play-doh

For what to me seems like a decade (more like 2 weeks), I have been working on organizational structure for New Life. Like many churches, we ask people to serve in some capacity but do not have the right channels set up for success for them and our many areas to serve. Makes for fun chaos some days!

The good thing is that we recognize the need to organize and are moving in that direction (and others) to make sure we can help people grow and make the church a better place for people. Seemed to work back in the book of Acts pretty well too.

I sometimes wonder what is the real need for structure. I am not much of a structure guy. I like taking Play-Doh, throwing it on a table and instead of flattening it out and using cookie cutters, I like to mold and make my own designs. It seems easier and more fun.

What I have learned though is that any organization or organism needs structure. You can only go so far, grow so much, play with the doh for so long before the need for structure comes into play. My creation usually isn't as good as when I use the structures in place to make my 'art' (I use that term loosely).

Structure is good. It's healthy. It's not something I like or even like to think about, but it makes us all better in the end!

And it doesn't end at work. How can we be better at using structure as parents, in financing, in life?

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor