Leadership & Market Place Ministry

Friday, April 3, 2015

5 Gifts That Will Greatly Bless Your Pastor

By Ron Edmondson

In this post, I want to share some gifts you can give your pastor.
How’s that for a self-serving post?
Those from the church where I serve as pastor should read this post knowing I minister to hundreds of pastors every month. In my latest blog survey, over 50 percent of my readers are in vocational ministry. But even more important, only about 10 percent of my readers actually know me personally. So, this is not a personal plea. It’s written for the hopeful benefit of others. Thanks for being the kind of church that—for the most part—protects the pastor.
Most churches love to bless their pastor. I get asked frequently how the church can help me.
To be a pastor of a local church is a privilege and a high honor. But it’s the hardest work I’ve ever done.

Here are five gifts you can give your pastor:

1. Your understanding of time
Acts 6:1-2, Ephesians 5:31 (applies to the pastor’s marriage too)
The pastor needs time away from the ministerial responsibilities and activities of the church so that he can commit time to his family and to the ministry of the Word of God. Every activity done in the church is important, according to God’s Word, but the primary responsibility of the pastor is to teach God’s Word. I have witnessed so many pastors who burn out because too many demands are placed upon them. If there is a social or an activity in the church or among its people, most people expect the pastor to always be there. There is often little consideration of the fact that the pastor needs time with his family; and certainly time to prepare the message of God’s Word.
If you want your pastor to be prepared to deliver God’s message of the week to you, and if you want his family to be strong enough that he can model family life for you, then give him time alone with God during the week. Make sure he has time to study and for his family. Too many demands on his time will make a very stressed out pastor!
2. Your financial partnership
1 Corinthians 9:11-12
Your pastor needs to be personally supported financially and needs your partnership in funding the mission of the church.
I haven’t met any strong, biblical pastors who don’t realize that the ministry is a sacrifice. Most pastors don’t expect to be wealthy. Most pastors know that the ministry is a life of faith, even in the area of finances. They shouldn’t, however, have to beg for support. The burden of support should be on those receiving the ministry.
Operating any size church takes resources. The stress of “fundraising” on a pastor usually is outside of their comfort zone and expertise. What a blessing it is to a pastor when people willingly sacrifice to fund the vision!
3. Your personal support
2 Timothy 4:16-17
Paul knew what it felt like to feel all alone. It’s a scary feeling. Many pastors today know that feeling. Of course, God is “our refuge and strength and ever present help in time of trouble,” but the pastor needs to know that he has the support of a few people. There need to be some people he can always depend on to encourage him in his daily walk with the Lord.
I want you to know that being a pastor is sometimes a lonely place to be. God has given us human relationships in order that we might provide physical strength and encouragement to each other to help us along life’s journey. The pastor often feels left out of this plan. Please don’t let that happen to your pastor!
If your pastor has an idea for the church, support him unless you have a better idea or what the pastor is proposing is unbiblical. Be willing to not only voice your support but provide physical, financial and moral support to the pastor’s plan. Be a physical encourager by complimenting the pastor, praying for him, sending him an occasional note or email, and simply putting an arm around him and saying “thanks.” Don’t forget to encourage his family as well.
Our pastors need our support. They need to know we care. They need encouragement. There has never been a more stressful time to be a pastor than in the world today. Tell yours you care about him (or her) today!
4. Your unconditional love
Philemon 7
Your pastor needs you to love him … even when he makes mistakes.
Do you love your pastor? Do you thank God for the person God has sent to lead your church? Here’s a more important question: Does your pastor know of your love?
By the way, that will be evidenced by your actions more than your words.
I can tell you that there are many pastors today that wonder if anyone cares for them. Most pastors hear far more complaints than they hear encouragement. Everyone always shares burdens with the pastor, but few people stop just to share love with their pastor.
Have you figured out yet that your pastor is not perfect? Your pastor is a flawed individual, just like you are, who God has appointed to shepherd your church. Many times they didn’t even ask God for the assignment but are simply trying to be obedient to God’s call upon their life. Can’t you just love a person like that? They may have put their career objectives on hold just so they could do God’s will and minister to you! Have you ever thought about it like that?
Why not think of how you can show your love for your pastor today?
5. Your growth spiritually
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
The greatest compliment you can give to your pastor is to personally be growing spiritually. If you want to really get your pastor excited, let them see you excited about your relationship with Christ.
The pastor’s job is to help you become more like Jesus. A pastor is assigned by God to shepherd the church, equipping the saints to do the work of the church. The pastor is not the doer as much as the the equipper. (If that’s not a word let’s make it one.) The pastor should be building people who are doing God’s work in the church, the community and around the world.
That’s the pastor’s part, but how is the pastor successful in their work?
When people are doing their part: growing in the Lord, doing the work of the church. The catch is this. The pastor can’t make you do your part. They can’t force you to be molded into the image of Christ. They can’t demand that you obey the Word of God. They can only encourage, teach, pray and lead by example, but you’ll never be made to do what you are not willing to do.
Give your pastor a great gift. Grow in your Christian walk!
Pastors, any other gifts come to mind?

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/

19 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Man Who Has Read EVERY John Maxwell Book

People who know me know John Maxwell is my spiritual hero. One of the great joys of my life was getting to work for him for several years. I can name all 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership backwards in alphabetical order. Well, not really but close. But I have met my match.
One of my favorite Christian leaders is Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. In the March 30th edition of Sports Illustrated, writer Albert Chen profiled Hurdle focusing on the areas of leadership and change management. Hurdle’s passion for leadership is demonstrated by the fact he has read EVERY book (50+) written by John Maxwell.
The following are 19 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Man Who Has Read EVERY John Maxwell Book:

Great Leaders Have High Intelligence – Hurdle can discuss a multitude of topics from Shakespeare to the intricacies of baseball strategy.
Great Leaders Are Readers – Hurdle carries a minimum of four books with him on each road trip. These books rarely have anything to do with baseball.
Great Leaders Are Experts At Their Craft – Hurdle has studied all scouting reports and analytical studies presented to him.
Great Leaders Question Assumptions – Hurdle is currently studying successful NBA and NHL teams regarding the impact of limiting player minutes.
Great Leaders Stay Ahead Of The Curve – Hurdle says, “As an organization we always have to be seeking out new and creative ways to stay ahead of the curve.”
Great Leaders Have Previously Failed – A highly rated prospect coming into the league as a player, Hurdle’s ego and attitude helped push him out of the game in just five years.
Great Leaders Do Not Waste Time Or Opportunity – There is a sign in the Pirates office attributed to Bill Murray, “We do not have time to waste another day.”
Great Leaders Surrender To Innovation – The Pirates have embraced analytics, creative defensive shifts and platoon systems.
Great Leaders Invest In The Next Generation Of Leaders – The Pirates have one of baseball’s best minor league systems and a strong presence in Latin America.
Great Leaders Value Unity – One of the most important ingredients of the team’s success is the unity which exists between the executive office and coaching staff.
Great Leaders Make Hard Decisions – Upon his hiring, 38-year-old general manager Neal Huntington made extensive overhauls in all areas of personnel.
Great Leaders Evaluate Reality – Hurdle had to, “recognize that there was a way the game was going, and it was going to go with me or without me.”
Great Leaders Do More With Less – The team’s payroll was 21st out of 30 MLB teams.
Great Leaders Are Committed To Personal Growth – Huntington said, “Clint’s willingness to learn is one of his great strengths.” As previously noted, Hurdle has read EVERY John Maxwell leadership book.
Great Leaders Make Everyone Else Better – Huntington continues, “He’s (Hurdle) always hungering to find ways to make everyone better.”
Great Leaders See Leadership Everywhere – Hurdle humorously but accurately observes, “Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz was one of the great all-time leaders…She took three people that were missing something and had them look back inside themselves to find something they thought they never had. She wanted to go home, that was mission No. 1, but in the end it was all about everyone else.”
Great Leaders Care About Their People’s Lives Outside Of Work – Huntington observes, “Things that take place before seven o-clock (start of the game) and after 10 o-clock (end of the game) are more important than actually what happens during a game.”
Great Leaders Are Great Motivators – Huntington concludes, “There are a lot of people who could manage baseball games and make tactical decisions, but the ability to understand how to reach different players, motivate a staff and work with a front office and ownership and the media (like Hurdle), not many can do that.”
Great Leaders Are Always Looking Ahead – One of Hurdle’s favorite quotes comes from legendary UCLA head coach John Wooden, “When your past becomes more significant than your future, you’re done.”

Whether you lead a church, business, non-profit or athletic team, the Pirates and their manager Clint Hurdle are a team you can learn from. Pay attention to this team! I’m hoping they win the World Series.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

7 Intangible, Seemingly Unproductive Actions Valuable in Leadership

By Ron Edmondson

Much of what a leader does can seem unproductive at times.

For someone wired for production—progress,checklist completion—even wasted.
I’ll admit, even though I know this in my leadership knowledge, I have to discipline myself to practice them sometimes.
Yet, every good leader I know specializes in intangible actions that don’t always produce visible, immediate results.
In fact, these actions are probably the most productive part of their work.
In order for the team to thrive, there are things that may seem unproductive that the leader must spend time doing.
Let me share some examples from my own leadership.

Here are seven intangible things I try to do each day:

Praying. Did I need to share that one? And yet, I do. For my reminder and most leaders I know. Yes, even pastors. We can get so busy making decisions, putting out fires and handling routines that we fail to stop and pray. What could be happening in our leadership if we spent more time praying? (That’s a sobering question.)
Thinking. Leader, how much time do you spend just thinking? I’m not talking about daydreaming on mindless things, but this intangible action could also be titled dreaming. I’m talking about disciplined thinking about where we are, where we are going, what’s working, what’s not working. I need those times every single day. Often new ideas hit me in the shower or driving in my car, but many times new ideas are only shaped and realized when I set aside quantity time to brainstorm.
Reading. I don’t know why—even as I teach these principles—it has always made me feel uncomfortable when someone who works with me finds me reading a magazine or a book. I feel so unproductive. But I know the more responsibility a leader assumes, the more important it is that he or she be exposed to new ideas and thoughts. Leaders are readers. I don’t always get something I can immediately put into practice, but my mind is stretched and my thoughts are energized. Valuable. Gold in many cases. (As a practice, I try to read one chapter a day from some book—other than the Bible.)
Investing. Helping others succeed is what leaders do best. Sometimes leadership is as simple as believing in others more than they believe in themselves. I have to remember also that I’m into Kingdom-building, not only church building, so investing in other pastors—even those not on our team—is a part of what I have been called to do. And, it should be noted, investing is not just talking. Leaders, in my opinion, do too much of that at times. It’s also listening to others and learning from them or at least learning them.
Networking. Some of the greatest doors of opportunity as a church have opened because of networking. Honestly, that is one thing that has made Twitter valuable in leadership. Quick connections with peers. The greater a leader’s success is often directly related to the strength and size of their network.
Walking. Several times daily, if I’m in the office, I walk through our building. I see people. They have a chance to ask me questions, interact with me and even share a concern. It’s amazing how this action—which many times may not produce anything tangible immediately—seems to endear people to my leadership. Leaders need to be present. Visible. Even accessible to the point they can be.
Planning. I saved this one for last and I almost said meeting, but that’s a very tangible action. But let’s be honest, meetings can also seem unproductive. I read the books and blogs about eliminating meetings—and I’m all about it when possible—but the fact is, a team has to meet occasionally. The problem in my opinion isn’t the meeting as much as the meetings where nothing is accomplished. Even planning may seem unproductive—even wasted—for those who are most wired for production. Many would rather do than plan to do. But preparation, while it may seem unnecessary in the process, makes success more attainable. Some of the best leaders I know personally are military leaders. Ask them how much preparation and planning they want their teams to have before encountering the enemy.
Depending on your wiring, some of these may seem unproductive at the time. That’s especially true for me when I get back to my desk and face dozens of unanswered emails, but successful leadership demands that we spend time investing in the intangible.
In which of these areas do you most need to improve as a leader?

35 Leadership Quotes From John Calipari’s Book Players First

The Kentucky Wildcats mens basketball team is one of the most successful organizations, sports or otherwise, in America today. At the time of this writing, the team is 37-0 and the prohibitive favorites to win the NCAA championship.
I recently finished reading Head Coach John Calipari’s latest book Players First: Coaching From The Inside Out. If you want to learn about staying true to your core values, leading high capacity individuals, continual improvement, and recruiting best practices, then click HERE to order now.
The following are 35 Leadership Quotes From John Calipari’s book Players First to whet your appetite. Coach Calipari’s thoughts are challenging and insightful.

“I coach for the names on the backs of the jerseys – not just the front. My players.”
“In almost all cases, their (the players) dream is to play in the NBA as soon as possible. The more who achieve that goal, the more who want to come here. That’s the way it works. Success breeds more success.”
“None of my players are as ready as they think they are for how we play at Kentucky – let alone ready for the pros – because they have rarely if ever been really pushed.”
“As I became more secure, I liked that I could make my life about everyone but me.”
“Institutions serve people, not the other way around. So as a servant-leader, I measure my success by the success of those whom I’m serving.”
“The art of coaching at this level is about convincing great athletes to change. First we have to get them to accept what they’re not good at…Surrender to our instruction. Surrender to physical conditioning.”
“You want to know what delusional is? I’ve had to say to kids, ‘You’re listening to your barber instead of listening to us.'”
“Practice is where we work on our players’ weaknesses; games are where we show their strengths.”
“A player who is looking for excuses doesn’t want you to put the responsibility on him. It robs him of his best self-justification.”
“When you bring in great players to play with other great players, there’s a multiplier effect, and they up better than they would have been individually. They drive one another in practice.”
“When players combine elite athleticism and great determination, you don’t worry too much about position.”
“If you need someone to be Superman at the end to win games, you’re going to lost games.”
“Thinking about how you would try to beat your own team goes with the job of being a coach.”
“If I’m forced to choose between talent and experience, I’m taking talent every time. You can gain experience and you can add skills, but what’s sometimes called God-given talent is just that.”
“The best players I’ve coached have a demeanor about them that never moves. They have a calmness…Physiology-wise, rage and anger are related to fear.”
“Part of coaching is acting. It’s true of any kind of leadership, whether you’re a CEO, an army general, or a father. Part of the job is that you don’t reveal your own apprehensions.”
“You’re going to make mistakes, just play through them.”
“I had truly gone from the business of basketball to the business of helping families.”
“During the season it’s about team. From the moment our last game ends until the draft, it switches over to being about individual kids.”
“You don’t know if you will win or lose until you do. I don’t give up on kids. I don’t give up on teams. I don’t give up on seasons.”
“Even when we won, I wasn’t fully satisfied, which is how you’re supposed to coach. You’re happy, but you ask for more. You try to get up to the next level.”
“Competition gets you out of bed in the morning. It makes you alive and it makes you better. It reveals the best and the worst in us. You learn whether you can stand up and respond to being challenged, or whether you back down. When you start getting beaten, you either change or you fail.”
“Nothing in my Players First philosophy says that I should protect kids from competition. It’s just the opposite. I serve them by giving them competition.”
“Recruiting is sales. It’s persuasion. But a salesman who’s a fake isn’t a very good salesman – or at least he’s not good at selling to intelligent people.”
“My players have to have the intellect to absorb coaching and the emotional intelligence to be good teammates.”
“The quality I’m looking for in a kid is respect.”
“Classroom smarts and academic achievement relate to what we often call basketball IQ. I always want a kid who’s a good student.”
“The one thing no one on my staff can do is add stuff to my plate…If you’re piling more things on, I may have to let you go.”
“I need people who look at adversity as a challenge and failure as a learning opportunity.”
“If you’re a coach who truly respect the profession, you have to allow yourself to be coached.”
“I’m a collector of coaches, teachers, and mentors. The ones from my younger days I keep in contact with and never let go. And as I get older, I keep finding new ones.”
“You must love the thought of pushing through your comfort level.”
“Do you want to read about history or make history?”
“Honesty and its related quality, trust, are at the very core of my coaching philosophy.”
“Just because you’re a year older doesn’t automatically make you a year better.”

To read more from Coach Calipari on a daily basis, check out his blog at CoachCal.com.

20 Things Leaders Need

Last week I was on the phone with a pastor when he said, “I enjoy your blog. I especially enjoy your Top 10 list at the end of each of week. It helps me cut through the clutter.” His statement gave me tremendous insight into what leaders need. The following is just some of the list:

Leaders need a great team around them.
Leaders need someone to remove clutter.
Leaders need people on their team who ask good questions.
Leaders need people who provide solutions.
Leaders need people to challenge their assumptions.
Leaders need friends they can “be real” with.
Leaders need time to prepare.
Leaders need a quality framework in which to make good decisions.
Leaders need people to stretch their vision.
Leaders need people who have their back.
Leaders need people who get things done.
Leaders need to be calm in challenging times.
Leaders need purpose. A higher calling.
Leaders need to know they are making a difference.
Leaders need others who push them to get better.
Leaders need influence, not titles.
Leaders need to know what the Return On Investment is.
Leaders need to embrace change.
Leaders need something to do next. They need a challenge.
Leaders need Jesus Christ in their lives.

Since this pastor mentioned my weekly Top 10 list, I wanted to reveal The Top 10 Leadership Posts Of March 2014. You will notice the weekly lists are well represented.

The following are six hidden gems which did not make the Top 10. I hope you enjoy them the second time around.

10 Practices Of Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders

Back in the 90’s I had the privilege of being a youth pastor at two different churches. It is where I cut my Christian leadership teeth. After witnessing the behaviors of thousands of teenagers and raising one myself, I have observed the following 10 Practices Of Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders:

Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Love God – They place Jesus Christ as the top priority in their life.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Respect Authority – They listen to their coaches, teachers, pastors and parents.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Hang Around Other Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders – Even for teenagers, John Maxwell’s Law Of The Inner Circle applies. Those closest to the leader determine the success of the leader. Birds of a feather flock together.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Are Readers – Much like adult leaders, teenage leaders are readers.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Are Continual Learners – They are humble enough to know they do not know it all. Furthermore, they know learning is a privilege and a joy.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Embrace Process – They do their homework every day. They work out every day. They practice their craft every day. They read their Bible every day. They even put in extra work. They make every day matter.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Are Servants – Whether it is the poor and under-resourced or even-younger children, Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders are using their position and influences to serve others.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Are Creative – This generation of up-and-coming Christian leaders sees the world through a completely different lens than my generation. And we are all better off because of it.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Are Persistent – They stay with a task until they get it right.
Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders Have Big Vision – Whether it is the internet, events like Passion, growing up in great churches, youth mission trips or any number of other items, today’s generation of teenagers have been exposed to much and have big, God-sized visions. May they achieve them all and more.

What other practices do you see Highly Effective Teenage Christian Leaders doing?

7 Practices Of Your Organization’s Top Performer

Every ministry or organization has a top performer. One who rises above all others. Other than production, what are the practices of those who consistently excel. Do they have traits we can learn from to improve our own performance. The answer is a resounding “Yes!”
In the June 21st, 2010 edition of The Sporting News, Mike Decourcy wrote an interesting article discussing the leadership qualities of the Duke Blue Devils basketball team captain and Most Outstanding Player in that year’s Final Four, Kyle Singler.
With Duke once again involved in this year’s Final Four, I felt it was a good time to revisit what made Singler such an outstanding performer. Whether you are in a church, business, non-profit and athletic organization, these practices will apply to any team member you may have.
The following are 7 Practices Of Your Organization’s Top Performer:

Your Organization’s Top Performer Is Part Of A Leadership Culture – Singler had studied under previous team captains DeMarcus Nelson, Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer, and Lance Thomas.
Your Organization’s Top Performer Are In Authority And Under Authority – Because Singler has stayed all four years, he has specifically learned organization skills and preparation from Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Your Organization’s Top Performer Is A Continual Learner – The main reason he returned to Duke was “to become a better leader and a dominant player voice.”
Your Organization’s Top Performer Sacrifices For The Good Of Others – Because of Duke’s lack of size as a team, Singler played his first two seasons out of his natural small forward position. Great leaders put team success over their personal desires.
Your Organization’s Top Performer Is Low-Maintenance – Assistant Coach Chris Collins noted Singler was constantly doing what was asked. Leader, are you a self-starter? Are you insecure? Are you constantly rebellious? Are you part of the solution or part of the problem?
Your Organization’s Top Performer Is Loyal – Being loyal does not make you a leader. However, being disloyal disqualifies you as one.
Your Organization’s Top Performer Is Never Satisfied – Great leaders understand what made you successful today will not keep you successful tomorrow.

Being Part Of A Leadership Culture, Under Authority, A Continual Learner, Make Sacrifices, Being Low Maintenance, Loyal and Never Satisfied. If you practice these 7 things, you too may be your organization’s top performer.