Have We Moved the Boundaries?

"Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set." - Proverbs 22:28

I'm always a little apprehensive when I get off in the weeds of theology in a place where so many well informed pastors and lay leaders visit. But I wonder if we, the lay leaders and pastors directed by God to lead matters of His church, have moved some ancient boundaries.

As way of review and not instruction to our learned readers, we know that land, given by God, was a sensitive topic in bible history (Deut. 19:14). God gave land to head of families to in turn assign individual plots. The warning of Proverbs 22:28 was to highlight the importance of respecting those initial assignments and not showing disrespect for the decision of God and ancestors.

I wonder (open question; inviting our readers to expound) if God assigned the "land" to which individual churches are responsible, including the inhabitants of that land -- to particular churches? Are we responsible for certain "dots on a map" defined as our community? Do the curses and implications of Job 24:2, Isa. 5:8, Deut. 27:17, Prov. 15:25, 1 King 21:16-19; Hosea 5:10 hold true for the modern day church?

Should my church, your church, be content with what God has given us to the extent that we are more careful about "stealing market share" for the sake of growth? Are we guilty of moving the boundaries that God set forth? Hmmm?

Right for a Lifetime?

"The more definitive and widely accepted the ‘answer’, the more it prevents people from seeing how it will turn out to be wrong. Once you think you know, for a fact, that things work in a particular way — or the answer to problem ‘a’ is always technique ‘b’ — there’s no need to explore any further. Of course, over time, the world changes, but almost nobody looks to see if that affects what they already know for sure — until the unthinkable happens and our nice, simple answers stop working." - Lifehack article

Observation: Churches of today eventually act like churches of yesterday.

"We've always done it that way" has turned into the banner of mediocrity for many churches. From the outside looking in, it seems to be closed mindedness. For those that reside comfortably within the cozy walls of unchanged existence -- it doesn't seem wrong at all.

Let's face it, we are often people of habit in matters that would benefit from a different perspective. When it comes to church, we like our experience predictable. We are not interested in what matters most to others, but rather what matters most to me. The creaking floors of traditional religion become a charming aspect to the familiar house we have built for ourselves. The structure becomes a warehouse of our junk and less of a house of worship.

We fall into the downward spiral of self-contentment when we fight for an answer found many years ago that once worked. Blood-red carpet, heavy pews, a 52-Sunday predictable rotation of sermons, first and last verse -- we grow attached to what worked then and can't see that it just might not work now.

The logic of the dilemma is entrenched in knowing what we know to be right and proclaiming "right lasts a lifetime." It isn't necessarily so.

Given, there are certain dogmas and practices that are to remain unchanged in describing and living the principles that Christ set forth -- however, there are variations to the theme in living out and expressing those unchanging tenets that our lazy belief structure tends to dismiss. If we believe something is right and will always work, the grip that we place on that belief is tight and steady. The only way for us to loosen that grip and reach out to something else is for us to see a different answer in the faces of a few we trust. It is a leaders responsibility to connect those dots.

Religious practices are viral. If we desire that God's presence in our life take on a realness, then we are open to hearing from others the real experiences of their spiritual encounters. We are open to change, when we see and experience a better way.

The fear of boat rocking has left many church lay leaders and pastors hesitant to change obsolete practices. Yet, the natural death of an ineffective church will eventually make the necessary changes without their participation. It is leadership's responsibility to do what is right; to take a chance.

The message to leadership is: Do nothing and your church will eventually die an unfortunate death. Do something and your odds of success are greatly improved.

Problem of Creativity

In a recent Convergence survey, creativity was listed in the top five needs of the surveyed pastors. More specifically, the inability to inspire creativity within their staff and lay leadership was the problem at hand. These church leaders join millions of other leaders seeking that elusive goal of creativity.

When I encounter a leader who expresses a desire for his or her team to be more creative, I ask them: What would you like for them to create? The question throws them a bit since everyone knows that organizations just need to be creative. I'll get a ramble about wanting breakthrough ideas or "out of the box" strategies -- but they sound more like merit badge efforts or check off the box --hey look at us, we're creative -- prideful accomplishments .

I've come to believe that creativity doesn't exist in organizations because (1) it isn't what they are really striving for and (2) it's impossible for them to conjure up something that is truly creative, genuinely new. Their misguided pursuit takes the emphasis off of organizational outcomes and attempts to place the spotlight on personal performance.

One could argue that creativity versus construction is a matter of semantics and in some cases it is. However, to do so looses sight of the subtle distinction and importance that vocabulary plays in an organization. Striving for a brilliant, totally new idea is a futile attempt that is likely embedded in self-serving motives. Rather, constructing something new from elements at our disposal removes the pride of ownership and becomes a team effort much like a group building something with a pile of Legos.

Constructing new objects, paradigms or processes is not enough by itself. Instead, organizations are better served by assembling parts, ideas, processes in a unique way to meet a need. A focus on purpose rather than creation moves the organization toward a more meaningful pursuit. It is about vocabulary for sure, but it makes a distinction that draws away from personal fame for the sake of impressing others with a so called creation. The canvas needed for creating something new doesn't exist. Rather we are to make a new product, or process, or effort from the building blocks that God has already given us. It is the classic create versus make distinction. For a expanded explanation of the subtle difference click on over to our sister site to learn more about the problem of creativity.

Step 4 of Fulfilling Your Vision (Aligning Effort)

You have arrived at the last step in your journey to fulfill your vision for your church. With your champions enrolled and well versed in the urgent purpose you have called others to join in; the last step is where the impact is made and the vision takes shape.

Step 4 is the alignment of effort. Alignment is often the missing ingredient in a plan. By creating well defined roles and allowing others the flexibility to execute their portion of the vision, a unified effort brings results. Simple in concept, alignment is frequently overlooked in a volunteer organization such as a church. Leaders tend to not closely coordinate or align volunteer efforts as they would an employed position. Champion volunteers, on the other hand, are aligned first with your urgent purpose, making them more inclined to accept assigned roles and coordinated efforts. Be clear in your expectations of your champions and check in with them often to monitor their progress. Ensure they have reasonable timelines and the necessary support and resources.

It is important that each person involved not only understand their role, but also understand the role of other champions. Moving from the “big picture” to an individual’s specific role allows self-coordination and greater creativity without interfering with other roles. By using a “tight-loose-tight” oversight approach, you can appropriately manage a unified effort while allowing the personal touch of individual effort.

The initial “tight” is the definition of your urgent purpose. A vague purpose statement will not fulfill your vision. Create the expectation among champions that everyone will strive for the same, highly defined goal. Once the “tight” expectation is established through your urgent purpose definition and described during your focused communication phase, you can then allow a more “loose” approach to execution. Allow champions a great deal of latitude in executing their part of the plan. Encourage new approaches and different avenues. The final “tight” is in the expectation of timelines and end results that represent successful execution of the vision. “Tight-loose-tight” will inspire your team to individualize the effort while at the same time stay on goal.

By aligning effort your momentum is more likely to overcome negative opinions or political maneuvering by those desiring the status quo or an alternative direction. The alignment establishes your individual champions as a team of highly coordinated and inspired ambassadors for the cause. They will find strength in their coordination and satisfaction in the part they play. Celebrate with them as you reach your desired destination and realize the purpose for which God has called your church.

Here are links to all 4 steps:

Step One - Engaging Ministry Champions
Step Two - Defining an Urgent Purpose
Step Three - Focused Communication
Step Four - Aligning Effort

Step 3 of Fulfilling Your Vision (Focused Communication)

Let’s recap -- In Step 1 you chose your twelve individuals who share a desire to support your vision - your champions. Step 2 formed your urgent purpose and made sure it is well defined and easily described. You are now ready to begin the crucial phase of talking, often times deeply, about your urgent purpose and why you are called to achieve that purpose. Step 3 is all about communication.

The simplicity of this step will often cause people to down play its importance ending in a half communicated effort. Instead, commit that you will over communicate to the point that your 12 targeted champions will say “enough! -- we get it -- let‘s start!”

You should package your urgent purpose in a three size message. One version should be the short version -- an “elevator speech” that quickly communicates your passionate desire. Secondly, you should have a 20 to 30 minute version that you can share one-on-one with those in your targeted champion group ensuring that you wrap the message in the personal passion that you have for the purpose. Lastly, you should have a one hour version that is more suitable for a group that passionately paints the picture for the purpose and the end result of pursuing that purpose.

Once you have your three messages ready to go, the fun now begins. It should be your driving desire for the next 30-days to communicate to your targeted champions your urgent purpose, encouraging them to join the effort and recruit twelve of their own champions to join them in their part of the effort. As they identify champions, you meet with them in larger and larger groups so they can hear from you and hear from each other. It is in this pattern of focused communication that momentum is born.

The focus during this phase is to communicate your urgent purpose to champions. It is not a time to debate or address the controversy that will come from the typical naysayer. The message is in search of willing hearts. If willingness is absent in one person, move on to the next. A positive momentum fueled by the passion of champions will overcome negative reactions over time.

Finally, be creative in your approach to sharing your urgent purpose. Draw pictures on napkins, create a logo, boil it down to a memorable phrase -- do whatever it takes to share the spirit and excitement of the purpose.

Through focused communication your urgent purpose takes root in the hearts of those who will join with you in the effort. Communication at this level takes deliberate planning to ensure there are no distractions and that the setting inspires understanding. Let your champion understand the importance this purpose plays in your life as well as how important they are to realizing the goal. Test their understanding and acceptance; listen to their questions and use what you learn to strengthen your approach in future discussions.

Communication is the key to success and the cause of most failures. Give this phase the thought and dedication that it deserves. It will make Step 4, the last step and our next article, go much better. Begin today sharing your urgent purpose with your chosen champions!

Here are links to all 4 steps:

Step One - Engaging Ministry Champions
Step Two - Defining an Urgent Purpose
Step Three - Focused Communication
Step Four - Aligning Effort

A Letter to Lay Leaders

Dear Lay Leader:
We at Convergence want to encourage you. With so many current pressures and more to come, the church -- your church -- is under tremendous strain. You are the link between the present and the future. You are the hope of future impact.

Over the last 25 years of serving as a lay leader in various churches, I’ve seen the tremendous movement that the church can undertake when fueled by lay leader participation. Lay leaders are at the crossroads. Lay leaders, however, are not all created equally.

I prefer to make the distinction between lay leader (a term that has become generic in some churches for a warm body that is willing to serve on a committee) and that of ministry champion. A champion is a non-staff leader in the congregation that shares the pastor’s passion for reaching their community with the life-changing message lived and taught by Christ. As a champion, you should “own” the movement. You are the defender of the faith in literal terms. You stand as a constant support to your pastor and their vision. We need more champions and fewer committee members.

My encouragement to you is to thoughtfully consider God’s leadership calling in your life. You have an important calling. You have a purpose to which you are specifically called. There is a place within your congregation for you to display the champion effort. We encourage you to find that place and fully engage your life in that cause.

In some cases, the very survival of your church could be in your hands. As we encounter churches in distress in the U.S. it almost always involves an adversarial relationship between pastor’s and those in lay leadership positions. There are levels of distrust that permeate the entire organization that eventually become distractions from the ultimate purpose. In other cases, lay leaders have “checked out” spiritually, emotionally and physically leaving the pastoral staff to fend for themselves against those members stuck in that dreaded no-impact zone. It is a loss. It only takes a handful of champions to stand up for what is relevant and right. It can be the spark that resuscitates your local impact.

We, the church, need you. Our hope is that you will be energized to do a few important things that we believe will be beneficial to your church and your pastor.

1. Meet with your senior pastor and ask them to share with you their frustrations. Listen carefully. Take notes.

2. Spend a week praying over those notes asking God to prompt you to action.

3. Meet again with your senior pastor to discuss God’s prompting and to get their feedback on what God has revealed as your role.

4. Set out to serve with excellence and determination, the role to which you are called.

By joining with your pastor, you will serve as a role model for others who have the heart of a champion. The journey begins today. The journey begins with you.