provider of resources (training programs, materials and consultants), an
effective presbytery enables, encourages and motivates congregations to be involved in God’s
work beyond their neighborhoods and beyond their membership.
One notion of the denomination-congregation relationship has been that churches existed to
support presbytery, synod and General Assembly mission. A newer idea has reversed the old
idea. Namely, the upper governing bodies exist to support the mission of congregations. The
best model, however, is that the denomination AND the congregations together provide
resources to accomplish God’s mission in the world beyond the institution of the church.
Introverted or Extroverted?
The third key to an effective presbytery is a strong, outwardly-focused orientation. Luke
6:32-36 reminds us that an inward-focused church forgets that the target of God’s mission is
the world, not just the church. The church is to love neighbor, not just self. The twentieth century
captivity of the presbyterian Church was not an exile to a foreign land. It was a selfimposed
internal exile: an inward-focus which allowed the church to escape the world by
staying inside the stained-glass windows and gothic walls.
When an airplane is preparing to take off, the pilot pauses at the end of the runway in order to
rev the engines. This test makes sure everything is working properly before the plane takes
off. Unfortunately, the church are too often taxied to the end of the runway, provided for the
comfort of the passengers, prepared meals and drinks for the passengers, gunned the
engines, made sure that everything was in working order, and then returned to the hangar.
The purpose of an airplane is to fly? Similarly, an effective presbytery gets itself in good
working order and then takes off . . . in order to fulfill a purpose beyond itself.
Partnership for Mission
An effective presbytery addresses the needs of its own constituency, but it also
addresses the needs of the community and world beyond itself. A presbytery should
act as an agent of mission for projects beyond the capability of one congregation. It
should create partnerships among churches to do mission no single congregation
could accomplish.
For example, developing new congregations is a task ideally suited as a mission of the
presbytery. Due to the financial demands of buying real estate, funding start-up expenses of a
new church, and shepherding it to success, a local church cannot usually afford to give birth to
a new congregation on its own. However, a coalition of congregations could share the
expenses, contribute people-power and secure the expertise to launch a new church.
Many Presbyterian congregations have been in numerical decline for years. The task of
bringing new ideas, strategies and enthusiasm to evangelism is another mission ideally suitedto the presbytery. As a coalition of congregations, a presbytery can “share the wealth” of
effective strategies to transform a congregation into a mission station for the new millennium.
Since a “rerun” planning process prevails in many churches, and since traditions often govern
a congregation’s plans for the future, the extended family of a presbytery can help a “stuck”
congregation become “unstuck.”
Another mission opportunity best suited to a group of congregations is the challenge of
impacting society at large. Whether it is prison reform, state-sponsored injustice, racism in
public schools, or any other social issue, congregations working together are better able to
make a lasting difference.
“Think globally, act locally” is a good phrase to describe how an effective presbytery engages
in mission. It provides regional “hands on” opportunities to participate in mission, and it shares
information and resources for national and international mission service.
Quality, not Quantity
The effective presbytery avoids the be-everything-to-everyone syndrome. It is better to
accomplish one mission effectively than to attempt several poorly. The art is to master
one; then add another, master it; add another, and so on. Unfortunately, church
organizations have difficulty choosing one or two missions because there are many
passionate voices, each calling for their own special interest. One says, “Evangelism!”
Another says, “Social Justice!” And yet another says, “Just leave us alone!”
An effective presbytery is engaged in a limited number of missions, competently
accomplished, and is a peace about what isn’t being done. After all, Presbyterians need to
leave something for the Methodists and Baptists!
From: Seven Keys to an Effective Presbytery, by Gerry Tyer
Discussion Thoughts
? What are the key missions of Glacier Presbytery? What missions do we need to
develop or build upon? Are there missions we need to let go of?
? Currently the presbytery is in need of mission support. What are some creative
ways we can foster relationships with our congregations to encourage mission support
of the presbytery?
? Share an exciting mission of your local congregation.
4. SPIRITUALITY
A presbytery can develop an “institutional” mentality over the years. The four horseman of the
Apocalypse for an institutional presbytery are maintenance, money, motions and mediocrity.
Concerns over maintenance need to be transformed into mission. Concerns over money need
to be transformed in a theology of God’s abundance. Concerns over motions about taking
positions on issues need to be transformed into pragmatic accomplishments. Concerns overmediocrity need to be transformed into the pursuit of excellence. The institutional presbytery
needs to rekindle the movement which first brought it into existence: the Jesus movement.
Spirituality is how we get reconnected with God. It is not a sentimental piety which avoids reallife
issues, but rather a tapping into the deep power of God’s Spirit. A presbytery that lives on
the surface will lose its ability to mine the depths of God’s power. An effective presbytery drills
deep wells probing for the living water which only comes from God.
A presbytery cannot afford to take spirituality for granted. Church professionals, elders and
presbytery leaders need continual study, and devotion need to be fostered in very aspect of
presbytery life. For instance, a strengthened prayer life for a presbytery could include a
prayer schedule which invites the entire presbytery to pray for specific churches and their staff
members on a rotating basis (a local version of the Mission Yearbook for Prayer). In addition
to praying regularly for pastors, educators, and congregation, presbytery staffs could sign and
send “we prayed today for you” cards to the people and churches remembered in prayer.
Purpose matters. Service to congregations and church professionals matters. Mission
matters. Leadership matters. Decision making matters. But what matters most is a mature
relationship with God and a healthy relationship with one another. Spirituality is basic to right
relationships.
From: Seven Keys to an Effective Presbytery, by Gerry Tyer
Discussion Thoughts
? How do you reconnect with God?
? “An effective presbytery drills deep wells probing for the living water which only
comes from God.” In what ways are we, as a presbytery, drilling for the living water?
? In what ways is spirituality the basis for right relationships?
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