Getting People On Board
6/20/02 

Whenever we cast visions as congregational leaders we struggle with getting people on board.  How do we use our passion, the fire in our belly, to evoke and inspire?  What motivates people to move beyond their present comfort zone to explore new territory? 
  
I just returned from a United Methodist Annual Conference and in my conversations with colleagues and lay leaders heard of the hunger for transformation in congregations.  For many, the hunger seemed to arise from the sense that their faith communities were not going to survive as viable congregations unless something new was attempted.  A few persons seemed interested in transformation because they were tired and bored of being what they had become and desired something new.  There was also the insight that the changing landscape of society had left many congregations behind.  These can all be motivating forces for change and transformation, but I think we in The Jesus Connection process understand that these are not the ideal motivations for exploring transformation.
 
Fire begets fire.  The most powerful element of what we call "charisma" is that a person is 100% committed to an idea or cause.  Passion or purposefulness, and believing in people that they can take an idea or cause and run with it are all integral parts of leadership.  Aspiration is a great motivator as we invite people through our leadership week by week to strive to "maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." (Eph 4:13) Getting people on board requires that we are on board, and that we have a passionate vision for spiritual and structural transformation.  Somewhere I saw the statement: "God doesn't look for a committee, God looks for a leader."  My guess is that the fact that you are involved in this process is because you feel called to lead your congregation in spiritual and structural transformation.
 
People support what they help create.  Jan, through his writing ministry, has shared a vision and process that is very helpful for Christians and congregations exploring spiritual and structural transformation.  His books can certainly prime the pump and give direction.  I can think of no better place to begin.  At some point pastors and other disciples must creatively work with these ideas so they can take root and grow in their particular situations.  That is why we don't want leaders presenting this stuff as a program, but rather as a recommended process for transformation.  People need to be creative, and helping to create this process will help get them on board for the following stages as transformation leads to empowered mission and ministry.
 
I think that in most instances the way will be led by a group of pioneers who catch the vision and begin to have experience with it.  It will be the witness of their lives and ministry that will speak louder than any book, reflection, or video to invite others to experience this transformative process.
 
- Loren Olson - First United Church, Little Falls, MN