Episcopal Church Foundation Vital Practices

Dreaming, Google, and the Church

by Richelle Thompson on October 6, 2011

What’s your dream?

I spent the past 2 ½ days dreaming with the board of Forward Movement, an organization dedicated to reinvigorating the church. We did board things like approve the financial report and talk about policies, but we also spent a good chunk of this meeting imagining how the 76-year-old agency might serve the Church.

Under the helm of the new executive director, the Rev. Scott Gunn, the organization is exploring new ways of helping form disciples, from its bread-and-butter business of daily devotionals and tracts to multi-media content and creative partnerships in and beyond the church. Being invited to brainstorm – in a safe place where no answer is wrong and no suggestion undoable – unleashed innovative ideas and boundless enthusiasm. While many of our dreams may never reach fruition (an Episcopal-like Words for Friends game, anyone?), some of these ideas will come to life. And, through the Holy Spirit, perhaps they’ll play a role in transforming the church – and people’s lives.

I heard a fascinating tidbit during our meeting: Google has a “20 percent policy” for its employees. That means that 20 percent of the time they can work on their own special projects -- they are encouraged to tackle the idea that has percolated on the fringes for months but never surfaced to the urgent list. They are deliberately cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit; through their policy and actions, the company is naming creativity and dreaming as a priority.

And they’ve reaped the rewards. Not only is Google a highly successful company but also several new products have been developed by employees during their 20 percent time, including Google Suggest, AdSense for Content and Orkut.

I wonder if vestries could adopt this 20 percent model. What if, out of every 60-minute meeting, 15 minutes were spent dreaming instead of debating bids for a new roof? What if dreaming was as valued as setting the group-use policy for the kitchen?

I’m not suggesting that vestries stop their critical work. But what would happen if dreaming also was seen as a vital practice?

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