Monday, November 14, 2016

14 Things I Loved About Being My Church’s Capital Campaign Chairman

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For the past two years, I have served as the chairman of Fellowship Bible Church‘s capital campaign. Today, we opened our new student building (see above). As a result, I have spent much of the weekend reflecting on this process and my life in general.
As many of you may know, I have been employed by INJOY Stewardship Solutions for the last 14 years. I spend everyday helping pastors and church leaders fully-fund their ministry through vision-driven capital campaigns. Serving my own church, however, has truly been a privilege.
In an effort to give you some insight into what I am thinking and feeling, the following are 14 Things I Loved About Being My Church’s Capital Campaign Chairman:

I Love Capital Campaigns – Nothing is more leadership intensive than a capital campaign. You are dealing with senior pastors of growing churches, team building, vision construction, compelling needs, mobilization of leaders, vision casting, diligence, setting the staff up for success, public and private communication strategies, and solving problems. Seriously, how could you not enjoy capital campaigns?! I am so thrilled God has not called me to a lesser task.
I Love My Pastor – Dr. Crawford Loritts is not only my pastor, he is a close personal friend. My primary job as campaign chairman was meeting with key groups of leaders, making congregational announcements, and answering A LOT of questions. It was an honor to represent my pastor and clear the path with the congregation so his job would be easier.
I Love Our Church – It was such a privilege to watch our people respond to God’s vision, sacrifice, and invest in the next generation of students.
I Love My Fellow Elders – I have spent five years in the foxhole with these guys. Also, you should never put your friends in harm’s way. I knew whatever I said during public announcements they would have to answer questions about in their small groups. I always wanted to make their job easy.
I Love My Church Staff – Capital campaigns do bring additional responsibilities to key staff. I always tried to be an encouragement to them and lighten their load. One of the ways I did this was obviously kind and encouraging words, but I would approach conversations with phrases like, “How can I help you in this meeting”, “What do you need me to say” or “What do you need from me to help you out?”
I Love Asking For Money – There you go, I said it! I LOVE asking for money. The reason is because I know what God does in the heart of the giver when they experience generosity and I also know what God does with the resources given to change human life. Shown above is a picture of me making this morning’s campaign announcements.
I Love Making People Happy – What I will always remember about this morning was not the new building, not the fresh paint, not the kind words, and definitely not the amount of money given. What I will always remember is I have never seen our students happier. Everything in this world works to tear students down and devalue them. Because of our capital campaign, we were able to tell our students, “Hundreds of people sacrificed so you could have this facility. This was built for you and your friends. We love you, value you and want to invest in your future.”
I Love Watching People Experience Generosity – 124 people invested in our ministry for the very first time during our campaign. This is 124 people who made the conscious decision to trust God with what the world worships – money and possessions.
I Love Being Part Of Something Bigger Than Myself – This was not about me or any other individual. This was not about a building. This was about God working in the hearts and lives of an army of people, called Fellowship Bible Church, to the point they would be willing to sacrifice so the next generation of students could spend eternity with Jesus.
I Love Knowing There Will Be People I Will Never Meet Until Heaven Who Will Get Saved In This Building – I got saved in 1980 in a building constructed in 1956. I can’t wait to meet the people in Heaven, who sacrificed 24 years before I ever walked in the door, so I could meet Jesus. May I have the same privilege to meet people who will find Jesus in this facility for decades to come.
I Love Making Memories – I remembered our early elder meetings when this subject originally came up. To go back in my mind to those early meetings and now seeing the hundreds of students enjoying their new facility was humbling and made me so thankful to God for His kindness.
I Love My Daughter – The way the timeline for construction was originally shaping up, I thought my daughter would be in college when the building opened. Not only did it open during her senior year of high school, she got to lead worship during its inaugural service. See the platform in the picture above.
I Love Celebrating With Friends – After our morning services, my wife and I joined a fellow elder and his wife for lunch. It was a great time to reminisce, laugh and talk about what it took to see the building become reality.
I Love Thanking People – Words of Affirmation is my love language. When I do public announcements I take every opportunity to thank people for their generosity. I give them updates and always point out we would not be where we are without their generosity. And tonight, Crawford sent me a text thanking me for my efforts. I have no plans to delete that text. It means everything to me and capped off a great day.

If your church needs to do a capital campaign, do not be afraid. If done right, it can a thrilling and a life-changing experience. And here is the interesting, if done right, a capital campaign can actually be FUN! If you want to find out how this is done, feel free is email me at briand@injoystewardship.com for more information. I would love to speak with you about your need and help you anyway I can.

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 1269 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2016’s Top Christian Leadership Conferences. Featured are the Johnny Hunt Mens Conference, ReThink Leadership, Orange and Leadercast Conferences among others. If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader. Enjoy!!!

Cubs' World Series Win a Spiritual Experience?

It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. My father and his father never witnessed it in their lifetime, but prayed for it often: "Please God, let the Chicago Cubs win the World Series...just this once!" But now I’ve seen it happen.
And it was quite a spiritual experience!
Is it wrong to pray for your favorite sports team to win? Is that a waste of God's time or sacrilegious somehow?
I don't think so. I explain in my latest new blog post:
Was the Cubs' World Series Win a Spiritual Experience?
Lessons Learned and a Little Insight From Michael Hyatt

Let's see if and why the World Series may have added up to being a "spiritual experience"...
...Spiritual experiences usually teach us something too. There were some great and practical leadership lessons learned from the game. One of my favorite bloggers, Michael Hyatt, breaks it down well in this [click to continue]
Here’s to winning!
–Caesar

2 Harsh Realities All Leaders Should Know

His name was Frank. Frank had just resigned and was cleaning out his desk. Hoping for an emotional farewell from his co-workers, he looked forward to Rick coming by his cubicle. Rick arrived at Frank’s cubicle with his chair. Frank oddly looked at Rick’s chair. Rick said, “Frank, we’re going to miss you. I like your chair better than mine. I’m switching them out.” And Rick returned to his cubicle with Frank’s chair in tow. I remember the scene well.
Frank had a new job. Rick had a new chair. Life goes on.
Tonight I was being a great dad by spending time with my teenage daughter watching an old episode of Gilmore Girls. While watching this lighthearted comedy, I was reminded of Frank and Rick’s chair exchange and 2 Harsh Realities All Leaders Should Know.
In the show’s opening scene, one of the town’s leaders called everyone together for a 3:00 AM impromptu video meeting. In an almost broken-hearted fashion, he informed the sleep deprived collection of leaders he would be unable to run the town fair. A disgusted councilwoman looked at someone seated on the front row and said, “Will you run it?” He said, “Yes” and everyone began leaving to go back home and back to bed.
Here is the first Harsh Reality – Everyone, Even You, Is Replaceable. If you resign, you will be replaced within seconds. You likely already have many people in your organization who think they can do your job better than you and are just waiting for the opportunity to show it. Next Man Up is not just a sports phrase. It is a leadership reality regardless of your profession. Life goes on without you.
It was then I was reminded of the second Harsh Reality – No One Cares What The Former Leader Thinks. As the crowd was filing out, the now-former organizer of the fair was giving suggestions about how to make it successful. He felt he was imparting vital information, information critical to the fair’s success, and wisdom which could only gained from his vast experience. However, no one was listening and he eventually was speaking to an empty room.
When you are no longer the leader, you lose most if not all of your influence. You have moved on and so have the people. The people’s attention is now directed towards the new leader. The new leader also has a new vision. So if you cannot emotionally handle the loss of influence and “not being the man”, be careful about leaving your position. Life goes on without you.
Understanding these two Harsh Realities while still holding your position actually makes you a better leader. If forces you to put the good of the organization ahead of your personal platform or preferences. You also understand the organization will outlast you and therefore you should want it to be a sustainable success. There is no success without succession.
Life goes on without you. As it should.

16 Habits Of Leaders Who Have Your Back

“It’s nice to come to the park every day knowing that’s your leader and he has your back.” – Cleveland Indians’ Mike Napoli on his manger Terry Francona

You have to trust your leaders to be a successful organization. A lack of trust will destroy a team. You must know your leader will have your back. As you can read from the quote above, the Cleveland Indians baseball knows their leader, manager Terry Francona has their back.
In the October 27th edition of USA Today, Francona was profiled. As I read the article, I gleaned the following 16 Habits Of Leaders Who Have Your Back:

Leaders Who Have Your Back Know You Can Be Insecure – Francona said, “I don’t think it matter how old you are, how much experience you have. It’s OK to be nervous. It’s still a big deal. Hey, it’s the World Series.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Make Your Job Fun – Cleveland general manager Mike Chernoff said, “That’s what makes this culture so fun around here. He’s made such a huge difference on this entire organization.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are Consistent – Reliever Cody Allen said, “He’s the same guy every day, no matter what the situation, where we’re at, who we’re playing.
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are Approachable – Allen added, “You’ll find him in his office playing cards with some of the players 30 minutes before the game. The clinching game in Toronto, he’s in there trying to win money from guys.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Unite People Rather Than Divide Them – Chernoff pointed out, “One of the biggest things he’s done here is broken down every potential barrier there could be between different departments. Everything we do now, from the front office to the field staff to the business side, we do it as one cohesive unit.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are Safe To Be Around – Chernoff continues, “Tito makes it a really safe place to be yourself. He likes to thing of himself as a regular guy, and that leadership style makes it a safe place for everybody to interact freely.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are Competent – They not only want to have your back, they have the track record and skill to be able to actually have your back. Francona can flat-out coach. He won two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox and has a 38-23 playoff record.
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are A Joy To Be Around – Jason Kipnis said, “Tito is the best. You are not going to find one guy in here who doesn’t enjoy playing for him. And you’re not gong to find one guy who doesn’t want him to be their manager the rest of their careers. Once you have Tito, you really don’t want anybody else to ever manage you.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are Genuine – Mike Napoli said, “He’s a genuine person, and you can talk to him about anything.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are Honest – Napoli adds, “He’s going to you the truth.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Want The Absolute Best For You – Napoli continues, “He wants you to do good, he wants to talk to you, and that’s for everybody in the clubhouse.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Appreciate You For Who You Are – Francisco Lindor said, “Since Day 1, he has let me be me.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are Respected And Help You Earn Respect As Well – Francona told Lindor, “I want you to be yourself, but at the same time, respect everyone here. The only way you’re going to earn respect from your teammates is if you show that you want to win and play hard.” Lindor noted, “And that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are All About Others – Former Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said, “What would mean the most is that he’d win for the franchise where his dad played. He loves his dad. He respects his Dad and what he did before him (playing at Cleveland).”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Want You To Get Better Every Day – Shapiro added, “Nobody knew how driven he is, how willing he is to drive the culture of us getting better every day, from top to bottom. It’s unbelievable.”
Leaders Who Have Your Back Are Grateful Leaders – Francona concluded, “No one should be thanking me. I’m the one who needs to be thanking them.”

What is one thing you learned from the leadership of Terry Francona which will help you better have your team’s back?

14 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Arrival The Movie

Amy Adams, as linguistics expect Dr. Louise Banks in the new movie Arrival, delivers an Oscar-worthy emotional tour de force. Arrival is the story of 12 alien pods which come to Earth and our attempts to build a relationship and discover their reasons why.
There are two reasons to see this move – Amy Adams and a brilliant conclusion.
The following are 14 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Arrival The Movie:

Good Meat Makes Its Own Gravy – There is no nudity or language in this movie. Good storytelling does not need it. Think about that.
Talent Matters To Your Success – Arrival is a good movie but it is Adams which takes this movie from good to great. If you want your church, business, non-profit, or athletic organization to go to another level, get a talented leader.
Your Confidence Flows From Your Memory – Banks said, “Memory is a strange thing. We are bound by time. By its order.” For the Christian, when doubt sets in, your memory is your best friend. Going back to God’s previous faithfulness in your life gives you the confidence needed for the days ahead.
Competence And Expertise Are In High Demand – This is because there is so little of it. Because of her expertise in linguistics, the military sought out Banks to negotiate with the aliens.
Sticks And Stones May Break Your Bones But Words Can Cut You Deeply – Banks wrote, “Language is the first weapon drawn in conflict.”
Give People Something Before Asking Them For Something – When mathematics expert Ian Donnelly, played by Jeremy Ritter, wanted to immediately start testing the aliens’ intellect, Banks said, “Why don’t we talk to them before we start throwing math problems at them?”
High Functioning Teams Are Efficient And Use An Economy Of Words – As the military was going about their tasks, there was no wasted motion, energy or words.
Building Relationships Requires Courage – For Banks to build a relationship with the aliens and understand their language, she had to take many risks – putting on a claustrophobic suit, enter a spaceship, remove the suit, commit treason, and enter personal relationships she knew were doomed for failure.
Building Relationships Requires Patience – Though pushed by the military for a swifter answer, it took months for Banks to decipher their language.
Everyone Has A Name – Psychologists state the sound people love to hear the most is their name. Everyone has a name and everyone matters to Jesus.
Many Great Leaders Are Not Married – Banks said, “You can understand communication and still be single.”
Leaders Need To Broaden Their Perspective – Banks told a military official, “If all I ever gave you was a hammer…every problem is a nail.”
Great Leaders Ask Great Questions – “If you could see your whole life from start to finish would you change things?”
What Happens Last Is Often What Lasts – Candidly, aside from Adams, the pacing of the movie felt slow. However, the ending is phenomenal. As I left the movie, the film’s conclusion left a great taste in my mouth. As you are taught in competitive sales environments, last impressions last.

Once again, if you are looking for an Oscar-worthy performance, go watch Amy Adams’s portrayal of Dr. Louise Banks. It is an emotional masterpiece.

10 Things I Learned Preaching through Ephesians…Again

Nov 14, 2016 08:30 am | Mike Glenn

We’ve just finished our series preaching through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. To add a little more challenge to this series, we preached the letter in reverse. We started with chapter 6 and went to chapter 1. Here are 10 things I learned preaching through Ephesians…again.

1. People are people.

Although we’re separated from the people and culture of Ephesus by several thousand years, we have a lot in common with them. The issues addressed in Paul’s letter are the same we address every week in our own church—marriage and family, faith and culture, leadership, relationships, and how the gospel impacts every area of our lives. For all of our differences and as much things have changed in our world, people are still pretty much the same.

2. The war may be over, but the battle goes on.

True, Christ has completed His redemptive work. Our future is secure in Him. Yet, our enemy, though defeated, is still fighting. That’s why we have to be dressed in the full armor of God. Every day is a fight.

3. The good news of the gospel impacts every area of our lives.

Our marriages, our roles as spouses and parents, our roles as employers and employees, our place as believers in an unbelieving culture—everything is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

4. All of us have spiritual gifts, but no one has all of the gifts.

God, in His wisdom, has created a process where we need each other. We are, in the unity of Spirit, more reflective of Christ together than we are individually.

5. God was working before we got here, and He’ll be working after we’re gone.

The divine purposes of God were established before the foundation of time, and His work will continue until He’s completed all that He has promised.

6. Salvation is a gift.

We can’t do anything to earn it, and we haven’t done anything to deserve it. Because it’s gift, we can only receive our salvation in gratitude and live it out faithfully.

7. Each of us was called ON purpose FOR purpose.

Paul was an apostle—by the will of God—called to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul saw his ministry as part of his salvation experience. Yes, we’re grateful for our salvation, but it always involves a call, a mission to which we are sent. They go hand in hand.

8. We didn’t choose Jesus. He chose us.

I always find it amusing when someone tells me they “found Jesus.” I quickly remind them, “Jesus wasn’t lost.”

9. The redemptive work of Christ won’t be defeated.

His victory is “predestined.” The end is already determined, and the victory belongs to Jesus. Because we’re “in Christ,” His victory is our victory.

10. There’s always reason to praise.

Remember, Paul was in prison as he wrote this letter. His first words to the Ephesians? “Praise!” How could Paul say that? Because Paul knew regardless of the situation, God is always working things out for His glory. That’s a lesson I need to learn again and again…

So, there you go. What did you learn going through Ephesians in Reverse? Let me know!

The post 10 Things I Learned Preaching through Ephesians…Again appeared first on MikeGlennOnline.com.
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35 Leadership Lessons From Pastor Johnny Hunt’s 30th Anniversary At First Baptist Woodstock

My hometown of Woodstock, GA is a better place to live because Dr. Johnny Hunt has been the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Woodstock (FBCW) for the last 30 years. He has been our city’s most recognizable person for a generation. Pastor Johnny is also Woodstock’s most influential person because he has stewarded his leadership with love, mercy, dignity, generosity and grace. He has been a picture of Jesus and FBCW has seen thousands of lives transformed with the power of the Gospel.
On November 6th, FBCW honored Pastor Johnny for his 30 years of faithful service and 40 years of marriage to his wife Janet. Part of celebration included the video above.
As I watched their story being told, I gleaned the following 35 Leadership Lessons From Pastor Johnny Hunt’s 30th Anniversary At First Baptist Woodstock. These lessons will make you a better pastor, leader, man and Christian. First is the lesson followed by a quote from the video.

Great Pastors Love And Unapologetically Preach The Bible – “unapologetic about here’s the Word of God”
Great Pastors Have Great Influence In The Lives Of Others – “Johnny Hunt has influenced my life more than any other person on the face of the Earth.”
Great Pastors Are Continual Learners – “Whatever Johnny decided to do in life he had a knack for picking it up real quick.”
Great Pastors Passionately Give God And Their Churches Everything They’ve Got – “He doesn’t do anything 30, 60, or 90 percent. It’s usually 100 all the time.”
Great Pastors Are On A Great Mission – “He’s a real man on a real mission making an impact for eternity’s sake.”
Great Pastors Never Despise Small Beginnings – “My first Sunday here there was 200 (in attendance).”
Great Pastors Are Great Servants – “Johnny demonstrated real quickly his desire to serve (after getting saved) because he started cleaning everyone’s windows.”
Great Pastors Must Also Be Discipled – “So when I came to Christ and then Alfred Joyner began to pour into me and disciple me and a lot of men began to influence me but no one as deeply as he did.”
Great Pastors Have A Heart For Lost People – “The first thing he wanted to do was go visit some of his friends that were lost.”
Great Pastors Are Broken – “‘I want to tell you about what Jesus has done in my life.’ He came in, sat down, and began to weep and just shared with me about how the Lord has just changed his life.”
Great Pastors Have A Great Love For Their Church – “Lavonia Baptist Church was a great place to cut my spiritual teeth. 35 the first Sunday. In three years we probably consistently had 105, 110. And really were heartbroken when we left there.”
Great Pastors Do Significant But Difficult Work – “I led people to the Lord who became pastors. It was a significant but difficult work (in his 2nd church.)”
Great Pastors Often See Great Growth – “When Johnny came (to Long Leaf Baptist Church, the church he got saved in) we saw tremendous growth.”
Getting A Message From Lord Is Necessary To Being A Great Pastor – “You knew you were going to get a message from the Lord. Something was going to happen. You never knew what.”
Great Calamity Offers Pastors Great Opportunity – “We had lost our pastor and some of the staff…The members of the church needed a lot of healing. There was a lot of hurt feelings, a lot of anger that needed to go away.”
Great Pastors Have Great Obedience To God – “They went to bed one night thinking there was no way they’re coming here. The next morning they woke up and God had somehow changed their mind in the middle of night.”
Great Pastors Meet You Where You Are – “I think I know where you are. And I will come down to where you are but I will not go down to where you are and stay.”
Great Pastors Have A Great Vision For Their Church And City – “Johnny came down with a challenging mentality and a challenging vision to the church.”
Great Pastors Have Great Optimism – “I think we can go from 200 to 500 in a couple of three years.”
Great Pastors Are Great Leaders – “Johnny led out front. He was always out front.”
Great Pastors Draw The Best Out Of You – “He drew the best out of you. He caused you to want to be the best you possibly could be and all for the right reasons.”
Great Pastors Are Always In Process And Never Arrive – “To see where we’ve come from to where we are and know we’re still in process. We’ve not yet arrived.”
Great Pastors Have Experienced Defining Moments – “If you knew every mission trip I’ve been on, they’ve all been significant at some level. But the first one I went on I’ll never forget.”
Great Pastors Have Experienced Great Doubt – “He said, ‘Morgan, do you ever think we’ll fill this building up?” We were in three services in less than a month or two.”
Great Pastors Rescue Hurting People – “I don’t know where I’d be today if it wasn’t for you. That was one and now there’s been hundreds (in the City of Refuge – a ministry to hurting pastors).”
Great Pastors Go Through A Time Of Great Preparation – “A call to ministry is a call to prepare.”
Great Pastors Never Give Up On People – “28 years and 9 months is a long time (to accept Jesus after the first time Pastor Johnny witnessed to him). I’m so thankful Johnny never gave up.”
Great Pastors Pray Great Prayers – “I’ve never forgotten week and week, long before he ever knocked on my door, he prayed for me.”
Great Pastors Take Their People On A Great Journey – “It’s been a great journey. I’m looking forward to however long it keeps running.”
Great Pastors Are Great Friends – “It’s been a joy not just to call him my pastor but my friend.”
Great Pastors Show Great Generosity – “He’s the most generous, loving, kind, understanding pastor I’ve ever had in my life.”
Great Pastors Make Great Dreams Come True – “I’ve lived my life, and thanks to him, realized my dream.”
Great Pastors Have A Great Wife – “It’s been a real joy these for last 30 years, to be in a place where Johnny can be fulfilled, to do what God’s called him to do with great joy. And then just the freedom that the church has given Johnny to be able to do all these different things even outside Woodstock as he represents the people of Woodstock, is a great blessing and joy to me.” – Mrs. Janet Hunt
Churches Must Understand How To Leverage The Influence Of Great Pastors – “There’s not one church in a 1,000 that would free their pastor up to say, ‘Let King Jesus lead you by the Spirit of God to embrace a Kingdom living, not a First Baptist Church Woodstock living, not just our church as a kingdom, but the greater world of ministry.”
Great Pastors And Their Churches Experience Great Joy – “Woodstock has been 30 years of joy. Not 29. It’s been 30 years of joy.”

Thank you Pastor Johnny and Mrs. Janet for your faithful service. Our city and individual lives are better because you. God bless.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Pastors Who Make $25 a Month: What I Learned about Leadership from them

by Charles Stone

I just returned from a trip to Cuba with a team of 8 from our church. We spent 7 days serving pastors and serving a local church there. It was an incredibly profitable trip on multiple levels. Although we came to serve them, I believe I learned more from them. Cuba is a very poor country with wages averaging about $25 US, including pastoral salaries. Here’s what I learned about leadership.

First, a bit about what we did. The pastors there tell us that their greatest need is leadership development. So, we focused on working with their leadership and providing leadership development for them.

Working alongside a local church’s children’s leadership team to carry out a community VBS. We didn’t lead it. We simply helped train and resource them so they could lead it. This experience gave them ideas about how they could lead one themselves in the future without our help.
Visiting churches for three half-day training sessions for local pastors. To reach one church, we actually walked up a mountain for three miles after our truck got stuck in a river. 30 pastors and church leaders were waiting for us to encourage and train them. At the other two locations 30-40 pastors eagerly awaited our time with them.
Training a group of about 80 pastors and leaders in an intensive 3-day training session focusing on leadership skills.
Working with the men’s leadership at a local church to carry out a men’s retreat that included 25 believers and 25 unbelievers. 23 of those man came to faith during the retreat. Amazing.

By focusing on leadership development, we leveraged our short time there by pouring into the pastors themselves. All together, we served about 150 pastors that represented conservatively over 8,000 people in their churches.
Here’s what I learned.

Where there is a will there is a way.
- You won’t find Wal-marts or Christian bookstores in Cuba. Neither do Cubans enjoy the convenience of Amazon.com. Few stores are available for simple supplies that we often take for granted (like crayons for the kid’s ministry). But the pastors there find ways to make do with what they have and God has blessed them. The churches are rapidly growing and they have a vision to plant a new church for every 1000 people.
- Question for reflection: Do you let obstacles hinder your vision or do you find a way?
Limited resources made them appreciate even the small things.
- As part of the intense 3-day training, the pastors took a final exam and created a 90-day action plan where they recorded what they would apply during the next 90 days. I brought a few extra single sheet paper copies that I offered to them if they wanted them. They quickly snatched them up because even finding paper is difficult in Cuba. A simple piece of paper, even with copy already on it would get used in some way.
- Question for reflection: Have you lost appreciation for the small things God has provided for your ministry (like internet access, bible resources, and paper)?
Ministry success really does rise and fall on leadership.
- The church in Cuba has dramatically grown the last decade or so. The denomination we worked with has prioritized a well-organized leadership development plan that includes a seminary, extension sites, in-church computer labs with bible software, and on-going training through intense seminars like the one I taught. They recognize that leadership is a powerful lever to move Kingdom purposes forward.
- Question for reflection: Do you have a leadership development plan at your church?
I’m not sure I really know what sacrifice is.
- This is my second trip serving pastors in Cuba. I used to think that since I’m an American serving in Canada I was making a great sacrifice for the Kingdom. After spending time with Cuban pastors, however, my ‘sacrifice’ pales into insignificance. The pastors at the 3-day intensive slept in non-airconditioned rooms with little air flow. Yet, they were alert and hungry to learn each day.
- Question for reflection: Do you ever feel sorry for yourself that ministry is a ‘sacrifice’ rather than a privilege?

As our church considers making ministry to Cuba a permanent part of our focus, I look forward to continuing to learn from a passionate group of leaders who love Jesus in difficult circumstances.
If you have experienced cross-cultural ministry, what have you learned?
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15 Reasons Why Top Church Volunteers Quit

I had a troubling conversation with one of the best church volunteers I know. After faithfully serving in his role for over 15 years, he is strongly considering resigning his position.
Though sometimes a good idea, mostly when great volunteers resign their positions it is one of the most tragic and avoidable things that can happen at a church. Sadly, when great volunteers leave a position, they often leave their church as well. They feel they have no other options. This is something pastors and church leaders must aggressively address.
Operating under the condition of anonymity, he allowed me to capture his thoughts and pass them along to you for the purpose of helping churches better serve their volunteers and helping to prevent burnout.

No Return On Investment – Volunteers must constantly be reminded what they do matters. He said, “I don’t think I’m getting a return on my investment.”
No Life Change – One of the roles of church leadership is to constantly tell stories of life change currently happening as a result of their volunteers. He said, “I don’t sense I’m making an eternal impact and I don’t know what I’m doing is impactful for today.”
No Difference – He added, “I feel like if I’m there or not it doesn’t make any difference.”
No Desire – Do your volunteers look forward to serving? Are they excited about what God can do in and through their lives? My heart sank when he said, “I just feel burnt out. I just want to go sit down.”
No Breaks – 15 years is a long time to serve. Churches need to be monitoring the emotional health of their volunteers. He said, “It may just be time to take a break. I don’t need permission. I’ll just tell them I quit.”
No Attachment To Vision – One of the most important things church leadership can do is connect the dots from volunteer positions to the fulfillment of mission and vision. He admitted, “Some of it may be my attitude toward the church’s direction and leadership.”
No Appreciation – In some churches, it is simply ministry malpractice how we use our volunteers rather than serve them. Pastors, are you aggressively communicating appreciation for your volunteers? Unbelievably, his shoulders sank and said, “Brian, in 15 years of serving, only one person has told me ‘Thank You.'”
No Community – One of the reasons people volunteer is they are looking for friends. He went on, “Maybe it would be better if we prayed together or something. There is no relational component to what we’re doing.”
No Direction – I want to stress this is a Godly man who knows serving in his church is about God’s glory and not his personal fulfillment. He points out, “Maybe this is God just moving me on to serving somewhere else.”
No Urgency – As I spoke with this gentleman I realized there was simply no longer a sense of urgency related in his ministry.
No Respect – In frustration he said, “The departmental head makes me feel valued. He gives them space to do what I want to do. The people don’t value what I do.” Note – Senior pastors are responsible for owning this. People are a picture of the leader. It should be a core value at a church that their mantra is “This is how much we value volunteers. This is what we think of volunteers. This is what we do for volunteers. This is how we treat volunteers. This is how we serve volunteers…etc” And it starts with the senior pastor.
No Future – Pastors and church leaders must paint a picture of growth for their volunteers. He said, “It’s not a self-esteem issue but I’ve come to a dead end and I don’t know how to extend the road.”
No Emotional Attachment – Some people will tell you, “My heart’s just not in this anymore.” He said, “Part of me is sad because I’ve done it for so long but part of it is I’m not even disappointed.”
No Margin – The last six months have been a difficult stretch personally, professionally, financially, and from a health perspective for this individual. Because of these challenges, he will fall through the cracks at many churches. The scary question, though, is how many volunteers in our churches are also at-risk because of similar issues? We must have personal relationships with our volunteers and know what challenges they are facing outside of church.
No Chance – He concluded, “Two weeks on and two weeks off wouldn’t make a difference. It’s not that kind of burnout. It’s a “I’m done” burnout.”

Pastors and church leaders, what are your thoughts of this interview and the subject of volunteer burnout as a whole? Do his thoughts compel you to take some form of action?

Sunday, November 6, 2016

The Leadership Genius Of Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban

Fox Sports’ Joe Klatt recently made an interesting observation. He said and I’m paraphrasing, “We are wasting Nick Saban on coaching. He needs to be doing something like running for president.” What Joe was saying is Nick’s philosophy of leadership, organizational capabilities, personnel development, commitment to excellence, and legendary process are at a historic level and applicable to any field of endeavor.
In two recent ESPN’s College Gameday interviews, Coach Saban demonstrated his leadership greatness. The following are 8 leadership quotes and lessons from the 5-time national championship coach I gleaned from those conversations:
ESPN College Gameday October 22nd

Coach Saban Instills Confidence In His Players – Regarding freshman quarterback Jalen Hurst, Saban said, “He won the team early on because the team had a lot of confidence in his ability.”
Coach Saban Places A High Value On Consistency And Fundamentals – He said, “Eddie (Jackson) got to be the punt returner because he was the most consistent guy catching the ball.”
Coach Saban Pays The Personal Price Needed For Success – Saban added, “Everyday about the same time (I arrive to work) 7:00, 7:15 (AM) and most days except Wednesday and Thursday it’s after 10:00 (PM) when you get home.”
Coach Saban Never Arrives – Regarding what he does to unwind, Saban said, “Well, really nothing during the season. You have to look at the season it’s almost like climbing a mountain. Not everybody reaches the top. Few people that reach the top can stay on top. But the thing that everybody realizes that’s on top is you got to keep climbing. Those people can never arrive. You got to keep grinding. That’s what we do during the season.”
Coach Saban Has Built A Team Of Great Leaders Around Him – He said, “We have a very, very good staff…We try to setup an organizational process where everybody knows exactly what we have to do each minute of the week.”
Coach Saban Places A High Value On Preparation – He concludes, “The way we approach competition – We don’t talk a lot about winning. We talk a lot about what do you have to do to play your best on a consistent basis. That’s what going to benefit you the most as a player. That’s what’s going to benefit the team the most. That’s what we try to get the players to do. Focus on a high standard of consistency in their play and understanding they never arrived. That the season is a grind. It’s a long haul and you have to be prepared and ready to play every week.”

College Gameday November 5th

Coach Saban Creates Opportunity For Others – Regarding star player Eddie Jackson’s injury, Coach Saban said, “It creates an opportunity for somebody else.”
“The big thing is not to focus on expectation but what happens on the next play.” This is a HUGE statement by Coach Saban because it provides four lessons. How to manage expectations. What to place appropriate focus on. Living in the moment. Understanding overall success comes from maximizing a series of individual moments.

Coach Saban is simply one of my favorite leaders. Anytime he speaks, I have my notepad ready because he makes me smarter. What is one thing you learned from these quotes which will make you a better leader?

Saturday, November 5, 2016

10 Reasons Pastoral Successions Fail

By Pete Scazzero • November 3, 2016

“Pastoral successions force us to wrestle with our deep fears. Will God take care of me? Will I be betrayed?”

Robert A. Caro’s towering biography, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Passage of Power, offers a penetrating insight about power and leadership:
Although the cliché says that power always corrupts, what is seldom said, but what is equally true, is that power always reveals. When a man is climbing, trying to persuade others to give him power, concealment is necessary: to hide traits that might make others reluctant to give him power, to hide also what he wants to do with that power; if men recognized the traits or realized the aims, they might refuse to give him what he wants. But as a man obtains more power, camouflage is less necessary. The curtain begins to rise. The revealing begins.
Nothing reveals our character like succession and transitions. It reveals not just the character of the senior pastor or CEO, but the board, the senior staff and the congregation. Why? Because power always reveals.
After the publication of our New Life succession story in the final chapter of The Emotionally Healthy Leader, I have spoken with a steady stream of churches, superintendents and business leaders about large transitions such as succession. The following is my list of “beneath the iceberg” topics that must be addressed in any strategic process for a successful outcome.

1. Fear

This process forces us to wrestle with our deep fears. Will God take care of me? Will I be betrayed? Will I be seen as a loser? How will I be remembered? The list is endless, depending on the negative scripts of your family of origin. All of these will surface in the fiery crucible of a serious transition.

2. Loss of Control

Will things fall apart? What if the wrong person is chosen? What if I get hurt? Transitions are a letting go, a crucifixion, a free fall of trust into the loving arms of God.

3. Power

Most senior leaders I meet are not aware of the enormity of their power. As a result, they unconsciously undercut or damage this very fragile process.

4. Misplaced Identity

Our identity easily becomes fused to our role, especially for senior leaders. This is natural and normal, especially after many years. Transition and successions, however, cut that link in a way that is only understood by looking at our crucified God.

5. Lack of a Loving Union

Our life is Jesus, not our leadership. This relationship of loving union, of drinking of him as our living water, of feasting on him as our bread of life will need to be deepened through any transition process.

6. Lack of Vision

We are stewards of God’s church, interim leaders who are passing away. The people, resources, gifts, history and particular charism given to an organization or church belong to God—not us. Our task is to peer 10 to 30 years into the future, to pass the torch to the next generation and to ensure the ministry expands at our departure.

7. Grief and Loss

This process plunges both the person transitioning and an entire church or organization into a disorienting process of pain that we prefer to avoid. Who likes grief and loss? An awareness of our tendency to repress or medicate ourselves with distractions during this time is indispensable.

8. Laziness

It is much easier to leave and move on to a new pasture, rather than guide a complex organization like a church through a healthy process—especially as things inevitably become messy and painful. Succession and transitions are always very hard work.

9. Narcissism

We each have an underlying tendency to think we are more important and indispensable than we are. (I am not referring to a DSM-5 level of pathology). M. Scott Peck said it best: “Learning to grow out of our narcissism is the core of the spiritual journey.” Few events in life reveal and break hidden narcissistic and grandiose levels in us than a transition or succession process.

10. Unbelief

For those of us who are baby boomers, it is essential that we be thinking about handing over power and mentoring the generations behind us. This requires faith. It has rightly been said that the sin beneath all sin is unbelief, a refusal to trust Jesus and his voice. But if we will trust him, we find that miracles and resurrections will abound all around us.
Andy Crouch has said it best: “It is hard to think of many things that do more damage to an organization than leaders who have no plan for how they will hand over power.”
Pete Scazzero is the founder of New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York, and the author of two best-selling books: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and The Emotionally Healthy Church. This story was originally posted on Scazzero’s blog at EmotionallyHealthy.org.

When Your Ministry Lacks a Heart for Mission

By Doug Logan • November 3, 2016

“How are you going to pump out the toxic idols of Satan’s age-old schemes to cripple and corrupt the people of your city?”

Growing up in Paterson, New Jersey, I often saw people walking house-to-house, dressed in suit and tie, even in 100-degree weather, carrying little books and briefcases talking about a god they called “Jehovah.” As a five-year-old kid I learned that they were called Jehovah’s Witnesses. A sad reality in the inner city was that when they would come to the house we would lock the door, hide, and pretend we weren’t home instead of engaging them with truth and love. They would leave pamphlets about Jehovah’s coming and how to live like Jehovah. How there are 144,000 that are going to go to heaven, as well as information about their publication The Watchtower. You could be one of the 144,000 if you placed your allegiance to their hall, which was their picture of Jehovah’s world, what they called Kingdom Hall.
For years, they would consistently, intentionally, and aggressively knock, seeking to communicate Jehovah’s return and the need to commit our lives to living for Jehovah. I realize that my five-year-old understanding of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is somewhat inaccurate, but nonetheless my take-home question was what puzzled me the most: why didn’t we go tell people that they should live for Jesus at my African American Baptist Church? We prayed to Jesus, we worshiped Him, and we sang songs about Him, yet none of my Christian friends, their parents, deacons, preachers, nor even the Logan household would go aggressively and intentionally tell people to get ready for Jesus’ return.
Remembering this contrast in my own church growing up, and even as I became a pastor myself, I realized that I saw my Christianity primarily flowing out of “insider life.” Everything was done inside the walls of the church building. The people who weren’t Christians were considered “them people,” but we were “God’s people.” So I was always taught not to be like those wicked people out there, but to be like these holy people in here. What kept coming back to my mind as a young, churchgoing kid was, “How come we don’t tell them wicked people about Jesus so that they might become holy people, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses do?”
Poor strategy affected my ministry as I began my career as a thirty-two-year-old minister at a small Plymouth Brethren Church in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. I was utterly dumbfounded as to how I was going to grow this church. I began to invite my friends to come and join us. When two or three did, it still left me with only twenty-three people. I was forced to figure out how in the world I was going to grow a church for the glory of God. I soon realized that I had not been taught how to missionally engage a community with the gospel for the purpose of seeing the lost become found in Christ, and helping them to grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.
I was clueless, and I realized I had an unclear definition of missional engagement and discipleship. I had clearly not experienced either of these things through training at my former church.
As I began to look back, I wondered if there had ever been an emphasis to reach the lost in our preaching, in our singing, and in our ministry. All this affected my preaching, my teaching, my disciple-making, and particularly my view and practice of evangelism.
By God’s grace, the clarification of what was missing came to me one day while I was listening to the song “Ain’t Nobody Worryin’” by Anthony Hamilton. Anthony is a soul and R&B singer from Charlotte. He sings earnestly and beautifully about the problems facing his community. He sings of gunshots, sirens, death, suffering, homelessness, hunger, poverty, poor education, crime, unemployment, and yet “ain’t nobody worryin’.”
When Anthony Hamilton sings of the pain of his neighborhood, he does not use his imagination. The children dying, the mothers crying, the rampant strife on the street—these are not conjured up images that came to him in a dream. Rather, they are real concerns of real people. He sings about the pain of his block because he knows the pain on his block. In just the same manner, the church, when it seeks to engage and agonize over its community, must know the community intimately.
Suddenly the missing component of my ministry dawned on me. My ministry lacked the appropriate sense of agony. Agony for the community into which I had entered. Agony for my neighbors who were suffering and broken. Agony over my willingness to be comfortably distant.
For all my theoretical learning, the great Christian truths I had learned, my ministry lacked heart. I was on an abstract mission, not one that actually reached into communities with the appropriate love and care it requires. Though I sought to reach the least, the last, and the lost through the gospel, I was emotionally disconnected. I did not experience the community’s pain, nor did I personally invest myself in its healing and salvation.
Mission does not simply amount to a profession of theological truths in new contexts. We cannot hope for the mere intellectual salvation of community members, abstractly hoping that they will hear our speeches and come to Christ. Instead, we must enter into communities physically and emotionally. We must enter into their suffering and speak the gospel into their individual, broken contexts. We cannot effectively serve broken people and bring them the gospel unless we know their brokenness.<--nextpage-->
This realization motivated me to expand my understanding of the gospel ministry in the urban context. The practice of urban missions is extremely difficult. Urban communities face the relentless terrors of senseless violence, broken families, poor education, and inadequate housing. How does one enter into a fully orbed mission in such a context? I believe the answer begins with a commitment to engage in a ministry that is marked by agony— that feels the pain, confusion and darkness of the community it desires to see saved. It is a love for our communities that follows the example of the empathetic love of Jesus.
Urban ministry will not succeed if we continue to make the false dichotomy between them people out there and us people in here. It must be all of us together, feeling each other’s pain, carrying each other’s burdens, agonizing in the trenches of real life battles and suffering, caring deeply for one another.
In a city such as Camden, flooded with idols—immersed, swamped, saturated with every god but Jesus—how do you plan on living out the gospel in the community? It is a community that is hostile to the true and living God, and thus, hostile to one another as well. How are you going to pump out the toxic and acidic idols of Satan’s age-old schemes to cripple and corrupt the people of your city?

Scottie

Scottie had spent time in jail for felonies. When he got out, he was invited regularly to Epiphany Philly, where I previously served as a pastor and out of which I planted. He was not into it at all, but because he was trying to do better and, as he would say, trying to be positive, he did visit. Scottie’s brother and sister came with me as part of my original launch team coming out of Epiphany Philly and planting in Camden. His brother and sister continued inviting him, so Scottie finally came over one day to my yard and saw that the growing congregation was just loaded with people from Camden. It was interesting for him so he would hang around. I shared the gospel with him, asking him about receiving Christ but he kept saying, “Nah, I’m good. I love what y’all are doing but that’s for y’all, not for me.”
However, he came to the official launch worship service. The next morning, Scottie knocked on my door and asked if he could talk with me. As exhausted as I was, I invited him in and asked him, “What’s on your heart, brother?” He said, “Man, I received the Lord yesterday. The message pierced my heart. I want to walk with Jesus, and I want to walk with y’all. Tell me what I need to do. I’m looking for a wife and I’m saving my money. I’m about to get a house and get my life together.” I rejoiced with him. And when he told me he played the guitar, I told him, “Walk with Pastor T.” We do what we call synchronized discipleship; if you’re a worship team type I’m going to put you with my worship pastor. So Pastor T and I walked with Scottie for several months. He grew in leaps and bounds and played the guitar for the church. A short time later, he came to me desiring to marry a young lady in our church. She was like a daughter to me, and I gave him the green light to have the conversation with her. She said yes, and they were married. In addition, he was ordained as a deacon because he was serving viably and actively. So within six years of his receiving Christ, Scottie was baptized, got married, and ordained as a deacon. He continues to walk in discipleship and also disciples others on the worship team. He and his wife are also a mentoring couple for newly married couples.
Prior to his coming to the Lord, Scottie saw God as a power but not the power; he seemed to see God but did not see God high and lifted up. Scottie always had a decent respect and view of God, but what I didn’t get from him initially was that he didn’t see God as ultimate; he saw God as great and good, but not ultimate. My prayer for Scottie from the get-go was that he would see there is no God in positive living, and that he would only see Christ high and lifted up and mighty to save. I wanted Scottie to see his deep need for a Savior. I wanted him to realize that his sins had separated him from God and he needed Christ to save him, not just some so-called “positivity.” Once he came to that launch worship service where there was celebration and exaltation and preaching—Scottie eventually conveyed to me, “Man, I never saw God like that. Pastor Doug, it was crazy. The Lord just kept messing in my heart and, man, He just saved me. And I was rejoicing.”
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Doug Logan serves as founder and lead pastor of Epiphany Bible Fellowship Church of Camden. He is an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and serves on the boards of Thriving and Acts 29, two church-planting networks.

23 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is a visual masterpiece! Stunning! If you enjoyed The Matrix you will enjoy this movie. Sometimes it felt like a little visually overwhelming but when the movie was over I really enjoyed it.
Doctor Strange is the story of Dr. Stephen Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and his journey from hubris to living a life serving others. And of course saving the world in the process.
The following are 23 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Doctor Strange:

Purity Is Attractive – There is no profanity or nudity in this movie and it was not missed at all. Thank you Marvel!!!
The Danger Of Hubris – Doctor Strange’s arrogance really had no limits prior to his automobile accident. His crash and fall from grace were inevitable. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” – Proverbs 16:18
People Follow Competent Leaders – After performing successful life-saving surgery on a patient soon to be pronounced dead, Strange told fellow doctor Christine Palmer, played by Rachel McAdams, “You had a second opinion. You needed a competent one.”
Successful Leaders Are All About Others – Palmer responded, “Steven, everything is about you.”
Success Can Take A Lifetime To Build But Be Lost At A Moment In Time – Dr. Strange lost his career as a neurosurgeon in a single car accident. We are all one moment away from having a career or life-altering situation.
Leaders Are Always Looking For Opportunities – After his accident and looking for any cure to nerve damage and structural injuries to his hands, Strange said, “All I need is possible.”
Leaders Should Never Make Work Their Entire Life – Palmer reminded an injured Strange, “Life without work is still life.”
Leaders must pay the heavy price of effort and persistence to do something great. – Strange went on a long, costly and difficult journey to search for a cure.
Humor Is A Leader’s Friend – What makes Marvel films so enjoyable is the appropriate use of humor. Humor is so disarming and lightens tense situations. Just wonderful.
Leaders Must Always Strive To See The Big Picture – Being consumed by day-to-day challenges can limit the capacity and understanding of leaders. A central figure called The Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton, told Strange, “You’re a man looking through a key hole trying to widen the key hole.”
Leaders Are Readers – Strange developed a new set of skills primarily through a voluminous amount of reading ancient books.
Optimism And A Positive Attitude Are Two Qualities The Greatest Leaders Possess – The Ancient One added, “We never lose our demons. We only learn to live above them.”
Surrender And Humility Are Necessary For Sustainable Leadership – She added, “You cannot beat a river into submission. You surrender to it…Silence your ego. Surrender.”
Leaders Either Prepare For The Future Or Repair The Past – During a combat practice session, Mordo, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, told Strange, “Fight like your life depends on it because one day it may.”
Everyone searches for eternal life – All of the movie’s characters, whether protagonist or antagonist, were searching for eternal life. Some in very wrong places.
Two lies Satan has used since the beginning of time – God did not say that and you can be a God yourself.
“No one can control death.” The Bible says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” – Hebrews 9:27
“He deceives you. His eternal life is not paradise but torment.” – These were the words spoken by The Ancient One to Doctor Strange. I am reminded of the words of Jesus in Romans 6:23, “The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. But I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Leadership Is All About Others – The Ancient One’s final words to Strange were, “Your arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest lesson of all – it’s not about you.”
Successful Leaders Think Outside The Box – After defeating the evil Kaecilius, Doctor Strange said, “Sometimes you must break the rules to serve a greater good.”
“Death is what gives life meaning – To know your days are numbered.” – As a result, successful leaders take advantage of every opportunity and make each moment count.
Leaders Will Always Sit Down To A Banquet Of Consequences For The Decisions They Make – Mordo told Doctor Strange as he was severing their relationship, “We broke our rules. The bill comes due. Reckoning.” ***Spoiler*** He will go from being Strange’s closest friend in this film to his primary antagonist in the next one.
Always Leave The Audience Wanting More – As is the Marvel tradition, there are two post movie scenes that will have significant impact in future Marvel films.

Check out Doctor Strange. You will enjoy it. And get ready for the next Thor and Doctor Strange movies. They will be great!

Click HERE or on the image to the left for a FREE copy of my new Ebook 1269 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2016’s Top Christian Leadership Conferences. Featured are the Johnny Hunt Mens Conference, ReThink Leadership, Orange and Leadercast Conferences among others. If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader. Enjoy!!!

Thursday, November 3, 2016

What it Takes to Impact the Whole World

By Pastor Rick Warren

You can’t follow Jesus without going with Jesus.
Since the earliest days of Saddleback Church, servant-leaders have heeded the call to look outward, allowing God to work through them to reach others with the love and hope of Jesus Christ. They’ve done it locally, building relationships in community while meeting basic needs. They’ve done it throughout the United States, providing comfort and care in times of natural disaster. They looked further outward, venturing to all corners of the earth as the hands and feet of Jesus. Thousands of Saddleback members have gone to every nation in the world with the Gospel.
Jesus himself gave us the map for changing the world. In Acts 1:8 he said, “When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and tell the people about me everywhere. In Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” So whether the focus is local or global, servant-leaders, ordinary people empowered by God, will be making a difference together wherever they are.
The only way to impact the whole world is to see the whole church involved – to see every member become a minister and a missionary.
And as you cast and share the vision for every-member ministry and sending every member out on mission, there are three big reasons you must share for why each and every believer needs to become a servant-leader with a vision for impacting their world.

1. Jesus’ mission is your responsibility.

The Bible tells us in Luke 12, Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater. If you’re reading this as a Christian in America, you must realize that this is the most incredibly blessed area on the planet. We are most blessed. One day you’re going to stand before God and God’s going to say, “What did you do with all that talent, network, ability, freedom, all the things that I gave you, your brains, your health? What did you do with that?” We will be held responsible.

2. You have Jesus’ authority.

Jesus has given us the authority to carry out his mission in the world. We have the authority to plant churches that promote reconciliation, equip servant-leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. We quote the Great Commission a lot, but we often leave out the verse right before it. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me; therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” The one with all authority has authorized you to keep on going!

3. The mission will inevitably be completed.

The Bible tells us that history is moving toward a climax. History is not circular. It is linear. It is moving toward an impact. History is his story. God is in control. God created the entire world so that he could create human beings, because he knew that some of them would voluntarily choose to love him and trust him.
This is what God says in Isaiah 14, “I have a plan for the whole world for my mighty power reaches throughout the world. The Lord almighty has spoken, who can change his plan?” The answer is nobody. The Bible tells us, This good news will be preached unto all the world, to every nation, to every tribe and then the end will come.
Here’s the challenge verse, the rallying call. Psalm 67:2 says, Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind. Will you be a part of history? You can impact the entire world.
Learn more about how to implement The PEACE plan in a local church at Saddleback’s website.

Pastor Rick Warren

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America's largest and most influential churches. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book, The Purpose Driven Church, was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick started The PEACE Plan to show the local church how God works through ordinary people to address the five global giants of spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy. You can listen to Daily Hope, Pastor Rick’s daily 25-minute audio teaching, or sign up for his free daily devotionals at PastorRick.com. He is also the founder of Pastors.com, a global online community created to encourage pastors.

Do You Get Nervous Before You Preach?

By H.B. Charles, Jr.

“After you have done all you can do, trust God to do all that you cannot do.”

He waited for me to pause from reviewing my sermon manuscript before the service began. As soon as he saw an opening, he asked, “Do you still get nervous before you preach?”

I answered him emphatically with one word: “Absolutely!”
He was genuinely shocked by my answer. You would assume those who have preached for a long time or who preach regularly eventually get to a place where they are no longer nervous about preaching. Yet even skilled, prepared and experienced preachers get nervous at preaching time. If they do not, they should.
Maybe the most accurate answer to my preaching brother’s question would have been, “Yes and no.”
An unprepared preacher went to the pulpit, asking the Lord to speak to him. As he stood to preach, the Lord spoke to him and said, “You should have studied!” After hearing that story, I determined I don’t want the Lord to speak to me in the pulpit. I want to make sure we are on the same page before I stand to preach.
A prepared and prayerful preacher can stand to preach with confidence. Of course, the preacher should not be prideful, as if he has mastered scripture, is about to deliver the world’s greatest sermon or can determine the outcome of the message. But if you have done your homework on the text, wrote yourself clear and covered the message in believing prayer, you can and should go to the pulpit with confidence.
After you have done all you can do, trust God to do all you cannot do. You should give God your best in sermon preparation, so that you can mount the pulpit with humble confidence. But that still won’t free you from a real sense of fearfulness as you prepare to preach.
No matter how well I have prepared, I cannot escape the reality that the sermon is doomed to fail if the Lord does not help me. It creates a healthy sense of nervousness, even neediness, as I approach the preaching moment. This is one of the reasons why I typically pray publicly before I start the message. I usually cannot shake my pre-sermon anxieties until I have offered the prayer.
Beyond the message itself, the preacher should feel the weight of his duty and privilege to preach the word of God. Christian preaching is not a “talk” given to an audience. It is a call to salvation from the only lifeboat to shipwrecked passengers in troubled waters. We are not “life-coaches” offering people good advice, helpful hints or motivational speeches. We are heralds on assignment to declare the message of the King. This divine charge should make you nervous to speak the word faithfully, clearly and unapologetically.
As one of my father’s associate ministers prepared to preach, he confessed he was very nervous. “Good,” was my dad’s reply. “And when you stop getting nervous before you preach, you should stop preaching.”
Do you get nervous before you preach?

H.B. Charles, Jr.

H.B. Charles, Jr. is a pastor, speaker, and writer. He lives with his wife and children in Jacksonville (FL), where he serves as the Senior-Pastor of the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.

H.B. on ChurchLeaders H.B.'s Website