Operation Kaboom- The Backstory

I'm going to start a series of posts about NCC's Operation Kaboom-- the systematic dismantling and rebuilding of our small group structure.

The genesis of Kaboom was probably our Zone Leader/Team Leader retreat in November 2008, where we candidly discussed what was working well, what was working marginally, and what was a total flop in small group world at NCC. We learned that communication was breaking down. That we didn't know our leaders as well as we should. That our leaders probably needed to be cared for and trained better. And that our structures might need some adjustments.

In the summer of 2009, we suspended our support and training structure for the A18: Neighborhoods experiment for the purpose of re-thinking some things.

When three of my best zone leaders stepped down from their role in 2009, it was the fire I needed under my rear to catalyze a re-thinking of our system. I realize now that I had worked those poor leaders into the ground for far too long, asking them to run a system and structure that was no longer working for their leaders or fulfilling for them.

In the Fall of 2009, we dissolved the zone leader/team leader team, assembled a team of thinkers and visionaries, and threw everything up in the air.

This blog series will look at the reasons for Operation Kaboom; the process of researching, dreaming, and rebuilding; and our new structure.