What do you think of when you hear the term "The System"?
How about the phrase "a cog in the machine"?
We don't view either of these phrases in positive ways. In fact, we usually talk about ways of "beating the system" and refer to company men as "just another cog in the machine."
Often times, we take this approach to organizations because we think of them as easily corruptible. And true, this can (and has) happened many times over. However, despite the many times corporate corruption has infiltrated groups that began with a good purpose, I believe the organization still has the best chance to bring about positive change. An individual can be a great champion and cheerleader, but he or she must have a supporting cast to carry out the mission. A cast where everyone has a specific task that is different, yet brings to life the over-arching goal. For this reason, it is a powerful thing to be a cog in the machine and a small part in a big system.
Take the human body, for example. The gallbladder is just one of many organs. It's one of the smaller organs, only 6-9 centimeters in length. We can actually live without this tiny organ, even though it helps us process and breakdown the food we eat. Yet, missing a gallbladder carries serious setbacks. People living without a gallbladder cannot eat large meals. Because the gall bladder secretes bile into the small intestines, which helps digest fat, people without one must instead eat snack-sized portions throughout the day. Eating smaller portions prevents the "dumping syndrome" in which food is too quickly transported from the stomach to the small intestines. So while the human body can continue living without this organ, the digestive system is at a large disadvantage in its absence.
The gallbladder is a part of a greater system - the digestive system, to be exact. The digestive system is part of an even bigger operating machine, which we call the human body. Within this body are even more systems, namely the circulatory, musculo-skeletal, endocrine, nervous, excretory, integumentary, reproductive, and respiratory systems. Within each system are many more parts, some of which are large, and some even smaller than the gallbladder. Because each system in the body is made up of parts working together to meet the same goal, it works. When even one part in this overall system goes down, the whole body suffers.
The same can said of organizations. Many systems exist within any given organization. These systems are made up of people and functions, and no matter which function people find themselves in, the work they do matters for the health of the organization.
Like any other organization, churches certainly have their systems. Teaching teams, worship leaders, small groups, outreach groups, mission teams, and finance teams are typical for most churches. They each meet specific needs within a church, and each are very important. And while any of these parts are capable of being corrupted, they are more likely to produce something beneficial for the overall system. More than just another cog in the machine, each part is THE cog for THAT specific function of the machine.
So what part do you play in your church? I write this assuming you play a specific role, as this site is for leaders. And if, in fact, you do play a role, how are you viewing your place in the system? How do you view the system?
General systems theory is a great framework for church leaders to consider. Through this framework, we see our churches as a group of parts working together for the same reason.
I mentioned many parts of this in my first post, but this theory is essential for anyone involved in organizational work. Therefore, it's worth repeating many times over. The system or machine can be a good thing, and it's an inescapable part of accomplishing positive change. What we must remember as leaders is to play our role in the systems we lead. We must put in our strengths and allow others to put their strengths into the same system. When we view our churches in such a way, we empower individuals with different abilities to be a part of the same goal.
This is how our churches will collectively change the world.
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