Getting people to work together is not easy; but it’s worth the effort.  

I have been at this for many years.  I served in churches, non-profit organizations, and businesses.  My main objective has always been to help people learn the value and benefits of working together.

When people really get on the same page, great things can happen!  This is especially true in community work.  I have spent a lot of time working on community projects.  I truly enjoy working with people with different giftings, passions, and expertise.  I’ve had the pleasure of serving as “architect” for many community projects that have touched the lives of thousands of people.

Tina told me that CharityTracker has been the catylst for getting people to work together.  She said, "For the first time in history, we have found common denominators that have rallied community service providers; an online tool that’s easy-to-understand, simple to use, and inexpensive."

So, if you want to get people to work together, find those common denominators that make it easy for people to come together.  Find their common interests or passions that everyone values.  Find a valid reason for working together that makes sense; a "win-win" situation for all.

If we don’t stand for something, we’re liable to fall for anything.

I find this so true in my own daily walk with the Lord.  Each day I am challenged to stand tall in my faith and mission.  However, amidst this challenge I am faced with lots of “noise” and distractions – caused by busyness, tight schedules, and work loads.  Some of these things tend to direct my attention away from things that most matter in my life – relationships with family, friends, and the Lord.

Even while serving in church leadership positions, I was subject to lots of noise and distractions.  Even though I was very busy doing “good things”, I believe some of these things kept me from focusing on the Lord and His divine purposes for my life.

Right now, God is doing a new work in my life.  Despite the fact that I have been in ministry since 1977, I realize that I have much more growing to do.  God is writing a “new chapter” in my life’s journey – one that’s transforming me from the inside-out.

This transformation feels more like a “fighting spirit” that’s rising up within me.  I want to fight and engage in serious battle; advancing God’s reign and rule in my life.  Perhaps I have watched too many reruns of Brave Heart, but I feel God encouraging me to fight for the things I truly believe in.

I want to become a stronger believer in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform me into a true ambassador of Jesus Christ.  I want to learn more about “connectivity” and how God orchestrates personal relationships for divine purposes.  I want to become an even stronger advocate for authentic Christian community.  I also want to do more in building coalition forces for advancing the Kingdom of God.

I often wonder how the enemy has got us all wrestling with independent battles; instead of winning interdependent victories.  I believe we are in the midst of great spiritual warfare; and in many respects, greater than anytime in history.  With the soon return of Christ, it is no wonder the enemy is doing everything he can to divide us, distract us, and keep us from “standing together” in battle.

Jesus told us that we must learn to fight: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34, NIV).”

The Apostle Paul told us,

“God is strong, and he wants you strong.  So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials.  And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.  This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.  Be prepared.  You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own.  Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet (Ephes. 6:10-13, MSG).”

Perhaps, now is the time for us to take a serious look at our busyness and independent efforts.  Are we truly busy about God’s business or our own business?  Is the enemy strategically distracting us; misaligning our divine focus and keeping us from accomplishing God’s true purposes?  Are we losing the battle of proper awareness, urgent need, and relevant ministry in contemporary society?

As for me, God is sharpening my focus as to what He envisions for my future in ministry.  He is also speaking to my heart and telling me to get ready for fierce battle; be prepared to stand firm in my resolve.  He tells me that this divine resolve is also being planted in the hearts of others, whom have or will cross my path through divine appointments.

I am ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with comrades; marching forward with the Lord. I am ready to engage in warfare; standing back-to-back with fellow Christians on the battlefield.

If we stand together, we will not fall.  We will become a powerful force of many…moving as one!

Last week, Greg and I had a wonderful conversation with a United Methodist pastor in our community.  He had served for over 28 years in the ministry.  Now, he was planting a new church in an old, abandoned school-house that is being renovated and transformed into a community outreach center.

District offices of the United Methodist Church, the United Way, Big Brothers/Big Sister, and others have taken up residence in this center.  I see this as a wonderful example of how church and non-profit charities can work together in impacting their communities.

Inside this building is where this new church plant is happening.  It’s very exciting to see all the new construction going on.  People from the community have come in to help with the remodel.  Businessmen are stopping by to seeing what financial needs the new church has.  It really is a remarkable work in progress.

When I think about this, I am reminded of the comment made by C. Peter Wagner at a church conference that I attended many years ago.  He said, “It is easier to birth new babies; than it is to raise the dead.”  

This new church plant is happening in the midst of sad news for the United Methodist District in our area.  They had to close the doors on five churches this past year.  A steady decline in people, resources, and enthusiasm caused their demise.

This new church plant is happening in the midst of sad news for the United Methodist District in our area. They had to close the doors on five churches this past year. A steady decline in people, resources, and enthusiasm caused their demise. Now you may be asking yourself, “Why are they planting a new church, when they are closing the doors of old churches?”  This is where Wagner’s statement really rings clear.  There are times when old ways of doing things do not work like they use to.  They become outdated, counterproductive, and simply require more maintenance, which voids much growth.

When the Church begins answering questions that no one is asking anymore, something is wrong.  The Church, according to Jesus’ original design, was to be a “light in a dark place”.  This means always “shining” and relevant; bursting with faith, hope, and love.  The Church is a community of empowerment; and at the same time, a sanctuary of rest from the labors of life.

When local churches cease to breathe new life into the heart and lives of people, it is time to seriously consider why this is happening.  We cannot afford wasting time in addressing these concerns with the same level of thinking that helped create these concerns in the first place. To do so would suggest an “insane process” - doing the same things over and over again…expecting different results.

We must prepare and position ourselves for a "paradigm shift" in awareness…attitude…and application.  For me, this refers to what Jesus was talking about in Mark 2:21-22,

After our visit with the United Methodist minister, Greg and I commented to each other on our way to the car.  If our community had more Christians like this, taking our city for Christ would be a reachable goal. 

We were truly blessed and energized by our visit with a man, whose heart burns with great passion for the Lord and His Church.  We look forward to visiting with him again.

I’m sure many of you have seen or heard about the movie “300”.

This is the story of King Leonidas of ancient Sparta and his 300 finest warriors.  These brave men faced insurmountable odds against the mighty army of Persian King Xerxes at the Battle of Thermopylae.

These 300 Spartans were “one” in heart and spirit.  They were not afraid to die for what they believed in.  They fought hard to protect their families, homes, and legacy.

Jesus wanted us to understand the “power of unity”.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20-23, NIV).”

One of the important phrases in this scripture is:  “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know”.

Don’t we think it’s about time the world knows that we Christians are a powerful force to be reckoned with; united in hearts and purpose?  Ready for battle with the same resolve as the 300 Spartan warriors who when faced with certain death proudly proclaimed, “We Spartans do not retreat!”

First Century Christians had this same resolve.  They were relentless in fighting the good fight of faith.  Many died so many (including us) could live.

What about us, today?  Are we ready to stand firm in our faith, protect our families, and win our communities for Christ?  I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to join forces with others — united in heart, faith, and resolve.  I’m ready to fight! 

Joan of Arc when leading her powerful warriors into battle was once asked by one of generals, “Are you not concerned about who is behind you when you go over the wall first?”  Joan replied, “I do not look back to see whose following.  I fight, regardless who’s behind me!”

I too, have this same resolve beating in my heart about moving forward and not looking back.  For years I served in a leadership role, along with a handful of others, who promoted and practiced unity within the Body of Christ.  We all shared great passion about impacting our city for Christ. 

It was during this time that I heard in my spirit the voice of the Lord speak to me about my community: “Don’t be dismayed at this outcome.  I have 300 Christians with the same heart, spirit, and faith as you in this community.  These like-minded people are awaiting a time to rally together.  I will use them to transform this community.”

Those words still resonate within my heart today.  I still have hope that this will happen; and for the first time in many years, I can see this realization beginning to take shape.  I am now looking across the Christian landscape in my community for those 300 Fighting Christians who will rise up for battle.

Someone once said that the problem with Christians today is that “no one is killing them anymore.” 

Christians everywhere, I urge you to join forces in finding the literal or figurative “300” Christian warriors in your community.  Find the warriors, both young and old, who are ready to defend their faith and families. 

Christians…prepare yourselves for battle!

People are usually DOWN on things that they aren’t UP on.

This is especially true in presenting new ideas to people.  Many people are not comfortable outside their “comfort zone”.  They tend to baulk at making decisions about things outside their area of expertise, knowledge base, or experience.

This doesn’t mean people that people tend to be “against” anything new.  It means people are not usually “for” new things until they are brought up-to-speed in proper understanding.  This helps widen people’s comfort zones.

I can’t tell you how many times I faced this in church work.  Church committees can be a powerful force for implementing ministry, and they can be “the kiss of death” for change, progress, and growth.

People tend to feed off each other’s emotion in committee meetings.  If a positive response prevails, so does the outcome.  If a negative reaction rises up, “red flags” pop-up in everyone; even by those with marginal opinions.

I’ve discovered over the years that the following percentages hold true in most organizational environments where new ideas are presented.

• 20% people – Early adopters and change agents; eager for new ideas, progress, and growth.  “Let’s do it, right now!”
• 60% people – Spectators; “let’s wait and see what prevails” attitude; then we’ll gravitate to the winning side.
• 20% people – Laggards; seem to be against anything new.  “If it isn’t broke; then why fix it?”

How church leaders deal with this depends upon the value or weight of necessary solutions to complex challenges.  I had a person once tell me, “Choose your battles carefully.  Some battles are worth fighting for; while others are not.”

Presenting new ideas to people requires more than just powerful verbal affirmation and emotion.  Acceptance of new ideas will also require good communications; that is, facts, figures, and good reasons.  We must not be surprised by people asking questions.  This brings clarity to the table.  

You’d be surprised how far respect and value for other’s opinions and advice can go in winning comrades.  This builds friendships based upon trust and confidence in people’s knowledge and wisdom.

When presenting new ideas to people, make sure to have “all your ducks lined up in order.”  Come prepared to answer people’s questions; even important ones that may not be asked.  This will help you cover your bases and not get caught off guard.

And be prepared for possible hesitancy on people’s part.  This is normal and should not be considered a threat to your new idea.  People oftentimes need time and space to assimilate new ideas.  Rushing can be counterproductive.

If your new idea has great worth; then it’s worth waiting on approval of others, especially by those who will ultimately help you bring your new idea to fruition.

Growth is not always about numbers.  

Just because you have more people in the pew or more dollars in the bank account doesn’t mean you are growing according to biblical standards.  Growth is about “rising to the occasion” or “reaching new heights” in relationships.

The Apostle Paul best described growth in Ephesians 4:12-13, “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

In the Message, Ephes. 4:13 is translated, “until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.”

Relationships are the key factor in growth potential.  Why?  Because, it is all about people “connecting” with other people.  God wired us for relationships, which are the “avenues” for growth.  This applies to marriage, family, church, or business.  Meaningful relationships can pave the path towards change, progress, and growth.

The positive impact of relationships defines measurable growth.  Carefully ponder the above Scriptures, and you will understand how to measure growth.

Back in the late nineties a group of Christians wanted to build a dotcom company, exclusively for Christians.  They went out all across America and found people who were working in technology and business.  They formulated a viable business plan, cast their vision to investors, and began fund raising.

Their financial campaign yielded over 40 million dollars.  Needless to say, they had a “hallelujah party!”

They began operations – full speed ahead.  They worked hard, hoping to reach financial profitability soon.  They did “everything” right; or at least they thought they did.  After all, they were a Christian company, right?

Despite all their efforts, the company “bellied-up.”   As to what caused their demise, everyone had their opinions.  Whatever the case, this was a tragedy for all the people.  Disillusioned and disappointed, people scattered to the wind.  Other dotcoms came in and scraped up pieces of the company, including their technology.

I recently had a chance to talk with one of the leaders of that failed dotcom.  He is an extremely gifted person with great passion for God and his family.  Fortunately, he now works for a successful company that provides software for non-profit organizations involved in social services and ministry.  He told me that many lessons were learned from his previous dotcom experience.

Just recently we had a chance to learn a "big lesson!"  A wealthy investor, known throughout our community, approached us with an attractive offer.  He liked what we were doing and wanted to bring in other investors.  He offered us 5 million dollars.  We all had to take a moment, catch our breath, and think about the possibilities.

I spent the whole weekend writing the language of "cooperation".

I am a lot like Col. John "Hannibal" Smith of the hit TV series, the A-Team.  There was always a part in the show when Col. Smith would utter this phrase, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

This simple phrase best describes my philosophy of work.  "Plan your work and work your plan" is one of my mottos.  Some people might find this quite boring, but I don’t.  Actually I get great pleasure in it.

You’ve probably seen in my previous writings that insanity is "doing the same things over and over again; expecting different results." 

Our environment resonates with three (3) principles:

• First, God orchestrates personal relationships for divine purposes!  Teamwork and ministry are maximized through the “avenues” of meaningful personal relationships.  God uses relational networks to accomplish His strategic plans in impacting a small group of people, a large fellowship, or an entire community.
   
• Second, unity may be defined as a targeted force of many…moving as one!  This is not accomplished through conformity, but through unity of purpose – where we celebrate our own unique designs, respect other’s differences, and then capitalize on personal strengths and pooled resources.

• Third, through “synergism” we cross the threshold into explosive biblical dynamics.  This is a process by which people learn the value of effectual communication, mutual cooperation, and transformational community.  In a practical sense, ministry aspirations are fully realized, visions are transformed into actions, and results are measured in biblical proportions.

As individuals, we can often see the "big" picture as this relates to finding simple solutions to complex challenges.  But this doesn’t satisfy us.  We purpose to reach new heights in helping ministries grow and move forward.  To do this, we must constantly tap into creative genius and innovative design.  This is found only in "relational synergism" - the "bigger" picture.

What God has done…and continues to do in our midst, He can do in yours.  We embody transformational principles which are transferal to others ready for the journey.

Organic vs. Organizational Tools

For every task that needs to be accomplished, there are right tools and not-so-right tools.  Tools are designed to make jobs easier.  Using the wrong tools can oftentimes be counterproductive and sometimes hazardous.  You wouldn’t want to use a kitchen knife as a screwdriver, but the truth is, you probably have.  You may have done it because the tool that you needed, at that moment, was simply unavailable.  So, you proceeded with what you had.

Many organizations do the same thing, everyday.  They use the wrong tools to get jobs done right.  This happens because the tools that they really need are out of their intellectual reach (lack of knowledge and understanding), unavailable (didn’t know they existed).

Now, I realize that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of specific tools organizations use; but for sake of simplicity, I have combined all of these tools into two categories – organic and organizational.  Regardless of the type of activity that organizations engage in, both organic and organizational tools are absolutely vital to seeing health and success.  In fact, this revelation has caused the re-alignment and transformation of many organizations around the world.  So much so, that research articles, best-selling books, and philosophical treatises have been written on this subject in volumes!

To better understand the difference (and importance) of organic and organizational tools, we must first look at history.

For many years, modern society has used a traditional approach to organizational structure, born out of the Industrial Revolution.  Organizations have been defined as well-oiled machines – efficient, reliable, and predicable.  In order to keep things running smoothly these mechanical-like structures relied heavily upon the efficiency of all its parts (including people), strict standards, and formal procedures.  Maximum productivity could be assured, as long as the organizational environment remained stable with little or no change at all. 

But times have changed, and so has organizational design.  Today’s successful organizations have turned more toward organic models.  Organic models suggest that organizations are more like living organisms capable of adapting to their environment.  The organization is composed of interdependent, closely connected cells, each requiring proper nourishment for the entire organization to stay healthy.  The organizational environment is characterized by steady change, organic transformation, and forward progress.

I believe that the future success and growth of all organizations will be dependent upon leaders knowing the difference between organic and organizational tools.  Consultants suggest that any lack of knowledge or misunderstanding could prove disastrous to organizational health and growth.  Consider the following distinctions:

Keep in mind that all organizations are made up of people (organic entities) and resources (organized things).  We must remember that people are the most valuable assets.  This implies that organic life supersedes organizational effort; in other words, organism is best served by organization.  If the opposite occurs, people are reduced to impersonal, “human resources” – things to be used for getting things done. 

As for me, I rally behind the importance of using both organic and organizational tools.  
 

 
Successful organizations are quickly learning that trying to make organizational tools do the job of organic tools is fruitless, and sometimes, quite hazardous.  Using the right tool for the right job can make work easier, more productive, and maybe even enjoyable.

With the “winds of change” blowing across the global landscape, successful organizations are weathering the storms.  They are drawing up “organic blueprints” along with their organizational designs.  They use both organizational tools to re-engineer, and organic tools to ignite transformation (change, progress, and growth).

People are allowed to be human, and organizations come to life!