Catalyst One Day Session 1 – Andy Stanley

Unexpected little gift today, sat at breakfast table with Craig Groeschel,
Andy Stanley and Bobby Gwald. All incredibly nice!!

Session 1

Andy Stanley

I  Gaining and Sustaining Momentum

“If you don’t know what creates your momentum, you are one stupid step away from killing it.”
“What if there is a principle/formula for momentum?” A Commonality to momentum?

A predictable system is part of how the Holy Spirit works in church/people.

Three components of Sustained Momentum

1. New
2. Improved
3. Improving

A.  New

1. New triggers momentum.
2. Anything new, by definition, generates some kind of momentum.
3. The momentum can be positive or negative.

• Negative Event – Negative Momentum – 9/11
• Negative Event – Positive Moentum – Rescue
• Positive Event – Positive Momentum – New Sports Franchise

tip: Neg circumstances are the fertile soil for a burst of positive momentum

    4.  Organiztional momentum is often triggered by one of three things.

• New Leadership
• New Direction
• New Product

    5.  Implication: When evaluating an org or program that lacks momentum, ask, “Do we need a new leader, a new directrion, or a new product?  Or do we need some combo of the 3?

    6.  Momentum is never triggered by tweaking somthing OLD. It is triggered by introducing something NEW.  – New doesn’t guatantee sustained momentum

B.  Improved

1. The new must be a NOTICEABLE improvement over the old.
2. When evaluating a new option, ask, “Is this a significant improvement over what we had before?”
   Momentum will bring more people.
   Warning: Even a significant improvement has a shelf life.

C.  Improving

1. Momentum is sustained through CONTINOUS improvement.
2. Continuous iprovement requires SYSTEMATIC evaluation. (needs to be built into rhythm of org)
3. Continuous improvement requires UNFILTERED evaluation.
4. Continuous improvement requires that nothing and nobody be off limits.

II Applying “New and Improved” to the World of Ministry

A.  New

1. New personel
2. New programming
3. New Season
4. New series
5. NEw look
6. New venues

B.  Improving

1. Look for ways o upgrade your PRESENTATION
2. Visit other ORGANIZATIONS
3. Attend other CHURCHES

III  Momentum Stoppers

A.  Disengaged LEADER

B.  Overactive MANAGEMENT

C.  COMPLACENCY – tip: you rarely regain momentum by simplly doing what you did to create it in the first place.

D.  COMPLEXITY – works against momentum (do 2 or 3 things very well)

E.  A breach of TRUST

Managers manage to sameness, predictability
Momentum creates chaos. Need good mix of leader/mgr.

Q’s

who to pick for team to help you evaluate?
People who created whats being evaluated. Get feedback from a survey.

New seasons?
tailor rhythm/seasonality of program to those you’re trying to serve. Life cycle of singles is ~3months. Shorter than adults, students, kids  Introduce NEW every 3 months for singles.

Balance between mvmt of God, mvmt of man…God assembling people vs men assembling people?
God works thru principles, gives us gifts. Impleent what NT teaches.

Parameters of Complexity? Who decides the level of complexity?
Lead pastor, elders