LeadingSmart

Culture Builder #4: Intentional Fun

2009-07-16T05:26:00-04:00

A friend told me recently he overheard a co-worker saying, "Just because we work together doesn't mean I have to like you." Really? How can we be pulling together, working for the same vision, attempting to achieve the same goals--if we are only tolerating each others' presence? And do we think the people we serve are automatons and won't pick up on the tension?

A senior pastor once told me that his attitude about his staff was, "I don't want to be your friend. Just get your d*** job done." And he couldn't figure out why he had a high turnover rate.

It isn't just a job. It's not just about fulfilling a responsibility. It is also about doing life together. It is about having fun, working through conflict, accomplishing ministry, and yes--being highly effective in our jobs.

At Granger, we value chemistry and affinity as high (if not higher) than education, skills, experience and passion. And that is why we intentionally plan time to have fun. In the old days when our staff was much smaller, we would all hop on the shuttle bus and go to a movie, or out to eat, or miniature golfing. These days, much of that happens in a decentralized fashion.

For example, our communications team recently headed to a nearby town for an IMAX movie, our children's team experienced a high ropes course together, and the arts staff gathered for a family pool party and cook-out.

The affinity doesn't grow on its' own. It must be nurtured with intentionality. It is worth an investment of time and money on "fun" to build a culture where your staff is energized and committed to each other for the long-term.

Previous Culture Builders: 1) Continually share stories, 2) Always believe the best, 3) Let leaders lead.

Culture Builder #3: Let Your Leaders Lead

2009-07-15T05:46:00-04:00

We call it the "Loose/Tight Principle." That is, you have to decide as leaders what you are going to hold on to loosely, and what you are going to hold on to tightly.

For example, you likely want to hold on to your mission tightly. It's not up for debate. We have defined the mission, communicated it over and over in many ways, and it gives clarity to our direction. We have some major values and beliefs that are also in the "tight" category.

But there is so much that is in the "loose" category. We bring great leaders on the team and then free them up to lead. They make decisions, spend money, set direction, develop ministries--all without a huge approval process or a bunch of hoops to jump through to get permission.

Problems emerge in many organizations like this...

Bad hiring decisions are made.
So senior leaders jump in and start running things.
Then the organization starts to get bottle-necked and people get frustrated.
So potential high-capacity leaders don't want to participate.
And the senior leader is too busy running things to properly interview potential leaders.
So more bad hiring decisions are made.

And the cycle continues.

If you want to develop a healthy culture--decide the non-negotiables, then get out of the way and watch great people do great things!

Previous Culture Builders: Continually share stories and always believe the best.

Worship - My Way? Your Way? God's Way?

2009-07-14T15:50:25-04:00

We've been having an interesting discussion going for a couple weeks. I suggested that a certain artistic element in a service brought me to a place of worship. Others weren't so sure.

Some were quick to point out what worship is not. Yet they wouldn't tell me what it is.

I was told by some commenters that only God defines worship. Yet they also told me that my experience with worship wasn't right, it wasn't really worship. And yet God defines it?

One person said that worship isn't about music or lyrics. God must be worshipped in Spirit. And yet for some reason my admission that I was taken to a place of worship (spirit) wasn't valid in his eyes.

And one individual chose to quote Humpty Dumpty. Not sure what I'm supposed to do with that.

The truth is, much of what these commenters say is true, but I wonder if they may have filters on that blind them from their own traditionalism and church baggage. I know sometimes I do.

Worship is a personal thing. You can't look at someone in a worship service who is singing praise songs and lifting their hands and know for sure that they are worshiping. It is a heart issue. They might be thinking about a recipe for lasagna.

You also can't look at someone who stays seated in a worship service (while everyone else is standing), arms folded, staring straight ahead, not participating...and know that they are not worshiping.

A few years back I was with a friend in Vienna and we walked into St. Stephen's Cathedral. His eyes instantly filled with tears as the majesty and history of the building brought him to a place of awe about the majesty of God. I stood there thinking about the architecture and construction process. For my friend, it was worship. For me, it was not.

For some, spending time in nature makes them aware of the awesomeness of their God. For others, standing at the base of a skyscraper in New York City does the same thing. For many, a church service filled with praise songs about God will usher them into the presence of God. For me, that rarely does it. But the excellence of a musician playing their instrument without words--it makes me so aware of the amazing splendor of our Creator God.

What is it for you? When are you most aware of God and all that He is?

Culture Builder #2: Always Believe the Best

2009-07-14T05:47:00-04:00

Yesterday I started a series about building a healthy staff culture. First thought? Continually share stories through your organization from top to bottom.

Today I want to suggest that to have a healthy culture in your organization or business, you must believe the best about the others on your team. This is less about what you do and more about what you believe. It is less about strategy--and more about a discipline of your mind.

When people come at your team, always believe the best.
When you receive an anonymous accusation about someone, throw it away. Why? Because you choose to always believe the best.
When you hear one side of the story and there is every reason to believe that your staff members motives or intentions or actions were wrong...wait. Don't react. Get the rest of the story. Believe the best.
When there are two opposing sides and it isn't clear what is true and what is false--always side with your team. Make the mental choice to believe the best in those who are standing by you and with you.

This isn't natural. It is easier to assume the worst. It's always easier to believe the gossip and fall prey to the slander. Sometimes it takes discipline and integrity to go against popular opinion. But your team will give their best, be at their best and perform their best when they believe you have their back.

I'm a pretty secure leader. But nothing takes the wind out of my sails more quickly than when I feel like I'm not trusted by my leader. If I know he loves me, trusts me, and has my back--then I can be the best at what God has wired me to do. That is true of most of us. Your team deserves your trust.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't deal with incompetence, bad attitudes, misaligned leaders or the sinful choices of others. It also doesn't mean you should keep your head in the sand and not notice or deal with the obvious signs of trouble in the ranks. But those will be isolated situations. With most of your team, they need your undying loyalty and trust.

Whether they are below you, above you or next to you in position--your team will soar if they know you have their back.

Culture Builder #1: Stories, Spotlights & Stuff

2009-07-13T05:27:00-04:00

As promised, this week I'm running a series of posts on building a healthy staff culture.

Culture Builder #1 -- Stories, Spotlights & Stuff

For several years we have had a weekly ritual with our staff that has been HUGE toward keeping us focused in the same direction. Our entire team meets together every Wednesday and we spend an hour together doing three things...Stories, Spotlights and other Stuff.

Stories -- we spend the first 15-20 minutes of every gathering sharing stories. We begin the conversation by saying, "Where have you seen God at work in and through the church in the past 7 days?" And then it is an open floor. We hear about changed lives in student ministry, small groups and children's ministry. We find out about the person in Canada who wrote in after watching an online service. We hear about the experience of people who attended for the first time, and the baptism of another who has been away from church for decades.

Spotlight -- Then we spend time putting one individual in the spotlight. With no warning ahead of time, we ask someone to sit up front and field questions from the rest of the team. We find out about their childhood, likes and dislikes, spiritual journey, spouse, hobbies and history. Then we stop the questions and say, "Now let's tell [Jill] why we are so glad to have her on the team." And one after another we tell her how her life adds joy and meaning to the rest of us.

Stuff -- The final segment in our meeting is often for sharing inside information. It adds value to the team when they know stuff ahead of time. Sometimes we are talking about stuff that is coming, sometimes it is merely stuff we are thinking about and haven't decided.

These weekly gatherings keep everyone on the team energized and focused. We realize, "It's not just about me or my department, I'm part of something bigger!" Even if we are having a tough week--for a few minutes we are pulled above that and realize again why it matters.

Creating a Positive Staff Culture

2009-07-10T15:10:22-04:00

A few nights ago I was sitting at dinner with LV from Catalyst, and he brought up a topic that made me think. He didn't know much about Granger, so prior to his visit he asked some ministry friends what made our ministry unique. The answer he received: "The leadership culture at Granger is one of the healthiest I've seen anywhere."

I was intrigued by that answer. And then a little baffled by LV's follow-up question: "What do you guys do to keep the culture so healthy?" It is sometimes difficult to self-analyze when you are in the middle of it all. Kem and I gave it a quick answer in the video below...but I also decided to do a series of blog posts on the topic. Watch for that next week.

Recession Driving Non-Profits into a "New Normal"

2009-07-10T14:57:29-04:00

A new report was just released with the results of a national survey that probes the impact of the economic downturn on Christian nonprofits and how leaders are responding. The research was conducted in April by J. David Schmidt & Associates--a highly reputable firm that has helped hundreds of clients in the church and non-profit worlds.

Some notable conclusions...

48% reported that their first quarter donations were down from the previous year.
44% froze salaries and 28% of the organizations had to reduce full-time positions.
32% believe this recession is unique and has caused permanent economic damage that is taking us into an undefined era of a "new normal."

Download the 10-page report (PDF) here.

Let's Find Ruby a Car

2009-07-02T10:58:08-04:00

Ruby Moyer is a member at Granger Community Church who has been serving in a mission in Mexico for the past two years. She will be home this summer for a few weeks...and I thought it would be great if we could find her a car to drive while she is here.

I'm looking for a good, dependable car from July 15 until August 20. We want Ruby to have a trouble-free experience, so the car should run well, have no major maintenance concerns, and have current insurance.

I'm just sure someone reading this might fall in one of these categories...

Your family has an extra car.
You own a dealership or car lot and could make one available.
You don't have a car, but would be willing to rent one for Ruby during her stay.

Ruby is giving years of her life to serve people in need in Mexico. If you want to help thank her and bless her for this effort through the provision of transportation...leave me a comment or send me an email.

Parent: "I'm Not Cut Out for Volunteering in Kids' Ministry"

2009-07-02T00:04:47-04:00

Since co-writing Simply Strategic Volunteers with Tony Morgan, one question that always comes up is whether a church should require parents to serve in the children's ministry. This sentiment was worded well by a recent commenter here on LeadingSmart.com. They wrote,

I am a children's director who spends a lot of time recruiting parents to serve in our ministry. When I hear people say, "I'm just not cut out for it"-- it makes me sick. We invest hundreds of hours in your kids a year, and you can't give up an hour of your time to help kids begin and grow a friendship with Jesus. I think it is pathetic! The church is the hope of the world. Let's act like it.

I totally get that frustration. I've heard it many times and know of several churches which have an expectation that all parents volunteer somewhere in the ministry where the kid is being served.

I have a little different take on that. Let me ask...

Do you really want adults serving in your kids' rooms who perhaps don't even like kids?
Do you think others on the team will enjoy it if some of your volunteers are there only because of coercion...not because of passion or interest?
Wouldn't you rather have adult volunteers who love kids and have a passion for using their gifts with your children?

It is my guess the children's director who wrote that comment would say, "Of course I'd rather have passionate volunteers. But that's not the world I live in. Every week I scrape the barrel to get enough volunteers just to have safe classrooms!" I may be putting words in his mouth, but those are the words I hear from many struggling children's leaders.

The problem comes down to culture. It takes a volunteer-centric culture in the entire church, from top to bottom, to build a ministry that is truly focused on plugging people in positions where they are wired by God. Without that, a scarcity mindset takes over and we shift to turf-guarding and silo-building. And that produces frustration, bitterness and cynicism on a church staff--which no one likes to be around.

If it were me, and my only control was over the children's ministry, I would focus for the next semester on transitioning my entire volunteer team to only people who loved kids, had a passion for the ministry, and were truly gifted in areas we needed in the classroom. Get rid of everyone else. In the short-term, it will be awful. You will be short-staffed and there will be many things you can't do. But in the long-term, when you have classrooms full of happy, energized volunteers--you will see other gifted and passionate people lining up to sign up.

No one wants to be on the team where the only requirement was the ability to make a baby. Everyone wants to be on a high-performing, fun-filled team.

What say you?

Is the Church REQUIRED to Meet on Sunday?

2009-07-01T10:46:51-04:00

We have had quite the discussion going on related to a post I wrote last week about the purpose of a church service. I asked the question, "What is wrong with having a gathering every week where half the people who are in attendance don't yet understand salvation by grace?"

In response, Tom Becker said, "The meeting together is for the edification of believers. Sorry that's not what I say, it's what the Bible says. We are then to be prepared or taught to go out into the world and preach the gospel and make disciples."

Tom is likely referring to Hebrews 10:25 or Ephesians 4:15-16 where we learn of the importance of the church to gather, edify and exhort each other.

Gary Humble replied and added, "

I have to completely agree with Tom here. The church gathering or assembling of the saints as the Bible calls it is not meant to be primarily a tool for evangelism. While I have nothing against Granger or similar churches, I do think it's erroneous to treat our weekends as a time FOR the unbeliever. That idea is not supported by scripture, sorry. The Word does mention the unbeliever in the church. But nowhere does it define the church as a gathering FOR the unbeliever. In fact, scripture goes through great lengths to define it as just the opposite."

To continue this conversation, some of my thoughts...

I agree with both Tom and Gary that we are instructed to assemble the followers of Christ.
This time should include encouragement and exhortation.
But, does that mean that EVERY time the church gets together, it has to be for the purpose of the edification of the believers?
The church gathers hundreds of times every week, sometimes in large gatherings, and sometimes in much smaller groups. Sometimes it is to celebrate, other times it is to honor the passing of a loved one. Sometimes it is in a home setting, other times in a large assembly room. Sometimes it is to serve food to the hungry, other times it is to make organizational decisions.
So are we saying that every single time the church gets together it must be for the purposes stated above? Or could we agree that the church should be gathering for exhortation and edification--but there is nothing in the Bible to prohibit that they shouldn't get together for other purposes as well?
If that is true, than who is to say the exhortation/edification gathering MUST be on Sunday morning? Gary says it is "erroneous to treat our weekends as a time FOR the unbeliever." So when is it acceptable to have this gathering? Would it be okay to treat Monday nights as a time for the unbeliever? What about Thursdays at 2am? Why are the weekends sacred for the believer? I'm not a theologian, so I'd love someone to show me where believers are required to gather during the weekend.
At Granger, the gatherings of the church for the primary purpose of exhortation and edification happen during the week in many places in groups from 5 to 2,000. We use the weekend to gather a crowd to hear Biblical truth and take steps toward Jesus.
We seem to be given some instruction in I Corinthians 14 that there are times when unbelievers will be in your church service...and because of that you will need to modify what you do because of their presence. That is what we do every weekend. We say, "This isn't for me. This is for my neighbor or friend or co-worker who is not yet part of the church."

What am I missing?

"I Want To Light a Fire in the Church!"

2009-06-26T06:47:00-04:00

What an encouraging letter from a passionate young man:

I recently attended the Willow Creek Arts Conference. Walking into that place is amazing. For the first time I sensed a clear calling from God, one I have never felt before. I finally saw that it was O.K. to be a creative artistic person in the church. I saw that you could be totally into cool creative things in the church and be a technical artist that served God full time. So I have been praying that God use me. I pray that God makes his path for me clear and that I can serve his will through the talents he has given me.

So I have a bit of a problem you might say. I have a burning desire for technical arts, movie making, drama, lighting, computer graphics, animation, etc... I recently picked up your book Pop Goes the Church and can identify with you 100%. I have always felt the need for church to move into modern times. So between your book and the Willow Arts conference, I have tried returning to our church to encourage them to try some new things. I am being met with quite a bit of resistance. The reasons are both financial as well as the "well we're not sure that would go over real well." kind of answers.

I want to light a fire in the church. I want to become the Willow Creek or Granger of [our area]. How do you start? What steps do you take to begin the journey from here to there?

Any suggestions you might know would be great. I am just trying to serve the best I can in the calling I feel God has made to me.

I believe his frustration is as much personal as it is with his local church. Here are some thoughts I shared with him...

I loved reading your story. What a great path you are on! It's amazing how being exposed to something new (like you were at the Willow Arts conference) will put your mind and life on a new trajectory. Suddenly, you see things completely differently, through a whole new perspective!
Pursue your dreams! If God has wired you to be a creative/technical person and that is what makes your heart beat fast -- then keep learning as much as you can and pursue the opportunities God puts in front of you. I have found that almost every creative person working on a church staff started off as an amazing volunteer.

Pick up Hybels' book called Holy Discontent -- he talks about how often God is working through the frustrations in your spirit to put you on a new path, or to help you start a new thing or follow His direction in some way. I would press into that discontent.
Share all of this with your pastor or one of your leaders. Let them know this new burden you have. Get their counsel on good next steps for you. The people around you will best know your strengths and weaknesses and potential. Find someone who knows you well and also believes in you, and have them help you figure it out.
Don't have too high of expectations of your church. They are where they are. I think it is great to pray for them, help expose them and talk to them, but when the leaders make it clear that they are not going to go in the direction you are pressing...then that's okay. Hebrews 13:17 says follow your leaders "so their work will be a joy, not a burden." God may want YOU to go in a different direction, but not necessarily the church where you are currently serving.
Attend the Innovate Conference at Granger that takes place in September -- and bring some friends with you. If you can swing it, pay the way for your pastor or one of your leaders to attend with you. Watch their eyes be opened in the same way yours were at Willow. If you come, I’d love to meet you. Please look me up.

What else would you have said?

Hey Church...We're Just Not That Into You

2009-06-25T05:47:00-04:00

As pastors, we have a tendency to burden our people with excessive expectations. The average Joe church member can't possibly do everything you say they should do. Don't believe me? See if this list defines some of your expectations of the Christians who attend your church...

Attend church service weekly.
Volunteer during another service
Attend Bible study or Sunday school or midweek service (whatever brand your church offers).
Serve in a ministry that helps the poor and needy.
If you are a leader (and we know who you are), then we'll have a few more meetings to attend, contacts to make, events to organize and teams to rally.
Attend periodic special events hosted by the church.
Be a great husband or wife and invest time in your marriage.
Oh, and make sure you are involved in mens' or womens' ministry.
Get in a small group and meet regularly.
If you are a man, you must be in a mens' small group for accountability. Otherwise we know you look at porn.
If you are married, you probably should also be in a couples group if you care about your spouse.
Read your Bible every day. Anything less than 30 minutes is probably not enough.
Be a good citizen. Vote and get involved in your community.
Give ten percent of every penny that you make. And give to the special offerings. And give to the kids going on the missions trip. And give to the building fund.
Go on a missions trip. Been on a local trip? Overseas is your next step.
Invest in relationships in your neighborhood and at your workplace.
Invite people to church. Every week. The purpose of that, of course, is so you can get them to church so they can do #1 through #16 above.

This list wears me out just reading it...and I'm a pastor! Just think what it does to normal people in our church. They keep trying and trying, doing and attending, but then life catches up and they feel like they can't ever keep up with our expectations. They feel deflated.

Because on top of everything we expect, everyone else in their life also has expectations of them. They have sports events to attend and in-laws to keep happy and PTA events to organize. They have complicated family relationships to navigate, second jobs to find so they can put braces on the kids and keep food on the table. And many of them are involved in really good endeavors building into their communities or helping the under-resourced.

Sometimes I think we need to get a clue. We need a wake-up call. Some people are saying (or thinking), "Hey Church...we're just not that into you. You are teaching us some great things and we are growing in our love of Jesus. But we can't possibly do everything you are asking...give us a break!"

In a culture that is ever more complex and insanely busy, if we really want to help we will find ways to help them integrate a walk with Jesus in the context of their lives. We will ease up on our expectation of attendance and activity--and instead focus on spiritual outcomes. WARNING: This is VERY difficult to do because it is so hard to measure--and church leaders LOVE to measure stuff (me included!).

If you know of a church hitting a homerun in this area, I'd love to hear about it!

Sad

2009-06-24T15:39:48-04:00

Tim Stevens

No Apologies

2009-06-24T04:53:00-04:00

It's been over a year, and I continue to see bloggers referring to Granger's reveal results. It is amazing to me the conclusions that have been made, but I'm learning to just smile and move on. Most recently, this was left as a comment on a previous post:

"For example, look at Granger’s results from the Reveal Study. Close to half don’t believe in salvation by grace and a majority believe there are other ways to eternal life. You can not be a Christian and believe in anything other than grace alone. You can not be a Christian and believe there are other ways to eternal life..."

You gotta help me here, cause I don't get the problem...

What is wrong with having a gathering every week where half the people who are in attendance don't yet understand salvation by grace?

Wouldn't every pastor or church leader in the world be ecstatic if they could plan an event every single week where Christians and non-Christians alike would gather...and everyone present would hear biblical truth and the gospel of Christ?

And wouldn't those same leaders be shouting from the rooftops if, on average, about 40% of the non-believers made a decision to follow Christ each year?

And wouldn't they also be giving each other high-fives if they knew that those who were seeking were coming out by the hundreds to serve the poor and help those in need, and that by doing so they were seeing Christ in the people around them?

We don't claim to have a church of 5000 people. We have a crowd of about 5000 people that gathers each weekend--and we do everything we can to help them take steps.

Our goal? Turn the crowd into a church--an unstoppable force of grace and love that makes an undeniable daily impact on our community. And for that, I'm not apologizing.

Love Found Me

2009-06-23T13:17:00-04:00

When I was enjoying my family somewhere in the Caribbean--it appears that the folks back home got carried away. They started the service like this...

I don't know how you are wired--but for me, this is worship. Nothing ushers me into the presence of God more quickly than what you just watched. It is excellent, it is passionate, it is Christ-centered, it is delivered by men and women whom I know and love.

Even watching weeks later on my computer screen, I find myself saying "yes God" as it is presented. If that isn't worship, I don't know what is.

Innovation Exposed

2009-06-23T09:23:51-04:00

It would be GREAT to have you join us in Granger on September 24-25.

Keeping Up vs. Unplugging

2009-06-22T11:30:03-04:00

When I was vacationing with the family for two-weeks, I was mostly disconnected from the world of information. Not a lot of time for TV news, and the few times I was able to get online was limited to uploading pictures for friends back home.

It is amazing how much can happen in a two-week period. It's easy to feel like you are out of synch. Just in the technology-geekdom world, here is what happened while I was gone...

Microsoft announced Project Natal for XBox 360
Apple introduced the newest version of the iPhone and software update.
AT&T talks of plans to roll-out 7mbs cellular speed.
The switch was finally flipped for digital TV.
The Palm Pre (an iPhone competitor) was released.
Last but not least, Windows Vista released Service Pack 2.

That's just the tech world. When you unplug, you miss so much more. Let's face it, I missed Jay Leno's last night, Conan's first night, the launch of the One Prayer series, a great First Wednesday at Granger, the Sunburst Marathon, the elections in Iran and more.

I like to keep up. I love to know what is coming, what is next, what is the newest, best, most cutting-edge tool available. But every now and then, it's okay to give myself permission to breathe. To focus on something else. To divert my attention for a period of time.

Keeping up can wear you out. Especially in today's world. I respected Anne Jackson's decision to unplug from all things tech this past spring. I'm not sure I could do it for that long, but I do know that unplugging for two weeks with my family was the right thing to do. We all love each other a little bit more because of it.

A View from a Cynical Critic

2009-06-16T12:39:46-04:00

In Pop Goes the Church, I wrote about the power of using secular music in your church services: "The next week, when they hear that song on the radio, they may be instantly pulled back to the service. They may remember again that God has a plan for them, that he can help them start over..." (Page 151).

I experienced that a couple nights ago watching a Foo Fighters concert on TV. As soon as the first few notes of Best of You rang out, I was instantly pulled back to a service we did about two years ago when J Aquila delivered a flawless cover of the same song.

Then a couple days ago I received a letter from a man who lives several hundred miles away and doesn't attend church:

So, I was driving home late the other night and was scanning through the Kansas City radio stations and landed upon a random station playing a familiar song. Now, generally, I only listen to my iPod or NPR, so when this song caught my ear, I wasn't sure where I knew it from. I kept listening until I got to the chorus. The song was Disturbia. I finally pieced it all together, and realized that I knew it from Granger Community Church...

... I realized something as I was listening. I have NO IDEA who the original artist is, but I remember GCC's performance, the great female lead, and the tie-in with Romans 7.

All that to say, I'm still not sure I'm fully on board with the methodology of GCC, but I fully recognize it's value and power. After all, I don't attend the church, am fairly skeptical, AND YET have been impacted for the good by it.

All that to say, thanks for your ministry and keep it up. It's reaching and influencing even the cynical critics, such as myself.

People who have always gone to church don't need this type of methodology. They are already "in" -- they are convinced. It is the cynics, the skeptics, the "I-don't-need-your-type-of-religion" people in our communities who are often impacted by the unexpected threading of a secular song with a spiritual truth.

I'll close with a great quote I read this morning from the blog of Jim Johnson: "We believe that in the expressions of our culture—music, film, books, TV—we can hear the heart cry of people asking the deep questions of life. When we acknowledge these sentiments and let them be heard in our weekend services, we create connection points with seekers that enable us then to speak God’s words of truth into their lives."

Your turn. What do you think?