981 words - around three minutes of light reading with a few laughs along the way
English is a great language but sometimes you need a word that captures a thought to drive it home. I like to collect some odd words from others and also make up my own. Mine are usually combinations of terms that help communicate a thought. Some stick.
Words like those below help church leaders to “get it” sometimes to help address issues in their own situation. They are fun too for the spell checker on computers.
First – a few from others I find helpful.
Phygital – Physical+Digital – The new hybrid thinking of combining physical sites and digital ministry. I don’t know if I first heard it from Aspen Group or Stadia. But whoever created it, it’s a brilliant capture.
Caremongering – also not created by me. I first saw it in Washington Post during the pandemic to describe the burning desire people actually have to care for someone in need right now. This is a tremendous by-product of the pandemic that is a reorientation of some folk’s hearts in a time of division and need. Of course, there is also scaremongering that has happened throughout the season.
Now a few of my own creation:
Subbuban – That place where the suburbs meet the bubbas. Suburban + Bubbas. I first coined this one in 2005 when I went to a church on the rural/suburban fringe and spoke with some of the leaders. Some were long-term bubbas (natives or near natives), and some were suburban/urban refugees who recently moved to the area. Bubba is used as an affectionate moniker, not a put-down. I use it to describe the church that is formed to meet the needs of the mix between the two. Across the street from a Subbuban church can be a bubba church that has been there one hundred years. Its appeal is for natives and long-term family connections. The Subbuban church plant knows it won’t be Redeemer Manhattan but does play a vital role. Be who you are.
Silverbulletism – Silver+Bullet – what all church leaders always seem to want to solve an issue they want to be addressed by an outside consultant. Many churches and leaders chase Silverbulletism every year or two with some new program or ministry.
Wandism – The desire for a magic wand to fix all issues. See Silverbulletism above.
Methodolatry – Method+Idolatry – not sure this was original to me, but this is what happens when our method for accomplishing a particular task or mission becomes the idol to which we bow our knees. Many good methods eventually become the idols instead of the mission. Example: The mission is not to have Sunday School for kids but to train up a child in the way they should go. [PS – I am a Sunday school fan for most churches] It’s when a particular method of doing Sunday School becomes THE way of accomplishing the mission that it becomes Methodolatry.
ScheduOload – Schedule+Overload – when the schedule is so overloaded in any way. Many churches and leaders have no think time and ponder time due to scheduOload. Also occurs when a church schedule has so many activities that are good but don’t make significant contributions to the overall mission.
Redumbancy – Reduncany+Dumb – The lack of creating some measure of redundancy into key systems or adherence to wise policies in certain areas. Example: We were stolen from because we had only one person handling the money. We should have had some redundancy in the system to at least require two people to affect a fraud. What we had was redumbancy.
Resilitaint – Resliant+Ain’t – (I pray my English teaching mother forgives me) – A process that is not resilient when under pressure or stress. The Texas Electrical grid is a prominent current example. But so is the leadership board of a church when dominated by the pastor’s family and close friends. In a crisis, it ain’t very resilient.
A few really good ones after the ad below
We now do two weekly “Happy Hour” Peer Forum calls on Wednesdays.
Senior Pastor Happy Hour
For Larger Church Senior Pastors - Weekly Zoom gathering where we ask questions of concern to all for round-robin answers with occasional special guest resources. Get input from fellow travelers to stay abreast of current thinking. Private, confidential, free-flowing, and fun every week. To apply for an invite - send an email to Linda.Stanley@generis.com.
Upcoming call on the impact of cryptocurrency and churches which is not to be missed.
Executive Pastor Weekly Forum
Calling it “Happy Hour” wouldn’t fit for Executive Pastors would it? Join other large church executive pastors for a weekly zoom forum where we talk about the questions that are on your mind. This forum is co-hosted with Generis consultant, Jon Wright with frequent contributions from me as well.
Both experiences are invitation only. Apply for an invitation to this space-limited opportunity by sending an email to daniel@ligongroup.com.
Unique words continue
A few here from my consulting for churches during Strategy StoryCrafting:
Stretchkt#*! – Stretch+and excuse my language word – a type of goal that is clearly way beyond the capacity, capability and reality for a given team. “I know we only reached one person last year but let’s plan to reach 1000 this year.” A goal that is inherently demotivating to the team.
Sproutcomes – Spirit-led outcomes – ultimate outcomes of our activity that are Spirit-led, often unseen by human eyes. Things like unity, growing deeper. Hard to measure things but things we hope for.
Inspiraction – Inspire+Action – the belief that many lead pastors have that with enough inspiration and vision, good stuff will eventually happen. Sometimes lightning strikes, but more often someone comes alongside to build a plan where others can get on board and help.
Limplementation – Limp+implementation – that hard part of a planning process where there are good vision and some implementation steps, but no accountability on a regular basis to push forward. When that happens, the plan, outcomes, and results just limp along. A lot of churches are good at Inspiration but it often devolves to limplementation.
Now a few on money and ministry:
Monestry – Money+Mystery – When I ask a pastor: How’s the money situation doing and what is your plan to pay for that? “It’s a mystery to me. I don’t know much how that works beyond looking at the totals each week.” Pastors need clarity, not mystery on God’s provisions here.
Genefearosity – Generosity+Fear – “If we talk about generosity too much, people will turn us off.” The neglect of teaching, preaching, and asking for fear of rejection. We need to be challenging and bold with people in sharing the vision, need and purpose for generosity to benefit THEM, not just our local fellowship. Get over your Genefearosity.
We have some friends and tools here at Generis to help with that. Let me know if you need them. It’s not me, but some running buddies can certainly help you over Genefearosity.
I have more but that’s enough for now.
Do you have any to share with me? Send them in and I will give them a shout in a future issue. Or, tell me which ones you like best here. And use them in a sentence this week and see if it helps you in communicating with your team to help them understand.
GREAT THINGS GOD HAS DONE PODCAST:
This week the guest is Mark DeYmaz. From baseball to pastor to entrepreneur.
Listen to the entire episode here.
And thanks for the many great comments from the regular listeners who have listened to the earlier episodes of pastor’s life stories and how they impact their own leadership practices. Season Two and new excerpts coming soon.
This issue was written and produced by Dave Travis - Director of Strategic Counsel to Pastors and Church Boards - Generis.