One of the by-products of endless and relentless denominational efforts to revitalize human beings and their congregations is what we might call fad fatigue.
From the perspective of the judicatory leader or team looking for a fresh emphasis each year, there may be a common theme from year to year (such as “Vital Congregations”) that causes him or her to believe that the area churches and leaders have a stable sense of vision. But if we are constantly throwing a new book or process at our churches and leaders, each with slightly different set of ‘3 things one must do’, it begins to get confusing.
Really confusing.
I have just finished working with a judicatory region that has strong leadership, both in its executive and in some of its key leadership teams. And yet many local church folks in this region seemed to be reeling from what they perceive as a constant shifting of emphasis. And perception is everything. As I worked with this group in five different locations across their region, I began to compose a song - and then I discovered that they had already composed an actual song, set to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas, very similar to the ditty I was doodling on my scratch paper during the consultation.
Fad fatigue can become a major energy leak in any organization. It robs great ideas of their power, and it robs would-be leaders of their leverage to lead change, as folks become overwhelmed with dizzying shifts of language and style. Whether we are trying to help churches experience transformation or to help people lose weight, there is a point when it is not helpful to shift from Plan G to Plan H, when we have not worked long enough with any of Plans A thru F in order to see the fruits of those strategies. We as leaders begin to look ridiculous, as ridiculous as the models on runways wearing stuff that no sane person is ever going to actually buy at any mall in our community.
In terms of this judicatory region’s efforts to encourage congregational vitality, I began to realize that in very short time span, they had been sold 8 church health areas, 7 pathways, 6 choices for healthy churches (from my book), 5 fruitful practices (or 5 dysfunctions), 4 denominational priorities, 3 general rules, 2 french hens and a conference-wide effort to rethink church. Enter my team and yet another process and emphasis: in this case a focus on cultivating new places for new people.
What can we do to reduce fad fatigue?
- Try to avoid mandating every church make their people read a particular church leadership book. Allow church’s to some lee-way to find categories, language, and resources that resonate with their people and their situation.
- When judicatory-wide themes and emphases do occur, give attention to ways that the life of the judicatory can align around the theme, and in particular, around the language, so that people sense alignment in the life of the connection.
- Talk about these various emphases and programs as tools within a tool chest that we are offering to pastors and congregations. Encourage them to find the right tools.
- Find a vocabulary and stick with it. Encourage churches, clusters of churches and denominational regions to stick with a set of themes and categories for several years at a time.
- When introducing a new emphasis, tie it to existing vocabulary and church culture, where possible and when helpful.
- Wherever possible, try to avoid building a judicatory emphasis around one particular church development book. Because you will want them to read another book next year - hopefully one of mine!! And you may not wish to change your conference theme based on the book du jour.
And when all else fails, serve ginger snaps at church and judicatory meetings when you are rolling out the next Grand Plan. Airlines long ago discovered that ginger snap cookies relieve queasiness, much like dramamine. The reason that ginger snaps are one of the last surviving snacks served on US airlines is because they reduce motion sickness and make life easier for all!!
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