What business can teach us about moving the Church forward in difficult times
...and...
Ideas for Engaging Innovation in your churchHere in Ohio, the State has initiated what they are calling the "Third Frontier Project" to try and get Ohio's economic recovery on track. In a series of articles appearing in Columbus CEO magazine in 2004, this project and how businesses can thrive in uncertain times were discussed by several business leaders. I was struck by their optimism, and by their understanding of innovation as a means of becoming competitive in a changing world.
They believe innovation and investment during times of downturn are key remedies to invigorating their businesses and the general economy. Said one CEO, "we'd be foolish to try and attract industry that time is relegating to the past." Another wrote, "we can't be trying to turn back the clock, we need to turn the clock forward." "We the citizens of Ohio must innovate, not just navigate our way through these times." This last quote bears reading again: "innovate, not just navigate."
The Third Frontier Project is a set of funds and tax breaks to forward thinking companies and research institutions creating new kinds of industry and new types of jobs (not just more jobs of the type we have lost). Like most states, Ohio is awash in red ink. Yet the various leaders had the foresight to realize their future depended on investing now --not someday. And investing in new things, not just anything. Getting funding hasn't been easy. Voters turned down one referendum on the project. The Legislature approved some of the initiative. But Ohio's project isn't the point... it's the business philosophy behind it that resonates with me.
The Church As It Is, ..and As It Should Be
What strikes me about The Church is how UNLIKE our thinking is from that of these business leaders. We talk about change, but most congregations look and operate extremely similar to what they did 40 or 50 years ago (only smaller in many cases). Our goal-setting, administrative and budgeting processes are geared toward maintenance, not innovation and investment. We produce long-range goals, but don't put any teeth into implementing them. We produce new mission statements, rather than new mission opportunities.
Innovation is not merely "revitalization." It's not a return to former successes and the occasional achievement of safe changes. Innovation is more like Transformation. The Apple Ipod is a great example of transformation in the business world. Apple wasn't the first to make an mp3 player, but their features were innovative and their quality was unsurpassed. Apple now makes far more money from its Ipod division than computer division. In our biblical vocabulary, it is about throwing off the old and becoming a new creature. "Leaving past things behind." etc. But in many ways the church looks nothing like the "new creature" Paul described. We're more like Lazarus --risen but still bound and dazed.
This isn't to say that new things won't resemble the past. Bible studies are a good thing. Worship is a good thing. Rather, the question is more along the lines of "How will it be different this time?" "What will make it thrive, rather than simply exist?" "What's new that we have not been providing?" "What am I willing to let go of -in order to learn something new, unexpected and potentially transformational?"
Jesus regularly points out that the root of our problem is not with our lack of ideas or needs, but with our lack of belief. Mountains are not moved by "maintainers," but by those who believe it can be done.
A Test:
Q1:
What new pilot project ministry or mission project has your church organized and sufficiently financed with money, leadership and permission this past year? In the past 18 months? In the past two years? --that doesn't look like something you were doing 5 or 10 years ago?
Q2:
Read your congregation's annual report. What direction is it looking? What did they try this past year? How much of what they have to report is about what they hope to do?
Q3:
How much time does your Session or Church Council spend on "new business" versus explaining the financial report?
Here are some challenging steps for congregations to take:
Necessity is often the mother of invention.
Identify, then challenge three existing ministries in your church ministry to try something completely different this year. Maybe it's your choir, your coffee hour and your men's group. Success is often a surprise. And failure can still produce lessons. If one or two of those ministries can find a truly new way of serving and being, others will take note. Challenge established groups to come up with specific changes.
Tithe Your Budget and Leadership to an Innovation Fund --Create the resources to dream & implement something different.
What would 10% of every dollar, 10% of every meeting, 10% of every job description, every worship service, every volunteer's time look like if it were directed toward the process of doing something new and different? Tithe the church budget into an Innovation Fund and tithe your talent and time into research and development.
Remove Deadwood -- Identify what isn't achieving its goals and put a stop to it. Create the space and time to do something different. Most churches want to add to what they do. This has the effect of spreading people and dollars thin. Weed your church calendar. Reduce staff and committee time spent on "what is."
Give Permission -- Don't ask for elaborate business plans, mission statements and detailed budgets. Put faithful members on the task, offer them the resources, and have faith. Cast your bread upon the water...
Stop Beating Your Head Against Old Walls -- If you have a program that perpetually creates a bloody forehead, do what Jesus recommended and cut it off (the program not the forehead!) Move on. Do not be idolators. Nothing we created is so sacred that it cannot be changed or replaced.
Kick Old Habits -- If church mailings didn't help in the past, don't rely on them in the future. Kick your old administrative, promotional, and funding habits and force yourselves to explore new alternatives. Another habit breaker: Bring in new people. This is what businesses do when their culture has become too complacent.
Consider Your Uniqueness --what is it that your congregation seems particularly positioned to do? No congregation can afford to be all things to all people. What is it about your location, your demographics, your specially gifted leaders, and your assets which point you to do-able ministries? For example, I'm amazed at the number of "aging congregations" who worry about children's ministry but do not reach out to seniors in their community. Narrow your focus, and then do the focus well.
Get out of your Box --- Go spend time looking at what other organizations and churches have done to innovate. Visit successful businesses and churches. A friend of mine was given a three month sabbatical from his church to travel the country meeting with innovative churches, leaders and doing basic research. He began looking at innovative music ministries, but discovered the unexpected. Admit your congregation doesn't know all the answers.
Reach for New Frontiers -- Do not limit your thinking to "finding new ways to do familiar things." Like businesses in a changing economy, churches in a changing world must explore new opportunities to serve Christ.
Edison once said that innovation was 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. He tried thousands of different filaments before creating a viable lightbulb. Real change takes effort and a willingness to persist through failure. These lessons and values need to become part of our church culture if we are to become a new creation striving toward the upward call.
Neil MacQueen is a Presbyterian Minister. He was instrumental in founding the Workshop Rotation Model movement for Sunday School, and pioneered the use of computers in Christian education. His articles have been published in Net Results, Clergy Journal, Presbyterian Outlook, Alert, and numerous other publications. Neil is the author of two books, and numerous software programs. He currently serves in a Christian software publishing ministry. This article was posted at www.sundaysoftware.com and may be copied for non-commercial use.
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