We just received the current issue of Church & Worship Technology.  An article about our company and services is featured under the section "Software & Church Office."

They did a great job in telling "our story."  We are the new kids on the technology block, standing toe-to-toe with the big guys.  Their nothing shabby about our research and development department.  They’re tech-savvy and cutting-edge. 

And while some people continue to debate over the validity of the internet for ministry; fortunately, thousands of ministry leaders and millions of Christian just do it.

Just imagine…living in a neighborhood where you always feel safe and secure.  All the neighbors are good friends and enjoy spending time with each other.  Everyone experiences a warm sense of “belonging” and self worth.

If you lived in one of these neighborhoods, you probably would waste no time getting home after work.  Well, this is exactly what millions of online users do each day over the internet.  People are now beginning to integrate their online world with everyday living.

Online community is very popular.  Approximately 100 million Americans have joined communities after discovering them online (http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_CyberFaith_Report.pdf).  In all, 84% of Internet users have at one time or another contacted an online group.  In 2001, 28 million Americans were very active in “online” communities.  Today, MySpace.com, a very popular online community, has registered over 94 million participants!  Industry research suggests that participation in online communities is growing at an accelerate rate with no end in site. 

What about these online communities?  Are they safe and secure for people of all ages?  Do they truly resonate with true essence of community-building?  Can social networking sites offer people a personalized “online gated community?”

The truth is that sites like MySpace are not your space.  Even though people use this website for personalized social networking, it is still their space.  This presently holds true for every social networking site on the planet that uses the World Wide Web.

But think about it.  What if you could build your very own “online gated community” – one that was safe and secure?  With this kind of community you could truly say, “This is my space; and along with others, this is our space!”  You hold the key that unlocks the gate to your private community.  You can let people in…or keep people out.  The choice is all yours.

This is where the internet becomes a cost-effective way for people to stay close and connected with family and friends, 24/7 and worldwide.  And do so, in a safe and secure environment.

The ability for people to build their very own “online gated community” will impact people’s lives around the globe.  Perhaps this will be called Web 3.0 – a revolution in social networking technology.

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!