What God Is Doing In Mexico City

 

I've been a fan of Alan and Deb Hirsch since reading their books and having dinner with them a year ago.

 

Alan's recent Blog entry sheds light of why organizations are slow to change. The core beliefs of the organization need to change. Alan quotes church consultant Bill Easum in his blog, "...every organization is built upon on what he calls “an underlying systems story.”  He points out that “…this is not a belief system. It is the continually repeated life story that determines how an organization thinks and thus acts.  This systems story determines the way an organization behaves, no matter how the organizational chart is drawn.  Restructure the organization and leave the systems story in place and nothing changes within the organization.  It’s futile trying to revitalize the church, or a denomination, without first changing the system.”  Drilling down into this systems story, the paradigm, or mode of church, is he suggests one of the keys to change and constant innovation."

 

We change the rituals and routines, organizational structures, power structures, and even the symbols that brand our organization but these changes bring incremental growth and not the home run we wanted. An outsider would say that nothing really changed. Most likely they are right.

 

When I see a staff person buy into a Systems Story/Paradigm (or vision)---and the conversations around this staff person start to revolve around that paradigm----then it's been my experience that change takes place. And when those conversations are multiplied and take root the organization changes.

 

Here in Mexico City if we change our rituals and routines, control systems, organizational and power structures, and even the symbols that brand us within Campus Crusade for Christ we experience limited success.

 

My heart here in Mexico City to unleash the story of what God is doing---then raise up leaders who will build the Kingdom. I believe millions will come to Christ in the years to come. I see leaders being raised up to lead groups on the 450 university campuses in Mexico City and I see a network of pastors/churches/volunteers around them. When this happens the gospel will truely be within arms-reach of over 1 million college students in this city.