For decades mid-to-large size churches here in North Georgia thrived in silos. I even served under a senior pastor who boasted he was the ‘King of the Silos’.
The Business Dictionary defines a silo as “a mindset present when certain departments or sectors do not wish to share information with others in the same company. This type of mentality will reduce efficiency in the overall operation, reduce morale, and may contribute to the demise of a productive company culture.”
Organizational “silos” is the term given to departments or ministries within your church that have a tendency to protect themselves, hoard and maintain resources for their own projects, and to place their own goals ahead of the larger vision of the church. Unseminary, Feb. 2024
I’m sure no local church started out that way, but here we are.
Local churches are finding greater effectiveness by prioritizing smaller, more intimate groups sharing and collaborating for gospel effectiveness. A Family Ministry Team of areas previously siloed can be the answer to equipping the core believers while leaving seats open for new disciples and updated ideas. Working together we can streamline generational discipleship milestones, faith formation educational experiences, congregational care led by laity, parent equipping through coaching and small groups, filling family holes, and families serving alongside families.
This week we’ll be gathering the leaders of previously siloed ministries along with their wingmen/second chairs at a local restaurant to get the ball rolling. We’ll start with a ‘shout out’ for someone or something which filled our buckets over the last week then begin discussing systems and processes for….
Communication & marketing – All church things are good, but what is the best use of resources of time, space, assets, and people by calendar seasons? With our history, we have a great number of faithful servants who have led ministries and missions passionately where many came from. What will it take to navigate not becoming a 2.0 simply because we’ve always done it that way leaving space for a modern and courageous reimagination? One way is to begin with clearly stated goals of the item/event and how it will line up within the navigational beacons of the church vision. Let’s follow that by discussing how we can bridge multiple areas, like three or more, to bump up the effectiveness before, during, and after the event/idea. Yeah, we’re gonna talk about that.
Facility usage and reserving spaces – With ‘community’ in our name, we’ll be pushing to continue to meet and celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness in public spaces. Yes, it is easier to reserve a room at church, but what if instead of frying the bacon for a men’s breakfast in the church kitchen, we instead went for breakfast at the local donut shop, bread bakery, or biscuit place to support a local business and witness boldly? Maybe instead of gathering inside, what pivot can be invited to put it outside? Yeah, we’re gonna talk about that.
Calendaring – One of the great joys of starting something new is there should be no sacred cows over the calendar. We can share faith formation events by the quarter and edit to excellence the sharing of all of the members of the church family. Yeah, we’re gonna talk about that.
Family Ministry is not just coordinating events for all kinds of families, but rather setting the table so that everyone comes and goes away experiencing what it feels like, looks like, sounds like, smells like, and even tastes like (potluck, anyone?) to be part of a healthy family of faith. No matter what stage or age we gather, may we learn to set a family table for all in public places where the name of Jesus just rolls off our tongues in everyday conversation.
Carey Neuhoff wrote recently about 7 Church Trends That Will Disrupt 2024. He notes that the Boomers haven’t prioritized church life with the post-pandemic return. The slow coffee Sunday morning is just too comfortable. The oldest Millennials turn 43 this year and are not the least bit interested in Christian-lite nor an overproduced stage. The youngest Millennials and GenXers (think 27yo) are all-in when it comes to community and looking to follow Jesus with great passion with their whole heart and head. How will we set the Family Ministry table for all? Who will model that? Yeah, we’re gonna talk about that.
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Proverbs 4:25
As a local church staff member, I’ve been fortunate to come across several organizations that have greatly supported me during and since the challenging quarantine season of 2020. These include Church Communications, Women in Apologetics, Theology Mom, She Leads Church, Carey Nieuwhof, and the Vanderbloemen Search Group. Through their blogs, podcasts, and resources, I’ve gained wonderful insights that continue to shape my approach to effectively serving in the local church.
The resources provided by Vanderbloemen Search Group were especially helpful with salary and benefits resources for not only executive church leaders, but also those of us serving in professional ministry as lay persons. Sharing the results of financially supporting professional laity were life changing for many around the country who were hiring, who were deciding to stay or go, who were deciding to reorganize, and who were advocating for equitable compensation for ministry with children and families professionals especially before and during the Great Resignation.
William Vanderbloemen has authored several books. I was downright delighted and inspired by his latest, Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest(HarperCollins Leadership, 2023). I’ve read the book and listened to it twice on Audible. The stories and suggestions of how to improve and practice the twelve habits were encouraging and well-defined no matter where you stand on the ladder of the faith-based organization you serve. These are the soft skills that I agree are absolutely necessary to build a healthy, effective, growing organization.
Want to be unusually effective, aka a unicorn, as a member of your staff for the cause of Christ? These are MY interpretations of how I can up my habits and skills as a team player on an effective church staff:
The Fast – I’ve been riding learning curves like a driver on the Atlanta Motor Speedway over the last four months: new database, new email/communication platforms, new public office, and new spaces. We’re running like wild horses, so I better be able to keep up ‘cuz I’m not missing a thing. Some have been intuitive (spaces, adaptability, relationships, planning). Some have not (databases, new email/communications platforms, etc.) So thankful for Youtube and the prayers of ‘Lord, let Your priorities reign today.’
The Authentic – It’s helpful to be real upfront, ready to apologize, ready to celebrate others, and live as a child of God among other real children of God.
The Agile – Kidmin folk are pivot professionals: the service goes long, the service finishes early, servant leaders call out, the folks higher on the planning chain edit events up to the day before. We have Plan A through Plan G for Easter Sunday and Christmas Eve and all along the way.
The Solver – This is the habit I’ve found easiest to live out because planning far enough in advance leaves the most margin for problem solving. Be the one who doesn’t come with the problem unless there are several ways to solve it while keeping the goals at the forefront. There is no room for the grumbler or complainer here.
The Anticipator – Not talking about being a prophet here, but someone able to consider all the possibilities for effectiveness and the most effectiveness. Want to be fruitful or REALLY fruitful. It’s a focused attention on the logistics, systems, and processes from the parking lot and back to the parking lot. My preschool teacher days were great training in this.
The Prepared – I’ve never been one to shoot from the hip. I admire those who can deliver a message, a children’s moment, and even a public prayer without some preparation. Does preparation look like packing the car on Saturday rather than waiting until Sunday morning? Does preparation look like reading the church-wide study a couple months ahead of time? Does preparation look like having a 2-year calendar? Does preparation look like meal prep if I’m pulling a 14-hour day?
The Self-Aware – This is what I know about me: I tend to interrupt (I get excited!); I tend to stay until the last person leaves (FOMO maybe?); I tend to make 5 stops on the way to the 1 place I really need to go (the big grands have already called me out on this one); I’m loud (thanks, Dad!); my conflict management style is accommodation (usually good for everybody but me); my working genius is galvanizing (the natural gift of rallying, inspiring, and organizing others to take action…my operative word being ‘organizing’) and invention (just give me the navigational beacons to stay within and I can figure it out; creating original and novel ideas and solutions); I’m no Bible scholar, but I am a satisfied customer of the scriptures.
The Curious – I LOVE learning! I work on my questions outnumbering my statements.
The Connected – NOW we’re talking. I can only think of one day where I have ever over-peopled. Holy guacamole anyone?
The Likable – Nothing like a Facebook birthdays to make a person feel likable. If I lose my joy, I lose my impact.
The Productive – I want to talk about Jesus, my family, and my local church family all the time. All. The. Time. Lord, let me stay faithful to be more about the Lord of the work and not only the work of the Lord.
The Purpose-Driven – Do you know your purpose? This!
Another quick article about becoming a unicorn employee can be found here.
If you have the opportunity to access Vanderbloemen’s book, whether through Audible or in print, I highly recommend it as a valuable resource for personal and professional growth. Its insights offer practical steps for anyone seeking to enhance their leadership and effectiveness in ministry. If you get the IRL book, be ready to read it then pass it on. This is not the kind of content that needs to stay on a shelf.
I know of a few habits I’m going to work on this year to build into my daily routine because I want to be a unicorn for Jesus.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23 “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer.” 2 Timothy 2:4 “…and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45
This is how one of our pastors, Rev. Judy Stevenson, describes the speed of the Holy Spirit leading our new church plant. We should be exhausted, but I just can’t explain the energy that comes from gathering every single Sunday and all the times in-between. Let me share just a few stories….
How we started: A team of lay prayer warriors faithfully gathered over the last several years on Wednesday nights asking, surrendering, submitting, grieving, celebrating, listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Lord, let Your will be done. Now: A team of lay and clergy prayer warriors continue to faithfully gather every Wednesday night alongside 33 prayer partner teams praying in-person weekly for each other as individual disciples, for our new local church to stay within the Holy Spirit’s navigational beacons, for our amazingly talented leadership team to lead in unity and without fear, and for our denominational leadership to stay the course no matter the hardships and distractions. The Christian community around the world is cheering us on as we courageously start and follow this new awakening of faith and revival.
How we started: Due to the great generosity of a local funeral home, we’ve been offered spaces every Sunday morning, and other times as previously scheduled, for business meetings and special worship services such as Christmas Eve since Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. The Sunday morning immediately following the Saturday afternoon the super majority were denied disaffiliation, folks gathered for small groups at 9:30am, then picked up their little people going directly to the funeral home across the street to celebrate God’s goodness and His faithfulness as a new congregation at 11am. Because a small group had prepared and talked through multiple scenarios, they even provided a paper bulletin in less than 12 hours. Because there were no inherited spaces nor culture, we started from a sacred scratch and the excitement is contagious. Now: We have teams for hospitality, greeting before and after services, security, a fantastic database, keeping ministry safe policies implemented, cleanup routines, livestream, blended worship services, 33 prayer partner teams, the overflow room (pray-ground) is overflowing every week, usher teams, teaching teams, a volunteer coordinator, we break into song and prayers aloud at business meetings, we prayer nap our pastors before worship (even the Bishop last Sunday!), operate a nursery with leaders and a servant rotation, and the youth have the only spaces permitting food so they can enjoy donuts on Sunday morning. We gratefully submit to the ask of no food anywhere else which is why serving our first Holy Communion as a church happened at Campfire Christmas, a family worship event in 40 degree weather in a barn before our new pastoral team was secured. The first time our pastors served Holy Communion on a Sunday morning, we served and received it outside with ice in the juice ‘cuz it was 12 degrees.
How we started: Only current leaders who were compliant with Safe Sanctuary over the last year serving children, youth, and vulnerable adults could continue to serve in those capacities. Now: The Global Methodist Church, has partnered with Ministry Safe to provide free, professional, online training along with documents and sample policies acceptable to our insurance company to roll out for all. We pay only for background checks which are offered at a deep discount as an example of the Global Methodist Church’s commitment to keeping ministry safe.
How we started: Because spaces are limited, we quickly outgrew our youth space. The 1.5-2 hour midweek gathering for youth would also need to adjust as the numbers kept growing. Now: Since all the adult Sunday morning small groups graciously agreed to study The Class Meeting (it was the most Wesleyan thing we could do to prepare us for the common language necessary to move forward as a new body devoted to transformation), three classes received high school youth as members of their classes for the 8 weeks of the study. High school students were assigned in their friend groups yet not to classes where their parents/grandparents were. The wins: Multigenerational practices reminded previously formed groups how to receive new members well; Multigenerational practices showed our high schoolers that working through our faith through sanctification is a life-long process (adults don’t have it all together, yet modeling we are better together in Christian community); common language; new relationships and deeper multigenerational relationships. After the 8 weeks, the high schoolers will return to the youth space on Sunday morning which will be one week before moving into our new, permanent location. For the adults and the youth who fully participated there is already more interest, respect, honor, in sharing life in a multigenerational Body of Christ. Handing over the keys to younger leadership, interest, and input will be so much smoother because of fully submitting to this process of making new friends in the Lord. Everyone had already done the most awkward thing ever by leaving their home-church and starting another. Feelings abounded, yet the Holy Spirit provided this platform for a more rapid chance of sharing voices, perspectives, dreams, and developing trust.
A generous family opened their home for the mid-week youth gatherings, so we tightened the time to 1 hour (so this family didn’t have people in their home for HOURS every Wednesday night with food set up/clean up and more and we wouldn’t overstay our welcome) and I’m meeting at the coffee shop around the corner with parent(s) wishing to chat and read/discuss scripture at the exact same time. This coffee shop time has offered a platform for parents to share their dreams of what a new youth group experience could look like since we are starting from a sacred scratch in all areas. We’ve booked some local mission trips this summer through SAMs (Sunday Afternoon Missions) and a week at Smoky Mountain Outreach with our new pastors leading the trip. Did I mention that before our new pastors served Holy Communion to our congregation on a Sunday, they served the youth first on the Wednesday prior? We may not be as shiny or able to do everything, but our leadership has made it clear by repeated word and deed that our youth are a priority and a multigenerational Body of Christ is the goal. The youth leaders? They are solid disciples of Jesus. The organizational structure of these lay leaders devoted to ministry with youth includes multiple layers of communication.
How we started: The best advertising is a t-shirt so a local friend with a Cricut machine and an Amazon account prepared swag to give to our new pastors and several of us who ‘office’ in public spaces. Now: An apparel design company I’ve been doing business with over the last 18 months has opened up an online store for us just this week to order t-shirts, pullovers for littles and bigs. This way we don’t have to unwisely purchase an unknown amount of product blindly. A simple design and they are taking on the money part since we’re just getting started. Everyone looks good in navy blue.
What we’re working on now…
Branding logo to tell our story, identify who we are, and stir a curiosity to know more.
Multi-shared space allocations moving from the gracious funeral home chapel to a permanent location nearby.
Laity-led ministry and mission navigated and coached through a lay-volunteer coordinator.
Still learning all the ins and outs of a new and useful database.
Designing a youth Confirmation Cohort for the fall.
Just found out that two men have been travelling to South Georgia to participate in the inaugural class of GMC lay speaking classes.
Five New Member Classes to make clear what church membership is and what it is not in spaces shared by a nearby GMC.
Training for multiple new Class Meetings all over the community, because COMMUNITY is in our name.
Though a permanent location has been arranged within 102 days between the first worship service at the funeral home to the current closing date of the new space, we will further navigate a consistent presence in public, community spaces for worship, service, office, etc.
This week is Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day. Since we rented a local subdivision clubhouse for the day for $75 to offer an imposition of ashes service at 7am, we’re offering a drop-in time for all ages and stages in the afternoon from 2:30-6pm with painting, prayer, and activity stations to celebrate Lent and God’s unfailing love. Ashes will also be offered midday with a short service at a local antique mall, then at the funeral home that evening. May we be marked as Christ’s all day, every day, in community.
As of this writing, we’ve been worshipping and serving together for 87 days including the worship service at 5pm the evening of the special conference. The Lord made clear our marching orders. May we be found faithful to tell the stories as His gathered and redeemed. (Psalm 107:2-3)
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
The power of words is why I earned a degree from LSU in Political Science with a minor in Greek & Roman History. Political Science is the study of how people organize and govern themselves. They organize and govern themselves by words and the people who deliver the most compelling words and ideas. The minor in Greek & Roman History was less planned, but a great byproduct of taking all four years of Latin and some art history classes. For me it was all about the history which supported and defined the art.
These are some of the word phrases which organize my serving in ministry with children and families. I’m likely to repeat these phrases out loud or in my head just about every day.
“Go big or go home.” I think this comes from my wondering if the Lord would refer to me as lukewarm (Revelation. 3:16). I want to be committed, joyfully all-in ‘cuz if I lose my joy, I lose my impact. If I get it wrong, tomorrow is another day. I may shoot some bullets before lobbing cannonballs (Good to Great by Jim Collins), but I’m in it and I keep my eyes on the goals set. I don’t even have to win, but I’m all in.
“If it’s good for kids, it’s good for everybody.” This goes along with, “When our hands are busy, our minds are calm.” Sitting still may be necessary, but it’s a challenge for littles and for me. So much so that I stay in the overflow room of our church where I have plenty of stuff for holding onto so littles can listen and be ‘in the room where it happens.’ Things like squishy Jesus, magnet-tiles, sticker books, and connecting sticks. I keep thinking putty in my clutch.
“Go with what you know and not with how you feel.” With the world bowing down to feelings everywhere I turn, I find greater peace in going with what I know. When I feel alone, I know the Lord is with me. When I feel unheard, I know the Lord hears me. When I feel unsure, I know the Lord is greater than how I could mess Him up. When I feel angry, I know the battle is the Lord’s. When I feel hurt and disappointed, I know the Lord will ‘work all things for good for those who love Him’ and MAN do I love Him. He is trustworthy. My feelings are not. Willy-nilly is not a fruit of the Spirit.
“Do for one what I wish I could do for a hundred.” Relationships matter and they grow with time, margin, and a kind or wise word shared. Balloons, a random watermelon, a confetti cannon, a gift card, homemade soup, Crumbl cookies, a Sugarwish email.
“Faith formation experiences should be developmentally appropriate and sticky.” Last Sunday our pastor led us in a teaching about loving one another extravagantly from 1 John. For the children’s moment I used a Rice Krispie Treat to show just as the melted marshmallow connects Rice Krispies, God’s love connects and binds us one to another.
“Always be asking, ‘What’s in my hand?'” After serving the littles and bigs of multiple local churches, I can confidently say that the Lord indeed gives every church everything and everybody each church needs to reach the community it serves. What could be in my hand? People with skills like power tools, woodworking, lawn care, car care, etc. can lead littles and bigs to new skills to serve people and the Lord. Got a parking lot? Leave out nice, new orange cones for the teens to learn to drive and parallel park. Can read? Then a baked cake mix with frosting can be delivered to a single or a neighbor with an invite to Easter services. The best curriculum is the one delivered by the one who can tell the personal stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness with a consistent ministry of presence. Lord, you did it for him, do it for me. It’s less about WHAT and all about WHO with a good work ethic and a spirit of YES. Look at everything the Lord’s provided and let your mind go wild for how what’s in your hand can be used to build up the Body of Christ and serve the community as lights in the darkness and partners.
“Church on Sunday starts on Saturday.” We have an enemy whose sole purpose is to keep us from worshipping the Lord. If our worship services were on Thursdays, the devil would make it hard to go then, too. Knowing this upfront means I’m making the decision and plans on Saturday to get to gathering together to pray, play, serve, sing, sign, learn, and worship with other Christians on Sunday. If I’m teaching or leading on Sunday? Then that Sunday started the Monday prior, at the latest.
A personal liturgy is a plan of aligning words to so order our lives. Words matter because people organize their lives according to the words we tell ourselves. What are you telling yourself today?
“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word aptly spoken.” Proverbs 25:11
DeDeBullReilly 