In this first of a two-part article, we continue our exploration of what it means to be a force of nature (more specifically, a force of creation), and begin to look at how this happens.
10,000 HOURS
In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell busts some myths surrounding those really talented people who seem to appear out of the blue to take their world by storm, be it via sport, music, computers, business, or politics, and so on.
I don’t want to spoil this book for you, because it’s a great read that I recommend, but I will share one of Gladwell’s illustrations with you, as I think what he discovered is both important and fascinating.
The influence of The Beatles on the popular music scene lives on even today, and they were thought to be a unique musical phenomenon when they first exploded onto the world scene. What we don’t see, though, is how they happened to be around the right age, with a number of years already under their belts (they formed in 1957), at just the time when a Liverpudlian entrepreneur happened to meet a German nightclub owner, who happened to be in London, searching for bands to play live music in Hamburg, Germany.
The end result of all these factors; between 1960-62, The Beatles ended up playing something like 1,200 gigs, none of which was less than five hours. As you can imagine, this regimen demanded that they not only develop their own music, but cover other musicians’ work, and sample different musical genres.
Gladwell mentions that, in a survey of musicians, it had been uncovered that the most brilliant artists had some 10,000 hours (roughly ten years) of experience that made them stand out from the rest (a good musical teacher would probably have some 4,000 hours of preparation). From this finding, it could even be argued that Mozart didn’t begin composing his most exceptional pieces until he was around twenty-one (His approximate 10,000 hour mark).
A few more things that came out of the musical survey were: no one lacking musical talent could become a great musician – no matter how many hours they put in – and, no amount of talent without practice could produce a great musician. (I promise not to mention anything more from Outliers now.)
When you put all these things together: the raw talent The Beatles already had, their experience, being around at the right age at the right time when someone happened to be looking for a young band who could play long gigs, you can see how many factors can come into play to determine success.
MORE THAN WE THINK
Why am I telling you all of this?
I have met so many people who would say they have nothing to offer, that they haven’t had opportunities or any amazing experiences in their lives, that it’s always been a struggle. But when I finished reading Gladwell’s book, I found myself wondering if even these experiences – written off as toxic and perhaps even adding up to thousands of hours – might be used in such a way as to make a difference in the lives of other humans. What if there was some way of turning these experiences into something that could help others who find themselves in the same place now?
I have this thought that’s been nagging at me for some years now, that churches ought to be places which allow some of this stuff about “people with raw talent with particular experiences being in the right place at the right time and happening to meet the right people so they can make a remarkable contribution” to happen more often than anywhere else. The thing is, as I write this down, I am right in the middle of it; “it” being the life of an institutional church. And I think it’s more true that this kind of church is the last place where this convergence of people, talent, and experience can happen.
Perhaps many of those who may yet find that their lives can have purpose (the purpose God has for them) may not be people leading stuff, but people waiting to be led, and together with others, waiting to make a contribution for others that is simply remarkable (literally, something worth talking about).
I wear no rose-tinted glasses, and the last thing I can say is that the process doesn’t become easier as you become the person God made you to be. Just this morning I read the following from Seth Godin’s book, Tribes: “How was your day? If your answer is ‘fine’ then I don’t think you were leading. […] How can I create something that critics will criticise?”
AWAKENING THE MORE
Each day brings the reality of working out my decision to remain within a denomination and seeking to become a missional force. I find that it’s the tough experiences that I have had in this denomination that I find myself calling upon – like being spurred on to keep discovering things when so many are closed to the new and the different and the necessary. It’s about hoping this church is different from the ones that justified what they did to me and my family “for the good of the church” It’s about continually finding out what God really made me for. These are the times when I feel hope for the things that leaders of churches are supposed to do. If you were to ask me if I would swap my experiences for more pleasant ones, I think I would probably say no – I want to use them for something better.
All of this and more is why I hope the best for others. Perhaps, if I were to attempt to put into a nutshell what I must be about, it is this: to awaken the imaginations of others.
How about you? What MUST you do, so others might do what they MUST do?
What do you think?
(Watch out for part two …)
Tim Heerebout
Geoffrey,
I really appreciate your thoughts. You’re absolutely right, the church SHOULD be the place where all of these things happen most often. For some reason it’s not. I’ve come part way along my journey and have experienced the lack of willingness for churches to support the dreams of those in their midst. It’s part of what God has used in my own life to spur me on to church planting through culture pubs.
Here’s my question: do you think an established church can ever be moved from the old mentality to really adopt this as a core value? I guess I’m not talking about a denomination -they tend to last longer and change over time, but an individual church who was born out of another culture?
January 12, 2010Greg Borchert
Great questions.
January 12, 2010It’s not perfect by a long shot, but my current congregation is the best I’ve experienced at some convergence of people and talent through the implementation of a large corporate vision. But, I think its the nature of groups and organizations of most any size to maximize the contribution of the few and minimize the contribution of the many, for “the good of the” group. This applies as much to secular/business/community organizations as it does to the church.
That must you do? The answer goes beyond vision to attitude. As a leader you must have an attitude that realizes each newcomer changes the dynamic of the group, and that this is a good thing. Assimilation of people and talent is the greatest challenge any organization faces. In the church it requires a high level of selflessness, of being willing to relinquish a degree of control, of giving people a chance to be stretched and even to fail – yet doing so without putting the entire organization at risk of collapse. But, as they say, that’s why they pay leaders “the big bucks.”
There’s some “edge” in being a great leader. Leaders never rest on their laurels, always sense things could be done better. They have the pulse of the organization they lead, and push for the kind of change that keeps things on the edge of adventure.
Joe Cavanaugh
Geoffrey,
January 12, 2010I enjoyed your article very much. You have begun to address what I believe is the essence of servant leadership. There is an awesome power, waiting to be released, in each individual in the Body and when expressed in mutually interdependent relationships, is beyond human comprehension. I believe every believer is a unique master piece, waiting to be fully equipped, fully perfected and built up to fulfill all that the Father, before the foundation of the world, has prepared for them to do. It is my understanding that this is what discipleship is truly about.
I look forward to reading part 2.
Geoffrey
Wow, Tim, what a great big question.
May I come back to you with a question first of all? You are using culture pubs to plant churches: what would you say are the significant five things for establishing a sustainable faith community (you can name more or less than 5 if you wish)?
I’d love to explore your question around these things.
Just one thought to get us going on this might come out of something I was reading this morning, from the mouth of Brian McLaren’s character Neil in ‘The Last Word’: “I’ve found that I can only know so much until I find a community that shares my knowing. If I begin growing very far beyond what my community allows me to know, I need to persuade my community to think with me of else find or form a new community.”
January 13, 2010Geoffrey
Greg, I like your thoughts, especially the value that every new person alters the dynamic of the communitiy.
I think the 80/20 think warrants a closer look.
What if there are only a few who take a real “out-there” lead, whilst a few more lead the making of the “out-there” things happen in creative, sustainable ways?
Then there are a mass of people who lead through putting the detail and finishing touches to these ways. The leadership of this combined mass opens up the contributions of smaller leads for another large mass of people who otherwise would be unsure of their contributions, but without which the impact of the community is going to be less than what it can be as God hopes for it.
Finally, there is a group of people who will lead destructively, unless they can be convinced their leadership is supportive of every one else, and if they try to do the “out-there” leading they’ll blow things up.
Just a few ideas I’m kicking around out of my experiences. What do you think?
January 13, 2010Geoffrey
Joe, I am very much with you in your hopes and dreams for this undiscovered country.
What you share about servant leadership is so vital. I came across an explanation of the Oriental bow. I hadn’t realised that when it is true that it has three elements to it: 1) hold, 2) feel, 3) give. The bow is not ended until the person it is being offered to stops bowing. This is such a picture of servant leadership and I have we share our talents and abilties into the lives of others, as servants, not conquerors.
January 13, 2010Tim Heerebout
Ha! Great question Geoffrey. I should be clear and say that I’ve only just begun my journey into culture pubs and church planting so I don’t know that I’m the right guy to ask this question of or offer much help to others on this topic. That being said what comes to mind for me is:
Connection to Jesus
An understanding of how we’re to be involved in His mission
A map for journey through discipleship
A radical commitment to community
A heart for serving the world
Under those broad and generic headings many other things fit but that’s where my mind is at these days. If I need to add some explanation of those things I’m more than willing to do so and I freely admit the list might be incomplete but hopefully that’s enough to get to where you were hoping the conversation would go
January 14, 2010geoffreybaines
Tim, thanks for letting me ask the question. Your answers are great and offer a starting point for your earlier questions.
So, you are wondering if a traditional, independent congregation can explore the headings you’ve set out, which are the basics for embracing the things I mentioned in my article.
You may have a particular congregation or two in mind, but you set me thinking about what these big issues might look like in the kind of church you have mentioned. These five things might look like:
Connection to the church and its doctrines
An understanding of mission involving a few, but not “me”
Emphasis on traditional ways and means that tend to externalise faith
Community is an add on – “we” emerges out of “I” for people
The world is somewhere we escape from to do sacred things
I have rushed these, but you get the idea. The question is: How do we lead people from what I’ve scribbled down in my list to the things you mention in yours?
Are you happy to continue the conversation?
January 15, 2010