by David Dixon
Eastern PA District Team
With the business day of our 2021 District Conference on the horizon, I wanted to share with you some of the motivation behind the recommendations that are coming before conference including a proposed budget and proposed bylaw changes. My hope is that by sharing this with you it will increase our level of district/local church transparency, be useful to all of us as we prepare for conference, and that it will be helpful to you in serving the local church.
Whenever changes are proposed for an important structure, like bylaws, the first question that we often ask is, “What led to proposing these changes?”
It’s a good question because it demonstrates that there is an understanding that structures like bylaws and budgets serve something greater than themselves. To use the language from our Essentials podcast, structures are not an end; they are a means. Structures are a way of helping an organization provide clarity, accountability, and guidance so that it can achieve its greater purpose. That greater purpose, or vision, is the driving force behind the changes being recommended.
That’s why it is important for any organization to have clarity on its direction as a part of the process of changing structures. If the vision is fuzzy or not communicated well, then the motivation for structures becomes unclear and can lack buy-in. If the vision is communicated and demonstrated with clarity, then the motivation is clear and allows people to understand and get behind it. Another way that our team might say this is, “Vision leads to structure.”
In the Eastern PA District of the Alliance, we have been on a journey for clarity and vision about the role of a district in our denomination. When Nate became the district superintendent in 2018, he led us to ask, “What is the unique work of the district?” Questions like this have led to many conversations with the district office team, DEXCOM, pastors, workers, spouses, and many others about what a district could, and perhaps, should be.
For our district the answer to those questions is summed up in the phrase: we develop Kingdom workers for increasing Gospel impact. Our vision is that Eastern PA would become a network where our workers and spouses are developed in a whole-heart transformative way that leads to the multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches.
It sounds wonderful. But if we are really going to see a movement of that magnitude take place it clearly must be a move of the Holy Spirit to focus all our energy and effort toward that end.
Knowing this, our team along with DEXCOM and others, have spent the last year and a half working to define our culture (who we are) and our objectives (our areas of work) that will lead the district to a Gospel-centered development network. You will hear and see more about this vision and how it connects to our culture and work in the district team’s conference reports and through a presentation at district conference.
With that clarity of vision, you can begin to look at the structures and see if they serve the greater purpose of our district family. That is why as a part of the process of defining our work, in accordance with our district vision, we looked at our structures including items like bylaws. We want all that we do, with simplicity and clarity, to work toward the end of developing Kingdom workers for increasing Gospel impact.
Vision leads to structures.
As you process the recommendations that are set to come before you at the September conference, please consider them in light of this vision. Together let’s continue to focus on how Jesus is leading us to engage in his mission for increasing Gospel impact.
If you would like to learn more about the process of how the budget and bylaws came to a place of proposal, you will find an explanation of that process in the district conference business packet that will be sent to all registered accredited delegates in a few days, along with the values behind the decisions and the recommendations coming before conference. If you have questions about the recommendations, please feel free to reach out to our office and we would be happy to help answer any questions that we can ahead of time.