Spencer Law reads and reflects on the article Leading Beyond the Blizzard: Why Every Organization Is Now a Startup by Andy Crouch, Kurt Keilhacker, and Dave Blanchard.
A brief summary (pulled from the article) is provided here:
- The novel coronavirus is not just something for leaders to “get through” for a few days or weeks. Instead, we need to treat COVID-19 as an economic and cultural blizzard, winter, and beginning of a “little ice age” — a once-in-a-lifetime change that is likely to affect our lives and organizations for years.
- Due to the complex and interconnected nature of our society and economy, the majority of businesses and nonprofits are “effectively out of business” as of today, in that the underlying assumptions that sustained their organization are no longer true.
- The priority of leaders must be to set aside confidence in their current playbook as quickly as possible, write a new one that honors their mission and the communities they serve, and make the most of their organization’s assets — their people, financial capital, and social capital, leaning on relationship and trust.
- The creative potential for hope and vision is unparalleled right now — but paradoxically this creativity will only be fully available to us if we also make space for grief and lament.
- We write this out of love for Christian organizational leaders and their work, with humility in a time of considerable uncertainty, and a prayerful hope that we are proven wrong by God, in his gracious providence, working miraculously through human ingenuity in this season.
After reading or listening to this article, what do you think it has to say to the current state of our church? Is it correct in its assertions?
What have you learned between March (when this article was written) and now?
I listened to the article, but since I didn’t SEE it, I may not remember everything correctly. I’m a visual learner. With that disclaimer…
Re: the article on the current state of our church: I definitely believe the church has to change. I have a feeling that all this is Phyllis Tickle’s every-500-years re-formation. I think that’s exciting, actually. God needs to get rid of the fluff in me, as well as in his church. Even though I like comfort and ease (too much!), I hope all these difficulties will make it happen.
On the other hand, I felt like the author was willing to get rid of people to be financially solvent. I did NOT like that, because the people ARE the building blocks of the church. I would be very careful about laying people off. (I’m a big fan of Simon Sinek’s thinking about management.)
What I have learned: Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams. :-] MUCH more about myself and God. I like contemplation, and I need to make time for it. Busyness is a tool of Satan. I love Tabernacle, and I’m so grateful that God has given us THIS church to be with during this season. I am eager to be with you physically when we’re on our six-month sabbatical.
— Lea