{"id":1179,"date":"2018-12-08T07:40:37","date_gmt":"2018-12-08T07:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/?post_type=chapter&p=1179"},"modified":"2019-01-18T17:01:32","modified_gmt":"2019-01-18T17:01:32","slug":"a-town-on-a-hill-cannot-be-hidden","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/chapter\/a-town-on-a-hill-cannot-be-hidden\/","title":{"rendered":"A Town on a Hill Cannot be Hidden"},"content":{"raw":"

A Church of People, Reaching People \u2013 Evaluating the Strategic Influence of The House<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\u201cYou are the light of the world. A town build on a hill cannot be hidden<\/em>\u201d\r\n(Matthew 5:14, NIV, emphasis added).<\/p>\r\nJust as Jesus Christ taught his followers to be light in the world, The House desires to be a light in its community by motivating and encouraging its followers to be influencers and inviters. As observed by Katie Paine (2011), \u201cInfluence is no longer held by one large analyst firm or even a single credible individual, but rather resides in whatever community, Facebook page, or Twitter list that is talking about your marketplace (p. 124).\u201d Influencing the community of Kelowna, B.C., is a key component contributing to growth at The House. The church\u2019s four vision values drive the leadership of The House: surrendering, worshiping, listening, and responding (The House, n.d.). The House strategically leverages their four vision values to lead people into authentic relationships with Jesus Christ.\r\n\r\nAccording to Hughes, Beatty, and Dinwoodie (2014), Strategic influence is:\r\n

. . . expansive in relationships. Leaders may tend to keep their circle close to those with whom they have trust or those who are most directly affected by the work. But real strategic change is far reaching throughout the organization, and therefore, so is the work of strategic influence . . . strategic leadership happens in the white space on organizational charts\u2014the areas between the formal structural groupings and the areas between the structure and the outside world\u201d (p.150).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe House recognizes the need to influence its wider community and not merely its paid staff. A strength of The House\u2019s movement is an ability to empower and equip followers for acts of service within its walls (R. deZwaan and O. Parsons, personal communication, November 2018).\r\n\r\nThe House has an increasing need for discipleship ministry to take place on a larger scale. The church is a highly attractional and has a large following of young families and millennials; however, the church has not identified a clear strategy to assist in the growth and development its followers to become mature believers. It is one thing to have a persuasive message and excellent worship music on Sundays, but it is another thing to influence followers towards growth in a strategic manner. \u201c[Influence] does not happen in one interaction, but instead is built over time, on a solid platform of credibility and relationships\u201d (Hughes, Beatty, and Dinwoodie, 2014, p.150). The House would be wise to utilize a method like Lepsinger\u2019s (2010) project frame<\/em> to temper its high-level strategic plan for discipleship ministry. By capitalizing on their values and writing a strategic plan, The House will create a method to move followers from being church attendees to fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.\r\n\r\nAs The House cultivates its strategic influence, they will need to address a logistical problem: their current building does not contain a space for staff offices, a kitchen, or dedicated classrooms for the Children\u2019s ministry. A considerable cap to The House\u2019s ministry effectiveness is a lack of space\u2014and plans must be put in place to facilitate further growth. Undertaking a building project, staging a relocation, or developing a novel innovation is necessary as a next step for The House.\r\n\r\nA relevant question for The House to answer is, \u201cIf The House permanently closed its doors tomorrow, would the surrounding neighbourhood notice?\u201d (Sprinkle, 2015). A church with a high level of strategic influence is one making a significant impact on the community around it. Admittedly, The House is not as well-known in the community as they would prefer (R. deZwaan and O. Parsons, personal communication, November 2018). However, reaching the local university is on the church\u2019s radar\u2014and an effort to reach students (young adults) is built into their core values (The House, n.d.).\r\n\r\nWhen it comes to making necessary changes to accommodate growth and development, the House is well-poised to undertake a change initiative.\r\nCarey Nieuwhof (2012) outlines five strategies to undergoing organizational change:\r\n

    \r\n \t
  1. Do the Math \u2013 \u201cCalculate who is actually opposed [to change]\u201d (p. \u00a024).<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Choose your focus \u2013 \u201cDecide whether you will focus on who you want to reach or who you want to keep\u201d (p. 24).<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Find a filter \u2013 \u201cDevelop the questions that will shape your future . . . without a filter, everything sounds compelling\u201d (p.2 4)<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Attack Problems, not people \u2013 \u201cHelp people see you are for them even if you are not for their ideas\u201d (p. 25).<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Don\u2019t quit \u2013 \u201cPersevere until your critical breakthrough\u201d (p. 25).<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nBy utilizing their strategic influence within their church community, The House will be able to successfully navigate change and establish greater reach within the community of Kelowna. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden, and The House is making moves to let their light shine brighter so they can reach more people for Jesus Christ.\r\n

    Newspaper Article<\/strong><\/p>\r\nHidden within Reed\u2019s Corner industrial area in Kelowna is an unlikely community. Though it appears as a warehouse from the outside, The House church offers something completely different than its\u2019 neighbors. Step through the large, sliding warehouse-style garage door on any given Sunday, and you will find a space unlike anything else in Kelowna. Locally roasted espresso is the first smell greeting new guests when they arrive. Go a little further in, and you will find a stage equipped with hanging screens, an array of lights, and a sound system rivaling the local community theatre. What began as a coffee shop and arts venue has now become one of Kelowna\u2019s most influential churches, reaching hundreds of people each week. Nothing about The House looks or feels like a traditional church \u2013 one of the reasons it is so effective at reaching people. Close to the university, The House provides adults, youth, and particularly students an opportunity to be part of a church community. Each week, many students get picked up at the university by their shuttle service and experience an engaging worship service, a relevant message, and a life-giving community. To understand how this community came to be we must start at the beginning.\r\n\r\nThe House began as an idea. The idea was to create a safe space for young adults to encounter Jesus and find Christian community. Lifeway Research estimates about 70 percent of young adult Christians who attend church drop out of church (Stetzer, 2014). The House sought to address this staggering statistic. The church began offering their space in 2007 as a venue for concerts and events while also hosting a Sunday evening service for young adults. By 2011 around 175 young adults were attending and the church shifted its focus to caring for and mentoring those in the community. In 2012, the church began offering a Sunday morning service and sought to become multigenerational. In 2017 the church started offering two morning services. Since then it has continued to evolve.\r\n\r\nThe House now boasts a multigenerational church with a vibrant kids ministry while maintaining its focus on reaching nearby students and young adults. Outside of Sundays, The House provides a variety of services for students such as grocery runs, study spaces, outreach programs, laundry service, music lessons and of course, great coffee. The church continues to be an anomaly in Kelowna, acting as both a coffee shop and church under the same roof. Through it all, the mission of the church has remained the same.\r\n\r\nWhen you visit The House during the week, the noise of the nearby industrial facilities cannot be missed. Assistant Pastor Ryan de Zwaan says, \u201cIt seems like there is always a drill or press going during work hours \u2013 sometimes both!\u201d (De Zwaan, 2018). Conversely, on Sundays, The House is making all the noise as the sound of the bass is heard from the parking lot. Located just five minutes from one of British Columbia\u2019s largest universities, The House has made church a desirable thing. One student said recently, \u201cI\u2019m not very churchy, but this place is so cool. I keep inviting the rest of my dorm to come on Sundays now\u201d (Pineo, 2018). It is true; The House has managed to transform an abandoned warehouse into a place where students want to go.\r\n\r\nWith a growing demographic of kids and families and plans for a youth ministry, The House now seeks to make church exciting for all demographics. Their friendly and passionate staff has positioned the church to continue influencing university students, Kelowna residents, and people everywhere. That\u2019s right, The House streams their Sunday evening service live every week, allowing those unable to attend to remain connected with the church. Whether you are a student, a coffee lover, a Kelowna resident or an attendee from afar, The House has something unique to offer as it continues to create community and help people encounter Jesus.\r\n

    Strategic Influence Development Plan<\/strong><\/p>\r\nFrom the beginning, The House has created a safe and relevant space for people to grow in their relationship with Jesus. To maximize impact, and broaden its base of leadership, church leaders will empower more people to live out the values of the organization. A strategic influence development plan (SIDP) will assist in accomplishing their goals. \u201cStrategic influence is how leaders engender commitment to the organization\u2019s strategic direction and learning and is essential to sustaining competitive advantage in contemporary organizations\u201d (Hughes, Beatty & Dinwoodie, 2014, p. 145). The SIDP includes three components: 1) the values of a leader, 2) the mindset of a leader, and 3) the skillset of a leader.\r\n\r\nThe Values of a Leader<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAn effective SIDP provides leaders with an opportunity to examine their motivations. \u201cPeople who are clear about their passions and convictions are experienced by others as more authentic because there is clarity about the reasons for their actions. That clarity helps you know\u2014and others understand\u2014why you are choosing to tackle some challenges and not others\u201d (Hughes, Beatty, and Dinwoodie, 2014, p. 157). Before tackling what a leader does at The House, or how they do it, it is helpful to start with why.\r\n\r\nLesson 1: Understanding Your Values<\/em><\/span>\r\n\r\nTake some time to consider what motivates you. Don\u2019t limit your answers to your responsibilities as a leader at The House; think about yourself as a whole person. Think about what you are passionate about as you answer the following questions:\r\n