I hate signs. I know hate is a strong word, and I was told as a kid never to use it, but no other word describes how I feel about signs. Now, let me be clear regarding what type of signs I hate. I don’t mind stop signs, exit signs, signs that tell you how far until a certain city. These signs are good because they are informational. The signs I hate say things like…
- Because this place is a gift, please put things back where they belong.
- Please do not take pens out of this drawer.
- Respect the building; please do not sit against the wall.
These signs are directional and they do little good. In fact they damage the relational culture of a community and pull people apart instead of bringing them closer together.
One of the things I appreciate about Andy Stanley and North Point Church is how they lead. In his book, Deep and Wide, Andy talks about the relational culture they have established. He said, “we don’t feel compelled to sort everything or everyone out ahead of time. We are not going to spend countless hours creating policies for every eventuality. Instead we’ve chosen to wade in hip-deep and sort things out one relationship, one conversation at a time” (p. 78). Andy goes on to say, “we have virtually no policies and lots and lots of conversations” (p. 79).
I like that. Instead of policies and signs they place a value on relationships and conversations. This reminds me of a time when King David had to make a decision. His decision was do we move the Ark or not. Before he made a decision it says David “consulted with the commanders of thousands and hundreds, with every leader” (1 Chronicles 13:1). He also asked the people to have conversations with God. He said, “if it seems good to you and from the Lord our God” (13:2). After having these conversations there was consensus. All the people agreed. But what led to the consensus? Conversations!
Conversations are crucial to the health of any organization. Conversations must be the catalyst that creates a culture of relationships, and it is through these relationships that church/organization is led. So, tear down the signs and start having conversations. When that happens, the climate of any culture will improve.