2016ustrip

Session VII: Lay Mobilization
by Dr Bryan Sims
Thank God for the opportunity to attend the pastors retreat this year at Asbury
Theological Seminary at Wilmore, Kentucky, USA. There is a lot of
information on the Internet for the session conducted by Dr Bryan Sims on the
Lay Mobilization Institute (LMI). Dr Sims is the Associate Professor of
Leadership and Lay Development and Director of the Center for Lay
Mobilization of Asbury Theological Seminary. He explains what the LMI is:
The Lay Mobilization Institute: What is it?
What is the Lay Mobilization Institute?
The Lay Mobilization Institute is a four-phase congregational transformation journey that invites pastors and
laity to work together in local churches. One of the things that I hear regularly is that churches want to see
more fruit or a different kind of fruit. Some churches are in decline or struggling, and they want to see a new
day. Other churches are doing well, but they would like to see more lives changed.
I always come back to John 15. Jesus said that He is the vine and we are the branches. He invites us to abide
in him. It is in abiding in Jesus that we produce fruit that brings the Father glory.
Why do you feel the Lay Mobilization Institute is so important to the church?
As I look across the landscape of the American church especially, there is a lot of decline. There is a lot of
frustration related to the fact that former strategies and programs aren’t working the way they used to. We
know the gospel is still as powerful as it has ever been, and yet, for some reason, the church is struggling in
many places.
Why is this important to me? It allows us to come back to our first love. To remember that fruit comes as we
abide. This is not only a personal image, but also a corporate image. We have a world around us that’s in
desperate need. We have a God who’s ready to meet those needs, and yet, too often, we are not deeply
connected to Christ ourselves and so we are not deeply connected to our communities. We have to abide. We
have to be transformed and engaged together in covenant types of relationships. We have to go into our
communities where there is need to literally be the hands, feet and love of Christ.
How are you seeing lives changed as a result of God’s work through the Lay Mobilization Institute?
One of the ways I’m seeing lives changed is seeing pastors realize they don’t have to be in this alone. I see
lay people step up to spiritual leadership in the local church and embrace being part of God’s mission. I see
covenant relationships and a shared sense of mission and responsibility among pastors and laity together. It’s
all about God’s mission.
The fact that we get to participate in what God is doing and see people not only grab hold of that, but then
also embody it and share it in a simple, repeatable disciple-making process is one of the most glorious things
I’ve seen.
The above excerpt is a summary of what the LMI is. Churches who want to grow and make a difference can
contact Dr Bryan Sims who will work with the local church to bring about change.
The session ended with a lovely fellowship meal hosted by LMI.
Rev A Chiew
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