Embarking on a Mission: A Recap of the LCA-NZ Collaborative Mission Retreat
One of the privileges of my role is working collaboratively with a wide range of members of the LCANZ. This includes my interstate pastor colleagues Ian Rentsch (NSW), David Schmidt (QLD), and Stephen Schultz (SA).
As part of our support role to the Bishops, we recently organised a 3-day collaborative mission leaders’ retreat. Thirty-five staff from the LCANZ and Districts were able to gather in Sydney for a time of prayer, reflection, brainstorming, and collaboration. Bishops, mission directors, pastors, and laypeople were all part of the mix.
Our key goals were to pray for each other, for our leaders, and for the pressing issues facing the LCA-NZ. We wanted to set aside time to prayerfully reflect on our service as leaders, the ministry and mission context of the LCANZ, and to discern God’s guidance. The retreat also aimed to provide spiritual refreshment to those in attendance.
On day one, the focus was on taking stock of the current landscape, naming the many challenges, and getting real about the issues.
What really struck a chord, though, was the reading from Mark 6:45-56, where Jesus joins the disciples, who are ‘straining against the oars’ in the midst of a wild storm.
We spent considerable time reflecting on the story:
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
By day two the conversation shifted to where the group sensed God wants His church to be. The participants discussed their shared vision for the mission of God’s church. They spent time exploring the difference between technical problems which leaders can usually fix with elbow grease and commitment – by rowing harder (!) – and adaptive challenges, the bigger, much more challenging problems that leaders cannot ‘fix’ alone. These require new learning and community-wide efforts – and most of all dependence upon God. And sometimes God leads us to entirely different outcomes than we have been planning for.
The day ended with a sense of purpose but also some perplexity. The group wasn’t quite sure how to summarise their reflections.
On the final day, things started coming together. After some reflection and prayer, the retreat’s facilitators presented four key areas of focus for the participants: collaboration and networking, fostering a missional culture, enabling leadership, and spiritual growth through prayer.
The participants agreed with these priorities and divided into groups to discuss key actions that might be taken.
St Mark’s account of the fearful and tired disciples in the boat, with Jesus joining them, reassuring them, and leading them – to a different beach than they had anticipated (see verses 53-56 above) – remained as a theme. We were constantly reminded that the church is on a journey, navigating through uncertain waters – but that Jesus has not abandoned us, and often redirects us on the way.
The retreat wrapped up with a renewed sense of commitment and a simple acronym to guide each participant’s servant leadership: SAIL (Spiritual maturity, Active mission culture, Intentional networking, and Learning and Listening along the way).
I give thanks for the opportunity to be part of the organisation of the retreat. May I encourage you to continually hold up our leaders, the Council of Bishops, the General Church Board and all those serving to support us at the LCANZ and District levels in prayer. Thank you for your prayers for us.
Image: Pastor Stephen Schultz (SA District Assistant Bishop for Mission) leads a devotional bible study on Mark 6 at the recent LCA NZ Collaborative Mission Retreat.
