Thursday, May 03, 2007
Shooting your dogs
I am currently reading this book, Confessions of a Reformission Rev - a witty yet profound book about church leadership. In it, the author, Mark Driscoll asks and challenges church and fellowship leaders: Do you have the guts to shoot your dogs?He explains: "Dogs are idiotic ideas, stinky styles, stupid systems, failed facilities, terrible technologies, loser leaders and pathetic people. Most churches and fellowships know who and what their dogs are, but simply lack the courage to pull the trigger and shoot their dogs. Therefore, it is vital to name with brutal candor the people, programs, structures and ministry philosophies that are dogs needing to be shot. Be sure to make it count and shoot them only once so that they don't come back and bite you."
Harsh words, but sensible truths. I was thinking about my own church and fellowship. What are the dogs do we need to shoot? Here are the ones I came up with...
- Situations where the pews that we sit on week after week listening to solid, challenging sermons are warmer than our hearts
- Individuals that do not look to be part of the solution, but never realise that they are part of the problem
- People cliques that are warm towards the 'inner circle ', but cold and neglecting towards strangers and outliers
- Circumstances where individuals burning out, whilst many observers and 'consumer-oriented' folks are sucking the church and fellowship dry
- Passitivity in men who lack the spine and the balls to overcome barriers, take up the mantle, and seize what God has called them to do
- Missing depth and realness in relationships, never getting pass the nicey-nicey chit chats
- Visitors and newcomers walking in and out without properly engaged and without anyone even noticing
The book has certainly made me ponder. I am definitely not excluded from being part of guilty parties that feed one or more of these dogs, or even being that dog.Shooting our dogs -- doesn't that sound harsh?
Well, I like the following reminder from the book:
Pastors and leaders of fellowships must fight like a soldier, train like an athelete, and work hard like a farmer (2 Tim 2:1-7). As leaders, we must exhibit God's grace, but we must also be tough. May the Father give us the wisdom to strike the right balance, and not err on being weighed down by either extreme.
I wonder if any of these dogs sound familiar to you, or if there are anymore?
Labels: Change / Progress, Christian Living, Church Life
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