Have you noticed that the more your church grows, the harder your leadership task becomes? In fact, your leader challenges are much bigger than sheer numbers.
Here’s the ministry background. Communication channels—the connective tissue for groups—keep leaders connected to others. With sturdy communication webs throughout your faith community, you’re apt to serve more effectively as a communicator and leader. Simple, right?
Do the math
Now, here’s the ministry pinch. The larger your faith community grows, the more difficult communication becomes. Your communication channels increase both in number and in complexity as your church gets larger. What happens exactly?
Here’s a scientific formula to calculate how communication channels mushroom geometrically as groups expand:
n (n – 1) / 2 = Number of Communication
Channels in groups
Count the total number of persons in your group. Then, multiple that total by the number in the group minus 1. Finally, divide the product by 2. The resulting number is the exact number of communication channels—those direct relational ties you have to others—in any group. That’s the number of communication bonds leaders cultivate.
To illustrate, let’s apply the communication channels’ formula to some groups in Jesus’ ministry. Notice how quickly complexity increases in larger groups:
• 4 > 6. Consider Jesus’ “inner circle” of four persons—Jesus, Peter, James, and John. Six communication channels anchor any cluster of four—4 times 3 divided by 2. There are six primary communication channels, or six direct relationship links, in groups of four.
• 13 > 78. Jesus and his 12 apostles had 78 bonds or communication channels in their group—13 times 12 divided by 2. The group grew threefold beyond the inner circle’s numbers, but communication became six times more complex. Dramatic, isn’t it?
• 71 > 2,485. Remember when Jesus sent out the 70 evangelists? There were 2,485 bonds in that cluster. See how strikingly the leadership and communication responsibilities grow as group size increases?
• 5,001 > 12,500,000+. Now, consider when Jesus fed the 5,000. The number of relational bonds and communication channels in that open-air gathering was more than twelve-and-a-half million!
See your leadership challenge? The membership roll of your church may grow a little bit, but that maze of communication channels multiplies a lot.
Now what?
How can you respond as a leader when a one-to-many communication effort—an announcement or bulletin note or sermon—doesn’t do the job? Try these actions:
• Invest more in your communication opportunities. The more communication channels you have, the more resources you have to draw on for ministry.
• Use your entire range of communication approaches and media—verbal and nonverbal, on paper and online, relational and informational.
• Concentrate on three kinds of relationships. Each is a relational resource.
a. Personal relationships with one-on-one communication. These ties draw on the spiritual depth of heart-to-heart conversations. These more intimate communication channels keep you connected to your faith community and let you see ministry needs. Face-to-face exchanges can be supplemented by phone and electronic contacts, as long as emotions are consistently communicated in “you and me” language.
b. Hub relationships with one-to-few communication. Rely on one-to-few communication channels to connect with co-leaders in your faith community. Stakeholders and team leaders of core ministries are indispensable allies in overall congregational leadership, empowering ministry’s pivot points.
Ironically, most leaders get more training in one-to-one and one-to-many relationships than in how to work with teams, councils or clusters, the hubs of ministry progress. Stakeholders are nourished by all kinds of communication channels—private and public, formal and informal, detailed information and strategic perspective. Involve co-leaders in the mix. Regardless of communication media used, the intensity and linkages of “we” language moves one-to-few projects along.
c. Peripheral relationships with “places with spaces” communication. Leaders recognize that some congregational members prefer the periphery or edges of their community. They feel adequately connected, but they aren’t ready for the community’s spotlight. These members want and need emotional elbow room.
These peripheral bonds are important for several reasons: some members and potential leaders like to survey the shoreline before they move into deeper water, some members are naturally more introverted and are comfortable with privacy, and some members are wounded or worn down and need a resting place on the edges of community life while they recharge their spirits. Communicate with peripheral members in public settings or by means of electronic postings. They want to know what’s happening; they also want to watch it happen from a safe perch for now. Information—in “us” language—is important to your members on the periphery.
Your stewardship of complexity
You’re facing a good problem. When your church grows, so does the complexity of your leader challenges. Use all of your communication channels, media and relationships well.
Bob Dale ([email protected]) is a leader coach and retired denominational leader living in Richmond, Va.