Charlie Wear’s Notes

So last night Michelle resigned from The Apprentice.

I wish she had been a little more blunt with "The Donald." I would have liked it if she had said: "Hey, I am not going to sleep outside in a tent for any job."

Of course, anyone with an ounce of sense knew that she was going to be fired. She probably messed up their production. The payoff scene in every episode is in the "Boardroom."

In reaction to Michelle’s move Trump began a nearly Churchillian speech about the virtues of never giving up. He cautioned Michelle that she would be a "quitter," a "loser," and that it would mar her psyche. In my opinion,

Trump was dead wrong. Sometimes we need to give up. Don’t get me wrong. If God has given us a clear assignment and we are following a divine prescription, then I think we should persevere until the end! But so much of what is done in church life does not meet that standard. And clearly there are many times when we just don’t know when to quit. If something is not working, is making us miserable, and the entire church miserable, then perhaps it is wisdom to fold up our tents and try something else.

Michelle had made a good assessment. She knew she wasn’t project manager material. She flopped in her first project. She didn’t want to live in a tent. It wasn’t what she signed up for. She pulled the plug. I think she showed wisdom. What do you think?

All I can say is wow! Bob Hyatt is central to a New York Times article! Thanks to Stephen Shields for noticing. The topic was the use of widgets in blogging.

I know, I know, we don’t want to emulate the CEO model in church. But Donald Trump and The Apprentice are there for all of us to see. Just bear with me here.

On the Apprentice Trump is working with volunteers. They are ready, willing and able to participate in the projects, contests and challenges that face them. How much of church life would be simplified if we only worked with the willing and stopped trying to cajole the unwilling into action? I’ve heard that the volunteer armed forces works much better than the non-volunteer army under the draft. Trump is not directing the how, only the what. The teams have permission to perform their tasks in any way they see fit. How much of our church-related activities would be simplified if we spent most of our time giving permission and then letting the task leaders organize and carry out their tasks?

Okay, before you immediately stop reading, there might be something that church leaders can learn from Donald Trump and the Apprentice. Years ago, when I was the executive pastor (unpaid) of a church that was going through a transition period, I had the difficult job of evaluating the paid staff and honing their job description. I interviewed the children’s ministry leader and asked her what her vision was for children’s ministry. She had no answer.
Donald Trump is looking for answers. In the boardroom scene at the end of the Apprentice, Trump evaluates the leadership of the team and the members who lost that week’s challenge. He asks direct questions. He evaluates. He turns to on-site observers and team members for assessments. How often does anything close to that happen in the church? Donald Trump takes decisive action. So much of what happens in the church takes a long time. Sometimes it takes months to make a personnel change, unless the person in question has been caught in public immorality of some kind. So little of personnel change is based on any sort of benchmark evaluation. With Donald Trump, someone is going to get fired, it’s just that simple.

I am wondering, speculating really, about when the new "young" leaders will step into the forefront of what God is doing. Yes, I know, the day of the baby boomers is not over. In fact, there are some who think there will be another "spiritual awakening" among baby boomers as they get closer to facing their own mortality.No, I am talking about the "next generation" of leaders, who are now starting to push the ripe old age of 40 pretty good. Those who are coming after Brian McLaren, Erwin McManus, or for that matter Rick Warren. Joel Osteen is a young leader, but he doesn't represent what I am thinking of.I think I would like to hear more from people like Jordon Cooper, Bob Hyatt, or Kevin Rains.