Andy Stanley Closes Catalyst

Andy gave one of the most practical messages on change in an organization. If you are in a church or company or organization and are frustrated with lack of change--then get a CD or DVD of this talk right away. Don't delay. It's that good.

• Some systems impede ministry. Some systems help ministry.
• If you don’t figure out systems, you’ll be frustrated and fire people because you think it’s’ their fault when it’s really because you haven’t set up good systems.
• Talks don’t create behaviors. Preaching does not create behaviors. Cool environments don’t create behaviors. Systems create behaviors.
• Our whole evangelism strategy is summed up in two words: “Invest and Invite.” Invest in relationships with unbelievers and at the appropriate time, invite them to an environment where they can hear the gospel.
• If your people won’t invite people to church, it’s because you don’t have a system that is working toward that behavior.
• Can't get people to join small groups? Create a system that is designed to get people in groups.
• Every good system has these components...
  • Expectations or Rules
  • Rewards (or lack of). What gets rewarded gets repeated.
  • Consequences (or lack of)
  • Communication (content and style)
  • Behavior (of those in charge)
• Systems have a greater impact on behavior than mission statements.
• Your staff is doing exactly what you have led and rewarded them to do.
• Somewhere in your organization you are rewarding the wrong thing and then you are mad because you aren't getting something that you want.
• Nothing changes in your organization unless you change systems. And it is VERY HARD to change systems.
• In the New Testament we find out what the early church did. It is not a roadmap for what we should do.
• Churches that are led by we (congregational) instead of me (a leader with accountability) are the ones that tend to end up with disfunctional systems.
• Your systems should allow you to make complex decisions in the context of a small group of empowered decisions.
• Next steps - work through these questions...
  • What are the behaviors we want our people to do?
  • What is one thing we are doing to encourage those behaviors? What are we doing in the rhythm of our organization to motivate that type of behavior?
  • List the things you are doing, maybe inadvertently, that encourage the opposite of that behavior?

I'm serious. Get the DVD from Catalyst of this talk.