Teambuilding

“Teamwork makes the dream work”.
“T.E.A.M. – Together Everyone Acheives More”.
A-Team.
Team America World Police.
The 17 Insufferable (or insignificant or insurmountable – I can’t remember)) Qualities of a Team – Book by John Maxwell.
“Team Members” — what Target Stores calls its Employees.

It’s no doubt that teams are en vogue in both corporate culture and now within the church. A quick trip down memory lane recalled at least 28 significant teams that I have been a part of in the last 10 years. And I am part of a good handfull today. They are the movement personified in my organization, and life without them is unimaginable.

But what constitutes a “healthy” team? I’m not talking about corporate momentary definition. I mean — if we find ourselves naturally forming cohorts, groups, sects, or whatever — is there something spiritual going on here? Can we find what I guess I would call a “Theology of Teams”?

This is what I’m thinking about as I work on a conference breakout I’ve been asked to facilitate on Teamwork in the coming weeks. This post has very little useful information. But it does ask the question of being able to define teamwork from a biblical perspective. Has it been done? Can it be done? Is it worth being done?

$ = iPod

Just a quick RadPost about the prevailing winds of global economics and how it relates to mass-marketed consumer electronics. Economists are using the iPod nano as the benchmark for valuing currency around the globe. It’s a way to see how other currency networks match up against each other — kind of like how our $1 is worth around 90 cents in Canada. Now, our $149.99 iPod is worth $182.11 in Australia. Fascinating — that the iPod is ubiquitious enough to be used as a measuring stick for market trends. What a strange way to think — that my house, worth about 1,600 iPods, may be worth 1,900 iPods in Brazil. How would we type that? Instead of $1,600, would it be i1,600?

Just a thought about how technology affects the many.

ESV

My Sunday School Teacher, Mr. Dahlen, gave me my first bible. It was a blue NIV “gift” bible that he bought and gave to all of the graduating 5th graders that year and was very meaningful to me. I’ll never forget the inscription that read “Adam, may this book draw you closer to the one who can be your best friend.” Over the years it did. Mom bought me my first leatherbound NIV Study Bible, complete with my name in gold lettering on the cover. In college, one Religion prof used the RSV, the other used NIV. All that to say, I’ve pretty much been an NIV guy throughout my daily experience with the Scripture. There were a few times, inspired by other preachers, where I would dabble in the NLT, NCV, Living Bible, ETC, but always felt “at home” in the NIV. And I still do. So do a majority of other Christians, with over 30% being NIV’ers.
Since its 2001 release, there has been more and more attention being drawn to the English Standard Version or ESV, with pastors and leaders arguing that it’s a far better translation due to its literal style and lack of paraphrase.
I checked my shelf and came across an ESV that I think I got for free back in ‘01, so I’m checking it out. I was ready to brush it off until I read this fascinating (and short) article by John Piper, which you can read here. Piper gives some pretty convincing examples of how different the ESV is from the NIV. I see the differences but I’m not ready to jump ship.
It does force me to ask the question as to why I select a certain translation, though. Looking back, it appears that I’m an NIV guy because my church was. And that’s good — but I need to know for myself, so that I can say to the next generation “here’s why I read the _________” and be able to give an thoughtful answer.

Quick blogpoll — if anyone should ever comment here at RadBlog — what’s your favorite translation and why?

BookSlice

From time to time, I’ll post a little diddy about a book I’m reading (not Jack and Diane). It won’t be the whole book but rather a BookSlice, kind of like when someone offers you a whole pizza (I’m thinking of college students) and you say “just a slice”. The same could apply to, say, Strawberry Rhubarb pie. And I hope it does. A review. A highlight. A BookSlice:

Leading Change by John P. Kotter (1996, Harvard Business School Press)

If you’ve recently read anything about changing an organization, you already know the buzzphrases: “Change or die”, “Paradigm Shift”, “Global Marketplace” are plentiful in organizational development literature. Refreshingly Kotter doesn’t add to the abyss of terminology, since most authors end up creating a new word to describe an old problem. Instead of a new term (“Strategery”) he sets up a system that takes all the loose ends and ties them into a brilliant mosaic, illustrating eight steps to bringing lasting change to an organization. Since RadBlog is an equipping place for church leaders, let me just say that although this book may look like another business book that you have to pole vault to adapt to leadership in the church, it’s not. Check out Kotter’s Eight-Stage Process of change (with annotation)

Establishing a Sense of Urgency :: The first step is to set up the conflict so that people long for a resolution. It’s not that we’re creating conflict, just naming it. It’s amazing that the highest IQ’s of the world can have the lowest action-quotient. People need a good reason to enter the change process.

Creating the Guiding Coalition :: Step two is forming a team of like-minded people who all dig change and know the vision. If you were around and aware during the “church growth” campaigns, you may remember thinking that all it takes is a charismatic Senior Pastor/leader to make a comeback (the Lee Iacocca Factor). Having a larger-than-life leader at the helm of the ship is no good if the crew doesn’t know how to row. In this phase, you’re trying to get the right people on board — those that bring expertese, flexibility, leadership and credibility. In a church setting, this might be a board, a ministry team or (sigh) a Committee.

Developing a Vision and Strategy :: Part three is where, with your team, you’re developing a picture of the preffered future as well as a way to get there. Two important points to consider, here. 1. You’re doing this with a team (not alone). 2. You’re coming up with vision first and strategy second. This is an important order of operations to strive for in the church. I’m not sure why, but we tend to come up with strategies first and then build visions around them. May the Lord help us to see the Kingdom of God as our ultimate vision and the building of the Kingdom as a strategy.

Communcating the Change Vision :: Talk, print, video, banners, brocures, complimentary visors. Your people need time to process, critique and then envision themselves in this new reality that you’re painting. Talk the change vision until it bleeds from every pore. Listen to every question.

Empowering Employees for Broad-Based Action :: This is where the rubber meets the road. You’ve unveiled the concept car, now it’s time to let your people drive. As pastors we tend to want to keep a tight hold on our ideas, not letting other people run with them because they might get into a wreck. This is true for me, at least! Unless your volunteers, staff, and teams can be empowered (given the keys) to start changing their specific parts of the organization to match the new vision, it’ll never fly.

Generating Short-Term Wins :: Since big change takes time and energy, it’s important to have little celebrations along the way that keep people motivated and prove that yes, we can get this right! Let’s say hypothetically that you’re tired of black and white TV and it’s your team’s job to invent full-color high-def. In this scenario, it may take years to get it right, much to the shagrin of your people. Instead, you could celebrate little milestones along the way (this month, we figured out how to get “green” to show up on the screen! Yay!). Little wins are important and should be from meeting sub-goals of the overarching vision.

Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change :: With a few wins under your belt, it’s time to ride that wave of credibility and continue the change process. This time it may be bigger, more sweeping or difficult for the organization. But you have shown yourself to be an effective change agent. Celebrate the wins, eat the cake, and keep moving.

Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture :: How sad would it be to make all of these changes, only for them to not stick? At this point, you commit to what you’ve aimed for all these days/months/years. I have seen situations where leaders were frustrated or discouraged — worn out from the uphill movement of change — and have let it all crumble. This would be like doing surgery but not sewing the patient back up. Gross. ‘Nuff said.

Kotter’s work is less like a book and more like a conversation in your living room with this Harvard professor. Although he goes into much detail on why change is important (since he’s writing to a 1996 audience) it’s still a refreshing, quick, useful read for church leaders who are called to bring healthy change to their organization.

BookSlice Score: with 10 being “Memorize the Whole Thing” and 1 being “Glance at it as it hits the trash pile” I give it an

8

.

Check it out at Amazon

iPhone

Apple announced the iPhone today which will be available in June. Can I wait that long? Can I swing the $499 price tag? Do I dare buy the first generation? Anyway, these are exciting times — a handheld device that runs Mac OSX. If you’re in the music/video/artsy/solid computer business, then Mac OSX is your bag.

Links:CNN iPhone story
Apple’s press

Bible/Journal/iPod

‘07 is already one week old. What are you doing to keep growing spiritually? If you’re like me (and I know I am), it’s easy to get intimidated by the managerie of disciplines, strategies and 3-point sermons (sans poem). I’ve found a specific organism for spiritual growth that, despite its simplicity, has been very helpful in the upward climb of Christlikeness. This organism has 3 parts (sans poem) – a head, a hand and ears.

1. Bible – logos, word, scripture, nightstand book. Call it what you will, it must be the place where spiritual growth start since it is His primary means of revelation. In it we are reminded of our inviation to participate in God’s story. We think we study scripture but scripture actually studies us! It exposes us for who we are and reminds us of who God is. If we read it with the right glasses, we soon realize that as followers of Jesus we are part of something far greater than ourselves. This book, as popular as it is, will never be fully understood. God’s Word is an endless well of truth, love, justice and grace. I love the scripture because its one of the only books I can read while the author is sitting next to me, offering relevant commentary and the best guidance around. This is the head and is on the top of the list for a reason.

2. Journal – this is pretty much where I write down whatever. Literally. If I have any “system” at play with the journal, it’s to write, draw, doodle whatever comes out. I’m often surprised by what ends up on the page. I tend to journal as I read the scripture. I set mini goals, analyze my life, tell about this and that. It’s not a “diary” per se… more of a fancy memo pad. This year I’m using a moleskin, reporter flip-sytle journal that I got from Waldenbooks. It’s the only time I’ve spent $14.99 on a book that says nothing (besides the Ross Perot book). I’ve used spiral-bound notebooks (because it’s how Jesus would save money) but it’s just not the same. This is where I interact with the scripture, pray, react and respond. This is the hand, where I’m doing something in response to what God is doing in me.

3. iPod. While I do listen to some Christian music, I must admit that most of what’s on my iPod is straight “secular” music that is beautifully laced with truth. Listen to Ben Folds sing “Jesusland” as you’re reading the gospels. Enjoy Muse as they sing “Butterflies and Hurricanes” as you think about Ecclesiastes. Chris Tomlin is today’s hymn-writer. Great Worship. And, of course, the grand colleciton of recorded sermons now available online. Some of my favorites include John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Rob Bell (sometimes) and James Grier. Every movie has a good sound track. For me, this is the soundtrack of faith. Zephaniah 3:17 says “He will rejoice over you with singing.” Listen to the music. Rejoice back to Him. These are the ears. Listen up!

These are the tools I’m using, at least right now. It also goes without saying that faith without deeds is useless. I use these tools to call me to action, to change my heart and life, to help me be more like Jesus. That way, I can serve the world with integrity and compassion that only comes from Him.

Happy 2007! Keep growing your Faith!

In case you were wondering about why the weather is so strange…

It turns out it’s not just El Nino, though he plays a part. As I ride my bike around the neighborhood wearing a tee-shirt, jeans and Van’s, I’m wondering if Al Gore is right about this whole global warming thing, with it being January in Michigan and all.

Is Warm Weather & Global Warming Connected? — story at abc.com.

Will it Blend? That’s the question…

Here’s a great way to:

1. Get rid of that old iPod

2. Scare your wife

3. Waste time

the death of an iPod

Albert Einstein quote of the day (updated monthly)

Albert Einstein is known as one of history’s greatest thinkers. How does this quote apply to revolutionary thinking?

“The kind of thinking that will solve the world’s problems will be of a different order to the kind of thinking that created those problems in the first place.”

These are the words of a paradigm shifter. Not nearly as big of a deal as Jesus, but still plenty true.