futuristguy@missionaltribe

Ministry Systems Integrity

Any church, ministry, business, or agency that wants to train DiscipLeaders needs to evaluate the integrity of its systems and structures first. And, if toxic deficiencies are discovered, those need to be addressed - or at least started toward significant resolution - before implementing any kind of mentor/apprentice system.

We simply should not expect interns to save a failing organization - though interns undoubtedly have much they can contribute to its vibrancy and vitality. And we should not subject interns to an unhealthy ministry setting. That borders on misuse, if not abuse, and likely also implants some “toxic DNA” into the interns’ perspectives.

I believe this so strongly that, if I were In Charge of Everything, I would not allow interns into an organization where its leaders refuse such an evaluation of ministry system integrity, or where they slack off in addressing problems discovered during an evaluation.

I assume that the less open to scrutiny or solutions an organization’s leaders are, the more open they are to abusing anyone associated with them.

This does not mean that I’d write off organizations that don’t have healthy enough systems in place yet. However, their current need would be for redemptive and restorative work to bring the organization up to a reasonable level of standards for what their systems should be, not attempting to replicate what systems they have into anyone prospective DiscipLeader they would mentor.

So - that may sound all fine and dandy, but it leaves many practical questions about an internship site certification assessment that identifies the organization’s core systems and tests for “structural integrity” in ministry:

• What areas should be considered as necessary for a minimum threshold of system health?
• What additional areas are needed for a comprehensive system?
• What are the standards for evaluating whether there is sufficient development and integrity in these various areas?
• Are these standards quantitative, qualitative, or both?
• Are the standards of “healthiness” different, depending on the organizational paradigm or the methodological model for ministry, or are they universal?
• What biblical expectations for organizations of disciples must override any other standards set by the business community, denominational officials, or emerging organizational development models?
• Who should conduct such an evaluation - are insiders objective enough to set aside their assumptions to see the strengths and challenges involved?

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The Importance of Mobilizing Disciples into Ministry

The one recommendation I have for both biblical and “best-practices” principles in a systems-oriented evaluation is the “Model Mobilyzr Church” from http://mobilyzr.com/. Check their website for a range of core issues in healthy versus toxic ministry systems and resources, and especially see the series of links below on the Model Mobilyzr Church profile.

Disclosure: I previously worked for Mobilyzr as a ministry strategist in 2007-2008. One project I had was writing the Model Mobilyzr Church profile. Its principles and applications were developed directly from material written by PLACE/Mobilyzr ministry founder Jay McSwain, in his book, Are You Committed? Connecting God’s People to Meaningful Ministry. The profile of evaluation principles I developed from his book was designed to fit a range of traditional, transitional, and “new-edge” ministry models and methodologies, and a range of approaches and practices within orthodox theologies. Although the Model Mobilyzr Church is not in the form of a checklist, its profile does interweave very practical ways to identify system integrity issues and, often, ideas for correcting problems. Also, I do not receive any remuneration for linking to mobilyzr.com, Jay’s book, or the Model Mobilyzr Church.

I strongly recommend the perspective of Mobilyzr and its sister organization, PLACE Ministries. Also, I know they consistently work to upgrade their products, and that they avoid promising what they cannot yet deliver. They seek to practice what they preach. I refer people to Mobilyzr for helpful resources because their toolsets are integrated around how to:

• Connect God’s people with meaningful ministry through identifying their giftedness and areas of passion for service.
• Equip, empower, and encourage them in their best-fit ministry.
• Develop them as leaders and the entire organizational system for sustainable multiplication of ministers and ministries.

In my opinion, if a Christian enterprise does not have ministry mobilization of disciples as a core commitment, I believe it is already proving both its lack of overall health and that it has no business at this time in attempting to supervise ministry interns from either an inside or outside program.

In systems that do not mobilize disciples into ministry, the designated “leaders” typically: (1) do everything themselves, (2) only allow their “chosen ones” to serve, and/or (3) misuse the service of sincere volunteer ministers for their own misguided “leadership” vision, purposes, and goals. All three of these are manifestations of quenching the Holy Spirit by denying the gifts given to people within that gathering. And quenching the Spirit is indeed a most serious issue of accountability.

How to Evaluate Your Organization’s Systems Integrity

Here are links to the overall principles that Mobilyzr recommends for planning, evaluating, and ensuring ministry systems that are sustainable, both through positively mobilizing God’s people and through preventing abuses. Other tools from Mobilyzr offer practical resources for improving the quality of systems in a church, ministry, or agency.

1. The Model Mobilyzr Church. Introducing core values, sustainable systems, customization, tracking changes, and budgeting consistency.

2. Naming and Promoting Core Values. Overviewing biblical values required to implement an intentional, complete, integrated process to connect God’s people to meaningful ministry.

3. Sustaining Integrity in Ministry Processes, Systems, and Structures.Implementing practical principles for healthy systems, such as: strength-based service (instead of “slotting” people into roles where anyone could do the job), clear job descriptions, team-based ministry, mentoring, sustainability, systems improvements, ministry infrastructures, accountability, new ministry development, missional development, conducting background checks, periodic evaluations, supervision, and ministry multiplication.

4. Customizing Ministry Placement, Training, and Communications. Assessing gifts, ministry interests, and spiritual maturity level before placing any volunteer (or staff) into ministry positions; customizing the ministry role and ongoing training for people from a variety of learning styles and maintaining confidentiality in data and communications systems.

5. Tracking Quantitative and Qualitative Changes. Balancing both being Spirit-led and being intentional in upgrading organizational systems, and using regular evaluations of the “environment of empowerment” - responsibilities, risk-taking, and unconditional support - to assess the church overall and its individual ministry teams.

6. Budgeting Reflects Priorities from Core Values and Sustainable Systems. Budgeting specifically to fund equipping resources, training, and sabbatic leaves. Creating a clear and comprehensive system for internships/externships. Some of the other detailed sections contain general principles of openness and accountability with financial systems - a crucial feature to identifying an overall healthy or toxic system.

7. Here is a link to read/download: Introduction and Chapter 1 - “Is the Church on Steroids?” - in Are You Committed? Connecting God’s People to Meaningful Ministry by Jay McSwain.

Any church, ministry, or agency leaders who believe they are beyond the need for evaluation, training, and oversight themselves in order to supervise others have already proven by their lack of humility and teachability that they are currently incapable of leading others in healthy growth or ministry development.

How to Identify Your Organization’s “Redemptive Purpose”

Not everything in our organizations should be about finding the deficits and excesses, and fixing them. Important as a systems integrity evaluation is, it needs to be counterbalanced by an understanding of the organization’s providential “redemptive purpose.” I define redemptive purpose as the unique “spiritual capital” that God has implanted in a specific church, ministry, agency, business, culture, or individual. It reflects God’s intent and design for that entity, and includes its history, mission, context, and potential best future options.

I suspect that many times, an organization strays from a deep understanding of why it exists, and why it exists in the specific place it is planted. And this may lead to problems in the organizational systems, because its leaders have lost their focus on God’s providential purposes. Recapturing that sense of redemptive purpose may help set things back on course, but it will not automatically correct internal problems, remove toxicity, and/or promote health. Nor can it change external circumstances that may require continual course adjustments because the culture and context of the organization do not remain what they were when the organization was founded.

If you are interested in more details about how to identify the redemptive purpose of an organizational entity, culture, or individual, look into the emerging discipline of appreciative inquiry. This approach to communal discernment focuses on identifying what is positive and constructive in a business or organization, and amplifying it - not on identifying its flaws and problem-solving them.

Next post: Part 3 - Sustainable DiscipLeader Systems introduces my systems design terminology. It also shares principles for selecting and certifying qualified sites, mentors, and other leaders for various kinds of DiscipLeader mentor/apprentice systems (e.g., arts/creativity, general character and specific gift-based ministry skills, and sustainable strategies for Kingdom contextualization).

This series is cross-posted at my main futuristguy blog.