Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Keeping the Big Mo

One of my favorite personalities in the world of football is a guy named Frosty Westering.  He coached at Pacific Lutheran University (my dad's alma mater) for over 30 years.  In that time he won more than 300 games, 4 national titles, and wrote a really quality book Make the Big Time Where You Are, which unfortunately is only available in used at this point.  Obviously being the coach of a small Lutheran college in Tacoma doesn't translate into best seller success.  In fact, in googling it, I found some pretty negative reviews, which is frankly not surprising of anyone who puts leadership principles out there.  Some people will basically think you are full of crap.  Part of the deal.

My point in bringing up 'ol Frost is that one of his principles was of keeping "the big MO" or momentum.  Frosty certainly never had great athletes on his teams.  His guys were brought together from the cast offs and never were's of the college football world.  The greatest team he ever coached, was led by a guy left behind by the big state university up the road and went on to star as the Lutes team leader.

So the point!  The big MO is so huge in getting things going.  One of the things Jim Collins talks about in his books is the challenge in getting the flywheel moving.  The heavy lifting getting the momentum started in an organization in a positive direction.

Last week, in the midst of Holy Week, two funerals and all sorts of other stuff, I was encouraged by a member to keep up my "uber-enthusiasm".  Basically a challenge, encouragement to keep up "the big MO" at Trinity.  To which I think we responded well.  (and I say we intentionally because everyone really needs to understand, this is all a team effort)  But now it is the week after Easter day, a week usually reserved for vacations and relaxation for Pastor types.  But should it be?

If we have "the Big Mo" going, why would we stop?  Why would we take a break.  And we aren't.  Our mission assembly is this weekend.  Lots of great stuff going on.  A canvas of our neighborhood, asking our neighbors for food for the local food pantry, while also telling them about our ministry.  Hundreds of Lutherans coming to Hurst to be hosted by the Greater Fort Worth conference.  Lots of momentum going on.

But I worry about our worship life at Trinity.  Will we step back now?  With the intensity of Easter day.  300+ in worship at Trinity (more than in at least 5+ years, if not more).  Will we sit back and relax?  Or will we build on that "Big MO" and move forward.

I am heartened that the choir has agreed to keep singing anthems through Holy Trinity weekend.  Well past the usual cut off of Memorial Day.  Our youth are preparing to head to Colorado in June for a mission trip, after leading us in worship on May 22nd.  Lots of good momentum, but we must keep it going.

And yet we must rest.  So we need to multiply.  It can't be the same people doing the ministry every week.  Yet that will mean giving ministry away.  K and I have been here for 8 months now.  We have seen much great progress and God at work in this place.  So what can we give away?  What will the people take on?  What will God inspire someone to take on that they never thought they would?

Well this weekend, I have a feeling the 20 folks who will go walking out into our neighborhood probably didn't think they would be doing that 8 months ago.  And neither of us will be going with them.  This is their ministry, we will be busy working at other tasks.  So that is a start, ministry multiplying, and for that, I am grateful.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Two Weeks Off

So I haven't blogged not for almost 3 weeks, meaning I have had 2 Tuesdays (which was my resolution) with no posts.  As such, any readers I might have had probably gave up on me and won't read this anyways, but I am back on the wagon (so to speak).

My absence, despite the good reasons for it, have me thinking about the importance of accountability.  As has a book I have been reading Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden.  In it he talks about many things but most interesting to me so far is the reaffirmation of the Triad form of accountability groups.  In these groups, three people covenant together to go on a discipleship journey together, to keep each others trust and hold each other accountable on that journey.

His point is that one-on-one relationships are good, but the addition of the third party brings an added dimension to the accountability structure.  It isn't just one person you are letting down, or one persons ideas you are hearing from but you have conversation partners that work together offering ideas, asking questions.

So far in 2011 I have tried to have coaching conversations with all of our council members who are leaders of teams. For the most part these have been relatively fruitful but I wonder if an additional piece would be to subtract myself out of the equation and create triad groups within the council.  Groups where they meet together and hold each other accountable for the work of their teams, their communal growth.

Accountability is hard but good.  As I don't have a covenant relationship re: blogging here, it was easy to slip away and forget to continue my resolution and not be called on it.  Not sure that my blogging is that important of a part of my life of discipleship (or anyone else's for that matter), but there are many other things that are.

A blessed Holy Week to whoever might be out there.