Components of a Movement Part 2

I pulled this post and the next subsequent posts off Eric Swanson’s blog who took it from Marc van der Woude’s blog http://marcsmessages.typepad.com

What are the key stages in the development of movements?

Components of a Movement

Energy – The Divine spark.

Movements that impact whole cultures begin with individuals or small groups of people who are somehow transformed by a spiritual encounter that dramatically changes their personal lives. The occurrence of such encounters is probably more widespread than we sometimes imagine. Almost certainly, in every culture and in every generation some people have experiences of this kind. They cannot be planned for, predicted or arranged through a programme but they almost certainly happen unexpectedly and spontaneously.

Conceptualisation – an interpretative framework.

For a movement to develop out of such personal experiences it is necessary for someone to offer an explanation of these spiritual encounters to allow others to be part of that experience. They may not themselves have the same experiences but an interpretative framework can allow people to identify with those experiences. Peter did just that on the day of Pentecost. He did not say to the crowd, “this is just one of those things”. Instead he explained that this is that which was promised in the prophecy of Joel. Having been offered such an explanation, and a clear way to identify with the experience, through belief in Jesus, repentance and baptism, others were able to join the movement whether or not they had experienced exactly the same thing that had just taken place. Later, Peter did something of the same when the Holy Spirit descended on gentiles. He offered an explanation, or interpretative framework that allowed that new group of gentiles to identify with the broader Christian movement. Movements are engendered when the initial participants begin to see a wider significance in that which they have experienced.

Mobilization – the multiplication of many.

The capacity to mobilise people such that the interpretive framework can be understood and explained by others represents the moment of take-off for a movement. It is vital that movement not depend on the explanation of the experts or professionals. If it does then multiplication is replaced by mere addition and dynamic growth is not possible. Movements have to be highly transportable and they are only transportable when every member can transmit the core explanation without help from an expert.

Organisation — giving power, permanence and purpose.

Formal structures sometimes receive a bad press in relation to movements. There are many who see structure as the antithesis of movement. But in reality the creation of organisation actually adds power to the otherwise undirected energy of the initial movement. Of course, structures without creative energy do cause movements to plateau and then decline and it is often that phase of organisational life that people observe as the death knell of movement. But creative energy well harnessed to organisational skill represents the period of most rapid growth and impact for any movement.