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Tuesday Morning Epistles
Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—a weekly dose of good news
for Christians everywhere.
In preparation for a series of Bible studies based on
the book of Proverbs, I searched the Internet under the
topic, "Proverbs." I was amazed. Hundreds of ancient and
contemporary proverbs appeared on my screen. Some were
good; some were not so good; some were wise; some were
stupid. Some were so obvious that it caused me to say,
"Everybody knows that!" One that I will never understand
is this one: "All roads lead to Rome."
Are you kidding me? What world atlas was that idiot
reading? Everybody knows that all roads lead to
Starbucks!
Another strange proverb also begins with the word "All."
Here it is: "All things come to him who waits."
Waits for what? And what is included in "all things"?
Isaiah 40:31 reads, "But those who wait on the Lord
shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with
wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary. They
shall walk and not faint." The Isaiah passage refers
to the source of our strength (verse
29), not to our being motionless or being asleep. For
every verse in the Bible that includes the word "wait"
there are four times that many that have to do with
"walking." Add other action words (i.e., advance, march,
run, climb, proceed, etc.), and one can make the
argument for moving ahead and not waiting around for
nicer weather or a more convenient time.
God is a God of action, not inaction. Count the verses
in the Genesis narrative that include the words, "And
God said...." Seven times in the first 26 verses of
Genesis, Chapter 1. Then check out the action words in
the creation narrative: God separated...God
made...God set...God created...God blessed. Did
God prepare for creation by thinking about it for a
million or so years? I don't know. Genesis simply begins
with, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth." He made it happen. One event led to the next and
to the next and to the next. At first the earth was
empty, formless, and dark. After God was finished with
his work, the earth was self-perpetuating, full,
organized, and bright. The "how" of creation is not
discussed; the "what" of creation is...powerfully.
Sometimes I think we could do a better job of doing
whatever it is we do, if we just started doing
it. Forget the consultants. Forget strategic planning.
Forget about laying out a Twenty Year Plan. Forget about
waiting around until a plan drops out of heaven.
Instead, get a few people of action together and just
begin doing something. A new book out this year is
Ready...Fire...Aim! The author is Michael
Masterson. He suggests that moving forward successfully
does not always require market analysis and long-range
planning. Can this principle work in organizations where
conventional wisdom has always prevailed? I believe it
can. This week's epistle borrows Masterson's book title.
It is attached. Open it whenever you are ready to get
ready. Then do something new. Now.
Tom Barnard
A Senior Encourager
________________________________________________________________ “Ready…Fire…Aim!” Tom Barnard
t’s the wrong way to discharge a deadly weapon, but it works well in some organizations, particularly start-up organizations. In a controlled military environment the rifle instructor will announce, “Ready on the left; ready on the right; ready on the firing line,” followed by, “Commence firing.” Or, the more conventional expression is used, “Ready…Aim…Fire.” But organizational theory allows for reversing the second and third commands—firing and then adjusting your aim before firing again. Entrepreneurial types love it. Traditional theorists find it risky. Realists are willing to experiment with it.
It’s all about marketing. And creativity. And energy. And movement. And productivity. And high morale. It’s also the title of a new book (2008) by Michael Masterson and published by Wiley. It’s already climbing on the N.Y. Times Bestseller List. The sub-title is “Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat.” Fascinating.
But does this principle work in not-for-profit enterprises? Can Masterson’s strategies work in education or ministry or fund raising? Some would say “yes”—at least in situations where flexibility in programming allows for the insertion of creative ideas for short-term trials. I call it ad hoc management.
The concept surfaced in the days of the dot-com boom. Initially it meant that you can present a new idea in its unfinished state, get immediate feedback, and fine-tune it to fit with your goals and objectives. It allows you to cut through long-held strategies and management systems with new ideas, without having to prove the value of the ideas in advance of their implementation. If it works, market it. If not, discard it.
A traditional way to start a new church is to do market research, establish a need, target an area for potential growth, obtain land for long-term development, solicit help (and start-up personnel) from an established parenting church, create a budget, locate a building for temporary use, and call a pastor. It’s “Ready…Aim…Fire.” But “Ready…Fire…Aim” allows you to modify the process, moving the calling of a pastor ahead of some of the other traditional steps in church planting. It’s unconventional, but interesting.
In our city, denominational leadership did just that. With the cooperation of a parenting church, a dynamic pastor and wife were called. Within a few months, forward-thinking individuals and couples from the parenting church were recruited to be part of the start-up membership of the new plant. Temporary space was rented and the church was launched. No traditions had to be followed; no worship styles copied. Bam! Growth was instant. Only a few years old, the new church averages about one-fourth the attendance at the parenting mega-church. And the new church is “on its own” financially and moving ahead enthusiastically.
Here are some ideas that may help the “Ready…Fire…Aim” principle work where you work:
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