Change in the USCM
I get back into it right as Campus Crusade is beginning their semi-annual gathering in Ft. Collins, Colorado. My good friend Sam Osterloh is one of the keynote speakers for the Campus gathering. He always has something good to say.
Rumor has it (from some decent sources) that there will be some dramatic changes over the next few years in the US Campus Ministry. I would love to see that take place.
As an aging organization, we tend to approach change in a temperamental incremental fashion. Meaning we want radical new results, but we don't want to risk much to get them. We (the US Campus Ministry) especially do not want to risk our current results - we would prefer to add to what we have without having to change much of what already exists. (there is a new wineskin speech in here somewhere).
About 18 months ago I made a pitch for a radical new approach - some thought I was smoking crack, others simply understood it as a pitiful cry for help. I still think it would work to get us to 5,000-10,000 movements. Spoiler Alert: It is built around self organizing teams with a wide range of flexibility, no geographic constraints and no hierarchy.
It is a bit lengthy and a bit too much 'proposal speak' but you can check it out here. (there is plenty of room for improvement - this is part creative thinking, part prayer and part caffeine induced hallucinations)
I would love your feedback if you take time to read it.
4 comments:
I think you do smoke crack but isn't that why we would follow you? Hmmm too much for my pea brain to handle. Great talking to you today. Thanks for the encouragment and good advice. We'll be praying for those 2 new kids coming your way.
Check out Jay Lorenzens latest post on "Non Autonomous Thinkers"...I thought of you right away...and myself or course...
Interesting thoughts. I graduated from NCSU in 79 and have been working in the Philippines since 80; currently the campus coordinator for Southeast Asia. I am wondering if you know David Rice who is now leading the global catalytic. We are wrestling with similar issues.
Your focus is primarily staff in regards to movements everywhere, but I believe the key are nonstaff, ie our students.
When students graduate, have we equipped and developed them enough so that they can build movements wherever they go, or do they have to have staff telling them what to do?
Movements everywhere will not come from the staff. We are building the leaders who will do that. My concern is that our discipleship process is inadequate. Are we following the model of Christ so that after 3.5 years the 12 could continue on the movement?
I'm concerned that we create dependency and focus on material and method more than principles and mindsets. Students should graduate with a movement mindset focused on principles so that wherever they go, they can continue to build movements.
That means while in school our students who have our mindset, are the ones coming up with the materials, methods, and strategies.
Personally, I believe we still don't know how to effectively reach out to this postmodern generation, but our students, including my teenage sons do. Not only are they effective, but are breaking the traditions that are holding us back.
We will need to change organizationally in the future. Thats a given. But at this point we are way too focused on what we as the staff are doing. Success is not what happens in four years on campus, but twenty years later as our disciples mature as adults.
The cry today is to reach my generation and I am not pressed to do this in four years. A foundation is being laid for the future, where the real growth will come about, with no staff presence at all.
You may have written about this earlier, since I only read your most recent blogs. There are a number of us around the world who are wrestling with what will it take to see movements everywhere.
Thanks for your insight and wrestling with the issue. Just be patient and persevere. Its worth it in the end!
Phillip Baron
phillip.baron@ccci.org.ph
Phillip - i met with Ken Cochrum just last week and I think he would agree with all that you have said. Now - what do we do about it? That is what can be really difficult in an organization this size!
Post a Comment