Low Expectations and Low Freedom

If you 1) really don't think the ministry team will do much or 2) you are not really sure what the purpose or direction of the ministry team is and you kinda of let them know that in any number of ways such as: not providing guidance or expecting them to meet very often and you find yourself really making of the decisions and the ministry team is really a rubber stamp, you might observe the following symptoms:

Low Expectation/Low Freedom

•“We’ve never done it that way,” say leaders

•Volunteers are sought to fill slots

•Ministry Team inactive

•“Nobody’s really doing anything”

•Mire of mediocrity

•"Whew a 20 minute ministry team meeting, that's a new record"

•Creativity and innovation are stagnant

•"We came in under-budget"

•Ministry is defined by what organizations and missionaries you support financially, not the number of people you have engaged in mission and ministry

Expectations: What do you really think those you serve are capable of? What is it you belief will happen as a result of your efforts?

Freedom: How much latitude you give your ministry team to lead, to set vision, purpose, mission, and values and to evaluate the results?

High Expectations and Low Freedom

If much is expected in terms of results, starting with what the desired results are, but you micromanage, and set the agenda without giving credence to the needs, wants, and desires of your ministry team, you might observe the following symptoms:

High Expectation/Low Freedom

•Autocratic leaders

•Volunteers serve out of legalistic obligation

•Ministry Team fulfills mission on behalf of church rather that engages the church in the mission

• Folks disengaged?: “We’re better off without them”

• Support of organization is paramount to support of the members of the organization

• "If you want an idea to die, give it to the staff"

• You spend more time working to get butts in the seats than facilitating ideas and discussions and sharing remarkable stories

•Tyranny of Excellence

Expectations: What do you really think those you serve are capable of? What is it you belief will happen as a result of your efforts?

Freedom: How much latitude you give your ministry team to lead, to set vision, purpose, mission, and values and to evaluate the results?

Low Expectations and High Freedom

If you don't really expect much from your ministry team, but give them lots of latitude, you might see a few things happen.

Expectations: What do you really think those you serve are capable of?

Freedom: How much latitude you give your ministry team to lead, to set vision, purpose, mission, and values.

If you have low expectations and so give your ministry team a level of high freedom, you can count on:

•Failure to identify/articulate focus (mission).

•Antagonism and a zero sum game outlook attitude among various ministry teams.

•Ministry team follows path directed by happiness of a few. You'll spend lots of time trying to mollify critics.

•“Everybody’s doing their own thing”.

•“Sometimes it's easier to say yes than to explain why you said no."

•Cancer of Chaos.

•You'll find train wrecks of leadership that serve the status quo's ability to control the initiative and creative process of the team.

• The more things change, the more things stay the same.

•Cynicism.

Do you trust your ministry team enough to believe they are capable of doing great things? Set clear expectations and give them room to work.

No?

Watch "The Fugitive" and enjoy trying to apprehend the escapees.

A look of satisfaction

A friend shared a picture with me of a group of people he spent a week with hiking in the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains.

The picture was taken at the conclusion of the trip. The group was huddled around the sign designating the trail's beginning (and end).

They had hiked 53 miles from camp to camp. No too much food. No showers or facilities. Pretty rough conditions.

The one thing that came through on each of their faces in the picture was pretty plain to see.

Accomplishment along with satisfaction.

I asked my friend about that. If it was the feeling of accomplishment that was more important than the actual enjoyment of the trip.

He said on that particular journey, the scenery was so beautiful that the hiking was its own reward. Other times he said, it was more about the accomplishment.

After three years on your ministry team, do you suppose the members of the team share a sense of accomplishment? Is satisfaction written on their faces? Through the bruised egos of impassioned discussions around the table or the sacrifices that they made to be a part of the team, would they say: "It was worth it!"?

Or do we maybe make it too easy? For any ideas generated, do we implement them along with a few others without allowing the team to take ownership?

Do you ask them to give anything up to accomplish the task so they we feel it was worth it?

Maybe be don't feel like our mission is worth the trouble sometimes.

And most importantly, we often forget the beauty of the scenery and the enjoyment of the service, which ultimately is its own reward.

Maybe the next time we feel like it isn't worth it, we should take a hike.

a sixth sense

Remember that tv show from the 70's called the Sixth Sense?

Gary Collins as Dr. Michael Rhodes?

The parapsychologist?

Well, if not, it was a really cool, short lived show.

I used to watch it and think how cool it was. I wished I could have a sixth sense.

We do, you know. Have a sixth sense. Or maybe it's just a combination of the other five in a weird way.

I was out jogging today and a little dog came yapping from one of the houses in the subdivision.

I have been working on a technique to deal with this because dogs have a sixth sense and if you let them think they have startled you, and you are afraid, they will sometimes get all worked up and bite you. Even if they normally don't do that.

So the second they come yapping, I turn on them and buck up on them. It's been working pretty good.

So I tried it on this dog and it stopped for a second, but when I turned to run, it followed me.

It wasn't a big deal, but I didn't want the dog to wander away from home trying to chase me. So I turned again and then I saw the dog's owner coming to chase after us.

I read her mind. She was sorry that the dog was yapping after me. I used telepathy to let her know: "It's cool. I'm going to stop so your dog will stop. Then you can get your dog. It's fine though. I'm not like mad or anything. I'm not going to keep running so you'll have to chase after your dog to teach you a lesson about not letting your dog yap after me. I'm also not going to scream at you for letting your dog chase me."

I used my telepathic powers to understand that she was really sorry that the dog chased after me and potentially scared me: I didn't know for sure if the thing would try to bite me. "I'm am so sorry," she said in her mind. "Perhaps you too, have a dog that has done this. I can tell by your telepathic transmissions that: yes, yes you have, haven't you? Have a good run. See you next time, but hopefully not under these circumstances."

So it wasn't Dr. Michael Rhodes. But close.

I made some assumptions. I took the time to read faces and to attempt to do whatever resulted in the best outcome.

I sometimes choose to teach someone a lesson by being a jerk when they have it coming to them.

Sometimes I'm pretty sure what people are trying to say and why, but I don't let them off the hook that easy. I'd rather embarrass them or correct them to say "I know more than you do."

But it's cooler when I can be like Mike, Dr. Michael Rhodes.

And let them know what I'm thinking and to try to know what they are thinking, saying and trying to do.

What do you think?

used to think, now realize

I used to think the certain civic clubs in Chimbote, Peru were bad because they gave out alcohol to minors and that was all they did.

I now realize those civic clubs in Chimbote are involved in a large scale tree planting project, is working with a program to turn trash (kind of ironic if you have ever been to Chimbote--there´s lots of trash around) into houses, has developed a micro finance loan program that is changing the lives of hundreds of poor residents, and is interested in partnering with other organizations to bring about a better water system for the region.

I used to think the Catholic Church in Chimbote was really more of a cult than anything and wasn´t to be included in partnership opportunities.

I now realize that the parish of a man named Father Jack is providing access to services for the poorest of the poor in the area. The organization has developed partnerships across cultural and religous ideological divides and has provided an outlet for countless young people and older people to take part in something bigger than themselves.

I used to think the fish factories in Chimbote only operated a few months of the year and were basically sweat shops when they were in operation.

I now realize that the fish factories are run by honest, caring business men and women who genuinely care about their community and the people and the products of their operations. The factories run year round and provide a modest living to those who work at them.

I used to think the water in Chimbote was no good and probably the reason why was that the people there didn´t know how to provide clean drinking water for the residents.

I now realize that there are water treatment plants in Chimbote with caring passionate men and women working at them who care about what they do, and do so in a professional manner and with great integrity. The water they provide is as good as any anywhere.

I used to think that whatever people told me about somebody or some place was probably true, especially if it was about the person or place´s inadequacies.

I now realize that the truth is, if you choose to see inadequacies, that´s about all you`ll see.

I now realize that if you look for capacity: you´ll see hope and opportunities for relationships, you'll experience imagination like you haven´t since kindergarten, and you will start to believe that you can actually make a difference.

I now realize that it's true not only for communities and society, but for you and me as well.

I now realize I have a lot to learn.

Radiant fear

Skye Jethani in his recent teaching at Mars Hill Bible Church credited one of the most important moments of wholeness in race realtions in our country to a sleepless night of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Apparently on January 27, 1956, Dr. King was awake at 2:00 in the morning paralyzed by fear. Someone unhappy with his work on the Montgomery bus boycott had called to let him know that if he didn't back off, his house would be bombed and he and his family killed.

According to Jethani's telling of the story, Dr. King sat paralyzed by fear. He was so threatened by the force against him and his wife and 2 month old daughter, that the fear had turned in on his very core and caused what Thomas Aquinas called a "contraction of the soul."

But somehow without any real reason, Dr. King became uniquely aware of the presence of God and he then embarked on his role in the movement to end discrimination on the basis of race in this country.

He knew in a way that he had never before that he could face anything.

It was about 4 days later when Dr. King, who was attending a rally, received word that his house had indeed been bombed.

After rushing home to find his house on fire, but his family safe, he delivered what some say was the true turning point in the movement.

From the porch of his burning house to the angry mob that had formed to seek vengeance against the bombers, Dr. King said:

"Let your enemies know you love them. What we are doing is right and God is with us. Go home with this glowing faith, with this radiant assurance. With love in our hearts with faith, and with God in front."

The mob dropped their bats and rifles to their sides and went home.

A white policeman who had been dispatched to the scene said:

"We would have been dead were it not for that black preacher."

You are invited this MLK day to consider taking on the pain the hatred and the fear of others and when you soul is locked down by fear, know that God is with you and then do or say or believe something that is counter to all the evidence at hand and change the world.