Crossroads At the Way and Churchianity

by Jesse Steele

interested in talking to you.

  Hank: Even though I’m mentally constipated?

  Don: Especially because you’re mentally constipated.

  Hank: But why take your time on someone like me?

  Don: Well, for starters, you didn’t walk out when I started being honest with you—and you’ve been honest with me also. That means that you are ahead of 95% of the people in the world. But also, you have a calling as a pastor… just think about how many people I can help merely by helping you.

  Hank: Duplication. You’re duplicating your work by helping me.

  Don: Never do something yourself if you can pay someone else to do it.

  Hank: You are going to pay me to talk to others?

  Don: Well, out of God’s treasury.

  Hank: You mean the church budget.

  Don: No, I mean your true payment is that you’ll fulfill what’s in your heart. I’m not the one paying you. God gives each of us a desire and we aren’t satisfied until we pursue it. He doesn’t do what he pays us to do. Leadership and business are similar. Find your passion. It will direct you… and it’s your reward.

  Hank: Paying others, in a real “business” sense is expensive, though.

  Don: You can’t always think of things in terms of money. Like I said, it’s not the only motivator. If someone doesn’t want money, don’t offer it to them. Many people will do stuff free.

  Hank: Yeah? Like what?

  Don: You just said it.

  Hank: Said what?

  Don: Ever head of the “Like” button?

  Hank: Oh, yeah, social networks and tweetie.

  Don: Exactly. People will advertise stuff to their friends free of charge. If you gave money to people every time they hit the “Like” button they would stop liking stuff from their friends. People talk about stuff they are interested in when they don’t get paid for it. The relationship with friends is there payment.

  Hank: But I can’t just quit my job. I can’t earn money without one.

  Don: That’s because you are financially illiterate. By not knowing how money works you are allowing local politics to interfere with the vision God has put in your heart.

  Hank: But I don’t have time to learn about money. I have meetings to go to.

  Don: Why are you so certain that all those meetings are necessary?

  Hank: I lead a meeting. People at that meeting work with volunteers. They put on a Christmas program and people’s lives change after they understand what amazing things Jesus did for them. I need to go to meetings so it can happen.

  Don: Good. You demonstrate long-range planning skills. You see how one action today affects results later. But you’re missing one thing.

  Hank: What’s that?

  Don: Evaluation.

  Hank: What?

  Don: You have results in your life and you help people learn from what you yourself have done, yes. But how do you know that there isn’t a far more effective way to help people understand how Jesus’ work at the Cross can change their lives for the better?

  Hank: Well, this is what we’ve always done and it’s what I learned in Seminary.

  Don: Is that the only reason you can come up with?

  Hank: We do have surveys and we don’t do things the same way they have always been done. We change-up the Christmas show every year so it’s more effective… and the numbers show results.

  Don: You only care about numbers?

  Hank: No, numbers are people and you yourself know how money translates to actual time with family. Money puts food on my table—yours too.

  Don: Yep. You’re right. I just wanted to see if your head was in the right place.

  Hank: We evaluated, reinvented, did our homework. We even surveyed the area to find out which petty, little things keep people away from church. You know what we found?

  Don: What did you find?

  Hank: We found that the number one reason people didn’t come to church was the greeter at the door. Oh, boy. The elders were angry when I suggested getting rid of the greeter.

  Don: Okay. You demonstrate an ability to let go of old systems that are no longer necessary. Yesterday’s success can hinder tomorrow.

  Hank: My dad used to say something to that effect.

  Don: But you’re still missing one thing…

  Hank: And what is that?

  Don: As I said, evaluation. You evaluated the past, but you’ve not evaluated at the level of the big picture.

  Hank: What do you mean?

  Don: You’re willing to let go to a degree, but not fully. For example, you’ve taken a Christmas program from average to excellent. That’s good. But how do you know that a Christmas program is necessary in the first place?

  Hank: Are you suggesting to get rid of Christmas?

  Don: You are hearing me say things I didn’t say. That’s your mental constipation again. But this time, I think it’s rooted in fear.

  Hank: Fear?

  Don: Fear is dangerous. Deep down, you keep that Christmas program because you’re afraid of letting it go. It’s not necessarily bad—but liking something shouldn’t be your reason for keeping it. You have given me nothing to suggest that it’s best to have that Christmas program in the first place.

  Hank: Well, what do you suggest?

  Don: I’m not a professional minister. So, I wouldn’t know. My business is widgets.

  Hank: “Widgets”!? As in, you’re not telling me what your business is.

  Don: No. Widgets, as in, I make small applications people install on their mobile devices.

  Hank: You’re a computer programmer?

  Don: No. I never do anything myself that I can pay someone else to do for me.

  Hank: Where did you get the money to pay them?

  Don: I didn’t. Never do something yourself that you can pay someone else to do for you.

  Hank: You pay someone else to pay them?

  Don: Yep. That’s business.

  Hank: So, what to you actually do? This isn’t income without industry, is it? You’re not a leach are you?

  Don: No. I innovate. I look at the big picture, interpret the obviously not-so-obvious, and keep my company trimming back things that don’t matter. It’s like dusting furniture. Everything is always shedding old skin and the trash always needs to be taken out. Realizing that you don’t need to keep doing what you did yesterday is not easy. But if you can break free from the past every morning, thoroughly understand people’s ever-changing needs, and be creative at the same time, well, then you’ve got something—and that’s what I specialize in.

  Hank: Doesn’t all this time you spend with people take away from your business?

  Don: Where do you think I learn what the widget market needs?

  Hank: Oh, from talking to people.

  Don: Business is about people. If you don’t understand people you can’t understand business.

  Hank: Well, that makes sense.

  Don: Now, I’m starting to think there may be a marketable need for widgets that help people who suffer from mental constipation.

  Hank: And what would that widget do?

  Don: It would teach people like you to let go of things that don’t matter. That will solve many of your problems.

  Hank: How can that solve the problem I have with my church?

  Don: First, from what you told me, it sounds like your problem is that you have a conflict of interest. That itself will cause many other problems.

  Hank: What conflict of interest?

  Don: Have you ever asked them why they hired you if they don’t want to listen to you?

  Hank: Sometimes, yeah. Well, I’ve wondered anyhow.

  Don: The problem is that they haven’t wondered that themselves. So many people go through life without thinking about why they do what they do. God’s people would make a bigger impact in the world if they would think about stuff. You’re controlled by a bunch of people who are going nowhere fast. They are controlling you through a thing called a paycheck.

 
; Hank: How do I change that?

  Don: You can’t. Not even God can steer a parked car.

  Hank: You have a really simple way of seeing things.

  Don: No, I’m just not mentally constipated. I stay focused on thinking big… big value from God (He loves me very much)… big ability (God’s given me everything I need)… big picture… big dreams… big.

  Hank: Big problems…

  Don: …and big mistakes lead to big learning…

  Hank: The more you learn, the more you feel the burn.

  Don: The modern education system discourages mistakes and in doing so it discourages the greatest learning. It’s why school can prevent people from thinking big… if you let it.

  Hank: How do I overcome those obstacles?

  Don: Well, what kind of food do you give your mind?

  Hank: I don’t watch too much TV. I try to read journals and research publications.

  Don: That’s your problem. You’re mentally constipated because you’re reading too much theory.

  Hank: Is that stuff bad? Information is important.

  Don: I look at information to help innovation and leadership of my widget company. But I don’t fill my mind with other people’s opinions about every detsil. I try to look at as much raw data as I can. When I read someone’s opinion, I don’t want people who tell me the conclusions. I read authors who help me learn to see the conclusions on my own. I never read someone I don’t agree with at least 80% and disagree with at least 5%. If I agree with someone more than 95% then they are either brainwashing me or I’d do better to talk to myself. If it’s not necessary, don’t do it. Keep it simple.

  Hank: Wow. I thought that only PG-13 movies and soap operas where the bad influence.

  Don: News can be also. Most news reporting is “bad” news and exploits the human addiction to negativity, “You should be afraid of everything in the world… keep watching out channel to learn