Permission Giving Analogy

From our forums
  
We’ve had a small leadership team of people who’s “eye’s light up” when you talk about new possibilities working on a leadership retreat for our new church council officers later this summer.  (Our elections are this month with term of office starting July 1 and running until June 30.)

    We were struggling with “permission giving” in the context of a history of a Council used to “reports and decisions” and we stumbled into talking about what we expect our kids to do with sports and games.

    It’s simple.  We teach our kids the rules of a game and then we let them go play it!

    There may be a referee who keeps everything “in bounds” and a “rules book” that defines the boundaries, (accountability) but the kids are not asked to report in on everything they do (running, kicking, scoring, etc.) nor do they need “permission” from the “parents council” that meets between the periods of the game.  They already have it before the game starts!

   Sometimes the kids even organize a game in the street without the referees and “self-referee” themselves.

    The church’s “rule book” then becomes the list of “core values” and our “mission statement” being the purpose of the game.  This thought took us well beyond simply keeping score and gathering lots of statistics to the very heart of why we are doing what we are doing in the first place.

     This helped a couple of the members of our group to “see the light” in that they could relate to this on many levels and buy into it instinctively.

    Also, another idea for understanding that we need to be clarifying our own “core values” came out a connection with the “Character Counts” program that many schools in our area are using.

    Our “suburban” planning group quickly agreed that, sadly, schools need to supply what’s been missing in the kids “home life” training of values.
    So too, the church needs to supply the “Spiritual Character values” that is missing in most of the church attendees today. (especially many long term ones....)

    Anyway, it was a breakthrough that moved some of our core team members a number of steps along our way of shared insight and “wrestling with God” about church renewal and revival.

    Do either of these images work for you?  Any other ideas?  Parables?   Images?  ....that have helped your process?


Response

Terry, I love your analogy here. My best analogy for church I come back to over and over again is a soccer team. I played defender in my college days. The analogies are so powerful to me but so few Americans understand soccer that I don't find it that helpful to use them. Here are some of my reflections based on my college playing days which I know is beyond what you were referencing.

1. Flexible Strategy - Configurations change from game to game, depending on the opposing team, player personnel available, and even the condition of the field. Think of three lines of players. The line nearest the opposing goal is the forwards. The next line is the midfielders. The final line is the defenders, just in front of the goalie and the goal. A traditional line up is 5-3-2. (5 Forwards, 3 midfielders, 2 defenders.) We often used a 4-3-3. Sometimes a 4-3-2-sweeper, 4-3-sweeper-2, or a 3-4-3. (Sweeper is a player who roams the full width of the field between lines.)

2. Rapid Strategic Adaptability - Configurations can change literally “on the fly” as it is determined that new factors have emerged.

3. Discernment of, and Best Use of, Gifts. - Assignments to positions are based on gifts and skills. Forwards, are usually very fast. Midfielders usually have great endurance. Defenders are usually have canons for legs. Goalies are fearless, and as the only ones with whole field in front of them, traffic cops. (Goalies generally are insane but that is for another discussion.)

4. Mission Focus not Positional Focus - Positions at any given moment are adaptable. As a defender, I would occasionally by confronted with downed or out of position teammates. I had to drive the ball deep across half field in to a forward’s position until things could realign. Then, I would slide back into my position.

5. Real Time Decision Making - There are occasional lulls but no time outs except for the half. (The official time keeper on the field stops his clock on occasion (ex. for injuries) but the game is simply extended by what ever time the official stopped the clock for. To the players it is seamless.)

6. Visionary Foresight - Set plays are learned in practice but unlike football or baseball there is no way to pause and set things up. Players sense an opportunity for execution of a practiced play based on circumstances and seize the moment.

7. Mission Over Legalism - Many infractions, if there is no injury and no advantage gained by the perpetrator, are simply ignored. The game is allowed to proceed uninterrupted. The referee yells “play on” and nothing stops.
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8. Opportunity Driven - The best players are the ones that see the opening and closing of spaces between the opposing players, not the opposing players themselves. They take measure of opportunity not obstacle.

9. Committed Community - Players on the field are in constant conversation with each other. They warn of danger. They offer their help if needed a let others know they are present. They coordinate strategy running at full speed. The exhort each other. They occasionally.. shall we say… chastise each other. They come to each others
defense when wrong has been done. The more experienced ones mentor the less experienced ones.

10. Formation – Giftedness alone is not enough. Corporate and individual discipline is essential. Practice and coaching allows a level of teamwork to develop that seems clairvoyant. Function becomes as one body. Coaches don’t do a lot during the game. Their role is to get everyone equipped for the game.

As I have said before, if most American churches were a soccer team, what we would see is the players huddled at the sideline. They would be saying, “You know the pastor has better training and more years of experience playing this game then we do. How about we put him in the game and we will sit on the sidelines and cheer him on?”

Anyway, just some thoughts you inspired me to write down.