We started, as most church plants and new organizations do, with loose rules and fun times. There were just a few of us and we didn’t need much in the way of structured systems. In fact, some of us were running from the strict structure of larger environments. What we have realized, as we’ve gotten to be one of those larger environments, is that we need more structure in place in order for growth to continue. We need some rules to help level the playing field among staff and volunteers, making things fair for everyone, improve accountability, and insure we are good stewards of the resources entrusted to us. We need to use words like policies and manuals and enforce office hours and do staff evaluations and offer constructive criticism and keep an organizational calendar and….well, you get the idea. We have to put on our big boy clothes and be a real organization.
I often hear church planters say to expect to lose half the original core members within the first year of a new church plant. While I agree that is the trend, I don’t think it has to be that way. I am now in my second plant. With this second church we went about the core selection in a very methodical way, fully intending to keep all original core members if possible.
It’s interesting to me that a president will put himself this openly in front of people. This is certainly a new day in politics. In our country’s history there was a day when we would not have seen the leader of the country in such a casual setting. I personally admire the leadership principle that appears more approachable and real, but I know also that when a leader does he or she opens the door to criticism. Obviously this president is very popular at this point. Will this last for him, in your opinion? Does appearing on Leno help or hurt his chances to maintain his high approval ratings?
Recently I received some great business advice from my mom. Please understand that my mom is retired from over 40 years of work in the business world, but she is usually not the first person I would think of for business advice. I mean, she is smart, no doubt about that, but she is my mom. I go to Warren Buffett for business advice. I go to my mom when I cannot find my recipe for cornbread.
Tweet Someone shared this with me. Wish I would have had it in time for my message Sunday.
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