Thursday, April 28, 2016

Pastor: It’s Monday—Don’t Quit!

 itsmonday

Pastor: It’s Monday—Don’t Quit!

Welcome to Monday. It’s the first day of a new workweek—a time for expectation and excitement. For some church leaders (and, to be honest, for folks employed outside the church, too), Monday isn’t always a good day. You’ve probably heard about the proverbial pastor who offers his resignation every Monday. If that’s who you are, below are some reasons you may not want to quit today.
  1. It’s Monday. That’s obvious, but when you’re struggling, Monday isn’t the beginning of an exciting week; it’s the first day of another long week you think you just have to survive. Don’t let that thought capture you today.
  2. Whatever you’re facing is likely fresh. Yesterday’s criticisms are still ringing in your ears. You’re still recalling that messed up sound system, that blown sermon illustration and that lower-than-expected attendance. All of these thoughts will diminish as you get busy during the week.
  3. The fatigue of the weekend can be lasting. “Weekend” sounds restive, but that’s not always the case for church leaders. The emotional and physical stress of Sunday can bleed into Monday. Tired people aren’t always the best decision makers.
  4. Making life decisions in a storm isn’t wise. I once read about a fighter pilot who taught his students, “Set your flight instruments in the clear, and trust them in the storm. If you change them in the clouds, you might regret it when the storm clears.” That’s wise advice for life.
  5. Storms are almost always temporary. Sure, they can be intense. The winds can be tornadic, but even the most violent storm passes. And, no storm is ever outside the control of the Creator who loves you. Hold on to that truth today.
  6. You may not have taken enough time to reflect on the good from yesterday. Before you quit, at least take time to search for glimpses of God’s glory this past weekend. Seek Him with a genuine willingness to see His hand above any turmoil.
  7. Faith requires you to see beyond today. If all you’re seeing is today’s anguish and frustration, you’re not seeing enough. Believe God is at work even when you don’t understand what’s happening.
  8. You’ve probably worked through Mondays like this one before. If you’ve been in ministry for any length of time, my guess is you’ve been here before. The God who brought you through those other Mondays is still Lord of this Monday.

12 Reasons Not to Blame Others for Our Ministry Failures

12 Reasons Not to Blame Others for Our Ministry Failures

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We live in a blame culture. And that culture has invaded the church.
I don’t blame anyone but myself for my failures in ministry.
Why are people so surprised by that?
In last month’s podcast with Carey Nieuwhof (click here to listen), I described our church’s history, including a short period where we had sudden growth, followed by even faster and deeper collapse.
Carey asked me if I had a handle on why the collapse happened, so I told him two of the mistakes I made that contributed to it. He was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t blame anyone (like the big church down the street) or anything (like changing demographics) for the problems, but took the responsibility upon myself.
To which I responded, “If you don’t own it, you can’t change it.” The interview went on and I thought no more about it.
But that little exchange and my short answer to it have received far more feedback (all positive, thankfully) than any other aspect of the interview.
Why?
I think it’s because we live in a blame culture. And that culture has invaded the church. In fact, I know it has because I regularly hear pastors of Small Churches blame everyone from their denominations to other churches to the corruption of the culture for their church’s lack of growth and/or health.
We must stop doing this. Here are 12 reasons. I’m sure there are more, so if you know of any, feel free to add them in the comment section.

1. If You Don’t Own It, You Can’t Change It

If someone else is to blame for my problems, I’ve given them control. If I’m to blame, I can do something about it.

2. Blaming Others Is Easy, but Unproductive

Let’s say it actually is the fault of someone else. What changes after we identify that? I can’t change someone else’s behavior, after all. I can only change me.
Like Henry Ford said, “Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anyone can complain.” 
So let’s concentrate on who we can change. Better yet, let’s recommit our lives and ministries to the one who can change us.

3. Not All “Failure” Is Failure

My plans are not always God’s plans. It’s easy to forget that.
What we consider failure might be a door God is closing so we’ll start to look for the door he’s opening.
That’s what happened to me when I started taking a hard look at my own ministry.
Because of my changed perspective on failure and success, some great things followed in the wake of the numerical collapse of our church.
  • Greater empathy for other pastors
  • A new perspective on church health and growth
  • The ministry that’s bringing you this blog post
  • … and more
    If I hadn’t “failed,” I might be pastoring a bigger church today. But I would probably be a very unhealthy pastor.
    I had been going down a very bad road. Failure stopped me. It caused me to re-assess, then change my wrong priorities.
    I learned some very hard but essential lessons by failing. Including equipping me to help other pastors so they don’t repeat all of my mistakes.

    4. I’m not Called to Do What Others Are Called to Do

    What looks like failure in one church isn’t failure in another church. The same goes for success.
    I live in an area of megachurches. It would be easy to look at my church’s lack of megachurch growth and think we’ve failed. (Been there, done that. Burned the souvenir T-shirt.) But I’m not called to do what they’re called to do.

    5. Much of Our Blame-Making Is Contradictory to Reality

    I can’t simultaneously blame my culture and the changing demographics of my neighborhood for limiting my church’s growth, while complaining about the big new church in town that overcame those problems.

    6. Blame Is Contagious

    Those who throw blame around tend to get it tossed right back at them. And they tend to surround themselves with other blamers. Which leads to …

    7. Blame Never Built a Great Church

    I referenced this idea in a previous post, Want a Great Church? Emphasize What You’re for, Not What You’re Against, so I’ll let you click over to that, if you’d like.
    Besides, the title of this point is rather self-explanatory, right?

    8. People Stop Listening

    If we keep blaming others for our failures and shortcomings, we become The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Soon, no one cares what we have to say because nothing ever changes. And if nothing ever changes …

    9. People Stop Caring

    Compassion fatigue. When bad things happen, we feel for the people it happened to. But when the same person keeps blaming others for every bad thing that happens, instead of stepping up and taking responsibility, it becomes hard to care any more. And if people stop caring …

    10. People Stop Helping

    Why would congregation members want to invest their time, money and energy into a church where the pastor has basically told them “there’s no hope—after all, if others are to blame for our failures, nothing we do will make any difference.”

    11. The Grasshopper in the Mirror Must Be Killed First

    This specific issue (not blaming others for our perceived failures) is the reason I titled my book The Grasshopper Myth. So I’ll quote myself from the last chapter:
    Kill the grasshopper.
    Bury its dead, rotting carcass deep in an unmarked desert grave on the far side of the Jordan.
    But know this. It’s a stubborn little beast. It won’t die easily. It can’t be wished away or even prayed away. Although prayer is an essential part of this.
    Life doesn’t go where you want it to go—it goes where you tell it to go. And you tell it where to go with every decision you make—large and small.
    Stop making grasshopper choices. Stop living on defense. Say “no” to saying “no.”
    Your biggest problem in ministry and in life isn’t that you’ll make a mistake, but that you’ll be consumed by the fear of making a mistake. That’s what happened to the 10 faithless Hebrew spies. The giants and walls they saw weren’t bigger than the ones Joshua and Caleb saw. Their biggest challenges weren’t external, they were internal. They couldn’t see they weren’t slaves any more.
    It’s one of the oldest sayings in history. It’s easier to take the people out of Egypt than it is to take Egypt out of the people. That’s where The Grasshopper Myth started.
    I began discovering who I’m not on the day I told my staff, “We need to stop thinking like a big church.” I didn’t know who I was yet. But removing the burden of who I was not was one of the most liberating experiences of my life.
    If you’re not sure who you are yet, that’s OK. Start by declaring who you’re not.
    The Grasshopper Myth, Chapter 15 —Becoming an Ex-Grasshopper

    12. Accepting Appropriate Blame Is Often the First Step to Finding Real Answers

    Let’s not close this out without acknowledging that accepting appropriate blame is not the same as walking around with a defeatist, self-hating attitude.
    Accepting appropriate blame means realizing that I make mistakes. Inappropriate blame says I am a mistake.
    But once we’ve accepted appropriate blame, then we can start looking, assessing, finding and implementing better ideas.
    Let’s find solutions instead of excuses.
    So what do you think? What are some other good reasons not to blame others for our ministry failures?

4 Secret Fears That Leaders Have That Kill Their Potential

4 Secret Fears That Leaders Have That Kill Their Potential

4.8 FEARS
“I wish that fear wasn’t a part of my life.”
I’ve failed more than I’ve succeeded. I’ve been criticized much more than I’ve been complimented. I’ve been thrown into circumstances that I’ve never been in before many more times than finding myself somewhere familiar. And because of those truths, it makes me fearful that those trends will continue and I will ultimately find myself unemployed, alone and isolated.
Maybe you can relate. I make decisions … worried that it won’t work out. I assign tasks … scared that they won’t follow through. I lead the team into the future … doubting that goals will be accomplished. Sound familiar at all?
Don’t get me wrong, I wish that fear wasn’t a part of my life. I sincerely hope that, one day, I’ll be in a place where I have so much confidence that fear dare not rear its ugly face. But that day is not today.
And the truth is that we leaders don’t do a good job at all of sharing these fears. We don’t want to get vulnerable or seem like we don’t have it all together. Although I don’t advocate this, I completely understand. But, I have come to find over the many years of leadership that we all share at least some of these fears.
I want you to hear and be encouraged by this: If you have fear as you lead, you are completely NORMAL. There is nothing wrong with you and it absolutely does not mean that you shouldn’t be in leadership at all (both are thoughts that I’ve had).
Before going any further, let’s take a look at four fears in particular. These are four fears that I believe many leaders have in common. Some of these are more overt fears than others, but if you have any of them, it could be the reason that you aren’t reaching your potential as a leader.

Fear of failure

This fear goes beyond the common dislike of failure. No one likes to fail. And, although good things can come from failure, it’s never a good feeling when you do fail. But, the fear that I’m talking about here is the one where you obsess about the possibility of failure. Rather than immediately thinking about what could happen if you succeed, you’re consumed by what will happen if you fail.
Ever been there? You’ve been given a promotion or a new assignment at work and the only thing you find yourself thinking about is what happened to the last guy and how he failed. Or you stay awake at night thinking through “what if” scenarios that all end in you being fired or causing the organization to go bankrupt. The fear of failure makes you stay where it’s familiar a little too long and prevents you from reaching new heights and accomplishing greater things.

Fear of criticism

This one is tough for me. Other people’s words and descriptions about me matter to me. Not to the point where I think I’m a people-pleaser, but they do impact me more than they should. When I am criticized, I can remember every word spoken and every nonverbal action exhibited. I can remember, specifically, criticisms that I received over 20 years ago (I know, I need to let it go). But because of this, in my leadership, I find that I am paralyzed when faced with the possibility of criticism.
Do you connect with that idea? You’ve just been put on a team with the most critical person on the team—you know, the person who is critical of every idea that isn’t their own  It doesn’t matter what you suggest or do, you will be criticized. But, as leaders, we can’t allow others’ words to keep us from leading our team forward. The fear of criticism forces you into a place where you only recycle old ideas and limit your creative output.

Fear of inadequacy

Maybe my story is unique, but I’m guessing that it’s not. I don’t think I’ve ever been the leader of a group or organization in which I felt I had what it took to succeed. When faced with something new, I immediately feel this comparison game start to creep in and how others could do it much better than I could.
Do you compare yourself too? It can be someone we work with or a peer in the industry. We look at them and we immediately think that they have it all figured out and we don’t. The reality is that the fear of inadequacy is a no-win proposition. There will always be people doing it better … and there will always be people that appear to be doing it better. The fear of inadequacy diminishes the gifts and skills you have and hides them away until they die and are no longer useful to you.

Fear of success

I’ve seen this one over and over. I have seen people at the point of graduating from college who fail a class just so they don’t have to leave the comfort of what they’ve come to know for the last few years. And, that’s how this fear manifests itself most often—comfort.
Do you find that you’re too comfortable? When it’s time for change or a new direction, do you resist it in lieu of staying where everything is familiar? If so, this may be a fear for you. Success brings with it new expectations, new problems and new ambiguity. And, that’s not always appealing to everyone. When you’ve experienced success, you may find that you’re asking whether it was worth it. Your event grew by 50 percent this year, so next year you need to make it grow another 50 percent, which will take more people, energy, budget, etc. Fear of success keeps you where it’s comfortable and prevents you from taking the organization forward.
You know, those fears in my leadership have caused me to make poor decisions, no decisions and late decisions. When I am fearful, I make horrible decisions—because fear blinds me rather than opening my eyes to all of the possibilities. When I am fearful, I make no decisions—because fear causes me to wait rather than act. And, when I am fearful I make decisions that are far too late to be effective—because fear causes me to hesitate rather than take a step forward.
So, which of these fears do you immediately connect with? We all have them. And I’ve found that talking about them and saying them out loud will actually help us overcome them more easily. I believe there’s more for you … and I don’t want fear to be the thing holding

Vulnerability: A Forgotten Virtue of Great Leadership

Vulnerability: A Forgotten Virtue of Great Leadership

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“Here are some important reasons why vulnerability is a forgotten virtue of great leadership.”
You don’t know it all. There are limits to your knowledge, ability and energy. And while the competitive nature of our culture, which often sneaks into our lives in ministry, would have us hide all of our weaknesses in fear, there is tremendous power in becoming vulnerable with people.
Deciding to become vulnerable is risky. As church leaders, there will be people in our congregations who don’t want us to be human. They would prefer that we wear a halo and pretend that we’re never really tempted to sin in the same ways that they are. They feel safer if we, as spiritual leaders, are immune to the crass realities of life.
But when we hide our weaknesses, three big problems arise:
  • Our weaknesses get worse, feeding off of the shame and secrecy.
  • We become dishonest and hypocritical.
  • The truth inevitably comes out and people are disillusioned as a result.
So is bearing our vulnerability worth the risk? Absolutely. Here are some important reasons why vulnerability is a forgotten virtue of great leadership…

1. It’s emotionally healthy.

Maintaining an image of perfection requires enormous amounts of emotional energy. One of the reasons we sometimes get so stressed out and depressed is because we’re working so hard to stay behind the facade and keep everyone convinced that we’re strong.
If you are worried about your image, you are heading for burnout. Keeping people happy and impressing others is terribly exhausting, and it’s always temporary. Eventually, people get to know our weaknesses all at once.
Being real and vulnerable, on the other hand, is liberating. It’s freeing. In fact, it’s really the only way to live. James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (NLT). We need to confess our sins to God to be forgiven, but we also need to talk about our weaknesses with others to find healing.
In fact, some faults won’t budge until you confess them to others.

2. It’s spiritually empowering.

James also says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 NLT). It is impossible to lead in ministry without the grace of God. And how do you find the grace you need? You find it by humbling yourself before God and others.
Remember, pride prevents power! 

3. It’s relationally attractive.

Everybody is wearing a mask, and it’s what we expect others to do as well. When we choose to throw our masks away, we surprise people with our authenticity. Being real is the fastest way to endear yourself to others.
We tend to love people who area real, honest, humble and vulnerable, and we tend to despise people who are deceitful, arrogant and hypocritical. Paul told the Thessalonian believers, “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News, but our own lives, too” (1 Thessalonians 2:8 NLT).
When you share your strengths, you create competition. But when you share your weaknesses, you create community. You let people know, we’re all in this together.
Pastors are often incredibly lonely people. Why? I believe it’s in large part because they’re so afraid of the cost of being vulnerable.

4. It’s a mark of leadership.

We only follow leaders we trust. The first requirement for effective leadership is credibility, and the more honest you are, the more credible you become.
Real leaders lead by example. They go first. If your desire is that the church, group or organization you’re leading be a place where people are open, you must be the first to open up.
You must decide whether you want to impress people (which you can do from a distance) or influence people (which you can only do up close).

5. It increases the impact of your preaching.

The concept of preaching from our vulnerability is something I’ve written about before because it’s a really big idea. In the previous generation of great preachers, we usually asked what’s the most powerful way to preach this? Now, we should be asking what’s the most personal way to preach this?
You will always be more effective as a personal witness and a storyteller than as a skilled orator. As you preach and lead, try to answer these questions…
  • What struggles and weaknesses should I share with others?
  • What progress am I making that others could learn from?
  • What am I currently learning, especially from my failures?
Remember this: The minister is the message.

6 Faith Qualities Every Leader should Embody

6 Faith Qualities Every Leader should Embody

Hebrews 11, one of the greatest chapters in all the Bible, lists several faith heroes from the past and includes details about their lives that evidence great faith. We often refer to this chapter as the ‘faith’ chapter. It offers leaders profound insight about faith that we must believe and embody to effectively lead. I suggest these 6 faith qualities every leader should embody.
Compass with arrow pointing to the word faith. 3D render image suitable for religion or self confidence concept

6 Faith Qualities Every Leader should Embody.

  1. Faith pleases God.
    • The write of Hebrews begins the chapter by reminding us that  God commended the ancients for their faith (v 2). He emphasizes that idea with, Without faith it is impossible to please God (v 6). If we want our leadership to please God, we must exercise true faith and trust in Him.
  1. Faith does not eliminate uncertainty or discomfort.
    • Verse 7 recounts God’s command to Noah to build an ark. Up to this point Noah had probably never seen rain. Yet, he exercised faith when he built a giant boat on dry land. Verse 8 tells us that God told Abraham to go to a place he had never visited before nor even seen. Yet, he obeyed in faith. Both of these biblical characters faced great uncertainty, yet showed great faith.
    • In fact, when we exercise faith (take a step into uncertainty) we actually may feel a bit fearful or anxious because our brains don’t like uncertainty. When we face uncertainty the fear centers of our brains cause specific hormones to enter our blood stream and certain neurotransmitters to increase in our brain which creates anxiety and even fear. So, a step of faith as a leader may initially cause us emotional discomfort. It’s normal. It’s a biological process we can’t avoid. Feeling such emotions doesn’t necessarily reflect lack of faith.
  1. Faith takes the long view.
    • When God told Abraham to go to a new land he, was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God (v 10). The secret of Abraham’s patience was his hope in the ultimate fulfillment of the promise of God. His ultimate Promised Land was heaven, just as ours is.
    • Even in verse 13 the writer of Hebrews tells us that these faith heroes,  were still living by faith when they died and that, They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance (v 13). Leadership requires that we take the long view of ministry, not rating our ministry success by the inevitable short-term setbacks.
  1. Faith confronts the impossible.
    • In verse 11 we read about God’s promise to Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son, although he was 99 and she was 90. Such a pregnancy at their age seemed humanly impossible. How did Abraham reconcile that? I love what Kent Hughes says.
    • “He weighed medical probabilities of them having a child at such an old age (humanly impossible) with the divine impossibility of God being able to break his word and decided that since God is God, this would not be impossible.”
    • He goes on to make this insightful point. “We are not to indulge in fideism—faith without reason—or rationalism—reason without faith. We are to rationally assess all of life. We are to live reasonably. When we are aware that God’s Word says thus-and-so, we are to rationally assess it, [believe God at his Word, and obey] my notation.”[1]
    • Sometimes ministry challenges seem impossible to hurdle. Faith gives us the courage, however, to confront those impossible challenges.
  1. Faith requires sacrifice.
    • In verses 17-19 God asks Abraham to do the incredible, to sacrifice his promised son. Abraham had never seen a resurrection but reasoned that God must be able to raise him from the dead. Unknown to Abraham, God had other plans all along (He had prepared another sacrifice). But his faith prompted him to act sacrificially. Healthy leaders recognize that leadership often requires great sacrifice.
  1. Faith enables perseverance.
    • In verses 32-35 Hebrews lists the incredible successes of several biblical heroes who exercised faith. By human standards the heroes in this list were true winners.
    • Fortunately the writer doesn’t end this chapter there. He pivots to a new list, a list of those who also exercised great faith but experienced horrible difficulties. Yet, These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised (v 39).
    • Sometimes we lead at our best yet see little or no progress, experience great heartache, and feel like giving up. During those times, perhaps the supreme mark of genuine faith is our courage in the face of such difficulties.
Every leader must lead with great faith. Those who have gone before us model what it means to lead with such faith.
What have you learned about faith and leadership?
Related posts:
[1] Hughes, R. K. (1993). Hebrews: an anchor for the soul (Vol. 2, p. 100). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

12 Powerful Questions Pastors should ask about Effective Leadership

12 Powerful Questions Pastors should ask about Effective Leadership

In the book First, Break all the Rules, by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, they list 12 core questions the Gallup organization discovered that when asked, give organizations the information they need to attract, focus on, and keep the most talented employees. I’ve included them here as a helpful set of questions about effective leadership pastors should ask themselves and ask about those who serve on their staff.
Speech bubble with the word questions on white background.

12 core questions about effective leadership

  1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
  2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
  3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
  4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
  5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
  6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
  7. At work, do my opinions count?
  8. Does the mission/purpose of my church make me feel my job is important?
  9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
  10. Do I have a best friend at work?
  11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
  12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?
Questions have a way of making us think deeply.
What questions would you add to this list?
Related posts:

22 Realities For Pastors Leading A Plateaued Or Declining Church


More than four out of five North American churches are plateaued or declining.  Many are led by pastors who truly love God, pray fervently, and reside in communities desperately needing salvation through the person of Jesus Christ.  Yet, growth and life change are taking place at unacceptable rates.
Recently, I began a relationship with the Willow Creek Association to promote the 2016 Global Leadership Summit (GLS) in August..  Each of us desperately want to see this trend reversed and are providing you the tools and resources needed to do so.
Shown above is a powerful teaching session from Willow Creek Community Church pastor Bill Hybels on leading a plateaued church.  Below are the key takeaways I gleaned from his session.  After watching the video and reading the lessons provided, there is a special FREE resource and invitation to this year’s Summit to help you improve as a pastor and church leader.
The following are 22 Realities For Pastors Leading A Plateaued Or Declining Church.  All quotes are from Bill.  Make sure you discuss these learnings at your next staff meeting.
  1. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Fight Feeling OK Or Normal – “It’s OK.  It’s not exciting.  It’s not going to break but it’s not setting records.  It feels normal.”
  2. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Develop A Sense Of Holy Frustration – “How does this make you feel as a leader? …Holy frustration.”
  3. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Look Inward First – “You get to the point where ‘Am I the only one who is tormented by the fact that we’re burning through all these resources and we’re holding all these services and we’re having all this volunteerism and we’re static?'”
  4. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Then Look At Others Second – “How come no one else is worried or frustrated about this?”
  5. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Revisit The Scriptures – “How does scriptural language (ex. Romans 8 – If God is for us…) match up with static reality?”
  6. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Personally Lead The Turnaround – “We have never come out of one of these (period of plateaued growth) until I got so unbelievably frustrated.”
  7. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Begin Investing In Their Leaders – “I took my key leaders somewhere.”
  8. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Take A Cold, Hard Look At The Facts – “I got all kinds of data.”
  9. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Are Blowing Through God’s Money – “Last year we blew through $35 million of God’s money, we held all these services, we paid all these salaries, and our attendance has not budged an inch.”
  10. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Are Not Seeing Significant Life Change – “We didn’t baptize more people this year than we did the year before.”
  11. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Should Be Mad – “I’m mad at this (plateau).  I’m not mad at you (staff).”
  12. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Shout “NO MORE!” – “I don’t think in church work you can break out of this (plateau) until somebody gets riled up and just goes, “No more!  There just has to be a better way!'”
  13. Pastoring A Plateaued Or Declining Church Is Not What God Imagined – “If after 12 months, if all this prayer and all this effort is leading to a consistent flatline, this isn’t what I think scripture imagines.”
  14. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Arouse Passion In Others – “You have to arouse passion here (during times of plateau).”
  15. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Create A Sense Of Urgency – “You have to create a sense of urgency here.”
  16. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Not Settle For Plateaued Growth – “People have to feel your unwillingness to settle in to this kind of nonsense.”
  17. God Wants Better For Plateaued Or Declining Churches – “God would want better for this church.  You and I, in our honest moments, would want more transformation than this.”
  18. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Develop A Plan For Growth – “There’s always a plan.  What’s it going to take?”
  19. Pastoring A Plateaued Or Declining Church Could Be Bad Stewardship – “I’m not going to spend a number of years presiding over a flat line.”
  20. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Must Have Candid Conversations – “It starts when someone has the candor to call it a flat line and exhibits some total holy frustration.”
  21. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches May Have The Wrong Staff – “If you’re happy with this you’re on the wrong staff because I’m not happy with this.”
  22. Pastors Of Plateaued Or Declining Churches Can Do Better – “And (I) think with God’s power we can do better.”
If you are looking for practical tools for initiating church growth, click HERE for a FREE copy of Bill Hybels’ 6 by 6 Strategy For Leadership.  This complimentary ebook will help you identify your 6 most strategic goals and adopt best practices for accomplishing your goals in the next 6 weeks.  No resource will help you be more effective!
I hope to see you at this year’s Summit.  You can see the conference faculty and register at WillowCreek.com/Summit.  Super early bird rates will expire May 24th.
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Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1869 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2015 Global Leadership Summit, That Church, REACT and Catalyst Conferences.  If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader.  Enjoy!!!

14 Benefits Desperate Leaders Experience

We all love comfort.  It is human nature.  We want Easter without Good Friday.  Our desire is to have a fall harvest without going through the summer drought.  We want the gain without the pain.  But leaders know this is not possible.
Leaders Will Always Fail If They Do Not Persevere.  In my book, The 10 Indispensable Practices Of A 2-Minute Leader, I outlined the journey a leader must go through to have success.
  • Practice 1 – Dreaming.  What has God put in your heart to do great for Him?
  • Practice 2 – Thinking.  How are you going to make the dream become reality?
  • Practice 3 – Relating.  Anything done great for God requires a team.  You have to begin connecting with people and building relationships.
  • Practice 4 – Enlisting.  Now it is time to begin building the team.
  • Practice 5 – Positioning.  The people are now on the bus.  It is time to get them in the right seats.
  • Practice 6 – Communicating.  Every leader sooner or later must stand up and say, “Here’s where we’re going.  Follow me!”
  • Practice 7 – Executing.  Now let’s execute the plan.
  • Practice 8 – Adjusting.  The military has a saying, “Every plan is perfect until the first bullet is fired.”  Nothing is perfect.  Adjustments must be made.
  • Practice 9 – Persevering.  A leader must survive the good times and the bad times.
  • Practice 10 – Celebration.  And if you survive the good times and bad times, then you get the celebrate your dream becoming reality.  And a leader who cannot celebrate is not a leader worth following.
If you have not picked up copies of 2-Minute Leader for you and your staff yet, special pricing can be found HERE.
The practice I want to to discuss right now is Persevering and its companion quality, desperation.  I recently spoke with one of America’s top Christian leaders on this subject.  As he spoke, I gleaned 14 Benefits Desperate Leaders Experience.  First is the lesson followed by his quote.
  1. Desperate Leaders Self-Evaluate And Are More Self-Aware – “I’m shocked at the extent at which comfort matters to me.”
  2. Desperate Leaders Learn To Trust God – “I think I trust God with my money but spend a lot of time figuring out my retirement.”
  3. Desperate Leaders Find Their Approval From God Alone – “I was surprised at how much man’s applause still matter to me.”
  4. Desperate Leaders Often Do Their Best Work – “I think I’ve done the best work in my work but the financials don’t show it.”
  5. Desperate Leaders Have Their Calling Reaffirmed – “I’m certain this is where God has called me.”
  6. Desperate Leaders Experience Personal Growth – “I need this for my personal growth.”
  7. Desperate Leaders Experience Holy Frustration – “One of the things that frustrates me is how easily I go from desperation to ‘(God) I got this.'”
  8. Desperate Leaders Will Live A Life Of Faith And Uncertainty – “I need to be desperate every day.  ‘(God) You mean for the rest of my life the outcome is going to be uncertain?'”
  9. Desperate Leaders Can Unexpectedly Experience A Sweet Season Of Life – “This is the sweetest season because I’m desperate for God.”
  10. Desperate Leaders Can Learn Humility – “It’s hard to be full of yourself when you’re desperate.”
  11. Desperate Leaders Often Have More Healthy Relationships – “I have never been closer to more folks that encourage me daily.”
  12. Desperate Leaders Need Desperation – “I find myself needing desperation.”
  13. Desperate Leaders Develop A New Definition Of Success – “We are succeeding because we’re doing what God’s called us to do.  Just not by historical definition.”
  14. Desperate Leaders Develop A New Perspective – “Are you really struggling because you’re not selling as many goods as you’d like to?”
Leaders, I have two questions for you.  Are you persevering?  Are you desperate?  If not, you will never be as successful as you could be.
tml_book_standing_250Once again, if you have purchased your 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader book and study guide yet, click HERE or on the image to the left.

Live Blog From ReThink Conference – 8 Leadership Quotes From Jon Acuff

For the next three days, I will be live blogging from the ReThink Leadership Conference in Atlanta, GA.  ReThink, open exclusively to senior pastors, campus pastors and executive pastors, is a unique gathering of church leaders who are committed to solving the biggest challenges facing your church and the Church.
Injoy Stewardship Solutions has dispatched me to attend this amazing event as a way to invest in your growth.  They also want to invest in your leadership by offering you our latest FREE ebook Breaking The Next Growth Barrier: 10 Things Pastors Can Do To Break Down Growth Barriers by clicking HERE for your complimentary copy.
The opening speaker was Jon Acuff.  Jon is the New York Times bestselling author of four books including his most recent, “Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters.” For 15 years, he’s helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story.  The following are 8 leadership quotes I captured during this opening session:
  1. “One of the frustrations of these conferences is what happens on the stage does not happen in the church.”
  2. “It’s exciting to be a senior leader because there are so many opportunities. But there are also so many challenges.”
  3. “There’s no such thing as a local pastor anymore. There’s only global pastors. Because of the internet there are so many more challenges.”
  4. “When someone spends $45 on a pizza don’t give them a $.25 cent box…You’ve got some box counters in your organization.”
  5. “The things you say casually are not taken casually and become rules.”
  6. “The challenge with leadership is you’re the top gear. If you make a ½ degree turn the level below you makes a 1 degree turn.”
  7. “You lose the right to say something casually.”
  8. “I hate going to small events that denigrate the senior leader.”
What an incredible way to start the event.  Up next is Reggie Joiner.
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As previously mentioned, INJOY Stewardship Solutions would like to offer you the FREE resource Breaking The Next Growth Barrier: 10 Things Pastors Can Do To Break Down Growth Barriers.  Click HERE or on the image to the left for your complimentary copy.

Monday, April 25, 2016

2 Things Growing Churches Do

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I have never met a pastor who said, “I like our church size just the way it is.  I do not want to reach anymore people.  This is it.  Stop the evangelism.  I like this.”  I have never heard that and neither have you.
Pastors and church leaders want their churches to grow.  But the question for four out of every five churches who is not growing is “How do you do it?”
Randy Ongie, President of MAG Bookkeeping, wants to help you.  He is writing a four-part series on the practices of growing churches do.  I want to bring you the first two characteristics of growing churches:
Growing Churches Are Relevant And Practical
Randy says, “The truth is that people don’t attend church as much anymore out of tradition or cultural pressure. People go because they want to get something out of their corporate worship time.
If the worship and teaching doesn’t help them deal with the realities of their lives, such as parenting, employment, marriage, finances, etc., they won’t attend regularly, if at all, and they certainly won’t invite others.”
He continues, “In order to cover those types of relevant topics, teaching should not be theoretical. It is important to teach biblical truth, but it must be done in the context of real life so people can apply these concepts to their lives quickly and easily. Teaching should not assume that people come with a deep understanding of biblical stories or people. Pastors should take the approach that if they preach to the unchurched person, they will catch everyone.”
Growing Churches Are Interested In The Next Generation
Randy points out, “The next generation of young people is a totally different animal than your traditional church member population. Churches that are growing have committed themselves to the interests of this group through facilities, communication, budget, vision and more.
Here are some of the best ways to do this:
  • Create enticing environments. Children’s spaces should be creative and inviting. Youth spaces should be designed with that age group in mind. These children’s groups don’t do as well in adult spaces, and youth don’t do as well in kids’ spaces. When visiting a church with a great next generation ministry, often there’s an attractive and inviting entrance to this space with good security and welcoming volunteers.
  • Actively recruit those welcoming volunteers. It’s important not only to recruit, but also to train, deploy and encourage them to be involved in next generation ministries. With these efforts, volunteers will work hard using their gifts and abilities. Larger groups that break into smaller groups are popular, and adults have the opportunity to engage kids in a safe, fun and relational manner.
  • Have an appropriate budget. Next generation ministries should be an item in the budget like any other ministry. They should be celebrated publicly and regularly. Next generation ministry should not ever be out of sight, out of mind.
  • Attract young families. Young families can create tremendous momentum at a church. This is a season of life when a family may be considering which church to attend for the first time. Many young adults feel a renewed sense of concern and interest in exploring spiritual things when they are faced with being responsible parents and making decisions for their children. When churches provide practical teaching and support for parenting and marriage, it enhances this even more.”
To learn more about Randy, follow him on Twitter by clicking HERE.  And if you are looking for bookkeeping assistance, contact MAG Bookkeeping and look into their virtual services.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of April 18th

Today I had the opportunity to be interviewed for an upcoming Step Into Leadership Podcast hosted by Dr. Jason Brooks and Pastor Brian Clarke.  I was blown away by how nice these two individuals were.  They were extremely committed to making me comfortable and successful during our time together.  Make sure you click HERE and subscribe to their podcast.  They do a great job and have wonderful guests.
One of many items we discussed is successful leaders are always shining the spotlight on others.  They are always giving away credit and saying, “Look at what God is doing over there.  Look at how God is using that church.  Look at what God is doing through that person’s leadership.”
In that context, I want everyone to check out a blogger I recently discovered, Davey Blackburn.  Davey recently experienced unspeakable tragedy but God is using him in a supernatural way.  His writings are simply amazing and touch my heart like no other writer!  Do not miss his post below.
The following are The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of April 18th:
  1. 5 Reasons Your Church Should Use Snapchat (Plus 5 Accounts To Follow!) by Rich Birch
  2. A New Season Of Contentment by Davey Blackburn – Great new blog I found.  Check it out.
  3. My Rules For Attending Meetings by Phil Cooke
  4. You Don’t Have To Be A Good Little Girl Anymore by Mary DeMuth
  5. 5 Ways To Lead When You’re Limping by Ron Edmondson
  6. 7 Questions For Evaluating Your Last Sermon by Brandon Kelley
  7. My Top 10 Public Speaking Peeves by Dr. Nick Morgan at PublicWords.com
  8. 7 Real Reasons Your Sermons, Writing Or Ideas Are Boring by Carey Nieuwhof
  9. Are We Pastors Or Platform Builders by Todd Pruitt
  10. 7 Indicators Of Church Health by Dan Reiland
Well, that is my Top 10 for the week.  What other great posts did you read?
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Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1869 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2015 Global Leadership Summit, That Church, REACT and Catalyst Conferences.  If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader.  Enjoy!!!

7 Practices Of Leaders Who Build Healthy Workplace Cultures

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There is nothing more important a leader can do than create a healthy workplace culture in their church, business, non-profit, team or organization.  Author Jon Gordon says, “It (culture) defines your expectations and beliefs.  Which define your behaviors.  Which then define your habits.  And then the habits create your future.”  Chip Kelly, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers adds, “Culture beats scheme every day.”  For more from Jon on this topic read this insightful post 30 Lessons On Creating A Healthy Workplace Culture.
I am currently reading Dayton Moore’s wonderful book More Than A Season.  Dayton is the general manager of the World Series champion Kansas City Royals.  The book chronicles his professional and spiritual journey as well as the 10-year process of creating a championship culture at Kansas City.
Dayton goes into great detail on the type of leaders he selected throughout the organization and why.  One hire which I found particularly interesting was J.J. Picollo as Director of Player Development.
The following are seven characteristics Moore saw in Picollo that made him the perfect candidate for the position.  These will provide you a template for the type of leader you should be looking for when creating a healthy workplace culture.
  1. Leaders Who Build Healthy Workplace Cultures Are Great Listeners  – They are naturally curious and ask great questions.
  2. Leaders Who Build Healthy Workplace Cultures Draws Others’ Opinions Out – They create environments where people feel safe and are free to give unfiltered feedback.
  3. Leaders Who Build Healthy Workplace Cultures Build Consensus To Make Decisions – They bring people together after a period of healthy debate.
  4. Leaders Who Build Healthy Workplace Cultures Have Positive Attitudes – Makes sense doesn’t it.  Who wants to follow a bitter, depressed and/or angry leader?  Healthy leaders are always hopeful and point to a brighter tomorrow.
  5. Leaders Who Build Healthy Workplace Cultures Understand What Their Teams Are Thinking And Feeling – Picollo was previously a scout and has walked many miles in their shoes.  This allows him to put himself in the place of those on his staff.
  6. Leaders Who Build Healthy Workplace Cultures Have Warm And Inviting Personalities – When your name appears on a person’s cell phone, what do you think they are feeling?  People are always happy when healthy leaders make a call or enter a room.  Solutions have arrived.
  7. Leaders Who Build Healthy Workplace Cultures Build Long Lasting Relationships – Picollo has known Moore for over 20 years.
Does this list describe you?  If not, make sure you pick up a copy of Dayton’s book by clicking HERE and start working on becoming a leader who builds a healthy workplace culture.
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Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1869 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2015 Global Leadership Summit, That Church, REACT and Catalyst Conferences.  If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader.  Enjoy!!!

Who And What Is Leadership About?

King Solomon famously wrote, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)  What he was saying is first comes pride, then comes destruction.  First comes a haughty spirit, then the fall.
As a leader, it is not about you and what you want.  It is about what your people and what they need.  As a public speaker, it is not about you and your message.  It is about your audience and connecting with them.  As a parent, it is not about your rules and their short-term obedience.  It is about developing a long-term relationship with your children so they will want to come to your house as adults..
Successful leaders know it is not their way or the highway.  It is about us taking the journey together.  This is the essence of servant leadership.
I was reminded of these truths when I reviewed this site’s The Top 10 Most Read Leadership Posts of March 2016 as determined by you the readers.  As a writer, I want to connect with people on a deep, intellectual level.  I want to explore the nuances of leadership and the intricacies of success.  I want to study and discuss the spiritual gift of leadership.  This is what I want.
But you the readers tell me you like leadership lessons from movies and the Top 10 list I post every Friday.  These type of articles made up 5 of the top 6 most read posts last month as you will see below.  You like easily digestible content and assistance in cutting through the rubble of leadership content on the web.
This site is about you and what you want in the area of leadership.  It is not about me and what I want.  You determine the content.  So I will continue to bring this type of information to you.  It is an honor to invest in you and your leadership.
The following are The Top 10 Most Read Leadership Posts Of March 2016 as determined by you the readers:
  1. 24 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice
  2. The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of March 14th
  3. The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of March 7th
  4. The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of February 29th
  5. 5 Words A Leader Never Wants To Hear
  6. The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of March 21st
  7. 8 Practices Of Highly Successful Leaders
  8. 10 Things Which Separate The Very Best Leaders From Others
  9. 15 Things Leaders Must Have On The Inside To Be Successful
  10. 11 Practices Of Leaders Who Unnecessarily Fall
The following are 5 Hidden Gems which did not make the Top 10 but were personal favorites.  I hope you enjoy them the 2nd time around.
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Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1869 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2015 Global Leadership Summit, That Church, REACT and Catalyst Conferences.  If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader.  Enjoy!!


An Open Letter To Pastors. You Are Loved And Respected.

I write this post with tears literally in my eyes.  Charles Spurgeon once said, “Whenever God means to make a man great, He always breaks him in pieces first.”
As a member of INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I get to have personal one-on-one conversations with over 1,000 pastors each year.  I have nothing but the utmost respect for those who stand in our pulpits each and every Sunday.  There are several things I want to say to pastors as someone who sits in your church each week.
  • I respect your competence.  You are smart and the world’s best communicators.  You have a supernatural ability to take a passage of Biblical text and pull out the truths that bring us comfort and guide us towards right living.
  • I respect your patience and kindness.  You love us unconditionally in spite of our bad advise on how you should preach or lead the church.
  • I respect your bravery.  You do not shy away from tough passages which are not well-received in a politically-correct culture.
  • I respect your diligence.  There are countless hard choices you are forced to constantly make.
  • I respect your preparation.  Every seven days you give us a fresh word from God.
  • I respect your family.  You live in a fishbowl and have to appear perfect.
  • I respect your generosity.  You love people so much you are willing to earn far below the level of your education so we can know God.
  • I respect your compassion.  Your knees are callused as a result of constantly praying for us.
  • I respect your commitment to Jesus and His mission.  Because you love Him so much you answered the call to go into an incredibly unstable profession.
  • I respect your vision.  You see those in your church as what they could be, not just what they currently are.
  • I respect you for being by my side.  Every significant moment of my life – salvation, baptism, wedding, hospitals, baby dedications, funerals.  You were there.
  • And I respect what no one sees.  I respect the fact you were broken to pieces by God.  Personal Heartbreak.  Sadness.  Doubt.  Disappointment.  Devastation.  Hurt Feelings.  Sleepless Nights. Unspeakable Pain.  You don’t talk about this part of your journey much.  But one of the main reasons God uses you so effectively is you have been broken to pieces for His glory and our benefit and did not quit.  You will finish this race.
And for this I say “Thank You.”  And I and countless others will thank you everyday for eternity because you were willing to pay a personal price others did not.  And because you paid that price, I and others I love met Jesus.
You may not think anyone notices the price you paid.  But this is not true.  You are loved and respected.  And I just want to say one more time to you and your spouse, “Thank You.”
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Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1869 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2015 Global Leadership Summit, That Church, REACT and Catalyst Conferences.  If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader.  Enjoy!!!

22 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From God’s Not Dead 2


The 2nd most popular post in this site’s history is the March 22, 2014 article 18 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From God’s Not Dead The Movie.  This is one of the many reasons why I was so excited to see the new film God’s Not Dead 2.  And I was not disappointed!!!  See this movie as soon as you can!!!
In a story which is shockingly not played out in real life more often, Grace Wesley, a high school A.P. teacher played by Melissa Joan Hart, answers a question during class about Jesus and enters into a firestorm which threatens everything she has and goes all the way to the court system.
This movie makes us answer the question as Christians, are we willing to silence our proclamation of the name “Jesus” when faced with escalating pressure or even persecution?
The following are 22 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From God’s Not Dead 2:
  1. Jesus Is The Anchor In The Midst Of Life’s Storms – Is Jesus a crutch?  Absolutely, because we are all wounded.  Student Brooke Thawley, played by Hayley Orrantia, asks Grace, “You never let anything get to you.  How do you do that?”  To which she answers, “Jesus.”
  2. Prayer Is Powerful – During a concert clip, Newsboys lead singer Michael Tait tells the audience, “Prayer is a powerful thing.”
  3. Denying Jesus Only Denies You Of Hope – Grace’s grandfather Walter, played by Pat Boone, says, “Atheism doesn’t take away the pain.  It takes away the hope.”
  4. Believing In Jesus Is The Most Basic Human Right Of All – Walter also says, “The most basic human right of all is the right to believe.”
  5. Prayer Should Be Our Natural Default Behavior – Walter concludes, “Prayer is the last thing we do when it should be the first.”
  6. Christians Are Facing Escalating Opposition – So do not be fooled.  Grace observes, “What makes non-violence so radical is its unwavering commitment to a non-violent approach in the face of an escalating force.”
  7. God Often Uses Ungodly People For His Purposes – God used a non-believing lawyer, Tom Endler played by Jesse Metcalfe, to represent Grace.
  8. We Are Reaching A Point Where All Christians Are Going To Have To Make A Stand. – Grace said, “I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God.”
  9. Following Jesus Is Not For The Faint Of Heart – Grace said, “I am not going to be afraid to say the name ‘Jesus.'”
  10. Christians Cannot Take The Path Of Least Resistance – Grace could have settled out of court by simply apologizing and never talk about Jesus again.  She chose otherwise.
  11. During Times Of Crisis People Turn To God – Reporter Amy Ryan, played by Trisha LaFache, said, “When I was battling for my life I was willing to hold on to anything, including God.”  This was a continuation of her fight against cancer from the first movie.
  12. We Sanitize Our Sin – The atheists parents in the movie described themselves as “free thinkers” and “rationalists”.
  13. Do Not Be Fooled American Christian.  Persecution Is Coming To Your Doorstep – Rev. Dave, played by David A.R. White, said, “If we sit by and do not nothing, the pressure we’re feeling today will be persecution tomorrow.”
  14. The Gospel Always Faces Opposition – Rev. Dave said, “The message of the Gospel stands in the way of what a lot of powerful people want.”
  15. Do Not Be Afraid To Talk About Jesus.  Be Afraid Not To. – Grace said, “I’m not afraid to tell the truth.  I’m only afraid of not be allowed to tell it.”
  16. Following Jesus Has A Cost – Two main characters in the movie faced significant pressure from their families for following Jesus.  One, in fact, was disowned.
  17. God Is Never Inactive – Grace was concerned about the perceived silence by God during her literal and figurative trial.  Walter reminded his teacher granddaughter, “The teacher is always quiet during the test.”
  18. God Is In Control.  Nothing Catches Him Off Guard – Heading towards the jury’s decision, Brooke said, “God’s got this.”
  19. God Speaks Directly To Us – He can speak to us directly.  He often speaks through impressions and others.  He always speaks to us through His Word, the Bible.  Grace said, “God asked me, ‘Who do you say I am?’  I said, ‘The Christ.  The Son of the Living God.”‘
  20. To Risk For Jesus Is An Honor – Tait said during a concert prayer, “To risk anything for Jesus is an honor with an eternal reward.”
  21. People Who Risk Everything For Jesus Are An Inspiration – Metcalfe told Grace after her acquittal, “They were hoping to make an example out of you.  Instead, you became an inspiration.” Quick question, would you be described as an inspiration?
  22. “God is good all the time and all the time God is good.” 
Once again, this is a great movie!  Go see it this weekend and take a friend with you.
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Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1869 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2015 Global Leadership Summit, That Church, REACT and Catalyst Conferences.  If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader.  Enjoy!!!

150 Leadership Quotes From Bill Hybels From The 2013-2015 Leadership Summits

Two weeks ago, I proudly announced a relationship between this site and the Willow Creek Association to promote the 2016 Global Leadership Summit (GLS) in August.  This is an event and organization I am thrilled to be associated with because of the impact it has been having in my life since the early 1990’s.
Because of the WCA’s kindness and desire to invest in you as leaders, they are offering a series of FREE resources for this tribe of leaders.  The reason is simple – everyone wins when a leader gets better.
Click HERE for a FREE copy of Bill Hybels’ 6 by 6 Strategy For Leadership.  This complimentary ebook will help you identify your 6 most strategic goals and adopt best practices for accomplishing your goals in the next 6 weeks.  No resource will help you be more effective!
I hope to see you at this year’s Summit.  You can see the conference faculty and register at WillowCreek.com/Summit.  Super early bird rates will expire May 24th.
To help whet your appetite, below are 150 of the Best Leadership Quotes From Bill Hybels from the 2013-2015 Global Leadership Summits.  Enjoy and once again, click HERE to download your free resource.
2013 Global Leadership Summit
  1. Everybody wins when a leader gets better.
  2. We are incurable learners.
  3. Leadership requires a non-stop demand of fortitude from Day 1 to the end.
  4. Leadership is not for the faint of heart.
  5. Courage, old fashioned fortitude and bravery, relates to every component of leadership.
  6. Vision is a picture of the future that creates passion in people.
  7. God made you a leader to move people from here to there; to make people discontent with the way things are.
  8. Be strong and courageous.  He will always be with you.  He will never leave you or forsake you.
  9. There is dignity in choice instead of just being given a bag (for people needing food).
  10. Why any senior pastor would keep fired up women from full service in the church is just beyond me.
  11. Every significant vision God births in you is going to put your courage to the test…A certain percentage of people are going to resist going.
  12. Every vision tests the mettle of the leader.  So leaders often abort the vision secretly.
  13. Should we lay the blame (for the violence and tragedy in this world) at the feet of gutless, cowardly leaders?
  14. I’ve got to live with myself.  And I got to stand before God someday…I have to step out in faith even though I’m vibrating with fear…It’s why God made us leaders.
  15. Don’t go to your grave with cool vision shriveling up and dying inside of you.  Don’t be that leader.  Don’t be a coward.
  16. Our new Care Center was her family’s only hope.  And I thought of how close I came to killing that vision…What a tragedy that would have been.
  17. Visions are holy commodities…Treat them with the utmost respect.
  18. The leader’s job is to define reality.
  19. All leaders are leading in situations where things are going down, status quo, or an upturn.  And each requires a different leadership style.
  20. In a downturn a leader has to declare an emergency.
  21. Seasoned leaders have to come up with some way of signaling to everyone in the organization they are in a code red.
  22. In a status quo, the leader has to set a fire.  Status quo is not acceptable and extremely dangerous for an organization.  Status quo is precursor to something bad.
  23. In upturns, leaders need to pour gasoline on fires.
  24. If you lead long enough, you’re going to experience all three of these circumstances.  If internal circumstances don’t cause it, external circumstances will.
  25. Your whole team knows what reality your organization is in.  They already know.  They are waiting for you to develop the courage to admit it to yourself.
  26. Nothing I have done in the last six years at Willow has required more courage than moving Willow to a healthier place.
  27. People join organizations.  They leave managers.
  28. We had to change out some managers because they were blocked learners.
  29. We are every bit as concerned about building staff culture as we are building the church.
  30. Whose job is it to drive the improvements we want in our organization?  Staff cultures will only be as healthy as the CEO or Senor Pastor wants it to be.  Delegating it to anyone else is the kiss of death.
  31. Enormous courage is going to be required to make significant changes in your organization’s health.  It starts with apologies.
  32. I had to tell new staff and 20-30 year staff to accept the new culture or leave.
  33. There are only two people at Willow – Culture Builders or Culture Busters.
  34. We are no longer going to pay people to bruise and bust our culture.
  35. It’s hard to row a boat to the other side of the lake when 3 are rowing, 5 are napping and the other 2 are doing their best to sink the boat.  Contrast that with a boat where 10 are rowing.  Who’s going to win that race every time?
  36. Social media makes a lot of things easier.
  37. The more I utilize social media the hungrier I get for face-to-face interaction.
  38. The more I utilize social media the hungrier I get for true community.  Social media provides the illusion of community.
  39. It’s insane that a broken-hearted person can sit in a church service and not a single person could reach out to them.
  40. If it’s the last thing I do I’m going to find a way to show compassion to everyone in our service who is looking for it.
  41. There is a time to cast vision and there is a time to establish a value in a church.
  42. We are no longer going to be a church where broken people are going to leave a Willow service unloved, unnoticed, and uncared for.
  43. The better prayer is “God do something in me…we’re going to do something important to move vision to a value.”
  44. If you lead an organization long enough you’re going to have to totally reinvent the organization and reinvent yourself more than once.
  45. If you have any desire to finish strong you have to have the courage to start the succession conversations.
  46. Some of the most rewarding experiences in a leader’s marathon are reserved for late in the race.  The Care Center came in Year 38 of my race.
  47. “Why are you starting this church?” asked his lawyer at age 22.  Bill answered, “To change people’s lives.”  He said, “People don’t change.”  Bill replied, “I’m betting my whole life you’re wrong.”
  48. I’m still such a sucker for a changed life.  There is nothing to touches me more deeply than watching God change a human life.  All I want in this life is to watch God change human lives and destinies.
  49. Do not bail on your mission.  Do not quit on God.  Endure.  Finish strong.
  50. If there is ever a time crying out for courageous leadership, it’s now.
2014 Global Leadership Summit
  1. There is a grander vision somewhere on planet Earth with your name on it.
  2. I bet a lot of you still wander around asking the question, “Is this all there is?”
  3. The satisfaction you’re looking for is never going to come from self-gratification.
  4. Find God’s bidding for your life and serve people indiscriminately.
  5. God loves you.  He didn’t mean for your life to feel bankrupt.
  6. God make you on purpose for a purpose.  There’s not an accidental human being.
  7. Pastors, you have to bring the Kingdom of God outside the walls of your church and into your community and the world.
  8. World peace rises and falls on leadership.
  9. Building prevailing churches, enduring businesses and governments rises and falls on leadership.
  10. One of the supreme values of the Leadership Summit is humility.
  11. Armed with enough humility, pastors can learn from business leaders. Business leaders can learn from pastors.
  12. Every decision you make as a leader has a direct impact on the emotion, psyche and spirit of those you lead.
  13. Leaders are visionaries. We can’t help ourselves….We paint pictures that produce passion in other people.
  14. Often, leaders with the highest level of passion for the vision have the lowest level of awareness of the spirit the team he/she has assembled to achieve that vision.
  15. A grunt is someone who works long hours, is not appreciated, and expendable.
  16. What God treasures most in this world is people.
  17. Don’t make your people pay because you’re so fired up about the vision.
  18. Had I simply delegated culture to the HR Department, it would have been doomed from the start.
  19. Your culture will only ever be as healthy as the senior leader wants it to be. Senior pastors, CEOs, there is no place to hide.
  20. You will never meet your culture’s full vitality potential, until those who lead people get better.
  21. Every single worker secretly wants to know at the end of the day how they are doing.
  22. “The kindest form of management is the truth.” – Jack Welch
  23. 3M. Start the meeting by clarifying what you’re trying to Move ahead. If it’s not moving, Modify the plan. Motivate the people before the meeting ends.
  24. I try to motivate people so they levitate out of my office.
  25. What if we look at conflict as a way to strengthen a relationship?
  26. In the average Christian organization, only 54% of the employees are truly engaged in their work. In the U.S. corporate world only 30% of the employees are engaged in their work. Internationally, it’s half that.
  27. Everyday when I drive on this campus, my heart rate increases.
  28. Great leadership is by definition relentlessly developmental.
  29. A short-term task force allows you to test a young emerging leader.
  30. Resourcefulness is the most important weapons in a leader’s arsenal. We lead in chaotic environments and there is not a roadmap at their level.
  31. Before you put any emerging leader in a senior role you must ascertain what they are going to do when they don’t know what to do.
  32. In today’s complex world, no senior leader can know enough to handle what will be thrown at them.
  33. When is the last time you have taken the time to assign an emerging leader a Pass/Fail task?
  34. Hirelings don’t give a rip about your sheep. They have no intentions of staying long-term…He will risk nothing for the sake of your sheep.
  35. Owners actually care about the sheep and have a long-term view…They will lay down their life for the sheep.
  36. Find and develop leaders with a legacy mindset.
  37. The average tenure for a Fortune 500 CEO is 4.5 years.
  38. Prevailing churches cannot be built on the shoulders of hirelings with short-term mindsets. They just don’t care enough. They won’t be around long enough to build something lasting.
  39. Legacy leaders are the only ones willing to pay the price to change culture because they’re going to live in it.
  40. Legacy leaders are working for the grander vision.
  41. Legacy leaders are the ones who leave something beautiful behind when their hourglass is empty.
  42. Right now several hundred are watching this from our newest satellite location – the Louisiana State Prison.
  43. I’ve never seen a single leader drift into being a legacy leader.
  44. Please don’t go to your grave without tasting a life that is truly life.
  45. Have you given any real thought to what your legacy will be?
  46. Legacy making does come with the price tag. The grander the vision, the greater the price tag.
  47. Don’t be surprised when grand visions get complicated or costly.
  48. It’s hard to hear God at Mach 2.
  49. You might be one prayer away from a rescue.
  50. 5 Ways To Develop Young Leaders
    1. High challenge roles
    2. Short term task force
    3. Real time feedback
    4. Coaching and mentoring
    5. Classroom teaching
    5 Ways To Use A Short-Term Task Force
    1. Success of failure must be possible.
    2. The emerging leader must take full charge.
    3. Must work with a wide variety of people.
    4. Must involve real pressures and deadlines.
    5. Must be evaluated by a senior leader.
2015 Global Leadership Summit
  1. We define leadership as moving people from here to there.
  2. Leadership is not about presiding over something, protecting a position or pontificating about how smart you are.
  3. Leadership is all about movement.
  4. 10% of you are thinking about quitting whatever you are leading right now.
  5. Leaders at the highest levels of effectiveness have more subtle, advanced leadership traits than their peers.
  6. One of the greatest predictors of success is grit.
  7. Grit is the passion and perseverance over the long haul.
  8. Gritty people play hurt.  Gritty people don’t quit, ever.  Gritty people believe they can overcome whatever obstacle stands in their way.
  9. Those will ample amounts of it will achieve more than those without it regardless of intellect.
  10. The archenemy of grit is ease.
  11. Grit development demands difficulty.
  12. Grit grows every time you prove to yourself you can overcome an obstacle.
  13. You must assign yourself very difficult tasks and will yourself to achieving them.
  14. Elite leaders have learned overcoming physical challenges is developing grit.
  15. Don’t just deliver the required result. Over-deliver and over-deliver every time.
  16. When senior leadership demonstrates grittiness…teammates and volunteers notice and develop an appetite for grit themselves.
  17. Gritty organizations are unstoppable.
  18. When you read about a huge mess in an organization, you can bet a lot of it is driven by low self-awareness.
  19. The definition of a blind spot is something someone thinks they do well but everyone knows is unture.
  20. Every leader has 3-to-4 blind spots.
  21. The danger with blind spots is you really have no idea they exist.
  22. Your direct supervisor has the best insight into your blind spots.
  23. Self-awareness is a very big deal. Knowing how your past is messing with the decisions you are making today is crucial information.
  24. Growing in self-awareness demands feedback from others. Honest feedback.
  25. Everybody will win when you grow in self-awareness.
  26. Resourceful people are quick learners. They are endlessly curious about how things work.
  27. Organizations that grow resourcefulness among their senior leadership teams grow 25% more than their competitors.
  28. The Wright brothers studied birds for years.
  29. Resourceful people figure it out.
  30. So much of your success in the coming years is dependent on your resourcefulness.
  31. The primary way to discover resourcefulness is to put yourself in positions that are confusing and being forced to figure it out.
  32. Self-sacrificing love is at the very core of leadership.
  33. Self-sacrificing love always has been and always will be at the very core of leadership.
  34. Love never leaves a heart the way it found it. Love changes people.
  35. Love melts people and molds people into tightly nit communities that feel more like families than work groups.
  36. We live in a day of celebrity leaders with narcissistic blood flowing through their veins.
  37. At the root of all of this is an absent of self-sacrificing love.
  38. Everyone takes their cues from the senior leader.
  39. Do workers feel personal concern coming from their managers?
  40. Love never fails. Love changes the order of things.
  41. Don’t hesitate a single moment in showing genuine concern and love to your teammates.
  42. The quality of your loving will set the tone for the whole organization.
  43. There’s The What. The How. The Why.
  44. Almost all leaders know The What. Everyone knows The How.  The huge disconnect is The Why.
  45. Leaders in tomorrow’s world will have to build the case for The Why in everyone’s job.
  46. What moves you and drives you as a leader to get better and better every year?
  47. If God’s perfect, you have a gap. God sees your gap.
  48. My white-hot Why is never going to be money. My white-hot Why is going to be changed lives.
  49. Leadership matters in every industry.
  50. It matters in life and it certainly matters in death.
Bonus: Bill gave 8 characteristics of Global Leadership Summit leaders.
  1. Leaders of Vision
  2. Leaders of Passion
  3. Leaders of Love
  4. Leaders Committed To Ongoing Growth
  5. Leaders Who Can Handle Complexity
  6. Leaders From Every Segment Of Society
  7. Leaders Who Embrace Diversity
  8. Leaders For The Long Haul
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