The Care and Feeding of Stakeholders, Part One
A Travel Free Learning Article, January 25, 2011 Edition
By George Bullard, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership
Voice: 803.622.0923, E-mail: GBullard@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org
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Here is the article to downloard: Download Bullard, What Makes 60-40-20 People Tick, 1.1.11 Edition
Listen to the Travel Free Learning Dialogue on this subject:
TFL Dialogue, George Bullard, 60-40-20 People, 1.26.11
Not long ago when I was present in my home congregation for Sunday morning worship, it was the day for deacon election. I received a ballot to vote for 12 out of 15 or 16 candidates. Since our congregation has two worship services and the one we attend is the smaller and older of the two, and since I am gone half of all Sundays consulting with other congregations, I am not always familiar with newer people who are connect with our congregation and rise in their involvement to the point where they are being considered as a deacon.
Reviewing the list of candidates, I caught myself wanting to turn to my wife and say, “who are these people and what makes them think they have the right to be a deacon in our congregation?” I did not say that to my wife during the worship service, but she laughed with me as I told her about my reaction on the way home following the worship service. I told her it helped me understand a little bit how quickly stakeholders can feel possessive about their congregation.
For a couple of decades I have been talking about a collection of people present in every congregation that is at least 20 years old. I call them 60-40-20 people. They are the stakeholders in a congregation who at times feel they possess preferred stock as part of their ownership of the congregation.
60-40-20 people have all three of the following demographic traits. They are at least 60 years old. They have been professing Christians and attending a church on a regular basis for at least 40 years. They have been members of their current congregation for at least 20 years.
Continue reading "Are 60-40-20 People Empowering or Controlling in Your Congregation?" »
