The Results of the Odyssey group

helping our presbytery venture faithfully into God's future

The Odyssey Group did not TELL US the solution, but they have helped lead us into discovering solutions as we LISTEN to: the Word of God, the Call of the Spirit, the voices of one another, and the world outside our churches.

The New Vision for Mission Design

for the Presbytery  [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Approved at the May 16, 2009 Presbytery Meeting.

Your feedback is still one of our most valuable assets.

Please share your feedback with us at:

LosRanchosOdyssey@gmail.com

Watch the Odyssey Reports to the Presbytery at YouTube - LRPtv

Watch This Video>>>>

These things are posted to invite you into the process of the journey. This material has helped shape the new Vision for Mission Design.

• White Paper #1- Framing Our Problem: A paper on the organizational history of our denominational predicament - "How Did We Get This Bureaucratic Model? and What Kind of Presbytery Do We Really Want?" (adapted from Steve Yamaguchi's D.Min. dissertation) [share your responses]
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• The New Mission Statement: This new Mission Statement replaces the former vision, mission, and purpose statements.
  The new statemenjt reads:

  The Mission of the Presbytery of Los Ranchos is
  to further the Kingdom of God by being a learning community
  that fosters effective missional congregations
  that embody the Great Ends of the Church (G-1.0200) through:

  • faithful stewardship of our theological traditions,
    shared values and resources
  • cultivating missional partnerships
  • brokering resources for missional effectiveness
  • securing and nurturing effective missional leaders
  • fostering creativity and excellence
  • challenging presbyters and churches to continual
    missional learning and experimentation

  What do you think? [reply]
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• "The Travail of the Presbytery" by Dr. Joseph D. Small, Director of the Office of Theology and Worship and Educational Ministries, PC(USA). Joe's essay is a theological reflection on the radical Presbyterian essence of what presbyteries can be, in contrast to the organizational/bureaucratic machines they have become. A concise appreciation for John Calvin's theological vision for an ordered ministry in the church. [share your responses]
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• "What Is Missional Ecclesiology?" by Dr. Paul Hooker, Executive Presbyter of St. Augustine Presbytery in Florida. . What does "MISSIONAL" mean for OUR purposes? This paper offers a clear theological articulation of the term "Missional" - which is used by many but which has come to mean different things when used by different people.
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• "Walking Worthily: Missional Leadership After Christendom" by Dr. Darrell Guder, Dean of Academic Affairs and Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. These were the Payton Lectures delivered at Fuller Theological Seminary in May 2007. Dr. Guder is one of the leading and most influential theologians on the subject of missional ecclesiology. He reflects here on the biblical formation of the missional community and the need for today's church to shift from maintenance to a biblical vocation of mission.
  Link to the text in The Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Vol. 28, No.3.

  Link to a PDF copy of Dr. Guder's Lecture Notes.
  Link to Audio files on iTunes.

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• "Identity-Polity-Praxis" by Dr. Paul Hooker. Theologian and Executive Presbyter Paul Hooker thinks about the purpose of a presbytery. Told as a good story of how their presbytery (St. Augustine in Florida) redesigned itself in 2001, why it didn't work, and what they learned.
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• Influential Books - These are very interesting books that we encourage you to read. These have been major influences on the Odyssey group's work and we believe they can help you in your ministry:
  The Starfish & the Spider, Brofman & Beckstrom
  Governance as Leadership, Chait
  Transforming Church, Ford
  Leadership Without Easy Answers, Heifetz
  

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• Do U Facebook? The Odyssey Group conducts some of its work via Facebook. If you are uncertain about Facebook, here is an article from an outside source that argues that Facebook can be an important tool for church leaders. This is not n an endorsement of the article, this is just offering a provocative thought. [reply]
  

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• Progress Report #1 from the March 2008 presbytery meeting.
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• Powerpoint Presentation from the Sept. 2008 presbytery meeting. This is only the Powerpoint slides; the video of the presentation is posted on LRPtv, our YouTube channel.

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• "Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment" by William ("Beau") Weston, Sociology Prof. at Centre College. Although the title can be a little scary at first glance, this offers good analysis of denominational institutions and what makes them effective or ineffective.(A Facebook group is discussing this booklet.) [share your responses]

  Live Webcast Discussion between Professor Beau Weston and PC(USA) GA Moderator Bruce Reyes-Chow posted at UStream.tv
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