The Bridge

Launch Team Challenges and Solutions

Communication – Our number was very large and undefined. We had some people who signed up but didn’t receive communication from us. Others decided to drop out without telling us. Other people said they wanted to be a part of our launch team but didn’t know how to be a part of it.

Each of these issues carried a challenge that was hard to overcome and we let it exist as a reality rather then targeting any solutions.

Random, Sporadic, & Unreliable – Over 70% of our launch team was dependable, punctual, and model servants of the kingdom and we praise God for that. However this also means that close to 30% left us in a lurch, scrambling, or in a bind. We had many that would call us letting us know they couldn’t make it. These people still land in the 70% of dependable. Often weather or sick kids were the excuse. What was challenging is that some people just bailed on us. They did two of the six weeks.

The solution for this challenge was often knee jerk scrambling. Kate juggled each of the weeks changes better then a circus clown. Our posture has always been one of grace though. We know that life is unpredictable and our launch team was set up to be fluid and flexible.

Distance & Context – Throughout the first six months we have had numerous phone calls of people wishing to help in different areas. They wanted to help “minister” whatever that means. Or they would offer resources that were of no use to us. Still others would offer us things they just didn’t want which sometimes is frustrating. Others wanted us to create service projects for them. Great idea but a lot of work on our end and we had other initiatives that we were trying to get going. It is amazing how different a mindset and context can be with just 45 minutes of separation.

My solution to this challenge that will always be with us was to adopt the “just say no” motto. Kate and I learned to artfully and politely let people know that we would file their name, idea, or resource and let them know if anything develops. Much to our surprise we found ourselves following up with a need often.

Transition Time – The launch team has ended as of last week. This leaves us short close to 40 volunteers and helpers each week. We are starting to plug regular attendees into different roles but feel like our transition time is going to be challenging.

Our solution was to initiate a Launch Team Park II that would consist of 40 families re-signing-up through May. We wanted to stand up and make announcement at our mother church but conflicts kept us from being able to make such an announcement. Our monthly e-mail was met with little response (see communication challenge) and as of this week we have 15 families that have taken us up on the Launch Team Part II.

Core Team Challenges and Solutions

Vision Casting & Encouragement – My hope was to pour into this crew and consequently have them each poor into the Bridge. I wanted to ignite them with a vision and cheer them on as they lived it out. However, we only met once a month if we met. I personally didn’t send that many e-mails sharing vision or encouraging. The desire was there but so was the desire to love my family, meet new people, connect people interested in The Bridge, prepare for gatherings, be the primary funnel for operations, and figure out what the heck I am doing.

The solution was to let the Core Team fall by the way side. Kate kept everyone up to speed on a week to week basis and I prayed. The result is nothing less then a miracle. Our group grew and though I didn’t consistently cast vision or encourage they held up their end of the deal and poured themselves out again and again. 

Distance – The Core Team is our home run hitters and they long to play ball everyday. The reality is that 80% of the team is more then 30 minutes away. Early morning meetings and mid week prayer sessions are very challenging. I never want the Bridge to get in the way of family for myself or the Core Team. I’ve heard some quote that you must be able to deny your family and take up the cross but I think using that in such a situation as this is a gross misinterpretation of scripture and harmful to the kingdom.

Our solution has been to go slow. The offer for stepping into new or extra things is often made but always with a disclaimer that there is no pressure to participate. Consequently we have seen many side initiatives championed by various Core Team members and done so with joy. Distance will always be a factor and slowly we are going to move our leadership core to meeting in
Ottumwa but we are also in a position to have this be very slow without any negative effects.

In & Core – We have been blessed with great growth in our young existence. We have more and more people considering themselves to be regular attendees which is good since they regularly attend. Slowly the murmuring of how do we get more involved has begun. This is a great question but a challenging one to answer. Do we invite them into our Core Team? Do we create a second Core Group? Do we tell them to wait?

My solution was to kill the Core Team. We needed to eliminate the possibility of thinking there was an in crowd and an attendee crowd. Our Core Team was fully behind this because what is taking it’s place is a whole new network of teams that we can invite everyone to be a part of.

Meaningless Meetings – Our first Core Team meeting was dynamic and life giving for me. Since then they have gotten far less attention from me and I believe they lack the joyful punch that makes them worth while. I value the get together factor and that is a benefit and I enjoy casting vision and sharing the stories of where we have been and where we are going but I wonder if these things couldn’t take place in other ways. We have a large Core Team and sometimes info only pertains to a small percentage of them. Do we take care of that business now while we have them together or do we hold off and hope it happens later so as to not waist other people’s time.

The solution again was to kill the Core Team. We were badly in need of restructuring how we meet and who communicates to who and setting up some short term systems. A few of us recently sat down and listed off close to 20 different sub teams and organized them under three different categories. Each team is responsible to meeting together and communicating with the appropriate people.

Commitment – The original plan has always been to have the Core Team in existence for one ministry year (May). Not only is this date quickly approaching but so is the haunting question of what would or will we do without them. The Bridge would not be the dynamic ministry it is without the Core Team and their amazing commitment. I am completly humbled by their hearts and joy in the mission God has for us.

The solution is we offered three different options for our Core Team members. Each option is to be prayerfully considered by each individual member and communicated to us by March. The options are to stay on with us through May and give us a big hug when you leave, to sign on for an additional year and bless with your service and love for another year, or to identify the Bridge as your home church and join us in the awesome privilege of journey forward for the sake of the kingdom in the city of Ottumwa. My wife, son, daughter, and I chose option 3.

Peppermint Filled Pinatas was written by Eric Bryant. Erwin McManus is always praising him for what he does at Mosaic. There were quite a few nuggets in this read like the art of woo and hanging out with you oikos. Add to this the challenge of going overboard with grace on young believers and non-Christians and I found this to be a great read to start the new year.

Mega Shift was a book I picked up a couple years ago but never set out to read. A regular attendee of the Bridge asked me to read it. I am very glad I did. This screamed WAKE UP! Our God is alive, active, and on the move. It really has been challenging me on what discipleship looks like.

Augustus is on loan to me from my brother. We decided that for Christmas we would exchange books that we wanted the other to read. Coincidently he exchanged a book I bought for him last year and I was really hoping to read it myself. For a history minor my Roman Empire knowledge is very weak. This was very insightful to me on many levels. The thing that has stuck with me the most is the frequent claim by different Roman leaders to be sons of gods. It reparadigmed some thoughts for me on Jesus claim as well as my own status as a child of God.

 Colossians Remixed excited me because I believe the Bridge most closely resembles the church of Colossi. The more I read Colossians the more I hear myself saying yest that is us! This book opened my eyes to a bunch of new ideas. Some I wish I didn’t know because they are really messing with me. The subtitle of subverting the empire is grand in theory but crazy in practice. Most signficant and challenging read thus far.

The Road Home looked like a great fiction read. I love the story of Ruth and this story is set in modern times. I wasn’t a fan of this book at all though. I didn’t like what the authors dreamed up. Much like Dekker with his fascination with horror these authors seemed to get a kick out of talking about Ruth and her families past that was full of sex, alcohol, and abuse. I have trouble with authors who take delight in talking about things that are dark. Then when it came time for her to meet Boaz it goes soft. To me this was her most frisky time.

Invitation to Solitude and Silence is the second of five books I want to read on Sabbath and rest. I have the hopes of doing an entire series on this topic this summer but found the ideas and practices from this book to be very beneficial to next Sunday’s message on Wind. I’m looking forward to the remaining three books. 

Made to Stick was spotted in an issue of Fast Company and I thought it would be a helpful resource in bettering myself as a communicator. I was right. Their SUCCES strategy carried far more insight then most communication books. I was further encouraged when the authors were open to sighting both Saddle Back and Jesus as sources of how they see these principles being played out. Their SUCCESS principle for those who don’t want to read the book is Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories.

Sex, Sushi, and Salvation was a random purchase. Catchy title and cover made the difference. Unknowingly I had read a previous book by Christian George (Sacred Travels) but didn’t know this was the same guy. Had I known this I probably wouldn’t have bought this book. I’m glad I did. Very similar to Blue Like Jazz. Any book that can draw similarities between the hot dog eating champion Kobayashi and Francis Assisi is entertaining. Go get this book!

This has been a crazy good but hard week. I’ve slept great. Something about not being woke up 5 times during the night. It’s been totally brutal though being away from the family. Every once in awhile Jenny will text me a picture of Toby and Lydia that makes my joy increase but my homesickness heighten. I returned the favor to Jenny by texting her different things from IKEA.

Last night I sung the alphabet song that I made up to Toby over the phone before he went to bed.

The other day Jon and I were going down the elevator and I randomly acted out the movie Elf and triggered every floor on the elevator saying, “It’s A Christmas Tree!” The door opens and while we exit a guy runs into the elevator just in time for an enjoyable and scenic trip north.

Yesterday we got on an elevator to go up in a parking garage. We entered the elevator on the 2nd floor and three guys were already on it. Jon leans against the wall when we got on not realizing he leaned against the floor number buttons. The guys made some hilarious noises of disappointment while Jon and I quickly snuck of just a couple floors later. They still had six more stops.

I got some Christmas money from my Grandma and I saved it for this trip knowing that we would eat out a lot. We’ve been ubber wise on what we order. So far we’ve eaten at Wendy’s, Portillio’s, Rock Bottom Brewery, California Pizza, PF Changs, Calvers, Cheesecake Factory and Chipotle. You can also throw in a few Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts for mid afternoon bursts of caffeine.

We went to Willow Creek yesterday. God has used Willow to forever change my life. I’ve been to a dozen conferences there and been introduced to numerous authors, thoughts, and dreams. I took Jon on a tour and showed him where I sat when I first heard Hybels, McManus, Bell, and countless others. I took advantage of Seeds selection of books you don’t normally see.

IKEA was pretty fun as well. I talked to Jenny while there and she asked a good question, “why isn’t IKEA a bigger rage?” Maybe it is but for us who conveniently live 4 hours from the closest one just aren’t included in it.

Bought a homeless guy lunch today. Lawerence seemed like a nice guy. It was enjoyable sharing life with him.

This afternoon Jon and I are taking off for the Chicago Suburbs.

First stop is Willow Creek

Second stop IKEA!