A New Blog I am Following

In my never ending quest to move and rethink, I like to read about leaders who are pushing past the status quo, and seeing what God is doing in ministries where tradition is seen as an enemy of transformation.

One of those ministries is Connexus Church just outside of Tornoto Canada.  I recently started following Jeff Brodie's blog, in which he shares from his experiences helping to design a church that is reaching people in a country where church attendance is around 10%.  His recent series of posts has been on the importance of not just how we do church, but how we decide how we do church.  Having grown up and served in congregational models all of my life I find his ideas to be so far outside my box that part of me thinks they must be fiction.

Take  look at this post, and tell me what you think

Thoughts on Spiritual Growth

I was recently asked, what steps I think lead to spiritual maturity.  I sent that response as an e-mail to the friend who asked, and figured it might make a good blog post.  After all I use this blog for things that I want to get feedback on and for things that I want to continually "rethink".  So please help me "re-think" any of this that needs to be refined.

As I see it, all spiritual growth results from one of the following: (please note that this list is not original it comes from Andy Stanley's book "Deep and Wide")  Practical Teaching, Private Disciplines, Personal Ministry, Providential Relationships, Pivotal Circumstances.

Practical Teaching:  Not just teaching, but teaching with "next steps".  A sermon that leaves you, not just more enlightened, but one that gives you practical ideas for how to be different because of what you've just heard. This kind of teaching can come from a stage, be heard over the radio (or Internet), or be found in the pages of a book.  It can be heard live with hundreds of people, or projected onto a video screen in a small group, or consumed privately.

 Private Disciplines: Reading the scripture, prayer, fasting, and giving.  All of these have the potential to grow our faith.

Personal Ministry:  Our bodies cannot be healthy simply by eating the right food, we have to pair diet with exercise for optimal health.  So it is with our spirit.  We have to be engaged in the unique ministry, the "good works" that Ephesians 2 says God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them.

Providential Relationships: This is where the body comes in.  We all need people in our lives that we can learn from, who can mentor us, who we can mentor.  There will be people in our lives that inspire us, and people who are negative examples.  We need people to spur us on toward love and good deeds, and to sharpen us, as iron sharpens iron.

Pivotal Circumstances: This is not one that the church can create, as much as it can shape our response.  I love the way Roger (our pastor) takes current events and give us a Christian/Biblical filter for them.  We will all have pivotal circumstances in our lives, death, divorce, injury, illness, financial troubles, and the like.  How we respond to these circumstances can impact our faith. Do we see tragic circumstances and decide that a loving God could not let such a thing happen, or do we see the evidence of God working all things for good?

These ideas are extremely well articulated in Andy Stanley's book "Deep and Wide", and while I've taken the "P's" (words in bold) from his book, these are ideas that I have been working to refine and articulate for years, which is why they resonate with me so deeply. 

I know you wanted my personal opinion, so the following ideas are strictly mine.  I think that as we look through scripture we can see the following pattern emerge for how God works in a life: He Planned for us, He created us, He pursued us, He makes us new, He equips us, He inspires us, He Works through us.  This pattern is similar to what we see in Romans 8:29-30.  As we try to do for others as Jesus did for us, I think we, as individuals or as a church, can follow the same pattern.

Plan: God foreknew us, before he did anything else.  We should take time to get to know who we want a ministry, or our entire church, to reach.  If a church wants to start a ministry that is going to help feed hungry people, shouldn't we get to know some hungry people and find out what they need?  Shouldn't we read everything we can about hunger and poverty, and shouldn't we study what is working to combat those needs?  Just an example... 

Create: God had his plan for salvation in place before he created us.  After his plan was in place, he set about putting into action.  This is of course a vital second step.  It is not enough to simply read, and study how to minister to a particular group, we must actually take action, and be doer's of what we have learned.

Pursue: Even God wasn't content to sit in heaven and let His creation speak for itself, He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden, He took on flesh and became human, he whispered to Elijah, he made a covenant with Abraham, he met Paul on the road to Damascus.  Likewise, if we want to minister to people, we need to walk in their shoes, and become available to life life beside them, rather than simply program for them/to them/at them.  When children's ministry worked well in our church, it was because the volunteers were passionate about the kids and were not content to simply meet with them once a week, they followed up with home visits, and invited them into their own homes, took them out for ice cream, remembered their birthdays, and made their lives, (not just small slivers of their schedules) available.

Made New:  Okay, only God can do this, but we need to remember that all of the relationships and programs in the world don't matter if the person never sees past us to Jesus.  Keeping this on the list of our necessary steps, keeps us focused on the goal of making as certain as possibe that the person were are ministering too experiences the life transformation that Paul spoke of in 2nd Corinthians 5:17.  This is the midpoint in the timeline, the cornerstone, of all of any ministry. we long for that moment when someone will be made knew in Christ.

Equip: This is where I observe most churches having the most difficulty.  What do we do after someone is made knew in Christ?  It is as if we had a clear plan for how to get them into the kingdom, but don't know what do with them once they are in.  Really that's kinda backwards.  Being in the kingdom we should know what kingdom life looks like, but we seem confused...  I think this is because we tend look at salvation as the end goal, when in reality it is only the beginning.  We have this "okay God I got them this far, now they have the Holy Spirit, so you can take it from here..." attitude.  I also think that strategically equipping a whole church full of people is difficult because this is where our ministries tend to begin to overlap.  Instead of just being involved in the one thing or with the one person that moved them toward Christ, the new believer is now expected to be a part of the general church body, and the transition from the kiddie pool to the deep end is often overlooked.  This is makes strategy and unity between departments so critical.  This is why I love Andy Stanley's 5 P's from earlier. They are the steps that transform us from newborn faith to mature faith, a faith that will survive the scorching sun and the choking weeds.  We are equipped through Practical Teaching, Private disciplines, Personal Ministry, Providential Relationships, and Pivotal Circumstances. 

Inspire: As we experience different avenues of personal ministry, we have opportunities to see what work in the kingdom makes us come alive, and to move closer and closer to discovering out what those unique good works are that God created just us to do.  I fully believe that God has a specific, unique purpose for each of us, and that we have the privilege of finding out what it is.  The more faithful we are with the "5P's" listed above, the more He entrusts to us. Like the word says, "you have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things".  The goal is to have each Christian reach a place where as Paul said, "I am compelled to preach, woe to me if I do not preach the gospel" they can say "I am compelled to ____________, woe to me if I do not __________."

Use: Thus transformed, equipped and inspired, we can produce a crop yielding 30, 60 or 100 times what was sown.  This is the part where we are "God's fellow workers" and "Christ's Ambassadors". This is my definition of maturity.  Someone who knows what they are called to do, is passionate about doing it, and is always striving to do it better for the Glory of God.

Remember this was an e-mail to a friend, so I understand if the context is hazy for someone just joining the conversation.  Don't hesitate to ask lots of questions.

Thoughts from the Orange Conference - Church Leaders

This is the 4th and final installment of my "thoughts from the Orange Conference".  Today I am focused on the lessons that I took away as someone who has been in church leadership, and someone who knows how vital having the support of church leadership is to the future of ministry.  Remember these are bullet points.  If you want details you'll have to post a comment.

• People won’t believe they are significant until they are given something significant to do.
• It is better to be excellent at two things than it is to have something for everyone.
• Each hour you spend developing a team of leaders (or parents) is an hour in which you have actually multiplied your influence.  Your one hour turns in to 5, as each individual takes what you taught and practices it.
• Refining or adding programs only makes us more yellow.  It actually moves the church away from being Orange.  Going Orange will require you to let Red (families) have influence in your ministry, and may require doing less, so that Red will have time and energy to do more.
• Have a volunteer tell a ‘messy’ ministry story on video and follow it up with “I am __________, and I volunteer with ___________, because______________”.
• When someone complains about a ministry, a leader’s first response should be “you obviously aren't volunteering there,” then be ready to share at least one “win” from each ministry.
• If you can’t identify a win for a ministry, it is time to cut it or at least prune it.
• Guard the gates.  Not everyone who wants to be a leader (teacher, committee member, small group leader, or any kind of volunteer) should be.  Filtering and evaluating leaders requires creating criteria for leadership.  Look at your best leaders/volunteers to identify those criteria.
• Guard the Gates.  Not every program or ministry idea will actually help you accomplish your mission.  Have criteria by which you evaluate each ministry (new or existing)
• Inspire trust by communicating, being available, and only doing what you can do with excellence.
• It is easier to run ministry around parents than it is to run ministry through relationships with them.  Partnering with parents will require deep commitment and constant attention, as it runs counter to our deeply established church culture
• Design a take away (application) for insiders and one for outsiders into everything you do.
• Determine to reach outsiders through insiders (ie through people, not through programs)
• Be purposeful about connecting outsiders to insiders
• Rely most on the feedback of outsiders, it is easy to fall into the trap of just listening to those who like what you are doing, but that will lead you into ruts or stagnation, you will need to constantly get input from new voices if you are going to keep your approach fresh.
• Don’t box the next generation of leaders into certain methods.

This concludes the thoughts from the Orange Conference.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Thoughts from the Orange Conference - Students

Part 3 of my thoughts from the Orange Conference.  These are some bullet points of ideas that I'd like to plug into my ministry to teens.  Keep in mind that these are just bullet points, and don't hesitate to ask questions if anything is unclear.

• The 4G gospel – we were created “Good” and of great worth to God.  “Guilt” from our sin separates us from that goodness and from God.  “Grace” inspired God to send Jesus to make a way for our relationship with God to be reconciled, and it is “Gratitude” for what God has done that motivates us to turn from evil do good.
• Set specific goals for each year (ie for the freshmen, for the sophomores, etc…) and communicate those goals to each student, mentor and parent.
• Connect them to service, not to a person or a program.  People and programs can be taken away, but if they learn to love God through serving others, they can build new relationships and programs.
• Match-make inter-generational partnerships 1 at a time.
• Provide them with specific actions they can take to be missionaries at school
• Invite them to invite others
• Don’t just assimilate them into the youth ministry; assimilate them out of it as well.
• When it comes to your program Only do what you can do with excellence
• When it comes to relationships remember that God is more interested in your availability than in your ability.
• Teach them how to study the bible; don’t just tell them to do it.  For starters try this: “Pray, Read, Think, Write, Pray.”  Pray – that you will understand what you are about to read, Read – keep it small enough to digest, Think of something you can do with what you've read, Write it down (no longer than a tweet or Facebook status), Pray – that God will help you practice what you've read.
• Give them goals then can attain.  (one example- Going from 0 bible study to 7 days a week would be great, but they may feel like failures if they don’t meet that, shoot for 4 days for starters, and work up from there)
• Remember that the lesson isn't over until it has been applied
• Teach their parents about grace – teen years are when they should be transitioning from doing what is right out of guilt (or fear of punishment) to doing it out of gratitude for the Grace God showed them when he sent Jesus.  Grace will need to be modeled in the home.
• Change the gauge of success – from results to steps.  (one example: rather than how many friends have gotten saved, to how many times you shared your testimony.)
• Students won’t believe they are significant until they are given something significant to do.

Wine, Whine, Whine...

So I am in the process of reading the Bible in a year.  Reading through Luke I noticed something that I have somehow missed every other time I’ve read it. 

Luke 5:36-39 - And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”

Verse 39 is the one that seemed to suddenly appear.  I’ve memorized 36-38 before, even preached on Matthew’s version of this passage, but somehow missed verse 39.

If you are used to the old wine you won’t want the new wine. 

There are leadership implications here, to be sure. Trying to bring change is going to be hard, if Jesus himself says that everyone who has tasted the old wine is going to be satisfied… Every book on change worth it's cover will tell you that "good enough is the biggest threat to excellent that exists". Well-meaning people become like the Pharisees, obstacles to change, because they like what they first tasted…

But what about the personal implications for someone who wants to constantly be moving and re-thinking?  How do I prevent becoming addicted to a certain kind of wine, and whining about the rest?

I remember being a teenager in the 90's, and thinking that my parents were weird for not liking the new music that was coming out.  Now I’m 31 and my favorite type of music is 90’s rock (now called “adult contemporary”).  I’m pretty much annoyed with most of what comes out today, unless it is heavily influenced by 90’s rock.  I’ve settled into a certain wine skin.  When it comes to music, I say, “The old is better!”

But just because I understand the “old is better” attitude doesn’t mean I can defend it.  That attitude is the one that had Jewish believers upset when Gentiles started coming to Christ.  That attitude is the one that pushed Paul to say (about those who were demanding that Gentiles become circumcised if they wanted to pursue relationship with Jesus) “As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!”  It is the attitude that caused the first big church counsel in Jerusalem (one that ended in compromise rather than in leadership, and whose decisions were eventually reversed), and the one that caused Paul to oppose Peter to his face in front of the Galatian church.

On the contrary, I have an obligation to do what Paul did, and become “all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some”.  I follow the example of someone who “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”, but emptied himself, and became like me.  He gave up all the comforts of heaven to suffer through being like me, not because there was anything in it for Him, but because He loved me. 

If singing along with some music I don’t like will help someone else know God’s love, count me in.  If seeing things at church done differently than the way I’ve always done them will help more people come to know Christ in 1 year than in the 5 previous years combined, count me in.  If I have to volunteer in some ways that feel a little awkward, instead of the old comfortable ways, so that I can carry out the great commission, count me in.  

And keep me accountable to my attitude, because I have a tendency to do the right thing through gritted teeth because I know I have to, instead of with genuine love and compassion, and if I do that, then I’m not going to bless anyone.  And I am tempted to only serve with honest love if I get to do it my way, but if I do that I'm just forcing new wine into old wineskins. 

So if I can't serve new wine with a smile, put a cork in me and put me on a shelf in the basement.  The mission of the church is not to keep me content and tithing, but to go and make disciples.  If I get in the way of the mission, then call me Jonah and toss me overboard.  There are plenty of life boats out there that are happy to pick up the picky and serve them their favorite kind of wine.  Maybe I'll even get swallowed by a big fish, get my act together and go do the right thing...

I try to avoid becoming a wine whiner, by remembering that the wine skins that helped last year's crop become a great vintage, might not work well for this year’s harvest; thus the need to constantly move and re-think.   

I am not a change agent, because I want things to be the way I like them.   

I don’t want you to move and rethink your ideas, so that they will be more like mine. 

I want to move and rethink so that I can follow Paul’s example as he followed the example of Christ, so that I will always have new wine-skins ready for new wine, even while I privately prefer and older vintage.

After all, what is old wine to me was once new wine, and someone cared enough to move and re-think their favorite vintage and to create one I could fall in love with.

Unpopular

Have you ever made an unpopular decision because you believed it was the right decision?

Maybe you decided to do something your peers advised you not to to.  Maybe it was the other way around and everyone else was doing something, and you opted out...

I saw a quote the other day that went something like this "You have enemies, GOOD, that means you have stood up for something!"  The implication being that you can't take a stand and not make a few enemies along the way.  My question is, "Does it have to be that way?"

And if you've read my blog you know I'm opinionated, and that I take stands.

In my post "Controversial" I shared a link to a leadership blog, that challenges my thinking.  I then posted my thoughts on said blog in "Controversial II".  I'm an advocate for reading and contemplating ideas that challenge me.  If it wasn't for those challenges I'd be more inclined to coast, and less inclined to think about "The Why Behind the What". 

I think that when I make unpopular decisions, I'll be less incline to make enemies if I do a better job expressing the why behind the what. 

Let me try to explain.  One unpopular decision that I made months ago has come back to the surface recently.  As it does, I find myself wishing that I had done a better job explaining why I made the decision.  Even people that I consider friends, don't seem to understand, which means I did a lousy job explaining. After all, it is one thing to have someone be able to articulate why you made a decision and disagree with you, but it is poor leadership indeed if no one else can even articulate your reasons. 

A few posts ago, I blogged an apology, one that I had to make to several people directly, and that I made to my church as a whole. I did not apologize for what I had said, instead I apologized for how I said it.  I realized, as the result of a significant process, that 'how' you say what you say is as important as 'what' you say.  As I continue to unpack the lessons God has been teaching me, I am realizing more and more that 'why' you say what you say, may be even more important than 'how' or 'what' you say.

I think that is what Paul meant in 1 Corinthians 13.  When he said he could speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but it was meaning less without love.  He could fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, but it was empty without love. 

At this point in my process of learning and growing, I think that God made us with a deep need for truth, and an equally deep need to hear it from people to whom we relate.  I think this is the reason God became a man, not because he couldn't relate to us, but because we needed to know that he had experienced everything we experience.  It is easier to take advice from someone who has walked in your shoes.

I also think it is why the Scripture tells us that if our enemy is hungry, we should feed him and if he is thirsty we should give him a drink.  Too often I have ignored a problem or let sin go unaddressed because, "I don't have a strong enough relationship with that person to rebuke them".  Instead, when I see bad behavior, I should become aware of a heart need, and should dive into relationship with that person, so that they will be able to see the why behind the what, the love behind the rebuke, the compassion behind the correction, the way my children hopefully do.

It is certainly not popular to discipline a child (from the child's perspective anyway).  But the first thing my boys want after discipline is a hug.  I hope that is because they know how much I love them, and they want our relationship restored as soon as possible.  This reaction is missing from most of my interactions with adults.  When I have to say unpopular things to adults, (or when I hear unpopular things) the reaction is usually a desire for more distance in our relationship. 

Maybe this is because I haven't taken the time to demonstrate the why behind the what?

Maybe if I take the time to explain the why behind the what, if I make time to let people see my heart instead of just hearing my argument, then people will be able to trust me even when my decisions aren't popular, and I'll be able to take a stand without making enemies...

Controversial II

I recently shared a post from Carey Nieuwhof. You can read it here.  He is someone who challenges me to think outside of my 'box' all the time. 

Because his post was, in my mind, so controversial, I asked for feedback, and since I don't get a lot of that here on the blog (not complaining just stating a fact) I put it out on facebook and via e-mail. 

Here is the gist of some of the responses I got:

~ LOVE IT!  I have seen so many ideas go to committee to die, let leaders lead!.
~ Everything in moderation, spend too much time trying to build consensus you'll never do anything, but if you never slow down long enough to think through your ideas with others, then you'll burn a lot of bridges and make some really bad decisions.
~ Lots and lots of verses from Proverbs about how success comes from seeking wise counsel.
~ If leaders don't make sure that absolutely everyone is on board with every the idea, they will destroy the church, the author is wrong, dangerously wrong!

I got a good range of answers!  Exactly what I was hoping for.

One trusted advisor pointed me to Hans Finzel's book, "The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make", specifically the chapter on making room for "Mavericks"  (I just happened to have a copy, and being home from work because I was sick yesterday I had plenty of time to read!) In this chapter Finzel talks about the life cycle of organizations.  They tend to follow the life cycle of humans, not able to do much when they first start out, really awkward teenage years where they struggle to define themselves, vibrant adult life full of accomplishments, and a slow decline before eventually dying (or just decomposing).  Finzel says that in the graying years, organizations need "Mavericks", people who defy convention, (and consensus) and are willing to buck the system enough to make it vibrant again.  Effectively they take the organization back to it's adolescent stage, re-introduce it to the awkwardness of trying to define its identity.  The organization then has 2 options.  Change or continue the slide toward irrelevance.

Finzel cautions that you pay careful attention to the difference between a Maverick (Someone who has the goals of your organization at heart, just very different ideas about how to accomplish those goals) and a Malcontent (someone who just doesn't like what you are doing, or thinks their own personal way is the only way or wants to re-define your mission).  He recommends evaluating the ideas of Mavericks, based on the objectives of the organization.  Do they want to completely change your mission? If so, best to ignore their advice.  Is their thinking completely different from the way you've always done things, but their passion is for the same mission you've always had? Maybe you need to give them room to grow.   

Finzel concludes by saying that, "The best way to take the wind out of the sails of a visionary is to send their ideas to committee." Which is I believe the very same point Carey is trying to make.

So here is my take:
Don't kill ideas by sending them to committee. Instead, have standards (a measuring consistent measuring stick) for evaluating suggestions so that you can keep the good ones and filter out the bad ones!

Here is a sample set of standards:
1. Is it Biblical (if not, don't waste your time)
2. Is it in keeping with the mission of our organization (if you are running a nursing home ministry and someone wants to allocate resources to open a preschool, they may have come to the wrong place.)
3. Does the person presenting the idea demonstrate the following:
  a. Experience (Maybe not the 5 decades of experience you have, but have they done some time in the trenches?  after all you can't lead until you've learned to follow.)
  b. Research (if someone is reading everything they can get their hands on about the topic, they are far more credible than people who won't show up to a meeting or read a book)
  c. Passion (Please don't confuse passion with how loudly they speak! instead ask yourself, "Do they live the ministry they want your organization to be a part of?"  )
  d. A willingness to seek and take advice (if they won't listen to the Proverbs and won't take advice, they they can't be trusted with leadership. True leadership requires a submissive, servant's heart)
  e. Willingness to work within the current system. (or do they refuse to volunteer until they get their way?)


What would you add to or subtract from the list?

Maybe We Need a Little Controversy

Once again Carey says what's on my mind in ways I can't. 

http://careynieuwhof.com/2012/12/why-you-should-create-discontent-in-your-organization/

I only wish I had learned his suggestions for how to do this in an edifying way 2 years ago.

For anyone who may have been hurt by the way I went about leading, I sincerly appologize.  This was my heart.

A checklist for leaders.

Below is part of a recent Blog Post by Carey Nieuwhof.  You can read more from him here:
http://careynieuwhof.com/2012/11/a-critical-question-that-could-transform-your-leadership-style/

Carey Writes: "Here’s the question I’ve begun asking over the last few years. It’s become almost an all consuming question.
 
Are people better as a result of working with me?
 
Here are some ways to gauge whether the people around you are better off as a result of working alongside you or ‘for’ you:

• Have they grown spiritually?
• Has their leadership ability increased?
• Has their character developed and deepened?
• Are they closer to God?
• Are they better people?
• Have they accomplished significant things in the course of serving?
• Do they have a keen sense that God is using them to make a difference?
• Are their families glad they signed up?
• Do they feel more fulfilled?

The question doesn’t drive nearly as much toward whether it’s easy, but it does drive toward whether it’s worth it. Is it worth it to have given as much as I’ve given? Is it worth it to have devoted my best talents, energies and resources toward this cause?
 
If you can create a leadership culture like that, you will have truly led a great organization. Not everyone will stay forever, but they will have been better for having said “yes” when you ask.
 
What are you learning in this area? What might you add to the list of ways to ensure people are better for working with you? Is there a better way to frame the question?"

Again all of the above was written by Carey Nieuwhof - Read the entire post here:
http://careynieuwhof.com/2012/11/a-critical-question-that-could-transform-your-leadership-style/

This Kicked my Butt.

I sat down with my coffee, to enjoy a little reading before starting my day at the office.  To my great delight, there was a post from my favorite blogger.  It was even on a topic that I am really wrestling with.  I thought to myself, "Pumpkin coffee and and a Carey Nieuwhof post on leadership, a perfect start to my morning". 

Then I read the post and got my butt kicked.  I hope you enjoy, and are challenged.

http://careynieuwhof.com/2012/09/the-number-one-reason-you-and-the-people-you-lead-dont-change/

Rethink - Numbers vs. Obedience

As someone involved in ministry I find numbers are far more a part of my life than I'd like them to be. And I find my self in search of a better tool for evaluating success and failure. Within minutes of every conversation about my work as a youth leader, I'll get the question, "How many teens come to your youth group?" People also want to know how many kids come through our children's ministry. How many hours I work, etc. Numbers are the first tool people use to evaluate success or failure.  They are an easy way to put you in a box.

I'll be honest, I chafe under that type of evaluation.  I could have 200 teens coming to my youth group, but I wouldn't know their names or stories, I wouldn't be able to tell you each piece of spiritual fruit that grows, or which branches need to be pruned.  I wish someone would ask me how my teens were growing rather than how many are attending.  Because no matter how much time and energy I pour into youth ministry there will be more teens at the movies on any given Saturday night than at my youth group.  There will be more people at a Waterfront Concert, than in my church on Sunday, and there will be more kids at the Maine Jump than in Sunday School.  If we evaluate by numbers, then the world wins...  every time.

By this point you probably think the point of this blog post is to complain about the way people evaluate by numbers, you may even feel like I am right, but that I'm being a bit of a whiner about it.  Maybe you disagree and think that my desire to be judged on something other than numbers is motivated by an attempt to have people overlook poor performance.  In either case you'd be wrong.  The reason for this blog post is that I still evaluate by numbers.  If you ask me how many teens come to youth group, I'll be quick to brag about the number that have come to know Jesus in the last few months.  If you ask me about the children's ministry, I'll tell you how it has doubled since I took over, and if you ask me how many kids came to VBS last night, I'll be too embarrassed to tell you.  As  much as I don't like be judged by numbers, I still use them to evaluate success and failure.  You know what that makes me... A hypocrite!

Here's one thing I know.  If we evaluate by numbers then we would all have to agree that Peter's ministry was much more effective than Jesus' ministry.  Think about it.  After 3 years Jesus had 120 people convinced that He was the Son of God.  Peter preached his first sermon and 3,000 were added to that number.  We know that Peter couldn't have done what he did without the events of Jesus life, and without the Holy Spirit, but if we were evaluate their ministries like we evaluate the ministries in your church or my church we'd find ourselves more impressed with Peter...

He's another thing I know, most of Jesus miracles were done for individuals.  One life changed at a time, was enough for the Son of God, and should be enough for me.  That VBS I told you about was just what one single mother needed.  Our new approach, of having parents and kids learn together, may have done a number on our numbers, but it was just what one life needed.  Another mom got some great perspective on the changes that have taken  place in the few months since Jesus became part of her family's life, and a lie the devil had been whispering in her ear was refuted.  Another life positively impacted.  And while I would have liked to see more kids, the ones we had were having a great time and learning some great lessons.

Speaking of those lessons, we learned about Peter, called to leave a life of fishing and become a fisher of men.  We learned that even though he had no idea what that meant he left everything and followed Jesus, confident that if he was obedient, Jesus would take care of the rest.  What if we stopped measuring success in terms of numbers and started measuring it in terms of obedience?

Lord, forgive me for being a hypocrite.  Help me to see the world through your eyes, and to measure success and failure in terms of obedience and not in terms of numbers.

Ignorance is Bliss

Ignorance is Bliss.  Really that's not just a title, this is going to be one of those annoyingly introspective blog posts that you'll probably be glad you didn't read. If you aren't in that kind of mood, then you have my permission, no, blessing, to stop reading now...

A few years ago I took a very in depth personality profile through a program called Clarion, that a friend of mine takes people through. The primary goal of Clarion's assessment is to help people understand their own strengths and weaknesses, and what they bring to a team, so that they will be able work better as part of a team.  Parts of it are specifically geared to the church world, but the personality assessments were things I had learned about in psychology classes in college.  Clarion was one of the best things I ever could have done for my marriage, and I highly recommend it.  I would also recommend that any board or committee or ministry team go through the process.  It will revolutionize the way you interact.  If you are in New England and interested in learning more I can put you in touch with the friend who took me through it. 

One of the things Clarion assesses is how you handle being controlled.  Maybe managed is a better word. It came as no great shock that I value autonomy highly.  According to Clarion I don't have to be in control of others, but I really don't like being micro managed.  What it really comes down to is that I highly value being in control of my own outcomes. 


Recently I have learned that I really don't like being "out of the loop" when it comes to decisions being made around me.

Realizing this has forced some introspection.  Why is it that I can't be content with just doing the best I can with what I have been given?  Why do I feel the need to probe and push everything around me?  Clarion tells me that part of the reason is that I am what's called a "Change Agent".  Which may be a nice way of saying that I have the personality of "A person who can't leave well enough alone".  I prefer to think of it as "Challenger to the status quo".  To put into terms of another leadership book I read,  I'm more like the marine who takes the hill, than the guys who come in behind and set up artillery on it. 

I am coming to realize (or at least trying to realize) that ignorance is bliss, because when I stop trying to change everything around me I can focus on just changing what is in front of me.  Being faithful with a few things, rather than trying to leave my mark on everything.  This is helpful because I am also riddled with ADD... Perhaps it is possible that God intentionally has me out of the loop on certain things as a way of directing my focus to what He wants me to focus on.  A type of refinement through circumstances I would not have chosen. With that focus, I am able to move on from my typical "jack of all trades" type way of interacting with the world toward the excellence that is my ultimate goal. 

Thank you Lord, for putting up with me and my flawed ways of thinking.  Thank you for renewing my mind.  Help me to stay focused on the tasks you've called me to without meddling in the places that just don't need my "help".  Most of all thank you for your patience.

What is a leader (Summation)

The forth post in our series on Biblical Leadership.

Ultimately, I think Jesus is the best example of a leader who acted with the end in mind. He kept focused on what people needed rather than what they wanted. I think the story of Lazarus demonstrates this extremely well. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, He clearly wanted to go to His friend, to heal him right away and to spare him, and his sisters, the pain of the upcoming experience. For the good of the mission, the end result that he had in mind (which was building faith in a group of people who would ultimately take the Gospel to the world) He waited, and in doing so He looked cold and uncaring to those closest to him, He let Lazarus die, He let the sisters grieve, He wept Himself, and ultimately He revealed God's power in a way that couldn't have happened without effectively causing all that pain. No emotions, not even His own, got in the way of what would bring God the most glory.  (Not that He didn't have strong emotions about the matter, He just wasn't ruled by them.)

So often we think of love in terms of emotion, but love is much more than an emotion. (In fact I am not sure that love even is an emotion at all, but more on that in some other post...) Love is not doing what makes people feel better, it is doing what is best for someone else, regardless of what we feel, or what they feel. We understand this when it comes to parenting. Regardless of what kind of discipline you choose to apply, your kid probably doesn't like it. In fact, in order to love your child you intentionally do things that won't like, so that they will learn not to do things that will hurt them or hurt others.

We are God's children, and He has given us He word to which is useful for "teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness" Like it or not, He treats us like children, and expects us to help our siblings along, by using His word wisely. He's set up a hierarchy, putting leaders over us, to shepherd and guide us.  Those who lead and teach are in turn held to a higher standard of judgment, and must react accordingly.  This means having the humility to see yourself as a child and first applying the Word within.  Like the man removing the plank from his own eye before removing the speck from his brother's eye. Once you are relatively certain you are plank free, you have a responsibility to use God's word to the benefit of others within the body of Christ.   Paul did it (with brutal honesty on multiple occasions). He also encouraged Timothy to do it, and he encouraged all leaders, in fact all believers to use the word, and the example of our lives, to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Spur. Think about that word. Basically the Bible commands us to "Jab a sharp piece of metal into someones backside in order to get them to do what they should be doing". How loving does that feel? Not very.  But it is in fact the most loving thing we can do.

Not an appealing job description, and frankly that is why I spend years trying to hide from being a leader.  Then I read this parable about a guy to took what his master had given him, and buried it in a whole, ultimately giving it back without having done anything with it... It didn't go so well for that guy, so I am desperate to understand leadership from God's perspective.

Now if on any point you disagree with me, or find my thinking incomplete, or just want to share what God's taught you, put the spurs to me and help me re-think by giving me your feedback.

Characteristics of Leader

Part 3 of our conversation on Leadership:
Q: What are some characteristics that all effective leader's share.

A: A clear understanding of the where those they are leading are in relationship to where they should be. The ability to communicate where the people should be in a way that helps people want to follow. The willingness to make unpopular decisions, for the sake of the mission. Perseverance, in the midst of things not going the way they had planned. And Strategic Thinking, that lets them know what steps need to be in place to get people from point at to point Z, without trying to do everything at once.

Biblical examples are numerous,  We already talked about Nehemiah.  He demonstrated many of these principles,  He spent time in prayer and fasting and afterward felt compelled to do something about a problem facing God's people.  He put a plan in place, and convinced people to follow it.  He put reasonable steps in place, like building the whole wall to half it's height first, rather than trying to build one section to it's full height at a time, and he demonstrated perserverance, as he was constantly heckled, threatened and told it couldn't be done, but he stuck to and ultimately accomplished the mission.

Tomorrow I'll be back with one more example on this topic, and a summary.

Administrators

Part 2 in our conversation about Leadership deals with the difference between a leader and an administrator.  (if you are just joining us please go back and read the posts entitled "Thoughts on Leadership" and "What is a Leader")

Q: What is the difference between a leader and an administrator?

A: An administrator is one who makes a process more efficient, a leader is one who defines the process.

Biblical Examples: The seven men appointed in acts to oversee the distribution of the food were administrators. The twelve (apostles) who said effectively 'here's how we are going to address the problem' were leaders. The twelve had a mission to complete (the ministry of the word and prayer), and despite that fact that other people wanted their attention, they knew that addressing concern that had arisen wasn't part of what God wanted them to be doing, so they appointed a group to solve the problem, and stayed focused on their mission.

Nehemiah was clearly a gifted leader - he had a God given desire to get something done and got it done. In Nehemiah chapter 2 we see him setting a strategy in place, before talking with the leaders of the people.  Once he had a strategy in place, he went to them and convinced them that it was the right thing to do.  He overcame ridicule and numerous threats both political and physical.  He kept the people's morale high by setting reasonable goals and reminding them that God was with them.  The people told him time after time it would never work, but he pressed on.

Jethro, Moses' father in law, used the gift of administration to compliment Moses' gift of leadership, by telling him how to organize the people so that he (Moses) could focus on his God given mission.  At Jethro's advice, Moses broke the people into manageable groups, and put a structure in place that would lead to vastly increased efficiency.  Leaders would do well to remember that there is value in having trustworthy counselors.  Just learn a lesson from Solomon's son Jeroboam, he listened to the counselors who told him what he wanted to hear, and "forsook the counsel of the elders."  He listened to counsel, but listened to the wrong counselors.  The leader bears the responsibility to determine which counselors to heed to and which to reject.

Thoughts on Leadership

A few days ago I posted asking for feedback on the role of a leader.  I didn't get much feedback, so let me give you my opinion and see if that gets the ball rolling. This is the short version of my opinion, and is intended to jump start the conversation I'd like to be having with you, dear reader.

Let's start with the first of the three questions I posed in the earlier post:

Q: What is the ultimate goal of a leader?

A: In my opinion, the ultimate goal of the leader is to move people somewhere that they wouldn't go without the leader's influence.  This is not a unique idea, it is a summation of much reading on the subject. 

Biblical Example: Moses: Without his influence, the Hebrews would have remained slaves in Egypt until the genocide that had begun under Pharaoh ran its course and they ceased to exist or had been assimilated into the Egyptian population.  His goal was to move them toward the land that God had promised.  After his first conversation with Pharaoh, the Egyptians made the Hebrew's lives more difficult, and as a result the people begged Moses to stop leading them.  After they left Egypt, and saw God do amazing things, they complained countless times that they would have been better off in Egypt as slaves than following Moses around the desert.  On multiple occasions Moses was accused of plotting genocide against his own people by his own people ("you brought us out into the desert to die").  Had he been leading by committee, popular opinion or what made people feel loved and appreciated, he'd have left them alone in Egypt before the first plague, and our Bible would look extremely different.

Tune in tomorrow and I'll give my opinion on the difference between a leader and an administrator.

What is a Leader?

Dear Reader,

I am hoping that you will spare a few minutes to help me.  Leadership is the topic, and if you are willing to share your thoughts, I'd love to know how you define a leader.  What are some characteristics that you think all effective leaders share?  How is a leader different from an administrator?  What is the ultimate purpose of leadership?

If you happen to be of a Bible reading persuasion, and feel like sharing some thoughts on leaders from the Bible that you admire, I'll give you bonus points!  (not sure how the points will be redeemed, but I am open to suggestions on that as well)  Biblical references are not required & I will accept examples from all walks of life.  Please feel free to include links to articles on the topic or point me in the direction of good books that relate.

Send me your answers via the comment section, I'll review them and compile your thoughts into a future post.

Thanks!