Setting our Objectives

Last week I started telling you about the day away Burns’ leadership team enjoyed.  We paused to listen about the next season in the congregation’s life. 

I didn’t know what to expect, but was prepared to spend the day on our core values.  (Click here to read about that). I told the elders that, if we had time, we could work on our objectives.  Our core values were clearly stated with time to spare, so we broke for lunch and some recreation, then started talking about objectives. 

Setting up the conversation

I’d been reading Dr. Kennon Callahan’s 12 Keys to an Effective Church, getting ready for a conference, and shared some of his insights.  Too often we set goals that are connected to paying our mortgage, increasing our membership or improving our financial situation (i.e. money). Callahan encourages us to focus on goals that connect people with compassion, community and hope.

He made two other points I had to share. First, these early objectives should be ones we can do.  We needed the energy and encouragement that easy wins bring.  Early wins also build momentum. There’s an old saying that it’s easier to turn a moving ship, and that’s true for organizations too.  Our objectives were to the kind of things that build momentum in the right direction, and bring the energy and encouragement of some wins.

Second, it was ok if the objectives we set were a mistake.  That’s right!  Mistakes aren’t bad.  Good mistakes are just as important as successes because they show us what doesn’t work.  These objectives weren’t our final ones; they could be adjusted and changed as needed. Mistakes would help us know when that was needed.

Our first set of objectives

After looking at our core values again, we opened the floor for discussion. It flowed easily and by mid-afternoon, we had set three objectives for the next quarter year:

1.     Assist with the fun-factor at the local Canada Day picnic. Our congregation meets in a little village where an annual picnic has been going on for over 25 years.  Some of our folks were even involved in starting it.   The picnic had shrunk, and last year there was a shortage of volunteers.  The organizers weren’t sure they could pull it off.  We offered to serve, doing the food stand, and it worked like a shot in the arm for the event.  We noticed that the fun factor could be improved, so the elders talked about offering games and activities from a jumping castle and dunk tank to the classic Sunday school picnic field games. Did this fit our core values?  We found it echoed in core values #3, 5 & 7.  So, we started making plans.

2.     Include a hymn, done in a traditional style in each service.  Burns has always tried to intersperse our modern songs with hymns.  Since before I came, Burns has intentionally blended musical styles.  However, in the past months the hymns we included had increasingly been done with a contemporary arrangement, or were sandwiched by modern tunes, or had new sections inserted.  For some among us, they felt less and less like hymns.  One older lady said, “There are services where I’ll leave and I haven’t been able to sing any of the music; I go home feeling like I haven’t been at church.” We heard God calling us from core values #4, 5 & 6 to be more deliberate about how we serve each other.  Yes, our worship music should be intentionally blended, and yes, that means traditional styles need to be represented.

3.     Emphasize personal prayer more intentionally. We pray in worship every week, but felt God calling from values #3 & 7 to spend time conveying the power prayer has in our lives.  We wanted to encourage people to include prayer in the whole of their lives.  We set a goal of doing this by:

a.     Including a 1-2 minute reflection on prayer before our intercessions.  Whichever elder was to lead the Prayers of the People that week would also share briefly on how or why they prayed on their own.  We’d keep this up until Pentecost Sunday,

b.     Inviting worshippers to pray for a few families from the congregational role each week.  We’d even send them a card saying they had been included in our prayers.

c.      Gathering requests and thanksgivings in the foyer.  These could be included then in our intercessions.

Afterwards

            In the weeks that followed, we began implementing these objectives.  There have been some hiccups along the way, like when I forgot to let the person praying know which families we were praying for!  But, there have also been some successes; just what the doctor ordered.

            We’ll meet again in three months to review these objectives and set some new ones.  This plan turned out to be another Divine accidents, as the conference some of us attended sparked a bunch of new ideas (more on that next week).

            I can envision this process becoming a regular part of how we plan for and evaluate ministry at Burns.  At the very least, it starts building momentum, making it much easier to direct this ship of ours.

Getting to Know Our Core Values

Core values can guide new growth.

At the core of an apple core is getting seeds planted and new trees growing.   What's at our core?  Knowing this answer helps us to know who we are and we we're here.  Then the answers to other questions like "what should I be doing?" come more easily.  Our core works like guardrails: if we know them, we won't go too far off track or can make a course correction when we do.

I hadn’t always understood this.  When I started serving with Burns Church, I wanted us to write a vision statement; you know some grand articulation of what we were here to do.  I was concerned that until we did, new programs and ministries would only start helter-skelter.  At best we'd become a church of isolated silos; at worst there'd be conflict from opposing ideas about what we should be doing.  We needed the unity brought by sharing the grand dream.

Folks were gracious, but not enthusiastic.  They tried to be supportive, but before long it became clear that visioning just didn't get many of us very excited.  Some confessed they had been part of visioning exercises in the past.  Those exercises had resulted in a document everyone had contributed to, but that no one owned.  Now it sat on shelf, gathering dust.  Most of us wanted to get on with the fun stuff of seeing lives impacted by God’s love.  

A conversation helped me rethink our strategy. 

I had coffee with Dr. J.P. Smit, a wise colleague working with Presbyterian Churches in our area. After confirming what I was seeing in the folks at Burns, he said, “I think core values are far more empowering than a vision statement.”  Then he gave me a single question to start the conversation. 

It was:

“If we were to stop doing X, Y or Z, we might as well close our doors.”

A few weeks later, the leadership team from Burns asked the congregation to pray for us as we took a day to grapple with this question.  We shared breakfast together in a beautiful venue.  I did some teaching on core values and then we dove into it. 

Within a few minutes we had distinguished ourselves from the local service club in town, and the country club down the road.  We were realizing afresh who God had made us to be, and to whom God was calling us.

Here’s what we discovered:

1. “If we stopped centering our lives on the Trinity we might as well close our doors.”

2. “If we stopped allowing the scriptures of the Old and New Testatments to shape our understanding of God, we might as well close our doors.”

3. “If we stopped striving to live so all of life is worship

            or stopped experiencing God profoundly in our church community

            or participating in the work he started in Christ

            or allowing ourselves to be transformed into Christ’s image

            or becoming agents of God’s transformative work in the world

                                    Then we might as well close our doors.

4. “If we stopped being a warm and caring congregation that continues to show the hospitality we learned from the old-village church we used to be,

5. “If we stopped being inspired by our faith to generously serve the needs of others inside and outside our congregation,

6. “If we stopped trying to shape our ministry both by the needs of the people we’re serving and the gifts God has given to us,

            and

7. “If we stopped believing in the power of prayer to connect us with God and each other

                        We might as well close our doors."

I’d spent 2 ½ years trying to get a vision process off the ground.  Now in half a day, we had a firm sense for who we are and what we can do.  As I reflected on how the Spirit had spoken in our time together, I realized we could structure our values in terms of Jesus’ great commandments.

            Love God (see core values 1-3)

            Love our neighbours (see core values 4-7)

Afterwards

After lunch on that retreat day, we easily came up with three goals that addressed concerns in terms of these values (More on that next week).

This is just the beginning, but the process is beautiful in its simplicity.  Since it didn’t require a huge investment of time and energy, it can be adjusted easily as God continues to reveal to us who we are, and to whom we’re called.  I fully expect that to happen as the congregation reflects on them.  They’re already being shaped by the amazing Stewards-by-Design conference we took a team to in May (more on that in a couple weeks too).  Knowing our core values was a much needed start, pointing us in the right direction.

I’d like to try this for me individually too.  Maybe I’ll go for a walk in the woods and ask, “If I stopped X,Y, Z, I might as well close my (proverbial) doors.”  I wonder how God would speak?

Starving to Live

There’s a link between starvation and full, rich living.

A few months ago, I was watching a TED talk by Dr. William Li on starving cancer. He explained how throughout our lives, we all develop little pre-cancerous tumors.  The difference between a healthy person and a person with a cancer diagnosis is whether those little tumors have grown a blood supply.   If they do, then the tumors receive the nutrients they need to grow into big problems.   Dr. Li goes on to describe how some foods can prevent new blood supplies from forming, effectively starving and killing those early tumors.

A few weeks ago my 9-year old had asked what Grammy’s cancer was doing to her. I explained that cancer is when some cells in our body grow without caring about the other cells. They only look after their own interests.  “I wish cancer wasn’t so selfish” she said to me later.  I had to agree.

As I thought about it some more, I realized how the same is true in the whole of life.  We have little parts of us that want what we want, when we want it.  Some of us call this the devil, some call it our old self (using the apostle Paul’s wording), and some use other words. No matter how we describe it, its like there’s little tumors inside us that can become big, selfish problems if they’re allowed to grow.  They need to be starved if life is going to be rich and full.

Dr. Li mentioned foods that can starve cancer. I think there are two spiritual “foods” can starve selfishness: surrender and generosity.

Surrender. 

We can’t know everything. Believing that we is a kind of arrogance not backed up by experience.  No matter how well we prepare, sometimes life brings us twists we couldn’t foresee.

When those surprises come, we may want to circle the wagons, raise our defenses and look out only for number one.  While that may work in the short-term, it will burn bridges with the people we need for support and companionship.

Instead, why not surrender our plans to One who is greater, who has seen all the variables, and whose has a plan to make them work out for our good? (Romans 8:18-30)   Surrender is placing God at the center of our lives.

Generosity.

Giving our time, energy and resources to another helps us tangibly experience what its like to consider another as important as ourselves. Sometimes it comes with feeling the rush of giving.  Sometimes it doesn’t.  But all the time it is a vital step on the path to deeper, fuller connections with others.

One last word: the sequence of these is important. Generosity without surrender can degenerate into self-indulgence as we focus on all that we’ve done, instead of the One in whose plan we’re playing a part.

But, when we first surrender and then give generously, we find our connection with others and with God grows deeply.  The little selfish bits in us are starved, and we’re freed to live a full and rich life.

Joy in the Valley

Second in a series reflecting on life journeying with my wife's mom during her battle with cancer.

The valley may hide joy, but its still there for the finding.

It was the night before Grammy died, and my wife, kids and I were sitting on our bed doing night-time prayers.  Most evenings we ask if there was a yucky or least-favourite part of the day.  Then after sharing, we tell about our favorite parts.  Once done, prayers flow easily.

On that night, I’d just returned home from a weekend conference.  This was our first chance n a few days to sit around and catch up.

“What was your least favourite, your yuckiest, part of the day?” I asked.

“Grammy being sick.” Both kids agreed, not surprisingly.  Grammy had been staying with us for a couple of weeks now, and her fight with cancer had regularly surfaced in these evening wrap-ups.

“Yeah, that’s a good one,” I said before continuing, “So what about your favourite?”

“Daddy coming home!” they both squeeled as they fell into me.  I felt like a million bucks and tickled them just to hear their giggles. Then we prayed.  In those few moments, on the eve of a very difficult day, there was joy.

It happened again the next day as we sat around with what was left of Grammy.  She had gone to be with God after a valiant fight and now a shadow of her lay in the center of our circle. We were crying as we felt a mixture of sadness, loss and relief.

“What will you miss most about Grammy?” I asked.

Then we started telling stories of a Grammy who could do handstands and cartwheels, who had a little gift for each one most times she came over, who loved glitz and sparkles and inspired my daughter in her love of the same.  We smiled, then laughed, as we shared stories about her.  Then someone said, 

“I’m going to miss you Grammy,” and the tears returned to do their work.

There is joy in the valley.  Its not there to take away the struggle or the pain, but as a gift of strength so we can press through.  I think that’s what Nehemiah meant when he said, “And the joy of the Lord will be your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)”  Maybe this is why the New Testament writer, Paul, wrote “Rejoice – and again I say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:8)”

Its hard advice to follow when the darkness is so thick I can’t see my hand in front of my face. In Philippians, Paul goes on to invite us to keep our minds fixed on whatever is pleasing, honorable, just, commendable, excellent or worthy of saying “good job.”  This is the path of finding joy.

On the last worship service of that weekend conference, we were encouraged to begin listing the things we were thankful for, and to be specific. I wondered what I would write, but then the image of the first robin of spring came to mind, and of the feeling of the breeze on my skin during a walk earlier that day.  Then the way the leaves had made the light seem to dance, and the voice of my daughter singing, and my little guy’s smile, and …  well, you get the point.

Maybe we need to search for joy, to look for those things that are beautiful in the darkness.  But when we do, I believe we’ll find the strength we need to press through.  What a gift!

Parenting in the Valley

This is the first in a series reflecting on life as we've journeyed with my wife's mom during her battle with cancer.

Hope fuels Christian living, and sometimes a much-needed top-up happens when we least expect it.

A couple of weeks ago, my 3-year old son and I were driving along.  He was sad and missing his mom.   My wife’s mother has been battling cancer, and it had just taken a turn.  Now my wife was torn between needing to be with her mom at the hospital, and with her family. We all missed her, but the little guy was taking it hard.

“When is mom coming home?” he said.

“Soon,” I replied, “Grammy is real sick and mommy needs to take care of her.”

“Is Grammy dying?” he said.  I was shocked and my mind started racing, Do I say ‘yes’? He’s three - where did he even hear about this? I remembered that my wife and I had decided to always tell our kids the truth, in age appropriate ways.

“Yeah, bud,” I said, “she is.”

“I don’t want Grammy to die,” he said, his voice choking a bit as his eyes got wet.

“I don’t want her to die either, bud.”  Had I done the right thing? I wondered.  Maybe I’d scarred my kid for life. We joked about starting a counseling fund instead of one for education; maybe it was time to take the idea more seriously.

“Dad, what’s dying?” the little guy asked from the back seat.  I paused, and then it was like in the movies when a proverbial shaft of light breaks through.  Of course!

“Well bud, when we can’t live in our bodies anymore, we go to be with God.”

My mind drifted. That sounds awful Platonic.  Its too simplistic – maybe I should explain the various views Christians have on the afterlife.

“Where is God?” he interrupted.

“God is everywhere, bud,” I said.  But as the words came out my mouth I saw the confusion on his face.  I quickly decided to save my three-year old from the benefits of my seminary education.

“When Grammy can’t live in her body anymore, she’ll live with God in his house.” Then, remembering his question I continued, “In heaven.  Grammy will live with God in his house in heaven.”

“I’m going to miss Grammy,” he said. 

“Me too, bud, but we’ll get to see her again.”  I felt the whisper of God’s spirit

“Really?”

“Yeah, when Jesus comes back, we’ll all get our bodies back.”

He stared out the window as we drove along.  Another few seconds and the conversation had moved on to typical three-year old topics.

We’ve had the conversation a few more times in the past few weeks, especially after Grammy moved in with us.  Sometimes my nine-year old daughter is part of it too.

“I can’t wait until Jesus comes back,” she’ll say.  And I’ll agree.  But deep inside I wonder if its true.  

Do I really hope for that day when Jesus makes all things right; when our partial understanding is replaced with full knowledge and we know as we have been known?

Sometimes, but those moments aren’t as often as I’d like.

Maybe that’s part of the joy and purpose of having children.  In trying to explain our hope to them, ours is moved out of the academic and reiterated in simple, childlike terms.  After all, didn’t Jesus say as he held a little child in front of his disciples:

            “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the 
kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)