Here are few of the dangers and pitfalls that leaders can fall into, and areas that we need to be mindful of, because if we are being honest, we all have blind spots when it comes to how we live, what we do, and how we believe. I pray that this may make us aware of some of these that we may otherwise not see.
1. Extreme Zeal
Is this always bad? Not always, but it can lead to a stressed lifestyle where the church becomes a means to an end, i.e. building a successful church in youthful zeal makes you feel like a success. God builds His church with or without us. The goal is not success, it is faithfulness to the end.
2. Unrealistic Pace
Ministry is a marathon, but some leaders don’t understand that yet. They (we) treat it like a sprint, end up fatigued too early in the race to finish, and quit or disqualify themselves before the finish line.
3. Lack of Perspective
Leaders have yet to make all the mistakes, meet all the people, listen to all the conversations, read all the books, reflect on all the mess_ups, and pay attention to all the warnings that they eventually will. Only time (year stacked upon year of hard ministry) can bring this.
4. Sense of Invincibility
To quote Travis Tritt, leaders sometimes feel "10 foot tall and bullet proof" without realizing that it takes 5 seconds to destroy with it took 20 years to build. Each of us is susceptible to any and all temptations without the grace of God and the protection of our brothers and sisters.
5. Theological Ignorance
I have heard this one so many times…"Don’t bore me with theology, let’s get busy reaching people for Jesus!" Sure. Sounds cute and epic. But that is the fastest way to build a really big church fast, and then watch it fall apart even faster. All that we do is based on theological beliefs. We must be as deep as we are wide.
6. Isolation
Based on a fear of confrontation or being rejected by others, leaders sometimes seal themselves off from the voices and opinions of others. We don’t need a committee for every decision, but we need clarity and wisdom. Proverbs says these come from wise counsel. We do not get that when we roll solo.
7. Constant Comparison
With so many new churches sprouting up and so many nationally known pastors and ministries on the map, it becomes a struggle to not always look to them and ask why you are not as big, edgy, innovative, creative, post_modern, hip, or cool. This type of comparison can possibly be a result of insecurity or a result of being too busy to get a clear word from God about the direction HE wants you to take your ministry. Model, don’t copy.
8. Strained Family
When a leader does something, they do it full_tilt_boogie (all the way). This can many times put pressure on the wife and kids, especially if the lion is used to living a college lifestyle; up early, going hard all day, up late, making stuff happen, taking all the little jobs. In the early days of a ministry, the leader usually does everything, and the family may suffer.
9. No Margin
Everything is about building the new ministry, so exercise, reading, relaxing, dates with your spouse, close community with friends, and time with nothing planned become obsolete. Leaders like to have every day packed with productive things to do so we can end the day and say "…that was a good day, look at all I accomplished."
10. Losing The First Love
From personal experience, I can say that all of the creativity and energy that leaders have penned up inside their hearts and heads can distract them from the main thing; staying connected to the Vine. In John 15, Jesus made it clear that if we remain in Him, we will bear much fruit, but apart from Him, we can do nothing. NOTHING. Leaders must not forget that we are called first to Christ, not "success". He must always remain our first love.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
4 Questions To The Leadership Team
1. How are you doing spiritually?
As a young pastor, I don’t remember many people taking an interest in my personal spiritual life. My pastor was phenomenal at teaching us the Bible (and for that I’m forever grateful). But most of my early mentors didn’t help me develop my own disciplines for spiritual growth.
When I meet with staff members, I want to know how they’re doing spiritually.
In ministry, it’s way too easy to substitute ministry for our time with God. Doing ministry without spending time with God is like trying to drive a car without refilling the tank. Eventually, it just won’t work anymore.
Bill Hybels once said, “The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me.” I don’t want that to happen to those who serve with me.
2. Who is speaking into your life?
If it's just me, PC, then you need to expand that. That’s why I want to know, “Who is speaking into your life?” Who’s rattling your world? Who thinks so radically that they give you a headache? Who’s correcting you when you need it?
One of the reasons we want to give you books to read is so you have people speaking into your life. If you're not a reader, you're not a leader.
3. How is your family doing?
My family is a big part of ministry. Hopefully, I’ve raised future Christian leaders who will bring glory to God in the world. My kids are grown and working toward leaving the nest.
Churches and ministry can be harmful to families. We put such crazy scheduling demands on pastors and leaders that having a strong family is almost impossible. I believe a strong ministry is an overflow of a strong family.
If I haven't said this before, I'm saying it now: your family comes first. If you invite someone to church and they come - you have the "day off" of ministry responsibilities so you can focus on them. That's more important.
Guard family time. No one will do it for you. What about you? How is your family?
4. When is the last time you failed?
This may sound like an unusual question, but it’s one of my favorites to ask. I want to know, “When is the last time you failed?”
When you’re not failing, you’re not growing. Some of the most valuable lessons the disciples learned from Jesus immediately followed failure. Jesus allowed them to fail.
I’m glad to say that I’ve tried things that didn’t go so well (as most of you well know!). The good news is: When I fail, it gives me the chance to learn. When I fail, I increase my tolerance for failure, helping me not to become complacent. When I fail, I continue to inspire others to take faith risks.
What about you? When is the last time you’ve failed?
As a young pastor, I don’t remember many people taking an interest in my personal spiritual life. My pastor was phenomenal at teaching us the Bible (and for that I’m forever grateful). But most of my early mentors didn’t help me develop my own disciplines for spiritual growth.
When I meet with staff members, I want to know how they’re doing spiritually.
In ministry, it’s way too easy to substitute ministry for our time with God. Doing ministry without spending time with God is like trying to drive a car without refilling the tank. Eventually, it just won’t work anymore.
Bill Hybels once said, “The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me.” I don’t want that to happen to those who serve with me.
2. Who is speaking into your life?
If it's just me, PC, then you need to expand that. That’s why I want to know, “Who is speaking into your life?” Who’s rattling your world? Who thinks so radically that they give you a headache? Who’s correcting you when you need it?
One of the reasons we want to give you books to read is so you have people speaking into your life. If you're not a reader, you're not a leader.
3. How is your family doing?
My family is a big part of ministry. Hopefully, I’ve raised future Christian leaders who will bring glory to God in the world. My kids are grown and working toward leaving the nest.
Churches and ministry can be harmful to families. We put such crazy scheduling demands on pastors and leaders that having a strong family is almost impossible. I believe a strong ministry is an overflow of a strong family.
If I haven't said this before, I'm saying it now: your family comes first. If you invite someone to church and they come - you have the "day off" of ministry responsibilities so you can focus on them. That's more important.
Guard family time. No one will do it for you. What about you? How is your family?
4. When is the last time you failed?
This may sound like an unusual question, but it’s one of my favorites to ask. I want to know, “When is the last time you failed?”
When you’re not failing, you’re not growing. Some of the most valuable lessons the disciples learned from Jesus immediately followed failure. Jesus allowed them to fail.
I’m glad to say that I’ve tried things that didn’t go so well (as most of you well know!). The good news is: When I fail, it gives me the chance to learn. When I fail, I increase my tolerance for failure, helping me not to become complacent. When I fail, I continue to inspire others to take faith risks.
What about you? When is the last time you’ve failed?
Random Reads
OAG Leadership Team: You're the best!
I read several blogs every week to keep up with what God is blessing, as well as to sharpen myself. Here are some tidbits from some blogs I've read this week:
Jim Wideman recently wrote a blog series highlighting four areas that ministry leaders should regularly evaluate. Here’s a summary:
Your Attitude
Do I have the heart of a servant?
Am I an asset or a liability to my pastor?
What is my attitude about others around me?
Am I grumbling and complaining?
Your Priorities
It’s one thing to know your priorities, it’s another thing all together to live according to those priorities.
Your Time Management
How am I spending my time?
Am I spending time daily with the Lord?
Is my family suffering while my ministry is flourishing?
Am I making time for personal growth and development?
Your Performance
Am I being a team builder or a one person show?
What am I doing that someone else can do?
Have I communicated clearly to all my workers what they are to do?
Can I be relied on to complete assignments and keep commitments?
3 leadership lessons I have learned from mistakes I’ve made:
Keep God before ministry.
There have been times in my life when I have put too much of my focus on doing ministry and not enough focus on my personal relationship with God. It is a dangerous habit to develop because our personal relationship with God gives us the spiritual strength needed to pursue our ministry calling to its full potential.
Be a custom leader.
When I began leading my first team of several volunteers, I interacted with each worker the same way. The problem with this is that people are very different and very unique. Different personalities interpret the same leadership differently. What works well for leading one person may be less effective for leading another. Over the years, I have tried to improve my ability to recognize different personalities and know how to best lead each one. I’m still far from perfect, but whenever I have the opportunity to lead someone one-on-one, I try to customize my approach for the best results.
Know your limits.
The first ministry I worked for never tested my limits. The work was tough, but we had a great team and always met our deadlines. The second ministry I worked for was understaffed and underresourced. It quickly taught me my limitations. Even with extended work hours and extra manpower, it was impossible to do what needed to be done. I made the mistake of assuming that I could achieve unrealistic goals because I always made tough deadlines before. Understand that you are human and have limitations. Know your limitations. Plan realistically. Otherwise, you will burn yourself out.
Leading Through Change
1. Pray and get clear direction from God.
2. Consider the needs of the people you are leading.
3. Find out what is best for the organization.
4. Get input and wisdom from your key leaders.
5. Make sure your key leaders are unified and understand why the change is occurring.
6. Get wisdom and counsel from mentors and friends.
7. Communicate the vision and direction clearly at all phases of the organization.
8. Be confident and positive about the new direction.
9. Lead strong. Don't be a wishy washy leader. LEAD WITH BOLDNESS AND HUMILITY, MY FRIEND!
Early Christmas Advice
1. Don't go into debt because of Christmas. When January rolls around, you will regret it.
2. Forgive family members of past hurts so that you can enjoy Christmas together.
3. Be generous to others. Click here right now to nominate a needy family for our $10,000
Holiday Giveaway.
4. Don't envy other people's blessings.
5. Be truly thankful for what you have.
6. Establish a budget of what you can afford to spend on Christmas gifts and don't go over it.
7. Have your kids give away some toys to kids who are less fortunate than them.
8. Remember the reason for the season; the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!
Be Generous Because
1. Your heavenly Father is generous
2. It's more blessed to give than receive
3. You could be the answer to somebody's prayer
4. God will bless you
5. It's the biblical thing to do
6. It advances the Kingdom of God
7. It provides for those who are less fortunate
8. It destroys greed and materialism
I read several blogs every week to keep up with what God is blessing, as well as to sharpen myself. Here are some tidbits from some blogs I've read this week:
Jim Wideman recently wrote a blog series highlighting four areas that ministry leaders should regularly evaluate. Here’s a summary:
Your Attitude
Do I have the heart of a servant?
Am I an asset or a liability to my pastor?
What is my attitude about others around me?
Am I grumbling and complaining?
Your Priorities
It’s one thing to know your priorities, it’s another thing all together to live according to those priorities.
Your Time Management
How am I spending my time?
Am I spending time daily with the Lord?
Is my family suffering while my ministry is flourishing?
Am I making time for personal growth and development?
Your Performance
Am I being a team builder or a one person show?
What am I doing that someone else can do?
Have I communicated clearly to all my workers what they are to do?
Can I be relied on to complete assignments and keep commitments?
3 leadership lessons I have learned from mistakes I’ve made:
Keep God before ministry.
There have been times in my life when I have put too much of my focus on doing ministry and not enough focus on my personal relationship with God. It is a dangerous habit to develop because our personal relationship with God gives us the spiritual strength needed to pursue our ministry calling to its full potential.
Be a custom leader.
When I began leading my first team of several volunteers, I interacted with each worker the same way. The problem with this is that people are very different and very unique. Different personalities interpret the same leadership differently. What works well for leading one person may be less effective for leading another. Over the years, I have tried to improve my ability to recognize different personalities and know how to best lead each one. I’m still far from perfect, but whenever I have the opportunity to lead someone one-on-one, I try to customize my approach for the best results.
Know your limits.
The first ministry I worked for never tested my limits. The work was tough, but we had a great team and always met our deadlines. The second ministry I worked for was understaffed and underresourced. It quickly taught me my limitations. Even with extended work hours and extra manpower, it was impossible to do what needed to be done. I made the mistake of assuming that I could achieve unrealistic goals because I always made tough deadlines before. Understand that you are human and have limitations. Know your limitations. Plan realistically. Otherwise, you will burn yourself out.
Leading Through Change
1. Pray and get clear direction from God.
2. Consider the needs of the people you are leading.
3. Find out what is best for the organization.
4. Get input and wisdom from your key leaders.
5. Make sure your key leaders are unified and understand why the change is occurring.
6. Get wisdom and counsel from mentors and friends.
7. Communicate the vision and direction clearly at all phases of the organization.
8. Be confident and positive about the new direction.
9. Lead strong. Don't be a wishy washy leader. LEAD WITH BOLDNESS AND HUMILITY, MY FRIEND!
Early Christmas Advice
1. Don't go into debt because of Christmas. When January rolls around, you will regret it.
2. Forgive family members of past hurts so that you can enjoy Christmas together.
3. Be generous to others. Click here right now to nominate a needy family for our $10,000
Holiday Giveaway.
4. Don't envy other people's blessings.
5. Be truly thankful for what you have.
6. Establish a budget of what you can afford to spend on Christmas gifts and don't go over it.
7. Have your kids give away some toys to kids who are less fortunate than them.
8. Remember the reason for the season; the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!
Be Generous Because
1. Your heavenly Father is generous
2. It's more blessed to give than receive
3. You could be the answer to somebody's prayer
4. God will bless you
5. It's the biblical thing to do
6. It advances the Kingdom of God
7. It provides for those who are less fortunate
8. It destroys greed and materialism
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Changing Lenses
A few years ago there was a true story about a man in New York City who was kidnaped. His kidnappers called his wife and asked for $100,000 ransom. She talked them down to $30,000.
The story had a happy ending: the man returned home unharmed, the money was recovered, and the kidnappers were caught and sent to jail. But, don't you wonder what happened when the man got home and found that his wife got him back for a discount? Calvin Trillin was the writer of this story. He imagined out loud what the negotiations must have been like: "$100,000 for that old guy? You have got to be crazy. Just look at him! Look at that gut! You want $100,000 for that? You've got to be kidding. He’s balding and I don’t know how many good years he has left. Cut me a break here. $30,000 is my top offer."
I’m guessing that there are many of you who can identify with the wife in that story, but for some reason I find myself identifying with the husband. Yeah, I fit the “old, gut, balding scenario, but it goes beyond that. I'd like to think if I were in a similar situation, there would be people who would spare no expense to get me back. I’d like to think that they wouldn't haggle over the price....they wouldn't say, 'Well, let me think about it.' I like to think that they would say, 'We'll do anything for you.'"
Now, many of you who receive this e-mail are dear friends who would say just that. Others of you, I’ve never met. My point, however, is bigger than you and I being acquaintances. My point has to do with the value of a human being. I know we’re all worth about $5 in mineral value, but what are people worth in “people value”? Why do we sometimes treat others rudely or even with mean attitudes?
I recently sat at a football game, surrounded by families with small children. Up the aisle comes a man screaming profanities at the top of his lungs. I asked him to please watch his mouth. He replied, “You watch YOUR mouth, Maynard!” I didn’t reply. 30 seconds later he said, “You got a problem with my language?” I replied, “The children do.” He immediately apologized and left our area.
I don’t have to agree with someone’s opinion or action to be nice to them. I could have shot back a few choice verbal shots at this guy, but I chose not to. Why? Because somewhere along life’s way this guy has been hurt by someone and now he’s taking it out on everyone. What he needs isn’t another smart mouth shooting verbal bullets at him, he needs someone to show him that he has value.
After all, isn’t that what God does for us? Scripture says that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. He could just condemn us, but instead He offers hope against all of the hurt in our lives.
I encourage you to look at people through different lenses this week. You know the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” What a crock! Broken bones heal, broken spirits need hope. You have the power to offer it to others........I encourage you to do so!
Have a great week.......
The story had a happy ending: the man returned home unharmed, the money was recovered, and the kidnappers were caught and sent to jail. But, don't you wonder what happened when the man got home and found that his wife got him back for a discount? Calvin Trillin was the writer of this story. He imagined out loud what the negotiations must have been like: "$100,000 for that old guy? You have got to be crazy. Just look at him! Look at that gut! You want $100,000 for that? You've got to be kidding. He’s balding and I don’t know how many good years he has left. Cut me a break here. $30,000 is my top offer."
I’m guessing that there are many of you who can identify with the wife in that story, but for some reason I find myself identifying with the husband. Yeah, I fit the “old, gut, balding scenario, but it goes beyond that. I'd like to think if I were in a similar situation, there would be people who would spare no expense to get me back. I’d like to think that they wouldn't haggle over the price....they wouldn't say, 'Well, let me think about it.' I like to think that they would say, 'We'll do anything for you.'"
Now, many of you who receive this e-mail are dear friends who would say just that. Others of you, I’ve never met. My point, however, is bigger than you and I being acquaintances. My point has to do with the value of a human being. I know we’re all worth about $5 in mineral value, but what are people worth in “people value”? Why do we sometimes treat others rudely or even with mean attitudes?
I recently sat at a football game, surrounded by families with small children. Up the aisle comes a man screaming profanities at the top of his lungs. I asked him to please watch his mouth. He replied, “You watch YOUR mouth, Maynard!” I didn’t reply. 30 seconds later he said, “You got a problem with my language?” I replied, “The children do.” He immediately apologized and left our area.
I don’t have to agree with someone’s opinion or action to be nice to them. I could have shot back a few choice verbal shots at this guy, but I chose not to. Why? Because somewhere along life’s way this guy has been hurt by someone and now he’s taking it out on everyone. What he needs isn’t another smart mouth shooting verbal bullets at him, he needs someone to show him that he has value.
After all, isn’t that what God does for us? Scripture says that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. He could just condemn us, but instead He offers hope against all of the hurt in our lives.
I encourage you to look at people through different lenses this week. You know the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” What a crock! Broken bones heal, broken spirits need hope. You have the power to offer it to others........I encourage you to do so!
Have a great week.......
Friday, November 2, 2007
Things to Remember About Vision
Things To Remember About Vision
1. Many people will forget the vision 1 hour after you share it, so share it again and again and again. Did I say share it again?
2. People are attracted and motivated by a God-size vision.
3. A God-size vision helps unify a church.
4. A God-size vision attracts God-size resources.
5. A God-size vision attracts strong leaders.
6. A God-size vision keeps volunteers fired up.
7. Sharing the God size-vision is one of the most important jobs of the pastor.
8. Listen and learn from other pastors who do a great job at casting vision.
9. People need to see the vision coming to pass.
10. You can't ever share the vision enough.
1. Many people will forget the vision 1 hour after you share it, so share it again and again and again. Did I say share it again?
2. People are attracted and motivated by a God-size vision.
3. A God-size vision helps unify a church.
4. A God-size vision attracts God-size resources.
5. A God-size vision attracts strong leaders.
6. A God-size vision keeps volunteers fired up.
7. Sharing the God size-vision is one of the most important jobs of the pastor.
8. Listen and learn from other pastors who do a great job at casting vision.
9. People need to see the vision coming to pass.
10. You can't ever share the vision enough.
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