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Tag: business meeting

Episode #20 – How NOT to Change the Name of a Replant

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Episode #20 - How NOT to Change the Name of a Replant
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(JimBo) As a Campus of Hibernia Baptist Church at Hyde Park, we were going autonomous and needed to change our name.

The process that was suggested to JimBo

-Announce a name change (you have 6 weeks)

-If you (JimBo) have an idea-share it with the church

-Gather suggested names from the entire congregation

-Hold a two votes: one to arrive at the top name and then to select the name from the top vote getters

 

Funny names that were submitted: MoTown Church, Good Friends Church

 

Mistakes I made along the way:

-Accepting names from everyone multiple times for six weeks (unlimited suggestions accepted)

-Failing to check to see if the suggested names were already being used by churches in our city

(After googling EACH of the SUGGESTED NAMES every single suggested name was being used by a church in our city, except one, Redemption Church)

-Giving too many options created conflict.

-We ended up having to do re-vote

 

Things I learned along the way

-Always google any suggested names to see if they are eligible.

-Never “wing” a business meeting always have a plan

-Limit the options to diminish conflict.

-It may be a good idea to have a detailed minded person to moderate your business meetings-especially potentially contentious ones.

-Visiting in the community helped me to see how people in our community responded to “Baptist” in our name.

-Be transparent and own your mistakes:I had to confess that I messed up the whole process in public and in private.

-When conflict is serious, pause: we chose not to vote after the two weeks of deliberation because the conflict was so serious.

 

Suggested Process from Kevin Handy in Replant Roadmap

  1. Celebrate the old name 
  2. Look for sacred cows
  3. Pick a name that honors the legacy of the name of the church (Bob threw a flag on this)
  4. Spell out clearly the reasons for the name change

 

Redemption Church in Jacksonville FL

Replant Road Map by Mark Hallock

Name Change Documents mentioned by Bob

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Episode #8 – How to Handle Bad Business Meetings with Boots on the Ground Guest Evan Skelton

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Episode #8 - How to Handle Bad Business Meetings with Boots on the Ground Guest Evan Skelton
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Bob, JimBo and special guest Evan Skelton, discuss how to handle business meetings that go bad.

“What do you do or how do you handle it when something blows up in a Family “business” meeting at church?

When Conflict Breaks Out

  1. Realize it’s not the end of the world. Every relationship experiences conflict. Conflict is a sign that the church family feels like they can be honest.
  2. Seek to maintain your composure-don’t get “hooked” by strong emotions and statements or retreat in fear. 
  3. Have a “co-moderator” who can help if you lose composure, be ready to turn over to someone who can handle the meeting during tense times.
  4. Move in a pastoral way towards people, slowly and deliberately. 
  5. Confront public misbehavior publically and model appropriate biblical behavior during times of conflict.
  6. Pay attention to your responses: tone, posture, facial expressions and how you are coming across.
  7. Look for teaching opportunities that are inherent within conflict-call it out
  8. Acknowledge the difficulty of the moment, the feel of the room, when conflict breaks out.
  9. Resist the urge to never allow questions or comments during the meetings-redeem it and model for people who to ask questions.
  10. Center on the gospel, show people how to communicate with gospel grace.
  11. Allow members multiple ways to ask questions during the business or family meetings. (cards, email, text)
  12. Instruct members gently about how to handle conflict in public.
  13. Be willing to go to member’s homes to work out conflict if needed and necessary.

 

Proactive Responses

  1. Celebrate victories, show pictures and show how God is moving in the church?
  2. Let others share positive stories and testimonies about what God is doing and what is happening.
  3. Do business after celebration and testimonies.
  4. Slow walk-test out ideas with influencers and thought leaders in the congregation, get their feedback before bringing a potentially difficult agenda item.
  5. Invite critics to become an advocate.
  6. Eat dinner together before business meetings.
  7. Consider changing the name of your business meetings-to family meetings.
  8. Teach your people to operate in the fruit of the spirit rather than walking in the flesh. Let them know that if that is not possible and if things get contentious the meeting will end.

Evan Skelton Pastor, Bayless Baptist Church

Resources:

The Peacemaking Pastor by Alfred Poirier

When Church Conflict Happens by Michael Hare

If you Bite and Devour One Another by Alexander Strauch

Facing Snarls and Scows by Brian Croft and James Carroll