Organix: Signs of Leadership in a Changing Church

Does your leadership style fit new ways of doing church--leadership that is organic and elastic and that finds ways to seize God-given opportunities? Looking back and drawing on the ancient Christian tradition, Bob Whitesel describes seven traitsfor successful leadership, which he characterizes by seven symbols:

O   (the Greek symbol theta) – the first letter of the Greek word theos stresses that God is the source of the burden for others and provides the power to help them.

Rx (the medical prescription symbol) – an emphasis on addressing the spiritual and physical health of leaders.

G  (a stylized “G” for “graffiti”)– the edgy, colorful, and artful collages that help define contemporary organizations.

A  (inspired by the recycle symbol) – the idea of recycling places, experiences and people rather than discarding them.

N  - emerging networks that connect people more quickly, efficiently, precisely and continuously.

I  - an emphasis on “incarnation”, a going “in the flesh” to serve others rather than sending surrogates.

X  (the Jerusalem cross with a number in each quadrant) – four types of measurement observed in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-47), which at their core point to Christ’s work on the cross.

 

Taken together, thesesymbols spell out the word “organix” and represent a fundamentally new way tothink about your church and how you can best lead.