Experiences In Church Transformation

Three Questions of Ministry

Recently I led a retreat for the leaders of my congregation.  As part of the retreat I had three different discussion and study times.  Each of these times was based on a question.  The questions were derived from concepts put forth by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great. The book is written for the business community and discusses what has caused companies to move from being good to being great.  It is also the basis for the book that Thom Rainer wrote entitled Breakout Churches (see listing in my "Helpful Books I have Read" section).  In Collins' book he makes reference to the "hedgehog concept" which is the idea that for a company to become great, it must focus on the place where three circles of influence connect.  I took Collins' hedgehog concept and adapted it to ministry.

Here are the three questions that I arrived at:

1)  What is your passion?

2)  What spiritual gifts, talents, and skills do you possess?

3)  What is your purpose?

I feel that where the responses to these three questions connect, that is where an individual will find his or her ministry.  We also discussed as a group the importance of continually asking these questions so that as our responses to the three questions change, we continue to adjust our ministires. This concept applies not only to the individual but also the congregation as a whole.

This also provides a basis for us to filter the various ministries, programs, and use of resources that come our way.  If these do not fit in our area of connecting circles, then this is not the time to venture down the path of opportunity.  Collins points out that the "good" companies sometimes get caught up in chasing opportunites or good ideas, and the expend time, energy, and resources in too many places which causes them to reamin in the "good" category but never achieve "great".  I feel churches and individuals do the same thing. 

My hope that this may provide my leaders, my congregation, and you who read this blog, another tool for improving the effectiveness and focus of your ministry. 

Two steps forward, Three steps back

Have you ever had a time in your leadership when you feel that for each step forward you are making with the group, you take multiple steps backward.  That has been my month of October.  Throughout the month various events and conversations have occurred which has led to a level of frustration.  Where I thought progress and valuable dialog was taking place, I encounter pockets of resistance, lack of commitment, and a return to prior thinking.

I am sure that I am far from unique with this frustration.  I am also confident that if I and other leaders in the church continue to be faithful to what the Lord is doing in us and through us, we will overcome even this.

I share all of this just to make a point that I have to make to myself on a regular basis - everything is not going to be smooth sailing all the time.  The most important thing to remember is that we are called to discern the voice of the Lord and follow that voice even in the midst of frustration and resistance.  I am sure glad that the Lord is in charge because I wouldn't want the level of frustration that must come with that job!!

More Than Window Dressing

As I have been in conversation with individuals that claim to be intentionally engaged in transformation, I have come to realize that for some of them there is a lack of true understanding.  They mistakenly believe that if they adjust a thing or two in their worship, maybe add a few more colors in their buildings, and change some titles, they are actively involved in positive transformation.  This has reminded me how important it is to continually work with people to help them understand that transformation is more than tweaking a little around the edges.  Transformation is at the root of our very being if it is going to be effective.  Let me expand on what I mean.

The Spirit desires to bring about that transformation in us that reconnects us to the relationship that the Lord originally designed us to be a part of.  A relationship in which the Lord is our God and we are God's people.  A relationship where we actively engage in the work of the Lord as the Spirit leads us.  This is a transformation in the core of who we live our lives to be.  When this type of transformation occurs within us, then we are able to assist others in discovering how the Spirit wishes to transform them and assisting them in that on-going process just as we continue in the process.

All of this translates in the church as a need to transform some of our approaches, attitudes, and patterns of living out our faith.  It means being open to the movement of the Spirit instead of the latest opinion poll.  It means taking risks and exploring new understandings even when they make us uncomfortable.  It means letting go when the program, tradition, or activity no longer compliments or strengthens the ministry that the Lord calls us to be and do at this place and time.  It means more work and less laziness.

What I am proposing is that intentional transformation in the church (and the individual) is more than just changing the window dressings to a different color.  It means changing who we are and how we behave in order to be more faithful to the minsitry to which we have been called!

Having a Touchstone

There have been two very important actions that the leadership of our congregation has taken in the last couple of years.  The first is that the group adopted a vision for the ministry they felt the Lord calling them to be faithful to.  The second is that they adopted a mission statement.  These are leadership approaches that are not new in any fashion.  They are also concepts that seem to have as many meanings and definitions as there are leaves blowing in the autumn wind.  So let me share briefly with you how our leadership has utilized these concepts.

The vision statement, or more accurately rubix, was adopted to provide a challenge and a broad overview of the ministry that the Lord seemed to be leading us toward.  It is relatively broad in nature and has a strong Scriptural basis.  For a couple of years we have used the vision to generate questions about what the Lord might be doing in us and through us at this time.  The leadership has challenged themselves in identifying how we are responding in the different ministry areas that are contained in the vision and making adjustments where and when needed.

The mission statement flowed out of our vision statement.  We came to the point of saying we needed a concise response to how we were going to fulfill the vision.  We also determined that we wanted a statement that could be remembered easily and by a large number of individuals.  A statement that we could place on all communications that flowed in and out of our church.  A statement that would give some insight for the community at large into what this congregation was called by the Lord to do. 

The exciting reality of these two activies is that it helped the leadership to discern what the Lord was telling us.  It also helped the leaders to get on the same page with each other.  The other vital reality is that we now have a touchstone from which we can determine activities and expenditures that will strengthen our ministry versus distract from the ministry.  I have seen a couple of recent examples when the leadership asked the question of "how does this fit within the vision and mission that the Lord has called us to?"  As they responded to this question, it became very obvious what decision needed to be made.

So I encourage you to set up touchstones that will provide guidance as you transform and respond to the Lord's call.