Compelled

What does it take to effect change in a congregation? The first thing I would say is a compelling personal commitment. We can state we are committed, however the driver to make it compelling is the key. With our careers, personal time choices, social schedules and TV, unless our engagement in church is compelling, we will falter in completing what we started out to do. The motivation starts within. Look through my past blogs on the CEM website for the one on Providence Principles as a guide. Simply, if you aren't praying deeply daily then the compelling connection won't happen in your life. 

I remember recently the Pastor of a congregation saying to me when I completed a project which I said I would tackle. "I am not used to someone saying they would do something and then following through." I thought it must be an anomaly. This comment quite surprised me and would be a sad commentary if this is true within congregations.

I am accustomed in the corporate world to people following direction, of managers following up on staff for updates on projects they are engaged in or reports being given to recap the progress. There is accountability for assignments, expectations to complete tasks, reliance on one another to do your part in the whole. It is noticeable when someone does not contribute adequately. Within a church setting what rules of accountability apply to our reality of being volunteers who ultimately are only accountable to ourselves. 

My sense is that the greatest change required at congregations today is not even something that happens within the church building. If church in your life revolves around the Sunday service, if your priesthood role is about you taking your turn on Sundays, then the "compelling" nature is at a low ebb in your life. I recognize for many of us we simply just don't know what to do when we leave those church doors on Sundays. Life happens and our schedules take over. It's not that we aren't doing good things throughout the week? It is likely random acts of kindness to use that as an example not proactive, planned acts of kindness. If a sales rep was to just spontaneously and randomly visit customers without first planning out an itinerary or reviewing past calls and working an objective for each visit, then the unprepared results they end up with are generally wasting the customer's and their own time. Intentional dates and times in your calendar, prepared plans to guide you, resources to support your effectiveness, all magnify your success and thereby pump up the momentum which builds the compelling feeling within.

"Generosity Capacity" which we talk about as a church isn't about finances. Financial giving is generally a response of generosity. What I want you to remember is that we all can expand our capacity to be generous. Our capacity to be motivated, our capacity to be compelled, our capacity to free up more time, our capacity to envision possibilities, our capacity to enact what we envision with a plan, our capacity to be more successful, all lead to our increased capacity to be more generous, our capacity to bless others and our capacity to effect change. It starts with daily deep prayer and a desire to align our lives with the Divine. The inward, impelling surge of motivation that arises from that daily encounter becomes the ongoing driver of change in our own lives and in our congregations.

Commitment works best in a team. Our church has a heritage of partner ministry. Early ministers went out 2x2. The power of 2x2 has a magnifying and stabilizing impact on motivation. Mutual envisionment, mutual prayer, mutual goals, plans and team ministry keep you on track together. Confidence in your prayerful reliance on one another to be present to/for one another, to listen and fill in the gaps in your collaborative ministry; empowers you beyond the intimidating, non-starter perceptions that bar you from getting out there to just do it! Discover your 2x2 ministry partner and become the dream team of ministry exploring new ways to become a blessing in people's lives. If you are looking for ideas connect with me and I will get you started in some exciting ministry options.

We all are called, our mission as Christ's very own expressed mission, is clearly stated. We have to decide individually, or 2x2 with a ministry partner, if Mission really Matters Most to Us or not! The choice is always before us. If you need a stronger vision of possibility, or you need to see the glass 1/2 full in the midst of what seems to be a totally empty glass, give me a call. I will help you to engage because you are compelled!

submitted by Kerry