The Most Stupid Thing I Ever Heard

I hadn't been a senior pastor very long when I first encountered what I believe to be the most stupid thing I've ever heard. I was having a conversation one day with another pastor who lived near me.  As we talked about our ministries, I related to him how effective my staff was and that they were responsible for the success of many of the things we were doing. His response was both memorable and ridiculous. He said, "Well, you know, Jacob leaned on his staff and died"...a reference to Hebrews 11:21. Now I know that this was his attempt at humor, but the underlying serious tone was unmistakeable.  Since that time, I have heard this statement again, and again, and every time I hear it, there seems to be an undercurrent of contempt for staff members. It's almost as if those who say it forget that they are the ones responsible for assembling their team. As a senior leader, if your team is truly incompetent, that's truly your fault.

To me, statements like these reveal a couple of root problems that exist in both the corporate world and the church world.

There exists a culture of contempt between senior leadership and staff. Just because a leader has stories of staff members who have gone awry in the past doesn't mean that every staff member in the present should pay for it. It should also be noted that, as leaders, we will reap what we sow. If we sow into the climate of our organization an attitude of mistrust and suspicion, we can't be surprised when we're treated that way in return. It's simple: leaders should take pains to hire worthy staff in the first place, and then be willing to replace those who need to go. What we don't need is to become bitter.

There also seems to be, especially in the church, a deficit of staff-building savvy.  I've seen it time and again where unwise hires were made that resulted in organizational pain in the long run.  There's not much margin of error in hiring of staff...issues and deficits that are either ignored or overlooked in the beginning will probably come back to haunt us in the end. 

The question is, what does a healthy, functional staff look like, and how can I build one?

I have been tremendously blessed with an amazing staff of people who possess an uncommon commitment to God, our church, and to me as a senior leader.  We all carry a passion for the vision of the church, as well as a passion for our community.  Each member of the staff functions with a great deal of freedom and delegated authority, not just delegated responsibility.  As a result, our church has become healthier and stronger than it has ever been. We are growing, we are changing, and we are effectively reaching our community with the Gospel.

Not only is our staff effective in it's ministry dynamic, it is healthy in it's relational dynamic.  We are colleagues, but we are also friends.  From what I have observed over almost 20 years in ministry, we have a staff culture that is incredibly unique.  We truly function as a family.

This culture wasn't developed overnight, and yours won't be either.  The key really has been the philosophy we have employed in building our staff.  I will address that philosophy, next week.  I want to wrap up this post by mentioning a couple of staffing philosophies that seem to be common, but very ineffective.  I call them "plugging the holes", and "filling the roles".

"Plugging the holes" works like this:  Every staff vacancy is viewed as an obstacle rather than an opportunity.  The main concern of senior leadership is that there are things that are going undone, and someone is needed to fill the gap.  This approach is very reactionary in nature and if decisions are made based on this thinking, they probably won't serve the long-term goals and purposes of the church or organization.  The "plugging the holes" philosophy doesn't bother to take into account the way the position in question relates to the other staff, and the organization as a whole, and leadership will often be satisfied to put someone in place who can simply 'get the job done'.  At the end of the day, that's about all that will happen under this paradigm because the overall impact that this hire will have on the group as a whole has been ignored, and conflicts will follow. 

One other issue that often arises with "plugging the holes" is this:  we end up bringing into leadership what Jesus called a hireling.  This is the person who isn't committed to the organization, or to it's people.  His or her only commitment is to themselves and keeping their position for the gain it brings them.  They won't sacrifice for you, the organization, or it's people, and if tough times come, they will run. 

Now, "filling the roles" is a more pragmatic approach, but still flawed.  Under this model, senior leadership understands that each member of the staff impacts the whole and not just their particular area, and even values the role they play and the contribution they make.  This is a giant step forward from "plugging the holes", but still falls short of excellence in one major way.  Individual performance is still the main emphasis, not team performance.  In this scenario, the senior leader probably believes that the best individual performer possible, placed in each role, will equal a top-notch team.  That may or may not be the case, however.  Ask any coach...great individual performers don't always make great team-players...and in team sports, it takes the team to win the game. 

According to Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4, the church (and really other organizations in general) are teams.  We function correctly in concert.  So, our goal as leaders should really be to build an effective team.  Let's meet back here, next week, and talk about that!

Happy leading!

Addition and Subtraction

Leaders live two dimensional lives.  While we are very much connected to our professional world, we are equally, and more importantly, connected to our personal world.  Probably every leader would love to become more effective in his or her professional world while becoming healthier and happier in his personal world.  Sadly, we often fail to see how this can even be a possibility.  In our normal paradigm of leadership, we sacrifice one of these areas to service the other.  And, if we're being honest, it's usually the personal that we sacrifice for the sake of the professional.  So, we end up succeeding professionally, while failing our families and failing ourselves as our bodies, minds, emotions, and relationships with God and others pay the price. 

Surely there is a balance.  Surely there is a way to be healthy and happy personally while being effective professionally.  No doubt there are many dynamics that can contribute to such a balance, but I stumbled onto one dynamic recently that has made a difference for me, and it might be beneficial for you as well. It involves a hound dog.

You're wondering how a hound dog fits into the spiritual and professional vision for this blog.  It's not as much of a stretch as you might think.

We have been promising my 5 year old daughter, for months and months now, that we would allow her to have a dog.  (She love animals more than anything.)  The day of reckoning finally came and we found a dog we were all happy with...a blue tick beagle.  So, now, my wife is happy because it's a small dog, I am happy because it's a hound, and my daughter is happy because it wags it's tail and licks her face.

I was reluctant to bring a dog into our newly constructed home that, heretofore, had been free of any animal presence.  Before we even got the dog home, however, I was attached.  Of course we have experienced all the inconveniences of a 5 week old puppy, and there have been a great many adjustments to our routine...but it's good.  It is very good.  I've now realized that we (I) needed a pet.

This got me to thinking...sometimes we need to be willing to add healthy dimensions to our lives.  I know, I know...you're schedule is busy, the valuable real-estate of your mind is already overbooked, and you can't imagine adding one more piece to your puzzle.  I know that's what you're thinking because I thought the same thing.  However, there are things that are not yet part of our lives that may hold a key to our personal health and happiness, or our professional effectiveness.  If we're not willing to add healthy dimensions to our world, we may continue to fall short of the life God has planned for us.

I needed a dog.  I needed the daily diversion, the distraction from the ultra-deep responsibilities of ministry.  I needed a cold nose and a warm tongue to press up against my face every time I walked in the room.  Our family needed something in common that we all loved and felt connected to. 

You may need to make some additions to your life, as well.  It may be a pet, it may be a hobby, it may be a relationship, it may even be a new professional venture.  I know that beginning this blog has opened a new door of effectiveness to my life and ministry because over the past few months it has connected me to professional people, particularly outside of ministry, who have been blessed by my perspective.  I needed to add a blog to my professional world to increase my effectiveness.

So, an appropriate addition can benefit your personal health and happiness, as well as your professional effectiveness.

I've learned something else:  subtractions are just as important as additions. 

It's amazing how that when something becomes part of our lives, it's hard for us to ever detach from it.  I won't reference any annoying Disney movie songs here, but there are unhealthy things in your life, and you need to learn to let them go.  I have subtracted many things over the years.  Maybe the very first thing I learned to subtract in the ministry was worry.  Leaders can be worriers.  Choose not to be one.  Worry accomplishes absolutely nothing except draining you of your energy, optimism, and faith. 

There are other subtractions that can be made from your life.  One of those is organizational involvement.  If you're like me, you're a  part of numerous organizations, and lead some of them.  No doubt these things are good...but are they good for you?  You need to reevaluate whether the investment of time, energy, and stress you're putting into that organization is worth it.  A word of advice...you aren't the best judge of this.  Ask your spouse, ask a friend, ask a colleague, and most importantly, ask the Lord.  Jesus was presented with several opportunities that He simply didn't take.  Remember what Paul said in 1 Cor. 10:23:  "...everything is lawful for me, but not everything is beneficial..." (paraphrase).

When you've detected the 'boat anchors' in your life, the required action is clear, explained in Heb. 12:1 (KJV), "...let us lay aside every weight...".  That makes it plain...putting our lives on a diet is our responsibility.  No one else can lay aside your weight. 

So subtraction is a command of scripture.  It's almost as if God understands how detrimental it is for us to carry unnecessary weight in our lives, so He commands us to lose it.

It makes sense...when I make the appropriate additions and subtractions to my life, I end up living in balance.  Balanced leaders...the world needs a few more of those.

Happy leading!

Over and Under (Part 3)

We wrap up our discussion of mentoring and being mentored with a quote from Jesus that came as He sent the disciples out to minister on their own.  He told them in Matthew 10:8 (NIV), "Freely you have received, freely give."

You probably can accept the idea that you need a mentor in your life...someone to be an influence, and an example to you...someone to call out the greatness in you, and challenge you to live up to your God-given potential.  You may not, however, realize that you should be that person to someone else.  If you have ever received, you are also responsible to give.  Think about it:  why would you want to deprive the generation that follows you in ministry, or business, of the opportunity to utilize your wisdom and experience?  If they possess the advantage of this knowledge, they can extend the life of your influence well after you are gone.  This was precisely Jesus' leadership approach.  He replicated Himself in the lives of His disciples, and then told them that they would do His works, and even greater works, when He left them.  As a result, His ministry has been extended to this very day.

I've heard so many times, from people of all ages, "I don't have anything to offer".  You may have thought the same thing.  What you meant was this, "I don't believe I have any special expertise, or outstanding experience worth sharing."  Here's the deal, though:  If you have ANY expertise or experience, no matter how basic it may seem to you, it will be revolutionary to someone who needs it.  You're underwhelmed by your skills because you're familiar with them...they are old-hat to you.  But to the person who is in need of those skills, they are like gold.  So, lose the false humility and accept the fact that you have something that someone needs.  At the very least, if you are a believer in Jesus, then you have, living inside you, what EVERYONE needs.

Remember what we looked for in a mentor in last week's post?  As a mentor, you possess something those under you don't.  It may be experience, it may be a history of success or failure, it may be skills, and it is always perspective and objectivity. You have something to offer, after all.

So, we repeat our questions from last week:

First, 'who'?
Who are you going to mentor?  Should you take applications, or recruit whoever happens to be standing around?  No.  It's easier than that.  If you are in leadership, there are those folks who are drawn to you.  There are even those who seem to find an excuse to wander into your office, or randomly call or text for no apparent reason.  But there is a reason.  The fact is that they want to be around you because they see something in you that they need.  You will draw a majority of your mentoring subject from these kinds of relationships.

I began mentoring folks when we were in youth ministry.  There were kids that just wanted to be around us...more than others did.  They showed up at our offices after school, they wanted to go wherever we went, they even ended up at our house when they were on dates.  They had questions, they had ideas, and they also had a purpose.  Somewhere along the way we realized that we needed to take advantage of this dynamic and pour into these kids.  I'm glad we did.  Right now, at least six of those 'kids' are in full or part-time ministry.

Now, 'how'?
There are really only two requirements to make a fruitful mentoring relationship:

1. Availability
As we mentioned before, in scripture, you always found Joshua with Moses...even in his meetings with God.  This means that Moses made his life available to Joshua.  Those whom you are mentoring need an upgraded level of access to your life.  You can't ignore phone calls from them.  You can't put everything in your schedule ahead of them...they are a priority.  Yes, it can be inconvenient.  Yes, there are sacrifices.  The inconvenience and sacrifice will be worth it, however, when you see those you are mentoring begin to grow and succeed.     

2. Transparency 
Now, when you have the attention of someone you are mentoring, by all means, steward that gift wisely.  Don't waste your time and theirs by putting on a show.  They don't need to see the 'cleaned-up' version of you, they need to see the real you.  They need to see how you respond to conflict, how you push through frustration, and overcome real problems.  They need to know that you have human emotions so that you can show them how to channel those emotions.  They need to understand your thought processes and your problem-solving style.  None of this can be done by presenting a facade.  Remember, they don't need to be impressed by you, they need to be equipped by you.

Moses equipped Joshua for his life and ministry.  Joshua extended the ministry of Moses.  This is the beauty of mentorship, both over and under.

Happy leading!

Over and Under (Part 2)

The Biblical record suggests that Joshua was a man of physical ability, superior intellect, strong character, and military prowess.  In other words, his potential for leading God's people was off the charts.  For that potential to be realized and translated into leadership success...leadership that would bring the people of God into the promises of God, however, would require an impetus.  There was a final ingredient that, when added, would propel Joshua into the position of an effective leader.  It is the same ingredient that we must add to all of our abilities, and all of our training.

Deuteronomy 34:9 says this:
Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This key ingredient for Joshua was the mentorship of Moses.  Moses provided for Joshua something that only came to him through relationship and impartation...the Spirit of Wisdom.  This is exactly why those of us in leadership should actively pursue a relationship with a mentor over us...because we need their wisdom.  God uses our education, God utilizes our abilities, but our education and abilities are only employed successfully and appropriately to the degree they are deployed with wisdom.

So the reality is, you need a mentor.  In fact, you probably need more than one.  While that sounds like a good idea, two questions have probably already risen to the forefront of your consciousness:
1. Who?
2. How?

Don't let the 'who', and the 'how', of mentoring keep you from such a relationship...it's not as complex as it sounds.

First, the 'who'.
Here's the secret to identifying the mentor(s) the Lord may be putting in your path:  He or she must possess something you need, but don't have.  It may be experience in one or more areas.  It may be a tremendous history of success, or they may have a tremendous failure to their credit.  They may have connections to helpful people, resources, or opportunities.  They may even have a gift that is not really in your arsenal.  Most of all, they will have perspective that you have not yet developed, and the ability to see you and your situation objectively.

Once you understand this secret, look around.  Who has the Lord already placed in your life that could fill this role.  And remember...a mentor doesn't have to be perfect, and they don't have to be an expert in all areas, they just need to be proficient in one.  Joshua didn't need Moses to be a military genius, he needed him to be a spiritual father.

If you don't see a mentor(s) positioned near you, pray about it, and then consider those folks you know and admire from a distance.  Is there someone who's effectiveness you would like to emulate?  If you feel a release from the Lord, pursue them.  Let them know exactly what you're after and see if there is divine favor on the relationship.  If there is, you've found a mentor.

Now, the 'how'.
We find, throughout scripture, that Joshua was continually by Moses' side.  He was present.  To make the most of a mentoring relationship, be in the mentor's presence.  In my church, we run a ministry development program for folks interested in both volunteer and vocational ministry.  One of the major components of this training includes six weeks spent shadowing and assisting each member of our pastoral staff.  They see where we go, what we do, how we respond and minister to people, as well as what kind of situations and decisions we are faced with on a day to day basis.  They are present, and  because they are present, they learn.

Making the most of a mentoring relationship also requires a skill that all have not mastered yet...listening.  If you're doing all the talking, you're not being mentored.  Yes, you need to bring good questions to the table, but then you need to shut up and listen.  In fact, I've learned the most from my mentors when I find a way to get them talking and just sit back and listen.  You will catch not only the specifics of their approach to leadership, but also the spirit of their leadership as they talk...don't minimize this aspect of the relationship, maximize it.

Next week we tackle the idea of how to mentor those under us.  For right now, though, answer these questions:
-Who are my mentors?
-Do they possess something that I do not?
-Am I maximizing these relationships?
-Who is God leading me to pursue as a new mentor?
-What are my action steps to pursue this relationship?

Be excited about being mentored.  As you are mentored, you gain access to wisdom that is above and beyond your own, and your followers reap the rewards.

Happy leading!

Over and Under

Moses and Joshua.

Which one was more important to the other?  It's an impossible question to answer because these men were totally interdependent. Each man's success required the success of the other. Joshua needed Moses as a mentor to build his foundation as a leader, while Moses needed Joshua as a successor to complete his assignment. One without the other would prove ineffective. This is the principle of 'over and under'.

It means that those in ministry and leadership should always pursue  mentoring from those over them, and practice mentoring those under them. This two-way connectivity allows the older generation to access the strength and passion of the younger, and the younger generation the opportunity to access the wisdom and experience of the older.  A missing link weakens the entire chain.

Why is pursing a mentor that is over me important?

Over 140 college credit hours,
23 bible and ministry classes, and 3 levels of ministry credentialing...this is the professional training I've received to prepare me for a career in leadership.

10...this is the number of mentors (other than family) who have made significant leadership investments into my life.  Pastors like Marvin Gorman, Dr. Ron Phillips, Glenn Dorsey, Robbie Holcomb, Mike Glover, and Boyd Smith. Professors and teachers like Al Skoog, David Neiderbrach, Kelly Dame, and David Hall. All of them going above and beyond their formal assignments to make sure I was well-equipped for mine.

These 10 relationships did more to prepare me to lead people than all the formal education did. So why do we invest so much time and energy into formal education while neglecting mentoring relationships?  We need a balance of formal education and practical impartation.

Now, pursuing a mentor over us affirms that we realize our need to receive, but we must also realize that others need us to give. For that reason, we must not neglect to mentor those under us.

The fact is that no matter how young or 'new' to ministry or leadership we may be, there is always someone who can benefit from the experience and wisdom we've gained up to this point. And as we pour into someone 'under' us, we are, like Moses, borrowing someone else's strength to extend and complete our own assignment.

We will spend the next 2 posts discussing how to develop over and under relationships.  In the mean time, be on the lookout for someone 'over' you that has something in their life or ministry you would like to emulate.

Happy leading!

Managing Millennials

As a leader, if you have Millennials on your staff or team, and you aren't one, you need help. How can I make such a broad-based assessment of teams I know nothing about?  It's because I do know something about Millennials....my staff and volunteer teams are comprised largely of them.  Here's what I know:  Millennials think differently, communicate differently, respond differently, and have different needs than any generation previous to them.

If your primary experience has been with leading boomers, busters, and gen-xers, I don't have to go far out on a limb to predict that you've had some challenges relating to the younger folks on your team. There is no way that I can even begin to tackle all the issues you may need to have resolved, so I just want to make a couple of suggestions that may help you move toward more fruitful relationships.

1. Listen
Remember, Millennials think, communicate, and respond DIFFERENTLY, not WRONGLY. The world they were raised in looked very different from the one you were raised in, and as a result, they see things differently. We don't have the luxury, as leaders, of relating to all our team members in the way most comfortable for us (unless we want to weed our teams down to people exactly like us). This means we "old dog" leaders must be willing to learn a new trick. The answer for our generational conflicts isn't to leave a group behind, but to learn from them. This requires a skill we might not be as thrilled about developing, but our teams sure will appreciate when we do...LISTENING. The divide between you and your millennials won't be bridged by more talking, it will be bridged by more listening. Ask purposeful questions that will give you real insight into their world, and then be quiet. Even be bold enough to ask the question, 'how do you need to be led?' This will prove more fruitful than the frustration-fest conversations you've been having.

2. Learn
Don't be scared of a little education. Do some reading on the millennial mindset and see if there are some easy adjustments you can make in leading them. For instance, it is well-documented that millennials thrive on immediate feedback, and lots of it. This means instead of restricting 'evaluation' to a formal time and space, we should be providing constant evaluation in real-time, giving our team the opportunity to put our insights to work for them immediately.

It is also widely accepted that millennials desire, even demand, authenticity. If they don't feel a genuine connection to you as a leader, to your heart and your vision, you will lose them. The days of facade-oriented, surface level relationships with team members are over. This is, quite frankly, a good thing. Mark 3 outlines the leadership style of Jesus in verse 14 as He calls His disciples to Himself. Mark records that He ordained them to BE WITH HIM and to preach. The first order of business for Jesus as He developed His team was to cultivate authentic relationship...everything that followed was based on that. For us this means that we can choose to invest in open, honest, conversations that reveal who we are at a core level to our team members. That authenticity will build trust and loyalty and create the success we need in our church or business.

Two key questions:  Can you listen to your team?  Can you learn something new about how they perceive and respond to life?  If your answer is yes to both, then you are positioned to succeed in managing millennials.

Some helpful articles:
http://talent.linkedin.com/blog/index.php/2013/12/8-millennials-traits-you-should-know-about-before-you-hire-them

http://www.forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2014/12/04/giving-s-m-a-r-t-feedback-to-millennials/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2014/08/14/authenticity-the-way-to-the-millennials-heart/

Cleaning the Computer

Those involved in the ministry know that ministry comes a great deal of mental weight. Information, responsibilities, prayer requests, to do lists, concerns about people and their issues, ideas God is giving you, etc... The brain can become a tangled web of thoughts that becomes difficult to navigate, and heavy to carry around. Here are my top 5 suggestions for 'Cleaning the Computer' or de-cluttering the ministry mind.

1. Make silence a priority during your personal prayer time, and do it early in the day.

2. Offload all possible information onto digital means. Keep a device handy, enter ideas, prayer requests, to do items, etc... immediately. Never say, "I have to remember that", always make your device remember for you.

3. Make others responsible for what they need from you. If they ask you to do something for them, make an appointment, call them back, etc... tell them to contact you to follow up. This way, if you forget, their follow-up contact will remind you and make you deal with it. Meanwhile you have peace of mind knowing that you won't leave someone hanging. That individual has similar interactions with a very few people. You, as a minister, have dozens of these kinds of interactions going at the same time...make the other person responsible.

4. Stop scrolling facebook and twitter. Utilize them for communication only. Your newsfeed only adds weight to your life.

5. Read blogs & articles, don't read the comments

Balancing the Immense and the Intimate

I was praying earlier this week and something obvious but powerful arrested my attention: The God of the immense is also the God of the intimate. The God who maintains His place of immense wisdom, power, authority, and influence, is also the God who maintains an intimate relationship with me. My place in the 'grand scheme' is no different or greater than anyone else's, it's relatively small and certainly interdependent with the other members of Christ's body, yet the Author of the 'grand scheme' insists on maintaining a personal, intimate relationship with me.

From a purely spiritual perspective, it is yet another reason to stand in awe of our God and His love for us. But there's more revelation here than that.

From a leadership perspective, this approach is genius, and it leaves those in leadership with a tremendous challenge...to balance the immense and the intimate.

As leaders, we are stewards of both the purposes and the people of our organizations. First of all, we are responsible to be attentive to, and advance the immense purposes of the church, our classroom, our business or our organization. In the church we are making disciples of all nations, preaching the gospel to every creature, bringing the Kingdom of God into our communities, being the prophetic voice of God to the world. This is big stuff, and it is our calling. As leaders, however, this is not our only calling.

Leaders also steward the people of their organizations. Living, breathing, human people are the ones who carry out the immense purpose of an organization, and they require instruction, inspiration, care, and compassion. So while the 'immense' is important to our leadership, the 'intimate' is equally, if not more, important to our leadership.

This is where the challenge comes in. Leaders find it difficult to strike a balance between managing the immense, and managing the intimate. One the one hand there's the pastor or leader who is highly aware of the 'big picture'. His driving passion, and consequently his priorities, revolve around seeing the goals of his church or organization met, it's purposes fulfilled, and it's global impact felt. He is highly visionary and believes that his organization is going to make a difference in the world. This is all important, even necessary for those who wish to be effective leaders. I pray every pastor would develop this kind of sensitivity to the immense. This personality has a liability, though. It can be easy for those with a natural bent toward the 'immense' to neglect the 'intimate'. He can be so preoccupied with the great purposes of the organization that he misses the people of the organization.

On the other hand, there is the pastor or leader who is seemingly unaware of the immense, but myopically focused on the intimate. He is so involved, so aware, so entangled in every detail of his people's lives...their ups and downs, their mental and emotional state, their every dilemma and decision, that he has no perception of the great purpose his church or his organization is charged with. These leaders are lovers of people. They are compassionate. They are willing to be involved with individuals to enable and encourage their growth. These, too, are admirable qualities in a leader, necessary and desirable. This type of leader can very easily see all of his time, his emotional and mental energy, and his passion spent on a few individuals, leaving minimal resources to be dedicated to the advancement of the church or the organization.

So what's the answer? Balance. It's what Jesus modeled.

Jesus had this amazing ability to simultaneously be messiah to the Jews, and savior to the Gentiles, while also being friend and shepherd to the 12 He called disciples. How did He steward the immense responsibility of being the focal point of man's redemption, and at the same time having intimate relationships with people? Balance.

In one moment, He's welcoming the hungry crowd, and in the next, He's sending them away so that He can be alone with the 12. One evening, He's healing and delivering the masses, and the next morning He's alone with the Father, praying. In Mark 1 He moves toward the cities, taking the populous His message, and in Mark 6 He directs His disciples toward the desert so that they can be alone and rest.

He declared on more than one occasion, that He was aware that He was fulfilling prophecy...that's an immense responsibility. He also dedicated time to individuals like the woman at the well and the woman taken in adultery....that's intimate relationship.

In the end, Jesus was aware of His assignments both immense and intimate, and invested time into both. We must maintain an eye toward our purpose and an eye toward our people, and then make intentional investments into both. This means, at times, we will have to say no to the demands of the immense, and at other times, we will have to say no to the demands of the intimate. If we do, both our organization and our people will remain healthy, and we as leaders will keep a proper perspective on our assignment.

Take a moment and reflect...which way do you lean? Immense focus, or Intimate focus? Make choices to bring your leadership into balance.

The Challenges and Choices of Vision

Daniel 10:7-8

Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.

It is the assignment of every leader to apprehend a vision for the ministry or organization and then to take action on it.  This is not done without some challenges. I want to address two of those challenges and give you a choice you can make to overcome each of them.

Challenge 1

Others don't see the vision that I do for the organization.

Choice 1

Get some guts

For those who have insecurity issues, like me, the fact that someone can't see what you see about the organization can cause you to question the validity of the vision. What's the solution? Get some guts. Look, you're the leader for a reason...you're in front of the organization and at the top of it, so you have perspective everyone else doesn't.  A leader, because he or she is in front, sees what's coming before everyone else. If you can't see something new, you can't ever lead your team to somewhere new. So, be bold, be confident, and prove your vision is right by leading your people into it.

Challenge 2

The vision I've been given is intimidating, even to me.

Choice 2

Be fearless

Sometimes the vision we receive for our organization is so tremendous in it's size and scope that it is intimidating. So much so that it could instill fear in the hearts of some....don't let that be you. God doesn't give us neat, tidy, easily attainable goals. He dispenses vision like "go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature", "heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and cast out the devils." Don't run from the massive vision, embrace it. Remember, if it is a God-given vision, you aren't responsible to achieve it, you are responsible only to be obedient because it's not by might, and it's not by power, but it's by the Spirit of The Lord.

Leaders, continually keep yourself in a place where you can apprehend vision, and be diligent to take action on that vision.

My Heart Is Broken

Wow...this is SO not the subject I wanted to discuss with this week's blog post, but I felt directed by the Lord to address it, so here goes.

This weekend, couples around the country will bask in the glow of the consumer-fest known as Valentine's Day. For some, it's about gifts, for others it's an opportunity to genuinely express their feelings for their significant other, and over-all, in theory at least, it's all about love.

The movie being released in conjunction with the day that's 'all about love', Fifty Shades of Grey, has nothing to do with love, however. That it would even be marketed adjacent to a day that emphasizes love is a sad indication of the condition of our society... Evidently we are at a point where love and lust/violence/abuse/perversion seem to be congruent. Congruent enough to be marketed together.

So much has been said about this movie already...what could I bring to the table, and why should I bring it? Here's what I have to bring: my heart, my feelings, and my perspective. Here's why that's relevant: I am a leader, a pastor, a shepherd of people. I love them and am concerned about their lives. More than I care about the success or failure of some movie, I care about the success or failure of the people I lead. I care if they are spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, and relationally healthy. I care if they are in relationship with Jesus Christ. I care if they are struggling with sin, or bondage, or addiction, or other life-controlling issues. And hopefully, I love and care for them enough that God is able to reach through my heart and touch theirs with His love, His truth, and His freedom.

So, what are my feelings, my perspective, my heart regarding this movie? My heart is broken...period. When I first heard about the books and the movie, I was angry...for all the predictable reasons. Over time, however, as the reality sat in, that this movie really would be played in theaters across our land, including my city, and that real people...people God created, that God loves, probably some I know, were going to really watch it, the anger evaporated and the hurt took hold. Why is it that the existence of some smutty movie would break my heart? Good question. I will answer with a series of statements, and then be out of your way.

Fifty Shades of Grey breaks my heart because:
1. It is being marketed as something akin to a romance, somehow related to a love story.
This is sad because there are so few examples of real love...selfless, godly, healthy love, being elevated in our world today that someone (especially younger people) might mistakenly connect the content of this movie with love and then pursue it. This is most heart-breking because there is a true love...a genuine, life-giving, affirming, liberating love that comes from God that is available to every person through Jesus Christ, and there's no hidden agenda or catch to it.

2. It glorifies destruction.
Abuse of another human being, whether consensual or not, is sinful and destructive. I probably don't have to convince you of that. Why, then, is this so heart-breaking to me, when there are plenty of other movies, books, music out there that glorify sin or destructive behavior? It's because this particular movie purposefully wraps it's brand of abuse, violence, and perversion in a package that seems desirable. Again, it is tied to the idea of romance and intimacy, so it can be intriguing. The effect is that we become desensitized to it, and therefore more prone, as a society, to accept it. Why should we not want to accept this kind of behavior as a society? Let me make sure I say this strongly enough: BECAUSE IT'S BAD. IT IS HARMFUL TO PEOPLE. IT WILL DESTROY THEIR LIVES. The characters in the movie are a testimony to that. The main character is a twisted up mess of an inwardly-tormented man. One other thought here: I might be wrong, but it seems to me that if the average husband were to go home and ask his wife if he could beat her, and she said yes, and then he followed through with that beating, the police could very well show up at his door, arrest him, and take him to jail for domestic violence. If, however, we let that play out in the bedroom, somehow it becomes okay? Abuse is abuse. Jesus Christ suffered much pain and torment so that we could be healed and delivered from it. If we still desire it, something is broken inside of us.

3. Women should be the object of respect and adoration, not degradation.
Paul taught the Ephesians that husbands should love their wives in the way that Christ loves the church...by sacrificially giving themselves up for them. Women should know their value because the men in their lives are willing to sacrifice themselves on their behalf. Self-sacrifice is not the theme of Fifty Shades. This movie only serves to echo the drumbeat of culture that demonstrates to women that their value is found in their looks, or their weight, or their build, or in their ability to serve a man.

4. Millions of unsuspecting people are opening the door to a world of spiritual attack by reading these books and watching this movie.
There are so many destructive spirits attached to this movie that they can't be enumerated here. Those who subject themselves to this movie are opening themselves up to be attacked by these spirits. Here's what's sick...there are industries that are counting on it. I read part of an article today that mentioned the fact that hardware stores are stocking up on certain supplies in anticipation of a demand for them following the release of this movie. If that didn't just send a shiver up your spine, I don't know what will. Folks with no spiritual understanding are putting themselves, unwittingly, in a vulnerable place that could require deliverance and healing to get out of.

5. The beautiful is made ugly.
It must be hurtful to the heart of God to see something that He created, like marital intimacy, twisted into something ugly and grotesque. The very purpose and plan of God for intimacy is to give life, not destroy it.

6. The success of the books, and the anticipation of the movie indicates that Americans are very broken people. This movie isn't just an instigator of destruction, it is an indicator of destruction. In other words, our interest in this subject matter as a society...the fact that the movie isn't underground or relegated to sleazy, shameful cinemas somewhere in a back-alley, indicates that we are already sick. Something is wrong with us when we want to be entertained by such behavior. We crave what is shameful and harmful...we are not okay. We really do love darkness rather than light (Jn. 3:19). The sad thing is this, we can choose darkness if we wish...God allows us that decision, but in the end, the darkness destroys our lives and dooms our eternity.

Oh how I wish we loved the light. Oh how I wish our appetite was for wholesome, happy, healthy things that bring life to man and honor to God. How I wish we were a society permeated by love and not by lust. I have asked the Lord to break my heart with what breaks His heart before...if He answered that prayer, then His heart is breaking too.

Backward and Forward

So my daughter and I walked from one end of the mall to the other today, which for a 5 year old is a pretty long trek. She was fairly dissatisfied with our progress, but then, unexpectedly, right there in front of Candy Craze, my preschooler dropped some pretty strong revelation. In fact, it was a word I needed, and perhaps one you need as well. You're saying, "what possible divine download could a 5 year old bring to me?" Here it is...are you ready? She stopped, turned around, and said, "Daddy, look how far we've come!" 

The thing about leaders, whether ministry or otherwise, is that we're always intense, always focused. We are leading our team, leading our organization into growth and development. We are highly aware of goals and objectives, and there's always more people to reach, more to be accomplished, further to go. In our journey from one end of the leadership 'mall' to the other, we have a propensity to become dissatisfied with our progress. Our problem is that we are always focused on what's now and what's next and we forget to stop and turn around to see just how far we've come. If we did, we would probably be very encouraged. 

So, do that... right now! Take 2 minutes and look backward to evaluate how far your ministry or organization has come. Now, make that part of your weekly routine...to take a look backward. Another thing...your team needs to hear you say, often, "look how far we've come". They take their cues of encouragement or discouragement from you. When you're encouraged, they need to know it. A word of warning...make sure you don't get stuck looking backward. You need the perspective of the past for encouragement, but you also need an awareness of the future to stay challenged. As with other matters of perspective, balance is key. Be blessed as you cultivate an ability to look backward and forward!

4 Ways Social Media Helps Me Preach

If you're like me, you have one major goal for your preaching:  to clearly, correctly communicate the heart of God, so that the listener can experience the change God desires for them.  Since our preaching is all about the goal, we are interested in leveraging any advantage possible to achieve the goal.

Now hopefully the title of this post made you wonder, "How's he going to connect social media to preaching in a positive way?"  I realize that Gospel preaching and social media seem like two unrelated concepts, but actually, social media has proved to be a great benefit to me and my congregation where preaching is concerned.

Given the afforability of social media, and ease with which it can be utilized, it just makes sense for the preacher to use it as a communication tool for the Gospel.

Here are 4 ways social media assists me in preaching the Word:

1. It trains me
I'm wordy.  I suppose that's why I've taken to blogging.  I'm wordy in the pulpit.  I love to wax eloquent about pretty much anything and discuss in great detail Biblical and spiritual ideas.  This is not always advantageous to my congregation, because in my eloquence (well, perceived eloquence) I can easily convalute rather than simplify Biblical truth.  My communication prowess isn't the point of preaching...communicating the Word of God clearly, is.
My people need to understand, and remember the teaching of scripture, not stumble over my delivery.

So, I turned to Twitter.  I decided several years ago that I would discipline myself to tweet insights from the Word, main points from my messages, and other spiritual observations on a regular basis.  That 140 character limitation was my enemy...for a while.  Once I really submitted myself to it, however, I began to think more critically about how I could communicate truth in more succinct, more powerful ways.  As a result, I am doing a better job of self-editing my messages and expressing complex thought with simplified language.  I also notice that my congregation latches onto the simplified phrases and language, and often repeats it in their conversations and social media posts.

2. It teases the public
I usually make two or three 'teaser' posts prior to a message.  There are a couple of effects this has on my audience:
*First, it cultivates an interest in, and excitement about the theme of the message.  Yes, I have actually had people show up to a service because a 'teaser' post either peaked their curiosity, or spoke to an issue that was current for them at the time.
*Second, it prepares the audience for the content of the message.  I love that when they show up to a service, those who have read my posts have already opened their mind up to the theme of the message, and maybe even thought or prayed about it.  All of this serves to position their heart to receive what God is saying to them.

3. It teaches my congregation
Over the past couple of years, our staff has encouraged their people to take notes using Facebook or Twitter.  This is a perfect way to engage a younger crowd in the message.  They want to be on social media anyway, and probably are while you are preaching, so challenge them to post impactful parts of the message.  The advantage here is that your people are listening for main points and key insights from the message....they are learning how to listen to preaching.

4. It transmits the message to the masses
Now because I make 'teaser' posts, and our people post sermon-bytes, we are transmitting the message to literally thousands of people in cyber world.  This means that every message I preach is going global through social media.  Those posts have served to draw people into conversation and have given our people an opportunity to be a witness.  In fact, several of our folks have utilized social media, quite effectively, to evangelize their friends and old acquaintances.

So, thanks, social media, for helping me take the Gospel to the world!

Less Is More

The Gospel of Mark records this about Jesus in chapter 9, verse 30:
"Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them."

Leaders deal with crowds...we just do. Whether it's 20 third-graders in your classroom, 500 members of your congregation, 8 employees, or the 12 kids you eat with in the cafeteria, if you're a leader, people crowd around you. 

Crowds are powerful, crowds are even intimidating and demanding. Because they are, we play to them by default. We give them our attention, our energy, and our abilities because they demand it. Jesus was no different. When you read the book of Mark, one of the most important characters is 'the crowd'. The crowd is always there, whether invited or not, and who can blame them? They're being healed, and fed...they're witnessing miracles and hearing the teaching of a powerful Rabbi. This is the same reason folks crowd around you...you have something to offer. So it always seems like we should be doing for the masses.

But there is a problem with the crowd, in fact, there are two problems with the crowd:
First, the crowd can crush you (check out Mark 3:9).
Second, the crowd isn't your only, or even your most meaningful, assignment.
Now this doesn't mean that the crowd is your enemy, it means that the crowd in your life must be managed.

Here's why:
1. THE CROWD CAN CRUSH YOU
Mark 3:9 is pretty plain in the NLT...Jesus understood to make a plan that would keep him safe from the dangers of the crowd. He still loved them, He still ministered to them, but He requested a boat to retreat to. Why? The boat created a boundary that would keep Him safe from the danger of the crowd. As leaders, we have to create boundaries to keep us safe from the dangers of the crowd. They don't hate us, they don't want to hurt us, but crowds are very draining to a leader, and all leaders have physical, mental, and emotional limitations. The key is to build boundaries. Build them into your time management, into your space management, and your relationship management. Make 'off-limits' spaces in each of these areas. Sometimes less of the crowd is more healthy.

2. THE CROWD ISN'T YOUR ONLY ASSIGNMENT
Jesus was teacher, healer, and savior for the crowds...of that there is no doubt. He was also, however, teacher, mentor, and spiritual father to the discples. There are folks in your world with whom you have more influence. These are people who know how to steward the investments of time and energy you make into them. You must carve out time away from the crowd for these people. When the crowds have come and gone, these folks will still be present with you, and they will end up multiplying your influence on the world. These are also the people with whom you can trust deeper, more intense training. Don't shortchange your 'disciples' by focusing only on the crowd. Sometimes less 'crowd' equals more impact.