Formation – Launching Your Network

Are you launching a new mission network?

What are the most important things to keep in mind as you begin?

This lesson outlines ten key principles that will greatly increase your chances of success as you move forward in the formation of your network.

Let’s assume you have a vision for what you hope to accomplish. You know some of the key people in your field of interest. You have a sense of the primary issues at stake. And you are convinced that it would be better if God’s people could work together on this challenge.
 

Lesson One – Ten key principles to get started

1. Identify the key people.Take time to identify those who are the knowledgeable, influential, proven people already involved in this challenge. They will be vital elements in the future of your network. Start with the few that you know, asking them in turn who they know. Keep doing that and you’ll soon find the same people referred to again and again. Those are the most important people you need to connect with.
 

2. Get to know these people. Talk to and get to know these influential, already-engaged individuals. Listen actively! Ask good questions. Learn about their personal history – what has motivated them? what are their current priorities? what are the 2-3 most pressing issues in your area of shared concern? Give feedback to these people as you talk. Finally, ask if they’d be interested in joining a few others of like mind to explore possible options for creative action together.
 

3. Great vision inspires great action. What’s the big challenge? (e.g., global child trafficking, 4 billion oral learners, 1.6 billion Muslims, etc.). Hundreds around the world are already at work on some part of the challenge. You will inspire them if you can state the challenge in clear, simple, highly-motivating terms. This is not the mission or vision statement for your network. Those will come later as people put their shoulders to the challenge together.
 

4. Effective networks are a process, not an event. The quickest way to kill a high-value potential Kingdom network is to call a meeting too soon. Do your homework so you know the key people and the key issues. Your goal is to get to the point where at least 40-50% of those people are willing to talk together, at least one time, about a very simple question: “Is there anything we might do better together than if we all just keep working independently?” If you have that level of interest, you’re probably ready to plan a meeting.
 

5. Participation is key to ownership. Get people engaged by making a draft agenda for your first meeting and then circulating it for input by all those you’ve talked with. They need to know they are being listened to and can influence the outcomes. You may want to ask which in your group would like to serve in a planning team for your first meeting. More engagement, more ownership. The simple diagram below is a guide – a sequence that you may use – to get people talking and actively engaged. The steps suggested here may also be helpful as you draft the agenda for your formation meeting which you probably want to circulate in advance.
 

6. No talking heads – everyone involved. Whether you meet online or in person, be proactive and get everyone involved. A silent person is usually not engaged and an unengaged person won’t be an enthusiastic participant or an advocate on behalf of your network. Work in breakouts or small groups. Assign specific questions or issues to groups of 2 or 3, asking them to come back with recommendations.
 

7. Early wins communicate credibility and a sense of progress. Big ideas and big plans almost always fail. Recovery after failure is very, very hard. With the big picture in mind, identify key elements that will contribute to progress. What will it take to achieve progress on those one, two, or three smaller yet vital elements? Limited achievable objectives are vital in the early stages when you’re beginning to work together. Walk before you run! Here’s a simple diagram that illustrates the point.

8. Specifics are vital. Your limited achievable objectives should answer these questions: What is our specific objective? How will we measure success for this objective? Who will be responsible for part of the action plan? What is the timetable for what action – by what date? Who is responsible for staying in touch – encouraging, following up, and communicating with those taking action?
 

9. Communication is the heartbeat. Taking people through a process like we’ve described raises serious expectations. Communications on progress is vital. Get the news out about progress being made on those mutually-agreed limited achievable objectives. Even when the going is tough, an update on the work that has been done is often very encouraging. No one expects this vision to be easy to realize. If it was, someone would have already done it! Keep the life-blood of the network circulating through regular communications, whether it be every two weeks, once a month, or whatever you feel is appropriate for your group. It is hard to over communicate!
 

10. This is not a game of guns and money. Mission networks are more than a multiplication of resources and effort. We are locked in a battle with a deadly enemy – the prince of this world – who wants to destroy relationships and hates the possibility of God’s people working together.
 

Along with vision and dedicated leadership, the single most critical element in success is a committed, consistent prayer team. Get them engaged. Include them in all your communications. Give them encouraging feedback. Spiritual breakthroughs must be powered by prayer – inside your network and with a committed team that is alongside.
 

Lesson One – Video Stories:

Below is a selection of video stories that illustrate some of those key points highlighted so far. These stories were drawn from a library of interviews with ministry leaders from around the world. We asked them to share stories from their experience that could give us insight into some of the best practices (and dangerous pitfalls) of building effective networks and partnerships. Please watch at least two of the videos.
 

The “Sore Feet” Method
Ernie Addicott shares the story of the founding of Viva Network and the thorough and deliberate process of one-to-one meetings that lay the foundation for all durable partnerships.

How To Kill A Partnership
Lynne Ellis shares from her own experience one of the best ways to kill a partnership – call a meeting without taking the time to build trust and relationship!

Overcoming Skepticism
In this video, Phill Butler shares a personal story about overcoming skepticism through inclusivity and persistence.

Catalyzing A New Network
Clyde Taber shares the story of how the Visual Story Network was launched through an intentional process of exploratory meetings over many months. Take note of the time and the deliberate steps they gave to the process.

Building Consensus
Hein van Wyk shares about the process of building consensus in the context of an emerging partnership in Mozambique, and how the group successfully worked through issues of identity, vision, frustration, personal conflict, theological differences, and more.

Lesson One – Forum Response Question:

Which of these ten principles stands out to you most? Was there anything that stood out to you in any of the video stories? Share one next step you plan to take from this lesson.

Post your response

In this lesson, you explored ten key principles critical to the successful formation of a network. Many of these principles are important in later stages as well. In the next lesson, you will be looking at the critical role of the facilitator in the formation of a network.

  Lesson 2 – The Facilitator