Post on 31-Dec-2015
description
Discovering and Developing the Ministry Style of Your Church
By Philip D. Douglass
Church Personality
Community Context Theological Convictions
Three Elements of Church personality?
Philosophyof
Ministry
Concrete Subconscious and intangible Works quietly behind the scenes like the
operating system on a computer Nonverbal communication
PRACTICAL
INNOVATIVE
ANAL
YTIC
ALCO
NN
ECTION
ALExpressive
FellowshipOrganizer
Strategizer
Entrepreneurial Relational
Inspirational
Adventurous
Core Convictions
Gal. 1:9
Doctrinal Distinctives
Debatable Matters
Romans 14:5
1 Cor. 10:23-30
Church focused upon freedom of expression, spontaneity, flexibility, creativity, and acting quickly in a crisis.
Church focused upon responsibility, tradition,
maintaining order, attention to details, and subordination to
authority.
5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5
Intolerance of church personality differences
Tolerance of churchPersonality differences.
Information-gathering
Personal observation vs. intuition
Decision-making
Objective Analysis vs. Based on values
Lifestyle
Planed and structured vs. casual and informal
PRACTICAL Pay attention to
facts, details and current reality
INNOVATIVE Preference for
working with information on the basis of its meaningfulness, originality, and future possibilities
ANALYTICAL Deal with
information on the basis of its structure and function
CONNECTIONAL Interact with
information on the basis of its dynamism and potential for enhancing relationships
STRUCTURED Motivated into
action proactively on the basis of planning
FLEXIBLE Motivated into
action through responding to changes in events
Practical Churches are influenced by leaders
who:
Innovative churches are influenced by leaders
who:Live in the “here and now” Prefer to live in the past and the
future
Work well with facts and details Are interested in new and unusual experienced
Like realistic challenges and problem solving
Do no like routine
Are experience and action-oriented Are attracted to theory rather than practice
Are realistic and matter-of-fact
Analytical churches are influenced by leaders who:
Connectional churches are influenced by leaders who:
Are interested in systems, structures, patterns
Are interested in people and their feelings
Like to expose issues to logical analysis
Easily communicate their moods to others
Can be aloof and unemotional Pay attention to relationships
Are likely to evaluate issues through their intellect and decide on the basis of right and wrong
Tend to evaluate issues through their ethical system and decide on the basis of good and bad
May have difficulty talking about emotions
Can be sensitive to rebuke
May not work as diligently at clearing up arguments or quarrels
May tend to give compliments to please people
Structured churches are influenced by leaders who:
Flexible churches are influenced by leaders who:
Do not like to leave many unanswered questions
May act impulsively in their ministry
Are likely to plan their work ahead and finish it in a timely fashion
Can do more things at once without feeling compelled to finish them
Make an effort to be exact in what they do
Prefer to be free from long-term obligations
Do not like to change their decisions once they are made
Are curious and like taking a fresh look at things
Are likely to demonstrate stable work habits
Are likely to work according to their mood
Easily follow rules and discipline Often act without much preparation
FLEXIBLE
FLEXIBLE
STRU
CTU
RED
STRUCTU
REDExpressive
FellowshipOrganizer
Strategizer
Entrepreneurial Relational
Inspirational
Adventurous
Characteristics of the Fellowship Church
Strong Points • Listening to people and understanding their feelings• Valuing teamwork and harmony with others in the church• Following-though on projects
Challenges •Can be oversensitive to criticism•May take on too many projects•May struggle to respond to changing needs and
opportunities
Primary Ministries • Ministries of mercy, helps and compassion• Children’s ministry
Ministry Tempo • Deliberate and relaxed
What Inspires Them • Involvement in ministries that genuinely help people in practical ways
What De-motivates Them
• Insensitivity and impatience with people• Disrespect for tradition and authority • Disharmony
Characteristics of the Fellowship Church(Cont.)
Under Stress • Can feel overwhelmed• Become more submissive to authoritative people
Decision-making • Through consensus building
Desire • Acceptance and approval from people important to them• Peach and agreement in the church
Priority • Organize ministries to do what is best for people
Church Ethos • Personal• Relational• Loyal
Outward Appearance
• More formal and traditional
Gain Confidence Through
• Friendships• Cooperation• Serving
Fear • Sudden change
Characteristics of the Inspirational Church
Strong Points • Take their biblical values seriously and want others to do the same
• Loyalty, commitment, and responsibility are essential values
Challenges • Take communication for granted—believing they are understood and their good intentions are accepted as genuine
• Just as they are accepting, they assume others are accepting towards them
Primary Ministries • Instruction and discipleship that relates to people, their needs, and Christ-centered aspirations
Ministry Tempo • Rapid pace, highly relational
What Inspires Them • A ministry environment that is people oriented, supportive, and organized
What De-motivates Them
• Ministries being disorganized, indecisive, and haphazard
Characteristics of the Inspirational Church(Cont.)
Under Stress • Looks for faults rather than solutions• Disconnects from people• Discontinues listening or taking into account people’s needs
Decision-making • Reflects their ideals and promotes harmonious relationship with others
Desire • Lively and enthusiastic ministries that apply warmth and vision to help people be all that God created them to be in Christ
Priority • Focus on individuals changing things for the betterment of others
Church Ethos • A spirit of harmony with encouragement given for all to fulfill their calling
Outward Appearance
• Willingness to cooperate with one another
Gain Confidence Through
• Caring concern and willingness to become involved in people’s lives
Fear • Being discovered as incompetent and unworthy
Characteristics of the Relational Church
Strong Points • Energetic, creative, and warm• Stimulated by new people and new ideas• Enjoy helping people achieve their potential
Challenges • Can be anxious during transition• Have difficulty with people’s negative feelings
Primary Ministries • Developing a vision of the future that energizes people• Enthusiastically and articulately communicating with people
in ways that are inclusive
Ministry Tempo • Fast-paces and activity-oriented
What Inspires Them • Cooperation, diversity, teamwork, harmony, and creativity
What De-motivates Them
• Insensitivity to people
Under Stress • Overwhelmed with possibilities; indecisive• Obsessed with unimportant details
Characteristics of the Relational Church(Cont.)
Decision-making • Tend to procrastinate because they dislike their options being limited
• Have strong, people-centered values on which most decisions are based
Desire • Openness to the moment• Minimal conflict
Priority • Changes that make things better for people
Church Ethos • Visionary, exciting, egalitarian
Outward Appearance
• Creative ministry that develops new ideas and programs for people
• Idealism that focuses on serving, developing, and growing people so they reach their potential
Gain Confidence Through
• Connection first with what is best for people
Fear • Being tied down
Characteristics of the Entrepreneurial Church
Strong Points • Handles crisis and problem situations adeptly• Are fearless risk takers, overflowing with optimism
Challenges • So absorbed in action and the moment, they may lose sight of the long-term strategy
• Can be so bored by routing that important day-to-day activities go unattended
Primary Ministries • The new, the exciting, the adventurous, the risky
Ministry Tempo • Action oriented, rapid paced
What Inspires Them • Spontaneity, autonomy, challenge
What De-motivates Them
• Rules, regulations, structure
Under Stress • Become excessively pessimistic about the future• Become emotional• Decision-making capabilities erode
Characteristics of the Entrepreneurial Church(Cont.)
Decision-making • Use logic, analysis, cause-and-effect reasoning
Desire • A flexible, spontaneous, ever-changing environment
Priority • Changing things for the good of others
Church Ethos • Easygoing and cooperative; minimally structures, unregulated
Outward Appearance
• Concentration of attention and resources for quick, powerful impact
Gain Confidence Through
• Connection first with the task
Fear • Dealing with ambiguity and theory unconnected to reality
Characteristics of the Strategizer Church
Strong Points • Pioneers in the development of new ministries and outreach opportunities
• Focused on completing task at the level of excellence
Challenges • Can get bored with routine activities and leave them unattended
• Can ignore the present for the future
Primary Ministries • Developing theories and vision• Solving complex problem
Ministry Tempo • Rapid pace
What Inspires Them • Creating plans, developing prototypes and designing strategies
What De-motivates Them
• Unpredictable delays and postponements that slow them down in attaining their goal
Under Stress • Loses objectivity• Ray emotions exposed• Becomes overly sensitive
Characteristics of the Strategizer Church(Cont.)
Decision-making • Logical and clear-thinking
Desire • Visualize where the church is going and then communicate that vision to others
Priority • Staying current to ensure the ideas they communicate are well validated
Church Ethos • Energetic, task-oriented people organized around a clear vision
Outward Appearance
• Reserved, unassuming, unceremonious
Gain Confidence Through
• Being deemed competent
Fear • Failure• When emotion rules
Characteristics of the Organizer Church
Strong Points • Preparation• Troubleshooting• Managing
Challenges • Obsessive• Fault-finding• Unsympathetic
Primary Ministries • Program development• Planning and management
Ministry Tempo • Deliberate• Systematic
What Inspires Them • Orderly procedure
What De-motivates Them
• Randomness• Disorder
Under Stress • Reserved
Characteristics of the Organizer Church(Cont.)
Decision-making • Calculated
Desire • Exactness
Priority • The method
Church Ethos • Efficient• Proper
Outward Appearance
• Conventional
Gain Confidence Through
• Attention to detail• Research
Fear • Embarrassment
Characteristics of the Adventurous Church
Strong Points • Handle crisis and problem situations expertly• Are fearless rick takers, filled with optimism
Challenges • So absorbed in action and the moment, they may lose sight of the long-term strategy
• Can be so bored by routine that important day-to-day activities go unattended
Primary Ministries • The new, the exciting, the adventurous, the risky• Involvement with new opportunities
Ministry Tempo • Action-oriented, rapid-paced
What Inspires Them • Spontaneity, autonomy, challenge
What De-motivates Them
• Rules, regulations, structure
Under Stress • Become excessively pessimistic about the future• Become emotional• Decision-making capabilities erode
Characteristics of the Adventurous Church(Cont.)
Decision-making • Use logic, analysis, cause-and-effect reasoning
Desire • A flexible, spontaneous, ever-changing environment
Priority • Changing things for the good of others
Church Ethos • Easygoing and cooperative: minimally structured, unregulated
Outward Appearance
• Concentration of attention and resources for quick, powerful impact
Gain Confidence Through
• Connection first with the task
Fear • Dealing with ambiguity and theory unconnected to reality
Characteristics of the Expressive Church
Strong Points • Communicative with strong people skills• Take a sympathetic, inclusive approach with new people
Challenges • Prefer to avoid or deny conflict as long as possible• Will react fiercely if a value has been trampled
Primary Ministries • Like to be where the people and the action are; right in the middle of things, involved
Ministry Tempo • Fast-paced action; gregarious and sociable
What Inspires Them • Spontaneity, excellence, equality, harmony
What De-motivates Them
• Unsettled by conflict among people they care about
Under Stress • May become uncharacteristically pessimistic, negative, or doubt themselves (thought they may not show these reactions overtly)
Characteristics of the Expressive Church(Cont.)
Decision-making • Will seek information and advice from all sources• Will consider the human aspect and whether all will benefit
Desire • To be open about themselves and their concerns (what you see is what you get) and encouraging others to be the same
Priority • Create an environment where people feel valued and in on things
Church Ethos • Express concern for people by keeping the focus on the needs of those being served
Outward Appearance
• An exciting, optimistic, and fun atmosphere
Gain Confidence Through
• Being observant, paying attention to what is going on in their community
Fear • May question their own abilities and fear exposure as incompetent in their most important ministry endeavors