Spontaneous leadership, by definition, just happens.\r\n\r\nOver coffee, when a friend needs a problem unravelling.\r\nIn a meeting, when an issue is as stuck as ever.\r\nAt home, when the same argument is being rehearsed around the dinner table.\r\n\r\nIf spontaneous leadership just happens, can we prepare for it?\r\n\r\nYes we can.\r\n\r\nBecause spontaneous leadership draws heavily initiative and influence.\r\n\r\nAnd initiative and influence draw heavily on personal capital and relational capital wisely deposited in the past.\r\n\r\nPersonal capital is work usually done on our own. It is the weight of learning, reflecting, thinking, reviewing, reading, and absorbing experiences accumulated at other times in similar or dissimilar situations.\r\n\r\nIt is this personal capital that lays the ground for spontaneous initiative. Rapid fire synapse connections of recognition bringing things before us into focus.\r\n\r\nRelational capital is the work done with other individuals and teams over a period of time to create an environment of trust and believability. It involves deep listening, open vulnerability, compassionate truth-telling, faithful fulfilment of small promises, and sustained action.\r\n\r\nIt is this relational capital that lays the ground for spontaneous influence. Like a kind of relational synapse connections, the unquestioned recognition that someone doesn’t have to think twice before believing that what is being said is true and the person saying it wants the best for all.\r\n\r\nSo, for spontaneous leadership tomorrow – prepare the ground today.
Author: Leighton Carr
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Ambitious Ministry: Oxymoron?
Is it right to be ambitious in ministry?\r\n\r\nA pertinent question in this season of job hunting, and not a straightforward one in my experience.\r\n\r\nThe Latin word behind our word ambition means to seek votes, office, popularity or fame. It has the idea of campaigning for support.\r\n\r\nBishop Stephen Neill put it this way when talking to ordinands who were about to be ordained:\r\n\r\n“I am inclined to think that ambition in any ordinary sense of the term is nearly always sinful in ordinary men. I am certain that in the Christian it is always sinful, and that it is most inexcusable of all in the ordained minister”\r\n\r\nThat should put job applications (and rejections) into perspective!
St Augustine’s Islington
It’s a basic premise based on thirty years of problem solving:\r\n\r\nThe Quality of Research determines the Quality of Solutions\r\n\r\nThe wider the frame of reference the broader the perspective available.\r\nThe deeper the subject is mined the richer the solutions become.\r\n\r\nThe opposite is true.\r\n\r\nInadequate Research leads to Inadequate Solutions\r\n\r\nThis is nearly always true of parish ministry. Without a sound understanding of (sometimes arcane) details parish strategies are almost always based on some incomplete premise or another borrowed from a book or a course or from the church’s history or practice or another church.\r\n\r\nWhat sort of research? How could it be used?\r\n\r\nToday I completed a brief overview of St Augustine’s parish in Islington, London. A typical London inner city parish, geographically small, few distinguishing features. Good church building. Committed congregation. The question is, what’s next?\r\n\r\nThe data tells us that nearly 4,000 people in the parish call themselves Christian; and roughly 3,000 people are technically Financially Vulnerable; and nearly 3,000 people are on tax credits. Which is half the working age population. And these may not all be the same people.\r\n\r\nAnd all the reverse details are true too. Half the population are not on benefits, are not financially vulnerable, and do not call themselves Christian.\r\n\r\nAnd there are about 600 pensioners and 1,200 children.\r\n\r\nI’m not sure what that means, but I’m sure it’s better to know than not to know.\r\n\r\nClick here to see the complete details and zoom in, or just look at the map …\r\n
Poetic Prophets – The Languange of Imagination
Is it worth the effort of finding fresh and imaginative ways to describe faith?\r\nRead what Eugene Peterson says about the prophet Zechariah …\r\n……………………………….
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Zechariah reinvigorated imaginations with his visions and messages.
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The visions provided images of a sovereign God\r\nthat worked their way into the lives of the people …
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The messages forged a fresh vocabulary\r\nthat gave energy and credibility\r\nto the long-term purposes of God being worked out in their lives.
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Zechariah’s enigmatic visions,\r\nworking at multiple levels,\r\nand his poetically charged messages\r\nare still at work,\r\nlike time capsules in the lives of God’s people … releasing
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insight\r\nand hope\r\nand clarity
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for the people whom God is using to work out his purposes\r\nin a world that has no language\r\nfor God\r\nand the purposes of God.
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from Eugene Peterson’s Introduction to Zechariah, The Message
Clarke in the Park
Lead everyone or lead your favourite few?
One leadership question arising from the Organisation of the Modern Anglican Benefice is this:\r\n
“If you are a church leader, who are you leading?”
\r\nIt is easy to focus leadership efforts in church on a small group of core committed people.\r\n
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- A group who ‘get it’.
- A group who will move forward willingly, not kicking and screaming.
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\r\nIt is hard to lead across the levels of membership.\r\n
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- A wide spectrum of people, from the uncommitted to the core member.
- A group who have different needs pastorally, theologically, socially.
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\r\nIf the choice is made to lead only a few in the church, and not the whole church, then this leadership can be called many things.\r\n
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- It can be called leading enthusiastic young adults.
- It can be called leading those who want to be led.
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\r\nBut if most of the church aren’t being led there’s one thing it can’t be called:\r\n\r\n… it can’t be called church leadership.
Transformations: International Seafarers Centre, Royal Portbury Dock (2)
