IN 1800s AMERICA, as early American pioneers settled and took claim to land, they would often stop and draw all of the wagons into a circle,
and place cattle, horses, and other belongings on the inside to protect them from any outside threat.
Ever since those days, people have often used the term circle the wagons to describe those times when we need to come together, combine
forces, preserve and protect what’s important; or just get on the same page! More than ever before, as almost every church faces
great financial challenges we need to circle the wagons from time to time. We think every church needs to build those times, events, and
environments into the church culture where we come together, talk about preserving what’s important and get on the same page!
Circle the wagon environments are important because they allow us to:
* Speak to Insiders
* Champion the Vision
* Make Stakeholders
* Challenge the Core
* Set Culture
Keep in mind that you can’t circle the wagons every week. There are times to be taking new ground and there are times to be circling
the wagons. At Mountain Lake Church we have two circle the wagons ministry environments.
LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY
Leadership Community is where we meet with all of our small group and volunteer leaders. We meet with this group on one Sunday evening each
month. This is a time where Shawn cast vision to our leaders and the rest of our pastors meet with ministry areas they oversee. Leadership
Community represents about 10 percent of our adult attendance.
MERGE
Merge consist of all of our small groups and volunteers. This is the core of our church. It represents approximately 50 percent of our
adult attendance. We meet four to five times a year; we worship and share the vision in a heighten way. This is a midweek worship
experience. All small groups and other ministry activities are canceled that week to communicate the importance of this gathering. We
begin with a potluck meal, then worship and share vision.
These two environments, more so then any other structure, allow us to accomplish our vision and move people from the outside into the core
of our leadership. Regardless of your size and structure, all of our ministries would be served well by answering the following questions:
1. What is my environment for circling the wagons?
2. How and when will I keep ministry leaders excited about the vision?
3. What do I need to stop in order to start circling the wagons?
4. My next steps are?
