Owned by many

How do you see the resources you have?

The body of Christ has excellent resources and strategies. They are mostly produced by organizations working alone for their own unique contexts. An example is a sports camp manual. There are many.

Lots of great ideas and high quality. Some free, some cost money. Most are in only one or a few languages.

As a sports movement, we learned that it is seldom beneficial to accept a sports camp manual or other similar, well-produced resources from one agency to share. Why? Ownership.

A sense of ownership is essential for partnering agencies and churches to extensively use a resource.

Our natural mindset is: “That was created by them for them, not by us for us!“

How do we achieve ownership?

- Start with a “blank sheet of paper” so that all can give input and direction from the beginning.

- Ensure there is a diversity of cultures from different regions of the world and genuine collaboration so that all voices are heard.

The result: a camp manual that no one owns, but everyone owns. This is a powerful resource. It has the potential to travel far and be used and adapted widely.

The concept of going slow together so we can all go fast later is easy to say but emotionally hard for many.

Once a team of 15-20 busy sports ministry leaders sat to select a three-word theme for a major global sports event. Hour after hour they struggled with several recommended names, only to find terrible meanings when translated into other languages. Consensus took time – lots of it.

Perhaps it sometimes works when a leader tells everyone under their authority the final choice. But today, an impactful global movement needs ownership across the world it serves.

Scripture to ponder –

Ephesians 4:16 (ESV)

… from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Key Lesson: Ownership takes patience and consensus but brings lasting impact.