Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Moving Forward

So many times in the course of church business we look in the direction of where we came. We do this sometimes with great amazement and awe. How did this small thing that was started so many years ago, build into this? When we look at the history of our churches we see a group of people that met in a school or met in someone's home until they had the money to build a sanctuary. Someone or someones with vision saved and built that sanctuary, constantly thinking of the way forward. The goal was to move out of the living room or school room and have a presence in the larger world. Why? We do this so we can share the love and compassion of God with those in the world.

But like any climb, once we get to a safe spot on the hill or mountain we begin to look down. We use our experiences from the first part of the trek up as a guide to the rest of the way. Maybe that guide only works for the first part of the journey, but the terrain changes along with the grade. What do we do in this case? Do we stop moving forward, moving upward? Some people and some churches think so. They stay in the same model for years and years. Yet while they are using the same models of operation again and again, the society and culture that those models applied to has changed. Now they're really screwed as the only way that the model will apply to anything is to move in the other direction. That direction is back down the hill, and back to where erosion and change hasn't left as big of a mark. Yet.

This happens when we flip open our constitution and bylaws during every meeting to decide what to do in a new situation. We do this even when we encounter situations where our bylaws and policies aren't applicable. If our bylaws and constitution aren't flexible and adaptable to change, they're worthless and probably worse than not having any bylaws at all. They could force us to proceed down the wrong path in ways that are much more treacherous.

If you're unsure of the way forward, you can buy maps and books or hire guides to help you along. These are all very useful, but the only way to learn the new terrain for yourself is to climb it yourself. The people that wrote those bylaws aren't climbing the rest of the way. You are and your judgment is ever bit as good as theirs. They didn't possess any spectacular wisdom or intelligence that you don't have. You are just as capable, and maybe even more capable than they were.

You may be at a point where you are the one that has to think about moving out into the world and establishing a larger presence for the church. I'm sorry, but you're about to discover that several of the bylaws no longer apply to this world. It happens, you know. People don't speak Latin anymore, but we're all managing. We're talking about love, compassion, and the Kingdom of God here anyway, that's much better than what's in your binder.

No comments: