We Think New!

In mid-May, 20 managers and staff from the UEM met in Manila for a four-day workshop. The aim was to rethink the previous planning processes within the UEM. We were invited by the UCCP*, a member church of the UEM, which allowed us to stay in its guest house, provided us with generous hospitality and prepared an extremely interesting and enjoyable programme of activities.

 

In the wake of the pandemic, we are increasingly aware that the world is spinning faster and faster and that the contrasts are growing: information technology offers more and more opportunities to connect and network, the world feels smaller and smaller, but at the same time globalisation is taking backward steps.

 

The financial power of the churches in the global south is increasing, and there is great hope for tangible growth, while the power of the churches in the north is declining and hopelessness and grief can be seen in some places.

 

 

 

Some colleagues prefer to rely on tried and tested methods, while others want to try new approaches and are open to the use of artificial intelligence, for example.

 

The strategy and goals of the UEM are crystal clear to some and a closed book to others.

 

The freedom of faith to trust in God is contrasted with meticulous plans with little room for miracles.

 

Then there is the feeling of working for the right thing in our daily work, but at the same time we often don't know how to explain what and how we do things better than others.

 

We brought these contradictions, and much more, with us, along with the desire to talk about them, to look at ourselves, to question ourselves.

 

 

 

We designed the workshop by starting with a few team-building activities to create an atmosphere of trust and openness. Even though we all know each other, this is necessary to break down intercultural barriers and grow together as a group. On the second day, we listened to each other. We shared what we want, what we see, what bothers us. We collected and revealed. On the third day, we worked in small groups, where we actively tried to think about everything in a new way. Each group was tasked with developing new planning concepts. The aim was to develop a concept for how things could be done better, taking into account the topics from the previous day as well as our own wishes. On the last day, we presented and discussed the three different concepts. Our result: three different approaches that provide us on the Management Team with a very good basis for further work.

 

Now it is our task as the board to bring everything together and develop a realisable concept that can then be applied in the UEM. To do this, we will continue to work in groups and also take time for ourselves. We need new language rules, new software systems, we have to be clear about how we can integrate AI into our daily work in a useful way. But we also need to leave room for the Holy Spirit, for the miracle that we experience again and again and that we also need.

 

 

 

So we are moving forward, motivated and above all in the knowledge that this interdisciplinary and intercultural team is ready to help make the UEM a better place.

 

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I believe that we have started something new in Manila that will make the UEM better, more effective and more motivated. We will see. Now there is a lot of work to be done.

 

Timo Pauler

 

UEM Executive Secretary Finance & Administration

 

 

 

*UCCP = United Church of Christ in the Philippines