İEdward Hammett, PCC, Author of Making Shifts Without Making Waves and Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60, Church & Clergy Coach for CBFNC www.thecolumbiapartnership.org
Discovering Lies that Bind & Truths that Transform
By Edward H. Hammett, PCC
Clinging to lies, often veiled as honored truths, kills many churches. Lies often emerge through trusted relationships between parents and children, children and grandparents, members and pastors/staff, deacons/elders and those that preceed them in service. As I research a new writing project, Lies Churches Believe: Beliefs and Behaviors that Kill Churches, I have learned that many church leaders know of such lies and are quick to share them with me. I started with 7 lies, now I have over 100! Some lies include:
- "If we build they will come"
- "If we add staff ministry will improve"
- "The primary function of clergy is to care for the members of the church"
- "Moving forward as a church means repeating or honoring our past"
- "Church growth has more to do with increasing membership that pleasing God"
- "Adult leaders do not want to be trained"
Discovering the Lies that Bind
I recently had the honor of helping a church discover the lies that bind them - keeps them stuck and prevents them from moving forward in faith and effectiveness. Once I coached them to discover ?their lies‟ that bind them - we then moved to ?what would correct this lie to truths that transform‟. What great fun! Not only was it a prayer-filled experience but proved to be filled with confessions, eurekas, insights and deepening of commitment to correct false and limiting beliefs that the church might be more effective and faithful to God‟s mission for them at this time in history.
The coach approach brought focus, invited them to explore, prioritize and decide and assign next steps. The overarching principle is illustrated in our ?ripple model‟ explained in detail in Making Shifts Without Making Waves. www.soulful-leadership.com. In essence this model works from the inside out - not the outside in of leaders and organizations. Until the heart of persons or organizations shift the structures, beliefs will not likely shift. Transformation is a thing of the heart. It‟s not about more inputed knowledge as much as discovering gaps, misinformation or false beliefs that have guided many behaviors that keep many churches stuck or in many cases drain their future from them as they continue to do ?all the wrong things‟ to honor their ?lies that bind‟. I used questions like:
- What is working?
- What is not working?
How long have these not been working?
What is that about?
What keeps it going - though it is ?not working‟?
Where did this energy/conviction come from?
What would happen if you transferred the energy and resources from what is not working to what is working?
What would that look like?
...
Good coaching is about effective use of powerful questions, but great coaching is about deep listening. Creating a safe and non-judgmental place for persons and churches to explore moving beyond false beliefs is the core of the experience. From there we move to exploring possibilities and options. Then the group begins to experience shifts that lead to transformation of heart, structures and values/beliefs. Such has proven to move leaders and church to new ideas, values and behaviors that nudges them through issues that have kept them stuck, plateaued for decades.
Consider:
1. What beliefs or behaviors are keeping you/your church stuck?
2. What will it take to move beyond this and unlock your future?
3. What stands in your way now?
4. How long will you continue to work hard and make little progress?
To discuss such an experience for your church
, judicatory or group of churches contact Eddie Hammett at EHammett@thecolumbiapartnership.org . This is a 5 to 6 hour workshop session for key leaders, pastors/staff. Typically done a Friday evening and Saturday through lunch. Call 828 458 8954
