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Collaboration: take two

Posted on April 20, 2016 by wtdavid

‘Organizational culture’ refers to what should define our relationships with one another. Organizational culture tells us in what kind of atmosphere we will work.collaborative-meeting-clipart-1

Collaboration among members and teams within the World Team global community should be a natural reflex. That heart stance of serving together should then lead us to collaborate well with brothers and sisters outside of the World Team context.

I saw a good example of this recently among one of our teams in Africa. Wanting to further process where God might be leading them to minister next in Africa, they invited a national director of the church association that they serve under to share in their discussions. In the course of these discussions, it became evident that the Lord was laying on everyone’s hearts the same locations to consider.

Over lunch, one of our leaders said to the national director: “Would you be interested in joining together to do initial research on one of these locations that God has laid on our hearts?”

Collaboration is not about you joining ‘our’ project or us joining ‘your’ project, but putting our collective resources at the disposal of one another to work together on our (all parties included) project.

I think it took a lot of humility to ask that question of the national director as it was an admission that we need each other and that we can’t go it alone.

I also think it took some guts to ask that question because it changed our ministry work context to one that would be multicultural with all the inherent difficulties and potential misunderstandings. Yet the ultimate outcome will be a much better representation of what missions will be like in the future.

Filed under: Collaboration, Mission | Leave a comment »

Collaborate, cooperate, work together, and act as a team

Posted on April 15, 2016 by wtdavid

Collaboration is a ‘misunderstood’ word in our culture. I have heard many people give different definitions to it.  At times, it serves as a buzz word that many of us enjoy using, but the actual working out of it can elude us.collaborate

The World Team Ministry Framework gives the following descriptor for this element:

“To accomplish our vision, we partner with like-minded ministries. These partnerships can involve sharing resources, strengths, expertise, and responsibility for overseeing ministry projects and programs.” 

‘Ministries’ could easily be interpreted as only agencies or entities outside of World Team.  However, we are talking about ‘organizational culture’ here and what should define our relationships with one another.  Organizational culture tells us what kind of atmosphere we will work in.  So, ‘ministries’ refers to other teams, other branches of World Team as well as partners outside of World Team.

Projects, programs and ministries in our World Team global community benefit in greater ways when teams and branches of World Team share “their resources, strengths, expertise and responsibility” with others; when we ‘work together with one another’ and act as a World Team team.

Once again, this is where the difficulty lies. Most of us are quick to offer help, but slow to ask for and accept help.  The result?  Many projects, programs and ministries roll out or launch as a ‘one man’ or ‘one woman’ effort.  Some of those projects, programs and ministries will gain traction by the simple perseverant attitude of the creator behind the project, program or ministry. Imagine though the synergy that would be released if that one person solicited help from others within World Team.

One of my first experiences in collaboration occurred in our early days here in Europe. We wanted to do some home repairs, and being the non-handyman that I am, the only option I could see was to ‘grit my teeth’ and try to figure out how to do those repairs on my own.  However, I quickly realized that if I asked others for help, my neighbors were more than eager to come to my aid.  I didn’t enjoy the asking part because, in part, it was an admission that I didn’t really know how to do the work. I needed the help, the expertise, the time of others in order to do the job.  Sure, I could have watched YouTube videos and figured out  how to do most things, but asking for help provided a resource base that I would not have had otherwise.

Collaboration begins by asking two questions. First, what are the critical action steps in this project, program or ministry?  Second, who has expertise, insight, wisdom and ability to help with any of those critical action steps?

Once we answer these two questions, the next step is to go and ask someone to collaborate with us.

Filed under: Collaboration, Working together | 4 Comments »

Are you kidding?

Posted on April 13, 2016 by wtdavid

We are a discussion oriented mission ‘culture’. In other words, we enjoy talking, discussing, and debating topics that relate to our global ministries. Sometimes our discussions can keep us from actually implementing outcomes of the topic under discussion.

The World Team Ministry Framework is a tool to help us review who we are and what we do. Our mission, guiding principles, central ministry focus and organizational culture provide talking points which should give way to concrete applications (and changes) in our work and ministry.

Take for example the element of ‘facilitation’ under our guiding principles.  The descriptor for this element reads:

“Facilitative ministry is a mindset regarding one’s role, function, and end result.  It means to support and assist others so that they are able to do the ministry. Facilitation includes drawing out the gifts, talents, experiences and desires of others, and encouraging them to do ministry.  Multiplication is inherent in facilitation because the end result is that others perform the work of disciple making and church planting as well.”

We can certainly talk about the benefits of facilitation; the relationship between facilitation and pioneer work; or the picture of a facilitative approach to ministry. Nevertheless, the struggle will be to answer and apply our answers to this question: what will a facilitative approach look like for me in ministry today?

It could mean at least two things today. For one that I learn to deliberately say ‘no’ to a ministry are you kiddingopportunity in order to allow another to take up that opportunity, and be ready to provide feedback and support.  For another that I regularly ask the question: who could do this ministry task?  What training would they need?

You might be saying at this moment: “Are you kidding? I have enough trouble just trying to do ministry, let alone giving time to training another.”  Here’s where the real work of the WT Ministry Framework begins.  It’s more than just a means for good discussion. It’s meant to be an assessment tool which causes us to better align our work, and change, if needed, our current ways of doing ministry.

Filed under: Facilitation, WT Ministry Framework | Leave a comment »

Is accountability biblical?

Posted on March 31, 2016 by wtdavid

I remember Ray (WT Africa) asking that question during a gathering of workers. The ‘right’ answer was probably on everyone’s lips.  However, it is a whole lot harder to own that answer than to just answer ‘yes’ to such a question

What can we learn about accountability from several biblical texts?accountable

For one, we learn that it involves an act of the will: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Accountability flows out of a commitment to open one’s life to another; to give another the right to ask one hard questions.

For another, we learn that it involves the giving of an account, the giving of a progress status on our inner life and work: “Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25:19) As in the parable, we know that one day God will ask for an accounting of our lives (Matthew 12:36-37) and that He encourages us to practice that accountability with one another in our lives now (Galatians 6:1-2).

Finally, we learn that it is for our good: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs27:17) Accountability is not a ‘bad’ word.  Accountability causes us to grow in our Christian walk as others come alongside us and speak into our lives.

So where is the problem? Where is the blockage that keeps many of us from owning accountability as well as believing that it is essential to our Christian walk?

It could be that some of us feel we are above accountability.  In other words, we believe that accountability is important, but it is something to which we need only to call others.  We believe, somehow, we no longer need accountability, because of our years of ministry experience.

It could be that covenant accountability is just plain hard. Being accountable to someone in a work (business) context appears easier as our very job and salary depend on it. However, covenant accountability requires an act of the will to open ourselves to others; something many of us don’t like to do.

It could be that many of us don’t realize the benefits that come from being accountable to another. For most of our life, accountability has been the major element towards growth. As we recognize that truth, we will develop a healthier attitude and respect for accountability.

Accountability is biblical … and really is for our good.

Filed under: Accountability, Lifelong learning | 4 Comments »

Everyone needs …

Posted on March 23, 2016 by wtdavid

Someone passed along an article to me last week titled: “7 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Started Ministry”.  Some of the seven things listed by the writer were self-evident, but one stood out for me from the rest.  It simply read: Mentors aren’t optional.mentoring

Here’s what the author wrote: “There has always been something in me that says “you can figure this out by yourself”. I wish I had fought that voice earlier.  Ministry (and life) are complex enough that I wish someone had told me that mentors aren’t optional. I am fortunate to have more than a few great mentors in my life these days. I just wish I had started earlier.”

Mentoring can mean many things to different people. However, mentoring is at the very least about asking someone with solid character and competency to guide you in your own personal growth steps. One’s mentor may have expertise in the area where you need growth the most. Or they may simply be a good listener who has a heart to keep you accountable for where you believe God is asking you to grow.  The overall objective of a mentor is to journey with you in your growth in Christ.

I can honestly say that have profited in many ways from mentors over the past number of years. Yet, the author’s comments at the very end remain a challenge to all of us: “I just wish I had started earlier.”  I wish someone had challenged me earlier in my Christian walk about the need for mentors. None of us likes to ask for help. Mentoring will drive us deeper in Gospel humility and enlarge our view of how God uses others to grow us up more in Him.

Each of us needs a mentor. Each of us ‘needs to take the plunge’ and ask someone to mentor us for a specified time frame and towards a concrete objective. The first step would be to prayerfully seek out a mentor and ask them to help you with growth steps in one area of your life and ministry.

If you would like more help on what mentoring might look like, drop me a note (international.director@worldteam.org) and I will send you some brief notes from Steve Moore about mentoring.

Filed under: Gospel, Humility, Mentoring | 4 Comments »

No one is an island

Posted on March 11, 2016 by wtdavid

That expression, in part, comes from John Donne’s (1572-1631) well known poem which begins in this way: “No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Each one of us is ‘connected’ to others. To talk about life from a singular viewpoint denies the very nature of what is means to be human.  In other words, as God’s creation, we are relational beings.desert-island

That all may sound heady and somewhat theological, but the practical implications of this truth are far reaching.

For one, it means I should resist talking about ‘my’ ministry. If no one of us is an ‘island’, then all ministry is done in the context of community.  It’s ‘our’ ministry, or better yet, it’s the ministry God has given to us.  As a result, I (we) will find ways to find out more about what is happening elsewhere in my community and how I can support it by my prayers, resources and presence.  I (we) will seek to know more of what is happening in Suriname as well as in East Asia.  There’s time investment involved.

For another, it means I could consider moving laterally within the agency to help another part of the community. If we believe this is a community ministry, then we will be open to God’s leading to move from one ministry location to another (maybe even outside of our current geographical location) to come alongside and help another part of our larger team.

Finally, it means that when I enter a people group or culture, I will recognize God’s hand already at work in that people group or culture. This is His ministry and working from that truth, I will more easily share ministry with others within that culture; I will see myself more as a facilitator of those on that ‘continent’ with me.

No one of us is an island. We truly do need each other.  So, how do I reach out and offer the ‘hand of fellowship’ to other members of our community?

Filed under: Collaboration, Community, Sacrifice | Leave a comment »

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