Best Practices

The business world is flush with buzz words such as "best practices." However, of all the adages created by the corporate community, "best practices" is one of the more descriptive and beneficial to follow.

A church is certainly not a business and in most cases is better off not trotting down the trail of fads that business entities gleefully follow. The search for "best practices" though is a beneficial goal for the church community and can come in many forms. Here are a few places to seek out those best practices for your congregation:

1. Start with the Bible. Christ was careful to map out for us how His message effectively flows through the people of His creation. At their core, people have not changed. They still seek the same things that Christ addressed. Carefully consider the manner in which the early church engaged with people to find the best practices of approach and execution.
2. Be a student of organizations represented in your congregation. Seek out casual conversations with lay leaders in your church to learn what is working best in their business, school, civic organization. How are they communicating with people? What are their goals for next year? How are roles assigned according to those goals? What motivates people toward action in their organization?
3. Read widely. Subscribe to Google Reader to track articles from innovative publications of best practices such as Fast Company. As you read, make notes in your paper or online based capture system. Look for application not just information.
4. Have courage to experiment. Effective organizations are willing to try new things. Unfortunately, churches usually are not. Be honest with your congregation ahead of time that it is a trial and their support during and input after is critical.
5. Recruit a "sister church" to share ideas and resources. Much like the once popular municipal trend for cities to have a sister city in the East or Europe, the same can apply to a church. Find a like-minded pastor to share ideas and resources. Visit each other's campus and meetings. Organize the manner in which you will share ideas and materials (set up a shared page on BackPack) to make it easy to share and navigate.

The search for best practices can be an encouraging and beneficial activity that the lay leaders of your church can become involved with and benefit from.

In Private

As Microsoft prepares to release their new Explorer 8, the benefits of the new "In Private" mode for searching stealthily through the online world are hinting to some morally distracting features.

"The feature, called InPrivate, has been dubbed in some blog postings as 'porn mode', because it also hides the browsing history from other people using the same computer." - newspaper article

Buried within the benefit of hiding one's presence from the ever lurking Google ad machinery, the new Explorer 8 release reminds us that the already cancerous impact of online porn will become even more difficult for parents, spouses and friends to discover. Morality will never be enforced by online screening tools, however, an early detection system can be helpful in fighting this growing moral plague.

Encourage your church leadership to stay ever vigilant in the battle for the mind. There are many lives at stake that depend on your insistence.

Difficult Conversations

Seems that church is a lab of sorts for difficult conversations. Most of these conversations should have a happy ending -- bringing healing to a relationship. They often don't because we avoid difficult conversations.

Where there are people there will be difficult conversations. People tend to create controversy. Egos are played out. Things are said that should have been kept quiet. Bad attitudes go undetected until too late. Secret agendas suffocate the good intentions of others. Mistakes are seen as targets to be fired upon rather than part of the journey of living.

Whatever the source, the dynamics of being a church will result in the need for difficult conversations. The need is always there, the desire to act on that need is often rare.

Most people avoid having a "heart to heart" with someone else. We wish that issues would simply fix themselves and we ignore the symptoms that the issue is growing worse. We do not like to talk to others about issues that could upset them. We fear confrontation, reprisal and the hurtful words in response that may follow. No doubt, engaging in a conversation that intends to address a difficult situation leaves us open to these risks. In the end, however, it is worth it and it is our responsibility to pursue the healing dialogue.

If you have a difficult conversation on your horizon, consider these helpful tips:

1. Timing is very important. A difficult conversation cannot be accomplished in a hallway passing. Pick a time when you feel the other person will have the fewest distractions and be the most rested.
2. Location, location, location. Find a place for your meeting that is private as well as a neutral territory. The chance that your conversation will be overheard or interrupted will significantly minimize the depth of the conversation.
3. Offer a generic yet meaningful invitation. If you are too specific in your invitation to meet -- "Hey Bob, I've been wanting to ask you why you are a jerk to the rest of the team so how about we get together for coffee tonight" -- will allow the other to build up the steam of defensiveness prior to your meeting. Instead go with: "Bob, would you have some time for me this week? I'd like to talk with you about something important."
4. Be prepared to walk down the path of denial, victimization and possibility. In other words, it will take some time for the other person to see themselves in the role that you describe them. We don't often see ourselves as others do, so give them some time to deny, point to others and then gradually accept there may be a shred of truth in this conversation.
5. Insist on getting back together. Don't leave them to struggle in isolation with what you have dropped in their lap. Ask them to think about it a couple of days and to call you or plan to get back together. The greatest potential for discipleship and healing comes in the follow-up.
6. Stay true to your promises. If you promise confidentiality, not a word to anyone else. If you promise support, stay as close as a brother. If you promise to engage the assistance of others, do so without fail.
7. Learn from the mistakes of others. To be an effective encouragement in our church, we must always realize we too are capable of the same offenses we discuss with others. The humility of walking with someone through a struggle should be a constant reminder that we have our own failings. Someone who has walked through the journey becomes an effective guide for others who stray off the intended path.

The ability to effectively engage in difficult conversations places a tremendous responsibility on you to be the keeper of the faith in your church. Don't deny the opportunities that present or the ability to improve this important obligation to others.

How to Respect Your Pastor

It's not something we as lay leaders say out loud but we think it. We generally think of pastors respecting our leadership not the other way around. After all, we conclude, that we lead "real organizations" in the "real world" with challenges that far exceed the study and preach routine of a pastor.

You may not admit it, even to yourself, but most lay leaders have been there. It is an inappropriate view of all involved.

I believe that being a pastor is one of the hardest "jobs" known to man. Their leadership skills are tried and challenged every single day by church members and leaders who do not respect their abilities or authority. We often see the pastor as someone who was brought into this world by a committee and can be easily taken out of this world by committee. We underestimate the amount of personal challenge they experience in their role. They need and are due our respect.

In general, to fully respect someone, we must understand who they are as a person and what they are encountering in their journey. This is difficult information to garner from a pastor. They are often not at liberty to share with us the who and what of their difficult day. They are not comfortable sharing with us their genuine feelings and frustrations. Pastors often isolate themselves internally to project an external persona as expected by their congregation.

To respect we must understand and to understand we must gain trust. Gaining and cherishing a pastor's trust is an important element of becoming an exceptional lay leader. It takes quiet times of listening to your pastor's fears, goals and frustrations without judging or offering the bullet points of generic success. The trust building conversations will start small and inconsequential. Your pastor must learn they can trust you. When they find that you break that trust, you will not have the opportunity to respect them. When they find that you step up to champion their cause and their performance, they will begin to trust your motives as genuine.

If you distrust your pastor, it is your obligation to remedy that relationship. Our pastor is given obligations by God on our behalf. God has given us obligations as lay leaders to respect that authority and pastoral position in meaningful way. End the cycles of distrust in your church by reaching out to your pastor with respect.

Hostile Toward Pastors

Hostile work environment: A good description of a "career" in ministry?

I'm not really sure why it happens, but it does. I've seen it often during my 25 plus years of lay leadership in churches. It is likely that I have even added to it myself. The hostile work environment that lay leaders create for their pastoral staff is interesting, confusing and manageable all at once.

As a result of the years of oppression and critique that we lay leaders have brought upon our pastors we have in many ways marginalized them in their pursuit of meaningful ministry. Pastors are on "high alert" regarding virtually every word they say and every move they make in fear of being criticized by their membership.

I have this theory that people who otherwise don't have a platform in life to assert their opinions migrate to the church as an "open mic night" disguised as a church-wide business meeting or committee setting. It is a rare church that throttles the verbal venom spewed from "well meaning brothers and sisters" who are pursuing their own version of "the Lord's work." Neck veins have popped at the pastor's expense over trite topics ranging from carpet color to meaningless increases to near poverty salaries. I hold lay leaders responsible for allowing, maybe even creating, this hostile environment.

Many swear that it's in the bible: Pastors are to serve their flock. Feed their flock. Protect their flock. There is some substance to that claim, but in the flock-scenario of their mindset the sheep rush the shepherd disarming him of his staff and then beat him into submission while at the same time berating him on his scrawny legs poking out from under his hideous robe. We are for the most part confused about who serves who.

As lay leaders we should lead. We must support our pastor in meaningful ways that build confidence, instill trust and encourage success. Our approach should include the defense of unity carefully following the biblical rules for confrontation. We should not allow spiritual-snipers to force our pastors into a fetal position of defenseless survival. We should ask the hard questions of those who are in opposition to our pastoral leaders:

1. Is their opposition or critique based on inaccurate information?
2. Have they made their opposition known to others without first approaching the pastor one-on-one?
3. Do they have a history of offering criticism without offering to be part of the solution?
4. Does their position lack biblical merit?
5. Does their opposition lack evidence that supports their claim?
6. Are they approaching the situation without love and respect for the pastor?

If you determine any of these 6 questions to be true, it is your obligation as a lay leader to protect your pastor and intervene. For the church to survive, or even thrive, lay leaders must come to the defense of their pastors. We must encourage them and serve as a defense between them and those who forget to love and respect the called of God.

Re-Recruiting Champions

Think about your team and what you need to do in the next week or month to build your team. If you are typical, your leadership mind went to the problem child and the behaviors you need to correct or the motivation you need to build. You likely gave but a passing glance to your stars. Stars, you conclude, don't need much attention. That conclusion should be viewed with caution.

Stars are a dream to work with. They get things done. They move the agenda. They compliment and encourage. The are a joy to be with. They self-manage so you can spend your valuable and limited leadership attention on the more needy team members. The last one wil get you in trouble. That belief that champions need less attention should change if you want to breed excellence and grow a thriving church.

Champions should continually be re-recruited. They need to hear why the organization values their time and effort. They should have their own "one-on-one" meetings with you and other leaders to praise them on their performance. Recognition among their peers should be routine. Treat champions as if you may lose them at any minute.

Re-recruiting a strong team member re-engages their commitment to the organizational effort and holds them out for lower performing team members to study and emulate. Taking champions for granted is a common and costly mistake. It takes years to rebuild from the loss of a champion. Champions should be cherished.

Take a look at the percentage allocation of where you invest your time. Chances are, if you are typical, you invest about 80% of your leadership time with your team on generic team matters or dealing with low performers (or cleaning up their mess). Flip it. Challenge yourself to spend 80% of your time with champions and almost-champions. You'll find the energy and effectiveness of your team are exponentially higher than before. Make it a habit to recruit daily your champions to stay on the team. (And lay leaders, re-recruit your champion pastors in the same way!)

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?

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?

The Origin of Culture

Confession: Over the span of my 25-years of leadership, I have read several books on creating culture and they have all left me confused.

The "do this and then do that" approach to creating culture, I believe, is flawed. A theory of culture that adequately predicts the variations thrown at a leader is either too shallow in its approach or so complex that execution is beyond managing. My experience has led me to believe that culture is developed when we simply focus on doing the right things.

I hear the sighs of disappointment when such a claim is made. We all hope for the three step, fool proof approach to creating culture. That elusive promise doesn't exist. Culture is a by-product of showing up and doing what is right every minute of the day. The collaboration of lay leaders and pastors agreeing to what is right and then executing on that rightness, brings about lasting, positive culture.

Culture is a reflection of how your church feels about their leadership, and ultimately, each other and their joint purpose. Leadership creates the elements of culture. Culture is simply an expression of that leadership. When a leader "endears" others to his or her leadership, the spark of a positive culture begins to emerge. Culture becomes an after-thought of our efforts. We do right and on occasion look back over our shoulder and see the boundaries of positive culture forming. We don't set out to create culture, we set out to do what is right for and with those we lead.

Doing what is right takes mental toughness and discipline. Leaders fail daily for lack of these two important abilities and convictions. Culture reflects the actions of leaders. If a leader allows favoritism or ignores challenges to the church's purpose, the culture will reflect that decision.

The complexity of how and why culture exists has led me to focus on the key drivers instead of the culture itself. I have found that when a leader (1) cares deeply for those they lead and acts accordingly and (2) creates an environment in which those they lead can make a distinct difference in life -- a meaningful and supportive culture will develop.

Stop trying to create a culture for the sake of creation -- instead, develop the leadership discipline of doing what is right.

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.

Emotional Contagions

In the last five years, a growing body of psychological research — much of it focused on the emotionally negative or positive boss — is bearing out the power one individual’s mood can have on others.
“It is one of the most robust phenomena I have ever seen,” said University of New Hampshire researcher Richard Saavedra. “And it’s all unconscious.” - Kansas City Star article

We humans have this uncanny ability to sense mood. Think about the last time you went home to a spouse that was a little perturbed. Took mere seconds to pick up on it I suspect. Recent studies have shown that our ability to pick-up on emotional cues leads to a rapid interpretation of the data causing us to act differently toward others. Emotional contagions are like tiny virus particles super-charged with mood that have a significant impact (good and bad) on those who "ingest" them during interactions with others.

The most powerful of these contagions come from those in leadership positions. As a leader (either per the organizational chart or as an unofficial opinion leader) you send off emotional cues that infect the organization with either positive emotions or negative emotions. It is far more powerful and potent an influence than you likely recognize and should be used to strengthen your leadership.

Pay careful attention to how you enter a meeting and what mood you create. Watch your vocabulary very carefully to ensure you are building up and not tearing down. Learn to compartmentalize your life so a bad day at work doesn't spill over at home. Find joy in the meeting of people and let your thought life give guidance to your words and ways.

If your church is shaped by fear or has deep pockets of ridicule and pessimism, look at the mood of those in leadership to effectively bring out a positive change.

The Secret of a Thousand Leadership Books

Some perceptive reader condensed several top selling business books down to three or so points printed on an index card and posted them on his blog. As I skimmed over the 3 major points of Good to Great by Jim Collins, a book I was very familiar with, I was fascinated by how accurately the mini outline caught the essence of the book. As I read a couple of leadership books after my index card outline discovery, I noticed that most of these books follow an easy to condense format: A couple or three main points then lots of examples of those points. When read, the points capture an "aha" moment that fades fast once the last page is turned.

Soon after my three point index card discovery, I came across an article by Daniel Goleman of Emotional Intelligence fame in which he made the case for will power as a muscle of sorts that can be developed with practice. He concluded that many people simply don't have the will power to pass on dessert or get work done on time without distractions, because they have never experienced overcoming a previous barrier multiple times. According to Goleman, by overcoming an obstacle once, we begin to build the muscle of discipline to overcome it again in the future.

The index card experience of discovering three simple points in leadership books, yet not giving them much thought after finishing the book and the idea of building a discipline muscle to overcome barriers seemed to want to be married to each other. Maybe the reason we dive so heartily into leadership books but don't execute on what seemed to make a lot of sense when we read it, is that we haven't built up the discipline muscle that gives us the strength to make something new happen. We are lazy, disassociated readers. We read, we yawn, we sigh that's nice and forget what we read in less than 36-hours.

We would be better off to simply execute on something, anything, and then repeat the process again to build the stamina and mental perseverance to apply that execution ability to other things in life. We can forget the higher forms of leadership for a minute and practice execution whether it is brushing our teeth after every meal or keeping our desk clean for a week. Consistently doing something is the goal.

We are a nation of attention deficit readers who hope by assimilation to become great leaders without the messy prospect of doing something. Change your pattern of read and forget to read and do something. Just do something. It's where all great leaders start.

Customize Church

Newly released data from a major survey finds that most U.S. adults range far from knowing or caring about the distinctive teachings of their professed faith.
They believe overwhelmingly (92%) in God and 58% say they pray at least once a day. But when it comes to specific religions — the teachings of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Roman Catholic Church or scores of other denominations — they're all over the map, finds the latest data from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. - New York Times article

History has demonstrated that the church, in terms of programmatic themes and formats, tends to be influenced by the consumerist preferences of popular culture. The recent Pew Forum survey supports that observation.

With this survey and others finding that the traditional attendance patterns of church participants are changing, pastors and lay leaders should carefully consider the data. These surveys uncover an increase in the popularity of non-traditional church formats as well as the inclusion of some individualistic approaches to worship. Many worshippers are combining traditional and non-traditional formats to express their religious convictions.

My assessment is that the survey results are indicative of a more recent consumer movement that values co-creation and customization of products and services. Personalized products, custom furnishings, tailored wardrobes are increasingly popular and reflect an individualized approach to consuming. Congregational leadership should consider the trend as a warranted approach.

Past consumer trends have not always served the church well and in many cases have detracted from ministry impact, however, co-creation and customization have components that show promise for ministry efforts. The American church has become impersonal using an approach that aggregates large audiences into congregational settings. Individuals report experiencing a feeling of isolation of disconnection in today’s church that is design around the group experience.

Consider appointing several work groups at your church to explore the customization of church. By addressing individuals and their specific spiritual needs, churches can add another layer to their ministry approach. Review how attendees interact with the large settings, classes and web portals to create a more personal connection. Test ways in which “spiritual students” design their own study curriculum including the appointment of a personal mentor and a schedule of classes they choose to attend.

Creative approaches that allow the attendee to create a spiritual routine and agenda that fits their personal needs will likely be a welcomed addition to your ministry array in this increasingly customized consumer culture.

Courtesy of Trend Ping

Deadly Change

One of the things I hear often from pastors is how difficult is to move some of their lay leaders toward a change in approach, focus -- or sometimes -- even just change in carpet.

Well if you are having one of those days where change seems too hard to face, jump on over to our sister site and read the story of "deadly change." It's all about washing your hands!

Consumer Church

"The most pervasive logic or vision for ministry today is shaped by the market and the values of consumerism rather than by the Gospel of Jeus Christ," - Kenneth Cardin, Methodist Bishop

Like it or not, your church, my church, competes in the market place. Our "competition" is not other churches, but rather any event, past-time, choice that serves as an alternative to church attendance. There is an old business adage though that applies to this market place dynamic -- go where the competition is not.

In a business sense, to go where the competition is not, is to create a new mental space -- a unique place in the consumers array of choices. To extend it a bit more, it means to create a new loyalty in their heart.

I believe that business practices and marketing strategies have gone where they should not go in the ministry of Christ, however, I think there is important application here.

By striving to create that new loyality in their heart we are striving for spiritual matters. I know without a doubt that the things of God are more attractive, more meaningful and more fulfilling than anything the consumer world can offer. Yet, the market place is winning the attention of the consumer.

If the message of Christ is unchanged, and the power of Christ has not diminished, as lay leaders and pastors, we must examine why the things of Christ are not widely held or appreciated. If it is not in the message, perhaps it is in the messenger.

Consider what your life "sells" to those around you. Do you speak more admirably of your car than you do of your faith? Do you know more about the NFL than the book of James? Have you found yourself going on and on about the latest movie plot while never giving a second thought to the greatest story ever told?

I fear that we, the messengers, have been to blame. The message is still strong. We have not remained so.

As a laity leader of your church or a pastor, I encourage you to ask the following question for 1 month in each of your classes, meetings and informal gatherings: "What does it mean to be a "consumer" of Christ as opposed to a consumer of things? After 1 month, call a special evening of dialogue to honestly share what you have learned. I suspect it will be a turning point for you, your church and your community.

Laity Should Insist on Sabbatical

Human Resource studies estimate that 20% of organizations in the U.S. have some form of sabbatical for their executives. It is seen as a way to increase retention and productivity of the executive. The stresses of leadership require a stepping away from the responsibilities to refresh. The experience is often accompanied by additional education or self-study that benefits the executive and the organization upon their return.

The practice of sabbatical began in the Jewish culture related to an agricultural economy and eventually spread to include periods of respite every seven years for those in the rabbinical services. Some churches have adopted the seven year break for their pastoral staff.

The role of pastor is likely one of the most difficult leadership positions in the U.S. Dealing primarily with a volunteer workforce, a membership struggling with the financial and social stresses of society as well as an often tight budget from which to serve -- pastor's are reaching record periods of burnout and turnover.

I believe it is the responsibility of church lay leaders to speak on behalf of the pastoral staff and insist to other leadership that provisions be made for pastoral sabbatical. When a laity leader comes to have a deep understanding of the day-to-day stresses of ministry, they are more likely to appreciate the benefit of such a break.

As a lay leader, spend some time with your pastors to understand what they face and what you can do to walk with them in that journey. A good start is becoming an advocate for their rest and reflection.

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.

Commit to Capture

Observation: (1) Pastor and lay leader team work depends on strong relationships and (2) strong relationships depend on doing what you say you’ll do and (3) keeping your commitments requires remembering them and (4) keeping track of your “to do” items requires an “air tight” capture system. All successful efforts begin with an effective capture system.

I’ve noticed, and I’m guilty as a lay leader, of catching one of our pastors on a Sunday with a request or finding myself unprepared to capture a “to do“ from them. In the fast pace of Sunday activities, that’s probably not the best time for us to discuss a next action, but that is the day that the most interaction occurs. A capture system solves that problem.

While there are many capture mechanisms, and I have tried most of them, my present system is based on the Getting Things Done (GTD) approach. Before I describe my system, let me mention some “runner up” systems that I’ve used that almost fit the bill for me and might fit your routine.

Some prefer to be totally digital incorporating laptop, desktop or handheld solutions. If that is your preference I recommend the applications from 37 Solutions. Entry level use is free and more expanded access is cheap. I use one of the solutions (BackPack) in my current approach, but more about that in a minute. For a straight forward “to do” list design, I recommend the Ta Da product that replicates a simple “to do” list design.

I also spent several years using the Task list along with OneNote on Microsoft Outlook. It is very effective for those who have continual access to their computer. You can of course capture on a slip of paper and enter as a Task on the computer later.

For many “GTDers” the paper approach called Hipster PDA is an effective solution which at its core design is simply a stack of index cards clipped together. My current system uses a variation this approach to capture not only my next action items but notes.

I use a modified Hipster approach with a Levenger Circa 3x5 index card punch. I print the cards on my Canon iP1800 printer which accepts a stack of blank index cards. I print templates, which are abundant if you Google Hipster PDA template, on the blank cards, punch them and insert in my Levenger 3x5 Circa notebook. I carry extra cards in my pocket in case I encounter a hallway conversation without my notebook. I use a fine lead mechanical pencil instead of pen since the writing space is small and I can change entries if the item changes.

The cards follow the GTD philosophy, arranged around the context or place I will do the action item. I have an @office, @home, @errands and someday maybe card to record actions. I use the previously mentioned BackPack from 37 Solutions to keep more extended notes on a project or other long document needs. Each BackPack page has a distinct email address so you can forward an email to a specific page to process later. On the Circa card I’ll remind myself there is more backup by recording (BP) by the action item to prompt me to look in BackPack for more details. On the BackPack site I put a key word from the card in the BackPack internal search engine which pulls up that tagged page.

For email threads that drive an action item on my Circa card I record (OF) to indicate more detail in an Outlook Folder where I have saved the email. I prefer to use Google Desktop to search my Outlook files (I use only a few folders and let Google find the documents) instead of using the Outlook search function.

The journey to an effective capture system that is designed for your personal needs begins with a strong desire to capture and execute on your commitments followed by some experimentation. Grab a stack of index cards and see how the flow feels. Take a peek at the 37 Solutions applications and play around with the free versions. Learn a little more about the capabilities of your laptop, handheld or desktop. Keep revising it until it feels right. Capture the commitment!

The Lay Leader & Porn

Ironically, porn is a controversial topic in many churches. A father told me recently that he discovered his son had issues with viewing porn. Not knowing how best to handle his addiction, the father approached his son's youth pastor. The pastor quickly directed him to a counselor indicating porn was not a topic that the church felt comfortable dealing with. The father was stunned to hear that such a widespread problem was being ignored by his church.

Many churches are hesitant to tackle this important topic. Pastor's are torn between knowing many in their congregation struggle with the issue and yet the culture of their church is not open enough to discuss it in the proper light it deserves.

I believe that lay leaders of the church should come to the support of the pastor in a methodical manner such that the issue can be addressed in more than a fleeting manner. Laity should take on the difficult conversations with church leadership that believes porn is not a subject to be discussed in the church. Laity is the bridge to which important, life crushing issues, should be brought out in a loving light of support.

Marriages and families are literally being destroyed everyday in our midst and most sit by watching it deteriorate the fabric of our church and community. My challenge to church laity is to stand by your pastor and bring light to this growing spiritual disease.

For an example of a loving and complete treatment of the topic, here is a link to a message entitled Pure in a Porn World brought by Pastor Chuck Land in Houston, that I believe to be a great example of how this topic can be lovingly handled. Take the challenge lay leaders to bring change in your church!

Scenario Planning Engages Lay Leadership

Scenario planning can be an effective tool for churches to develop ministry opportunities and infrastructures. A future based scenario plan involves incorporating future trend data and projections into a "what if" planning process. A group is assembled comprised of church leadership who plan as if the event or condition is the current state. For example, a disaster scenario much like the hurricane that devastated New Orleans, can be used to organize emergency response teams as well as developing a process for the collection of emergency resources.

The scenario planning process is a beneficial tool to teach church leaders to engage and plan cooperatively. A church may also choose to engage other churches or organization in their planning which is very helpful in broadening the ministry network for your community. By engaging in the planning process, a church will often discover other more immediate opportunities for them to minister to the community. Whether the condition actualizes or not, the process is the beneficial outcome of the approach. Moving lay leaders and pastoral staff toward more effective planning and execution is a important benefit of this fun exercise.

If you would like to develop a scenario planning effort at your church, the following steps will help you get started.

1. Determine a scenario around which you will plan. Appoint an individual or small group to write a scenario for the group to consider. Use a computer search engine to accumulate data from which they will write a 2 to 3 page scenario description that includes the cause and effect of the scenario. Do not include a solution or response to the scenario. Simply describe what happened in the present tense and the nature of the impact to your community or your targeted community. If you need suggestions search for "future trends" and select a scenario such as world wide flu epidemic, severe shortage of water, or large elderly population without healthcare insurance.

2. Distribute the scenario to your scenario planning team giving them a couple of weeks to study and contemplate possible solutions.

3. Come together as a team to brainstorm solutions. Get everything on the table. Don't allow the group to get too far into detailed solutions until you have discussed each broader solution.

4. Decide upon 3 possible solutions and divide your group into teams to further develop the details of the 3 possible solutions. Don't spend more than a couple of hours on this effort.

5. Bring the groups back together and have the 3 groups present their initial thoughts. As a group, then decide which among the 3 proposed solutions (or a hybrid of the 3) will be the selected solution. As an entire planning group, further develop the chosen solution to include specific actions, resources needed and persons accountable for the effort.

After developing the above plan, step back (perhaps at a later meeting) to see what lessons can be learned from the process and whether there are some immediate ministry opportunities that the group can pursue. Generally, lay leaders will become more involved in the ministry planning process and will often discover a passion they have for a ministry through the process.

By using a scenario planning methodology, pastors and lay leaders become more familiar with their community, their talents and their calling.

If you would like to schedule a Convergence led scenario planning event at your church, contact Casey Cease for details.