During my lunch hour at work I wander over to the book store and read. Saves money. Inspires my brain. Recently I picked up ReWork, a book by the guys who started 37signals.com. It is basically their attempt to share the wisdom they've learned from developing a successful company. Though, it might be better to call their advice unwisdom. Most of the book basically shoots down much what we are told are the principles to organizational success... and most of the time you come way agreeing with them.
Here are a few thoughts the book inspired in me related to church planting.
1) Break the rules. Why? Because there are no rules. The rules are a facade. Just do your thing. Do it the way you feel comfortable. Work hard. Sweat. Bleed. But, do it your way. I doubt these guys sat down and wrote out a hundred principles of unwisdom before they began their company. It seems they just let their business come out of them, out of who they are.
2) Several sections of the book talk about action. Just do something. Move. That made me think about my brilliant church model. The one that I like to draw on napkins. The one that I share when someone asks me about my dreams. Until I read this book, I think the church model was only in my head and on my computer and on scrap papers wadded up in trash cans. I asked myself a hard question. "Can I DO this thing on the napkin right now? Thankfully, the answer was yes. I can do it today. I can do with a handful of people or a busload of people or a shipload. My challenge for any church planting types out there reading my blog (yes you do exist in my imagination) is to run your strategy/model through the "do it now" filter. Can you? is the first question. Are you? is the best question.
3) Related to the previous idea. Get what you need to do your dream and do it. But, only worry about getting what you need. Do you need a projector to have a small group? No. Do you need a band to help people encounter God? No. You probably already have what you need. If you don't then you're strategy is probably too... too.... clunky. How will people who follow you do the things you are asking them to do if it takes you $100,000 dollars of equipment to do it? It goes back to number two (not that number two, the one above). You're vision for the change you hope to affect in people's lives needs to be simple enough to do now. Then, when you ask them to do it they can do it too. That should help with fund raising.
4) Essence. These guys started a business by creating product that they liked do do things they needed done. It came from their essence. That sounds cheesy. Point? Build your church out of your own essence. It must reflect you. Your values. Your passions.
Heck, if I had any readers, this would probably get a little backlash, but build a church for yourself. I don't mean that as bad as it sounds. Build the kind of church you would want to go to. It's the artist principle. The best artists, musicians, and writers, create their art for themselves. Not in a selfish way. They want other people to experience their creations too, but they are the first audience. Of course for churches, God is our first audience. And, there are some ground rules we have to follow. But, if you don't like or even love your church what's the point? Steve Jobs says that is the way Apple designs technology. They don't design according to a customer panel. They design stuff that they want to use.
Honestly, that is integrity. It's also sanity. Chasing anything else will make you crazy.
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