By the Rt Rev Garry Marquand, Moderator of the General Assembly
Visit an accident and emergency department on a Saturday evening and your senses are assaulted with the weight of people, the tensions of waiting and wondering, smells and sounds that spell both hope and fear, and the kaleidoscope of need. Overseeing this apparent chaos is the triage nurse. Her task is to assess the urgency of each case, order the admittance of patients for attention, and seek to be as effective as possible with up-to-date but limited medical resources. Triage nursing is an exercise in patience and decisiveness, handling both tears and belligerence, and at times making some really tough decisions.
It is about allocating scarce resources of people, skills and facilities, and yet remaining effective in meeting the needs of that day. We face a similar challenge in our local churches, where we remain committed to serving others but are often working with less resource than previously. For many of our congregations, there are fewer people and so fewer skills. We are getting older, with time and energy slipping away, and there is less money to go around.
And this is often compounded by continuing to offer groups, programmes, and approaches to ministry that are the product of yesterday. We remain loyal to successful initiatives and really good experiences of the past but are reluctant to admit that the good days are over, and keep working as though we still have the same resources and the needs of others remain the same. We have tried working harder, we have wondered why younger people are not picking up the reins, we have even hoped the minister will do some more – and all the time felt morale slipping away and resentment creeping in.
Perhaps the pilgrim people of God have camped too long and abundant land has
turned to sand. We need some triage leadership in our local churches!
This is a task for everyone, not just the minister or the session/parish council. And what better time than now?
First of all how about conducting a resource reality check. Start with people, and their gifts of time, talents and energy, rather than with “all the things we are supposed to do”. Let’s do some open, straight talking: “We can’t do it all; some things have got to go. What do you think?” Is there someone in your congregation with the courage to take the initiative? You can stretch resources so thin that no one wins.
Then it is time for an effectiveness check. Is this programme even meeting its original aim? Has this group had its day? Is this approach to ministry showing results today? This will take some probing, a good deal of honesty, and a determination to make the mission of Jesus Christ rather than our own well-being the primary measure.
Followed by decision time. Some things, perhaps many things, have to go, despite what Mr or Mrs ____ might think! Th ey were good for their time and we will celebrate their life, but we will lay them to rest. And let’s be generous in letting things go, not cutting too fi ne a line with our resources. Letting go is hard because our hearts were in these ministries and the memories are strong, but doesn’t wisdom decree that it is better to do some things well rather than many things poorly?
Other things will stay, of course, though may be changed; their mission vision remains relevant, the energy and gifts are there, and there is a connection with needy people outside the church. Doing just a few things, really well – now that makes sense.
The process and results should give space for contemporary mission initiatives as well. If God’s people in the past came up with such brilliant initiatives for their day, then imagine what we could do. Start with those we are trying to serve and design new ministries for them. Now there’s a remedy for resentment and low morale!
Triage leadership is an exercise in decisiveness, matching resources to need, and fulfi lling the mission of Jesus Christ. God’s people are journeying on: the cloud is moving us into a new land.