Adventures in Organization

Adventures in Organization

I just returned from a meeting about how to deal with 22 evacuees from N.O. who have come our way.  I was somewhat frustrated by the whole deal.  We had about 19 church members present and it was a chaotic meeting about how to handle the logistics.  I caught myself thinking, “It sure would work more efficiently if there was one person in charge who told everyone what to do.”  This comes after reading and whole-heartedly agreeing with Greg’s article An Unorganized Church.  My thinking betrayed me because I was thinking efficiency, something that, in my mind, cannot have a large place in Kingdom thinking.

I thought about the other alternative – group of leaders goes into a board room, makes the decisions, and tells everyone what to do.  I hate that way of leadership!  I know that simpler structures and more communication is messy, but I believe it is the best way.  I believe that because we need to struggle with what it means to be like Christ together, as a body.  That means we have to have dialogue, disagree, get upset, be frustrated.  But that’s OK as long as we keep the lines of communication open.  Only in this way can we discern as God’s people what he by his Spirit is leading us to do.

The Fam! 

Fundraising Blues

I’m pretty discouraged today.  Last night a friend told me he was beginning a fundraising job today with a mission located in our state.  I’m proud for him and I guess the mission is doing a needed work.  What discourages me is the competition our missions and institutions engage in to obtain support from churches.  The pie is only so big and everyone is trying to get the advantage in getting a bigger and bigger slice.

I think I see the dangers inherent in sending the money to a convention or other central location.  I don’t like that option either.  I think we need some good old-fashioned repentance.  Free enterprise and capitalism have entered the church.  Everyone’s starting missions and non-profits, it seems.  Are all these really necessary or are they a way for us to create jobs for ourselves or control our own “work” so that we don’t have to submit to each other?

We struggle at the Bible college where I work to find enough support.  Now we have to compete with others for it.  I’m tired of competing!  It’s gotten to where now it’s who’s got the best PowerPoint or sales pitch.  I guess McLaren’s right – no matter what our mission, we ultimately exist to keep our staff paid and our donors happy.  There’s got to be a better way.

Open to God

Over the past few days, I've been seeking God and trying to be open to Him regarding what I could do to help those who are hurting from Katrina. I desperately want to go there to comfort them, but with an 8 week old at home, I can't. So, how can I help?

As I was pondering that yesterday, Shawn Hardin came to me and said that if I would go to Cleveland to preach for him, he could go with Les to carry much needed supplies to those in Gulfport. Instantly, I knew that this was something I could do to help. But this was not what I meant when I prayed! I meant front-line stuff, being in the middle of everything.

This comes on the heels of my confession to our church family of my struggle with the sin of pride. I wrestled with God all day yesterday about this. He won, of course. I had to humble myself and serve in this way so that Shawn could help the people there. Christ continues to teach me about becoming a little child.

May you be open to God's call!