Leverage Networks

The music of Simon & Garfunkel hit the airwaves in my formative years.  How often I heard these words:  "I am alone.... I am a rock, I am an island. I have no need of friendship - friendship causes pain."  The lyrics of this song seem to suggest that being alone is a good thing.  How different the words of Scripture:  "It is not good for the man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18)   God did not create us to be an island to ourselves.   Elsewhere we read:  "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)  Alone is not a good thing.

This is true in life.   This is true in church leadership.  Alone is not a good thing.   We have been looking at the importance of influence. I am been making the point that to be truly effective as a leader in a church – in good times and in challenging times – leaders must master the ability to influence others. Influence begins with practicing what I call Ministry IQ - getting to know the people you are serving and for these people to get to know you. In addition, a leader also needs to promote vision and build and maintain trust.  Now I like to talk about the importance of leveraging networks.

Leaders who are skilled at influencing others recognize and cultivate the power of networks.  They realise that people need to be connected one to another.  Why?  Sometimes as humans we just need that little extra push that will move us in the right direction.   That is the power of being part of a network.   This power is there for several reasons.   First, when you connect yourselve to others you benefit from their shared knowledge and experiences.  You are able to glean from others some best practices.  One of the real benefits of my denominational role is that I am aware of what other church leaders and churches are doing across the nation.  But not only in the CRCA.  Since I am connected to a number of other networks, both here in Australia and in other countries, I have a good sense of what might work in churches and what might not work.   This wisdom is not from myself, but from the knowledge and experiences that others have shared with me.   In turn, I can share this with others.

Second, when you are connected to others you will increase confidence in yourself and others.  If you desire to be a leader of influence, then bring those you desire to influence to seminars and conferences.  Encourage them to enroll in a course, read some books, or listen to podcasts.   When people are surrounded by others, receive good content, and listen to the testimonies of others, the likelihood is that they will begin to think that they too can change, implement new initiatives, and/or explore new opportunities.  By themselves they lack confidence to move forward but their confidence levels change when they see they are part of a larger movement.  By being part of network they can begin to believe that they too can do this.

Third, networking will move you to look beyond yourself.   Become outward looking.  When you are alone, when you remain as an island, all you have is yourself.  Your world revolves around you.  But when you are connected to others, this opens you up to a whole new world.   You begin to think of others.  What they are doing, what they are thinking, what their needs might be.  When you are connected to others you are able to do what God tells us in Philippians 2:4:"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."  As church leaders, if we really want to influence people to engage in reaching the world for Christ, sharing the gospel with others, and making a difference in our communities, then we need to connect them to others.  Become part of a network.  Belong to a group of people that do life together.  Engage in church ministries.  This will nudge people to look beyond themselves and to the interests of others.   The larger the network, the more opportunities to be outward looking.

We are not meant to do life or ministry alone.   The apostle Paul saw his ministry as a partnership with others, as he writes to the church in Philippi:   "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:4-6)  Paul was able to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7) because he was not alone but was part of a network of others who partnered with him in the gospel.  As this was true for Paul, it was equally true for those he served.   

I am not an island.  I need friends around me.   We are not meant to do life and ministry alone.  We are in this together.   That is the power of networks.