Church and Delegation (1)

One dogcollar I've come across had the idea that team meant people did what they were told to to do and yet, when asked, they were 110% certain (weren't good at maths either!) that they were a shining example of delegation and collaborative excellence.

Delegation can be found in many examples in the NT Church - perhaps the best of these being the creation of deacons in Acts chapter six. There was a bit of division apparent between Jewish and Greek believers over the support the Greek widows weren't getting (or were getting in a perhaps less favourable way to the Jewish widows).

Here we have the perfect opportunity for a split and the remedy, the creation of deacons, suggests that this was merely overwork and overstretched administration, something that is always present when any organisation outgrows its structures. This is why it's good to put the structures in place at the beginning so that as things grow, the mechanisms are ready to accommodate the growth and avoid the problems that organisational lag can bring.

The early church was organised but demand was outstripping the ability to meet it smoothly and when gaps appear so too do stresses and divisions. For instance one church I was in had the Vicar's wife and the Vicar and many of the PCC involved in it and they were always shining and smoothly run. Another had a few of the zealots and this was always wanting, but rarely getting, when it cam to their ministry area. Soon the tensions were obvious as the 'have nots' felt marginalised and ignored. The situation didn't get any better when someone donated kit to the 'have everything' group for their having more was the match that started the fire that saw some leave!

Most of the time we have problems in church there is poor administration and clergy who just 'weren't aware!' and this is why delegation is so very important because it's easy to miss things from the top of the pyramid (and whether it is a pyramid needs to be addressed) but simple for those one the ground where the need is real and obvious - and so we delegate.

Let's take a look at Acts 2. 2-4:
'Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, 
“It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” '

One of the important things in any organisation is that everyone should be doing what they can in the right place that they should be doing it! Everyone has a role to play in church and often I find the clergy are out there doing stuff that others should be doing and this adds to their workload and removes the opportunities to be doing what is right for others. This is not about 'being superior' but about acknowledging roles and accepting responsibilities.

When I came to one church I was told off because I washed up, swept and generally helped. My reason was that I didn't want to look like I was lording it and because it's who I am. I still do it but am sensitive to the fact that for some the tasks I might be doing are their primary, and perhaps only, tasks. So we need to look at the areas that need to be addressed and managed in our churches and work out who should be doing them and how they should be doing it - and then consider the relationships and structures that are needed to assist and support them so they do it!

We'll take a look at this some more tomorrow.

Enjoy

Let's close half our buildings!

Another conversation this week saw one of those present make the statement, "Let's close half of our church buildings!" They went on to explain how the CofE footed the bill for more historic and protected buildings than any other body and hw we should give them to the local communities as heritage centres and museums, art galleries and whatever else they could be used for.

"The time has come to take the Church back to the houses," he cried. "We don't need buildings and all the trappings of being settled that tie us down and make us ineffective. Let's go back to meeting in homes and being the Church where it is to be found."

"Oh No," thought I, "Not another one!"

But indeed it was and we were treated to a masterclass in how Church should be done (and this is the second of those this week for I was also regaled with a lecture on blank canvases and how they [the lecturer, priest and saviour of the faith] were the paints that would bring an incarnate and intoning presence to the lost!!!).

The Church should just abandon their building and withdraw to places where low-cost, high-efficiency Church could be engaged with. No need for all the old Common Prayer stuff or even Common Worship for each would be Church as they understood it to be for their community. There were no difficult places or tough areas, no needs to great and no problem too small. Church had to return to the days of Acts and be seen in the temples of today's society sharing God's love and His word.

Got to be honest and say that I must be losing it for by ten minutes I would normally have started playing with this newly-minted minister of hope, grace and uncontainable renewal. But I didn't and as the lecture unfolded I understood that behind the theology speak and the technical terms the Emperor was as naked as I (and probably just as scared about it).

Love, Prayer, Love and more love is the key. Love those around you and make them important and the opportunity to bless what God is doing (even though they don't recognise what's happening as being God yet) becomes a reality. It takes years to get them across the threshold and even then the work is only just engaged.

Our buildings are lighthouses amidst the rock and storms of life. They offer us the opportunity to be the curator of the local memories and custodians of the histories of our communities. The give us a place for the community to use and a safe haven for us to worship our God. They provide a place of sanctuary and a drain on our resources. But we need them.

We just need to make them fit for purpose or, as I recall +Willesden doing, go to the council and tell them that the wonderful listed building is theirs as it needs loadsa money spent on it and, being listed, loadsa other stuff too.

Let's forget the high sounding theological words and silly ideas that we could live effectively for anyone other than ourselves (and believe me, I am aware of many 'house churches' who exist as cosy little worshipping and self-serving groups with little (or no) impact on their communities and the lost. House church is a part of the whole and without the whole is often the recipe for ineffective, self-serving (and often smug, self-righteous, almost sect-like) expressions of Church.

Paul got it so right when he talks of a whole body and each member being connected to the other - Kingdom thinking in the church and across the Church - and buildings aren't the threat to this.

The Christians in Acts met in the central place in Jerusalem for the worship of God - nothing's changed today, so make the building central, not redundant (and treasure our Cathedrals - they are not a threat to the local parishes but a resource and a joy).

Pax