Will Mancini

I can’t tell you how many conversations I see about reaching the next generation:

• “Our average age is getting older…”
• “Our neighborhood is changing…”
• “Our kids don’t come to church anymore…”
• “Did you see those stats on millennials…”

In an effort to help church’s think through their strategy, I have developed “the five.” Please excuse any notion that I have figured out “the” strategies. Rather, I am trying to provide a water-tight approach that logically covers all of the possible directions. It is meant to challenge assumptions, uncover expectations and reveal best practices. Warning: this post is pretty direct and will be a wake-up call to some leaders.

Before identifying the four strategies let’s cover one guiding principle:

Generational relevance is always a leadership issue first. Because the gift of leadership naturally develops leaders in its wake, a lack of presence with the next generation is a lack of leadership in some way. The implications are:

• Leaders beget younger leaders
• Those leaders and churches who reach young people aren’t thinking about it as much as it is happening naturally
• The more conscious you are of the problem of reaching younger people, there is a leadership issue to identify
• Younger people are primarily reached by younger leaders
• If you don’t have young leaders, you don’t have old leaders

Now to the five strategies:

Strategy #1: Segmentation

Segmentation is the most common approach for churches. It happens whenever empowered leadership lets younger leaders “do their own thing” in a separate environment. For example, a church launches a “contemporary service” to reach young people. Or a youth group has its own events and programming as it spins in its own orbit.

While all churches do segmentation at some level (children and youth), the general approach warrants some caution. Here are some things to consider:

• Segmentation usually occurs because a more natural approach doesn’t (see strategy #2). Therefore it may reflect a lack of the leadership gifting (Romans 12:8-9) in the leadership team.
• Segmentation may lead to a fragmentation. It reinforces a personality-based culture, rather than a shared vision, if two sub-congregations form around preferences of different leadership styles

Strategy #2: Sharing

Sharing sounds simple because it is. And for a Holy Spirit-gifted leaders it happens naturally. Sharing means that younger people are consistently and seamlessly being integrated into the empowered leadership core of the church. Sharing means that a senior pastor who is the primary preacher is not threatened by sharing pulpit time. Sharing means younger leaders are given real authority, not over a segment but over the whole. And make no mistake, sharing is how our most effective churches reach young people. Examples include:

• At Faithbridge Church, Senior Pastor Ken Werlein spends less than on-third of the time in  preaching. Two younger leaders preach regularly during the other times. Other young men play key roles on their lead team.
• At Clear Creek Community Church, Senior Pastor Bruce Wesley brings younger men on the elder team. One is Yancey Arrington (a teaching pastor ten years younger) who preaches just as often as Bruce during weekend services.
• At North Coast Church, Larry Osborne keeps a younger leader,  Chris Brown in front of the congregation 50% of the time .

Keep in mind the general rule that a typical communicator’s “sweet spot of connection”  is 10 years older and younger than their current age.

Strategy #3: Succession

The big question with succession is whether or not its intentional. Unfortunately, most are not. Usually, a beloved senior pastor retires too late (for an ideal transition) and fails to raise up leadership through an empowered process. But we are seeing more and more successful transitions. For example, I’m working with a pastor in his mid 50s, who is young-at-heart and very energetic. He is handing his point role to a guy (over 15 years younger) after an 18-month succession plan. This church has and will continue to reach young people.

Strategy #4: Sending

Some ministries will only reach young people by sending their best young leaders into different ministry initiatives or geographic locations. The difficulty here is that these young people don’t stay “at home” to work on the generational needs of the sending group. Nevertheless, it is a legitimate way to invest resources into the next generation, even if it means accepting with grace the necessary decline and death of ministry. Last week I talked with a development leader of a national parachurch ministry. The ministry’s founder is making the difficult decision to discontinue its existence. Practically, this will disperse all of the younger leaders into different roles and ministry vehicles.

Strategy #5: Stopping

I debated whether to include this fifth strategy. I did because it is a decision that some churches make. And they must know it is a decision. If a church doesn’t segment, share, plan for succession, or send with younger leaders it will stop reaching young people.

Which strategy are you using?

A few days ago I posted some church leaders take-aways from the Kony 2012, Invisible Children video, 70 Million Views in 7 Days: A Vision Analysis. I also mentioned  the opportunity to see this video through The Six Elements. (Grab the free tool on the previous post.)  Here are just a few observations of how the video weaves through The Six.

And remember… Scheudule 45 minutes in your staff meeting in the next 2 weeks to watch the video and discuss this as a team (30 to watch it and 15 to discuss). Have each team member right down a few phrases for each of The Six Elements.

Common Denominator

• The video opens with a child being born and a statement about how we all come into the world. The framework of a Father son relationship is leveraged for all the viewers.
• Use of his own child’s ability to understand the story’s gravity brings stunning clarity and universality to the cause
• Justice as a universal concept and basic human drive is established
• The use of social media, great design and simple things like bracelets create a community identity and emotional bond to the cause
• The inclusion of Jacob and his story, makes the cause personal and relatable and sets up the “Jacob thread”

Burning Platform

• The repetition of child abduction and reality of being transformed into murders.  The emotional connection made by referencing his own son, “If my son was abducted and forced to murder, it would immediately make the news.”
• The emphasis on “invisibility” of the children as the dominant idea to drive the movement. The emotional connection is deepened by the political irony that initially the US turned a blind eye, because there was no self interest on the basis of self-defense or financial gain.
• The use of the international criminal list to strengthen the credibility of the problem and Invisible Children’s cause. The emotional connection is heightened by the use of Hitler as a comparable figure to Kony.
• Jacob Thread: Hearing Jacob talk about wanting to die. Watching Jacob cry and long to be with his dead brother paints a picture of pure hopelessness.

Golden tomorrow

• The video clip of an abducted child returning to their parents.
• The idea that common people can make a difference in a world that is connected.  A better world is one in which the worst bad guy is really captured. This is heightened by the simplicity of the action kit. It’s easy and fun to be a part of the solution.
• The better world that we currently live in as Americans is continually seen throughout the clip. The better world is one where this basic freedom is extended naturally by those who enjoy it. The better world is one where we are “responsibly free” not “selfishly free.”
• The dominant story of Jacob helps us feel the better world. What will happen to all of the other like Jacob?

Wake-up Call

• The reference to the fact that during other times in human history we could not have acted like we can now. The reference to how easy it is to forget the ongoing problem by politicians after the first 100 soldiers were sent.
• The use of 2012 and gutsy claim that it must be over by December 31^st. Strengthening this punch of this end date is the reference to the years of battle undertaken.
• The immediate action step of “Covering the Night”  on April 20^th The amazingly simple action steps: wearing a bracelet, sharing a poster, etc.
• The promise to Joseph that something will be done about the problem.

Mind Stretch

• The multiple layers of evil – child abduction, sex slavery, arming children for war, forcing children to kill their parents, the pure selfishness of Kony. The ironic idea that by making him famous we will stop him.
• The idea that everyday people can make a such a dramatic difference. The use of the pyramid logo to demonstrate the big idea that the people can set the agenda for justice to reign rather than pure political influence and financial motivation alone.
• The idea that 20 culture makers and 12 policy makers all feel passionate and have been recruited in advance
• The use of Joseph to show how everyone is the same. We all want to have a home and be with our family. But based on where we are born, with no choice of our own, can lead to dramatically different outcomes.

God Smile

• The video does not reference God.  Christian leaders should note how humanistic some of our most God-like causes can be. Is the Gospel being integrated into the Invisible Children work and chase for Kony? I hope so. If not, the movement will have remedied a short-term hell unaware of the eternal one. Thanks be to God for the Great Remedy, Jesus.

On a side note: I am aware of the both the controversy and unfortunate incident surrounding the leader of this movement in the last few days. (Please pray for Jason Russell.) Yet, the amazing response to this video alone warrants our attention as ministry leaders, vision-castors and story tellers. This video has reached 100 million viewers faster than any other in internet history.

If you have not seen the 30-minute Kony 2012 video yet from Invisible Children, I encourage you to do so. It’s one of the best vision videos you will ever see.

My teenage kids saw it first, as the viral video reached their high school friends in a hurricane-force social media blitz. While in the airport for spring break, Romina and I viewed the story on my iPhone, while my kids watched a second time. Although I know of Invisible Children, I have now been infected with an amazingly clear and compelling one-year milestone. And I am only one of  seventy million others who watched this media in its debut week on Youtube alone.

My analysis will come in two parts. First I want to make some general observations for church leaders. Second, in a post tomorrow, I will share my observations on the Six Elements of Vision I use with ministry leaders everywhere I go. I strongly encourage you to use the Vision Casting Spider Diagram as a team and watch the video. Take careful note on how each of the Six Elements are utilized in Kony 2012. Again, I will share my observations on this tomorrow. If you have not seen this stuff from my book Church Unique, you can download it here: Articulating Vision Proper – 6 Elements of Compelling Vision

WHAT CAN CHURCH LEADERS LEARN?

1) There are no overnight success stories. The amazing response to this story is connected to a consistent ten year journey of compassion and action.

2) Your influence is directly related to your ability to tell your story.

3) Social media removes walls blocking the communication of and emotional connection to your vision like never before.

4) The ability to clarify a simple, easy and obvious action step is a hallmark of a great vision casting experience.

5) Vision was meant to be communicated visually. Not only the use of video, but the integration of great design and the creative use of symbol keeps the vision alive in the minds eye and makes the big idea more sharable.

As you digest this vision casting experience, ponder the question:

What are you committed to doing in the next year and what would your 30 minute video look like?

In the introduction to Church Unique, I shared my passion that  instead of  leading a great model, “I would rather work behind the scenes as a model maker. My greatest joy is seeing a leader for the first time articulate a stunningly unique model of ministry for his or her church.” As this month marks my eleventh year as a full-time coach/consultant and the fourth birthday of Church Unique, this passion has never been stronger. So I am teeing up a few special posts on ChurchUnique.

I am still moved when I read a review that captures the heart behind the book and the pulse that keeps its ideas alive. It encourages me that the concepts resonate with all kinds of church thinkers and ministry leaders. And I imagine the “aha” synapses firing as leaders see the better future for their church.

Therefore, I am grateful for pastor and blogger, Andy Kinsey’s and his thoughtful review on the blog, Notes on Practical Divinity. His understanding of these days as church-history-crossroads  is well-stated:

“with the rise of congregational studies, and the increased focus on church practices, organizational theory, spiritual formation, and the growth of emergence and missional in the church’s consciousness, there is something unique happening at this moment in history… Church Unique is part of a much larger movement, one that is coming to terms with a rapidly changing, postmodern culture on the one hand and the fragments of a vibrant post-Christendom culture on the other”

There is something unique happening indeed!

Here are a few highlights from the review.  If you have already discovered your church unique, I hope these nuggets inspire you to stay the course.  If you have not, I hope these pique your curiosity to learn more.

Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture and Create Movement:

• prompts deeper questions into why the church does what it does

• guides leaders into how they may understand their church’s own particular ‘microculture’ and discover ways to minister at the same time to the church’s surrounding ‘macroculture’

• highlights the pitfalls of church growth strategies that move into uncritically adopting assumptions that are harmful and not truly ‘purposeful’ of local church culture and custom

• functions as a manual to discover, the ‘Kingdom Concept’ that drives the church to realize Christ’s Great Commission and Commandment, while helping leaders cast the vision uniquely given by God’s Spirit

• brings out the specific ways churches may work to bring into alignment the various parts of their histories, cultures, and ministries

How has Church Unique influenced you as a model maker? I would love to hear your story!

Drip, drip, drip. It’s constant and you can’t not think about it. I know, I know, it’s a double negative. But haven’t you experienced that when you hear a drip somewhere in your house? You become obsessed with finding the source of the drip. Usually I don’t like using illustrations that have a negative connotation, but the final step to taking vision public is to drip it daily, and this constant dripping is a great way to think about it.

Near the end of Church Unique, I describe your leaders as the engine of your vision. Without leaders that are aligned with (actions) and attuned to (emotions) the vision, you’re destined for failure. How do you keep your key leaders aligned and attuned over time? You’ve got to drip vision daily in your conversations and interactions.

Here are a few simple questions to see how well you drip the vision.

• Have you drawn your strategy on the back of a napkin in a restaurant to explain it to someone in the last month?
• Can all of your key staff and volunteer leaders recite your mission and talk about why it matters?
• Have you spent time in the last month during a staff or leadership meeting to revisit your Vision Frame?

If you answered “no” to any of those questions, you need to do a better job of dripping vision daily. This is where  your Vision Frame language, tagline, and key messages can help. Start using this language all the time—in every meeting, during every conversation. This language should infiltrate and permeate your conversations, becoming a part of your normal vocabulary. By talking vision daily like this, your vision will start to become ingrained as a part of your culture rather than just some language you developed once to be framed and put on the wall.

Here are three practical suggestions for ways you can drip vision daily.

1. In the next conversation you have with a key staff member or volunteer leader, work in at least 3 phrases from your Vision frame, tagline, or key messages.
2. Add “Vision Frame Review” to your leadership meeting agenda for sometime in the next month and take 30 minutes to reflect together on one or two parts of the Vision Frame (I’d suggest reviewing your mission and your strategy).
3. Consider using the Vision Deck as a tool in your regular meetings. It’s a tool we developed with 52 suggestions for ways you can better integrate your vision into your culture during normal meeting rhythms.

The main thing you need to do is start dripping vision daily right now…if you’re not already doing it. You’ve got to be intentional about doing this at the beginning, until you develop it as a habit. Soon, talking vision should become a natural part of your daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms.

If you keep these six steps in mind: fill the pool (by articulating your vision), boil it down (by developing your tagline), describe the water (by crafting key messages), tap into the thirst (by communicating the Big Why), break out the hose (by leveraging every medium), and drip, drip, drip (by talking vision daily), you’ll have vision-soaked communication that will move your church or organization toward being more effective for your mission. And that’s the goal, isn’t it?