Leadership & Market Place Ministry

Monday, December 19, 2016

This Is Leadership

What does true leadership look like?

The answer might be simpler and more holistic than you think.

Click here to find out more:
https://www.vergenetwork.org/this-is-leadership/

Grace and peace,

Stew
Founding Director, Verge Network & Conferences

Here’s A Thought: Read The Bible

Dec 14, 2016 02:40 pm | Mike Glenn

From time to time, people will ask for the title of a book they should read to help their faith. They realize that in some areas of their discipleship, they need to deepen their understanding.

For some reason, everyone seems to be surprised by my answer. “Read the Bible.” Whatever book a person may choose to read will always be tested on the anvil of Scripture. The book’s validity will be confirmed or dismissed by the way the authors align their insights to the truth in revealed Scripture.
Yes, there are a lot of books. Yes, there are a lot of good books. I hope you read, and read a lot.
Yet, in NO way does any book replace the Bible in ANY way in the life of the believer. Period.
If you have time to only read one book, read the Bible.
Only the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
Only the Bible is the revealed World of God. What I mean by that is the Bible is where God has chosen to reveal Himself in the witness about God’s greatest revelation—Jesus Christ.
Start with gospels. Read them, and then read them again. Let the words and actions of Jesus be burned into your heart and mind. Know for yourself what Jesus actually said and what He meant in the context of His teachings.
Read the Psalms. Read Proverbs and Romans. Read every book, and then read it again.
God has given us His book. The mysterious wonder of reading Scripture is that we open this Holy Book in the presence of the Author. As we open the Bible, Christ has promised to meet us in our conversation with the text.
Sure, Jesus can do anything He wants, and yes, He can meet you anywhere He wants, but it’s been my experience that Christ meets me—and I meet Him—most consistently when I’m reading my Bible.
So, if you want to know more about Jesus, read the Bible. Want to better understand humanity and yourself? Read the Bible. Want to know the secret to a life well lived? Read the Bible.
Now you have my best suggestion on what book you should read—the Bible. I’ve been reading the Bible almost all of my life and yet, in most ways, I feel like I’m just beginning. Reading the Bible is the most fascinating and life-transforming experience you will ever have.
What are you waiting for? Pick up your Bible and start reading.
The post Here’s A Thought: Read The Bible appeared first on MikeGlennOnline.com.
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The Best Marriage Advice I Ever Received

There is no shortage of leadership advice and suggestions in the world today. In fact, you get a lot on this website. However, for the best marriage advice I ever received, I have to go back to 1990.
Our church was conducting a revival. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that term, a revival is week-long time in the life of a church with its purpose being spiritual renewal. Revivals also had a guest speaker who was the nightly communicator.
The communicator for this particular week was Manley Beasley Jr. One evening he was speaking on marriage when he gave the best leadership advice I ever heard. Manley advised that when a husband and wife have a disagreement, the husband should always back down, apologize, and let the wife win – especially when he is RIGHT!
The reason for this is because this is what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus was right and did absolutely nothing wrong. Yet He took all the blame, all the abuse, all the embarrassment, and paid the ultimate price so the relationship with His bride, the church, could be restored.
Nothing has helped my marriage more over the years than applying this principle. Men, evidently we have a gift for naturally messing up and saying the wrong things. When this happens, just fall on your sword and say you’re sorry. The funny thing is you will not be shedding any new light to your wife or those closest to you. They already know you have messed up.
It is a smart thing to do when you are in a hole stop digging. Some of you need to apologize right now. Even if you think you’re right (and you very well may be), remember what Jesus did on the cross. The pain and embarrassment you will feel will not seem so bad.
If you practice this type of servant leadership, you may have a marriage that stands the test of time.

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!!!

Energy Drinks for the Busy Pastor: Good or Bad?

by Charles Stone

Long before Red Bull was introduced to America in 1987 (and the plethora of energy drinks that followed,) caffeine had become the most widely used stimulant in the world. Over 90% of Americans drink coffee and slightly over half average three cups each day. Caffeine is now added to soft drinks, bottled water, gum, and even potato chips. And a busy pastor often uses energy drinks to keep up. But should we? Are they good or bad?

I don’t like coffee or tea and don’t drink them. And Red Bull and similar energy drinks give me the jitters. I’ve found, however, that 5-Hour Energy works well to boost my concentration. For the record, I don’t work for the makers of 5-Hour Energy. Also, when I study McDonalds, I get a caffeinated diet drink that I refill often when I get tired.
Since we pastors are busy people, to what degree should we rely on legal stimulants to give us a mental edge?
As I researched this blog[1], I found these statistics about caffeine quite interesting.

Brewed coffee has three times more caffeine than instant.
Caffeine in a hot drink is absorbed more quickly than from a cold drink.
15-20 minutes after your drink a caffeinated drink, the caffeine reaches it’s highest peak in your blood stream.
Caffeine increases the feel-good neurotransmitter, dopamine, in our brain. About five minutes after I drink a 5-Hour Energy, I feel a nice motivation and optimism boost. Perhaps this comes from the high levels of B-vitamins more than from the caffeine.
Neurologically, caffeine makes us more alert and focused because it blocks a neurotransmitter called adenosine that causes sleepiness.

On the other hand, scientists have discovered that over-use of caffeine causes some negative effects as well.

It can impair long-term memory.
It can increase anxiety, especially to anxious prone people. I call this the jitters.
We can become addicted, especially if we use it more frequently when we feel stressed.

When I was in college I would occasionally pull an all-nighter. Since I didn’t drink coffee, I’d use a caffeine tablet to keep me awake. Each time I did I got some serious jitters and stomach problems. And I usually got a cold as well, probably because I skipped a night’s sleep.
As a pastor, I’m careful not to become legalistic about what I put into my body, unless I know it will clearly harm it. But, with energy drinks becoming so popular, should we give some thought about how we use them?
As you consider your views on legal stimulants found in coffee and energy drinks, I’ve suggested a few thought provoking questions below.

Are you addicted to caffeine? Can you go a day or two without drinking several cups of coffee, a Red Bull, or a 5-Hour Energy?
Are you masking deep tiredness? By drinking an energy drink are you ignoring that your body may be telling you it’s exhausted and needs more rest and sleep?
Do you practice Sabbath keeping by taking a day off each week to rest, relax, and recover?
Have you considered taking a short nap each day to give you an energy boost? Michael Hyatt wrote a great blog on 5 Reasons You Should Take a Nap each Day.
Can you use caffeine/energy drinks to God’s glory? That is, without being legalistic, does your consumption give you those occasional needed bursts of energy/focus so that you can minister more effectively? Or are you relying more on them than His power and good body care habits?
Are you using energy drinks as a replacement for sleep?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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10 Ways To Make Your Church’s Visitors Feel Welcome This Christmas

Your church will probably have more visitors in your Christmas services than any other time of year. Because of this, it’s critical that you make a great first impression. Our team at Vanderbloemen Search Group has over 190 combined years of ministry experience, and we now spend all of our time meeting with churches and pastors all over the country helping them build great teams. We’ve witnessed first-hand the churches that plan their Christmas service experiences exceptionally well.
Whether you’re a church of 50 or 50,000, here are some of our favorite ways to make your guests feel welcome this Christmas, so that they want to come back.
These are just 10 ways to get you started, but our Ultimate Christmas Planning Ebook for Churches is 46-pages full of practical ideas to make your Christmas services your best yet.

Greeting begins in the parking lot.

The first few minutes of a guest’s experience are critical to the overall visit. Their experience starts when they pull into your church parking lot. Why not add a few extra volunteers this year to help direct and greet visitors as they find parking. Seeing a friendly face before you’re even in the door can make a big impact.

Add special parking for families & visitors.

Many churches have designated parking for guests, but consider adding some extra spaces or even a dedicated drop off area for visiting families with children. Most of the kids coming to your Christmas services will be hopped up on cookies and adrenaline, so ease the stress for parents by giving them extra attention in the parking lot.

Spice up your coffee & greeting stations.

Add a little Christmas cheer to your coffee and greeting stations. This can be as simple as serving hot chocolate and handing out candy canes, or it can be a little more extravagant with festive cookies and special decorations.

Train your holiday greeters.

This seems obvious, but if you don’t usually have greeters at the entrances of the church, be sure they are present at your Christmas services. If you already have them, add more for your Christmas services, and make sure they are your most hospitable and helpful greeters. Place friendly faces at all of your entrances to the church and main worship areas so that that each guest gets a kind and genuine “Hello and Merry Christmas!”

Add additional helpers.

Think through the highest trafficked hallways or confusing areas of your church. Is your Children’s Ministry area hard to find? Do you have a back entrance that new guests sometimes wander in from? These would be great spots to add additional hosts or greeters to help guide visitors to the right spot. Make it obvious who the volunteers are, using nametags, signs, or shirts so that guests know who to go to for help.

Give multiple connection options.

Most churches hope that a percentage of their Christmas visitors will turn into regular attenders. In order to capture as much visitor information as possible, be sure you’re giving them multiple connection options. Some people aren’t inclined to give out their info right away but would love to talk to someone in between services. Others may want the freedom to process things but are open to a follow up email. Remember, everyone is wired differently, so be sure you give guests several different ways to connect during and after the service.

Keep your music broadly appealing.

Keep in mind that visitors may not be regular church attenders or may come from different faith backgrounds. Take a look at the music you have planned and see if there should be adjustments to accommodate your guests. Avoid new songs or ones original to your church. Also, think about playing simpler worship songs that are easy to catch onto. Remember, you can never go wrong with Christmas carols!

Keep your website and social media clear.

Give extra attention to your website and social media leading up to your Christmas services. Is it clear and easy to find the times and locations of your Christmas services? Are all of your campuses open, or will you have one large gathering at the main campus? Do they know if there will be childcare provided? You may even want to add this information to your church voicemail system so visitors can get quick answers about timing. And always give folks a clear way to call or email you with questions.

Have an overflow seating plan.

Your Christmas Eve or Christmas Sunday service is usually the biggest one of the year, so have a solid plan in place for overflow seating. This includes volunteers assigned to grab more seating or direct people to a different area to watch the service. It also includes the tech team or extra tech volunteers to broadcast the service in the overflow room and attend to any potential sound issues there. It may also be helpful to block off some dedicated seating for guests in your main worship space and ask your members to sit in the overflow. Bottom line: make it as easy as possible for visitors to comfortably worship with you on Christmas.

Step up your kids’ programming.

There are two big communication points regarding children and Christmas services. First, be sure you’re clear about what the child care will look like leading up to the service. The goes back to your website and social media communication. If the childcare is modified from regular Sundays, be clear about that in your messaging and advertising. If you’re offering programming for the kids, make sure that the Children’s Ministry team is equipped for more kids and ready to give 110%. Leaving your child with a stranger can be a bit scary, so have your A Team ready to serve on that day. Alternatively, you could have fun activities for children to do in the service. Remember, if kids love coming to your church, their parent will keep coming back.
Christmas is such a great opportunity to make a good first impression on new visitors, potentially grow your church, and reach more people for Christ. Don’t let poor planning catch you off guard!
If you found these tips helpful, check out The Ultimate Christmas Planning eBook for Churches.
By Sarah Robins, Director of Client Relations at Vanderbloemen Search Group

20 Things Leaders Need To Be Thinking In 2017

To help leaders develop a framework for decision-making in the next year, the following are 20 Things Leaders Need To Be Thinking In 2017:

Jesus Christ Is Still At Work All Around The World – In 2 years, China will be the largest Christian country in the world.
Developing Your Team Is A Process That Takes Time – “It’s a process we go through every year. It just takes time. We might start four or five freshman at times. So you understand that you are going to lose some games early and then try to right the ship by the end of the year. When late February and March rolls around, we expect to be at our best.” – Kentucky Wildcats head basketball coach John Calipari in the November 17, 2016 edition of Sports Illustrated
Your Potential Customers Want Clarity – Perry Noble told the INJOY Stewardship Solutions staff in a recent training meeting, “People don’t always buy the best products. They buy the ones they understand the best.”
Make A Big Deal About Little Things – Marcus Aerillius said, “The secret to all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious.”
Business Travelers Should Be Grateful While Standing In Long Lines – Excellence becomes average when it is all you have. Traveling is still considerably better than standing in the long unemployment line.
Hard Work Is A Competitive Advantage – If I am ahead of you today and work harder than you today, you will never catch me.
Preparation Is More Important Than Presentation – Washington Huskies head coach Chris Peterson said in the September 29, 2016 USA Today, ““The only really good quarterbacks that I’ve been around are really high-level film guys. I’ve just never seen a quarterback that’s even pretty good that’s not obsessed with the stuff. And he (Jake Browning) certainly fits that mold.”
Not Everyone Should Get A Trophy – As a society, we have chosen to allow people to avoid short-term disappointment ensuring they will receive long-term pain.
Focus Is Not Enough. Be Sure To Focus Within The Focus. – Truett Cathy said of Chick-Fil-A, “We don’t do chicken. We don’t do chicken wings. We don’t do chicken legs. We only do chicken breasts.”
Learn When To Say “No” – Until age 45 you get ahead by saying “Yes”. Afterwards, you get ahead by learning when to say “No”.
Kings Talk To Kings – You can’t delegate high-capacity people to your staff. High-level leaders do not like to be handed off.
Positive Reasons To Change In 2017 – Dr. Sam Chand has said, “Change is hard because we overestimate what we have and underestimate what we might gain.” Winston Churchill also said, “To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often.”
You Can’t Have A Healthy Workplace Culture Without Humility – Casey Wasserman, CEO of Wasserman Group, said on the June 22, 2016 The Herd With Colin Cowherd show, “”Part of being the boss is putting your ego and your issues aside and being the sounding board for everyone else’s. It’s about creating the right culture and that culture is about creating an environment for people to be successful and do what they’re best at and that usually means putting your stuff aside and embracing theirs.”
The Law Of 3s – Mike Lombardi taught The Law Of 3s on the December 6, 2016 Make Me Smarter podcast. He said, “The Law of 3s – One group of player will do anything you want them to do. The second group of people are undecided. They’re not quite sure what’s going to happen. And you have the third group you can’t make happy…You cater to group 3 and all the people in group 1 get mad and the people in group 2 become jerks.”
Prioritize Thoughtful Conversation With Employees, Staff, Neighbors And Family – Tech writer Lee Pender said about Twitter in July 1, 2016 USA Today, “(The 140 character limit) encourages shouting instead of thoughtful conversation.”
Failure Is Never Final But It Can Become Easier And Easier If You Are Not Careful – Padraig Harrington in the April 4, 2016 Sports Illustrated said, “The funny thing about golf is that once you miss an eight-footer that matters, it becomes a little bit easier to miss the next one. Even for Tiger Woods.” One thing which will help you avoid unnecessary failure is to work hard on developing your character. Otherwise, your character will take you to a place your talent cannot sustain you.
Know How To Hire – The most important thing about hiring is not finding talent. The most important thing is eliminating the talent who does not fit your culture and criteria.
Great Leaders Should Become Intolerant – Jeff Van Gundy said, “Your best player must set the level of intolerance for anybody who gets in the way of winning.”
Learn To Think Differently Than Other People – Bill Walsh said, “If everyone is thinking the same thing, no one is thinking.”
Enjoy The Rewards Of Your Hard Work – Mike Lombardi said on the November 15, 2016 edition of The Herd With Colin Cowherd, “There is a temperament to handling success. The greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.”

And I hope you are rewarded with getting to do a lot more in 2017.

15 New Books I Recommend

By Brad Lomenick on Dec 15, 2016 03:37 pm

It's the end of the year. And this is probably more than you can read over the Christmas holiday, but wanted to provide my current top 15 list of new books I recommend you read. In no particular order:

1. Team of Teams - Stanley McChrystal

2. How's Your Soul? - Judah Smith

3. Designed to Lead - Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck

4. Tools of Titans - Tim Ferriss

5. Originals - Adam Grant

6. Grit - Angela Duckworth

7. Smarter, Faster, Better - Charles Duhigg

8. When You, Then God - Rusty George

9. The Content Trap - Bharat Anand

10. Present Over Perfect - Shauna Niequist

11. The Ideal Team Player - Patrick Lencioni

12. TED Talks - Chris Anderson

13. Shoe Dog - Phil Knight

14. Living Forward - Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy

15. #AskGaryVee - Gary Vaynerchuk

BONUS: Thomas Friedman's new book Thank You for Being Late.