Hello, Groundswellians.
If you don’t know what that means, Groundswell was a Facebook forum created in 2011 which ran through June 2012, a key General Conference in the Wesleyan Church.
Here’s my own story related to it:
I was asked to join the Admins of Groundswell from the very beginning. I liked the idea a lot. I ended up engaging there more than I planned–as it became apparent that the 2012 General Conference was going to be a very strategic one for our denomination. I wanted to see people talking about what was up and to not only be informed but to inform the debate, even if they weren’t delegates.
Dr. Jo Anne Lyon was elected sole General Superintendent at that conference. She then appointed me as her Chief of Staff. Because of this, while I was still at General Conference on June 6th, I resigned as one of the Admins of Groundswell and removed my name from the admin list, notifying the other Admins of my decision, which they supported. Though I loved the Groundswell group, I believed that it would be best for the control of the group to not be unduly influenced by someone from the new Cabinet at HQ (namely: me). I didn’t want it to appear that I was controlling this from the “inside.”
A few related thoughts:
1) The Groundswell group has had an significant influence this year, and I have valued such conversation deeply. Many others told me at GenCon12, coming from all ages and stages of life, from all over North America (we had a lot of lurkers on Groundswell) that they were on the page all the time. The Admins have since decided to migrate their energy elsewhere, opening up a new website later this summer, and I agree with that decision–no doubt it will be hard to keep it up without a more efficient system and ways to focus the conversation. I hope that new site becomes a more permanent and well-organized way for us to interact.
2) At the same time, however, I would like to solicit your advice, Groundswellians, and others who care about this. How would you advise me on helping The Wesleyan Church create forums for engagement from all kinds of people? I will not be supervising official social media avenues, like the Wesleyan Pastors page, which will all aptly be under the supervision of Wayne MacBeth, as the new Executive Director of the Communications and Administration Division. However, I now work directly with Wayne, and I’d be keenly interested in your “general thoughts” on how the denomination and its leaders can most appropriately and authentically use new technologies and media habits to connect and collaborate with Wesleyans from all over. We are in the mood to innovate in Indy… so put your thinking caps on, friends, and I will use your input to inform our future efforts.
So, what’s your take? How could and should the Wesleyan Church be fostering better engagement online and offline? Reply below. I may ask some follow up questions to have you clarify your advice–but let’s get talking.
One of the things I felt was best about Groundswell was that the memorials were being posted online for discussion. I loved that move, but was even more impressed that the denomination was influenced by that so much that they, for the first time ever posted all the memorials online at the GenCon site. And on top of that they included a comment system, and on top of that they had real time commenting. Wow… I just don’t think that ever would have happened if Groundswell didn’t exist.
I made the decision to move from moderated to real-time commenting after 5 days of activity on the GenCon site. It was based upon the quality of the comments during that brief history. I just did not foresee a problem, and in fact we did not have one.
Yep
And I didn’t see any problems after that at all. Thanks again for your leadership in that, Kerry.
A basic social media rule is to ask closed-ended questions when you want to know something (taking a survey), and to ask open-ended questions when you want to dialogue. The Wesleyan Church facebook page regularly asks open-ended questions with no response (like “What is your favorite way to worship?”). Most people do not continue to post replies to posts where there is no dialogue or moderation.
Yep… when I see something has no interaction for 5 hours I often take it down. Social media is not broadcasting–interaction is the oxygen of social media, so where there is no interaction, there is no life.
I’m not sure this type of thing ever gets real momentum in a forum set up by those at the top of the organization. The quickest way to kill a discussion is to have it officially hosted by HQ. that said there have been, and no doubt will continue to be, grassroots forums that appear online. I think your best bet is not to try and facilitate those forums but rather to focus on engaging in them. Do what you can to get the leaders at HQ to comment of the Facebook/Twiter/blog/YouTube Channel where the conversations are happening anyway. Don’t call people to the office for a meeting, just wander down to the water cooler.
I tend to agree with you… perhaps I could “encourage” responsible and heart-felt desires for interaction and grass roots commentary, but I agree with you that doing it “from the top” can be tricky. This is why I resigned as a Groundswell Admin up on my appointment. Good advice, AJ
David, there is no question that those my age (30) and down are in general always plugged in online. I rarely do any communication that doesn’t involve Facebook, Twitter, texting or my e-mail account.
I would say that all of those social media platforms should be used to reach out to those in the church. This is why I think a strong Facebook and Twitter presents is important. One of the better examples of a group that has this in mind are the Mormons. They have bought out ad space on almost every social media platform available.
An important key in this I think is to make sure you don’t focus all your energies on trying to sale the denomination to people. You said that HQ is wanting to be innovative so do just that. Us those platforms to reach those that already know about the Wesleyan church and those that don’t. Don’t send them to sites or videos that try to make them like the denomination. Send them to blogs, articles or videos that engage them in conversation and make them think.
That’s my two cents. Hope it helps.
Yep… pushing the interaction out, rather than just trying to collect people unto us and our portals seems wise. A branding consultant might say that the best thing is when people are talking about you behind your back, in good ways. 🙂 Of course in this case they aren’t “talking about you”… if they are Wesleyans, they are “talking about us.”
This may sound trite, but get more people online, and stay up to date online. A lot of Wesleyans I follow on twitter and blogs I’ve tried to follow don’t post regularly enough to keep anyone engaged…
yep… the internet is abuzz with activity in some places, and a ghost town others
I think the methods vary by personal preference (i.e. those that prefer Facebook or Twitter vs. forums or just commenting on posts), but the main thing to me is knowing that the Wesleyan Church is active and engaged in what is going on. There is nothing worse than leaving social avenues untouched for long periods of time when there is always something important that could be shared.
The only other thing I would like to see is a way to more easily find other Wesleyans on social media outlets, other than the tried and true look through everyone elses friends/follow list.
Yes, some kind of a way to network us together helps. Wesleyan Pastors is a place I’ve found some people I’m so glad I know now, and Groundswell was that to the nth degree.
And measured engagement is another way, as you say. I think Kerry Kind does this well, and will likely continue to on our team. I should do the same.
David, the fact that you, and other Wesleyan people I follow on the internet, take the time to ask questions and engage in conversations lets me know that our denomination is already pretty far in the right direction when it comes to engagement. Just keep it up and get more people to do the same.
amen
(This is me replying to your comment and saying please keep me accountable to doing just what you said above — it’s easy to think of internet interaction as “wasting time” — even now as I post this from the HQ building I wonder if it looks like I’m wasting time… but I think we might need to readjust our mores.)
You’re already doing it.
That is, you’re already engaging through social media. That’s far more effective than trying to create a “talking place” that others are invited to.
I’ve noticed that many leaders are unwilling to do this because they fear being shouted down by some hack with a Twitter account. It’s a risk we all have to take these days.
Ha! “some hack with a Twitter account”… so are you talking about me indirectly there. 🙂
I agree the risk is there, but worth taking.
I think that some people significantly over estimate the power of “some hack with a Twitter account.” Web savvy people can spot those hacks a mile away and will either ignore them, or if warranted gang up with torches and pitchforks and run them out of town.
well put
I’m going to see if @SomeHackWithATwitterAccount is already taken. That’s a great handle. 🙂
More live streaming of everything would be helpful. Instead of just offering a seminar at HQ, why not make it available live for all of us so we can include our churches? (Thinking of the SoulShift seminars as well.) Anything that would help us feel like we’re a part of what’s happening would be very welcome.
Yep… I think this has already become a recurring agenda item for the tech peeps in indy… discussions already started, options being explored. With the internet in the last 5 years, streaming video of live events has become nearly standard. GenCon was a great turn in the tide for Wesleyans in that regard, and it was fun for me to be involved.
I am “sad” Groundswell is moving from Facebook. A great example was the memorials. I was engaged with them when they were on FB because like Michael Moore said, I go to FB to engage with people at least 2x or more a day. It was nice seeing when someone posted on a topic I was interested in. Websites don’t do that and if they do, they send you an email and it tends to clog my already overly clogged email. I love posting and reading YOUR blogs, but like I said, if I don’t go back to your website, I never know if someone had a “different” thought or wanted to add to my thought. Once the Memorials moved from Groundswell I stopped following. I only have so much time in a day and FB was just Convenient to “watch”. With that being said, I feel that the “topics” on Groundswell started off very “edgy” and “challenging” and the more people that entered in, the more it seemed to get dominated by “personal” agenda’s and “THREAD KILLERS”. I think if we want to see true change, then we have to be able to step back and see the “topic” from ALL angles and try to understand where someone is coming from (even if we don’t agree). I rarely saw this happen over the last couple of months of GS. Sometimes I just want a forum to “flush out” my own ideas (even if they might seem to be a bit, should I say, radical). In order for Iron to Sharpen Iron, sometimes sparks have to fly and I enjoy good debate that challenges me. I don’t know how you regulate that on FB. I think it might be easier on a website, but like I said, I can assure you that I won’t check it as often or be as engaged. Thanks for helping start that forum David! I always enjoy your post and questions!
Thanks for this Jess… you hit the nail on the head of some of the complexities and problems with Facebook. I’ve seen people try to create non Facebook communities, like MaxLucadoCommunity and they often fail for a variety of reasons, even when you are as famous as he is.
We often need to “hijack the place people already are” in our engagement strategy… this is true in our churches as well (anyone remember “mychurch.com”…. hahahaha!) FAIL.
“the more people that entered in, the more it seemed to get dominated by personal agendas and thread killers.”
You know, Jess, this wouldn’t happen if you sought to develop and minister more directly to men, who learn differently and bond more intensely over different themes and ideas than women.
Couldn’t resist…
Darrin wins the internet because of this comment!
Dave, first of all congrats on your new appointment. I know it was difficult for you to leave such a “peachy” position at CWC, but appreciate your openness to God’s will for your life. I always found the Groundswell discussions as thought-provoking, but eventually getting too… agenda-ish. I would be very interested in the new web-site once it’s up and running. I do have some thoughts on how the pastors and members in our churches could be more aware of what’s going on at the denomination level. I’ve always appreciated that pastors have to report their level of commitment to the Wesleyan Leadership at the district and general levels. But perhaps it’s time to clarify exactly what commitment and support mean. For me, I try to address concerns and assumptions from my members, assuring them that we are not just “a machine”…although I had do swallow that comment at times. One of the most frequent “gripes” is how the denomination really isn’t concerned with what happens at the local church. I do NOT adhere to this, but it’s the most common perception from our members in each setting I’ve served in. I try to address this in membership classes. So here’s what I think we could do to address that perception: 1) Live stream meetings of the GBA and store them on the Wesleyan website so people can watch…perhaps even a version with just the highlights could be posted. 2) I don’t know if it would be possible, but what if there were people from HQ who were willing to show up in a different local church almost every Sunday…sometimes perhaps even without being announced, to communicate what’s happening at the general conference level and how those actions will potentially help ministry in local churches…and to be available for feedback and questions after the service. They could then report directly back to the GS’s office on what is REALLY happening “on the ground” with observations and perhaps even recommendations. This would help the denominational leaders to see, or hear, firsthand how their ideas are impacting the local church. What if denominational representatives from HQ visited each church in the North American Conference in the next 4 years? How could ANYBODY then argue they are out of touch with the local church? 3) Provide more feedback from pastors with district or regional gatherings with JoAnne herself, or some other denominational leader as the GS’s did the past few years. But if you really want to get the pastors there, offer some kind of reimbursement for the trip to cover gas/tolls/food. The potential payoff could prove significant. We also need to hear from the bi-vocational pastors who would really have to sacrifice to attend such an event. Well, that’s what I’ve got…let me know if you’d like to talk further. I’m praying for you and JoAnne and the other leaders through what is truly the most exciting transition of my experience in the Wesleyan Church.
This is a great post, Nathan, and I like your ideas. wow… livestreaming the GBA would be a tall order… I hope they don’t do that while they’re discussing whether or not to cut my salary. I’d like to find that out before my kids! 🙂 ha!
However, you include the idea of “highlights” and the general sense of openness. I ascribe to the “Open Leadership” model explained by Charlene Li and also the “starfish and spider” philosophy of leadership multiplication… so I think stuff like this does need to be as open as possible, without compromising confidential matters.
Luckily we have the most open leader that God has ever minted in heaven in Jo Anne Lyon. My goodness… I think Open Leadership might have been a biography of that great woman!
Pray for us as we attempt to do this with stewardship and grace.
Town City Hall meetings are put on TV at times. There are just “closed” business meetings that the public cannot attend. I think it would give some sort of accountability and also let people see what is being discussed and give them more insight to the needs of the denomination. I thought it was a good idea. I think a weekly video blog done by Dr. Lyons would be beneficial. Especially if her role is to more of a “spiritual” leader. Let us know where she has been, what’s she’s doing. what she saw. Also I think it would be cool if she “highlighted” different ministries that she comes across that we all would like to know about. For instance, my home Church in Lakin Kansas at one time had 1/3 of the whole grade school coming to our Knights for Christ Program. It was a small town, but we had over 100 kids show up every week in a Grade school that had fewer than 300 kids. I thought that was remarkable what that little Church was doing and the influence it had in the community. NOBODY ever knew about it and i thought it was something that needed to praised.
Great ideas, Jess. Thanks for passing on.
You might try developing the ministry of teaching evangelism so that you could get discussions from a wider source than just pastors who have a narrow focus. I am referring to teaching ministry at the local level, another word for disciplining. Shepherds are by definition overseers, mature sheep teach sheep, all mature sheep are gifted in some manner and when those gifts are not used they languish, If you wonder why so many shepherds burn out or give up it’s because they are trying to be all things to all men and neglecting to take advantage of the giftedness of the flock. Treat a person like a child and that is how they will act. Develop the teaching ministry at the local level.
yes for sure… perhaps a strength of the Wesleyan church is in our ministers… and a weakness is that we have forgotten that a movement in the church without a lay movement is not a movement at all
I have two terms that I think need to stay at the front of all of our minds; pragmatism and early-adoption. If we are the first people in a particular technology we will always have a higher percentage of the total communication. All of our Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channels represent only a fraction of the total information transmitted. Information transmission is 60% about the look, 30% the medium (particularly early adoption of a new technology), and 10% content.
Along these lines Dave, I think that a smart phone app where you could ask pressing questions with immediate feedback would be helpful. This would automatically narrow your sample to tech-savy EYPs and early adopters of technology.
The answer to this same question might be different by Christmas.
In a survey of social media experts, mobile was the most important technology to most. Apps like Zachary suggested are the future of social networking.
great point about leveraging technologies
i’ll have to think about this… ever changing, indeed.
I would love a smartphone app as Zach suggested (across both main mobile platforms), albeit one that works and updates properly. The WPH Daily Devo app has trouble updating on android.
On the one hand I can see where the facebook group may have been excluding those few people under a rock who don’t have facebook. I can also see where a facebook group forum isn’t exactly the best place to host a large forum (lack of sorting, lack of useable ratings for topics, search function across the whole forum, etc.).
However, I’ve never seen WordPress used as a forum? It doesn’t look like it’d be much better than a facebook group if at all. Can we see some examples of where this works effectively? Otherwise it seems like a WordPress forum would be the same as our discussion here on your site/blog.
On the other hand, there are many message boards in the world, so I wonder if we really need to re-invent the wheel rather than piggy-backing off of already proven forum hosting sites? If we DO want this to be more than the standard message board format with articles, posts, discussions, and more available, I could see us using the Huffington Post format (or something similar) to great advantage. Very easy to navigate with lots of options right on the front page for articles, discussions, photo galleries, etc. Have we explored other options such as this? At the very least it sounds like the new Groundswell is becoming not only a conversation destination as well as a bit of Wesleyan News outlet… unless I’m misunderstanding.
Finally, I’d love to see plenty of connectivity to other Wesleyan links (I don’t mind having MANY tabs open in my browser, but I love having one place to open them from, if you catch my meaning), groups, and blogs from this new Groundswell site. If this is going to be the new hub of innovation in the Wesleyan church then it would be great to have easy ways to move around from one Wesleyan locale to another (online).
Does any of this make sense, or am I a bit of beef-witted clotpole right now?
Unless part of the point of the new site is to not be a discussion board? In which case my post is quite beef-witted…
If it is to be discussion based, then I do wonder if it will also be connected to social media (whether WordPress or some other site) so that I can simply log in as my Twitter or Facebook self to comment? I already have a WP account, so it’s not a huge deal, but I was wondering…
I dont fully know what the admins want to do with the new site. But your comments inform my work at HQ well… Thanks
Yes it makes sense,
And yes you are a beef-witted clotpole (for those of you who don’t get the joke read wednesday’s post)
David, as an avid internet junkie, I’m constantly analyzing the digital media as it evolves. One aspect I have noticed is the condensing of ideas across the board. Everything is brief. I don’t know of anyone my age who watches a youtube video longer than 85 seconds, reads a blog more than 4 paragraphs or responds to a comment longer than 4 lines (I better wrap this up!). Even twitter confines you to 140-160 characters. I say that to mean that if the Wesleyan Church wishes to stay on the cutting edge in utilizing digital/web-based media, a lot of work will have to go into the strategy of the message.
The major trend right now (which shows no real signs of dying down anytime soon) is the explosion of internet “memes.” These are essentially any picture with words attached. The point (often hilarious) is clear, the message impactful, and generally taken without argument. Personally, I would LOVE to see a series of Wesleyan memes take teh internet by storm. It’s an element of media that the worldwide church has yet to pick up on.
I love this idea, and I too think that some kind of “Wesleyan memefactory would be awesome” of course most memes are unexpected and just “happen”‘
As far as brevity, and not commenting too long, and limiting posts, what I really think about that is
this may or may not be the type of feedback you are looking for, but i’ve been a “lurker” on several wesleyan blogs and social media groups and for some reason, this open call for input has given me the courage to speak up. {after following the #gencon12 stream} here are some of my thoughts.
i need more susanna and less john. i am not a theologian and never will be. “i learned more about christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in england.”- john wesley himself. its great to have theological debates but that can be very intimidating to the masses. i’m just a mom with a passion for christian living in my ordinary family in my ordinary neighborhood in my ordinary midwest town. but i truly believe God takes the ordinary and makes it the most extraordinary when we give it to Him. i want the encouragement and tools to do that. {social media helps me do that without having to worry about arranging childcare, conflicts in scheduling, etc.}
i want a reply on twitter when i ask a question of the denomination. our ss class is participating in the million mile prayer walk…asked on twitter if there was a hashtag…never even got a reply. asked the publishing house on twitter if they have a blogger book review program…never even got a reply. poor social media management period. if you don’t, that’s fine…but at least reply and tell me so! these accounts need to be managed by people who get the platforms…which frankly may not be the people at HQ.
i need more relevance. 20 and 30 somethings have social media totally integrated with their lifestyle. check out the #shereadstruth Bible reading/Bible study stream. they are hungry for truth, but want it on their terms…internet, apps, and social media are their terms.. plain and simple. and while the face to face community component is lacking here, the advantages of worldwide conversations and encouragement seven days a week are something to consider.
wesleyans have a unique stance on women in ministry and service that so many 20 and 30 somethings are hungry for. {and now even more with Dr. Lyon leading…whom i had the privilege of observing as a grad counseling student on a trip after 9/11…she taught me more about servant leadership in 48 hours at ground zero than two and half years at IWU} yet, our official wesleyan women’s groups are stale and outdated in most cases. social media is a formidable platform to consider when updating such ministries. {and while I don’t agree with everything in this stream, check out #mutuality2012 for a pulse on this hunger}
a few more thoughts…while i agree with the poster below that the quickest way to kill discussion is for it to be “formalized”…its also important in the internet age for even the church to have a “brand” presence….and the presence has to be managed: too much and people become desensitized…too little and not even noticed. our educational institutions would be a great incubator for some of this {app creation too}.
okay…i’ll stop for now. hopefully i get what you are asking and this is the type of feedback you are looking for…you never know online ;)….if not, you can write me off as a rambling housewife…
Wow… thanks so much for this comment, Stacey. First, let me apologize for the lack of gracious attention to your questions in the past. That must change, immediately.
also, thanks for the attuned ideas you have here regarding the wild world of social media. You understand the fast-paced world (and often unforgiving world) it is… and frankly many people in leadership are catching up to that world.
I’m also thankful for your specific comments about Jo Anne. I will make sure she reads your words (although she’s so up on things she may be lurking here now! 🙂
Hey all – if you haven’t seen Stacey Ruberg’s blog… I just checked it out. Great design, cool pics, mom-friendly, kid-equipping and biblically rich. Dig it: http://www.brainintrainin.com/
thanks for your responses and sharing my blog…but you probably just confirmed to everyone else that i’m a rambling housewife 😀
Mark Umfleet had trouble logging in–so he sent me this to post here:
Here is an idea I had several years ago: a 50/50 forum. The 50/50 stands for churches that are over 50 years old and average about 50 in attendance. Very unique dynamics in a church like this. They are:1. Old enough to have had a gloried past, with likely a beloved pastor: “When Pastor _______ was here, we …..”2. Old enough to have had a troubled past.3. Likely have a church boss4. Likely are board led rather than pastor led.5. Pastor is likely bi-(or even tri-)vocational6. Pastor works at the church fultime, but receives part time pay, and lives in a church owned parsonage7. Pastor (and/or spouse) is likely lead pastor, Christian education director, youth pastor, music director, children’s director, secretary, janitor, visitation pastor, counselor,…A discussion forum could go a long way to help a group like this, not just with ideas but with simple support and encouragement. It’s just a thought.
OOooh… I’d love to see a Wesleyan Webcomic… “Seeking Out Sanctification… SOS” –
A group of young adults – perhaps a couple of guys and a girl just out of college – at a rural Wesleyan Church (where most Wesleyans are these days). Perhaps it’s even in Indiana, close to HQ, but far enough to feel disconnected. And these friends joyfully, respectfully (and perhaps a bit irreverently) skewer all things Wesleyan (GC, IWU marriage rates, David Drury’s hair) while showing up at some of the big moments in Wesleyan life (GC, a Soulshift event, a church camp as counselors, John Wesley’s heart-warming experience, etc).
It could also have some one-offs incorporating the memes that somebody else mentioned…
A few of my readers are actually animators so this might not be beyond the pale.
feel free to make fun of me whenever it helps the mission of Jesus Christ. 🙂
The conversations I see on GS that are most read and participated in are the ones that seem to be grey for people’s thinking in area’s of doctrinal stance. We have a melting pot of ideology, philisophy, theology, with some cross over. I think it would be cool to have a series of conversations with folks on different points on the path, going through the process of being in ministry to a veteran minister where people can plug in where they feel comfortable. I would also like to see a men’s ministry category somewhere in that mix if it is possible. And if there is a way to develop short precise high quality video clips we could use this would be a great place for that as well. A one stop spot for everything. Just some thoughts.
Good points. Yes, the grey areas where there is true debate are where the discussion is most contentious (and for some of us–most fun).
that’s the fine like with online discussion. The “game” is fun in debate–but then outsiders think: why are they talking about that so much.
But, if it’s an insiders (meaning: Wesleyans only) discussion that works.
As the question was directed at helping the group as a denomination, may I respond directly. Brand name recognition. What do outsiders think when they hear the word Wesleyan, and what do those within the fellowship conceive themselves to be or to represent? When Wesley started it was the idea of entire sanctification and holiness. And a place for the disenfranchised to come to know and love God, lots of teaching. According to some of the responses I have seen on the groundswell there are many who have no idea what we represent and no mention of holiness. I was privileged to go to the holiness consortium in Portland and believe that if we return to our roots and live our faith and beliefs we can unite with other brothers and sisters who share our values, but it is a matter of identity, clear identity. I am an old new member and the technology is way over my head but I do enjoy the discussions and hope we can continue to have opportunity to learn and share. Some of you techno youth might even consider having on line classes for us stodgy old timers as to how to access the new stuff. Personally David I have no problem with you assisting in an capacity that you feel comfortable with. You have opinions other than Jo Anne’s, I adore her as a person but covet your thoughts also. Be her help not her clone. God love you all for all your involvement.
Thanks for this encouragement.
I’m quite interested in “getting back to holiness” by “going ahead in holiness”… just holding on to the doctrine of sanctification is not enough for me. I need to hear a vision for what holiness does, more than just what it is.How will a sanctified people in my community change my community.
That’s a vision I’m dying to hear… and trying to articulate myself.
By the way David, You need to update your information bio. new job and all. Don’t change who you are though.
Ha–youre right
i’ll do that asap
Hey everyone… someone sent me a blog they wrote… I won’t name names… but in it they cast this vision. Is this legit? Comments? Feedback? Relevance?
Pretend for a moment you are in attendance at a meeting with pastors and key denominational leaders and someone asks what the benefits of being a part of a denomination are. The denominational people look at each other and almost race to the microphone to chime in.”Well”, says one district official, “our denomination provides great coaching to pastors after they graduate. In fact we spend part of your assessment dollars training people to coach well. We know investing in local leaders is a wise investment.””Not only that” adds another, “our strategic planning workshops are one of the reasons such a high percentage of our churches are healthy and growing. Part of the assessment goes to those events and the payoff has been phenomenal. Our motivation wasn’t to get more money, but healthy churches provide exactly that.””I would add that once we found a good assessment tool that we began using yearly in every local congregation we begin to identify trends and challenges. That information gave us the ability to bring in the kind of help our pastors and churches needed instead of the usual “one size fits all” approach.”The general church leader in the room stated, “We realized a few years back that while we have a great history we should celebrate it but not try to recreate it. And we even realized existing simply to keep a doctrine alive for another generation wasn’t enough of a vision.That is what prompted us to set clear vision and direction not only for the denomination and expect each district and local church to do the same.You will notice much of our communication centers around vision and celebrating the many exciting things happening in local churches and missions.”A young leader came to the mic and said, “We also realized big organizations like ours can take way to long to change and adapt to what is going on in the world. And while we will never change our message, we did change our structure. We are much leaner now. We communicate quickly and often. We can even respond internationally to issues and crisis’ now, whereas before we were very slow to react if we reacted at all.An additional benefit to our restructure was a serious reduction in the percentage of the assessment keeping as much money in the local church as possible. It is really exciting to know our denomination isn’t always behind a decade or two or three?” People laughed at her comment, but appreciated what she had to say.A district leader said, “I value our dedication to local pastors. If they are struggling we are there to help or get them help. We encourage them often and when I visit any congregation I always have two or three very specific items to say about their pastor publically. And because I know each church so well I can encourage them too.Of course I have also been involved in putting out a few local fires and recently “fired” three board members who have been problems with the last four pastors. I decided to do that because they were so entrenched and the new pastor was not going to be subjected to their venom.” Pastors in the room cheered at this point.