Cultivate Health

The strategy God has been working on in me and my ministries also happens to be the same strategy that challenges me the most.  Are you surprised?  I’m not! 

The strategy is the third on the list the bishops created to help the FMC achieve the FM Vision...bringing "wholeness to the world through healthy biblical communities of holy people multiplying disciples, leaders, groups, and churches."  The strategy states:

We will work to improve the health of every local church by creating measurable expectations and regular assessments. We will create and utilize training materials that focus on church health.

It's all about living and leading from the personal application of truth.  An axiom I frequently use with leaders comes to mind when I think of this 3rd strategy.  It goes something like this, “you can not effectively lead people from a place you don’t live from yourself”.   

Leaders are called to live congruent lives.  The third strategy is really a "geiger counter" for leadership congruency.  Our work at improving the health of every local church or organization will be accomplished when leaders live and lead from healthy places.  

Congruency to Christ is what makes personal wholeness and multiplying disciples, leaders, groups and churches possible.  Christ has come to set us free.  That freedom also makes possible, leaders doing ministry out of wholeness.  It  makes possible the fulfilment of our FM vision of bringing wholeness to the world. 

The linchpins upon which the "healthy biblical communitiy's doors swing are the hinges of healthy leaders.  Leaders who operate from healthy places are critical to the success of this third strategy.  If leaders expect to bring, wholeness to the world and the church, they must live and lead from healthy places.  

As a leader I need to make the application of spiritual truths as high a priority in my life as I expect others to make in theirs.  God's work in my life is to be the kind of leader who transcends the 3rd strategy.  He's called me to not only call others to work to improve the health of every local church or organization by creating measurable expectations and regular assessments, He also wants me to see this strategy’s application in my own life and leadership.  If I expect others to improve, whether an organization or individual, I need to consider and ask myself, “What am I doing to be healthy?”  “Do I have measurable expectations and regular assessments that hold me accountable?”  Am I utilizing materials and resources that focus on my leadership health?  When I answer yes to all of the above then holding out this third strategy is so much more powerful and effective because others see the truth being played out in my life and leadership.  Truth is integrated and woven into my life and that is the place where leadership becomes transformational!  

My journey started about 6 months ago attending a Bill Hybels Leadership Summit in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  The experience led me to the place I’ve just described.  I have employed resources created by the Best Christian Workplace Institute (or BCWI) to determine the health and engagement of employees in ministry at Grace International School.  I've used the results to help determine the health of the ministry I lead.  The survey results were not surprising.  We have plenty of opportunity to improve the culture and more fully achieve the vision and mission of the school.   We are also working at more effectively increasing the healthy engagement of our team members.  You see God doesn’t just care about the goal of multiplying disciples, leaders, groups and churches He also cares very much how we do ministry and how we accomplish our goals - bringing wholeness to the world and doing it through the vehicle of healthy biblical communities.  This is not an either or proposition...doing one without the other isn't fulfilment of the 3rd strategy.  Otherwise all we're creating in ministry is "clanging noise".   The ministry will have little to no eternal consequence.  We could end up not accomplishing the FM Vision and miss the Mission mark, “To love God, love people and make disciples.”  

Since taking the BCWI and 360 I have developed the 10 opportunities outlined in the feedback.  I created action points for each opportunity and included clear and measurable means of assessment.  The results of the assessment and action steps have been transparently shared with all who participated in giving feedback.  The goal is to be the kind of organization that actively works to improve the health and culture of the organization and increase the engagement of employees so that we can most effectively accomplish the ministry's vision and mission.  It's been less about creating materials focusing on organisational health and more about having the courage to take the necessary steps to engage and faithfully follow-through. 

We have an important task inviting local churches to partner with us as we engage in both personal and ministry landscape work that holds eternal consequence in this third 

strategy.  We have seen our church partner's hearts resonate with the message, praying and supporting us as we lead with personal integrity.  Our story compels others to participate in the mission and vision of the Free Methodist Church and our ministries.  

May God bless us as we have the courage to let him start with us, living congruent and transformational lives, who in turn have the incredible blessing of leading congruent and transformational communities, churches and organizations in fulfilling the high calling of the Church's vision and mission and this, its third strategy!