The same page
Carey Nieuwhof
December 15, 2009

We’re human. We’re tempted to believe that new is always better than same. Some of you are tempted right now to start a brand new page in your life. But today I want to change that up. A new church is not necessarily better than the same church, nor is new staff inherently better than […]

<? echo $type; ?> The same page

We’re human. We’re tempted to believe that new is always better than same. Some of you are tempted right now to start a brand new page in your life. But today I want to change that up.

A new church is not necessarily better than the same church, nor is new staff inherently better than who you’ve currently got, nor is a new job going to be inherently better than your current job.

Here’s what I believe: Having a team on the same page is far better than simply starting on a new page.

What if you could align your current team around the same vision? What if your volunteers, staff, elders, and leaders were all headed in the same direction? What if your current team set out on an agreed-upon plan and everyone worked together to achieve the same goals?

I know … sounds like a pipe dream. But here’s the bomb that needs to be dropped: There is absolutely no guarantee that a new team will be any more aligned than your current team. Zero. You have to work with people, and people always show up with competing visions, strategies, and agendas. There’s a reason most new businesses and most new churches don’t live up to promise. Part of the reason is that even new teams struggle with alignment, with truly being on the same page.

So before you jump into something new, consider this: You’ll be facing the same (maybe even more) challenges in aligning your new team as you are trying to align your current team.

Do you see that? Why do you think new still lures many of us when the value of being on the same page is more powerful than starting on a new page? What’s the luster for you?

Stay tuned … Tomorrow we’ll talk about strategies for getting your team on the same page.