Falling Like Dominos

I'm not a detailed person. Ask my wife. For that matter, ask the multi-media director. I simply don't feel compelled to spend any significant time on the little things...what to wear, what font to choose, how to fold my clothes (big marital issue, by the way), Coke or Pepsi, McDonalds or Burger King, Meyers or Wal-Mart. I could try to care less, but I'd fail miserably because it isn't possible for me to care less.

On the church front this is also glaring. I won't say it's a weakness because I truly believe that everyone is wired differently. But it is more glaring at Emmanuel because of the vast number of questions that I've been getting on so many details of so many ministry areas. You should've seen the faces the first couple of times I said, 'I don't care. Do whatever works best....as long as it works.' The response looked something like, 'Are you serious?'. It isn't that details are unimportant to me. Indeed, I'm going to need good leaders who are detail-oriented...a lot of them in fact. It's just that I firmly believe that once the big picture gets vastly improved, it will take care of so many of the details. For example......remember dominos?

Remember how long it would take to set up a long snake of dominos. The more you had, the longer it would take. I can remember spending 30 minutes setting up boxes dominos. It was tedious, stressful work--getting each domino in exactly the right place to be as effective as possible. And all of it was to enjoy 8 seconds of perfect cause and effect.

Emmanuel is working hard to set up the dominos. It will take time.....months even. It is tedious at times and stressful to be sure. It also takes patience to set up dominos. But the good news is that we are doing it....slowly but surely. And when all of them are set up----when leaders are in the right place to be as effective as possible---the dominos will fall. And all the details that people are asking about over and over and over again will be taken care of. Ok...maybe not all...but most. And we will be on our way to a more effective and more efficient ministry across the entire church.

When a firm decision-making structure gets in place that can dream, plan, implement and evaluate God's work, the details of ministry don't get taken care of one detail at a time, but by the handfuls....by the boxes full. And then we can stand back and finally look at the big picture and say, 'WOOHOO!! God is truly good!'

So I hope you are patient. I also hope you forgive me when you ask me a question related to details and I respond with a sigh before answering your question. It isn't because your question is unimportant. It's most likely because I'm getting impatient, waiting for the dominos to fall.