A Theology for Organization

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A Theology for Organization

• The Big Idea of the Salvation Army is to Engage
  the Spirit.
• For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain
  the whole world and lose his own soul?
• -Mark 836 KJV

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Theological Principles of the Salvation Army

• Put people in your purposeserving human needs
• Embody the brandaccountability through
  standardized testing, credibility
• Lead by listeningfeedback
• Spread the responsibility, share the
  profitsinvested power and responsibility,
  support
• Organize to improviseaccept change and reward
  innovation
• Act with audacitytake risks and learn from
  failure
• Make joy countmotivated by intrinsic pleasure

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Theological Organizational Principles for the
Applied Learning Project

• What is the existing organization at
  LWFoursquare, and what are the implications for
  the ALP?
• How might the theological principles of the
  Salvation Army inform future organization at LWF
  as related to the ALP?

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Chaos and Order in Organizational Structure

• How does chaos need to be maximized in
  organizational structure?
• How does chaos need to be minimized in
  organizational structure?
• How will order be determined by addressing chaos
  issues?

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Church Structure is like a Human Skeleton

• It is necessary for life and health.
• It is impossible to fulfill missions without it.
• It is best not seen.

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Organizational purpose to free

• Organization should always free people/church to
  be/do what God wants.
• Any time the organization binds, it is
  malfunctioning.

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Mission/vision and structure

• Define and understand the present structure.
• What is the relationship of the structure to
  fulfilling the vision (purpose)?
• Will you design the structure to fit the
  individual church or adopt a franchise from a
  denomination or another church?

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Culture and structure

• As churches grow and seek to fulfill their
  purpose, they must either proliferate rules and
  increase the number of people in the organization
  or manage by creating a dominant corporate
  culture.

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Moving from structure to culture

• The structure should function to move people
  toward Christ-like spiritual formation.
• The goal is not to incorporate more people into
  the structure, but more people into discipleship
  and ministry.

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AN ORGANIZATION CHART

• A picture of relationships based on
  responsibility.

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Examples of Structure
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Examples of Structure
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Examples of Structure
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Organizational Theories
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Organization by Systems

• If an organization understands persons to need
  organizations and structure in order to achieve
  its goals, a systems approach will prove most
  effective, since systems theory holds the
  organizational goals and the goals of persons to
  be of equal importance. Systems theory addresses
  the interrelatedness of the organization and its
  people.
• 
  Alvin Lindgren and Norman Shawchuck

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Leadership Styles
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Dimensions of Leadership
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EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IS
--Dr. Ray Anderson

• Reading the signs of Gods promise in the
  context of present events, and translating these
  signs into goals--preparing the way of the
  Lord.
• Directing and coordinating organizational
  energies and resources toward goal realization
  being a faithful steward.
• Maintaining quality control over organizational
  character and purpose give proof before the
  churches of love and obedience to Christ.

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Polity

• Government
• Monarchy (King)
• Republic (Representatives)
• Democracy (Citizens)
• Church
• Monarchy (Pope)
• Episcopal (Bishop)
• Presbyterian (Elders)
• Congregational (Members)

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Formal and Informal Organization

• Every church has both a formal and informal
  organization.
• The formal organizational structure refers to the
  prescribed pattern or relationships, which exist
  in the form of an organizational chart. These
  relationships describe authority and
  communication patterns.
• The informal structure of an organization
  describes who is in charge and how communication
  flows in contrast to the existing organizational
  chart.

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Formal Organization

• A formal organization in its purest form can be
  mechanistic in its approach, and rule-oriented,
  with defined work policies and procedures, and
  well-established control mechanisms to monitor
  effectiveness.

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Informal Organization

• Informal organization is based on a pattern of
  spontaneous relationships, often the result of
  activities or participant interaction. It
  derives from social, vocational, interest,
  prestige, or informal recognition of leadership
  lines. Leadership is loose and voluntary.

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Informal Organization

• Informal organization can occur around transition
  when there are migrations of people in at
  particular times (new pastor, building program,
  outreach emphasis).
• Informal organization also can occur around
  family systems and their networks.

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Informal Organization Questions of Belonging
and Power

• Am I in or out? (belonging)
• Am I up or down? (power)
• How will I be seen and heard? (power)

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Organizational Tension

• Aligning the formal and informal organization as
  much as possible
• Examples

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Informal Organization Questions

• Who is the recognized spiritual leader?
• Who is in the know?
• How are people brought into the organization?
• How do you get something done?
• How are goals shared and owned?

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Decision-making Toward Goals

• Begin with the opinion makers.
• Move through concentric circles of the
  organization.
• Be open.
• Let the informal organization decide first.
• Formalize what has already been decided
  informally.
• Celebrate the culmination of a process.
• Example LWF surveys and decision-making process

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Organization in Scripture

• Centralized organization
• Non-organization
• Participative organization

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Centralized Organization

• Moses in Exodus 18 because he was Gods
  appointed leader
• Jethro warned Moses of potential burnout, which
  would cause the nation to be without a leader.
• Authoritarian/dictatorial approach
• Imposed goals and methods, rigid and resistive to
  change
• Often appears in new, small church plants
• Potentially narcissistic pastors (self-centered,
  self-admired, self-regarded) or Its about me

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Non-organization

• No central line of authority or responsibility
• Collegial or non-centralized since each member
  relates to the other equally
• Paul admonished the church at Corinth, reminding
  them that every believer had a responsibility,
  and that some were to be leaders.
• In this church the senior staff member would be
  an advisor to the other members, but would not
  exercise any direct authority over them.

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Participative Organization

• Leadership is delegated downward through the
  organizational matrix through lines of authority.
  
• When Jesus called his apostles, a listing in
  Scripture indicates an implied organization.
  (Three distinct groups, each headed by Simon
  Peter, Philip, and James the son of Alpheus
  Compare Mt. 102-4, Mark 316-19, Luke 614-16,
  Acts 113)
• Approach that Jethro suggested to Moses in Exodus
  18

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Advantages of Participative Organization

• Administrative decisions are pushed downward to
  supervisory levels.
• Management remains focused on the big picture.
• Structures use the resources of the organization
  effectively and efficiently.
• As decision-making is pushed downward through the
  matrix, flexibility in large and complex
  organizations is restored.
• Because more people are decision-makers, the
  concept of the team is more prevalent.

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Organizing by Size

• A group of 30 to 50 people can usually be
  effectively led by a single person.
• A church of more than 50 people requires some
  form of organizational structure.
• 200 people or more requires consideration of
  additional paid staff.
• Structure should be developed to enhance the
  strengths of the church and to continue whatever
  has caused the church to grow.

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Organizing by Function

• Four distinct functional groupings can be
  identified
• Pastoral
• Education/discipleship
• Music/worship
• Support

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Implications for the ALP

• Given the identified issues for the ALP, to what
  do we need to give specific attention?
• What questions does this raise for LWF leaders?