DR WILSON LIM MESSAGE: WHAT WE ARE ABOUT

[Global Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand]

A story goes that years ago it became apparent Toyota was doing better than the American counterparts. In an attempt to understand why this was happening, a big American car manufacturer hired a consultant. The consultant made extensive studies to determine the factors contributing to the success of Toyota over this American car manufacturer. As part of this the consultant interviewed the employees in both firms. All the way from the CEO to the employees on the factories. Amongst the many questions asked was this question, “What do you do in your job?”

Pastor Wilson Lim Video Message

Toyota and American car manufacturers

In the American factory, the consultant asked a worker who was fixing the seats to a car in the assembly line. “Sir, what do you do in your job?” The man looked incredulously at the consultant and replied, “Can’t you see I fix seats in the car?” The consultant went along the assembly line and asked another man adjusting the headlights in a car. “Sir, what do you do in your job?” The man replied gruffly, “Isn’t it obvious? I fix the lights!” The consultant duly noted it down and went to another man further down the line who was putting on the tyres. “Sir, what do you do in your job?” The man stared at the consultant, “What else do you see me doing? I do the tyres.” The consultant obtained roughly similar responses whenever he asked that question along the assembly line.




Then he flew to Japan and began the whole process again. As he was in a Toyota assembly plant, he began to ask the same series of questions. He approached a man busily adjusting the exhaust pipe into place. “Sir, what do you do in your job?” The man paused a moment and proudly exclaimed, “I build Toyota.” The consultant went down the assembly line to another worker who was putting in the dashboard. “Sir, what do you do in your job?” The man respectfully stepped back and gesturing to the unfinished car, said, “My job is to make Toyota cars.” The consultant duly noted this down and stepped further along the assembly line. He interviewed another man who was carefully gluing into place some body trimmings. “Sir, what do you do in your job?” The man looked at the consultant curiously, “My responsibility is to build Toyota.”

The big difference between the American car manufacturer and the Toyota workers was that the Toyota workers understood and appreciated the significance of their role in making Toyotas. With this perspective, they would look beyond their scope of focus and be involved in the entire quality control process. They would stop the assembly line if they noted a fault on another part of the car. This improved quality significantly.

Perhaps, with the recent crisis for Toyota’s faulty cars fault, it is time to return to what they were about.



Going back to our core values

In the same way, it is important to understand not only the role that we may have in our local churches but the bigger picture of what we are about. As a family of churches our primary emphasis is about

• Loving God and fulfilling the Great Commission. That is why we win souls, make disciples, plant churches and impact communities in many different countries around the world. We do this passionately because we see the significance of what we are doing. We do what we do as a group of churches working together, because we understand how close this is to God’s heartbeat.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20



Our core values capture what we are about. Our 10 core values describe key aspects that make us what we are and do as a family of churches. These values tie us together and move us together. Hence it is critical that all our members understand these values and how much it impacts upon our churches and our ministry together. [Oceania Convention Website]

• That is why our coming Oceania Convention’s theme of “Ethos: Rediscovering our Core Values” is such an important topic for all our members. It is time to refresh and renew our appreciation for and commitment to these core values.
  

1. Christ-Centred
2. Holy Spirit Empowered
3. Bible Based
4. Covenantal Relationships
5. Enriching Community life
6. Vision Driven
7. Disciple Making
8. Leadership Development
9. Church Planting
10. Apostolic Oriented
    

Come to the Gold Coast for this exciting time over Easter. I am believing for a fresh encounter with God as well as a reigniting of fresh passions in God and believing for this world to be touched by God’s love and power. It is also an opportunity to learn from the experiences of many others and renew friendships across Oceania.

In anticipation,

Dr. Wilson Lim
Chairman of Oceania Churches