Ten Golden Rules For Administration

The Multiply International Leaders Conference is coming up in June.  I've been drafted in to share a workshop on apostolic administration.

Great!  Well, we'll make the best job of it we can, and not betray our
disinclination (or dislocation).  Here's ten golden rules I jotted down in a "slow movement" passage in a recent committee meeting.

1. Avoid the mirror land.  This refers to James 1:23-25.  In other words, the best of visions and words is useless without application.
2. Administration is variously a gift (1 Corinthians 12: 28) and requires faith (Hebrew 11:33).  I love the idea that godly leaders should "administer justice".  It sits well with Christian community.
3. Good administrators are lazy people.  They anticipate they may need to do a job again, and instinctively set about simplifying and routinising it, so it will be less effort next time.  Disorganised people just aren't lazy enough; they leave themselves trouble ahead.
4. Money is old creation and needs ruling with a rod of iron.  Our Jesus Centre admin office wall bears a motto:  “Trust is Good; But Inspection is Better”.  It refers to our financial procedures (though some folks take it personally).
5. Every decision costs money.  This is a good rule for setting limits on the amount of information you seek to support a decision (e.g. computer data), and the time you take - value your time at £25 per hour and you'll soon become "more decisive".  To do nothing is a decision, and has an outcome.  And every element of control costs money, too. 
6.  Here's a favourite: "The strong man brings issues forward and make decisions among them.  The weak are left to chose from options they would not (themselves) have selected."
7.  "Church members aren't against change; it's just that most change is badly managed".  A quote from George Barna, I believe.
8.  "It's better to put ten men to work that to do the work of ten men." DL Moody.  The thorny issue of delegation - it's hard work.  And it's not "dumping" tasks or responsibility.
9.  Avoid sub-section optimalisation.  Every engineer know that an optimal system requires compromise in its component elements; some form of pay-off.
10.  All achievements (and edifices) require maintenance.  I love to bring things about then feel I can walk away and it will stand forever.  Not so.  So, I'm resigned to at least some effort here.  Many of us prefer to rush on to set up the next challenge.  Jesus called men who were mending their fishing nets.  Maybe if we make a decent job of keeping things running well, He'll call by and invite us to join Him in His eternal Kingdom adventure. It'll be worth it.

I guess the finished version of our workshop content in June will bring a bit of polishing up.

Ten Ways To Worship

Someone commented how nice it was to have a time of silence in one of our larger meetings.  And please could we have more.

I have a bee in my bonnet about much that passes off as worship.  I thumbnail it as "just trying to induce an altered state of consciousness".  I got taken to task about it at this morning's leaders' meeting.  As it happens my own comments led up to it, something like -"Have you noticed the irony that probably the most idolatrous generation of Christians for a long time, actually majors on worship?  We get the ooey-gooey feeling, then go away unchanged, to live the world's life."  I'll take a lot of persuading that the obligatory nightclub level of lighting at popular Christian events isn't a mechanism for altered state of consciousness (whether God shows up or not). I have friends on our own techie team who share my caution.

But to return to the silence issue.  There are at least ten ways that people of different temperament most naturally connect with worship.  And by this, I mean do meet with God and exchange something meaningful (regardless of their feelings).
1. Dance and other movement (like banner waving - the "kinetics" - I'm one).
2. Through close relationships and heart sharing (see 1 Samuel 20:42).
3. Engaging robustly in social justice issues.
4. Song, poetry, literature, recitation.
5. Spiritual gifts, including healing (1 Corinthians 14:25).
6. Acts of mercy and compassion.
7. Visual - art, symbol, mime, etc.
8. Shared action and activity.
9. Creation, nature and engagement of the senses and wonder.
10. Predictable liturgy and ceremonial.

The snare is that we settle that "authentic" accords with our own temperamental tendency, and thereby limit God to our preference.  He is, of course, Who He is, and entitled to disclose His presence according to His preference, in all the dimensions He may choose (some of which are undoubtedly troublesome)!

Leaders responsible for "worship times" must avoid subjective ruts and initiate different pathways.

Now to defend the "altered state of consciousness".  My leaders wanted to assure me that ECGs and neurological mapping have shown that our consciousness does alter with prayer, meditation, etc.  True, and I feel it, too, chaps.  However, there's a popular brand of spirituality (some pseudo-monastic) going around that talks about humbling, and emptying, but not meeting with the personal Holy Spirit.  And there's Christian entertainment that "works up" the feelings most professionally, and equally leaves people bereft of meeting the living and occasionally disturbing God.  These are the object of my pointedness.