Fractaling Leadership and Ministry: Replicating DNA

Note: To see animated graphics on how this works, see the PowerPoint section. Also, if you wish to be able to have the graphics, you will find them on the Leadership On The OtherSide CD available for purchase in the Store.

I. In the tour we said that leaders equip individuals to replicate the DNA in others in every level of the organization and in every cell. They provide an environment in which people replicate the church's DNA by living out their spiritual gifts (genes). They grow disciples not on preconceived organizational needs, but on the God-given gifts of the individual.

A. Replicating the DNA is harder than discovering it. In an organic church the role of leadership is to guard the DNA and ensure that it replicates. In such a church the role of leaders is grow disciples who grow disciples. As the world's population explodes, addition is no longer enough; multiplication is the mission.

B. The best method we have seen of this to date is what is called the Fractal Method. Its origins come from both Exodus 18 and from the way in which Jesus trained his disciples and the way Paul envisioned leadership development "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2

1. Fractalling is the constant repetition of something over and over. It is everyone training everyone to be a leader. In organic life it is seen in the way life replicates the same pattern over and over as seen in a simple leaf off of a tree.

2. Every leader asks "Who can I get to help me on this mission?" and "How can I break this project down into small enough pieces to include lots of people in the mission?"

II. The Fractalling Exercise. You can see this entire exercise in graphic form on our CD Leadership On The OtherSide Study Guide.

A. For the sake of the exercise just assume that all Fractals are in multiple of fours. Fractals are the constant repetition of a pattern over and over.

B. Take the worship service as our example.

1. Someone is chosen to be the worship leader. This person is considered a "Leader of leaders." This person's mission is not to do worship but to find four other people who will help by finding four other people who will find four other people and so on. Here is how that person would proceed.

2. Draw a circle with the words "Worship Team" above it. The circle represents everything that happens in worship.

3. Then draw a cross hair in the circle making four quadrants out of the circle. As a group decide on four major elements of worship that require someone's time prior to the actual worship service (with exception of the sermon).

4. Put one of these elements in each quadrant. Another leader of leaders has to be found. For our purposes lets put music, logistics, visuals, and the arts. Now you have five leaders.

5. As a leader, you now need four people to fill the circle and assist you in accomplishing worship. You have just fractalled from one into five.

6. Now, take it a step further. Another leader of leaders has to be found. Put a cross hair in each quadrant and Fractal Music. Lets say that now you have writers, instruments, singes, and whatever else you choose as the fourth part. Now you have fractalled again and there are ten leaders.

7. Now, fractal again with Instruments. Another leader of leaders has to be found. Lets say you put organist, keyboard, drums, and piano. Now there are fifteen leaders.

8. Now, fractal the logistics. Another leader of leaders has to be found. This time the fractal is nursery, hosts, decision table, and ushers. Now there are twenty people working in the worship ministry as leaders.

9. The key is:
a. To make sure that the original Fractal for the whole church is done properly. It must include everything the church will do in macrocosm. From there everything else fractals out. In Growing Spiritual Redwoods, Tom Bandy and I talk about this as Inviting, Growing, and Sending. To those you add Logistics and you have one way to do the original fractal.
b. Limit the amount of time people have to spend in ministry to those things that they love to do and are gifted to do. No one burns out. No one. And the Laborers are many and so is the harvest.
c. No one is responsible for more than four people plus their spouses, so every ten people have a shepherd (you have to include the spouses of the four and the leader).

10. How many people would this draw into fulfilling ministry based on their gifts if your church Fractalled?

11. The same process can be used for staffing. For example, Worship, Administration, Lay Mobilization, and Outreach could be your fractal. A key leader of leaders, paid or unpaid, would be over these broad areas.

12. The key is that leaders work with fewer people in order to reach more people.

C. Imagine a congregation where every leader mentors two or three potential leaders. Every person who joins the church starts a prayer group or Bible study or a support group for people they know who don't come to church. Every parent of teenagers receives training to understand how to reach out to friends of their son or daughter. Every teacher is encouraged to find one or two other teachers who shares his/her values and begin a support network. Every office manager is taught how to deal with employee problems in ways that those being helped learn how to help others in similar situations. Every person who joins the church brings two or three people with them. Leaders no longer come to church by themselves or just with their own family. Every one brings someone else with them. Sunday School teachers and small group leaders do not teach or facilitate solo, but each one has two or three people at their side whom they are training to go and do likewise. The person responsible for the visuals during worship doesn't just do the Power Point presentation, but has two or three people alongside learning how to do it. No longer do people say, "We'll let Raoul do that because he is an expert." Instead they say, "Looks like you're ready to learn the next step - we'll get Raoul to teach you, then you can show Jan how to do it." In such a church, no one does anything of any value alone.

Recommended Resource

"Leadership On the OtherSide Study Guide CD", EBA, www.easumbandy.com, or 361-749-5364

Wayne Cordeiro, Doing Church as a Team, ICM Press at New Hope Christian Fellowship, Box 11132, Honolulu, HI 96828. www.NewHope-hawaii.org