True Benefits of Having a Coach

By Rob Hurtgen

He was simply known as “coach.” It was not important what sport he coached, or even if the closest you came to being an athlete was owning a pair sneakers, everyone called him “coach.”
A coach is one who helps you to move in a specific direction. A mentor teaches you how to do whatever it is you want to do like they do. One replicates, the other launches. A coach in life and ministry can help launch you to the next level of obedience the Lord has for you.
Coaching is not new. Coaching relationships are spread throughout the Bible. Examples of coaching include Moses to Joshua and Caleb, Elijah with Elisha, Barnabas to Paul, and then Paul to Timothy and Titus. Jesus, when sending out the 70 to ministry, coached them on what to do, where to go, how to go about the ministry and then let them go.
There are some specific benefits to having a coach.
1. A coach helps to clarify where you are. I had the fortune of playing golf my freshman and sophomore years in high school. Our coach would record our swings and then play the video back for us to analyze the details of the swing and how to improve it. Our coach used this simple technique to help clarify where we were in order to map out a strategy of how to become better. To be an instrument for God’s use, you need to know where you are. Paul tells Titus, “for this reason I left you in Crete.” This was a reminder of where Titus was to create a greater sense of clarity of what he was to do for God’s glory. Having a good coach in your life will help you to see where you are so that you can position yourself to be of great use for God. If you do not know where you are—spiritually, personality, leadership style, etc.—you cannot move to the next step of defining the calling God has placed on your life. A coach can bring clarity.
2. A coach can help cement your calling. How often have you heard, or even said, “God is calling me to do something, but I do not know what it is.” The anxiety behind this statement is huge. At this stage, the weight of a calling from God feels more oppressive than liberating. If this statement is not addressed, a calling to ministry in the church or even vocationally may be walked away from. You need someone who can ask you some penetrating questions to help pray through and think through what it is that God is doing. Over the course of a lifelong ministry, roles to fulfill that calling may change. But if the foundation is not laid well then it will be too easy to walk away from when ministry gets difficult. A calling to the Lord and then to ministry must be cemented. A coach helps cement your calling.
3. A coach can help you articulate an action plan. A grand idea is only as good as the plan in place to reach it. No matter the calling, no matter the goal, some type of plan, some strategy, must be put in place to move forward. A retired military officer in my church reminds me of planning that “a plan is only good until the first shot is fired.” Plans will change. Circumstances will be different than expected. Resources may not be as abundant as anticipated. Yet you need to have some sort of strategy. A good coach will pray with you, for you and help you think through what the initial strategy is and how it must be adapted. You need a good coach in your life to help cement and articulate what it is that God wants to do in your life so that He can work through your life.
You may be thinking of someone to be your coach. Call them, have lunch with them. Share with them your story. Ask them to ask you some hard questions. You need a coach in every stage of your life and ministry.
My next blog post will discuss some ways to find a good coach.  

Rob Hurtgen is the Pastor of First Baptist Church Chillicothe, Missouri. He holds an M.Div from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Revitalization from MidWestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to Shawn since 1995, and they have five children. More from Rob Hurtgen or visit Rob at https://robhurtgen.wordpress.com/

11 Secrets Most Leaders Won’t Tell You

By Carey Nieuwhof

Leadership is a journey … a journey that’s probably different than you thought it would be before you stepped into leadership.
When I was young, I always thought leaders had it all figured out. That the uncertainty would one day disappear once I had more life and leadership under my belt.
But as you eventually learn, it doesn’t really work that way.
In fact, I think most leaders struggle more than they let on. I know personally, at one point or another, I’ve struggled in each of the areas listed below. But at the time, because I didn’t want to tell anyone how I really felt, I kept mostly quiet.
Looking back, I realize for too long I kept far too much of it to myself.
You know what keeping it to yourself does, right?
It leaves you isolated. And the silence gives fear power—power it should never have.

11 Secrets Most Church Leaders Won’t Tell You

Just to let you know you’re not alone, and to break the power of darkness by cracking some daylight, here are 11 secrets most leaders won’t tell you:

1. I’m less secure than I appear.

The together exterior doesn’t always match the fragile interior.
Security is a journey for sure … a tough one. Most people don’t like insecure leaders. But insecurity is a trap … the more insecure you are, the more you resist telling anyone you’re insecure. And the more they dislike you.
If it helps, I outline five signs you’re an insecure leader in this post, and five ways to become a more secure leader here.
I think the best way to start dealing with your insecurity is to admit it, and deal with it. Counselors’ offices and best friends are great places to start with that by the way. So is prayer.

2. Getting close to God isn’t easy.

There’s a particular pressure on pastors and church leaders to have a ‘great’ relationship with God.
But the truth is, our relationship is just like anyone else’s relationship with God. It has ups and downs.
Even as a church leader, you go through dry seasons. OK, maybe especially as a church leader, you go through dry seasons spiritually.
I think church leaders struggle with God in different ways than most people. I outline those ways here.

3. I’m lonelier than I let on.

Leadership is complex and involves going through seasons of unpopularity. It also involves making tough calls that can make you the goat, or at least feel like a goat.
Add to that the fact that most of us who are driven-type leaders don’t do relationships easily, and sometimes it’s lonelier than it needs to be.

4. It’s hard at home sometimes.

Let’s just say it. Our Instagrams lie. It’s not always easy at home.
It’s gotten better over the years, but there have been seasons in my leadership where my family got too much of my unfiltered stress. Not fair. Not fair at all. But true.
Home is hard. Work is hard. Put the two together in an ill-thought-through combination and it can be lethal.
I really believe that, in the long run, everything rides on how you lead at home.

5. The criticism hurts.

We pretend the criticism doesn’t hurt, but it does, whether we admit it or not.
We put our poker faces on, but deep down it stings.
Tell God.
Tell somebody.
And don’t let your family bear the brunt of it every time.
There are ways to make criticism sting less, but acknowledging it hurts is a great first step.

6. I’m afraid to ask for what I really want.

I’ve usually been pretty forward in my leadership and I’m grateful for an incredibly honest dialogue I have with my staff and elder team where I serve.
But there are seasons where I’ve been afraid to ask for what I really want. And even as I type those words I think, “That sounds so selfish.”
But sometimes you just need a vacation. Or, especially when your family is young and you’re just starting out, you need a raise. Or you need more staff. Or you need someone to have your back. Or you need a friend. You’re just afraid to ask.
You know what I’ve found? Almost every time I’ve asked, someone said, “Why didn’t you ask sooner? We’d love to help.”
See what secrets and silence do?

7. I’ve thought about leaving even though I’m staying.

You’ve thought about leaving, even though you’re staying … true? Of course it’s true, unless you just started last Tuesday, and even then …
Everyone goes through seasons of doubt and questions about the future.
But when you sit in silence with this one for too long, you end up waffling. Not staying, but not leaving either. You end up putting in half an effort, and you’re half the leader you could be.
Brad Lomenick offers some great insight in Episode 27 of my podcast about how to know when it’s time to go, and I outlined five signs it’s time to move on in this post.

8. My secret job is nothing like this job.

One of the reasons leadership is hard is because you deal with so many intangibles. It’s brain work. People management. Conflict management. Getting people to do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do.
On bad days, many leaders I know dream of doing something entirely different. For a season, my escape job was to stack boxes in a warehouse. Because at least if you moved a box, it stayed moved.

9. I feel like I don’t really know what I’m doing.

Eventually you reach a level of leadership, either because you’ve been at it long enough or because whatever you’re leading got big enough, that you realize there are no clear answers. There just aren’t.
You surrounded yourself with the smartest people you could and you realize that even the smart people don’t know what to do.
That’s where real leadership begins—when you feel like you don’t really know what you’re doing, but you keep doing anyway.
That’s how history gets changed. You were just the last person standing, even though inside it felt like sheer confusion.

10. People seem to believe in me more than I believe in myself some days.

When you’ve been through #9 enough times, you will be ready to give up believing in yourself. But you look around and realize other people keep believing in you.
That’s exactly what you need. You’re likely leading very well if enough of the good people keep believing in you.
So when you stop believing in you, keep believing in the people who believe in you.

11. I thought we would have made more progress by now.

You don’t want to say it out loud, but you really do think you would have made more progress by now.
You look at all the overnight successes and think, “How come that wasn’t me?” This only works, of course, until you look more closely at the overnight successes only to realize almost all of them were five to 15 years in the making.
The fact that your vision is bigger than your reality is paradoxically a sign that you’re a good leader.
So keep being mildly disappointed, because it will always spur you on to more.
And one day when it’s over, you’ll look back and be amazed at how much you actually accomplished.

What Are Your Secrets?

What thoughts do you have that you have a hard time admitting to anyone else?  

Carey Nieuwhof is Lead Pastor of Connexus Church north of Toronto, Canada, blogs at www.careynieuwhof.com and is host of The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast available for free on iTunes. More from Carey Nieuwhof or visit Carey at http://careynieuwhof.com

Joel Salatin: Stewardship

4 Realities to Help Discern a Vocational Call to Ministry

By Ron Edmondson

Discerning a call to vocational ministry can be a tiring and trying experience.

I’ve had the privilege of speaking with numerous young people and couples who are possibly experiencing a call to full-time, vocational missions or ministry. They don’t always know what they are supposed to do — usually not — but they know their vocation is to be a part of the mission of Christ.
Talking with people at this stage of life is one of my favorite things to do. It fuels me in ministry to help others process their call.
Having also wrestled through this issue years ago with two teenage sons makes this something very personal to me. Obviously I have my own experience in this area of wrestling through a call to vocational ministry. My wrestling was a 10 year process.
The counsel I gave my boys came to me suddenly one day. I’m not pretending it was inspired, but it certainly is a product of my personal experience and time spent with God struggling through this issue. I’ve used this teaching many times since then.
Basically I like to help people understand that the “call”, in my understanding, is not a call to a group of people or a geographic location as much as it is to a person; the person of Jesus Christ.
That’s important, because a lot of times someone begins to sense a calling after a mission trip to a certain area and feel as if that is the place they must go to serve God. That may be the place God wants to use them, but it could be that God just wants their availability, right where they are or elsewhere and God used the specific place to stir their heart towards serving vocationally.
I’m not saying He doesn’t send people to specific places or groups of people, but I do believe He reserves the right to change that at any time, because ultimately a person is called into a relationship with God first and a location second. In fact, I’ve several times in my call sensed God was even giving me freedom to choose where I served
After establishing that the ultimate call is to the person of Christ, I share a few principles. These are actually realities — based on my experience — of the vocational call. These won’t make the decision for the person. I can’t do that. They are intended to help someone think through their calling. The person who is sensing a call can often begin to discern that this IS the call based on the way they respond to these four words.

Four realities of call of God on a person’s life is:

Irresistible
You can’t refuse this kind of call and still live at peace with God. He will still love you. You may even be successful in what you are doing, but something will always eat at you until you surrender to this type of call. (Think of Jonah on the boat, attempting to run from God — even before the storm came.) That was the case in my situation. As much as I wanted success in business — and I had some — none of that brought me peace until I surrendered to God’s will for my life.
Irreplaceable
Nothing else will satisfy a person like this call. Nothing will fill that void — that emptiness. If God’s greatest desire for a person’s life on whom He places the “call”. I found no real joy in my work, until I was serving in the career choice God wanted me to serve.
Irrevocable
God doesn’t take this call away from a person once He has placed it on their life. At times, especially when things are stressful in ministry, I have glanced at other opportunities, but I know I cannot go backwards from this call God has placed on my life. I may serve Him in a number of capacities and places over the years — I believe that could even be in business if He chose that. It doesn’t necessarily have to be as a pastor or in a local church — but I know one decision in my vocational career is solved — I work for Him. My end “product” of my life is advancing His mission — not mine.
Immediate
The call of God on a person’s life begins at the moment of the call. Often people want to get the right degree or start drawing a paycheck before they live out the call God has placed on their life. I don’t believe that’s the call. The call is to “Go” and the time is NOW. (Jesus taught this reality in Matthew 8.) That doesn’t mean the person shouldn’t gain education, experience, or even a paycheck, but if a person has received a call from God on their life the time to get started doing something towards that call is now! When I realized a vocational call to ministry was being placed on my life, I started immediately; with no promise of income or position. I simply started serving people. Opportunities and specific assignments quickly followed.
Are you feeling those four words heavy on your heart? Perhaps God is trying to get your attention.
For a Biblical example of this type calling which includes each of these four points, read Jonah’s story again.
Have you wrestled or are you wrestling through a vocational call to ministry? What was your experience?  

Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner, and he's been helping church grow vocationally for over 10 years. More from Ron Edmondson or visit Ron at http://www.ronedmondson.com/

How to Do Less to Achieve More

By C. E. Stowers

When is enough…enough?
Recently, I asked several people to explain to me exactly what they wanted. Guess what – NOT A SINGLE person could answer.  Knowing what you want is the best way to avoid the temptation to pursue several things at the same time.  That takes focus.
I’ve seen people get frustrated by their ministry, business, and careers because they know that they want something but they don’t exactly know what. The main reason people struggle professionally and personally is simply a lack of focus. This lack of focus can be costly because there is a subtle push to pursue more.

There Will Always Be a Subtle Push to Pursue More

There’s a subtle and (if you’re not careful) sinister push that we should devote more time to building our brand/platform.  Although I’m a pastor, a writer, mentor, and speaker, I’m not exempt from this subtle push. A few years ago I discovered that there was a danger to my soul in pursuing more exposure, more name recognition, more money to be made from thinking, writing, and speaking about ministry issues. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up like King Solomon and lose focus.

King Solomon’s Dangerous Pursuit of More

King Solomon wrote an entire book (Ecclesiastes) on perilous pursuits and eventually paid a hefty price.  He lost focus and desperately pursued several unrelated goals in a vain attempt to satisfy himself (Ecclesiastes 2:1–11).  As Solomon penned these words, he was rich beyond measure, but internally empty.
He couldn’t fill the hole God placed in his heart with things or understand why he lacked contentment.  Regretfully, he tried to fill that hole with his outward pursuits of more.  Solomon eventually did narrow his focus, but it took him a lifetime and an entire book to do so (read Ecclesiastes. 12).
Solomon finally determined what really mattered and what he really wanted. I read somewhere: “If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.”  The danger with pursuing more is that it’s limitless. Unlike Solomon, Jesus models what happens when you’re focused.

Jesus Was Focused – He Didn’t Allow Distractions or Rejection Change His Focus

While in the synagogue, Jesus spoke from Isaiah 61 about His anointing (Luke 4:18). His cruel rejection by the people of his hometown in Nazareth is highlighted to characterize Jesus’ initial teaching ministry in Galilee. Even when His audience didn’t like what He had to say (Luke 4:28, 29), He moved on to the next town to continue His work. He would not let anything drain His anointing or distract Him from His mission.

The Most Effective Tactic I Use to Stay Focused

Schedule time on your calendar to focus on the task.

After reading Jason Fried‘s book Rework, I’ve incorporated the “Alone Zone” into my work flow.  If some asks if I am available, I reply, “I’m sorry, but I have another commitment at that time.”
Jesus was focused. How about you? Have you figured out what you want?  

The Reverend Clarence E. Stowers, Jr. was born on December 2, 1966 to Dr. Clarence (deceased) and Margaret Stowers, Sr. in Evanston, Illinois. He began his spiritual pilgrimage at Mars Hill under the leadership of Dr. Clarence E. Stowers, Sr. He accepted his call to preach the gospel in 1991 and was licensed and ordained at Mars Hill. More from C. E. Stowers or visit C. E. at http://www.cestowers.com/

5 Financial Attitudes People Use to Hold Their Churches Hostage

By Thom Rainer

Do you know any church members who have made demands based upon their financial giving to the church?
Okay, that’s probably a rhetorical question because most of you readers certainly have experienced that discomfort. I asked a number of church leaders to share with me how this “hostage taking” usually takes place. Here are the five most common responses:

1. “If you don’t do what I want, I will stop giving.” In reality, this quote was not often verbalized. Members just stopped giving when things did not go their way. After I left a church, I found out that the chairman of the finance committee did not give a penny the entire time I was pastor. I don’t think he liked me.
2. “You better be careful; I do pay your salary.” I’ve heard this one a few times. And the leaders with whom I spoke heard it many times.
3. “I am going to give all my money to ____________.” The blank is a designated fund in the church. The member does not want his or her funds to go the general budget needs, so the check is written with stipulations.
4. “Build what I want or you’re not getting my money.” One pastor shared the story of his church who was in dire need of more parking spaces. He attempted to lead the church to acquire adjacent land, but the biggest giver in the church led a counter move. She wanted a new worship center that the church did not need. She was willing to give significant dollars to the building fund, but only if it included her pet (and expensive) project.
5. “I am starting a designated fund for my project.” This hostage attempt is similar to number three but, in this case, the member starts a new designated fund. One example shared with me was “The Caribbean Mission Fund.” Basically, this fund paid for a trip to an exotic island where the group sang one time in a local church on the island. The other ten days were spent on fun and touristy events. The members of the group gave their money to the designated fund. It became a tax-deductible vacation, not to mention it was both unethical and illegal.

Hear me clearly. Most church members give to their local churches freely, joyously, and without stipulations. But almost every church has one or more members who attempt to use “their” funds for their own needs and preferences.
The biblical reality is that we do not possess these funds; we are stewards of what God has given us. They are never “our” funds.
How would you add to my list of five items above? What are your perspectives on this topic? Let me hear from you.  

Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources (LifeWay.com). Among his greatest joys are his family: his wife Nellie Jo; three sons, Sam, Art, and Jess; and six grandchildren. He was founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His many books include Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, The Unexpected Journey, and Breakout Churches. More from Thom Rainer or visit Thom at http://www.thomrainer.com

12 Steps To Leaving A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation

12 Steps To Leaving A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation

A legacy is not a resume or list of accomplishments.  A legacy is the imprint you leave on the future.  As a result, we all have a legacy.  And we will leave our legacy either by default or design.
On Sunday, April 26th, I will be teaching 12 Steps To Leaving A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation from I Chronicles 28 and 29.  Below is the outline I will be using.
As a member of INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I help churches create cultures of generosity and help them with their capital campaigns.  Those two chapters from I Chronicles are often our anchor passages.
Placed in the middle of these two chapters of vision casting, leadership development, inspiration, project management, sacrifice and celebration, is King David who nearing death looks at his son, the soon-to-be-king Solomon and says, “As for you, my son Solomon.”  And then begins to unpack and model how to leave a Godly legacy for the next generation.
It is a beautiful picture a father talking to his son just before death, a king to his son the would-be king, the patriarch of a family handing the baton to the next in line.  It is the picture of how to leave a Godly legacy.
The following are 12 Steps To Leaving A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation as modeled by King David to his son Solomon:

1. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Disciple Them – Instruct them.  Teach them.  In 28:9 David says, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father.”  Leaving a Godly legacy means constantly telling the stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness in your life.  Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise!”
2.  To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Encourage Them – The next generation is dying for inspiration.  Too often older people tell the next generation everything they are doing wrong.  David says in verse 10, “for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”
3. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Equip Them – You must give the next generation your plans, expertise, experience and energy.  This is what David does in verses 11 and 12 of chapter 28.
4. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Resource Them – Throughout verses 13-19, David provides and itemized list of the money and possessions he has left Solomon to complete the temple’s construction.  He also gives him people and their support in verse 21.
5. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Empower Them – People are naturally insecure.  It is vital they know you support them.  David tells Solomon in verse 20, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed for the Lord God – my God – will be with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.”
6. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Position Them For Success – With the start of chapter 29, we see David shifting his communication to the Jewish people.  It says in verse 1, “King David said to all the assembly.”  In addition to giving the next generation plans and resources, you must also give them your platform.
7. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Publicly Reaffirm Them – Leaving a Godly legacy to the next generation means loaning them your influence.  Point to them and tell others God’s hand is on their life.  King David referred to his son as “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen.”
8. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Remind Them There Is Work Left For Them To Do – Transparency and authenticity are attractive qualities to the next generation.  Be honest with them.  Struggle is necessary for developing strength.  Do not downplay the challenges of the coming adult days.  King David continues, “(Solomon) is young and inexperienced, and the work is great.”
9. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Point Them To Jesus – David was about to remind his son all of this wealth and activity was not merely for his personal enjoyment.  This is not sustainable.  There must be a higher purpose, a higher calling in mind.  He said in verse 1 of chapter 29, “the temple is not for man, but for the Lord God.”
10. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Reassure Them – It is a humbling and daunting task to be thrust into significant positions of responsibility.  But King David reminded Solomon he had been setup for success.  The temple’s completion was doable.  In verses 2 and 3, King David lists everything which had already been prepared.  The project was well underway.
11. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Release Them – This is the day parents have worked years for but dread to see coming.  The time comes for the next generation to leave home and plant their own stake in the world.  In verse 5, King David asks the people, “Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?”
12. To Leave A Godly Legacy To The Next Generation You Must Rejoice With Them – Upon releasing them, celebrate their success.  After an offering of biblical proportions, verse 9 says, “Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly.”

King David left a Godly legacy and an imprint on the future which we still benefit from today.  You too can send people forth into a time we cannot see with positive effects.  Which one of these 12 steps you can begin implementing today?

The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of April 20th

The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of April 20th

Are you doing the very best you can?  Seriously, is it your best?  Are you giving God your best?  How about your family?  Your church?  Your kids?  Your relationships?  The stakes are too high to give anything but your absolute best.
This week’s top posts will help you get better in every area of your life.  Make sure you bookmark these posts and revisit them often.
The following are The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of April 20th:

1. Mike Linch On Mobilizing Your Church To Impact Your Community by Rich Birch
2. 3 Declarations That Have Guided My Leadership For 30 Years by Scott Cochrane
3. 7 Things You May Not Know But You Need To Know About Your Husband by Ron Edmondson
4. Pastor Charles Stanley Declines Jewish Award For His Support Of Israel by Heidi Hall of ChristianityToday.com
5. How Much Business Is Your Profanity Costing You by Michael Hyatt
6. The Top 20 Leadership Podcasts I Listen To by Brad Lomenick
7. Why “Just Pray About It” Won’t Solve Your Churches Problems by Carey Nieuwhof
8. 8 Reasons People Are Leaving Denominational Churches For Non-Denominational Churches by Thom Rainer
9. Top 10 Reasons People Don’t Tithe by Charles Stone
10. The Single Most Effective Secret To Winning In Life by Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.

13 Signs A Pastor Is Surrounded By Great Leaders Or Not

13 Signs A Pastor Is Surrounded By Great Leaders Or Not

John Maxwell teaches The Law Of The Inner Circle which says, “Those closest to the leader determine the success of the leader.”  So the question begs, what type of leaders should pastors surround themselves with?
As a member of INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I wrestle with this question daily because of my regular dealings with church leadership teams.  These teams are either staff led or consist of a mixture of volunteers and staff.  When it is a mixture, the staff and volunteers have varying levels of influence based upon the church’s culture and DNA.
Last week I met with one of, if not the most competent church leadership teams since my time with INJOY.  As I was flying back into Atlanta, I documented what made this group so unique and effective.
The following are 13 Qualities Of Great Church Leadership Teams which I learned from my meeting with these leaders:

1. Great Church Leadership Teams Love Jesus – You could tell by the countenance, conduct and conversation each team member deeply loved Jesus and were motivated by a deep desire to please Him in all they did as leaders.
2. Great Church Leadership Teams Love Their Pastor – I going to say this as boldly and straightforward as I can – If you are not for your pastor, you should not be on a church leadership team.  You must WANT to help your pastor.
3. Great Church Leadership Teams Are Highly Competent – Pastors should not only surround themselves with leaders who WANT to help them, they must surround themselves with leaders who are ABLE to help them.  This group consisted of both experienced staff and highly successful business leaders.  It was a smart room.
4. Great Church Leadership Teams Ask Great Questions – These leaders are continual learners and highly inquisitive.
5. Great Church Leadership Teams Find Solutions – What made these leaders’ questions so good was they were seeking solutions to the issues they were facing.  A bad leadership team asks questions for the purposes of poking holes in good ideas or shutting down church initiatives.  Great leaders are solutions based.
6. Great Church Leadership Teams Are Humble – In a room full of highly competent, successful leaders, it would be the norm to encounter hubris.  This group, however, was genuinely humble to be part of an incredible move of God.  They were literally in awe of what God was doing and honored to be a part of it.
7. Great Church Leadership Teams Embrace And Embody The Church’s Core Values – I asked each leader what they enjoyed most about the church and kept them coming back.  As I reviewed their list, I realized each one of the church’s core values were represented.  This group were truly living out the church’s values.
8. Great Church Leadership Teams Are Focused On Vision And Life Change – I love meeting with Finance Committees.  This group is responsibility not just for developing and managing the church budget.  They are responsible for stewardship the flow of financial resources for maximum Kingdom impact.  The church’s Finance Team members were not bean counters.  They were agents for the church’s mission and vision and how it could be advanced.
9. Great Church Leadership Teams Respect Each Other – There was genuine respect amongst the team members and several comments about how each were asking great questions.
10. Great Church Leadership Teams Are Multi-Cultural – There was a good mix of races in the room.
11. Great Church Leadership Teams Are Multi-Generational – There was a good mix of twenty-s0methings to senior adults in the room.
12. Great Church Leadership Teams Are Great Thinkers – This group of leaders could think on multiple layers.  In other words, they could take multiple initiatives such as stewardship education classes, outreach, message series, volunteerism, year-end giving and capital campaigns and blend them into a singular spiritual journey for those who attend their church.
13. Great Church Leadership Teams Are Optimistic – Great church leadership teams do not have a devil’s advocate.  The devil does not need any help.  They also do not have Debbie Downers.  Great church leadership teams consist of individuals who recognize all God is doing and wants to do at the church and subsequently use their influence, gifts, talents, abilities and resources to see it come to pass.

Pastors, does this describe your leadership team?  If so, forward this post to them as a form of encouragement.
If not, you are surrounded with people who cannot make your successful.  They either need to be developed or replaced.

The Number One Thing That Blindsides Young Pastors

The Number One Thing That Blindsides Young Pastors

I worry about young pastors because no one goes to seminary aspiring to become a CEO.  But this is exactly what happens because in church environments, we put people in charge who do the speaking.  As Jeff Henderson says, “Leadership comes with a microphone.”  But many pastors are woefully unprepared for the business side of ministry.
My friends at MAG Bookkeeping recently wrote a post for the readers of this site.  They have a deep passion to protect pastors and their message is one worth hearing.  Check out their thoughts below.
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No one goes to seminary to become a CEO. But guess what – if you are a pastor, you are joining the ranks of only two career paths (entrepreneurs and pastors) who immediately step into the role of CEO of an organization their first day on the job.
And we are willing to bet you weren’t planning on that.
We talk with pastors every day who followed God’s call into ministry because they wanted to reach people for Jesus. And we believe, as they do, reaching people through the local church is the most important thing in the world. But the number of pastors we talk to who are not prepared for the leadership roles they are assuming is really troubling. These are really smart, capable, passionate leaders who have spent years studying the Word of God, ancient languages, world religions, leadership, exegesis – and once they join a church staff they have essentially become the CEO of a multi-million dollar business. Often, they are doing this without any formalized business training.
The Bible has a lot to say about money and how to manage it according to God’s principles. And nothing has the potential to wreck a movement of God like the mismanagement of money. If you’re a senior church leader, we cannot encourage you enough to look at the financial responsibilities you have in your position and make sure you are properly stewarding them. And if you are not, there are plenty of places to find the help and guidance that you need. MAG Bookkeeping is one of those places – we’d love to talk with you about finding the resources and trusted partners you need to make sure you’re stewarding your church’s resources well.

Subscribe to this site and get my latest FREE eBook Skinny Jeans And A Tattoo Does Not Make You A Leader.  Featuring leaders like Andy Stanley, Bill Hybels and Perry Noble, this resource includes 999 additional leadership quotes from the 2014 Double, Global Leadership Summit, and Catalyst  Conferences.  Click HERE or on the image to the left to sign up and get your FREE resource.

7 Keys To Leading High Capacity Volunteers From Carey Nieuwhof

Live Blog From Orange Conference ’15: 7 Keys To Leading High Capacity Volunteers From Carey Nieuwhof

I go to a lot of conferences.  I will spend three days at most events to simply get one good idea.  I get more quality content from one breakout session at Orange Conference than any event I attend.
In an effort to add value to pastors and church leaders, I am live blogging significant portions of this week’s Orange Conference and their amazing Senior Leader’ Track.  For pastors and church leaders, this is the most informative and thought-provocing three days you can spend all year.  It is “can’t miss” event for church leaders.
Today’s final session was led by Carey Nieuwhof, the incomparable pastor of Connexus Church, north of Toronto Canada.  Carey also host a leadership podcast and writes a blog no Christian leader should miss.
Before getting to Carey’s thoughts on why churches stop growing, INJOY Stewardship Solutions is offering a FREE download of Church Branding 101.  In this resource Ken Wilson, Director of NewSpring Creative, will be walking us through NewSpring Church’s recent rebranding process.  If you are unfamiliar with NewSpring, they are led by friend-of-Orange Senior Pastor Perry Noble.  You do not want to miss this.  Click here or on the image above to sign up.  Now onto Carey’s insights.
The following are 67 Leadership Quotes and Lessons from Carey’s wonderful session on leading high-capacity volunteers:

1. We get paid to solve the problems no one else can solve.
2. You start out solving all the problems someone else’s make. Then you start solving all the problems you’ve made.
3. As a leader, you aspire to attract, keep and grow a team of high-capacity volunteers. But are you dreaming the impossible dream? Learn to keep your vision grounded by starting with a look at the flipside: where and why you’re losing your top volunteers.
4. I don’t believe a portable church is not sustainable.
5. You have to treat your volunteers well.
6. If you don’t setup you don’t have church.
7. You can always get people to show up at the crack of dawn. That was three of them. We needed 30 of them.
8. All good stuff comes out of brokenness.
9. I have to guard the health of our staff and volunteers.
10. If I have a healthy and growing staff, healthy and growing elders, and healthy and growing volunteers, we will have a healthy and growing church.
11. When you serve your volunteers well they tend to stick around and recruit others.
12. People bail on a sinking ship.
13. The church should be the best run organization in the world.
14. Give high-capacity volunteers a significant challenge.
15. People with significant leadership gifting respond best to significant challenges.
16. It is important to have small group leaders consistently present in the lives of our students.
17. You don’t have a relationship with the substitute teacher.
18. If you’re asking people to serve every week, you actually need fewer leaders.
19. High-capacity people respond to high-level challenges.
20. We have 353,354 unchurched people within a 30-minute drive of our church.
21. The people who respond to a high-challenge tend to show up.
22. People want to be part of a significant challenge.
23. The more you dilute things the weaker leader you get.
24. Continually communicate your mission, vision and strategy.
25. Are people involved in your mission or are they about theirs?
26. Mission and vision unite.
27. What people are involved in they are passionate about.
28. We don’t do a whole lot of ministries unless they align with where we are going. So when they get involved in a ministry they get attached to the mission.
29. Everyone walks into your church with a picture of their previous church in mind. – Reggie Joiner
30. Strategy begins as divisive, but ultimately aligns a church.
31. What you need in your church is a clearly defined strategy. Churches shrink away from this because strategy gets divisive.
32. Eventually strategy becomes unifying because the people who are left like it.
33. High-capacity people like a strategy.
34. Our church is not the Kingdom of God. We are not THE church. We are A church. We get to play a part. We don’t have to become all things to all people.
35. Other churches are not the competition. They compliment you.
36. Be organized. Few things are more demotivating to a volunteer than knowing the staff did not set you up to succeed.
37. We’re not that organized in church world and we should be the best run organization in our community.
38. We have to be the most organized people on the planet. We want our volunteers to win. Our job is to help you do your job.
39. Some people will put with disorganization, but high capacity leaders will ultimately give up.
40. When you don’t value the time of leaders, they will find someone who will.
41. Would you volunteer for you?
42. Refuse to let people off the hook.
43. The organization will drift to the level of accountability your leader establishes.
44. People want to be part of a winning organization. People want your church to win.
45. Who would I rather lose? High motivated volunteers or poorly motivated volunteers?
46. Play favorites. Spend 80% of your time with people who give you 80% of the results.
47. We need you to step up or we’re going to ask you to step aside.
48. It’s always the people you don’t want to hang out with are the ones who are going to ask for your time.
49. One action step – text your best volunteer and schedule a time for coffee next week. Otherwise your schedule will fill up with your worst volunteers preventing you from investing in your best volunteers.
50. Surround high capacity people with high capacity people. Like attracts like and keeps like.
51. How do we keep high capacity people from the sideline to the frontline?
52. Pay them in non-financial currencies.
53. People gravitate toward where they’re valued most.
54. Once your basic needs are met, money drops off the list very quickly as a motivator.
55. 5 non-financial currencies – Gratitude, Attention, Trust, Empowerment, Respect
56. No leader I know writes more Thank You notes than Jeff Henderson.
57. Most people feel under-valued and under-appreciated at work.
58. Say “Thank You” by connecting their service to life change.
59. As a leader, your job is to be a noticer.
60. Thanking volunteers is a whole lot cheaper than hiring staff.
61. If you are grateful for people’s donations, they’ll give you more.
62. If you’re a control freak it’s hard to give trust.
63. If you’re not trusting good people, they will flee.
64. Micromanagement is a sign you don’t trust someone.
65. The bigger the organization the more important it is to let volunteers lead.
66. Respect is an attitude as much as a behavior.
67. If you disrespect them and devalue them, they pick up on that.

I can’t wait until tomorrow.