Organizing for Future

I see it as a "wink of the eye" from God when his creation, namely man, has a sense of what should be but doesn't look far enough in application. IBM recently completed a survey of over 1,000 corporate leaders to gain a collective perspective of what the organization of the future will look like. In the "collective insight and wisdom" of these corporate leaders they came up with these five elements:

1. Hungry for change
2. Innovative beyond customer imagination
3. Globally integrated
4. Disruptive by nature
5. Genuine; not just generous

My first impression upon reading the list: Church

God plants within the heart of these unsuspecting business leaders the recipe for a dynamic organization. People are people. People respond to organizations in similar ways. Organizations are effective in similar manners. The five elements of an effective organization of the future, appear to me to have merit for churches desiring to make a significant impact on their community.

1. Hungry for change: A never ceasing hunger to see people change their spiritual groundings, their lifestyle, their behavior and their compassion for others. Hunger is not a sensation to which our culture can relate. It requires that we set aside comfort, personal goals, success to hunger for something different in ways to reach others with something different.

2. Innovative beyond customers imagination: Not innovation for innovation sake or as a "competitive advantage" for the church around the corner to steal market share from the next closest church, but rather a innovation in reaching out and individually seizing people in ways and with meaning that resonate with their soul.

3. Globally integrated: Technology has made global integration a possibility for churches and should be a by-product of pursuing the other four characteristics. Global integration includes serving others who are doing the task better than your church. Integrated carries with it a "behind the scenes" role rather than a global domination strategy for the sake of notoriety.

4. Disruptive by nature: History showed and valued and applauded a disruptive church. The present finds plenty of disruption internally over carpet colors and committee seats, but little in the way of stopping the flow of a life and culture that is headed for ruin. Few churches can be found today challenging the culture. More need to be caught in the act of disruption.

5. Genuine; not just generous: Gulp. Guilty. Genuine church is rare. Genuine church is overwhelmingly attractive. Genuineness is the magnetic pull that brings people face to face with the purpose of the church. Generous is culturally hot with each cause identified with a new plastic wrist band. But generosity as a fashion statement is self-centered. Self-centered generosity is not generous. Those churches that "get it" will and are reaching people in ways and rates not recently seen. Genuine should be the core belief and effort of the five characteristics.

It started with people searching for the organizational answer. It followed that God puts in our heart as lay leaders and pastors what it will take to reach people. It is a shame to let insights into the heart of an effective organization be "wasted" on corporations. What will you do now that you know?

Retiree Debt and Church Voice

"Sixty-four percent of retirees carry debt into retirement and among these, more than one in four (28 per cent) don't feel comfortable with their amount of debt. More than two thirds (68 per cent) of pre-retirees expect to carry debt into retirement." - BMO Financial Survey

The impact of debt can be devastating at any age, but consider the prospects of entering into retirement with debt. The expected norm is for a large percentage of those facing retirement to retire with debt in place. Without a stream of income to pay-off the debt, retirees will enter the period of their life in which they are suceptible to depression with the looming threat of losing their electricity, verbal abuse by collectors and the shame of not meeting their obligations. The paradigms involved can be complex, but the church can serve as a voice of clarity during these times.

Churches with a high percentage of aging adults in their congregation should consider providing financial counseling as well as emergency funds for assisting retirees in times of utility loss or lack of food. With funds in short supply, basic home upkeep will be ignored providing a ministry opportunity to retirees through home improvement efforts particularly those involving security measures such as exterior lighting and locks.

God's command to "honor" our parents should be taught and lived within our congregations to ensure that our desire for more does not ignore the needs of parents during these trying times. Conferences within the church to prepare adult children for the care of their parents will help them plan for the future with long-term care insurance, basic understanding of Medicare drug plans and estate planning resources.

The church must become the protector of the aged as the continued escalation of health care cost may sway some families to consider withholding care for purely economic reasons. The establishment of Ethics Advisory Teams by churches in the community would be a welcome voice of reason and support for families struggling with the complexity and emotions of these decisions.

Courtesy of Trend Ping