I like Chris’ emphasis on discovering mission energy and focus as the bedrock for shaping future ministry.
Bishop Peter Rogness
St. Paul Area Synod, ELCA
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Today is both a challenging and exciting time to be at work in God’s church. A tidal wave of change is propelling us into the future. And ministry in this second decade of the 21st century is happening on a frontier where the landscape is new and compelling. We have never been here before. If we are to be faithful in pointing people to God, then Ministry and leadership must do more than just adapt, we must discover new ways of being missionaries in our own backyards.
Christopher Hagen has grasped a comprehensive vision of the dynamics needed for ministry in this moment of history. He begins with a fundamental understanding that the future belongs to God. God is much more than simply present in the midst of change. God is active, engaging, creating in all of these events. Put another way, the winds of God’s Holy Spirit are invested in each moment of change. Our task is not to cling to a past, but to discover the ways God is the Prime Mover. What is God doing among the happenings in our communities? Chris invites both pastors and congregations to research with him the movements of God, and to use those discoveries for navigating the future within God’s work, will, and ways,
I found Chris Hagen’s class, Collaborative Leadership Training for Discerning God’s Mission to be both insightful and energizing. Chris Hagen is effective in opening and inspiring new ways for congregations to talk about God’s future. His program picks up where NALIP’s Intentional Interim Training needs retooling. Chris makes the crucial point that Discerning God’s Mission is a necessity for every pastor who seeks to lead people.
Chris Hagen is an effective teacher for the work I do. Pursuing God’s will is an important part of interim ministry. As an intentional interim pastor I walk with congregations in transition. We literally encounter the future today. A simple question like “Why did God create this congregation?” orientates the interim tasks to seeing God’s bigger picture. It focuses our conversation on God and where God is leading us into tomorrow. And, when “God” moves to the center of our conversation, there is hope and vitality.
Gene Alms
Interim Pastor
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In the course Discerning God’s Mission, you will learn down-to-earth and easy to implement tools and techniques in the areas of building trust, pastoral leadership and missional discernment for your ministry setting. The course is applicable to all areas of ministry, but has a strong emphasis on leading congregations in rebuilding, transition and interim. My favorite portion of the course was delving deeper into the differences of missional planning in contrast to the more conventional strategic planning methods which have been used but have become stale for ministry in today’s world.
The online portion of the course is non-threatening and helped to build relationships before the week-long intensive class. The readings were helpful in stretching your thoughts to see other ways of being in partnership with congregational leaders and members. One of the strengths of Discerning God’s Mission course was the coaching aspect where you are encouraged to put into action a technique and then spend one-on-one time with the instructor discussing the results.
I whole-heartedly recommend this course offered by Rev. Dr. Christopher Hagen.
Janel Kuester
Interim Pastor
Bishop Peter Rogness
St. Paul Area Synod, ELCA
---------------------------------------------
Today is both a challenging and exciting time to be at work in God’s church. A tidal wave of change is propelling us into the future. And ministry in this second decade of the 21st century is happening on a frontier where the landscape is new and compelling. We have never been here before. If we are to be faithful in pointing people to God, then Ministry and leadership must do more than just adapt, we must discover new ways of being missionaries in our own backyards.
Christopher Hagen has grasped a comprehensive vision of the dynamics needed for ministry in this moment of history. He begins with a fundamental understanding that the future belongs to God. God is much more than simply present in the midst of change. God is active, engaging, creating in all of these events. Put another way, the winds of God’s Holy Spirit are invested in each moment of change. Our task is not to cling to a past, but to discover the ways God is the Prime Mover. What is God doing among the happenings in our communities? Chris invites both pastors and congregations to research with him the movements of God, and to use those discoveries for navigating the future within God’s work, will, and ways,
I found Chris Hagen’s class, Collaborative Leadership Training for Discerning God’s Mission to be both insightful and energizing. Chris Hagen is effective in opening and inspiring new ways for congregations to talk about God’s future. His program picks up where NALIP’s Intentional Interim Training needs retooling. Chris makes the crucial point that Discerning God’s Mission is a necessity for every pastor who seeks to lead people.
Chris Hagen is an effective teacher for the work I do. Pursuing God’s will is an important part of interim ministry. As an intentional interim pastor I walk with congregations in transition. We literally encounter the future today. A simple question like “Why did God create this congregation?” orientates the interim tasks to seeing God’s bigger picture. It focuses our conversation on God and where God is leading us into tomorrow. And, when “God” moves to the center of our conversation, there is hope and vitality.
Gene Alms
Interim Pastor
---------------------------------------------
In the course Discerning God’s Mission, you will learn down-to-earth and easy to implement tools and techniques in the areas of building trust, pastoral leadership and missional discernment for your ministry setting. The course is applicable to all areas of ministry, but has a strong emphasis on leading congregations in rebuilding, transition and interim. My favorite portion of the course was delving deeper into the differences of missional planning in contrast to the more conventional strategic planning methods which have been used but have become stale for ministry in today’s world.
The online portion of the course is non-threatening and helped to build relationships before the week-long intensive class. The readings were helpful in stretching your thoughts to see other ways of being in partnership with congregational leaders and members. One of the strengths of Discerning God’s Mission course was the coaching aspect where you are encouraged to put into action a technique and then spend one-on-one time with the instructor discussing the results.
I whole-heartedly recommend this course offered by Rev. Dr. Christopher Hagen.
Janel Kuester
Interim Pastor
