Sustainability Program The Lutheran World Federation- DMD/LAC
Where are we? Where are we going? Stewardship awareness and education for common witness and sustainability The uncertainties in the global society are reflected in the crises affecting the global systems, the societies, economies and everyday life. Even Christianity (visible) faces challenges that call into question whether it will have the same format as we have known. Latin America is the continent of hope, but is both uncertain and unequal. The region, even with their vast differences, experienced processes of consolidation of relative autonomy in the first decade of 21st century. Despite all the contradictions and all limitations some progress is perceived progress towards more democratic and more just societies. In this context the Lutheran churches in Latin America are making their contribution to the mission of God and also a contribution to the world Lutheran communion. Changes in the global world, in the continents and in the communion are both a huge opportunity. The paradigms of being the church in LA are in a period of crisis: •
From ethnic to national churches
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Impoverishment of countries has led to the impoverishment of the churches’ constituency,
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Churches growing among the excluded and marginalized sections of society.
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The “traditional” model of being church is challenged by other denominations, the own membership and the society
In the Sustainability Program one can see the effort of the churches of the Lutheran communion in the region to strengthen some key processes: extension of the mission, identity construction, responsible stewardship, planning, networking, democratization and review of ministries. We understand that these are key processes, because without a good progress of them the perspective of communion in Latin America would be weakened. The process of COP / COL (regional leader conference) and its related programs are a strength that deserves to be sustained and at the same time, challenged. COP / COL established the Sustainability Program in 2007 with the purpose of accompany the churches in the region to develop conscious processes of consolidation and / or necessary changes that project the churches' sustainability over time. . The question that captures this movement is: What mission we are called to, with which resources, and affirming which way of being a church? In this sense COP/COL has commissioned the Sustainability Program to assist the process of the churches toward sustainability on three basic areas: 1. Learning to plan participatively and strategically 2. Learning to develop gifts, resources and ministries 3. Exploring other models of being church In this framework, we have come to realize that sustainability in the church is a gradual process, multifaceted, and intentional, which depends on the call of God to be part of His mission, and the willingness and ability of all the people that make up a faith community (local and global) to discuss, plan and implement action agendas that are built together collectively and perceived as legitimate by the various actors. 1
Sustainability Program The Lutheran World Federation- DMD/LAC
The contribution of the church with the mission of God provides inputs to support this task. As in the biblical model proposed by the narrative of the encounter on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) in the interaction of the churches with their backgrounds, their theologies and practices, churches accompany and are accompanied, teach and learn. The following concepts are important for the framework of the Sustainability Program: the Mission of God, hermeneutical spiral; participation; gender approach; self-reliance and responsible stewardship; accountability; Systemic approach; experiential learning; institutional change The Lutheran communion has expressed and articulated such approaches in the documents Mission in Context (2006) and Diakonia in Context (2009) that give the program a framework. The Sustainability Program methodological approaches: Participatory learning and action Group learning by doing and sharing LA popular education approach PME Gradual process (ministry of Jesus) Involvement and active participation (early Christians) Simultaneous and interdisciplinary process (the contribution of Luther, the two regimes, Law and Gospel)
The Sustainability Program tools:
Development of Vision
Facilitation of participatory processes
Participatory Strategic Planning
Mapping and development of gifts and resources
Financial management and healthy community
Finding other models of being church
In 2009 COP/COL discerned more precise guidelines for Sustainability Program (COP/COL, Minutes 11-15 May 2009, Lima, Peru): Opportunities - We discover that a question with sustainability is about identity. - Sustainability is a broad concept with a historical legacy. - There are sustainability initiatives with good acceptance, even with the participation of other groups. - There were previous wishes in other churches to join with these trends coming from the sustainability agenda. - Time (2010) with concrete results expected. Risks - Be careful in organizing agendas that are not implemented afterward. - There are books of PE that have led nowhere, because they are not made locally. 2
Sustainability Program The Lutheran World Federation- DMD/LAC
The three axes of Sustainability Program inputs: 1. Planning - Emphasize PME. - Need to have strategic plans for addressing the job better. - Planning and plan of life as elements that help. - Continue to generate ideas, particularly with regard to Strategic Planning (SP). - Definition of models that strengthen the performance of SP. - Ability of people to engage in Participatory Strategic Planning Gifts and Resources Development - Stewardship: fundamental issue that needs more emphasis. - Accountability. - Accountability with respect to funds raised. - Promote accountability, but without losing sight of the concept of communion. - Need to assume local costs. - Search discerns who needs the money, justice in the sharing of resources. - Resource management projects. - Fairness in the distribution of resources. - Self-management as an important element - Do not forget the ethics in the work we do - Need to dismantle existing ideas in traditional churches that the contribution is a “payment for a service�. - Support from State for diaconal work. - Similar to other churches which have stopped receiving money and pastors from the outside. From there emerged the practice of self-reliance. - There is a large imbalance, as there are people in need without contacts and relationships, while others with better contacts and relationships get help. Internal solidarity. - Strategies concerning stewardship as emphasis. - Volunteers. Modes of being church - Working models of churches - A gender approach is essential to the proposed sustainability. - Sustainability comes from the members. There are still attitudes that assume that the church covers everything. - Democracy and Lutheran identity as evidence in support of sustainability - Responsible, democratic and horizontal participation. - The concept of sustainability implies broad consensus (mission, theological). - Theologically-based models of sustainability, mission, and universal priesthood. - Motivation and more convincing proclamation. - Avoid Congregationalism. - The church is not isolated, but rather living in a world that requires transformation - Testimony: opening the doors of the church, letting people sit in the pews. If the church does not open the doors, this will be just a dream. - The situation of the churches among Catholic majorities. - Important to listen IECLB presentations. Strategic lines: - Dialogue with local communities. - Stronger linking with the grassroots to develop projects. - Strengthen the sharing of experiences - Exchange of experiences. 3
Sustainability Program The Lutheran World Federation- DMD/LAC
- Creating opportunities for exchange. - Inputs already prepared to carry it forward. - Socialize and make better use of materials. - Economic resources are important, but we cannot forget that are theological aspects; we are church, not a business. - Talk more between the churches in Latin America, more exchange, learn from each other, and support the training of emerging churches. - More preparation for continuing the work in the church (about sustainability). - Pastoral support from sister churches. - Think of a regional plan for sustainability. - Plan capacity building in many different themes and aspects. - Emphasize capacity building that should permeate all levels of the churches. - Open the possibility of courses (IECLB) for other churches in the region. - IERP launch lay people training. - Co-responsibility in the matter of mission, North-South dialogue, also in the allocation of resources Strategies that emerge from these lines: Training and strengthening of local capacity from the local level Visibility and enhancement of ongoing local experiences for mutual learning. Learning by doing (action-research). Motivating broad participatory process Focus on co-responsibility of communion Diffusion and communication to reach the base of the churches
Experiences in progress: Participatory Strategic Planning, Institutional Missionary Plan (Colombia) Strategic Plan Honduras Mission Comprehensive Plan of Action (Brazil) Training Cycle for Facilitators of Participatory Process (Argentina) Self Financial Health-check Evaluation Metanoia (Chile) Other experiences in PerĂş, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua Program Resources o PLA 9018 (2010 USD38.000) o Core Group (Think Tank) Grupo Animador (volunteers) o 16 churches delegates in the program (volunteer) o Facilitator (part-time position rented) o Geneva staff support (administrative and logistic)
Gustavo Driau Sustainability Program May 2010
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