Typically the first generation of an organization can be characterized as a dynamic time! In fact, most organizations' histories could be graphed by using a bell-shaped curve. The organization tends to begin strong, ascends, plateaus, and then descends.
Why?
Among the number of possible reasons, the loss of purpose has to be one of the greatest. When an organization's activities are separated from its purposes, death begins to set in. Soon signs of life in the organization cease to be visible even though activities continue.
The asking of "WHY" is a habit that every organization needs to develop no matter what the size. Why do we have Board Meetings once a month? Why do we have Sunday School? Why do we have a visitation program? Why don't we involve ourselves in more social ministries? On and on the list goes. Because answers to "WHY" questions come more difficult than answers to "WHAT" questions we tend to shy away from asking those most important questions. Yet without asking the "WHY" questions, an organization can easily find itself going through the motions -- no longer conscious of its purpose or even its ultimate objective.
This book has been written to clarify the "WHY" questions behind the activities of this ministry. Without placing these in print we can easily wander from that which God has shown us. My own prayer is that God will keep this organization alive and vibrant by always causing us to trace our activities back to their purposes rather than being content to stop at the answer." . . because we've always done it before."
Dave Arch
Additional Considerations
1. What additional reasons can you think of that make that bell-shaped curve a typical pattern of organizations?
2. Can you think of some organization you know that fits the progression described here? Explain in specific terms what happened in that organization.
3. What would you look for in an organization to try and determine whether they had lost their purpose?
This book has been organized into four chapters to better explain the philosophy of this ministry. Click on any of the highlighted links below to be transferred to that chapter. Then use your backspace key on your browser to come back to this page for the next chapter.
The first chapter concerns itself with the foundation of any organizational activities -- priorities. What are this organization's priorities?
The second section has us exploring leadership principles. How is this organization led? On what basis is that leadership chosen and developed?
Chapter three looks at the training of the organization as instructional principles are highlighted.
The final chapter has been designed to look at service principles. How is recruitment for ministries done? What principles guide in the development of new ministries and the terminating of older ministries?
Although this book need not be used from cover to cover, for maximum benefit it does need to be interrelated as to its divisional sections.