Friday, September 24, 2010

Connect the Dots

How to Connect the Dots:
Loosen Your Grip on Creations and Put Ideas Into Action

We need to connect the dots between disparate subjects, generating brave new ideas.

Organizations are hungry for this way of thinking. We need a “change agent” for an idea, some sort of “Weapons of Mass Inspiration” or “Ideas Factory” that can muster the courage necessary to bring about transformational changes. As a guide to creativity, we must introduce the real world to our imagination. We must know how to present an idea, why it’s better to relinquish control over your ideas, and how we can create better environments to implement innovative changes.

The challenge of implementing innovative ideas
We tend to have ideas all done by ourselves. You may think: “I’ve got to own it 100 percent, so I have to build everything about it.” But then you realize, “I’m just an ideas person at best.” You can study an idea, give it a great title, and create a prototype. But you don’t have to make that happen all by yourself. You could find someone who shares your passion. As such, you retain a small amount of ownership, because you want to do other things. Before, you’d get tangled up in making the thing for six months out of your life. Now, you have partnerships that allow you to move on.

The best thing, in the end, is to relinquish a lot of control, because that allows you to be free thinking. I’d rather have 10 percent of something that really took off than 100 percent of something that is still on the table. When you’ve got a whole ideas factory, then you’ve got 10 percent or 15 percent of 50 different things. They can all be happening at once, but we’re not worrying about that because we’re not the only ones making them.

Finding partners to work with you
When I first presented any hatched ideas to my audience, the presentation needs to be as dramatic as it can be. Perhaps, it could look like a treasure box with tons of goodies (think Turkey-Delights) in it. Learning about the hatched ideas will resemble an archeological discovery or a treasure hunt: It’ll be full of truth, and it’ll be full of all the awesome feeling that the idea is about. That’s all laid out in the presentation. When you go to someone with this, they either like it or they don’t, but they can see that you’re going to do this. Somebody is going to study it. So they go, “Oh no, I'd better not make a mistake in my decision here. This might be a huge hit!” It’s very different than just walking in and saying, “I’ve got an idea (think One-Minute-Daily-Prayer)".

Getting people to change their habits
The creative process is chaotic, especially when executing an idea. But it does not need to be chaotic, provided that you have a playroom (think Hang-Out-Time) where you can throw paint about. That really should exist in all circumstances, because if everybody’s just sitting around analyzing everything, someone else is going to slam them from the side, and they’ll be wiped out.

Many AFers are becoming to realize that we are dissatisfied with how things are going in our spiritual life and interpersonal bonding. Different officers are designing various activities they thought people will need in order to achieve the stated goals. But before we aspire to please God and grow spiritually, what is a real game-changing thing we could do? The answer is: It all starts with praying for our own aspiration to become spiritual. (Strongly recommended: encourage AFers to listen to a great sermon given by the late Dr. Greg Awyang "He Who is Spiritual". Its CD can be checked out from the FCBC library.)

Leading a group of people through uncertainty is a bit like sailing a ship. You always have somebody awake on deck with the binoculars, looking out. Many 'leaders' often don’t do that; they’re all down below, working away. You want to be a catalyst for a new change. It relies on creating very interesting and inspiring contents and being able to deliver it in all sorts of ways and platforms. Years ago, if you were making a proposal, you’d make the full plan, and then people tried to understand you. Now, show them a demo, step back, and listen to their feedback. If the bandwagon is moving in the approximate direction you want to go, simply jump on. The channel of inspiration must go both ways. It is better to have a 5-hour project plan, not a 5-year plan, as your Weapons of Mass Inspiration.

Friday, September 17, 2010

AF Hang Out Time (枝聯網)

Hang Out Time (枝聯網) 特別著重接待迎賓，並且以打破「小圈子」為目標，更希望團友返團契時會感到有「返回家裏」的感覺。以下列舉其中一些能使Hang Out Time 成功的秘訣:
(1）常常喜樂 (Joyful Smile)
(2）充滿創意 (Creative Method)
(3）懇切祈禱 (Pray Fervently)
(4）怡情視聽 (Audio-Visual Environment)
(5）內容突出 (Stand-Out Message)
(6）品嚐美食 (Tasty Snack)
(7）散發芬芳 (Aromatic Fragrance)
(Acronyms: J-C P-A-S-T A)
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Monday, September 13, 2010


2010-2011 新年度開始，AF 將會在節目上推行適當調校，並且聯合其它部門, 以照顧不同團友的屬靈和肉身上的需要

節目部(的Victor) 認為，每個團友均有個人的風格，有的人際關係比較好，有的對聖經特別認識，有的在各部門忠心的事奉和參與。 因此，在常會的節目方面, 需要作出適當的調校，才可滿足不同團友的需要。 其中一個做法就是在節目活動的設計上, 盡量「多元化」(Variety) 「融合化」(Integration)。

所謂「多元化」, 就是要因應團友的需要，設計不同的屬靈活動交誼活動。所謂「融合化」, 就是要各團契部門去相輔相成(ALIGN), 彼此聯合(INTEGRATE), 和緊密合作 (COLLABORATE)。

屬靈活動方面, 節目部將推行 「具體化行道」。例如, AF 團友在查聖經或主日學時，可能多集中於了解和明白聖經的內容。但如果要讓團友對聖經的內容了解得更具體，就需要鼓勵團友去在生活中行道。查經組長可請團友想像一下聖經內容的景象應是怎樣呢? 再請他們在團契的相交中，把聖經的應用和教導具體地活出來。在新年度, 節目部將會推行「Hang Out Time 」的相交時刻。這正是一個可在交誼中一同學習具體化行道的機會。節目部希望能跨部門「查聖經部」聯合推行這個項目。

除此以外, 節目部亦提議推行每朝一分鐘」的祈禱時刻。目的是去鼓勵各團友集中「火力」, 每朝在指定的一小時內 (例如, 9:00-9:59am), 各團友無論身在任何地方, 都一齊花一分鐘為 AF 的復興同心禱告。節目部希望能跨部門與「祈禱分享部門」聯合推行這個項目。

交誼活動方面, 節目部將安排增加「外展」的機會。交誼活動可鎖定以「外展未信者」為目標, 亦可因應團友的專長、興趣和負擔來作出選擇。 例如, 當團友接觸或探訪一個新朋友時，可邀請他去參加交誼活動。團友更可以運用自己的專長去做一份小禮物，例如做慰問卡、或者福音單張等表達誠意邀請。這樣團友既能強化自己的強項之餘，也可以增加彼此的接觸，建立更深的友誼。

至於在戶外活動方面，節目部可讓大家發掘自己不同的興趣。眾所周知，AF 團友很喜歡行山，亦注重運動。所以團友在週末時，可以發起「郊外活動」，盡量接觸大自然。 長遠來說，節目部可計劃發展「行山團」, 例如 「Hike to Mount Wilson」。 因為行山的價錢較大眾化，團友可以接觸和相交的機會就相對增加。平時，團友亦可安排「游泳班」，「單車團」等，作為團友在團契以外交誼活動的起試點。

節目部建議，為了增加溝通, 會鼓勵在來年的節目推行和安排上彼此緊密的合作，例如將會邀請團契職員, 小組組長, 組長助手, 團友等, 參與作 Hang Out Time 的迎賓接待，並且以打破「小圈子」為目標，讓團友返團契時會感到有「返回家裏」的感覺。

總結: 各團契部門職員和團友需要 同心實踐, 具體行道 最關鍵的第一步就是要 彼此聯合, 緊密合作
