My friend got excited as he looked at his phone late Friday night and said "well, the NBA lockout is over". There was no rejoicing from anyone in the room, no champagne flowed, no cigars lit. My reaction was pretty indifferent, I think I was more concerned with our game of "Catch Phrase" at that moment. And so here we are, the NBA lockout has ended. There are those who are jubilant because they will be able to watch their favorite teams and NBA stars. Chicago Tribune Sports had a poll question on Saturday about reaction to the lockout. To my surprise, nearly 75% of the responders at that point said that they could care less about the lockout ending. I honestly think for many people this lockout has left a bad taste in their mouths. It confirmed what we already knew about NBA players and owners. The latter are a bunch of greedy, control obsessed group of billionaires.(I would make one exception, Mark Cuban, he seems to be a cool dude) The former are a group of self-absorbed crybabies that have know clue what's going on.(There are also exceptions in this group) The lockout has left me wondering what I will do once Christmas Day comes.
I haven't "loved" watching basketball since June 14th, 1998(if you don't know, too bad, I'm not explaining). That was the end of one of the greatest era's in basketball. From that point on basketball was just something I watched to pass the time. The 2010-2011 NBA season was a good one, I will admit that. I did enjoy watching D. Rose and the Bulls make their playoff run. I tuned in for the games that were available to me in Michigan. I started staying up late to watch the West Coast games even though I had to get up early the next day. I was approaching an interest in basketball that I hadn't known since 1998. Even when the Bulls were eliminated, the drama of the big three down in Miami did help me to watch some of NBA Finals.
Then all that momentum got lost with the lockout. I saw billionaires and millionaires fighting over who got the biggest percentage of billions of dollars. I realize, as another blogger pointed out, that the lockout was not just about money. There was the issue of control, the owners and the league wanted more control. It was quite poetic that while the NBA lockout was drudging along, the Occupy Movement began to gain momentum. I am not here to promote or demonize the Occupy Movement. But from what I do know, one of their major rallying points has to do with corporate greed and all that goes along with that. You contrast that with the NBA lockout, two groups, millionaires and billionaires both claiming that they are not getting enough of the pie. It actually sickens me a bit. Meanwhile, because they aren't playing games, hot dog and beer vendors, and security guards aren't making money to support themselves and their families.(I don't have any hard stats on this but I could imagine some people(not players of owners) lost some income because of the lockout).
The NBA lockout reminded me of what I hate about sports in our country, the pure economics of it. People get paid way too much to play a game. People have to pay way too much to go see a game. I don't want to take anything away from the talent that these athletes have. I know they have worked hard to get where they are. I know a lot of them have come from nothing and now they can support their families. I love those stories and I love when athletes do give back to their communities. But I don't think, on the whole, they do enough.
This lockout will taint my vision of the NBA for quite some time. I don't know if I will tune in on Christmas Day. The tension I feel is that I love sports and I have since I was young. It is a huge part of my life. Probably 70% of my conversations with people are about sports. I wonder if I spent that much time talking about my faith, the bible, God, Jesus, justice, injustice, hope; would my life be different? Would I be making a bigger impact on the world? It's all about balance and putting my love for sports in it's proper place.
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
It's Just a Game
The phrase "It's Just a Game" is considered blasphemous to many sports fans around the world. To those of us who invest time, effort, money, and emotion into our favorite teams, it is certainly more than just a game to us. It is also more than just a game to those athletes who play the game. Sports is a key part of the fabric of our society. Many fellowship activities are centered on some type of sporting event. The Super Bowl is the pinnacle of these types sporting events. So, in our society sporting events are definitely more than just a game. But isn't still just a game despite all of this?
In the fall of 2005 the Chicago White Sox were on the verge of winning the World Series. As a die-hard Cubs fan this was a nightmare for me. Especially when two years prior, the Cubs were just a few outs away from making it to the World Series themselves. The devotion of a true Cubs fan can only be equaled by a few other fan bases in the country. The team, at that point, hadn't won a World Series in ninety-seven years so to have your cross-town rivals on the verge of winning was a depressing thought. The night of game four, the White Sox were up three games to none in the series. They could sweep the Astros with a win that night. I hadn't watched one game of that series and wasn't intending to watch game four. So, when my friend invited me to go to Willow Creek's Wednesday night service I was more than happy to go. I figured if there was one place I could go to escape this torment it would be church. The service was well done and I enjoyed the singing and message. As the service came to a close the worship leader said, "I'm glad you all came out and I'm sure you would like to know what the Sox are doing". They proceeded to put the game on the jumbo screens for people to watch. This enormous amount of disgust and hatred began to overwhelm me. I was so upset. The White Sox won that night and for the next couple weeks I was angry, sad, and depressed. This moment would be the beginning of a change in my feelings about sports and their place in my life. I wondered how I could get so upset about something that didn't even involve me directly. I even told a friend, who is a White Sox fan, that I hated him for his team winning. Ridiculous, right? My life, my time, my emotions were so caught up in this that I just broke down.
From that point on I made a decision to keep things in perspective, especially sports. Since then, I think I have gotten better at not letting sports have to much control over my life. I don't get as upset about losses anymore. I still despise the Packers, White Sox, Duke, Cardinals, Red Wings, Heat, and others but I am working on that as well. I think it's perfectly fine to root for your team and to want to them to win. It is a pretty cool thing to be a part of something bigger than yourself. It is wonderful to have bonds with fellow fans. There is something amazing about going to games and being part of that shared experience. Sports can bring great joy to people when they need something like that in their lives. But if your team becomes your life, if your team is your reason for living, or if they are your only joy in life then something is deeply wrong. If your day is ruined by a loss then something needs to change.
My next couple entries will be about sports and how my love for my teams interacts with my Christian faith. I have thought a lot about this topic, especially during seminary. I love my teams and will always love them. I will always root for them. I will get lost in the moment during games. But they will never have an emotional hold on me like they did in my early to mid 20's. I know now that my first and only allegiance is to Christ. I hope that allegiance will continue to mold me into a more faithful follower and a more compassionate human being.
Next stop: My thoughts on the NBA
In the fall of 2005 the Chicago White Sox were on the verge of winning the World Series. As a die-hard Cubs fan this was a nightmare for me. Especially when two years prior, the Cubs were just a few outs away from making it to the World Series themselves. The devotion of a true Cubs fan can only be equaled by a few other fan bases in the country. The team, at that point, hadn't won a World Series in ninety-seven years so to have your cross-town rivals on the verge of winning was a depressing thought. The night of game four, the White Sox were up three games to none in the series. They could sweep the Astros with a win that night. I hadn't watched one game of that series and wasn't intending to watch game four. So, when my friend invited me to go to Willow Creek's Wednesday night service I was more than happy to go. I figured if there was one place I could go to escape this torment it would be church. The service was well done and I enjoyed the singing and message. As the service came to a close the worship leader said, "I'm glad you all came out and I'm sure you would like to know what the Sox are doing". They proceeded to put the game on the jumbo screens for people to watch. This enormous amount of disgust and hatred began to overwhelm me. I was so upset. The White Sox won that night and for the next couple weeks I was angry, sad, and depressed. This moment would be the beginning of a change in my feelings about sports and their place in my life. I wondered how I could get so upset about something that didn't even involve me directly. I even told a friend, who is a White Sox fan, that I hated him for his team winning. Ridiculous, right? My life, my time, my emotions were so caught up in this that I just broke down.
From that point on I made a decision to keep things in perspective, especially sports. Since then, I think I have gotten better at not letting sports have to much control over my life. I don't get as upset about losses anymore. I still despise the Packers, White Sox, Duke, Cardinals, Red Wings, Heat, and others but I am working on that as well. I think it's perfectly fine to root for your team and to want to them to win. It is a pretty cool thing to be a part of something bigger than yourself. It is wonderful to have bonds with fellow fans. There is something amazing about going to games and being part of that shared experience. Sports can bring great joy to people when they need something like that in their lives. But if your team becomes your life, if your team is your reason for living, or if they are your only joy in life then something is deeply wrong. If your day is ruined by a loss then something needs to change.
My next couple entries will be about sports and how my love for my teams interacts with my Christian faith. I have thought a lot about this topic, especially during seminary. I love my teams and will always love them. I will always root for them. I will get lost in the moment during games. But they will never have an emotional hold on me like they did in my early to mid 20's. I know now that my first and only allegiance is to Christ. I hope that allegiance will continue to mold me into a more faithful follower and a more compassionate human being.
Next stop: My thoughts on the NBA
Monday, September 19, 2011
Drinkin that Hatorade
Psalm 51:10-12, 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right* spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing* spirit.
Those words are some of the most often quoted from the Psalms. They have always held a significant place in my heart. Mostly because I always find myself straying away from God, wallowing in my own sinful acts. They have become even more special to me because of a song by the group "Commissioned". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNS9GrOAYCU
The video is kind of cheesy but I absolutely love the song and have for quite some time. It always seems to bring me to the verge of tears.
I find myself in a position right now where I do not feel the joy of the Lord's salvation. I do not find joy in much of anything these days. There is an anger, a hurt, or a sadness that is running through my veins. I cannot seem to be happy for myself or for anyone else. I find myself wanting to tear people down instead of building them up. Pessimism and cynicism are becoming my default positions.
Why is this so? I think one of the reasons is the toll that the search for a church has taken on my emotions and my spirit. I have had many dark days in the past few months, wondering what God's will is in this area of my life. Another reason is because I have strayed away from God, from His Word, and from the community of faith. I have turned to unhealthy ways to deal with my frustration and my melancholy. Those unhealthy acts have helped to plunge me even further into the depths of despair. The last thing is that I am simply not happy with myself, therefore I take it out on others. I am not happy with my life situation at the moment.
I know there is much joy to be found in my life right now and I need to focus in on those things. But at the same time I need to deal with the anger and frustration I feel. I can't ignore those feelings and expect them to go away. So, whoever reads this, I ask that you would keep me in your prayers. Ask that the Lord would restore joy into my heart, that I would renew my relationship with the Lord, and that I would pull myself away from the sin that holds me back.
and put a new and right* spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing* spirit.
Those words are some of the most often quoted from the Psalms. They have always held a significant place in my heart. Mostly because I always find myself straying away from God, wallowing in my own sinful acts. They have become even more special to me because of a song by the group "Commissioned". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNS9GrOAYCU
The video is kind of cheesy but I absolutely love the song and have for quite some time. It always seems to bring me to the verge of tears.
I find myself in a position right now where I do not feel the joy of the Lord's salvation. I do not find joy in much of anything these days. There is an anger, a hurt, or a sadness that is running through my veins. I cannot seem to be happy for myself or for anyone else. I find myself wanting to tear people down instead of building them up. Pessimism and cynicism are becoming my default positions.
Why is this so? I think one of the reasons is the toll that the search for a church has taken on my emotions and my spirit. I have had many dark days in the past few months, wondering what God's will is in this area of my life. Another reason is because I have strayed away from God, from His Word, and from the community of faith. I have turned to unhealthy ways to deal with my frustration and my melancholy. Those unhealthy acts have helped to plunge me even further into the depths of despair. The last thing is that I am simply not happy with myself, therefore I take it out on others. I am not happy with my life situation at the moment.
I know there is much joy to be found in my life right now and I need to focus in on those things. But at the same time I need to deal with the anger and frustration I feel. I can't ignore those feelings and expect them to go away. So, whoever reads this, I ask that you would keep me in your prayers. Ask that the Lord would restore joy into my heart, that I would renew my relationship with the Lord, and that I would pull myself away from the sin that holds me back.
Monday, June 27, 2011
End of an Era
"Feels like I'm starting all over again, the last three years were just pretend". - Goodbye to You, Michelle Branch
"I don't know where this road is going to lead. All I know is where we've been and what we've been through". - It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday, Boyz II Men
End of an Era has been the common phrase to describe the past month or so. These words were repeated a couple times last week as I helped friends from seminary move out of their seminary apartments. It has finally hit me that I will not see some of my friends for quite some time. The latest will be at our 1-3-5 meeting in April. Hopefully I will be able to see some of them sooner than that. As the apartments were emptied it was clear that this era had ended. Not only for us as students but for the seminary as well. Western will never again experience a class like ours. I say this with pride, I am proud of what we brought to the seminary community. I hope our contribution will be felt for years to come. I also say this jokingly as I am sure Western will never experience a student wrapping a t-shirt around his head during class. Yes, that was someone from our class.
It does feel as if these last three years were just pretend. I read some of my old posts yesterday from the beginning of the seminary journey. It is amazing how I made it through. I enjoyed my time at Western and will miss a lot of things about. Mostly I will miss the people. I will miss the friends I made and the good times that we shared. I will miss seeing certain people's faces on an everyday basis. I by no means wish to return to seminary. I hope to not write any papers for at least another five years. I am excited and anxious about the next step in life. I don't know where this road is going to lead but I do know that I have some awesome colleagues in ministry now. I look forward to seeing what God is going to do through all of our ministries. There is no doubt in my mind now that God wanted me at Western and I am so grateful that God gave me the strength to persevere through the tough times.
"I don't know where this road is going to lead. All I know is where we've been and what we've been through". - It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday, Boyz II Men
End of an Era has been the common phrase to describe the past month or so. These words were repeated a couple times last week as I helped friends from seminary move out of their seminary apartments. It has finally hit me that I will not see some of my friends for quite some time. The latest will be at our 1-3-5 meeting in April. Hopefully I will be able to see some of them sooner than that. As the apartments were emptied it was clear that this era had ended. Not only for us as students but for the seminary as well. Western will never again experience a class like ours. I say this with pride, I am proud of what we brought to the seminary community. I hope our contribution will be felt for years to come. I also say this jokingly as I am sure Western will never experience a student wrapping a t-shirt around his head during class. Yes, that was someone from our class.
It does feel as if these last three years were just pretend. I read some of my old posts yesterday from the beginning of the seminary journey. It is amazing how I made it through. I enjoyed my time at Western and will miss a lot of things about. Mostly I will miss the people. I will miss the friends I made and the good times that we shared. I will miss seeing certain people's faces on an everyday basis. I by no means wish to return to seminary. I hope to not write any papers for at least another five years. I am excited and anxious about the next step in life. I don't know where this road is going to lead but I do know that I have some awesome colleagues in ministry now. I look forward to seeing what God is going to do through all of our ministries. There is no doubt in my mind now that God wanted me at Western and I am so grateful that God gave me the strength to persevere through the tough times.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Heroes and Villains
Every story needs a villain, an antagonist of some sort to move the story along. This can be a person, a place, or a thing. The villain doesn't have to be some sort of evil genius or completely insane person. All it takes is a little bit of douchiness for someone to be considered a villain. The best villains are the ones that don't even have to work all that much to make your blood boil. The mere sight of them can raise your anger or anxiety level up a couple notches. Some villains are created in our own minds. Case in point for me is the Chicago White Sox, just driving by "The Cell" gets me aggravated enough. However, most villains actually perform some type of action to make us despise their very being.
Some of my favorite villains come from the world of professional wrestling. In that word they are called "heels". This is opposition to the "baby faces" who are supposed to be the good guys. In the modern world of wrestling, the line between heel and baby face is not always clear. The good heels make sure you know they are a heel. Their only job is to make you love to hate them. The perfect example of this right now is "The Miz", he's just a complete douchebag.
I begin with all of this to talk about our friend Lebron James. I have wanted to write my thoughts about Lebron for a while but never got around to it. Lebron has been the center of criticism for quite some time now. I would say, along with plenty of others, that Lebron and his Heat crew were the villains of the NBA this season. In all honesty, it did make the season more compelling. Now, the in years before taking his lack of talent to South Beach, Lebron could have been classified as a good guy. I rooted for him against the Celtics last season. In the 2009-2010 season, the Boston Celtics were my villains. KG lacked just enough class to make me not like him, not to mention dirty Rajon Rondo, and mean muggin Kendrick Perkins. From the moment Lebron came into the league I rooted for him. I actually thought he could help Cleveland win a title. I looked forward to playoff matchups between the Bulls and Cavs. However, that all came crashing down in July of 2010. With "The Decision" Lebron lost a lot of my respect. The subsequent party for the big three, announcing their arrival in Miami, permanently labeled them "Villains" in my book. Some may say it's too harsh to label them as villains. Somewhere inside of me, I believe what they did was villainous. Sure, I can't blame Lebron for wanting to join forces with D Wade and their reptilian friend Chris Bosh. But it just seems low and cheap. It don't feel like Lebron rose to the level of hero. He made a back door deal that we only see politicians and drug bosses get involved with. Lebron ripped the heart out of a city and did it on national TV. Then he celebrated with his friends.
But it made for compelling basketball, I rooted against them every night they played. I felt much elation when the Bulls swept them in the regular season. I was ready for D Rose to dismantle them in the playoffs, that didn't happen, but I'm sure we will get another chance. D Wade was right when he said America was happy because the Heat were losing. Maybe not everyone was, but I had a some joyful feelings about it. I was glad that they were not dominating like they said they would. I try to not take joy in other people's faults. But when you are the villain, I will rejoice when you fail. We all want the villain to fail. We want our "heroes" to win. The Dallas Mavericks became our heroes. They saved basketball from the tyranny of El Heat.
Some of my favorite villains come from the world of professional wrestling. In that word they are called "heels". This is opposition to the "baby faces" who are supposed to be the good guys. In the modern world of wrestling, the line between heel and baby face is not always clear. The good heels make sure you know they are a heel. Their only job is to make you love to hate them. The perfect example of this right now is "The Miz", he's just a complete douchebag.
I begin with all of this to talk about our friend Lebron James. I have wanted to write my thoughts about Lebron for a while but never got around to it. Lebron has been the center of criticism for quite some time now. I would say, along with plenty of others, that Lebron and his Heat crew were the villains of the NBA this season. In all honesty, it did make the season more compelling. Now, the in years before taking his lack of talent to South Beach, Lebron could have been classified as a good guy. I rooted for him against the Celtics last season. In the 2009-2010 season, the Boston Celtics were my villains. KG lacked just enough class to make me not like him, not to mention dirty Rajon Rondo, and mean muggin Kendrick Perkins. From the moment Lebron came into the league I rooted for him. I actually thought he could help Cleveland win a title. I looked forward to playoff matchups between the Bulls and Cavs. However, that all came crashing down in July of 2010. With "The Decision" Lebron lost a lot of my respect. The subsequent party for the big three, announcing their arrival in Miami, permanently labeled them "Villains" in my book. Some may say it's too harsh to label them as villains. Somewhere inside of me, I believe what they did was villainous. Sure, I can't blame Lebron for wanting to join forces with D Wade and their reptilian friend Chris Bosh. But it just seems low and cheap. It don't feel like Lebron rose to the level of hero. He made a back door deal that we only see politicians and drug bosses get involved with. Lebron ripped the heart out of a city and did it on national TV. Then he celebrated with his friends.
But it made for compelling basketball, I rooted against them every night they played. I felt much elation when the Bulls swept them in the regular season. I was ready for D Rose to dismantle them in the playoffs, that didn't happen, but I'm sure we will get another chance. D Wade was right when he said America was happy because the Heat were losing. Maybe not everyone was, but I had a some joyful feelings about it. I was glad that they were not dominating like they said they would. I try to not take joy in other people's faults. But when you are the villain, I will rejoice when you fail. We all want the villain to fail. We want our "heroes" to win. The Dallas Mavericks became our heroes. They saved basketball from the tyranny of El Heat.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Home Again
Thomas Wolfe said you can't go home again. I agree with him although maybe for different reasons than he wrote it. Three years of seminary have come and gone. I left Chicago not truly knowing where this road would lead me. There were plenty of times in my first year that I wanted to pack my things and head back home. Every time that happened, the Holy Spirit kept me in Holland somehow. I am grateful that I stuck it out. I worked hard, especially during my last semester. At one point I had nine classes, two online and seven in-residence. The most hectic time was when the finals time for the online classes and mid-term time for the in-residence classes coincided. I am not quite sure how I made it through.
I am a different person than I was three years ago. Sure, I am just as goofy and laid back as I ever was. However, in other areas I am a different person. I have a different outlook on life and I want different things from life than I did before I left for seminary. Coming back home, I feel the temptation to fall back into my old ways. I feel a distance from those friends that I once knew. I don't quite know how to interact with everybody. This is not to say that I want to go back to seminary, I am quite happy that those days are over with. I just don't know where I fit in right now. I got accustomed to a particular way of living and a rhythm of life in Holland. Now that I am back in Chicago, that rhythm has been thrown off.
I find myself in a peculiar place where I don't really know what is going to happen next. I am playing a waiting game with several different churches. I know that I must have faith that God will lead me in the right path. However, knowing that I need faith is not my problem. The problem is whether that faith is active or passive. I tend to have a passive faith about life. I know that God, through the Holy Spirit, is who will lead me where I should go. However, I don't actively seek out that guidance. I am both ready for the next chapter of life to begin but also scared out of my mind. Can I be what God has called me to be? Certainly God wouldn't have called me to be a pastor if he hasn't equipped me to be one. But there is a responsibility on my end to live into that call fully. The next couple months will be an interesting time for me. I feel like the Israelites in the wilderness, knowing they should follow that fire cloud but sometimes longing for what they had in Egypt.
I am a different person than I was three years ago. Sure, I am just as goofy and laid back as I ever was. However, in other areas I am a different person. I have a different outlook on life and I want different things from life than I did before I left for seminary. Coming back home, I feel the temptation to fall back into my old ways. I feel a distance from those friends that I once knew. I don't quite know how to interact with everybody. This is not to say that I want to go back to seminary, I am quite happy that those days are over with. I just don't know where I fit in right now. I got accustomed to a particular way of living and a rhythm of life in Holland. Now that I am back in Chicago, that rhythm has been thrown off.
I find myself in a peculiar place where I don't really know what is going to happen next. I am playing a waiting game with several different churches. I know that I must have faith that God will lead me in the right path. However, knowing that I need faith is not my problem. The problem is whether that faith is active or passive. I tend to have a passive faith about life. I know that God, through the Holy Spirit, is who will lead me where I should go. However, I don't actively seek out that guidance. I am both ready for the next chapter of life to begin but also scared out of my mind. Can I be what God has called me to be? Certainly God wouldn't have called me to be a pastor if he hasn't equipped me to be one. But there is a responsibility on my end to live into that call fully. The next couple months will be an interesting time for me. I feel like the Israelites in the wilderness, knowing they should follow that fire cloud but sometimes longing for what they had in Egypt.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Leadership Final
Part of my leadership final is to post what I wrote publicly...so, here it is...
Leadership Scenarios:
3. The last several years at Manna Reformed Church have resulted in financial difficulty. The congregation has been borrowing from their $1.5 million endowment to the tune of 25,000 per year. The building is older and needing repair. Over the last two years the congregation is enjoying revitalization, especially with single persons and families with younger children. At the end of the fiscal year, your finance leader states that the congregation exceeded its budgeted giving by $55,000. The finance leader suggests that this surplus is enough to pay back the endowment for two years of borrowing. There are other opinions on the leadership team, including giving it away, hiring more staff for growth or considering expansion and renovation of facilities. How do you proceed with the finance chair, church leadership, and the congregation in discussing and deciding what to do with these funds?
Biblical Theological Connections:
This is not just a money issue. The key issue, as I see it, is our identity as Christians. In the Great Commission we are called to baptize and make disciples from people of all nations. Jesus, just as he sent out the disciples, sends us out to spread his good news to the rest of the world. He has not left us alone to our own power to do this. As believers in Christ we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill our calling as Christians.
God has gifted us with many wonderful things; money is one of those things. The issue of money is one that can cause tension and anxiety to rise in any setting. This is especially true in our modern setting with the economic positions most churches find themselves in. Even though we have taken $25,000 out for several years, our endowment is still sitting above one million dollars. I believe this puts us in a better position than some other churches in our area.
- The Bible does speak to the issue of money.
o Story of the rich young ruler
o We cannot serve two masters, God and money
o Sharing of good as found in Acts 2
o Storing up your goods on earth, storing treasures in heaven
The key question becomes, how do we faithfully use the gifts God has given us? I think the process by which we figure this out will set a precedent for the church in the years to come. As God blesses us with people, talents, and money, how do we use those gifts to live into the calling God has put before us?
Course of Action
My first step would be to have one-on-one conversations with the leadership team. I would do this to get a sense of where each person was at in relation to what our church should do with the money. As well as discussing the position we find ourselves in as a congregation. I would do this in order to get a generally feeling of why particular people suggested certain things.
Personally, I would begin to look through old consistory notes. I would look for critical financial moments throughout the history of Manna’s ministry. This would help me to “get on the balcony” to view my own congregation.
After that we would gather for a special meeting to discuss our options. (food provided of course) We would first dwell in the word, I think the Great Commission would be a good passage for this.
Our options are as follows:
1) Put excess money back into endowment
2) Giving the money away
3) Hiring more staff, due to growth
4) Expansion and renovation of facilities
As a group we would need to determine how “ripe” each of these options are within the congregation. One question that pops for me is, how has the church dealt with money issues in the past? Through church narratives we would be able paint a picture of what Manna’s view of money and stewardship is. The best way to do this would be to send out our leadership to collect some data on this issue Our leaders would go out in pairs to meet with people from the congregation as well as people outside of the congregation. Through this process some valuable information would be collected, such as:
- Manna’s feeling toward stewardship
- Is Manna ready to expand?
- What are the needs in the community and can Manna help?
- What are Manna’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunites, and threats?
A future vision retreat would be planned in which this data would then be shared with the entire group. This planning retreat would not just be for the leadership team, we would invite other members of the congregation. This would be done in order to get a more robust view of the congregation’s views as well as creating a sense of trust between the leadership and the congregation. The leadership doesn’t want to come off as this secret society. If the congregation cannot trust the leadership then where does that put our church?
The vision retreat would finally come. At this meeting we would start with dwelling in the word again, using the Great Commission passage. The agenda would then go as follows: (detailed notes would be taken by a pre-selected secretary)
- Leaders report what they found as they interviewed congregants and community members
- All of the attendees would then be broken up into small groups to discuss what they heard from the reports.
o Small groups would come up with major themes that they noticed in the reports. Both from Manna’s own community and the outside community.
o Groups would be provided with sticky notes of two different colors. The green notes would be themes from Manna and the yellow notes would be themes from the outside community.
o The groups would then put the sticky notes on the corresponding boards for Manna and the outside community.
o The small groups would then form two larger groups that would arrange the sticky notes into groups in order to get a sense of the major themes.
o The two larger groups would switch sides to see what work the other group did.
o We would then discuss these major themes as a large group.
- Lunch break
- In small groups again, people would discuss what they heard and how it relates to the current money situation.
- Small groups would report highlights of their conversation to the larger group
- The question would then be asked, “If money was not an issue, what would we do as a church?”
o Small groups discuss and then report back to the larger group
- Meeting would be ended in a time of worship and prayer
The leadership would meet again to discuss what happened at the vision retreat. We would come up with action steps for the immediate future, 9 months down the road, one year down the road, and three years down the road.
Those action steps would then be implemented.
Personal Reflections
As I stated before, money can cause great anxiety amongst people. People can get mighty passionate about what to do with their money. Possession of money would be major issue as we went through this process. In our American society, we have a sense of entitlement as it pertains to money. It would be one of the cultural identifiers I would need to be aware of. With that said, I will have to be able to orchestrate conflict well in this situation. Heifetz’ chapter on orchestrating conflict will be a key resource for me.
Another issue for me will be remaining steady in the times of disequilibrium. I know I will be tempted to pull away from the planned course of action if people start to get angry with me. I think it will important to have a group that “has my back.” Although, if the process is done well, it will be a group decision and the group will have my back. The collaborative element of leadership will be one that I continue to work on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)