How we are helping an How we are helping an entrenched system that entrenched system that is resistant to change is resistant to change

adapt to a context that is adapt to a context that is “smoke filled” and whose “smoke filled” and whose

“foundations are “foundations are shaking.”shaking.”

Our Context in the Our Context in the Presbytery of Southern Presbytery of Southern

New EnglandNew England We are getting smallerWe are getting smaller We are feeling scattered from one another We are feeling scattered from one another

geographically and theologicallygeographically and theologically Our structure no longer works wellOur structure no longer works well Our culture treats us as outsidersOur culture treats us as outsiders We are anxious about the future and changeWe are anxious about the future and change Our faith communities vary hugely from each Our faith communities vary hugely from each

otherother

“I want to trust in this universe so much that I give up playing God. I want to stop struggling to hold things together. I want to experience such security that the concept of allowing – trusting that the appropriate forms will emerge – ceases to be scary. I want to surrender my fear of the universe and join with everyone I know in an organization that opens willingly to its environment, participating gracefully in the unfolding dance of order.”

Margaret WheatleyLeadership and the New Science

Three “Allowing” Three “Allowing” StrategiesStrategies

Organic PlanningOrganic Planning Narrative ProcessNarrative Process Disruptive Disruptive

InnovationInnovation

1. Organic Planning1. Organic Planning

Organic Planning is not:Organic Planning is not: Vision or Goal Based Strategic PlanningVision or Goal Based Strategic Planning Issue Based PlanningIssue Based Planning Alignment ModelAlignment Model Scenario PlanningScenario Planning

These are all linear, mechanistic, use These are all linear, mechanistic, use SWOT analysisSWOT analysis

1. Organic Planning Is:1. Organic Planning Is:

Organic Planning Is:Organic Planning Is:

Ever evolving and self-organizingEver evolving and self-organizing Membrane is common valuesMembrane is common values DialogicDialogic Process oriented Process oriented Changes by using leverage pointsChanges by using leverage points

Information as foodInformation as food Events as opportunitiesEvents as opportunities 360360oo pressure points pressure points

Organic Planning in Organic Planning in PSNEPSNE

System-wide decision makingSystem-wide decision making Process focused at Presbytery Process focused at Presbytery

meetingsmeetings Multiple pressure points Multiple pressure points Deliberately altered vocabularyDeliberately altered vocabulary Information floodingInformation flooding Change in role of EPChange in role of EP Nimble and evolving fociNimble and evolving foci

An Example: An Example: “Discerning the Way”“Discerning the Way”

Event/Obstacle: Congregation wanting to Event/Obstacle: Congregation wanting to leaveleave

The Main Question: The Main Question: HowHow will we make will we make decisiondecision Letting go of outcomeLetting go of outcome

The Need: Create an approach widely sharedThe Need: Create an approach widely shared The Steps: The Steps:

Wiki document creationWiki document creation Continual modificationContinual modification

Trust the wisdom of the systemTrust the wisdom of the system

2. Narrative Process2. Narrative Process

StorytellingStorytelling My storyMy story Your storyYour story The story of nowThe story of now God’s storyGod’s story

The interaction becomes Our StoryThe interaction becomes Our Story

Advantages of Narrative Advantages of Narrative ProcessProcess

Personal and non-confrontativePersonal and non-confrontative Honors the wisdom in the systemHonors the wisdom in the system Flexible and adaptiveFlexible and adaptive Non-linear and foggingNon-linear and fogging Multi-valentMulti-valent Draws on emotional contentDraws on emotional content Interactions create shared identityInteractions create shared identity

Narrative Process in Narrative Process in PSNEPSNE

Adversary story tellingAdversary story telling Small groups at Presbytery meetingsSmall groups at Presbytery meetings Groups/Committees urged to tell storiesGroups/Committees urged to tell stories Exile metaphor as meta-narrativeExile metaphor as meta-narrative

Different physical and theological geographiesDifferent physical and theological geographies Multi-facetedMulti-faceted Biblical Biblical ConnectionalConnectional UbiquitousUbiquitous

An Example:An Example:Adversary Story TellingAdversary Story Telling

The Issue: Gay ordination/marriageThe Issue: Gay ordination/marriage The Need: To hear the stories of each The Need: To hear the stories of each

otherother The Challenge: To get away from The Challenge: To get away from

argumentationargumentation The ProcessThe Process

Invite adversaries 2 X 2Invite adversaries 2 X 2 Create structured safe environmentCreate structured safe environment Imagio StorytellingImagio Storytelling

3. Disruptive Innovation3. Disruptive Innovation

3. Disruptive Innovation3. Disruptive Innovation

It is not progressive innovationIt is not progressive innovation To make current thingsTo make current things

BetterBetter FasterFaster More faithfulMore faithful EfficientEfficient AttractiveAttractive EconomicalEconomical

Disruptive Innovation:An innovation that replaces the original, complicated, expensive product with something that is much more affordable and simple and that a new larger population can buy and readily use.Center for American

Progress “Disrupting College”

3. Disruptive Innovation3. Disruptive Innovation

Quantum leap changeQuantum leap change DiscontinuousDiscontinuous Disentangled with the pastDisentangled with the past Outside the reach of change Outside the reach of change

regulatorsregulators Game changerGame changer Often disparagedOften disparaged Accessible, esp. to new populationsAccessible, esp. to new populations

Disruptive Innovation in Disruptive Innovation in PSNEPSNE

A new leadership position A new leadership position that is organic, that is organic,

story-oriented, story-oriented,

and disruptiveand disruptive

My role in Presbytery My role in Presbytery now definednow defined

By the prophetic roles in the exilic By the prophetic roles in the exilic and post-exilic narrativeand post-exilic narrative

By fluid metaphors and not linear By fluid metaphors and not linear objectivesobjectives

Dramatically different than Dramatically different than traditional executivetraditional executive

Presbyter Presbyter to the Spiritual to the Spiritual

CommunityCommunity SentinelSentinel MidwifeMidwife Tender of New VineyardsTender of New Vineyards

A job description defined by A job description defined by metaphorical roles rather than metaphorical roles rather than duties and responsibilitiesduties and responsibilities

What are words or What are words or images to describe:images to describe:

ExecutiveExecutive SentinelSentinel MidwifeMidwife Tender of New VineyardsTender of New Vineyards

SentinelSentinel

Inquire into what God is Inquire into what God is doingdoing

And how God’s people can And how God’s people can join in that holy workjoin in that holy work

Sentinel work in PSNE Sentinel work in PSNE includes:includes:

Research, travel, visit, readResearch, travel, visit, read Tell the spiritual community what I Tell the spiritual community what I

see and hearsee and hear Host conversationsHost conversations Speak, write, blog and shareSpeak, write, blog and share

MidwifeMidwife

Coaches the current churchCoaches the current church

To be healthy To be healthy

and engaged in the process and engaged in the process of birthof birth

Midwife work in PSNE Midwife work in PSNE includes:includes:

Coaching current leaders into new waysCoaching current leaders into new ways Empower the voices of new ministries Empower the voices of new ministries

and faith communitiesand faith communities Challenging sessions and congregationsChallenging sessions and congregations Working to change the system and Working to change the system and

structuresstructures Provide safe environments for groups to Provide safe environments for groups to

explore and experiment with the newexplore and experiment with the new

Tender Tender of New of New VineyardVineyardss

Nurturing Nurturing Gods new Gods new work that is work that is emergingemerging

Tender of new vineyardTender of new vineyardwork in PSNE includes:work in PSNE includes:

Advocate new ways of being churchAdvocate new ways of being church Nurture fellowships, new ministries Nurture fellowships, new ministries

and faith communitiesand faith communities Support the creation of networksSupport the creation of networks Feed the system with new Feed the system with new

informationinformation Scatter seeds of new possibilitiesScatter seeds of new possibilities Celebrate new harvestsCelebrate new harvests

Time Allocation Time Allocation

40% Sentinel, Midwife, Tender40% Sentinel, Midwife, Tender 20% Coaching and Delegation20% Coaching and Delegation 20% Management and 20% Management and

AdministrationAdministration 15% Pastoral Care15% Pastoral Care 5 % Presence at events5 % Presence at events

Places of StrugglePlaces of Struggle

My lifetime of living in the old waysMy lifetime of living in the old ways Learning how to say ‘no’ wellLearning how to say ‘no’ well Providing pastoral careProviding pastoral care A system that may maginalize this workA system that may maginalize this work Creating economic justificationCreating economic justification Finding clarity about what this work Finding clarity about what this work

really isreally is No benchmarks for successNo benchmarks for success