ROBERT HYATT

Adam Avery is one of the Pastors at Church At the Well in Burlington, VT. Asie from having been once punched in the arm by Bernie Sanders, he’s also the newest member of the Ecclesia Board.

How would you describe the area your church is in?

All of New England has a strong “town hall” vibe to it. Slow is valued here because anything worthwhile will take time and need to be talked out and walked out. It’s a fun contest for ministry because it’s interactive and very thoughtful. When people decide to follow Jesus here, it’s legit. They’ve taken the time to process it and think it through and when they’re ready, they’re ready.

How would you describe the journey of pastoring Church At the Well? What have been some of the milestones/different seasons?

So many milestones and monuments have been built over the 11 years I’ve been here. The one we’re celebrating most these days is financial sustainability and increased staffing. We’ve done so much with so little for so long that we’re blown away at God’s provision during this current season. It’s been 10 years in the making and God has been faithful at every turn.

Looking back, what do you know now you wish you had known when you first started Church At the Well?

I wish I had known that God is never in a hurry and it’s ok for a church to go 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Owning that from the get-go would have been extremely helpful. Losing & finding new worship space, saying goodbye to friends who moved away, financial ups and downs, seasons of transition, etc. are all part of the dance called ministry. It isn’t a comfortable dance to learn, but when you figure it out it feels more graceful than it used to.

As you think about what you’ve been able to do so far in ministry there what are some things you have done/tried that have worked well?

Team ministry and collaboration. I always believed in it conceptually, but I’m sold on it through and through now. Plurality of leadership is tricky at times but well worth it.

What hasn’t worked so well? What have you had to rethink/reimagine/rework?

Ha! Almost everything! We’re constantly debriefing and tweaking things around here. One of our mantras is that structure must submit to spirit, so we even rework and rethink the things that are working!

What is one failure you experienced and what did you learn from it?

Not asking for help. There have been numerous occasions when Ian, Abby and I (staff pastors) have stepped into roles and responsibilities that we should have invited others into instead of taking them on ourselves. We’ve succumbed to micro-managing on more than one occasion and have learned that it robs us and our community of opportunities to serve God and others faithfully. Paying your taxes hurts a little, but it builds infrastructure and more opportunities for growth and discipleship.

What is something you’ve been hearing from or learning from God in this last season of leading?

How important consistent communication is. Sometimes I fall prey to the notion that if it’s clear in my own head and I’ve talked about it once or twice, everyone else is right there with me. “Town Hall meetings are valuable and worth the time, Adam” – that’s what God has been saying.

What do you dream/hope/pray Church At the Well looks like in five years?

We’re praying that Church At the Well will become more of a place (we’re currently renting space only on Sunday morning and want more of a physical presence) and a community where people are invited to practice the way of Jesus with us and thirst for the life that he alone can give.

This year, we made the decision to move our time together out of the Mid-Atlantic and into the balmy January temperatures of Florida.  For us, this represents the steady growth of Ecclesia over the last 13 years. Once upon a time, every church in Ecclesia could have arrived at a common meeting point without driving more than 3 or 4 hours.  Today, the journey to a common meeting point would take days. As we start 2020, I am easily reminded of the tumultuous times that we find ourselves in as a culture. Even among some of the most innovative people I know, they are even surprised by the pace and degree of rapid change that is striking just about every fabric of our society. In discerning our theme this year we felt compelled to focus on the core task of the church and her leaders – cultivating a people who manifest the person, work, and power of Jesus Christ.  Many, many things have changed throughout the centuries, but this core calling has not. Even more, it is a dedication to this core calling and a faithfulness to the Orthodoxy that accompanies it that has stood the test of time.  It is also what is bearing fruit today, in spite of a culture (and sometimes a church) that is no longer easily aligned with this value.

“It was a time of encouragement and affirmation from like-minded pastors and leaders who love the church and are not interested in brand building but disciple making.” – Eric Schwartz

Advent can be a particularly challenging season for church planters and pastors in younger churches.

I remember the first few years of our church plant, Advent was a season of decreased attendance- most of the people in our church were younger and would either travel to be with family over the holidays or head to church with their parents. Advent always left me wondering where everyone had gone.

As we got older, more and more people began to stick around for the Holidays, and even bring family and friends. That was great, but only increased the pressure we felt to make things special.

Let’s just be frank- Advent can be exhausting. In addition to planning extra events like Christmas parties or serving the poor, Advent means being there first and probably leaving last on Christmas Eve or other special Christmas services.

What for most people is a family celebration is for many pastors an exhausting special event- work.

What all this means is that at Advent, we as ministry leaders need to take special care. Here are three things to be mindful of this season.

1. Remember to make Advent as special for your own family as you are trying to make it for others’- Not to add more pressure at what is already a pressure-filled time, but your family needs you to be mom or dad, not pastor or ministry leader. They understand you have a job that often means working when others are at home, celebrating, but rather than ask them to just accept this, do your best to simply shift those special times to earlier in the day or in some other way acknowledge their sacrifice of time with you by doing something else special for or with them.

• Take some extra time off- you’ve earned it. The folks that serve you the coffee you get or sell you those last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve probably get time and half for working on holidays. Sadly, this is a convention that has never really made its way into churches! Probably the best we’re going to be able to do is take advantage of the greater flexibility we have with our time. That means taking some “comp” time after Christmas to be with your family. Ministry can wait- show your family they matter by being extra-present after big events like Christmas Eve that pull you away from them.

• Most importantly- Don’t forget to connect with the Jesus you are trying so hard to point others to. Though it’s cliché to say it- remember the reason for the Advent season. We consistently remind people not to get caught up with the business of the season and then promptly ignore our own warnings. Do whatever you need to do this year to stay focused on your relationship with God, and the worship of Jesus. Don’t let pastoring others and planning church services for them mean that your soul is neglected.

Have a blessed Advent this year that does in your life and heart the same things you hope and pray for others.

Matthew Shedden grew up in the Chicago Suburbs and left at the age of 18 to attend Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. There he met his wife Kelli, and finished a degree in history before moving to Seattle to attend the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology where he received an MDiv. They then moved to rural Oregon where he worked and learned as an associate pastor for 6 years.

When given the chance to move back to Colorado they jumped at the chance to lead Defiance Church. When he’s not working or reading at the church, you’ll find him on the river fly-fishing or on the slopes skiing and enjoying the wonderful area he, Kelli and their two kids live in.

How would you describe the area your church is in?

Rural (10,000)

How would you describe the journey of pastoring Defiance Church? What have been some of the milestones/different seasons?

Pastoring Defiance Church has been an exciting journey. After starting with 10 people and being given the charge to replant or reenergize the church we’ve tackled a lot of challenges. The congregation has been flexible and generous with new ideas and new life and we pray in continues into the future.

Looking back, what do you know now you wish you had known when you first started at Defiance?

I wish I had know how slow it would be, how small 10,000 people really is, and that the highs don’t last long and the lows should last shorter.

As you think about what you’ve been able to do so far in ministry there what are some things you have done/tried that have worked well?

We’ve worked hard at NOT trying a lot of things. Our goal has been to keep the structure and the work of church simple. I joke that our slogan could be “Church -(or worship) we believe it works. So that’s something that’s worked really well for us.

What hasn’t worked so well? What have you had to rethink/reimagine/rework?

I think many of the missional ideas and strategies haven’t worked well because they came as programs. Now I’m trying to get back the change in disposition to life over a set of programs.

What is one failure you experienced and what did you learn from it?

The biggest error I’ve made is trying to restart our leadership structure without a new structure in place. I’ve learned that as much as I take on the work of the church, I still need others around me.

What is something you’ve been hearing from or learning from God in this last season of leading?

Don’t go alone and take a breath to enjoy the view.

What do you dream/hope/pray Defiance Church looks like in five years?

I’ve long looked at our church as a well instead of a community pool. So instead of being big and wide with plenty going on, we pray and hope to be drawn deeper into the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

At ENG 20 Reflecting the Son, you’ll experience a mixture of traditional plenary sessions and “TED”-type talks, along with workshop options in specific tracks around
theology, discipleship, leadership, and multiplication.   We’re excited that Winfield Bevins is joining us as a featured speaker as we seek to recover Church in the image of Christ!

Winfield Bevins is an author, artist, and speaker whose passion is to help others connect to the roots of the Christian faith for discipleship and mission. He is the Director of Church Planting at Asbury Theological Seminary. He frequently speaks at conferences on a variety of topics and is a regular adjunct professor at several seminaries. Having grown up in a free-church background, Winfield eventually found his spiritual home in the Anglican tradition, but freely draws wisdom from all church traditions. Having authored several books, his writings explore the convergence of liturgy, prayer, and mission. His latest book, Ever Ancient, Ever New, with Zondervan examines young adults who have embraced Christian liturgy and how it has impacted their lives. He and his wife Kay have three beautiful girls Elizabeth, Anna Belle, and Caroline and live in the Bluegrass state of Kentucky.

Find out more about him on his website!

For more info and registration on the Ecclesia National Gathering 2020, click here!