Empowerment Leadership Model for Small Groups, Teams, & Families
Course 3, Lesson 9
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Christmas Decorations Committee
Starting correctly a group of people who want to help one another
live more and more for Jesus Christ
Note: Whenever "group" or "team" is used, it can mean "group", "team", or "family".
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Tuning-In to the Target Population
TYPE OF GROUP: CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS COMMITTEE (a short-term, one action group)
therefore,
the TARGET POPULATION is: PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CHURCH NICELY DECORATED FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON
TUNING-IN STEP ONE: Understand the situations of potential group members. What are their lives like? What kinds of things do they face? What might be going on in their lives? What is normal behavior for them?
They like things to be appropriately attractive. Some have a lot of time to give. Others have much less time, but would like to be a part of decorating the church. A few might have family situations that will keep them from participating at the last minute, requiring a committee large enough for someone else to cover for them at the last minute.
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TUNING-IN STEP TWO: What might potential group members be THINKING about their lives? About themselves? What do they want out of life?
They think that they should contribute to the work of the church. Most think of themselves as artists and interior decorators. Some might not but think the church should be decorated and are willing to do this if other people do not step up to do it. All want to be useful to the church.
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TUNING-IN STEP THREE: What might potential group members be FEELING about their lives? About themselves?
For those who consider themselves artists and/or interior decorators, they feel confident that they can make the church attractive for the holiday season. Some may feel and act less confident in other areas such as assertive socializing at church events. Some may be hesitant to volunteer because of shyness, but they truly want to help in this area of their strength.
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TUNING-IN STEP FOUR: Regarding the group or program you will propose, what might potential group members think and feel about it? And what might they think and feel about you, the leader?
They think the Christmas Decorations Committee is a good idea. They wonder if their contribution will be appreciated by me, the leader.
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TUNING-IN STEP FIVE: What do you think and feel about the potential group members? About the group as a whole? About leading the group? About your skills, the facilities, etc.?
I would like to see all those with artistic talents and interior decoration abilities step up to decorate the church, having a great deal of fun and self-expression in the doing.
I wish the church had more money to commit to this project, but hope that the Committee can come up with the ingenuity and resources to do a good job without much funding. |
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Formulating a Motivating "Offer of Opportunity"
Formulating a Motivating "Offer of Opportunity"
Decide upon a generalized purpose statement that embodies something critical that (1) the group members want to accomplish and (2) that they need each other to achieve. It also must be a purpose that you want to help the group achieve. Design a purpose statement that connects what you want to offer with the critical needs of those you will invite to join the group.
How would you like to help one another decorate the church for Christmas so that those who come into the church will be directed toward thinking of the incarnation and celebrating it joyously?
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Establishing the Agreements of "The Contract"
Establishing the Agreements of "The Contract"
The Contract is the set of agreements between the members of the group– and, also, the group and its members with the leader. The Contract establishes the understanding and commitment necessary for the group to accomplish its purpose.
For most of the first meeting there will not be a group, only a collection of individuals working at deciding whether or not they want to form a group. Starting with item #10, the group has begun and has its own responsibilities.
To get a group started right, the leader will:
1. Present the possibility of a group experience.
2 . Help prospective group members consider the offer.
3. Help those who want a group experience actually form a group.
4. Help the new group define their expectations through agreements that will help them
be successful at achieving the group purpose.
CONTRACTING STEP ONE: Using the “tuning-in” that you did before this first meeting, help the potential group members know that you care for them and somewhat understand them and their life situations.
Lend a vision about the benefit of group participation, especially the benefits of working together.
Addressing everyone, ask them to stay for the whole meeting, even if it looks like they will not be able to join the group being offered. Let them know that their contributions at this time will be helpful to the group that does form. Some may change their mind as the meeting goes on and join the group.
You might want to begin by a church announcement via the pulpit, a church bulletin, or church email. This is what it might say.
We are asking those with artistic abilities and interior decoration abilities to serve the Lord on our Christmas Decorations Committee. Please do not think that you have to be a professional artist or decorator. We need your help to create an increased awareness of the incarnation that will help us all celebrate it joyfully. Please call the church office and let us know that you will help. At the first meeting for those who notified the church office: "Thanks for coming to this meeting. Let's look together at what our church's Christmas Decorations Committee is all about. All of you called the church office and said you might be willing to help decorate the church. As the Christmas Decorations Committee you will decide everything about the decorating of the church within the purpose of creating an atmosphere that helps people consider the incarnation joyfully. Not all of you have the same amount of time to commit to this effort, and that is okay. The Committee will just take that into account in deciding how much is to be done. Within moments you will have the chance to join the committee, but first we need to carefully consider its purpose and what it will mean to be a member of this committee. "Please stay for the whole meeting if you can. Even if you decide you do not want to be in the group, your contributions might be of help to the group that does get started." |
CONTRACTING STEP TWO: Offer the group in as simple a way as possible. Communicate the “Offer of Opportunity” and seek their feedback about joining.
Plan helpful actions that will engage the possible feelings, thoughts, and actions of potential group members in a way that will help them overcome doubts and commit themselves to the group. Anticipate problems that might come up when you offer the group or program, such as concern for confidentiality.
Plan helpful actions that will engage the possible feelings, thoughts, and actions of potential group members in a way that will help them overcome doubts and commit themselves to the group. Anticipate problems that might come up when you offer the group or program, such as concern for confidentiality.
"How would you like to help one another and work together to decorate the church for Christmas so that those who come into the church will be directed toward thinking of the incarnation and celebrating it joyously?"
“What do you think of this opportunity? What questions do you have about the committee?" "Who would like to join this group for this purpose, or something very similar?" |
CONTRACTING STEP THREE: Help potential group members either accept the group as offered, modify the group, propose an acceptable alternative, or reject the idea of a group altogether.
Help individuals propose (or propose yourself if potential group members are unable) any needed modifications to more clearly define the purpose of the group, a purpose that is very motivating because it is seriously desired by group members. But remember, the purpose must stay one that fits your own purpose and calling from God.
Help individuals propose (or propose yourself if potential group members are unable) any needed modifications to more clearly define the purpose of the group, a purpose that is very motivating because it is seriously desired by group members. But remember, the purpose must stay one that fits your own purpose and calling from God.
“Do you want to propose any changes to the Committee’s purpose? Presently it is the purpose of this proposed group to help one another decorate the church for Christmas so that those who come into the church will be directed toward thinking of the incarnation and celebrating it joyously?.
Do you want to modify this in any way?” |
CONTRACTING STEP FOUR: Lead a discussion on the cost of group membership for successful work toward accomplishment of the purpose. Things to consider may include but are not limited to the following: (a) time for meetings; (b) faithful attendance; (c) time for creating and decorating, (d) private study of the incarnation; (e) encouragement of one another's talents; (f) giving and receiving helpful suggestions; (g) etc.
“I suggest that, if you decide to form this committee, meetings be on Thursday nights from 7 to 9. Would that work for you? Does any other time seem better? I might be able to meet at another time.”
“To be successful, group members will need to be fairly regular in attendance. Would this be hard for any of you?” |
CONTRACTING STEP FIVE: Acquire from each potential member an agreement to be a part of the group, committed to the group’s purpose and willing to pay the cost of membership.
Restate your “Offer of Opportunity”.
If anyone does not want to join the group, ask them to stick around for the rest of this meeting and offer ideas. Let them know that if at any time they change their mind and want to join the group and its purpose, they just need to say so.
Restate your “Offer of Opportunity”.
If anyone does not want to join the group, ask them to stick around for the rest of this meeting and offer ideas. Let them know that if at any time they change their mind and want to join the group and its purpose, they just need to say so.
“Do you want to do this? Do you want to form the Christmas Decorations Committee and decorate the church for Christmas so that those who come into the church will be directed toward thinking of the incarnation and celebrating it joyously?"
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CONTRACTING STEP SIX: Ask for commitment of group members to each other. Note that at the beginning of a group the purpose cannot be repeated too often. It must be ingrained in everyone's mind as the ultimate reason for getting together as a group. Other agendas and purposes must be prevented by this conscious action at focusing effort.
“Can each of you commit, not only to the committee and its purpose, but also to every other member? This means that you commit to help each group member in his or her role in helping the Christmas Decorations Committee achieve its purpose - to decorate the church for Christmas so that those who come into the church will be directed toward thinking of the incarnation and celebrating it joyously."
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CONTRACTING STEP SEVEN: Help the potential group agree to and accept your role as group leader. Give and explain your own commitment to help the individuals become a functional group and to help the group work toward success at its purpose. Make clear why you cannot be considered a member of the group because your focus needs to be, like a coach or consultant, on helping the group develop and grow into a strong team. Explain that you cannot do that and also focus on helping the committee be effective. If you do not have artistic and decorating abilities, all the better - tell them that Make sure they know that success is and must be in their control.
“As group leader it is my job to help your group do its best to achieve the group purpose. It is not my position to be a member of the group. I cannot be a part of the group’s process if I am to continually analyze what is going on and determine what the group and individual members need to do to be successful."
"My role is kind of like a coach, and your group is like a football team. I help. You do the work of the group. As long as you are in agreement to work at helping each other decorate the church, I will commit to help you as a group to my best ability, with God’s help.” “If you think of Jesus’ leadership style, He was not a member of the group of disciples. We speak of ‘Jesus and His disciples’, recognizing that He had a different function than each of the twelve.” “In the same way, I must not do what you are capable of doing. Otherwise, I will hold the group back from the growth that brings obedience and success. It is your group, and you must become capable to do the work. I will not be distant or inactive, I will just be doing those things that will help you develop a healthy group that works toward its purpose.” “Maybe, in time, after the group as a whole has learned to do most of its own leadership, it will be less necessary for me to stand back in order to see the big view and analyze the group’s effectiveness. At that time I can become a little more active, but still not as a full-fledged group member. But for the time being, I need to have a very objective view of things from outside of the group.” “Do you agree to this leadership arrangement?” |
CONTRACTING STEP EIGHT: When they agree, it is time for you to commit yourself to help the group and its group members.
“Since you’ve committed yourselves to the group, to one another, and to my help, I’m with you. I’ll help you as best as I can.”
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CONTRACTING STEP NINE: Explain that they have just formed a group: two or more people who need each other to work on a common purpose.
“You have just done the most important thing for group success -- you have become a group with a purpose that you will work on together as a group to achieve.”
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CONTRACTING STEP TEN: Go over a little more carefully who is to be a "true" member of their group. Explain that membership has benefits like cooperation and friendliness and respectfulness. Ask them if anyone cannot give those things to the people in the room who have accepted membership. Usually they will readily agree, and this may be important later if any of those things are withheld from someone.
Ask the group if there is anyone they know of who should be invited to be a member of the group, but was not.
Ask the group if there is anyone they know of who should be invited to be a member of the group, but was not.
“Now you need to decide upon membership, who you want to be a member of your group. Do you agree that each of you is to be a member and receive the advantages of membership, advantages such as friendliness and help?”
“Do you want anyone else in the group, anyone not here now?” |
CONTRACTING STEP ELEVEN: Help the group explore the feelings of each member about being in the group so that work in the group can be as free as possible of fear, ambivalence, anger, embarrassment, etc.
“It will help if the group will ask each member how it feels to be in such a group as this is going to be.”
"Seek out if anyone has reservations and fears. Help each of your members to express hopes and expectations." |
CONTRACTING STEP TWELVE: Help the group explore what kinds of individual behavior will be expected of each of the members if the group is to go well and be successful in working toward the group purpose. After dealing with individual behaviors that will help the group succeed, discuss what behaviors will be detrimental to group success.
“It would be a good idea at this time to discuss among yourselves what might be required from each of you to help the group successfully work at accomplishing the group’s purpose of decorating the church for Christmas so that those who come into the church will be directed toward thinking of the incarnation and celebrating it joyously.”
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CONTRACTING STEP THIRTEEN: Help the group consider what it will need to do as a group, i.e. the group as a whole rather than the individual members. Help them to identify things like creating a "can do", positive, accepting atmosphere. There is no need for the group members to understand the span of their responsibilities. But they do need to know that the group as a whole will need to do many things – as a group. Considering some of them at the beginning of the group will focus the minds of group members on their existence as a group as a whole rather than as individuals.
“You might want to think of your group as a football team. There are many things that each of you must do for the group to be successful, as we have already discussed. For example, one of you might have to block, another go out for a pass, and another throw the football.”
“But, like a football team, there are many things you will have to do as a group. The football team as a group needs to get the ball across the goal line. You as a group also have responsibilities such as making every group member feel important, accepted and capable of contributing to the Christmas Decorations Committee.” “So, what other things can you think of that you will have to do as a group? What can your group do, and must do, that no individual member can accomplish? For example, only the group as a whole can make the group a safe place.” |
YOU AND THE GROUP PAUSE AND DISCUSS
“Let me run through a few of the group’s responsibilities. The group will need to stay on track and keep focused on its purpose. Most groups fail because they do not fully understand and faithfully pursue their purpose. You will need to see that everyone in the group is helped. Etc. Etc.”
“Sometimes the group will be like a wrestling tag match. One of you will say something to somebody. That somebody will not understand. Another of you will explain what was said in your own different way of saying things. That will probably help the person understand what the first person said to him or her. Maybe somebody will become defensive. Then someone else will reassure that person of his or her worth, even though what was said might be true. Occasionally, and this is a sign of a strong group, one of you will invite another to help in the process, such as saying, ‘Mike, you have a good way of saying things. Can you tell Carol what you heard Mary saying to her?’ This is called synergy, and it shows how much more you can get done working as a group.” |
CONTRACTING STEP FOURTEEN: Help the group discuss general goals necessary to achieve the group's purpose.
“You now need to decide what you want to do together in the sense of goals and general activities. For example, what do you want to accomplish? After you decide that, then you can decide upon a loose structure to guide your meetings into successful obedience.”
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Copyright 2012 Dick Wulf, Colorado, USA