"Let's start at the beginning. This is a football. These are the yard markers. I'm the coach. You are the players." Legendary Green Bay Packers Football Coach, Vince Lombardy
Had a great discussion earlier this week with some local youth workers/networkers. I'm asking them to take a more of a pastoral role over several groups, not just one (geographical area director) and then using the principles we have developed for group development to oversee 4 local groups and build another. As we discussed influence, relationship and current networking templates, we had a couple of great takeaways.
I was casting vision for more leadership; more groups but the more I did, the more I felt like we were contriving something old, outdated and not healthy. Long story short, here are a couple of the take aways we have been pondering since:
Movement not meeting - we need to think bigger and think world change, not ihop back room; changing lives, strengthening ministry, growing the kingdom, not 20 people sitting in a round table.
Relationship is the resource - personal relationships are the most important things in life, period. Our relationship with Christ, spouse, family, friends...why then are we so caught up on events, promotion and someone sponsoring a free lunch/training. We need to find a way to harvest the collective. Everyone has something to offer and everyone needs something someone else has. We are in this thing together, lets figure out a way to significantly connect with each other; from that synergy, momentum, strength and health abide.
Networking is the fruit not the tree - if we purposely find ways to cultivate the above, if we work at making sure the tree is healthy, relationships are solid and pure, fruit has to happen.
For me it's time to simplify things, get back to basics and think people; think big, but think people.
