How to Change Your City

CATCH A VISION AND PASSION TO CHANGE YOUR CITY!
   
This week we have talked about operating at a new, higher level of service - namely, living to serve.  Also, we talked about the importance of us all recognizing and accepting our common responsibility to rebuild the broken walls of our cities and communities through the repair of small businesses.
 
Today, I complete this thought by encouraging you to think differently about your identity, your role, your ability, and your responsibility to change your city!

“Change your whole way of thinking, because the new order of the spirit is confronting and challenging you.”   (Millard Fuller, President of Habitat for Humanity).

This is a time, which calls for a critical mass of transformational leaders who will commit to creating a synergy of energy within their circle of influence so new levels of social, economic, organizational and spiritual success can be reached.  
(Erik Rees, Saddleback Church)
 
Rebuild the Broken Walls of Your City
Small businesses in the U.S. (defined by the Small Business Administration as any business with fewer than 500 employees) make up over 97% of all businesses in any given city or community.  Did you get that  - 97% -
 
Together, 97% of anything makes a dominant force.  Think of the potential of all small businesses banding together to help one another, to lift up the entire state of the economy in a city, to transform a city!
 
On the flip side, separately a small business has little power, clout, influence, or leveraging making opportunities to affect much change anywhere.
 
So my challenge to you - get a heart to change your city.  Change your identity, consider yourself as part of the marketplace transformation team. 
 
> What if you were to catch a vision to be part of the city’s small business marketplace (even though you had a single business that you own/run);
> What if you catch a vision of being on the city’s healthcare team responsible for the health and welfare of the entire city;
> What if your vision was to be a pastor for the entire city (even though you had a local venue where you led a specific congregation);
> What if you fully embraced your role of neighbor and citizen (looking beyond your fence line);
 
Just taking the concept embracing the vision of being part of the greater team of small businesses serving the city at the level of living to serve - what power could you wield to impact the whole city for good.  Think of the possibilities if you pooled resources together to help fund each other’s startups or expansions, or created a buying club to drive down costs of insurance, supplies, everything!
 
There is a better way to survive and thrive - but it is together not apart.
 
Principles of Transformational Leadership to Bring Together City Changers
Rick Warren has developed the following 7-principles of transformational leadership to create a synergy of energy within a community.  Much good stuff to consider in applying to creating a team of small businesses to change your city.
 
1. Principle of Simplification - Successful leadership begins with a vision, which reflects the shared purpose. The ability to articulate a clear, practical, transformational vision which answers the question, ‘Where are we headed?’”

2. Principle of Motivation - The ability to gain the agreement and commitment of other people to the vision. … A common way to motivate others is to challenge them, and to provide ample opportunity to join the creative process.

3. Principle of Facilitation - The ability to effectively facilitate the learning of individuals, teams. Peter Senge in Fifth Discipline says the primary job of leadership now is to facilitate the learning of others.”

4. Principle of Innovation  - The ability to boldly initiate prayerful change when needed. Team members successfully influence one another to assimilate change because the transformational leaders have built trust and fostered teamwork.”

5. Principle of Mobilization - The ability to enlist, equip and empower others to fulfill the vision. Transformational leaders desire leadership at all levels, so they find ways to invite and ignite leadership all levels.

6. Principle of Preparation - The ability to never stop learning about themselves.  It has often been said that ‘Leaders are learners.’  

7. Principle of Determination - The ability to finish the race. …  Transformational leaders have to develop spiritual, emotional, and physical disciplines to sustain their high level of commitment to their cause.
 
Back to Nehemiah’s Wall Building
Two pieces of information changed the course of Nehemiah’s life that resulted in the transformation of a community.  In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah learned that 1) the walls and gates of Jerusalem were broken down; and 2) her people were in great distress.  These two pieces of accurate information were catalytic to Nehemiah’s prayers and plans to restore a broken wall and a broken people.  His burden to transform the city came from accurate information.  We too need correct information about the real needs of our community as well as the resources we have to meet these needs. 
 
In assessing community needs we need to identify the people in need (poor, disadvantaged, children, elderly, single parents, disabled, prisoners, sick, aliens, etc) along with the type of needs they have (physical, spiritual / moral, social, emotional or cognitive).  Most information is readily available through local human service agencies and the census bureau.  Together, these two research pieces give us a picture of our “mission field” and our “mission force.”  Armed with accurate information, we can determine best how to go forward.  

DAILY PRAYER  
“As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it (Luke 19:41).  Father, you desire us to impact the world through changing the lives of individuals locally, regionally and internationally.  Help us to catch a heart and vision to change our city by teaming together with others in the marketplace, government, education, media and church.  Together we can live to serve and transform our city.  In Jesus name, Amen.
 
TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More!
 
Grace and peace multiplied to you.