Recently, I was asked about structure. One, in particular read one of my recent articles on strategy, stated it was timely, but now need something on structure. I have written on structure several times over the past 13 years in this blog and other places. Today, I want to focus on a different avenue of structure.
Structure is, as the Oxford dictionary has it, “the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex.”
Every organization, no matter its size, needs structure. Without structure you have chaos. You may have organized chaos, but it is chaos – disorder and confusion. I have leaders both in the church & corporate world state something like, “We let our people have the freedom to get the work done, each in their own way. We don’t really have a structure.”
Giving people freedom to accomplish is not all bad or good. Still, there must be boundaries. There must be certain guidelines to be followed. Otherwise you will breed chaos.
Each organization needs a structure that fits its size, demographics, (inside and outside the organization) and organizational purpose. Attempting to create a structure not based on a great understanding of these three will only produce floundering, failure, and chaos.
The majority of churches in North America today run less than one hundred in attendance. The structure of those churches, most with only one paid staff person (many of those bi-vocational) will need a very different structure than a church running 200, 300, 1,500, or 15,000. The smaller church structure will rely heavily on volunteer personnel. While every effective church structure relies heavily on volunteerism, the larger church will have various layers of paid staff structured in as well.
Yet size is only one critical element in creating effective structure. Leaders must know and understand the demographics within and outside of your organization. Demographics reveal statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within an organization and those outside of your organization. Every church should be aware of the demographics within at least a 1, 3, and 5 mile radius of the church. Who lives around you. Where do they work, what is the household income, how many children, etc. Do the demographics in your church match the demographics of those living around you. Your structure should draw heavily from the demographics of and around your church or organization.
The third critical element for your organization in designing the effective, correct structure is your organizational purpose. For what does your organization exist? What is the purpose of your organization? For every evangelistic Christian church it is to fulfill The Great Commission. Therefore, a structure is needed that will effectively carry out the tenets of The Great Commission as ordained in scripture. Perhaps a good first question to ask is, “To fulfill The Great Commission what do we need to incorporate, according to our size, the demographics within the organization, and who we trying to reach?
For more information and coaching for your organizational structure contact George Yates or your denominational leaders.
George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.