This week, I was in chapel with about 100 three and four year old children from our school ministry. They are amazingly well-behaved, but getting them to focus on one single thing can be challenging. It worked for a couple of minutes as 13 of them acted out Jesus and the Disciples going up the mountain into Jerusalem. However, attention spans at that age are short, and I was on the verge of losing them.
But then it was time to PRAY – “fold your hands, bow your heads, and repeat after me.” Great co-operation! And then it was time to SING – “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart.” Great co-operation! I complimented them, and had them say, “CO-OP-ER-ATE!” They said it confidently – apparently they hear it from their teachers regularly.
You’ve probably noticed that adults sometimes have problems co-operating, too – except when we’re engaged in a COMMON MISSION. PRAY & SING! We do the Lord’s Prayer together marvelously well, don’t we? We sing a favorite hymn together like an angel chorus! COOPERATION is a beautiful thing!
I’ve seen some great examples of cooperation in my three months at Trinity. The week before school started–remember that huge move into 16 new CDC classrooms? Then, moving all the furniture in and out of the K-8 classrooms so all the floors could be waxed. When people are “on a mission,” things get done! And when it’s the RIGHT MISSION, God’s work moves forward… in marvelous ways! In spite of all the change Trinity has been through, enrollment is UP to 285 in the CDC, and UP to 79 in K-8. I had the privilege of eating lunch with about 80 of our CDC staff (that’s right 80!) on move-in day. What a fantastic bunch of “servants!” I had the joy of being involved with the K-8 staff team-building activities the week before school started. What a talented, joy-filled crew of God’s best!
COOPERATION–focused on Christ’s mission–is a beautiful thing to behold!
Let me tell you about a couple more examples “behind the scenes.” Most churches don’t have to figure out procedures to coordinate over 100 staffers, plus the work of 100’s of volunteers. In a small church almost everything is communicated by “word of mouth.” In a large church like Trinity that would produce total CHAOS! The church I served in Ohio went through “Growing Pains” during a period of rapid expansion in the 1990’s. Then we moved into a large new facility similar to Trinity’s New Century Center. Our problems were far from over. A whole new set of procedures were required to coordinate our use of the new facilities, and our cooperation on new activities.
So, here I am watching a renewed spirit of cooperation unfold at Trinity. I’m watching policy manuals be updated, and personnel manuals revised, and requisitions and purchase orders become routine. Next time I’ll tell you more about communication channels. Remember those 100 kids in chapel? PRAY & SING—do specific activities that help us FOCUS!
Guess what? Adults are just big kids… and all the activities we need to foster a spirit of COOPERATION are worth the effort. Clearly-defined position descriptions! A consistent job review process! Short-term and long-term goals! No, we’re not all the way there yet. But Trinity’s leaders are taking the right steps, and as these things are implemented during the coming year, the spirit of COOPERATION will get even better. And our FOCUS on the MISSION of “Bringing People One Step Closer to Jesus” will become sharper.
I have yet to meet a person on our staff whose heart isn’t committed to Bringing People Closer to Jesus. Maybe one exists somewhere, but I haven’t met them. (And if one does exist, chances are they’ll discover soon there’s no greater joy in life than Bringing People Closer to Jesus…even the angels in heaven rejoice when it happens!) Maybe you haven’t thought about Trinity’s challenges as “GROWING PAINS,” but that’s exactly what they are. You’ve all experienced growing pains personally – whether it was outgrowing your clothes every year as a kid, or buying maternity clothes when you were pregnant. Growing pains are a PAIN…they mean CHANGE, and change is always uncomfortable. But GROWING is GOOD! It means new LIFE and increasing MATURITY.
THAT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING AT TRINITY! It’s an AMAZING PLACE…with AWESOME OPPORTUNITIES and all the CHALLENGES that come with GROWTH! Friends, don’t get discouraged! The Lord is doing great things here!
-Pastor Jim Martin
Jim.Martin@TrinityDowntown.com