Leadership & Market Place Ministry: January 2015

Thursday, January 29, 2015

12 Practices Of Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People

“The best thing about ministry is the people. The worst thing about the ministry is the people.” – Unknown

Does your pastor truly love people? If you are a pastor reading this you are probably thinking, “Of course I do.” But I talk to dozens of people who would say otherwise. They would say that while their pastor is an incredibly gifted communicator or administrator, he simply does not love his people.
Last week, I had the privilege of joining two of America’s greatest pastors, Dr. Johnny Hunt of First Baptist Church Woodstock (Ga) and Mike Linch of NorthStar Church in Kennesaw, GA, to serve pastors and church leaders in a two-day event called Capital Campaign University. Mike delivered the opening devotion while Pastor Johnny was the first evening’s dinner speaker. Notes from their sessions can be found HERE and HERE.
What I took way from my time with both pastors was how much they genuinely love people. Loving people literally oozes from each man. Their genuine care and concern for others is absolutely contagious.
The following are 12 Practices Of Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People I gleaned from my time with these two amazing leaders:

Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Can’t Fake It – You cannot fake loving people. You either do or you don’t. And the reality is, your congregation knows if you love them or not.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Pray For People Early And Often – I arrived at the venue while it was still dark and there was Mike praying in his office. When you know your pastor is praying for you, a unique confidence and sense of security sets in.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Look For Opportunities To Serve People – NorthStar Church generously provided their facilities to serve these pastors and church leaders.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Teach God’s Word – Experienced leaders have heard countless inspirational messages. There is a time and place for these but the only thing which has lasting value is The Word of God. Mike gave an incredible message on overcoming the giants in your life.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Are Accessible – As Mike was delivering his devotional, he came off the platform to walk amongst the people and conduct a Q&A with them. This was not a theatrical moment for Mike. This was his personality coming through.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Give Their People Hope – The people in our churches are dying for hope and inspiration. I have never read an account of anyone in the Bible God called to an easy task. Life can be very, very hard. Mike was very intentional to provide hope for those facing a difficult assignments.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Can’t Wait To Talk To People – Day 1 concluded with a dinner featuring Pastor Johnny as the guest speaker. He arrived early and immediately began going to various tables to speak with the pastors and church leaders.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Are Generous – In addition to being generous with his time, Pastor Johnny provided each attendee with four complimentary resources including his three most recent books.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Are Humble – Arrogance and love cannot occupy the same space. Pastor Johnny is one of the most recognized and successful pastors in America. However, he spent his time encouraging those in attendance with stories from his humble beginnings.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Want To Bring Out The Best In Their People – Pastor Johnny’s message on generosity was both convicting and challenging. God used him to make us better leaders who could more effectively serve those in our churches.
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Do So Naturally – It is hard to find pastors who love people in their office. They want to be with the people. They cannot help it. During the Day 2 lunch, Mike returned and began speaking with those in attendance. This was completely unexpected and unplanned but since Mike loves people, what else would he be doing?
Highly Successful Pastors Who Love People Generously Share Their Knowledge – Mike’s conversations ranged from facility use, how to impact your community, and baseball recruiting. He connected deeply on a relational level. This was an added bonus and a special treat for these pastors and church leaders.

I am proud to call both Dr. Johnny Hunt and Mike Linch dear friends. They are two of the finest pastors and men I have ever met. They challenge me to be a better Christian and leader.
I gathered a lot of knowledge from them over two days as I always do. But what I learned most was about how to treat people. Pastor Johnny and Mike, it was truly a privilege to serve alongside you. I can’t wait to do it again!!!

5 Things Your Pastor Wishes He Could Tell You

Brian Dodd’s Recommendation For The Best Conference A Pastor Can Attend In 2015

I am about to make a strong statement but one I believe to be true. The best three days a senior pastor or executive pastor can spend for their own personal development is the Senior Leaders Track of the Orange Conference. Carey Nieuwhof, Pastor of Connexus Church located just north of Toronto, puts together the most relevant series of sessions, taught by some of the finest practitioners in the local church. Click HERE or on the image to the left to learn more.
To demonstrate the level of excellence you can expect to receive at Orange, below is a guest post by Carey entitled 5 Things Your Pastor Wishes He Could Tell You. The information is real, transparent and deals with the issues all senior Christian leaders deal with.
I will also be attending Orange and hope to see you there. Now onto Carey’s thoughts:
______________________________________________________
I don’t know why I wanted to write this today. But I did.
Other than a brief time in law, pastoring a church is what I’ve been involved in for my adult life.
I’ve probably had thousands of conversations with people (and so have you), but if you’re like me, there are some things you just never get around to saying out loud.
It’s not that you don’t want to…it’s just that you don’t.
Yet saying them could help you and maybe even help scores of great people who are working so hard at your church.
They might even make things…better.
Here are 5 things I think most pastors wish they could tell their congregations:
1. I’m trying to step off the pedestal people keep putting me on.
I’m not better than anyone else. Really. I have never believed I’m better than anyone else. And I promise you if we got to hang out more, it wouldn’t take long for you to see I don’t belong on a pedestal either.
I’m not in ministry because I’ve got this all figured out, or because it was an ambition of mine. I honestly feel I was called into it. Believe it or not, I tried to resist the call. But people kept affirming what I couldn’t stop sensing—that God was calling me to serve in the local church. So I obeyed.
It gives me a lot of comfort that the heroes in the scripture were flawed people. Peter barely got it right. Paul had his critics. Noah was a flawed leader. So was Moses. But reading their story gives me hope for my story. And—you know what—it gives me hope for your story and for the church.
God doesn’t use perfect people. His grace flows best through brokenpeople.
God belongs on the pedestal. So why don’t we keep him there and keep ourselves below it?
2. I also have doubts
I realize you might think my faith is rock solid. And in the end it actually is quite strong.
But I have days when I’m not sure my prayers make it past the ceiling. I have days when I read the scriptures and it seems like just another book. And I have days where I wonder where God is in the middle of this. Just like you.
But I’ll tell you why I can’t let my faith go or shake it. Because God’s faithfulness keeps overshadowing my doubts.
God has been consistently patient, kind, gracious and giving toward me. And he has been toward you too.
And the days where the prayers seem empty and the scriptures seem cold are inevitably followed by the days in which God’s presence is almost palpable and the scriptures read me.
So don’t let your doubts do you in. Persist through them. I have and I do, and all I keep finding is the faithfulness of Christ. You will too.
3. I don’t always know what to do
I don’t have all the answers. I don’t always know what to do.
I know you know that. But there’s something in all of us that wants our leaders to know what’s next.
I’ve become committed to telling you when I don’t know, and I hope you can accept that. You also need to know I’m doing my best to surround myself with incredibly wise people. Together, we are far smarter and wiser than any of us is alone.
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for a generation. No one understood why Jesus was so determined to go to the cross. And the birth of the early church in the first century probably made many peoples’ heads spin. But God was in all of it.
I’m sure as we pursue Christ as best we can, we’ll figure out where he is in the middle of all this.
4. I so appreciate it when you cut my family some slack.
It’s fine for you to put me under a microscope. I get that. I got called into this and I’m accountable.
But this church is a place where my family is growing up. It’s a place where my kids are asking their own questions and where my wife comes on her good days and bad days.
When you treat them as people who are on their own faith journey and hold them up to no greater standards than you do any other family, you give my family an incredible gift.
We are pursuing Christ together, and when you give us grace, you actually make that journey richer. (Thank you Connexus for doing this so, so well.)
5. I’m more grateful for you than you realize.
I realize how demanding life is and how busy you are.
I know you worked late on that project this past week….and still came to the event at the church.
I realize you haven’t had 8 hours sleep in about three years and your kids are driving you crazy…and you took time to seek God today.
I realize your family argued on the car ride to church and still walked through the door anyway (we do that too sometimes).
I realize the school trip cost more than you thought and you’d really like to get to Disney this year but you’re giving anyway.
I know that you serve in a number of organizations in the community but you still throw your weight behind this mission at the church we’re in together.
Thank you. Really.
The church is the most blessed organization in the world.
We have an eternal mission that will make far more sense when we stand before Christ than it does most days now. I think only then will we see how important what we’re doing now really is.
We rely on the good will and the hard work of dozens, hundreds or even thousands of people to be the church.
And I want you to know how incredible grateful I am for you. I am.
How About You?
If you’re a pastor, is there anything you would add?
If you attend a church, is there anything you would want to know or that you would add?
I’d love to hear. Leave a comment.
And once again…thank you. This is something amazing we’re all caught up in, isn’t it?

Sunday, January 25, 2015

27 Leadership Quotes And Lessons On Being A Godly Man From Johnny Hunt

Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference

After an extraordinarily difficult week my wife looked at me Tuesday morning and said, “You are going to Johnny Hunt’s Men’s Conference this weekend. You have given and given and given to others and now you need someone to pour into you. I am sending you to this conference.”
Through the life she lives my wife constantly affirms to me what the Bible means when it says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing And receives favor from the Lord. (Prov. 18:22)”
For those of you unfamiliar with Johnny Hunt, he is the iconic pastor of First Baptist Church Woodstock (Ga), the city in which I live. I have never met a pastor who loves those entrusted to him more Pastor Johnny. He is as kind, caring and as an endearing leader as I know. He is also a man of character, compassion, commitment and only Heaven will fully record the impact he has made in the lives of those who have come across his path.
I personally feel the primary reason we have such a wonderful community is, through God’s grace and power, he has been the primary spiritual leader and most influential resident of our city for almost three decades. Some other resident has the title Mayor of Woodstock but Johnny Hunt is our city’s leader. I am privileged to call Pastor Johnny a friend.
His love for people is why approximately 4,000 individuals attended his annual Men’s Conference. I desperately needed hope and encouragement and these last two days were a cup of cold water to me. Frankly, I did not know how much I needed it.
If you need to be encouraged or wish to grow as a Christian leader, Pastor Johnny is also hosting his annual Leadership Conference February 28th – March 1st. You can read more and sign up by clicking here. I can’t recommend it enough.
The following are 38 Leadership Lessons And Quotes about A Leader Who Is A Godly Man I captured from Pastor Johnny’s opening session:

“Every person can be a difference maker.”
“Strong temptation winds do blow in a man’s life.”
“The Christian life for a Man of God is described in the context of a fight.”
“When you know Jesus, the fight is fixed. Even if I get knocked down, I won’t get knocked out. The question is have I lost rounds.”
“Fight from your knees.”
“Our wives know us. They got our numbers.”
“Men are the untapped reservoir for the Kingdom of God.”
“Godly men can make ungodly choices.”
“You never outgrow pride, greed and lust.”
“If I’m going to be a Godly man I have to turn my back on things.”
“Why do men get in trouble? We don’t take God and His Word seriously.”
“Separation without positive growth is isolation.”
“I don’t want to be known for I oppose but for what I propose.”
“If you want to be a Godly man, you don’t have to look for sin. Sin is looking for you.”
“You can’t be a Godly man and disobey the Word of God.”
“All of life is lived in the presence of God.”
“If you want to be a Godly man nothing is more important than consistency.”
“My worship begins way before I come to church.”
“Sin is stronger than you are. Only The Spirit can put it to death.”
“I go to the Bible to nourish my soul.”
“You can go to a dry place in life and different roads will take you there.”
“50% of marriages in the church wouldn’t fail if we chased down perseverance.”
“When you say,’Something’s over’, you say, ‘I found something God can’t handle.'”
“Jesus didn’t save you to be a wimp. He gave you courage.”
“You don’t need a sermon to know what your sin is.”
“I want to affect and influence lives for God/”
“Only Jesus can make a Man of God.”

Here are additional thoughts from Pastor Johnny on being a Man of God:
What The Man Of God Avoids:

Pride – Ego
Greed – Money, Covetousness, Idolatry
Lust – Sex

What A Man Of God Does:

Believes In God
Belongs To God
Lives A Godly Life

Once again, only Jesus can make a Man of God. So in closing I only have two questions – Are you a Man of God? Why or why not?

15 Practices Of Highly Encouraging Churches

If you read the Bible from cover to cover, you will discover God never called a leader to an easy task. As I mentioned yesterday, last week was a completely draining week for me as a leader. It was one of those weeks you ask the question, “Is this really worth it?”
I was so frustrated my wife was compelled to step in. She said, ““You are going to Johnny Hunt’s Men’s Conference this weekend. You have given and given and given to others and now you need someone to pour into you. I am sending you to this conference.”
My wife had great insight because after the Friday evening and Saturday morning sessions at First Baptist Church Woodstock (Ga), I was ready to re-engage in the leadership challenge. Everyone at FBCW poured into my life and replenished me.
I want to take a moment and share with you what made my time so replenishing. The following are 15 Practices Of Highly Encouraging Churches:

Highly Encouraging Churches Have People Who Want To Pour Into Your Life – I arrived at the conference along with 4,000 other men. There were hundreds of volunteers stationed literally every few yards to serve me anyway they could. This is HUGE!!! I went to the conference to have someone pour into me and several people did BEFORE I ever entered the building.
Highly Encouraging Churches Have Encouraging People – Encouraging is an identity, not a practice. This would appear to be obvious but churches must place their happiest people in high visibility positions to be encouraging.
Highly Encouraging Churches Meet Your Physical Needs – I have attended dozens of conferences. As much as I love Chick-Fil-A box lunches and the Willow Creek food court, the steak dinner provided on Friday evening was the finest meal I have ever had at a conference.
Highly Encouraging Churches Do Ministry With Excellence – Excellence tells attenders you are important and matter to them and God. Excellence tells people you were on their mind when you put the event together.
Highly Encouraging Churches Promote Others – People who need encouraging should begin by focusing on others. Before he did anything else, Pastor Johnny opened the conference by spotlighting multiple ministries which helped make the event possible.
Highly Encouraging Churches Touch Poverty – Haiti is the world’s most poverty stricken country and was frequently discussed. When you need encouraging remind yourself of those who are far, far worse off than you.
Highly Encouraging Churches Have Accessible Leadership – God has given leaders an innate ability to lift up those who need encouraging. Many conference leaders are not accessible to the general public forfeiting this privilege. Pastors Johnny signed hundreds of books and took hundreds of pictures during breaks.
Highly Encouraging Churches Are Growing In Influence – Pastor Johnny has a ministry to pastors and their wives called Timothy Barnabas. This conference/retreat experience had their greatest attendance in 2013. Pastors, if your wife needs encouraging you should click here for more information. I have been to this event several times and nothing ministers to pastors’ wives more.
Highly Encouraging Churches Are Secure – One of the breakout sessions I attended was led by someone who attends a local church with a completely different ministry paradigm. Secure churches understand if you have the same theological stance, partnerships will allow more encouragement to take place.
Highly Encouraging Churches Serve Women – FBC Woodstock has a strong ministry to single moms and widows. This once again was putting the focus on someone other than yourself.
Highly Encouraging Churches Give 2nd Chances – In combat it is hard for the wounded to help the wounded. Encouraging churches remind you failure is not final. Encouraging churches remind you of the responsibility and consequences of your actions but also give you the confidence and courage needed to move forward and be a difference maker in the lives of others.
Highly Encouraging Churches Are Vulnerable – As Christian leaders we are on a common journey. When leaders discuss life’s challenges, it encourages others because you are reminded you are not alone.
Highly Encouraging Churches Are Not Perfect – Pastor Johnny shared story after story of failures and mistakes he has made. I want to thank him for this. His personal story inspires, lifts up, and gives others the strength to move forward and become the leader God has called them to be.
Highly Encouraging Churches Are Addicted To Changed Lives – Stories of life change are encouraging because if God can do what He did in someone else’s life, He can do it in yours.
Highly Encouraging Churches Point People To Jesus – Dozens of men accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior during the conference. At the end of the day, leadership is not about us but about the story God wants to tell about the love of His Son through human life at this point and time in human history.

If your church practices these 15 items, you are encouraging hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. Keep up the great work! You are desperately needed.

19 Leadership Quotes Every Young Leader Should Read

All leaders should have a teachable spirit. It is the only way we can grow. Young leaders, in particular, must learn to balance their unbridled idealism and passion with humility to reach their full potential. I can speak from experience on this.
Young leaders can demonstrate this humility by learning from those more seasoned. One of the best leaders I could recommend is Dr. Crawford Loritts, the senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church.
I searched my files and came up with some of best insights from this wonderful Christian leader. The following are 19 Leadership Quotes Every Young Leader Should Read. More seasoned leaders should check them out as well.

There is a direct link between belief and behavior.
God expects movement and growth.
We need to arrive at the maturity of a matriarch.
It is important not to confuse exposure with experience.
There is no relationship between being smart and being wise.
Don’t discount people because “they’re not as bright as you are”.
A fool is a person who is old and should know better but does otherwise.
Fathers need to model humility during teachable experiences.
Don’t get blindsided by your opinions and preferences.
Critiquing something is not providing wisdom.
With time comes entrenchment. Be careful what trench you’re in. It builds walls.
Passion and energy are not a substitute for substance and endurance.
Vision and passion need to be rooted in biblical truth.
Passion doesn’t need to become a belief system.
Just because you quote it doesn’t mean you know it.
Children need to balance innocence with discernment.
Promise without action is a wasted life.
Passion without direction is wasted opportunity.
Perspective without engagement of different generations is wasted wisdom.

7 Practices Of Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent

The continual acquisition of talented young people is necessary for any church, business, non-profit or sports team to have sustainable success. As a result, recruiting is the lifeblood of success. The question is are they willing to do what is necessary to obtain top recruits?
Today in National Signing Day for college football. For football fans in the South, it is practically a national holiday. For those of you not in the South, it is the day the top high school players make official where they will play college football.
Today I listened ESPN’s Paul Finebaum discuss the impact of Signing Day with radio host Colin Cowherd. What was interesting were his thoughts on Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban who Finebaum calls the finest recruiter in history.
In putting together the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class once again, Saban secured commitments from 5 of the 15 five-star players in the country. In contrast, the entire Big Ten conference only got 2. The following are 7 Practices Of Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent:

Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent Are Likable – People have to be able to help you. Just as important, they must WANT to help you. Finebaum describes Saban as “folksy, calm.”
Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent Connect With A Wide Range Of People – Finebaum said, “He can talk different languages.” I still remember the scene from The Blind Side when Saban was discussing drapes and decorating while recruiting Michael Oher.
Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent Do Not Make Excuses – Organizations who do not secure or retain top talent make excuses. Despite his politically polarizing personality, Saban once brought in Jesse Jackson to speak to the team. Finebaum pointed out, “It worked.” This leads me to my next point.
Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent Do What Works – Finebaum reminds us, “He will do anything that works.”
Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent Are Fearless – Having people outside the program questions his methods does not phase Saban. Finebaum says, “He doesn’t care.”
Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent Are Creative – Leaders who secure top talent do not say, “This is how we do things and if they want to be part of this, great. If not, we will get someone else.” Guess what – you will be getting someone else, most likely someone else with less talent. Hard-line organizational structure can produce rigidity and limit creativity. Securing top talent requires guidelines, not rules. Saban “makes it up as he goes along.”
Leaders Who Recruit Top Talent Break All The Rules – If you do what everyone else does, you will get the same results as everyone else. Saban “breaks all the rules.”

Are you likable, connecting with a wide range of people, not making excuses, doing what works, fearless, creative and a rule breaker? If so, you are probably also recruiting top talent.

3 Phases of a Paul and Timothy Relationship

By Rick Warren

Every leader needs mentors and models – typically other leaders just ahead of where we are in our growth and our journey. And every leader also needs to be mentoring and modeling those just behind us. This is the only way for discipleship to take on the multi-generational nature described by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:2, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (NLT)
In order to both mentor and be mentored effectively, it’s important to see how the relationship between Paul and Timothy developed over time. It unfolded in three phases.

Phase One: Parenthood

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he addresses him as “my true son in the faith.” (1 Timothy 1:2) We first meet Timothy in Acts 16 when Paul is heading out on his second missionary journey. He stops in Lystra to pick up the young disciple who accompanies him, assists him, and serves as a sort of apprentice under him. Timothy’s biological father was Greek, but no evidence is ever given that he was a Christian. So Paul filled the shoes of a spiritual father to Timothy.
My heart hurts as I look around at the number of young Pastors and leaders who are enthusiastically serving with big dreams but who lack spiritual fathers in the generation ahead of them. The past is always part of our future. I recommend that at least 25% of a church leader’s reading be spent in pre-Reformation era writings and another 25% from the Reformation to the modern missionary age. Another 25% of our reading should be drawn from the generation just previous to ours and only the remaining 25% among contemporary authors.
We need a sense of parenthood as we mentor because it’s vital that we be grounded as we dream big dreams.

Phase Two: Pacesetting

The second phase of our ministry mentoring is pacesetting – being the example of what mature ministry looks like. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he points out that, “you know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance…” (2 Timothy 3:10-11 NLT) Paul sets the pace with his life and challenges Timothy to learn by keeping up and emulating his lifestyle.
You’ve probably heard people say that Christianity is always one generation from extinction. I think that might be oversimplifying it, but the fact is that no generation is exempt from the call to fulfill the Great Commission or to serve God’s purposes as fully as possible. The next generation is always watching, so we get to set the pace.

Phase Three: Partnering

Over in the book of Romans, there is a somewhat obscure reference that Paul makes to Timothy in chapter 16, verse 21, “Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings.” Timothy has gone from being a son to a student and now to being a colleague and a co-laborer. We spend plenty of time desiring and praying for more laborers, but perhaps not enough time investing in those with the potential to become our partners in the mission.
We serve today because of the repetition of this three-phase process for centuries. It didn’t stop with Timothy. The baton has been passed to you who are reading this, and it is our responsibility to be parents, pacesetters, and partners with the next generation until Jesus comes!
photo credit: tableatny

7 Truths About How Great Leaders Relate To People

The 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader

This weekend I have the wonderful opportunity to invest in the leaders of Sixes United Methodist Church in Canton, GA. Led by Senior Pastor Dr. Joe McKechnie, this growing church is making a real difference in the lives of people in North Atlanta. I cannot wait for my time there.
One of the sessions I will be teaching is from chapter 3 of my book 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader entitled Relating: Keeping A Leadership Journal. I will cover the 7 Truths About Relating To People you can find in Matthew 9:9-13. They are:

Leaders Notice People – Do you have a genuine concern for the people you lead? Do you know what they laugh about, cry about and dream about?
Leaders Invite Others To Join Them In The Journey – Are you inclusive or exclusive? Do you constantly build teams and encourage those you lead to do so as well?
Leaders Inspire Positive Response – Leaders are thermostats or thermometers. They either set the temperature or reflect it. Do people smile or shrink back when you walk into a room?
Leadership Build Strategic Relationships – Do you communicate with your team out of obligation or out of personal desire? Are you building bridges? Have you recently said to each team member, “I’ve noticed something you recently did that was excellent. What can I do to make you even more successful?”
Leaders Build A Strong Core – Do you spend time and energy pouring into your inner-circle?
Leaders Intervene When Necessary – Are you tuned in to the challenges faced by those on your team? Do you come to their defense? Do they know you have their back?
Leaders Solve Problems – Listening is the most under-rated leadership skill. Are you a good listener? Are you aware of the real issues faced by your team and have the skill needed to provide solutions?

What a joy and honor it is to invest in the team at Sixes UMC. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do.
If you have not picked up a copy of my book yet the following is information you need to know. I am including a special bonus at the bottom to help you launch 2-Minute Leader small group studies for the active and emerging leaders in your church or organization.

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A Major Reason Churches Plateau And Get Old

Has your church gotten old? Is it made up primarily of empty nesters (this includes parents of boomerang kids) and senior adults? Was there once a time when your church was growing and thriving but has now plateaued? Do your leadership meetings frequently have an agenda item of how to once again begin reaching students and young families?
If so, I met with a pastor of a healthy and vibrant multi-generational church this week who taught me something I want to pass on to you.
Churches often start out with a group of young families whose lifestyles are centered primarily around their children. Unbeknownst to everyone, the children indirectly create a natural evangelistic pipeline. This is because church members are naturally thrust into situations where they are constantly around their children’s friends’ unchurched parents at school functions, athletic events, neighborhood activities, etc….
Because of the powerful combination of proximity and affinity, churches have an incredible opportunity for growth while everyone’s children grow up together.
Then, once again unbeknownst to everyone, when children begin to drive and graduate high school, an interesting phenomenon takes place.
When your children leave home, so does your individual evangelistic pipeline. You must develop a new one. On a churchwide level, when an entire generation of parents see their children leave home, so does the church’s evangelistic pipeline. You must develop a new one.
If not, messaging and programming will now be targeted to empty nesters which in turn disenfranchises the remaining and future young families who may visit your church. Compound this over 10 years and your church has declined or plateaued. It has also grown stale, old and sadly missed an entire generation.
Unless…………….
Your church is intentional about ALWAYS targeting its messaging, programming and initiatives to students and young families. This approach has the following 10 benefits:

Your church will now be sustainable.
Your church never grows old.
Your church will always be relevant.
Your church will be green and growing.
Your church will be multi-generational and retain older people (like me) because we are drawn to Jesus changing human life.
Your church will likely have an abundance of volunteers.
Your church will be passionate and energetic.
Your church will likely be missional and meet the needs of those who are suffering in your community and around the world.
Your church will be fun.
Your church will be helping people establish a sustainable biblical foundation in a period of their life when their decisions have lifelong consequences (dating, when to have sex, where to attend college, drugs, alcohol, who to marry, having children, starting a career, purchasing a first home, etc…)

If you are a pastor or ministry leader, we need to learn from you. What is your church doing to effectively reach the next generation?

5 Things I Want My Wife To Say About Me After 50 Years

The last words of my book 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader are “Wise King Solomon said, ‘He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.’ I couldn’t agree more.”
I absolutely love Duck Dynasty and the Robertson family. How could you not admire a family who is made up of people who love Jesus, are led by a couple married approximately 50 years who raised four Godly men and are more crazy about each other than the day they met, are successful entrepreneurs, work hard, provide meaningful jobs for others, and have served our country in combat.
My favorite episode was when Phil and Kay Robertson renewed their wedding vows. As I watched the scene shown above I realized any man would be lucky to have the same things said of him that were said of Phil by Ms. Kay.
The following are 5 Things I Want My Wife To Say About Me After 50 Years:

“From the time I was 14 years old I loved you.” – My wife was 21 when we met on a blind date. For me it was love at first sight. It took her a little longer.
“And we’ve been through some good times and some hard times.” – All successful marriages have a history of shared experiences. Some good. Some hard.
“I loved you when we were poor and you were not so nice.” – Like many young couples, early in our marriage things were very, very tight. I would not trade those days for anything. My wife was loyal and patient. And God was faithful to our family.
“Now you’re really nice and kind.” – I have heard grown men described as many things. Godly. Strong. Loyal. A Hard Worker. Faithful. Tough. A Leader. A Great Father And Husband. Those are all things which would honor any husband. However, I have only heard three men described as kind. EVER. That is a select group I want to one day be a part of. I want to be known as a kind man.
“I’m not going anywhere. I will love you forever.”

If my wife says those 5 things about me along with being a Godly husband and father, it will be a life well lived.
What do you want your husband or wife to say about you after 50 years?

3 Practices Of Highly Generous People

Pastor Thomas McDaniels is one of the finest leaders you will engage on the internet. He is currently the Lead Pastor at LifeBridge Christian Center in Longview, Texas. Pastor Tom is known as a gifted leader, speaker, writer, and author. His latest book release is Stepping Toward Your Miracle and can be purchased at thomasmcdaniels.com. Make sure you follow him on Twitter by clicking here. Enjoy his post and make sure you check out his blog and website.
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We have a dog named Daisy. Daisy has taught me many lessons on friendship, attitude, and true love. It is true that a dog is man’s best friend. The latest lesson from Daisy is about generosity. Daisy always has something to give.
Every morning when I let Daisy out into the yard she runs and leaps out the door. I marvel at her desire to run into life and leap into her day. Daisy wakes up everyday ready to give her life and energy to others.

I wonder what life would yield to us if we lived every day like Daisy!

Daisy is generous. Generous people energize me. I have noticed there are few truly generous people and I am personally learning to develop this trait in my own life. I always feel I could give more.
We might think there are few generous people in the world because of a lack of resources. However, generosity is never about how much you have, but about how you live. In other words, generosity is not a moment or an event, but a lifestyle.
Winston Churchill wisely said; “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
Generosity is defined as a readiness or liberality in giving. Generosity means much more than giving wealth. It includes being generous with our attitudes, emotions, thoughts, ideas, time, talents, and including our treasures.
Generosity does not come naturally for most of us. Life says get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the can. Some would even consider generosity a supernatural way to live.

Generosity is not a moment or an event, but a lifestyle.

Here are a few thoughts on generosity.

Generosity is generated from a grateful spirit
It is proven that whatever we are grateful for, we are generous toward. In other words our greatest generosity is toward the people or things we are thankful for. If we are grateful toward our car, we are generous to care for it. If we are grateful for our mom and dad we are generous toward them. If we are grateful for our church we are generous toward our church.
Generosity is never a guessing game
Ever been to one of those lunches and you wondered who’s paying? The generous ones immediately demand the tab and take the mystery out of who is picking it up. Generosity should not be a guessing game but a blessing game.
Generosity is contagious
Extravagant acts of generosity can amaze and startle the world. When others see certain acts of generosity they are inspired to replicate. On several occasions our church has entered the realm of contagious giving.

Generosity is no respecter of persons. It inspires everyone to go higher, give sacrificially, and develop a lifestyle of giving. Developing generosity is about looking for people, places and things to share our time, talents, and resources.
Isaiah 32:8 says, “But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.” A generous man devises generous things.
Let’s learn to develop a generous spirit. Just think what a difference we can make!

To develop a culture of generosity in your church, click here on the image to the left to sign up for the FREE March 11th The Rocket Company webinar Fund Your Church Now. Great leaders such as Perry Noble, Chris Hodges, Bryan Houston and Casey Graham will teach you how to get more money for ministry. If your church could use additional financial resources do not miss this event.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

33 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Louie Giglio – Passion 2014

I have waited a month for Passion 2014 to begin and was not disappointed. Passion City Church pastor Louie Giglio opened the proceedings and Jesus showed up big time. We were taken to the cross to get a fresh look at the crushing death of Jesus and what it means to our lives.
The following are 33 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Louie Giglio at the Passion 2014 Conference from Houston:

God is bigger than what we think He is. We don’t have a clue.
The globe is too small for the God we worship.
Worship happens with or without you. Worship happens wherever God is present.
People are lost and God cares.
Most people say, ‘I think I’m going to Heaven.’ Think is a very dangerous word when you are talking about Heaven.
Sin doesn’t make us BAD… Sin makes us DEAD.
You and I are worse than we think… God gave us 10 rules. Are We Following Them?
Nothing can separate us from the love of God! Nothing good you do. Nothing bad you do.
I started understanding the cross (while Dr. Stanley was preaching) and it started gripping me. What was weird is it wasn’t gripping anyone else in our group.
It pulled me into seeing Jesus crushed for me. I was 19 years old….What I saw stopped me in my tracks. Seeing Jesus crushed on the cross for me.
Jesus was crushed by grace. Somehow it was the most horrible and beautiful thing I have ever seen and it took my breath away.
You will know when you have seen Jesus and seen the cross when you understand it’s not THE cross but YOUR cross.
There’s only one victim in the gospel story and His name is Jesus.
Not only am I not the victim of the gospel story. I am the perpetrator.
Understanding the story of the gospel that I am not a victim is tough in a world full of victims.
My sin crushed Jesus on the cross.
God was not a passive bystander at the cross.
Jesus shed blood on the cross but He was already shedding blood before He got to the cross.
God’s wrath poured out on Christ obliterated our curse.
All the hell we deserved was dropped out of Heaven and onto the God we serve.
Shame is finished people. Guilt is done. Condemnation is no more.
There is an enemy who wants you to hang onto what God has obliterated.
The past has been vaporized by the work of Jesus.
Our world needs a generation who sees that.
When we see Jesus was crushed by the grace of God we will see all self crushed by the grace of God.
Nobody here’s too good and nobody here’s too bad because of the grace of the cross.
We all have a stain of sin and shame until Jesus comes.
If the gospel ends with me I don’t have a gospel.
The gospel says, “I am brand new because of the grace of love of Jesus Christ.”
The cross is the only I want to live for. The cross is the only thing I want to celebrate.
A seeing generation is unstoppable.
The same grace that crushed Him on the cross crushed me for life.
By the cross I am done with the world and the world is done with me.

26 Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Francis Chan – Passion 2014

Day 2 of Passion 2014 opened an incredible session from Francis Chan where he challenged us from I Peter 1 to have the life God always wanted us to have.
The following 26 Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Francis Chan at Passion 2014:

I’ve got five kids and if any one of them are in trouble I will drop everything.
He dwells in unapproachable light and we’re about to talk to Him.
What cooler thing can you do on earth than take girls out of that situation (prostitution) and one day walk them down the aisle and spend eternity with them in Heaven?
What if we woke up everyday and said, “This is going to be the best day of my life.”
We have control over our prayer life, our relationship with Jesus.
Aren’t you tired of hearing stories of other people and their relationship with God?
You could be the Godliest person in this room. That’s up to you.
Sometimes we can look at people on a stage and think they’re at another level.
“You’re Francis Chan.” What does that even mean? It shouldn’t even be a sentence it’s so dumb.
We’re so used to limitations.
If we are longing for Old Testament times we don’t understand the Holy Spirit. You see, those guys were longing to be us. We have the divine nature.
I don’t believe I’m just a person up here on the stage talking. I’m a temple of the Holy Spirit.
You became a believer last night. I became one 30 years ago. We have the same equal standing.
You’ve got to do some work now. Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue. Virtue is about moral excellence.
Add value to virtue, knowledge. You have to work and make every effort to know God.
Do you study this book (Bible)? Do you work at it?
I don’t like to read but I want to know God.
Add to that, self control. This one is key because I’ve heard so many people blame the Holy Spirit for their lack of effort.
Why would need to make every effort to self-control is it just happens to you?
Sometimes it’s going to take every ounce of self-control not to go to that website?
Add to self-control, steadfastness. It means perseverance. We all feel like quitting. There are times we all feel like giving up.
Add to steadfastness, Godliness. Be a worshipper.
Some of you could be worshipping God but you’re playing with a video game.
You’ve got so much noise. You’ve got to use that Do Not Disturb button.
Work on who you are. Work on your character…These promises from God mean you’re not going to waste your life.
Sometimes we can worship effectiveness. God says, “Worship Me.”