Hey! I Think I Saw Africa This Morning

For my morning run I went North to Sea Isle City, crossed over a little toll bridge to get there.  As I was running I looked out to the Atlantic Ocean and thought, “I wonder if I can see Africa from here?”  It would be pretty cool to see another continent from the Jersey Shore, because it would be a great reminder of how differently people live their lives from the way we do.  It might even help change our perspective on how we should live and function as a society.
Yesterday for Day 2 of this Staff Planning Retreat, we focused on some pretty heavy subjects: Teamwork, Staff Culture and Staff Structure.  Something we have been pretty good at; however, with the growth in staff (Almost tripling in the last 6 years), and the growth in the church it’s time that we look at who we are, what we do and how we do what we do.  To sum it up it was intense, but important because now we can look at:

• Who We Are, which affects who we work with.  Do we trust one another, serve one another, love one another?
• What We Do, which affects our job descriptions.  Is everyone clear on their roles and responsibilities or does there need to be more clarity?
• How We Do It, which affects the flow and growth of the church.  Are we efficient with how we communicate, problem solve and execute?

As a staff we tackled this arena and I would have to say with much success. Today is day 3, I believe we are going to tackle a little more message planning and lay out the year, so it should be toned down.  But I have to let you all know how much I love and respect my coworkers, and I look forward to working with them and sharing life with them.
In your staff culture is it clear who you are, what you do and how you do it?  And if not what are some steps for change?