MIM Ezine, May 2, 2006TABLE OF CONTENTS-- --"Our Disruptive God" by Thomas Tumblin --Purpose-filled Ministry: "RUNNING BEHIND THE BIKE: AFTER YOU RELEASE CONTROL" by Teena Stewart --Book Review – Coached by Jesus: 31 Life-Changing Questions Asked by Master by Teena Stewart
“Our Disruptive God” Thomas Tumblin, PhD Associate Professor of Leadership, Asbury Theological Seminary District Superintendent, West Ohio Conference United Methodist Church
Throughout our faith history God notoriously breaks in. Adam and Eve were unprepared for God’s visit after indulging in the forbidden fruit. Messengers wandering by for a makeshift meal under the tree at Mamre brought a birth announcement and bartered for the future of Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses certainly did not expect the burning bush. The post-resurrection disciples had no way to predict when Jesus would appear in their cloister prior to Pentecost. Ready or not, God chooses to redirect our lives. Sometimes the interruptions unfold in dramatic ways worthy of documentation, much like many of the conversion testimonies we read. Usually, the break-ins are quiet breaches of our common experience. We establish a predictable rhythm only to have God reroute our lives. We could choose to ignore the encroachment on the ordinary or we could choose to allow a divine intervention. About a decade ago, Clayton Christensen coined the phrase “disruptive technologies” in his book The Innovator’s Dilemma. He observed the emerging developments in society and business that eventually displace existing technologies, e.g. the automobile displacing the horse as the primary means of transportation. He has since upgraded the term to “disruptive innovations,” but the idea is the same. In the church world, the lay equipping movement of the 1980s and 1990s pulled the church back to shared ministry after the professionalization of the clergy that occurred in the early and mid twentieth century. The emerging church movement of the late 1990’s and early twenty-first century may become a disruptive innovation to the modern forms of ecclesial life. In every era the Church faces the call to reform if it is to reach the generation of that day. Wesley’s open air pulpit offended the establishment but might have saved England from a civil revolution. (For an intriguing exchange on this view, go to http://www.evangelismcommunity.net/index.php?id=449 where Leonard Sweet discusses three commentators’ affirmation of Wesley’s impact.) Billy Graham’s stadium crusades revolutionized evangelism in the twentieth century. The cell movement of the last fifty years, the use of multimedia in worship, the attention toward marketplace ministries – each of these innovations have been part of the Church remaking itself for new generations. Where are you infusing disruptive innovation into your congregation to help it better reach your world? Maybe the question gets formed this way: Where is God attempting to disrupt the life of your congregation? Change researchers suggest there are three primary ways to innovate: add, lose or displace. Either we see God adding a new element to our life and ministry, an element is removed, or an element is dislodged from its primary position without being lost altogether. As an example, the Emmaus movement provides an additive that has energized many congregations with a fresh understanding of God’s grace. Framing Innovation In broad strokes, the prophetic nature of God’s interventions in the Hebrew Scriptures contrasts with the renewal interventions of the New Testament. Moses responded to the burning bush; the major and minor prophets spoke to the implications of captivity and exile. The Holy Spirit takes charge in the early church as revealer of God’s power and purpose. Pentecost’s unction mobilized the apostles for spreading the Gospel. The martyrs’ testimonies made the hope of eternity tangible for the saints. The meta narrative of God’s break-ins consistently underline God’s heart for God’s people. If God did not care, God would simply leave us alone. Because we have been made God’s people, our Creator will continue to interrupt our daily routines. Everett Rogers diffusion model highlights five qualities important for innovation to take root. The change must be simple, observable, “trialable,” show relative advantage and be compatible with the existing reality. (For more details, see Rogers’ book The Diffusion of Innovation.) The new idea needs to be simple. What will it take to do the new thing? How difficult will it be to implement? One of the initiatives that has greatly strengthened care systems in the local church is Stephen Ministries. Early in its development, potential Stephen Ministers were required to go through fifty hours of training before beginning their ministry of care giving. Then the program adapted more of an “on the job training” approach where one can be placed into a care giving relationship after thirteen weeks of training on Christian empathic listening. The first semester focuses on the simple practice of how to listen with compassion and engagement, a quality many already have. Much of the training involves watching others model Stephen Ministry. The ministry becomes observable not only through the training but also in the public consecration of the Stephen Ministers during worship. They are set apart for the essential care ministry with the full support of the congregation. The innovation must also be “trialable” – there must be options for experimentation. The lay equipping movement of the 1990s emphasized the need to create places where people can try out certain areas of ministry. In contrast to the classic fear that volunteering to teach a class was a life sentence in most churches, the equipping innovation encourages short term stints in various areas of service to see where one’s gifts and graces best fit. Once an area is identified, the volunteer is offered regular windows for either recommitting to the same ministry or moving on to a new area of service. New initiatives need to also evidence a relative advantage over the status quo and be compatible with the current practices. Servant evangelism efforts typically show more responses than the more traditional forms of evangelism while being very compatible with the historical values of reaching others for Christ. Transitioning Through Change William Bridges reminds us of the emotional barriers to change requiring our full attention. (See his book Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change.) Mechanical steps to innovation that do not accommodate the psychological implications are destined to fail. As individuals move through the ending of the old reality, enter the neutral zone of neither new nor old ways of doing things, and into the new reality, they require answers to four critical questions. Notice how they parallel Rogers’ qualities.
A Brief Case Imagine applying the concepts we just discussed in this scenario. Grace Church faced an exciting problem. The growth in attendance was outstripping the capacity of the sanctuary. Without a substantial remodeling of the space or a new addition (a much more expensive option in this case), they would not be able to sustain the growth. Yet, there were many memorialized pieces of furniture, each with bright dedication plates marking the generosity of the family donating the item. As word got out that the remodeling would mean moving and/or no longer using some of the dedicated furniture, the phone calls to the church office began to multiply. The leadership team wisely attended to both the logistics of the proposed change and the emotional elements. Representatives talked through the change with the families whose memorial gifts would be moved, “selling” the wonderful problem of overcrowding, making clear the advantages of the remodeling, and particularly describing how the furniture pieces would be rededicated for a different use. Over the time of remodeling, liaisons continued to talk through the emotional dynamics with those same families as well as other key stakeholders. As you enter a season of holy disruption in your congregation, how will you lay out a map for people to follow as you discern God’s intervention? {You can check out the books mentioned in this article by clicking on these links}
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Purpose-filled Ministry RUNNING BEHIND THE BIKE: AFTER YOU RELEASE CONTROL Teena Stewart My last column dealt with letting go of control of a ministry so leaders learn how to manage the ministry themselves. I compared it to teaching someone to ride a bike. As they learn, you hold the bike steady helping guide it. If you truly want them to learn, you must let go. Clinging too long retards their progress and exhausts you. Once you do let go, your task is to find the balance between controlling and coaching. Here are some actions you can take to make sure their ride goes more smoothly.
Meeting # 1. Hold this first meeting no more than two to three weeks after releasing control. During this session cover any pre-stated questions plus additional concerns that may have arisen. Meeting #2. No more than four weeks after the first, hold a second meeting. If the leader is building team, give suggestions for how to make it happen. If the leader’s team is already in place, cover any issues the leader has concerning team members, team performance, or team management. Help the leader identify members’ gifts, strengths, and skills that will help him move forward. By this point the leader should have started mapping out direction and goals including getting these goals down on paper. Encourage the leader to make these goals a reality by putting goal deadlines on the calendar and then suggest ways the leader can check to see if those goals have been met.
The ministry and the leader’s capabilities will impact the amount of time you must devote to coaching. When someone first learns to ride a bike we often run along beside or behind them to make sure they succeed without any mishaps. At some point, however, we must stop running and let the other party move out on his/her own. When this happens, it is a satisfying feeling to know we were a part of their success. Teena Stewart is a published writer, a ministry specialist and consultant, and a product developer for Ministry in Motion. You can email her at smartwords@sbcglobal.net. Recent published works include stories in the book Soul Matters for Moms, and Soul Matters for Women (Countryman Press). To learn more about Teena or to order her books, visit www.ministryinmotion.net/articles_christians.html.
Helping Churches Dream Dreams and Live out their Vision! Book Review – Coached by Jesus: 31 Life-Changing Questions Asked by Master Alan Nelson, Howard, 2005, 158229464X, 184 pages Reviewed by Teena M. Stewart What would happen if we took many of the probing questions Jesus asked and applied them to our lives? We’d be challenged to change. Alan Nelson’s book is simplistic in concept and yet profound in its wisdom. And challenging us to change is exactly the book’s purpose. Coached by Jesus has 31 short chapters centered on a specific theme. Each chapter begins with a quote in the form of a question, taken from Jesus’ teachings. Though you may wonder what possible new insight could be gained from many of these already familiar quotations, Nelson doesn’t disappoint, often sharing new glimmers of wisdom from the poignant questions. Many of the topics covered are appropriate for leadership development and Nelson concludes his chapters with a “Let’s Get Personal” section that causes us to examine our own mode of operation related to the theme. At the end of each chapter is a “Let’s Get Going” section that helps the reader define work areas and apply them to his/her own life. Here is a case in point. In Session 13, the author uses Matthew 21:28-31 which is the parable of the two sons who are asked by their father to work in the vineyard. One agrees to do the work and doesn’t go. The other says he will not go but later changes his mind and decides to do so. Nelson points out that Jesus is actually zeroing in on two things in this illustration. He questions why we say we will do things when we really do not mean we will. And he wants us to explore our actions to see if they line up with what we say. Nelson suggests that two sources for checking on how our values line up are our calendar and our bank account. These sources reflect how we spend our time and our money. Life coaches are becoming more and more popular as people seek ways to focus their lives and spiritually grow. This book is a great Life Coach that will help you take an honest look at some of the more hidden areas in your life and see what you truly value and what changes are in order.
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