Will Mancini

Since I am headed out on vacation for a bit, I thought I would share some nuggets from each chapter of the book. I hope you summer is going well! 

This is the first post to announce a tool that I have been working on with Group Publishing, called the Church Unique Vision Kit. The Kit is designed for church planters and churches under 400 in worship attendance who want a guided process and great tools for visioning but who don’t need to bring in a consultant.

Imagine for a moment that you are asked to take the best of your life calling and passion and to distill it, not just into a book, but into tools, workbooks, and videos so that a team can accomplish a massive objective without you there.

On a side note, it took me a while to get to the point of wanting to work on this project. It’s easy from a distance to see a project like this as a “watered-down-consultant-in-a-box.” I have been guilty of perceiving other projects this way. Now I see that as my own pride of competency. I am amazed at how many “thank-yous” I get from book readers almost daily.  I am thrilled that I have been asked to bring more tools to leaders whom I will never meet face to face. I am more excited about this project than any others I have worked on.

One step of the process is defining more precisely the functions that a great vision team must perform. Over the last decade I am intuitively stepping in and out of these roles as needed when I am onsite. The explicit identification of these roles is critical, in order to be distributed across the players on the team. Here is sneak preview of the nine roles of a great vision team.

Here is a brief description for each role:

• The Coach – influences the team and assures that each person understands the process in order to affect participation, ownership and effective decision-making.
• The Maven – monitors progress and assures that definitions are accurate and that decisions and achievements are not made without compromising the quality of the result or a good understanding of the result from team members.
• The Conductor – leads the team, communicates standards, keeps progress and decision-making moving forward.
• The Encourager – promotes team unity by instilling confidence in each member and support for the team progress. The encourager should be a vocal cheerleader both to individuals and to the team.
• The Journalist – reports Vision Pathway progress to the leadership or congregation of the church.
• The Host –prepares logistics, supplies, room set up, so the meetings are environments that enhance collaboration and team strengthening
• The Gatekeeper – listens to what the congregation is saying about the process and provides feedback to the team throughout the process.
• The Scribe – records and details progress and decisions made in each session to provide official records that can be used as reference.. The journalist is thinking about publicity and the congregation, the scribe is thinking about accuracy and internal team decision-making
• The Planner – assigns responsibilities, follow up, homework and preparation for the next session. The planner works closely with and serves as the “2nd chair” to the conductor.

Many thanks to the vision and collaborative leadership of Dave Thornton at Group and the vision and support of Tom and Joanie Schultz. They have been great partners in this venture! Yes, incredible things will happen.

I am currently spending “time away” to work and write on a Church Unique follow-up piece.  In pursuit of time filled with intense personal production and high creativity, I have found these four ingredients to be essential:

#1 Create or find your ideal environment. My greatest productivity happens in context. For me it’s a place in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Everything from the climate and the landscape to the food and the art, come together to help me be my best. I like Santa Fe because of the latent spirituality that is far from Christ. I love cultivating spiritual conversations as I write about leadership and the mission of Jesus in the world.

#2 Fine tune your “fuel mix.” When I produce, I like what I call side-ways inspiration. I like reading stuff that may not directly pertain to what I’m writing, but models thoughtful expression and creativity. I like art and conversation with people as fuel too. On this trip I hand picked about 6 books that I will scan or deep dive into as I feel inspired. I do this concurrently with my own writing. If you have never thought of how to fine-tune your fuel mix, give it a try. Experiment and see what happens! 

#3 Know your rhythms and work them over and over. There are several rhythms that are important to me. One is the macro rhythm of getting away at least 3 times per year. Second, is the rhythm that works in and around intense bursts of productivity. They happen best in a 3-6 day period, with a punctuated intensity. For example, I may enjoy a slow lunch then work for 2 hours, then go on a mountain bike ride and work for 2 hours, and so on. For me, the staggering effect is highly productive. The key is to study yourself and know your rhythm. An important aspect of this is knowing how your physical body works best when you are producing. Think like an athlete in terms of “creative productivity fitness.” 

# Ruthlessly eliminate distractions. After you have done the first three things you have to gut everything else. A thousand things will pull you away from the most important thing. Find your laser-focused state of being. Keep in mind that your context, fuel and rhythm may have some built in positive “distractions” based on your personality. And that’s fine. Remember that most people don’t accomplish great things, not because greatness is not in them, but because they have never learned to focus.

To be vague as a leader is to be dim, faint, shadowy, wispy, undefined and obscure. The cost of being vague is so high, it should be considered an enemy. Consider the cost. 

If you are vague…

1. People won’t see God’s unique calling and wonder why your ministry matters
   
2. Others will grab the rudder and easily question your direction
   
3. Enthusiasm will be short-circuited and excitement will be drenched
   
4. The monotony of ministry work will be felt and left unchallenged
   
5. Silos breed and people “do what’s right in their own eyes”
   
6. People never know if the ministry is “winning”
7. A life of simplicity and focus will be something you only daydream about
8. Credibility with your people will slowly erode
9. The uncertainty of the future will create fear or apathy
10. Your team’s prayer life won’t be stoked by specific, God-inspired dreams

In the end, being vague is to miss the opportunity to honor the God who makes the most important things in ministry clear and who still speaks today.

Want more? Rick Warren just sent out a little article on being specific with your vision in his Ministry Toolbox. I always enjoy his material.

I am amazed at how God is moving in every tribe. While there are certainly more mainlines who talk missional than live it, there are a growing number of churches that are un-programming and re-viving the heartbeat of Jesus in all they do. One such expression of this is the Prebsyterian Global Fellowship. 

Yesterday a pastor friend shared a challenge he is issued to his staff and lay leaders. It’s an excellent example of helping a mainline church rethink its identity and mission. (It ties to the discernment of  the “local predicament” circle of the Kingdom Concept)  The church’s name is not referenced to protect the nature of the missional discernment project.

Dear Co-Workers in Christ,

As an officer of the church your primary directive is to make disciples and to make decisions that make disciples.  In other words, officers empower the congregation to look more to Jesus for guidance and more like Jesus in ministry.

 Given that understanding, I want to invite you – challenge you, really – to join in an experience to which I have committed myself and the entire staff. Between now and the first Sunday in August, I want you to use one hour each week in a discernment project.  I want each church officer to join our staff members in taking one hour each week to meet God at Wal-Mart.

 That’s right.  No joke.  You are assigned to meet God at Wal-Mart. Here are the details.

Once a week, go across the freeway to the Wal-Mart. Spend an hour roaming the aisles and watching the shoppers and employees.  Do not go in to shop.  Do not get your groceries during that time.  This is about people, not merchandise or purchasing or recreational browsing.

I want you make note of the people – their culture, socio-economics, dress, expressed values, perceived attitudes, what they seem to be interested/disinterested in.  I want you to imagine what their lives are like leading up to their Wal-Mart visit and returning from their shopping.

As you observe the people, seek God out in prayer, asking, “God, what in the world does our church have to offer these people?  What do we have to offer them and how would you want us to do that?”  Then listen, and take note.

 If the assignment is too confusing or complex, then do this – ask, “Where do I see Jesus today here at Wal-Mart?”

 My hunch is that some of our assumed values and valued programs don’t/won’t play the same in that context.  God might have something to say about that.  We may get some reality checks, with may receive some insights and inspirations, we may even meet God at levels/dimensions where we have not before. 

 If you get bored with Wal-Mart or feel going there is too repetitive, I offer some alternatives.  You are welcome to try the same thing at one or more of these places – Goodwill Industries Store or the nearby bowling alley.

 You may want to take notes, keep a journal, or simply e-mail me as you have discoveries. 

 Hoping you see Jesus anew, Your Pastor

What have you tried like this? What are some examples you could share of a missional mainline?