Although he cannot be credited as the sole creator of
continuous improvement or Total Quality Management, W. Edwards Deming certainly
popularized the concept. Deming is best
known for his work in Japan with the leaders of Japanese industry after World
War Two. In an address at the Hakone
Convention Center in Tokyo in 1950, Deming introduced the concept of Statistical
Product Quality Administration (SPQA). Many credit Deming’s ideas as the
driving force that brought Japanese industry out of postwar devastation to
world economic power.
Deming taught that small incremental changes, many suggested
by those on the factory floor, could help an industry develop quality products
that would be preferred by consumers.
Although I would prefer that we not think of ministry as developing
products, many of Deming’s ideas can be applied to transitioning a church to
becoming more missional, embracing its role in the missio Dei (mission of God).
The cycle of instituting change that Deming encouraged is
one example we might try. There are four
components to the cycle—Plan, Do, Check (or Study), and Act.
First, in order to plan a change aimed at an improvement or expansion
of ministry, you identify one particular item that has the potential to be done
more effectively. You try to keep this
change to item in order to measure only one variable—time expended,
participation, expense, etc.
Second, you attempt this change by doing it on a small scale
and keep record of the results; i.e., increase or decrease in participation, time
allocation, cost, etc. There is no long
term commitment to the change. It is an
experiment.
Third, you study or check the results to see what was accomplished
or learned and monitor the effects of the change. Feedback from those involved in the change as
well as statistical data is helpful here.
Fourth, you act to adopt the change, abandon if it was not
useful, or try again using what you have learned. If it is useful, you institutionalize
it. If not, you try move on.
What are some examples?
Imagine that you are trying to provide a Bible study group for young
adults. You have been doing this on
Sunday nights in the church building for several months and response has
steadily declined. The experiment would be
to move it to a nearby coffee shop, let people know about it, and see what
happens. You change only the location;
nothing else. Over a period over three
months, you keep track of attendance. If
it works, you may tweak the format a bit further (content, process, leadership,
etc.). If it doesn’t, you go back to
what you did before or try something else based on the feedback of
participants.
Another possibility would be finding a way to engage church
participants in mission outside the church.
You offer Sunday morning Bible study classes the opportunity to take
turns doing their lesson in a nursing home, homeless shelter, or correctional
facility on a one time basis. Try this
for a few months and ask each group to do an evaluation of their experiences. What did they learn? Are there needs there that your church can
meet? Did some class members decide that
they might volunteer in one of these situations? How can this type of outreach become a
regular part of the church’s life?
This is a simple process-- Plan, Do, Check, and Act--but it
can open the door to new possibilities.
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