Diagnosis: Congregational Cardiomyopathy

With chapter four of You Only Have to Die, Jim Harnish gets down to a frank assessment of the situation that awaited him at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. The theme verse for this chapter is "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life"(Proverbs 13:12).

In this chapter, Harnish emphasizes "clarity of mission and purpose," which includes the need to align the church's actions and resources around mission. And that, he contends, is what "declining or dying churches generally are missing." It may be what we are missing at First United Methodist Church.

Harnish described Hyde Park Church upon his arrival as a congregation "that had a very clear sense of its past, was somewhat foggy about its present, and didn't have a clue about its future" (p. 40). This once-prestigious church had fallen victim to "congregational cardiomyopathy," which Harnish defines as "the lack of heart-level clarity and warmhearted passion about God's mission and vision for the congregation." The lack of mission and vision, Harnish contends, "always leads to a gradual hardening of the heart in the present and inevitable death in the future" (p. 40).

Those are scarcely words designed to warm the heart! They are more likely to cause an inward shudder! And yet these words were true for Hyde Park United Methodist Church. They may be more true than we wish at First United Methodist Church.

One of the symptoms at Hyde Park Church was the neglect of the congregation's buildings. The condition of the physical facility, Harnish observes, "was symptomatic of mediocrity or benign neglect in other areas of the church's ministry"(p. 41). That needed to be addressed almost immediately at Hyde Park Church, along with everything else!

I believe that we have done some significant work at First United Methodist Church in the last eight years in dealing with our building's deficiencies. Does anybody remember the condition of the sidewalks eight years ago? There were so hazardous that a complaint was filed about them with the City of Hutchinson.

And what about Fellowship Hall? There was the gold shag carpet on the walls. There were no sound boards hanging from the ceiling or on the walls. You couldn't hold a meeting there and expect the leader to be heard, and we just recently held a prayer retreat for more than 120 women!

The windows throughout the building were all single pane glass, and some of them had cracks that could not be patched. Not all of the windows could be closed. One window had duct tape on it for the better part of a year.

And then there is the first level of the Education Building. Eight years ago, the Sew 'n' Sews were lodged in a tiny room, and now they have a spacious room in which to work. The room at the north end of the hall was not used by anyone, although it was still set up for the Sunday School class that used to meet there. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Chancel Choir, it has been transformed into an inviting, gracious and well kept space. The 50-50 Class has migrated from one room to another and then to their current location. The Health and Wellness Room has been transformed from a space barely usable to one that is welcoming and inviting.

But it is not all a matter of physical property improvements. In reality, we have postponed dealing with the more important issue of defining (or re-defining) our mission and vision. In some ways, the same description can be used of us that was used for Hyde Park United Methodist Church, i.e., "It had many great attributes, but it lacked a commonly shared sense of mission and had no compelling vision for its future"(p. 42).

Jim Harnish did in his first few months of ministry at Hyde Park Church what I have not done (at least not effectively) in my first several years of ministry at First Church. Harnish decided to "start with . . . mission." Once the congregation had defined God's calling for them as a congregation, they had "a common criterion for making decisions on what to do and how to do it"(p. 43).

I believe that I thought I was doing--or at least encouraging--this kind of venture, but it did not happen. And now we are making up--or attempting to make up---for lost time.

That is one of the reasons that I am so pleased with the Re-Vision Team that we now have in place. It is not their job to figure out how to "change the church!" It is their job "to lead the entire congregation in a process by which we would all listen for God's Spirit to speak to us"(p. 43). And that includes definining a mission that wil actually "guide us in making decisions about our future"(pp. 43-44).

The process at Hyde Park Church turned out to be, in Harnish's words, "exhausting and exhilarating," but they committed themselves "to a process that would go all the way to the heart." I am encouraged that renewal was able to happen at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, and I believe that it can still happen here at First United Methodist Church. I am convinced that it needs to happen, and I trust that, by God's grace and guidance, it will happen! I invite your persistent prayers of strength, hope, and courage!

For the Sake of the Call

In the third chapter of You Only Have to Die, Jim Harnish recounts how he came to Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida in the first place. It came about as a result of the appointive process, which has been the way that United Methodists (and our various denominational predecessors) have deployed clergy over the years. We are called as clergy to ordained (or licensed) ministry and then sent to where the bishop and cabinet believe that we can serve the most effectively in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Jim Harnish had been at St. Luke's United Methodist Church at Windermere, Florida, for thirteen years. For United Methodist clergy, that is a long appointment. He had been the church's founding pastor, and he looked forward to continuing ministry there.

But a call came from the bishop, as it sometimes does, and Jim found himself involved in a conversation about what it would mean for him to be appointed elsewhere--more specifically, to Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, which was significantly smaller than his current appointment, located in the "inner core" of a city rather than the suburbs, and blessed with only half the budget.

It was not an appointment that Jim would have chosen. It did not seem like the right time to move. There were more questions than answers. And yet he chose to make the move. It was, as he writes, "for the sake of the call."

That sentiment came through powerfully in the refrain of the song, "For the Sake of the Call," by Stephen Curtis Chapman. The words are:

"We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but for the sake of the call."

When I was appointed as the pastor of First United Methodist Church in 2001, it was not where I had expected to go. But things change, as they sometimes do on the cabinet, and this is where I was appointed. I shall always be grateful to Jeanne Devine, who was the Hutchinson District Superintendent at the time, for being a strong advocate for me and my ministry and for doing all in her power for a smooth and effective transition.

The song that I carried with me into this appointment was not anything theologically significant. It was Lee Ann Womack's song, "I Hope You Dance." I haven't lived up to the ideals of the song, but it continues to resonate in my heart, particularly the second verse and refrain:

"I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out, reconsider.
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance.
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance.

The truth is that sometimes I have sometimes felt like sitting it out. I have felt like taking the path of least resistance. I have wondered on more than one occasion if I am the right pastor for this appointment at this time in First Church's history. I have feared the mountains in the distance and the mistakes that I have not always been willing to make.

At times, I have thought about asking for a less challenging opportunity. And yet there is something that keeps me going, something that draws me forward, something that still invites me--figuratively if not literally--to dance.

I appreciate Jim Harnish's citation of a sermon by a longtime friend of his, O. Dean Martin. The title was "Why Windshields Are Larger Than Rearview Mirrors." Both are important, of course, but we need to have a windshield sense of the future, as we look clearly, hopefully, and even joyfully at all that God is yet to bring into our lives. True, we need to glance back every now and then to see from whence we have come, but it is more important for us to look ahead and see as clearly as possible God's vision of the future.

We are invited, encouraged, and challenged to live by the words of the apostle Paul:

"Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; bgut this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).

May we find ourselves called to God's purpose and direction, as we move into the future with hope that God has in store for us! And, when the choice comes to sit it out or dance, I hope we dance!

You Only Have to Die

The second chapter in Jim Harnish's book--You Only Have to Die--has the same title as the book itself. Its scripture verse is "He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him" (Philippians 2:27).

This chapter begins with two blunt sentences:
"The key to becoming a Spirit-energized, people-loving, life-giving, community-transforming congregation is really very simple. All you have to do is be willing to die." (p. 21)

That is really much more than most of us are willing to consider. We might now and then consider inconvenience or perhaps even disappointment. But Jim Harnish puts it much more starkly.

He bases his comments out of his own cardiac difficulties, which nearly led to his death. His experience with heart disease and subsequent recovery--which his doctor judged to be miraculous--became a metaphor for understanding what God was doing in the life of the dying congregation to which he had been appointed. They were suffering, as he writes, from "congregational cardiopathy" and what was most needed was "congregational cardiology"--which goes right to the heart.

Harnish advises the following steps, not only for dealing with personal cardiac problems but also in terms of "congregational cardiology."

1. Listen to Your Heart. Cardiac crises--personally or congregationally--do not necessarily begin in a spectacular fashion. There may simply be a sense that something "isn't quite right" and that we are "out of harmony with ourselves, with others, or with God"(p. 25). Such signs need not to be ignored but taken as possible symptoms that something needs to be done.
   
2. Find Out What's Going On. Whether we like it or not, we need to find out what's actually going on rather than just rely on our own experience. The fact that we have so many long time members is a good thing, and yet "familiarity often creates blind spots . . . The longer we attend a church, the less aware we become . . . "(p. 26). We need to take steps needed to find out what visitors or newcomers experience when coming to this church and encountering our congregation.
   
3. Call in the Specialists. Most of us put off going to the doctor as long as possible. Even when we do, we dislike referrals to specialists. But sometimes specialists are just what we need. There are those with training and experience who have guided churches through the kind of transformation that we need, and it is important to take advantage of their knowledge and experience.
4. Use Your Oxygen. We need to continue to breathe--not only physically but also spiritually! We cannot just stop doing everything else while we focus on cardiac issues, whether personal or congregational. We need to inbreathe the "wind" or "breath" of God that can bring freshness to anyone or anything!
5. Take Your [Medicine]. In a congregational setting, this means "a massive infusion of the power and presence of the Spirit of God, appropriated through consistent, patient listening in prayer" (p. 29).
   
6. Change Your Lifestyle. To deal constructively with cardiac issues, we are often called to do things differently. Right now, we are sorting out here at First United Methodist Church what we think that might be.
   

These are the steps to which we are called--not only as members of our congregation's Re-Vision Team but as members and friends of this congregation called First United Methodist Church. May God give us the strength and the courage needed to go "all the way to the heart!"

All the Way to the Heart

Jim Harnish begins his book, You Only Have to Die, with a powerful and provocative sentence that he hopes we will remember if we forget everything else that we read:
"Hope is born when we are willing to die for the right things."

That kind of sentence certainly should grab our attention. Most of us (myself included) do not like to think about death--especially our own or that of anyone close to us. We also do not like to think about a congregation or community dying. And yet that is a reality.

Every year at Annual Conference, we discontinue one or more congregations that can no longer sustain life. Every so often, we discontinue a congregation that was among the "once great" in terms of membership and prestige in the conference. Such action, of course, comes only as a last resort, usually after years in which dwindling congregations seek to survive in one form or another.

I do not think that we are anywhere near death at First United Methodist Church. However, we have not been holding our own over the last several years--or decades. Our membership numbers and worship attendance are trending downward, and we have trouble making sure that there is enough revenue to meet the expenses that we incur. There are, to be sure, glimmers of hope and pockets of possibility, but they need to be carefully nurtured and encouraged.

Yet, according to Jim Harnish, death--for the right things--can be the way to life, can be the birth of new hope. That is the challenge that we have set for ourselves in the process of re-visioning our life and work as a congregation.

Harnish reminds us of the powerful words of Jesus, when he said "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit"(John 12:24). It is "costly obedience" that leads to joy.

So what does that mean for us at First United Methodist Church? Do we have the kind of "long-time, locked-in leadership . . . that really would rather see their churches die than change?"(p. 12). I believe not, but sometimes I wonder if we are not so captive to the way things have been that we are unwilling--or unable--to see things differently.

In the first chapter of You Only Have to Die, Harnish lays out for us three key "motivating convictions for ministry" that come out of his experience.

1. The Hope for the Transformation of the World Is in the Local Church. With bold and audacious words, Jim Harnish claims that "the hope for spiritual and social transformation resides in local congregations where people experience new life in Christ and become a part of the fulfillment of God's mission in the world"(P. 16). I think that he is right, and this leads me to contend that the hope for transformation of the community of Hutchinson lies in this local church--and others!
2. There is New Hope for Old Congregations. Harnish's claim is an encouraging affirmation for those who may feel--at least now and then--that "our time is past" and that "our best years are behind us." Instead, Harnish writes, "there is ample evidence that when pastors and laypersons allow the Spirit for God to do a work of divine cardiology in their life together, it is possible for congregations of all kinds of sizes in all kinds of places to become the agents of all kinds of new life"(p. 18).
   
3. Now Is the Time! Finally, Harnish claims the words of Isaiah that God is a doing a "new thing" in the world (Isaiah 43:19) and reminds us that the critical question is "whether or not the covenant people could perceive it." This is the context in which he cites the words of his friend, Dick Wills, pastor of Christ Church United Methodist in Fort Lauderdale, who said "that one of the decisive moments in the [transformation] process was when he stopped asking God to bless what they were already doing and started asking God to allow them to become a part of what God was already blessing" (p. 19).

May we find ways to become part of what God is blessing! May we go "all the way to the heart," seeking new life by God's power!

Our Re-Visioning Resources

As we share in the process of "re-visioning" the life and work of the church, we do so with a keen awareness of the need for humility and to make the best use of all possible resources. That includes the history, creativity, energy, and ingenuity of the people of First United Methodist Church. It also includes--in good United Methodist fashion--scripture, tradition, experience, and reason.

The 2008 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church is actually quite helpful in defining a variety of subjects for our consideration, including

• The Mission and Ministry of the Church,
• The Definition and Function of a Local Church,
• The Meaning of Church Membership,
• The Primary Tasks and Basic Organization of a Local Church,and
• The Purpose, Membership, Meetings, and Responsibilities of the Church Council.

In addition to these (and other) resources, we will be reading together a book entitled You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life by James A. Harnish. Now, I will admit that this is a stark title, and it may make some of us uncomfortable, but there are several reasons why I decided on its use.

I happen to know the author of the book. I first met Jim Harnish "at a distance" in 1996 at General Conference. I found him at that time to be a bit of a gadfly in the legislative committee where I served. He brought up uncomfortable questions and made what I thought were sometimes outlandish suggestions. However, subsequent events proved him to be right on target in his understanding to the needs of the local United Methodist church in the late twentieth and early twenty first centuries.

I met Jim again this past General Conference in Fort Worth. This time, he and I were actually on the same legislative sub-committee. I found him no less willing and able to bring up uncomfortable questions, but I experienced a depth of compassion and care that I had not seen before.

Another reason in the choice of the book is his effective use of the imagery of "congregational cardiology," based on a situation that grew out of his personal experience of cardiac difficulties as well as the transformation of the church where he served.

I have been through my own cardiac issues in recent months, as many persons already know. My situation was much different than Jim's. Mine was a gradual slowing of an already erratic heart rate, sometimes dropping into the mid to low 30s. The implantation of a pacemaker on August 25, 2008 was a significant personal milestone for me. It is amazing what a regular, consistent heartbeat can enable you to do!

The fact of the matter is that we have "slowed down" at First United Methodist Church over the last several years and, indeed, the last few decades. It is usually not apparent from one year to the next. The decline has been gradual and sometimes imperceptible, but it seems to be unrelenting.

In preparation for my pacemaker procedure, my cardiologist reviewed the potential side effects which included, among other things, death! That got my attention, and I asked what were my options if I did nothing. His response was that I would begin to have "syncopal episodes," that is, fainting or passing out at random and unexpected moments--perhaps while driving or possibly while playing with my granddaughter. That made the decision to go ahead with the procedure an easy one to make.

So, we are reading You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life! It may not be the best choice. It is certainly not the only choice. But it is the choice that we have made, and I believe we will benefit from reading it together.

Here are the chapters in the book:

1. All the Way to the Heart
2. You Only Have to Die
3. For the Sake of the Call
4. Diagnosis: Congregational Cardiomyopathy
5. Cardiology Is Not for the Fainthearted
6. Vision Matters
7. Finding Your Future in the Past
8. Prayer That Makes a Difference
9. The Heart of Transformation
10. Doing a New Thing
11. Worship That Goes to the Heart
12. Habits for a Healthy Heart
13. A Heart for the Future

I invite others besides the Re-Vision Team to read this book. We already have two or three extra copies in the church office, and we would be glad to order more. Perhaps your Sunday School class wants to work it through together. Perhaps you just want to read it for yourself. Let us know in the church office, and we will figure out what we need to do!

Our Re-Visioning Process

A process for "re-visioning" the "purpose and direction" of First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas has been through the official channels and is now in the process of being implemented. It was formally approved at by Church Council in October and then at Church Conference in November.

The basic elements of this process are:

• Take six months (January to June 2009) to discern, discover, and decide what we believe to be God’s purpose and direction for First United Methodist Church.

• Authorize a “Re-Vision Team,” consisting of no more than twelve persons (not counting the pastor and staff) to lead the congregation in an intentional and intensive process to “re-vision” the life and work of the congregation, including how we are governed and guided. The pastor and staff are involved in this process, but without the privilege of voting. The “Re-Vision Team” was to include no more than six members of the current Church Council. [It actually has turned out to be a "baker's dozen," including a good mix of more established church members and newer members or constituents of the church. There is no one above the age of sixty five, which has reportedly caused some concern.]

• During its existence, the “Re-Vision Team” will fulfill the disciplinary responsibilities of the Church Council and the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development (the onetime Committee on Nominations). This means that the Re-Vision Team can act on behalf of the congregation, and they can nominate and elect persons as needed for various ministries and responsibilities.

• Any restructuring recommendations for how the church is governed and guided will be in accord with the Book of Discipline and will need to be approved by a called Church Conference before being implemented.

Our Re-Visioning Prayer

This is the Re-Visioning Prayer for First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, KS. Please pray it with us.

God of grace and God of glory, you have called us to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

We ask your blessing and guidance as we discern, discover, and decide in the coming months your purpose and direction for us as a congregation.

Bless those who have accepted the invitation to help lead us in the process of re-visioning.

Bless each of us, as we faithfully participate in the ministries of this congregation by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness.

Bless all of us, that we might find the power and the passion that comes from your goodness and grace.

Empower us to find our way forward into the future with hope that you promise to those who seek you with all their heart. Amen.