Sunday, June 28, 2015

3 Reasons I (And You) Should Want To Lead

I make my living in the church services space. In other words, I provide good and services to local churches helping their mission and vision become reality. There exists a wonderful community of Christian leaders like myself who provide a variety of these services. One of the absolute best is Bryan Miles. Bryan is CEO & Co-founder of Miles Advisory Group (a parent company to the companies of eaHELP and MAG Bookkeeping) and is blessed to run the company with his wife, Shannon.
Bryan can recognize leadership ability in others. More importantly, he can develop it. Bryan recently recounted a conversation he had with his own virtual assistant. The insights contained below give us all 3 Reasons Why We Should Want To Lead:
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The following thoughts are from my assistant, Paige Atkins. Paige has been my virtual assistant for more than two-and-one-half years. It has been a joy watching her develop as a leader in our business. Recently, I asked her, “Why do you want to lead?” Below are her remarks:
When posed with this question from Bryan, I was actually taken aback. “I want to lead, because I don’t want to follow.” That was my initial response. Probably not what he was looking for. When I tried to explain my WHY, I rambled for about five minutes, and still didn’t have my head wrapped around it.
Ever since high school, I’ve held leadership positions. I am a motivated person and enjoy helping people achieve a higher standard. In college I started volunteering with the youth in our church and have loved speaking into their lives and setting an example as someone who has been-there-done-that. However, I didn’t know why I was drawn to these leadership positions. After sitting down to think about it, I was finally able to articulate my reasoning in a few sentences.
WHY I WANT TO LEAD …

I want to lead so I can encourage people who are on a similar path that I’ve just traveled. I don’t believe that leadership is something that is granted to anyone who walks in the door. You have to earn it.
I want to lead because I’ve sat under my share of terrible leaders. These people may have merit and skill but they do not know how to take responsibility for others. Leadership is selfless. I want to be known as someone who puts others first.
I want to lead because I believe people are better than they think they are. When others on my team are ready to give up, I want to be there to help them see it through. It brings me joy to cheer people on and watch them grow. Ironically enough, this is not something I’m great at. It takes patience and emotional intelligence.

As someone who is an “executor,” I’d rather jump in and take care of it myself. I’m working to refine my leadership skills and this is a major area for me to adjust.
Leadership is not for everyone. There are some people who want to lead in order to dominate, but that is not leadership. That only leaves people terrified and resentful. I want to lead to serve. I want them to have a better experience than I did so they’ll want to lead as well. For those excellent leaders I’ve had the privilege to follow, I want to make them proud.
So there you go, boss. That’s WHY I want to lead. Thanks for challenging me, believing in me, and setting a great example as a leader.
For everyone else, take the time to consider the question for yourself. Why do YOU want to lead?

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Keeping the Bible Fresh

June 5, 2015

The Bible is more than fascinating. It’s the most printed and bestselling book of all time for a real reason. It has been noted that the Bible was written over a long period of time, with 40 authors from all walks of life. It was written in three different languages in multiple countries, all under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is a collection of 66 books, yet it comes together with a beautiful union all pointing to the God-Man, Jesus Christ. The Bible has changed millions upon millions of lives, prayerfully including yours.
As Charles Spurgeon said, “The more you read the Bible, and the more you meditate on it, the more you will be astonished by it!” Though this is true, pastor, let’s be honest. However fascinating and powerful the Bible is, there are some days when our heart is as cold as Yakutsk, Russia. When our hearts are this way, we find ourselves reading in order to check it off our “I really do love Jesus” list. As Christians, let alone as pastors, this is a daunting and dangerous place to be. Being cold towards the Word of God can lead us to disobedience, which can lead us to destruction.
D.L Moody once said, “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” Maybe your heart is in a cold state, and the Bible isn’t fresh to you. We can easily begin to see it as a Book to preach rather than one that feeds our soul. Have you ever been there? Perhaps you’re there now.
Here are three quick ways to keep the Bible fresh:

Remind Yourself of the Bible’s Worth

Turn from Reading to Praying Scripture

Change Up Your Reading Plan

Jen Hatmaker: Empowering Women Leaders

3 False Sources of Confidence in Ministry Leadership

By Brandon Cox

“So … Rather than rely on what I know, I must rely on whom I know.”

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.” So wrote the elder Paul to younger Timothy (1 Timothy 1:12 NLT).
Paul’s words are the introduction to the Bible’s three-volume textbook on pastoral ministry (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus). And in that introduction, Paul issues a fairly stern warning to Timothy to watch out for three of the biggest false sources of security and confidence for those who lead in ministry. They were, and are, and have been for me in seasons when I’m not on guard …

1. Our preparation

That is, we begin to rely on what we know, and we begin to assume that what we know is enough for us to coast. Here’s the thing. When God called me to ministry, I knew pretty much nothing. I was still cutting my teeth on trying to read through the New Testament for the first time. In my early years of ministry, I was a sponge. I learned enough before Bible college that I tested out of the required Old and New Testament survey classes and jumped right into some sophomore-level stuff!
But I still knew nothing, compared to all that there is to know about God, and I still know nothing. I can answer questions better. I understand the context in which God’s word is written better. I can find books of the Bible without thumb-indexing tabs, but I know only a drop in the bucket about the unfathomable God of the whole stinkin’ universe!
So … Rather than rely on what I know, I must rely on whom I know. I know Jesus. He’s enough.

2. Our performance

We also like to rely on what we’ve done. As if we’ve done much. I believe in having high ambitions and great dreams, but all of my accomplishments in life don’t amount to a hill of beans when compared to all that there is to be done for eternity. We’d like to think that we’ve made progress, that we’ve gotten better, that we’re performing at a higher rate of moral excellence now than we did when God first found us.
Perhaps this is true, in some respects. Maybe we’ve progressively gotten closer to Jesus and therefore sin a little less than in a previous season of our lives. But just as my performance was an absolute flop when it came to God’s willingness to approve of me before I met Jesus, my performance still can’t earn his favor.
So … Rather than rely on what I’ve done, I must rely on what He’s done.

3. The praise of people

Pastors tend to get plenty of praise, especially when the sermon is over. When I served in a more traditional church, we honored the ritual of everyone filing out past the pastor at dismissal. I’ve been in the line filing out before, thinking to myself (as an introvert), what can I say that won’t be awkward and will get me out of here without a confrontation of any kind? So we hear, “Great sermon!” My favorite compliment when I was new to ministry was, “Well, you’re really growing …” which means, “You stink, but not as badly as you did last week.”
People will give you good press and apply nice labels to you. Don’t let them stick. Die to self by dying to both criticism and to praise. Paul was willing, years into his ministry, to apply a different label to himself: “chief of sinners.” That’s a better pathway to remembering the great grace of God on our lives!
So … Rather than relying on what others say about me, I must rely on what Scripture says about me.
I’m called, chosen and gifted … all by the grace of God. It’s all unmerited and undeserved. And at the end of the day, my security and significance need to be found in Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy!

Brandon Cox is Lead Pastor of Grace Hills Church, a new church plant in northwest Arkansas. He also serves as Editor and Community Facilitator for Pastors.com and Rick Warren's Pastor's Toolbox and was formerly a Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. In his spare time, he offers consultation to church leaders about communication, branding, and social media. He and his wife, Angie, live with their two awesome kids in Bentonville, Arkansas. More from Brandon Cox or visit Brandon at http://brandonacox.com/

If You Are in Your 20s or 30s Read This

FrankViolaBlog - If You Are in Your 20s or 30s Read This (Problem with Yesterday’s Survey)

If You Are in Your 20s or 30s Read This (Problem with Yesterday’s Survey)

Posted: 09 Jun 2015 04:05 AM PDT

Strangely, most of you who are in your 20s and 30s didn’t answer the question from yesterday’s post.
I just learned that for those of you who subscribe to the blog by Email, the “comments” button at the bottom of the post wasn’t showing.
So if you didn’t answer yesterday’s survey, go here to answer it. It will take you less than 2 minutes.
It’s important to me that as many Christians as possible in their 20s and 30s answers the question, especially those of you who are subscribed to the blog. The information is invaluable.
So once you answer, share the link to yesterday’s post with all your friends in that age range.
I’ll explain what it’s for at a later date. But I believe you’ll be blessed to find out.

The answers will become visible to everyone in a week or so. So far, they have been extremely illuminating. So thanks to all of you who answered so far.
Again, go here to answer it.

5 Tips When Communicating With Men

By Ron Edmondson

Overcoming communication barriers men and women face.

In my position, I hear from men and women continually. In most relationships—communication appears to be the biggest struggle. It’s a constant work in progress in my own marriage. The difficulty is in the way men and women communicate.

My counseling background and years of experience working with couples has given me insight into some of the barriers men and women face when communicating. I realize not all men are alike—and these are generalities. I can’t emphasize that enough—so if you comment that these aren’t true for everyone—I’m with you! (Please re-read this statement.) The only way to know is to talk with the men with whom you are trying to communicate to see if these are true for them. My hope is that these—as general as they may be—may help some women better understand a man and improve communication. (The companion post will follow.)

Here are five tips to communicating with a man:

We meant what we said. Often not what you heard. That is true 99 percent of the time. (Statistically verifiable.

) Men are usually more literal, and frankly simple-minded. Women may have multiple meanings with a statement. That’s less likely with men. So, when a man says something, try to hear only what was said—without attaching extra thoughts triggered by emotions. If in doubt, ask if his statement had a deeper meaning before making assumptions. Most likely he meant only nothing more than what was said. (I can’t tell you how many classic examples of marriage problems I’ve seen develop with just this one tip.)
We don’t often like to give details. If we said where we were going, who we had a discussion with or what we had for lunch, that’s usually enough for us. End of discussion. (At least in our minds.) We may not like going into detail beyond those simple facts. I understand you may need and even deserve more information. That’s especially true when a man has given reason to disprove his trustworthiness. In learning how to communicate, however, it’s important to know details may be out of his realm of comfort to provide. When it’s not a matter of trust, the less you pump for details the more likely he will be to share facts, and even occasionally, details. (For Cheryl and me, she has learned that if she gives me time, and especially if we are doing something together—like walking—that I’m more likely to share the details she wants without having to ask for them.)
Our range of emotions are limited. Most men don’t feel as deeply or multi-faceted as a woman feels about an issue. It’s not that we don’t care. It’s just that we are wired differently. Because of this, men tend to communicate more factually and less emotionally. If you ask us how we feel, “happy” or “sad” may be as descriptive as we can get for you. That may be it. I’ve heard so many wives who want to know their husbands “deeper” emotions. She may not understand that he’s shared the depth as well as he knows how to share them.
When you may tend to cry, we may tend to get angry. I get criticized for this point sometimes, but it’s a difference in wiring. Please understand, there is never an excuse to misuse anger, and abuse of any kind should not be tolerated. But anger in itself is not a sin. The Bible says “in your anger do not sin,” but it seems to assume we will have moments of anger. The same things that may cause female’s emotions to produce tears often cause a man to develop anger. A godly man learns to handle that anger responsibly, but it doesn’t eliminate the response. When an issue riles a man emotionally, it helps if you understand his emotions may be normal and you may even be able to help him channel his response to that emotion. Cheryl does this for me continually.
Sometimes we have a hard time communicating what’s on our heart. Often we never fully do. This is sad and we may even know it. Here’s a tip. When you make us feel we will be respected regardless of the emotions we display, the more likely you’ll see our true emotions.
Please understand. I’m not making excuses for men. The basic premise of all of these is to remember that men and women are different. I’m simply trying to help you communicate with a man.

Men, what did I miss?

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/

There Are No New Good Leadership Ideas And 3 Ways To Solve This Problem

From 1996 until 2002 I could not wait to receive my monthly leadership cassette tape from John Maxwell’s INJOY Life Club. Annually, I paid $120 for 12 cassettes, a fill-in-the-blank listening guide, a binder to house the cassettes (which I still have), and John’s latest book.
Since my daily commute to work was between 75-90 minutes each way, I consumed everything John taught. During this time, he became and still is my spiritual hero.
But four years in I noticed an interesting trend. Much of the material was repurposed and repackaged. Only about three or four sessions each year were fresh content. But I loved John and stayed a faithful customer who eventually had the incredible honor of working for him.
The lessons I came to enjoy most were when he would do case studies of successful churches. I found it fascinating when John would sit down with a pastor dealing with a particular issue, take out his yellow legal pad and just ask him great questions. These lessons moved beyond mere information and concepts to being an actual practitioner of the leadership. There is simply a HUGE difference between exposure and experience.
I am having similar feelings today. It appears all the leadership lessons are simply repackaged and repurposed content. As I survey the leadership landscape, I am forced to ask, “Where Have All The Good Leadership Ideas Gone?”
Rather than having a land rush for new great leadership IDEAS, there is a land rush for leadership LANGUAGE. How can I say the same something which has already been said multiple times but say it in a new, fresh way? The truth is there is nothing new under the leadership sun.
Much like the INJOY Life Club tapes of the late ’90s, what I currently enjoy the most are case studies. I am enjoying books about people who are doing leadership rather than talking about it. Some examples are:

Ed Catmull’s story of Pixar Entertainment, Creativity, Inc.
David Kirkpatrick’s account of the rise of Facebook, The Facebook Effect,
Or a book I am about to begin, George Bodenheimer’s Every Town Is A Sports Town: Business Leadership at ESPN, from the Mailroom to the Boardroom.

Finally, what about leadership at local churches. The local church is the toughest leadership environment in the world because we face an enemy on a daily basis others may or may not encounter, Satan. We also lead volunteer armies who do not have a paycheck hanging over their heads.
So why are new ideas not coming out of local churches? In a single word – obedience.
I feel God has told the local church, “I have given you 20 years of leadership content from some of the greatest practitioners in human history. Now be faithful and utilize what I have given you and I will give you more.”
So how do we as Christian leaders to solve this problem? I have three suggestions:

Prioritize Leader Development Over Leadership Development. Crawford Loritts introduced this concept in his book on self-leadership, Leadership As An Identity. Leadership development focuses on the task and assignment. Leader development focuses on being the type of leader God can use to accomplish the task and assignment. Focus on self-leadership first.
Serve Business Leaders. The people who attend your church should have a competitive advantage in their industry because they attend your church. For more on this idea, click 14 Things Churches Can Teach Business Leaders To Have A Competitive Advantage In Their Industry.
Invest In Next Generation Leaders. It is a humbling reality but few if any new ideas ever come from anyone over the age of 45. If you want to see new leadership ideas, they are likely coming from young leaders. Investing in next generation leaders is an investment in great new ideas.

What are your thoughts on new leadership ideas?