Anthony
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
All Inked Up
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Is quoted as saying,
"We are all tattooed in our cradles with the beliefs of our tribe..."
Our family tribe, in many instances, are the first two Ink us psychologically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually with rejection. God does just the opposite of of our tribe. He says behold I have engraved you in the palm of my hand. The word in engrave in the Hebrew, is where we get the word tattoo. God says essentially, while others have tattoo you with rejection I have tattooed you with acceptance in the palm of my hand...He says, I have been willing to go through severe pain to tat myself with your name.
So, who will you believe, your tribe or He who treasures you?
www.apministries.me
"We are all tattooed in our cradles with the beliefs of our tribe..."
Our family tribe, in many instances, are the first two Ink us psychologically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually with rejection. God does just the opposite of of our tribe. He says behold I have engraved you in the palm of my hand. The word in engrave in the Hebrew, is where we get the word tattoo. God says essentially, while others have tattoo you with rejection I have tattooed you with acceptance in the palm of my hand...He says, I have been willing to go through severe pain to tat myself with your name.
So, who will you believe, your tribe or He who treasures you?
www.apministries.me
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Who's On Second
Those that know me, will tell you that I am big on leadership. I believe leadership is fundamental to business, community, home and the church. "Everything rises and falls on leadership,” is a basic principle that I live by and a principle that is applicable across every spectrum of life. However, leadership in the church is tricky business. It is a tight rope walk. It was not designed to be that way, but the human factor has to be taken into consideration in every case and on every level in the church; particularly within the pulpit. As a pastor, I learned how to be number two long before I became number one. I shaped my leadership skills under Pastor Jesse White and refined them under Pastor Ternae Jordan. I have learned to keep my desires and dreams in check as I served the senior pastor. I did this not because my anointing or calling was less, but because it wasn't my time and God still had a lot for me to learn.
Recently, I went on vacation and I turned everything over to my Assistant Pastor, Kim Curry. Kim has the anointing and calling to be a number one – a senior pastor. However, he has served faithfully as a number two. In the sixteen years that he has been a member and subsequently pastor; I haven't had one problem from him. Now, there have been times where we haven't agreed on some things, but he always voiced his concerned in a respectable, intelligent and private manner; where on many occasions he was right. He has been and continues to be my right hand. He is one of the leading successes I have in my seventeen years of
Every pastor desires and deserves a faithful second. However, in many instances the congregation doesn't have that same view. They only see the senior pastor as the leader. When this is done it weakens the church. Paul had Timothy, Titus and Luke. The church moved forward in a mighty way, because of the depth of the leadership bench. The people followed and there wasn't a spirit of competition, but rather one of cooperation.
Why? They realized that it wasn't any one individual's church. It has and shall always be Christ's church – His bride. This is Kim's view and as a result he has made his bones in the trenches of everyday ministry and not just Sunday morning preaching; and there lies the rub. Many of today’s young ministers master in preaching and not participation. They stand in the mirror and rehearse sermons, but they flunk Service 101. This is particularly true in the African American church.
White pastors go on six month sabbaticals and the church moves forward. However, I have known African American pastors that have had their cars driven to the church, in their absence, so that people would continue to come and give. That devalues the senior pastor's leadership and all of the leadership of any given church. We are to come, give and worship, because God is still in the house and we have a Christ salvation not a pastoral salvation; which is no salvation at all.
Getting young minsters and congregations to understand this vital leadership principle is key to the health of the Africa American Church; particularly any church in general. Senior pastors must create an environment that contains a bench full of leaders who are prepared and that starts with the senior pastor’s second. It is the responsibility of the senior pastor and congregation to insure the continuity of the church’s leadership through the development of the next generation’s leaders. We must mentor them, the church must accept them and they must be willing to be taught. Young aspiring pastors must recognize that submitting to a senior pastor doesn't subjugate their anointing or calling, but strengthens it. You are not being asked to give up something, but placed on a path to grow up, and thus, become profitable for the ministry.
I thank God for Kim Curry and his faithfulness to God, myself and Come As You Are Community Church. Great is his reward in this life and the life to come. His service has been second to none and that is not only in my absence, but also in my presence. He knows my heart, he has my back and he still has his own anointing. Our church family must continue to learn to love and appreciate this gift from God. We are blessed to have him on second.
Anthony
Recently, I went on vacation and I turned everything over to my Assistant Pastor, Kim Curry. Kim has the anointing and calling to be a number one – a senior pastor. However, he has served faithfully as a number two. In the sixteen years that he has been a member and subsequently pastor; I haven't had one problem from him. Now, there have been times where we haven't agreed on some things, but he always voiced his concerned in a respectable, intelligent and private manner; where on many occasions he was right. He has been and continues to be my right hand. He is one of the leading successes I have in my seventeen years of
Every pastor desires and deserves a faithful second. However, in many instances the congregation doesn't have that same view. They only see the senior pastor as the leader. When this is done it weakens the church. Paul had Timothy, Titus and Luke. The church moved forward in a mighty way, because of the depth of the leadership bench. The people followed and there wasn't a spirit of competition, but rather one of cooperation.
Why? They realized that it wasn't any one individual's church. It has and shall always be Christ's church – His bride. This is Kim's view and as a result he has made his bones in the trenches of everyday ministry and not just Sunday morning preaching; and there lies the rub. Many of today’s young ministers master in preaching and not participation. They stand in the mirror and rehearse sermons, but they flunk Service 101. This is particularly true in the African American church.
White pastors go on six month sabbaticals and the church moves forward. However, I have known African American pastors that have had their cars driven to the church, in their absence, so that people would continue to come and give. That devalues the senior pastor's leadership and all of the leadership of any given church. We are to come, give and worship, because God is still in the house and we have a Christ salvation not a pastoral salvation; which is no salvation at all.
Getting young minsters and congregations to understand this vital leadership principle is key to the health of the Africa American Church; particularly any church in general. Senior pastors must create an environment that contains a bench full of leaders who are prepared and that starts with the senior pastor’s second. It is the responsibility of the senior pastor and congregation to insure the continuity of the church’s leadership through the development of the next generation’s leaders. We must mentor them, the church must accept them and they must be willing to be taught. Young aspiring pastors must recognize that submitting to a senior pastor doesn't subjugate their anointing or calling, but strengthens it. You are not being asked to give up something, but placed on a path to grow up, and thus, become profitable for the ministry.
I thank God for Kim Curry and his faithfulness to God, myself and Come As You Are Community Church. Great is his reward in this life and the life to come. His service has been second to none and that is not only in my absence, but also in my presence. He knows my heart, he has my back and he still has his own anointing. Our church family must continue to learn to love and appreciate this gift from God. We are blessed to have him on second.
Anthony
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Road Rules
This "Road Rules" series dealt with the need to Dream Boldly, Map Out Destiny Prayerfully, Plan Meticulously and Cultivate Your Gift Passionately. Sunday we will ease on down the road to "Stretching Yourself Strategically.
I believe that this is a season of "Stretching Yourself Strategically." Not just any kind of stretching, but strategic stretching. God's plan always stretches us. It pushes us beyond our comfort zone. It forces us to take a long look in the mirror and deal with the man in the mirror. It's never about making destiny fit us, it's always about us fitting destiny.
Many of us have settled for the limits that others have set for us and even sadder; the ones that we have set for ourselves. Its time to push back! Its time to make ourself fit the plan of God and stop trying to make God fit our plan. Our community needs those that will stretch themselves strategically. Those that are bold dreamers...Those that will tell the divil "Not on my watch!"
Join us as we learn the Road Rules of destiny! Where: Come As You Are Community Church 7910 South Anthony Blvd. Ft. Wayne IN. Need a ride? Call us at 260-4476036.
We are designed to boldly go where no man has gone before, but we must know the Road Rules.
Anthony
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
15 Habits Of Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30
By Brian Dodd On Leadership
“We trust in him. We believe in him. And we’ll follow him to the end of the earth.” – Richard Shermon on teammate Russell Wilson July 29, 2013
I have the privilege of interacting with many great pastors and leaders under the age of 30. Their passion and desire for excellence challenges a seasoned leader like me to get better. Too often, many of my fellow experienced leaders marginalize or discount the value young leaders can bring. This is a mistake.
One place young leadership is not only valued but celebrated is the National Football League. Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, is one such leader. He is widely regarded as one of the game’s top stars and a primary reason why the Seahawks are considered Super Bowl favorites.
Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King interviewed Wilson on leadership and the direction the game is headed. Wilson’s comments provided a wonderful template for the 15 Habits Of Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30. You can read the full interview by clicking here.
Now onto the leadership lessons gleaned from Wilson’s interview that all leaders can learn from:
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Respect Older Adults – When you watch the interview, you will notice the first thing Wilson did was shake Peter King’s hand and give him a hug. There is obvious respect there.
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Have High Expectations For Themselves – Young leaders do not view their age as a limitation. Wilson said, ”I have high expectations for myself and I’ve always believed in myself.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Recognize Obstacles To Their Success - Wilson is not naive. He is aware the coaches and defensive coordinators in the NFL are developing strategies on how to neutralize his unique skill set.
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Know Their Limitations – Speaking of the game’s 300 lb. defensive players, Wilson noted, ”I don’t want to run against these guys.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Focus On Team Success – Wilson realizes his job is ”just protect the football team.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Self-Aware - Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft, not much was expected from Wilson.
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Recognize Opportunity – Upon entering training camp as a rookie, Wilson said, ”All I ever asked for was a chance.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Do Their Job – The fastest way for young leaders to gain respect is to do a great job. Wilson said, “I was going to work every single day whether I was a starting quarterback or not.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Earn The Right To Lead – Wilson realizes, “The question of how I became a leader on this football team was a guy who worked hard every single day. Was here early. Left late.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Respect The Industry They Are In – Young leaders can lose credibility if others perceive they view their job as a stepping stone. Not Wilson who “Was dedicated to his craft. Was a guy who took tons of notes. I believe in what I did. This was my job.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Love Their Work – “This was something I loved to do. I got the best job in the world to be the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks”, said Wilson.
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Not Limited By The Opinions Of Others – Young leaders respect others but do not let others define them. He says, “As long as you can lead there is no certain variable. The only variable it takes is to be a great leader.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Have Attention To Detail – Many young leaders are very passionate. Within this passion young leaders cannot get sloppy. Wilson states, “(I) Have a great attention to detail.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Competitors – Experienced leaders want young leaders to bring their best and own the results together. Wilson gains respect by being “a relentless competitor.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Inspire Others – Wilson proclaims, ”A quarterback has to lift the other 10 guys in the huddle up and make them believe that’s the play that’s going to the end zone.”
Wilson is not just a great young leader. He is a GREAT leader. As he stated on his Twitter account earlier this week, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV). Something tells me Wilson will be rewarded greatly this year.
Anthony
“We trust in him. We believe in him. And we’ll follow him to the end of the earth.” – Richard Shermon on teammate Russell Wilson July 29, 2013
I have the privilege of interacting with many great pastors and leaders under the age of 30. Their passion and desire for excellence challenges a seasoned leader like me to get better. Too often, many of my fellow experienced leaders marginalize or discount the value young leaders can bring. This is a mistake.
One place young leadership is not only valued but celebrated is the National Football League. Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, is one such leader. He is widely regarded as one of the game’s top stars and a primary reason why the Seahawks are considered Super Bowl favorites.
Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King interviewed Wilson on leadership and the direction the game is headed. Wilson’s comments provided a wonderful template for the 15 Habits Of Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30. You can read the full interview by clicking here.
Now onto the leadership lessons gleaned from Wilson’s interview that all leaders can learn from:
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Respect Older Adults – When you watch the interview, you will notice the first thing Wilson did was shake Peter King’s hand and give him a hug. There is obvious respect there.
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Have High Expectations For Themselves – Young leaders do not view their age as a limitation. Wilson said, ”I have high expectations for myself and I’ve always believed in myself.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Recognize Obstacles To Their Success - Wilson is not naive. He is aware the coaches and defensive coordinators in the NFL are developing strategies on how to neutralize his unique skill set.
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Know Their Limitations – Speaking of the game’s 300 lb. defensive players, Wilson noted, ”I don’t want to run against these guys.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Focus On Team Success – Wilson realizes his job is ”just protect the football team.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Self-Aware - Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft, not much was expected from Wilson.
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Recognize Opportunity – Upon entering training camp as a rookie, Wilson said, ”All I ever asked for was a chance.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Do Their Job – The fastest way for young leaders to gain respect is to do a great job. Wilson said, “I was going to work every single day whether I was a starting quarterback or not.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Earn The Right To Lead – Wilson realizes, “The question of how I became a leader on this football team was a guy who worked hard every single day. Was here early. Left late.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Respect The Industry They Are In – Young leaders can lose credibility if others perceive they view their job as a stepping stone. Not Wilson who “Was dedicated to his craft. Was a guy who took tons of notes. I believe in what I did. This was my job.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Love Their Work – “This was something I loved to do. I got the best job in the world to be the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks”, said Wilson.
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Not Limited By The Opinions Of Others – Young leaders respect others but do not let others define them. He says, “As long as you can lead there is no certain variable. The only variable it takes is to be a great leader.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Have Attention To Detail – Many young leaders are very passionate. Within this passion young leaders cannot get sloppy. Wilson states, “(I) Have a great attention to detail.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Are Competitors – Experienced leaders want young leaders to bring their best and own the results together. Wilson gains respect by being “a relentless competitor.”
Highly Effective Leaders Under The Age Of 30 Inspire Others – Wilson proclaims, ”A quarterback has to lift the other 10 guys in the huddle up and make them believe that’s the play that’s going to the end zone.”
Wilson is not just a great young leader. He is a GREAT leader. As he stated on his Twitter account earlier this week, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV). Something tells me Wilson will be rewarded greatly this year.
Anthony
Friday, July 26, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The Other Day
The other day I walked into one of my favorite stores. There, one of the owners was amening a comment that Rush Limbaugh made. Before I knew it, I opened my mouth and said, "if Rush Limbaugh was black. poor white or Hispanic he was still be in prison for forging prescriptions.
He asked me was I angry (short for angry black man), to which I respond no, my name just isn't Clarence Thomas.
-Anthony Payton
He asked me was I angry (short for angry black man), to which I respond no, my name just isn't Clarence Thomas.
-Anthony Payton
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Successful
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." - David Brinkley
-Anthony Payton
-Anthony Payton
Friday, March 1, 2013
"Success has made failures of many men." Cindy Adams
"Success has made failures of many men." Cindy Adams
During the latter quarter of 2012—as I do the latter quarter of every year, I started reflecting on my wins and loses for that year. The things I did really well, not so well and the things I just totally flunked in.
Now, since I spend much of my time either preaching, or in sermon preparation, and for the last two years, sermon series planning, and promoting, I naturally started grading myself in these areas. I gave myself an "A" in Sermon Preparation and Delivery, an "C+" in Series Planning and Promoting(that was up from a "D" the previous year). Felling good about my grades, I sat back with a smile on my face, and Just when I was feeling really good about my success, the The Holy Spirit began to deal with me concerning my over all grade in discipleship.
It didn't take but a couple of minutes for me to sit up in my chair and hang my head low, because I realized that I had flunked discipleship! I had allowed myself to define my success by the Sunday morning delivery (and everything that I did in preparation for it), rather than my daily efforts to make disciples.
I repented and ask God to show me some men that I could start pouring my life into more directly. He did and I did. The attention to the details of discipleship have revived me. It has helped me to clarify the success of my pastorate and the success and future of the church I lead, by the glow on the faces and the growth of the men I am discipling.
Jesus looked into the faces of his disciples and said, "greater works shall you do." This was a major part of how He defined His success. Getting those twelve men ready for his departure was a three year strategic plan. These men turned the world upside down because they had all of Him in all of them. This strategy was so important that Christ didn't return to heaven until his disciples totally understood that they were to do for others what He had done for them; "Make disciples."
When I look back on the grades that I gave myself in preaching, sermon series preparation and promoting, the words of Cindy Adams rush in like a flood: "Success has made failures of many men."
My role as a leader is not defined or determined by the sermons I preach, but by the servants I develop. Delivering powerful messages without deliberately developing powerful messengers is a waste of time. The bravado of a sermon in and of itself, is not enough to build disciples.
So, are you passing or flunking discipleship. If you are Flunking, let me be the first to say to you, "There is a 'Rising From The Dust' to a better grade."
Anthony
During the latter quarter of 2012—as I do the latter quarter of every year, I started reflecting on my wins and loses for that year. The things I did really well, not so well and the things I just totally flunked in.
Now, since I spend much of my time either preaching, or in sermon preparation, and for the last two years, sermon series planning, and promoting, I naturally started grading myself in these areas. I gave myself an "A" in Sermon Preparation and Delivery, an "C+" in Series Planning and Promoting(that was up from a "D" the previous year). Felling good about my grades, I sat back with a smile on my face, and Just when I was feeling really good about my success, the The Holy Spirit began to deal with me concerning my over all grade in discipleship.
It didn't take but a couple of minutes for me to sit up in my chair and hang my head low, because I realized that I had flunked discipleship! I had allowed myself to define my success by the Sunday morning delivery (and everything that I did in preparation for it), rather than my daily efforts to make disciples.
I repented and ask God to show me some men that I could start pouring my life into more directly. He did and I did. The attention to the details of discipleship have revived me. It has helped me to clarify the success of my pastorate and the success and future of the church I lead, by the glow on the faces and the growth of the men I am discipling.
Jesus looked into the faces of his disciples and said, "greater works shall you do." This was a major part of how He defined His success. Getting those twelve men ready for his departure was a three year strategic plan. These men turned the world upside down because they had all of Him in all of them. This strategy was so important that Christ didn't return to heaven until his disciples totally understood that they were to do for others what He had done for them; "Make disciples."
When I look back on the grades that I gave myself in preaching, sermon series preparation and promoting, the words of Cindy Adams rush in like a flood: "Success has made failures of many men."
My role as a leader is not defined or determined by the sermons I preach, but by the servants I develop. Delivering powerful messages without deliberately developing powerful messengers is a waste of time. The bravado of a sermon in and of itself, is not enough to build disciples.
So, are you passing or flunking discipleship. If you are Flunking, let me be the first to say to you, "There is a 'Rising From The Dust' to a better grade."
Anthony
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Rumba Young Man Rumba
Albert Pike is quoted as saying, "He who endeavors to serve, to benefit, and improve the world, is like a swimmer, who struggles against a rapid current, in a river lashed into angry waves by the winds. Often they roar over his head, often they beat him back and baffle him." The Apostle Paul puts its this way, "We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair. We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:8-12 The Voice)
Leadership is a fight. Those of us that find ourselves thrust into leadership are often struggling against a rapid current. We are cracked and chipped by a myriad of afflictions. Leadership is no walk in the park. It is often more like a cat on a hot tin roof. Nevertheless, we are called to make a difference in this world. In the words of that old African American song, we "have a charge to keep and a God to glorify."
So how do we accomplish this? Never loose sight of the significance of your role in divine change. There is value in the role you play in God's divine plan. He knows the plans He has for you. You are here to impact time for eternity. Please remember, there is always a "Rising From The Dust" for all of us. Therefore, "Rumba Young Man (woman) Rumba."
Anthony
Leadership is a fight. Those of us that find ourselves thrust into leadership are often struggling against a rapid current. We are cracked and chipped by a myriad of afflictions. Leadership is no walk in the park. It is often more like a cat on a hot tin roof. Nevertheless, we are called to make a difference in this world. In the words of that old African American song, we "have a charge to keep and a God to glorify."
So how do we accomplish this? Never loose sight of the significance of your role in divine change. There is value in the role you play in God's divine plan. He knows the plans He has for you. You are here to impact time for eternity. Please remember, there is always a "Rising From The Dust" for all of us. Therefore, "Rumba Young Man (woman) Rumba."
Anthony
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
7 Habits Of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs
In Casey Graham, I have the privilege of working for one of the great entrepreneurs in the Christian community. His desire to serve pastors and church leaders by simplifying their lives is why he founded The Rocket Company.
This organization helps churches increase weekly giving and pastors preach better sermons. To read why I now work for this organization, please click here. It is a privilege to join Casey and his team in their efforts.
Leaders can learn much from great entrepreneurs like Casey. In the March edition of Inc magazine, seven of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs share their most important lessons learned when just starting out.
As I read the article, I gleaned seven habits of these highly successful entrepreneurs:
Flexibility – Cosmetics mogul Bobbi Brown says, “When you come from another country by yourself, you’re naturally entrepreneurial. You’re used to figuring it out as you go.”
Willing Partnerships – Smart leaders work with those who want to work with them. Daymond John, CEO of FUBU says, “It’s always better to do business with people who respect you. When you go around begging for favors, it doesn’t get you far.”
Admit Mistakes – Getting started can be messy. Robin Chase, Founder of Zipcar, faced a crisis with pricing early in the company’s history. She says, “As an entrepreneur, you are constantly in sales mode – you are selling to customers, investors, the people who work for you. But you have to be honest when things aren’t going right, and you have to fix them as quickly as you can. These were key issues for us that we had to solve or die.”
Determination - The legendary Richard Branson says, “If you have a good idea, 99% of people will tell you why it’s no good or how it’s been done before or why else you’re going to fall flat on your face…If you fail, pick yourself up and try another one. If you have enough determination, you will succeed more likely than not because of all you learned those times you didn’t.”
Self-Evaluation – Music executive Clive Davis says, “I realized there comes a time when you have to evaluate what you, personally, simply cannot do. It’s not delegating. It’s realizing you really need someone else to strengthen your organization and help you foresee trends you might overlook.”
Exercise Wisdom – Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems, has had some negative experiences with investors. She wisely warns, “I don’t believe all VC’s are adversarial, but the first thing I tell everyone is: Get your own lawyer. Don’t buy lines like, ‘You guys are busy: we’ll just have someone draw up some papers, and it will be very pro forma.’ Yeah, right.”
Focus – Tony Hawk, skateboarding legend and CEO of Tony Hawk Inc, says, “It’s easy to lose focus. Don’t…I could finally do what was best for skaters again…These days it’s easier for me to turn down opportunities that don’t fit the brand. I have the confidence to say no.”
Flexibility, Willing Partnerships, Admit Mistakes, Determination, Self-Evaluate, Exercise Wisdom, and Focus. If you practice these seven habits, you too may be a successful entrepreneur.
What is one thing on this list that you can do today to improve your leadership?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/02/27/7-habits-of-highly-successful-entrepreneurs/
This organization helps churches increase weekly giving and pastors preach better sermons. To read why I now work for this organization, please click here. It is a privilege to join Casey and his team in their efforts.
Leaders can learn much from great entrepreneurs like Casey. In the March edition of Inc magazine, seven of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs share their most important lessons learned when just starting out.
As I read the article, I gleaned seven habits of these highly successful entrepreneurs:
Flexibility – Cosmetics mogul Bobbi Brown says, “When you come from another country by yourself, you’re naturally entrepreneurial. You’re used to figuring it out as you go.”
Willing Partnerships – Smart leaders work with those who want to work with them. Daymond John, CEO of FUBU says, “It’s always better to do business with people who respect you. When you go around begging for favors, it doesn’t get you far.”
Admit Mistakes – Getting started can be messy. Robin Chase, Founder of Zipcar, faced a crisis with pricing early in the company’s history. She says, “As an entrepreneur, you are constantly in sales mode – you are selling to customers, investors, the people who work for you. But you have to be honest when things aren’t going right, and you have to fix them as quickly as you can. These were key issues for us that we had to solve or die.”
Determination - The legendary Richard Branson says, “If you have a good idea, 99% of people will tell you why it’s no good or how it’s been done before or why else you’re going to fall flat on your face…If you fail, pick yourself up and try another one. If you have enough determination, you will succeed more likely than not because of all you learned those times you didn’t.”
Self-Evaluation – Music executive Clive Davis says, “I realized there comes a time when you have to evaluate what you, personally, simply cannot do. It’s not delegating. It’s realizing you really need someone else to strengthen your organization and help you foresee trends you might overlook.”
Exercise Wisdom – Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems, has had some negative experiences with investors. She wisely warns, “I don’t believe all VC’s are adversarial, but the first thing I tell everyone is: Get your own lawyer. Don’t buy lines like, ‘You guys are busy: we’ll just have someone draw up some papers, and it will be very pro forma.’ Yeah, right.”
Focus – Tony Hawk, skateboarding legend and CEO of Tony Hawk Inc, says, “It’s easy to lose focus. Don’t…I could finally do what was best for skaters again…These days it’s easier for me to turn down opportunities that don’t fit the brand. I have the confidence to say no.”
Flexibility, Willing Partnerships, Admit Mistakes, Determination, Self-Evaluate, Exercise Wisdom, and Focus. If you practice these seven habits, you too may be a successful entrepreneur.
What is one thing on this list that you can do today to improve your leadership?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/02/27/7-habits-of-highly-successful-entrepreneurs/
Location:http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/02/27/7-habits-of-highly-successful-entrepreneurs/
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Who Needs Strategy
Roger Martin, dean of Rotman School of Management, says, “The heart of strategy is defining where you’re going to play and how you’re going to win...”
This is a principle too often missed by those of use in leadership, particular those of use in Christian leadership. We take Paul's words "...become all things to all men," to mean do all things, and his comforting words "all things work together for the good," to mean throw caution into the wind.
Now, you may quickly reject my assessment, and may even be offended by it. However, how do you select what you will take part in? Is it because every body else is doing it? Popularity? And once you have chosen--even if it is divinely instructed or peer inspired, what's your plan to win! God told me to do it, is great theology, but when God calls a man, he has plan for the man and that is call strategy.
Strategy has almost become a four-letter word in church leadership. Those that apply it, are told they are trying to bring business principles into the church..."Just let the Holy Spirit lead," we are told. However, to read the bible and not see God as a Master Strategist, is to read Shakespeare without noticing the "thee", "thou" and "tis" of the text.
Time is not recyclable, and for a believer to live and lead Without a strategy, is to live and lead by a strategy, however it's called chance.
Let's make good use of our time, have a strategy and play to win.
Anthony
This is a principle too often missed by those of use in leadership, particular those of use in Christian leadership. We take Paul's words "...become all things to all men," to mean do all things, and his comforting words "all things work together for the good," to mean throw caution into the wind.
Now, you may quickly reject my assessment, and may even be offended by it. However, how do you select what you will take part in? Is it because every body else is doing it? Popularity? And once you have chosen--even if it is divinely instructed or peer inspired, what's your plan to win! God told me to do it, is great theology, but when God calls a man, he has plan for the man and that is call strategy.
Strategy has almost become a four-letter word in church leadership. Those that apply it, are told they are trying to bring business principles into the church..."Just let the Holy Spirit lead," we are told. However, to read the bible and not see God as a Master Strategist, is to read Shakespeare without noticing the "thee", "thou" and "tis" of the text.
Time is not recyclable, and for a believer to live and lead Without a strategy, is to live and lead by a strategy, however it's called chance.
Let's make good use of our time, have a strategy and play to win.
Anthony
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Shelf-Life
I just listen to Daniel Day Lewis being interviewed on 60 minutes. He talked about how difficult it was for him to come out of the character Abraham Lincoln and how he missed that character.
It is both convicting and challenging to think; as leaders we can lead, and inspired people in such a way, that if God would allow anyone to portray us in the future, long after He has taken us home, they too would miss us.
It is a sad reality, that not much of that which passes for leadership today has a shelf-life. It's more about the moment then the next millennium. As believers and leaders we are to impact time for eternity. Visionary leadership helps us to embrace today with the prospective of tomorrow.
God forgive me for the days passed and the days to come, when I have and shall take my leadership so casually. For, I want to be missed.
Anthony
It is both convicting and challenging to think; as leaders we can lead, and inspired people in such a way, that if God would allow anyone to portray us in the future, long after He has taken us home, they too would miss us.
It is a sad reality, that not much of that which passes for leadership today has a shelf-life. It's more about the moment then the next millennium. As believers and leaders we are to impact time for eternity. Visionary leadership helps us to embrace today with the prospective of tomorrow.
God forgive me for the days passed and the days to come, when I have and shall take my leadership so casually. For, I want to be missed.
Anthony
Thursday, February 7, 2013
10 Warning Signs You Might be Glorifying Yourself
by Paul Tripp
It is important to recognize the harvest of self-glory in you and in your ministry. May God use this list to give you diagnostic wisdom. May he use it to expose your heart and to redirect your ministry.
Self-glory will cause you to:
1. Parade in public what should be kept in private.
The Pharisees live for us as a primary example. Because they saw their lives as glorious, they were quick to parade that glory before watching eyes.
The more you think you've arrived and the less you see yourself as daily needing rescuing grace, the more you will tend to be self-referencing and self-congratulating. Because you are attentive to self-glory, you will work to get greater glory even when you aren't aware that you're doing it. You will tend to tell personal stories that make you the hero.
You will find ways, in public settings, of talking about private acts of faith. Because you think you're worthy of acclaim, you will seek the acclaim of others by finding ways to present yourself as "godly."
I know most pastors reading this column will think they would never do this. But I am convinced there is a whole lot more "righteousness parading" in pastoral ministry than we would tend to think.
It is one of the reasons I find pastors' conferences, presbytery meetings, general assemblies, ministeriums and church-planting gatherings uncomfortable at times. Around the table after a session, these gatherings can degenerate into a pastoral ministry "spitting contest" where we are tempted to be less than honest about what's really going on in our hearts and ministries.
After celebrating the glory of the grace of the Gospel, there is way too much self-congratulatory glory-taking by people who seem to need more acclaim than they deserve.
2. Be way too self-referencing.
We all know it, we've all seen it, we've all been uncomfortable with it and we've all done it.
Proud people tend to talk about themselves a lot. Proud people tend to like their opinions more than the opinions of others. Proud people think their stories are more interesting and engaging than others.
Proud people think they know and understand more than others. Proud people think they've earned the right to be heard. Proud people, because they are basically proud of what they know and what they've done, talk a lot about both. Proud people don't reference weakness. Proud people don't talk about failure. Proud people don't confess sin.
So proud people are better at putting the spotlight on themselves than they are at shining the light of their stories and opinions on God's glorious and utterly undeserved grace.
3. Talk when you should be quiet.
When you think you've arrived, you are quite proud of and confident in your opinions. You trust your opinions, so you are not as interested in the opinions of others as you should be.
You will tend to want your thoughts, perspectives and viewpoints to win the day in any given meeting or conversation. This means you will be way more comfortable than you should be with dominating a gathering with your talk. You will fail to see that in a multitude of counsel there is wisdom. You will fail to see the essential ministry of the body of Christ in your life.
You will fail to recognize your bias and spiritual blindness. So you won't come to meetings formal or informal with a personal sense of need for what others have to offer, and you will control the talk more than you should.
4. Be quiet when you should speak.
Self-glory can go the other way as well. Leaders who are too self-confident, who unwittingly attribute to themselves what could only have been accomplished by grace, often see meetings as a waste of time.
Because they are proud, they are too independent, so meetings tend to be viewed as an irritating and unhelpful interruption of an already overburdened ministry schedule. Because of this they will either blow meetings off or tolerate the gathering, attempting to bring it to a close as quickly as possible.
So they don't throw their ideas out for consideration and evaluation because, frankly, they don't think they need it. And when their ideas are on the table and being debated, they don't jump into the fray, because they think what they have opined or proposed simply doesn't need to be defended.
Self-glory will cause you to speak too much when you should listen and to feel no need to speak when you surely should.
5. Care too much about what people think about you.
When you have fallen into thinking you're something, you want people to recognize the something. Again, you see this in the Pharisees: Personal assessments of self-glory always lead to glory-seeking behavior.
People who think they have arrived can become all too aware of how others respond to them. Because you're hyper-vigilant, watching the way the people in your ministry respond, you probably don't even realize how you do things for self-acclaim.
Sadly, we often minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the sake of our own glory, not for the glory of Christ or the redemption of the people under our care. I have done this. I have thought during the preparation for a sermon that a certain point, put a certain way, would win a detractor, and I have watched for certain people's reactions as I have preached.
In these moments, in the preaching and preparation of a sermon, I had forsaken my calling as the ambassador of the eternal glory of another for the purpose of my acquiring the temporary praise of men.
6. Care too little about what people think about you.
If you think you've arrived, you are so self-assured you simply don't think others should evaluate your thoughts, ideas, actions, words, plans, goals, attitudes or initiatives.
You really don't think you need help. You do alone what should be done in a group. And if you work with a group, you will tend to surround yourself with people who are all too impressed with you, all too excited to be included by you and who will find it hard to say anything but "yes" to you.
You have forgotten who you are and what your Savior says you daily need. You live in a place of both personal and also ministry danger.
7. Resist facing and admitting your sins, weaknesses and failures.
Why do any of us get upset or tense when we are being confronted? Why do any of us activate our inner lawyer and rise to our defense? Why do any of us turn the tables and remind the other person we are not the only sinner in the room? Why do we argue about the facts or dispute the other person's interpretation?
We do all of these things because we are convinced we are more righteous than the other person. Proud people don't welcome loving warning, rebuke, confrontation, criticism or accountability. And when they fail, they are very good at erecting plausible reasons for what they said or did given the stresses of the situation or relationship.
Are you quick to admit weakness? Are you ready to own your failures before God and others? Are you ready to face your weaknesses with humility?
Remember, if the eyes or ears of a ministry partner ever see or hear your sin, weakness or failure, it is never a hassle, never a ministry interruption, and it should never be viewed as an affront. It is always grace. God loves you, he has put you in this community of faith and he will reveal your spiritual needs to those around you so they may be his tools of conviction, rescue and transformation.
8. Struggle with the blessings of others.
Self-glory is always at the base of envy. You envy others' blessings because you see them as less deserving than you. And because you see yourself as more deserving, it is hard for you not to be mad they get what you deserve, and it is nearly impossible for you not to crave and covet what they wrongfully enjoy.
In your envious self-glory, you are actually charging God with being unjust and unfair. In ways you may not be aware, you begin to be comfortable with doubting God's wisdom, justice and goodness. You don't think he has been kind to you in the way you deserve. This begins to rob you of motivation to do what is right, because it doesn't seem to make any difference.
It is important to recognize there is a short step between envy and bitterness. That's why envious Asaph cries in Psalm 73:13, "All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence." He's saying, "I've obeyed, and this is what I get?" Then he writes, "When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast before you." What a word picture—a bitter beast!
I have met many bitter pastors; men convinced they have endured hardships they really didn't deserve. I have met many bitter pastors, envious of others' ministries, who have lost their motivation and joy. I have met many pastors who have come to doubt the goodness of God. And you don't tend to run for help, in your time of need, to someone you have come to doubt.
9. Be more position-oriented than submission-oriented.
Self-glory will always make you more oriented to place, power and position than in submission to the will of the King. You see this in the lives of the disciples. Jesus hadn't called them to himself to make their little kingdom purposes come true, but to welcome them as recipients and instruments of a better kingdom. Yet in their pride, they missed the whole point. They were all too oriented to the question of who would be greatest in the kingdom.
You can never fulfill your ambassadorial calling and want the power and position of a king. Position orientation will cause you to be political when you should be pastoral. It will cause you to require service when you should be willing to serve. It will cause you to demand of others what you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. It will cause you to ask for privilege when you should be willing to give up your rights.
It will cause you to think too much about how things will affect you, rather than thinking of how things will reflect on Christ. It will cause you to want to set the agenda, rather than finding joy in submitting to the agenda of Another. Self-glory turns those who have been chosen and called to be ambassadors into self-appointed kings.
10. Control ministry rather than delegate ministry.
When you are full of yourself, when you are too self-assured, you will tend to think you're the most capable person in the circle of your ministry. You will find it hard to recognize and esteem the God-given gifts of others, and because you do, you will find it hard to make ministry a community process. Thinking of yourself more highly than you ought always leads to looking down on others.
Personal humility and neediness will cause you to seek out and esteem the gifts and contributions of others.
Pastors who think they have arrived tend to see delegation as a waste of time. In their hearts they think, Why should I give to another what I could do better myself? Pastoral pride will crush shared ministry and the essential ministry of the body of Christ.
Personal Grief and Remorse
It is important for me to say I have written these cautions with personal grief and remorse. In shocking self-glory I have fallen, at some time in my ministry, into all of these traps. I have dominated when I should have listened. I have controlled what I should have given to others. I have been defensive when I desperately needed rebuke. I have resisted help when I should have been crying out for it. I have been too full of my own opinions and too dismissive of the perspective of others.
I am saddened as I reflect on my many years of ministry, but I am not depressed.
Because in all my weakness, the God of amazing grace has rescued and restored me again and again. He has progressively delivered me from me (a work that is ongoing). And in being torn between the kingdom of self and the kingdom of God, he has miraculously used me in the lives of many others. In love, he has worked to dent and deface my glory so his glory would be my delight.
He has plundered my kingdom so his kingdom would be my joy. And he has crushed my crown under his feet so I would quest to be an ambassador and not crave to be a king.
In this violent mercy there is hope for everyone. Your Lord is not just after the success of your ministry; he is working to dethrone you as well. Only when his throne is more important than yours will you find joy in the hard and humbling task of Gospel ministry. And his grace will not relent until our hearts have been fully captured by his glory. That's good news!
Don't Miss:
www.apministries.me
It is important to recognize the harvest of self-glory in you and in your ministry. May God use this list to give you diagnostic wisdom. May he use it to expose your heart and to redirect your ministry.
Self-glory will cause you to:
1. Parade in public what should be kept in private.
The Pharisees live for us as a primary example. Because they saw their lives as glorious, they were quick to parade that glory before watching eyes.
The more you think you've arrived and the less you see yourself as daily needing rescuing grace, the more you will tend to be self-referencing and self-congratulating. Because you are attentive to self-glory, you will work to get greater glory even when you aren't aware that you're doing it. You will tend to tell personal stories that make you the hero.
You will find ways, in public settings, of talking about private acts of faith. Because you think you're worthy of acclaim, you will seek the acclaim of others by finding ways to present yourself as "godly."
I know most pastors reading this column will think they would never do this. But I am convinced there is a whole lot more "righteousness parading" in pastoral ministry than we would tend to think.
It is one of the reasons I find pastors' conferences, presbytery meetings, general assemblies, ministeriums and church-planting gatherings uncomfortable at times. Around the table after a session, these gatherings can degenerate into a pastoral ministry "spitting contest" where we are tempted to be less than honest about what's really going on in our hearts and ministries.
After celebrating the glory of the grace of the Gospel, there is way too much self-congratulatory glory-taking by people who seem to need more acclaim than they deserve.
2. Be way too self-referencing.
We all know it, we've all seen it, we've all been uncomfortable with it and we've all done it.
Proud people tend to talk about themselves a lot. Proud people tend to like their opinions more than the opinions of others. Proud people think their stories are more interesting and engaging than others.
Proud people think they know and understand more than others. Proud people think they've earned the right to be heard. Proud people, because they are basically proud of what they know and what they've done, talk a lot about both. Proud people don't reference weakness. Proud people don't talk about failure. Proud people don't confess sin.
So proud people are better at putting the spotlight on themselves than they are at shining the light of their stories and opinions on God's glorious and utterly undeserved grace.
3. Talk when you should be quiet.
When you think you've arrived, you are quite proud of and confident in your opinions. You trust your opinions, so you are not as interested in the opinions of others as you should be.
You will tend to want your thoughts, perspectives and viewpoints to win the day in any given meeting or conversation. This means you will be way more comfortable than you should be with dominating a gathering with your talk. You will fail to see that in a multitude of counsel there is wisdom. You will fail to see the essential ministry of the body of Christ in your life.
You will fail to recognize your bias and spiritual blindness. So you won't come to meetings formal or informal with a personal sense of need for what others have to offer, and you will control the talk more than you should.
4. Be quiet when you should speak.
Self-glory can go the other way as well. Leaders who are too self-confident, who unwittingly attribute to themselves what could only have been accomplished by grace, often see meetings as a waste of time.
Because they are proud, they are too independent, so meetings tend to be viewed as an irritating and unhelpful interruption of an already overburdened ministry schedule. Because of this they will either blow meetings off or tolerate the gathering, attempting to bring it to a close as quickly as possible.
So they don't throw their ideas out for consideration and evaluation because, frankly, they don't think they need it. And when their ideas are on the table and being debated, they don't jump into the fray, because they think what they have opined or proposed simply doesn't need to be defended.
Self-glory will cause you to speak too much when you should listen and to feel no need to speak when you surely should.
5. Care too much about what people think about you.
When you have fallen into thinking you're something, you want people to recognize the something. Again, you see this in the Pharisees: Personal assessments of self-glory always lead to glory-seeking behavior.
People who think they have arrived can become all too aware of how others respond to them. Because you're hyper-vigilant, watching the way the people in your ministry respond, you probably don't even realize how you do things for self-acclaim.
Sadly, we often minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the sake of our own glory, not for the glory of Christ or the redemption of the people under our care. I have done this. I have thought during the preparation for a sermon that a certain point, put a certain way, would win a detractor, and I have watched for certain people's reactions as I have preached.
In these moments, in the preaching and preparation of a sermon, I had forsaken my calling as the ambassador of the eternal glory of another for the purpose of my acquiring the temporary praise of men.
6. Care too little about what people think about you.
If you think you've arrived, you are so self-assured you simply don't think others should evaluate your thoughts, ideas, actions, words, plans, goals, attitudes or initiatives.
You really don't think you need help. You do alone what should be done in a group. And if you work with a group, you will tend to surround yourself with people who are all too impressed with you, all too excited to be included by you and who will find it hard to say anything but "yes" to you.
You have forgotten who you are and what your Savior says you daily need. You live in a place of both personal and also ministry danger.
7. Resist facing and admitting your sins, weaknesses and failures.
Why do any of us get upset or tense when we are being confronted? Why do any of us activate our inner lawyer and rise to our defense? Why do any of us turn the tables and remind the other person we are not the only sinner in the room? Why do we argue about the facts or dispute the other person's interpretation?
We do all of these things because we are convinced we are more righteous than the other person. Proud people don't welcome loving warning, rebuke, confrontation, criticism or accountability. And when they fail, they are very good at erecting plausible reasons for what they said or did given the stresses of the situation or relationship.
Are you quick to admit weakness? Are you ready to own your failures before God and others? Are you ready to face your weaknesses with humility?
Remember, if the eyes or ears of a ministry partner ever see or hear your sin, weakness or failure, it is never a hassle, never a ministry interruption, and it should never be viewed as an affront. It is always grace. God loves you, he has put you in this community of faith and he will reveal your spiritual needs to those around you so they may be his tools of conviction, rescue and transformation.
8. Struggle with the blessings of others.
Self-glory is always at the base of envy. You envy others' blessings because you see them as less deserving than you. And because you see yourself as more deserving, it is hard for you not to be mad they get what you deserve, and it is nearly impossible for you not to crave and covet what they wrongfully enjoy.
In your envious self-glory, you are actually charging God with being unjust and unfair. In ways you may not be aware, you begin to be comfortable with doubting God's wisdom, justice and goodness. You don't think he has been kind to you in the way you deserve. This begins to rob you of motivation to do what is right, because it doesn't seem to make any difference.
It is important to recognize there is a short step between envy and bitterness. That's why envious Asaph cries in Psalm 73:13, "All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence." He's saying, "I've obeyed, and this is what I get?" Then he writes, "When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast before you." What a word picture—a bitter beast!
I have met many bitter pastors; men convinced they have endured hardships they really didn't deserve. I have met many bitter pastors, envious of others' ministries, who have lost their motivation and joy. I have met many pastors who have come to doubt the goodness of God. And you don't tend to run for help, in your time of need, to someone you have come to doubt.
9. Be more position-oriented than submission-oriented.
Self-glory will always make you more oriented to place, power and position than in submission to the will of the King. You see this in the lives of the disciples. Jesus hadn't called them to himself to make their little kingdom purposes come true, but to welcome them as recipients and instruments of a better kingdom. Yet in their pride, they missed the whole point. They were all too oriented to the question of who would be greatest in the kingdom.
You can never fulfill your ambassadorial calling and want the power and position of a king. Position orientation will cause you to be political when you should be pastoral. It will cause you to require service when you should be willing to serve. It will cause you to demand of others what you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. It will cause you to ask for privilege when you should be willing to give up your rights.
It will cause you to think too much about how things will affect you, rather than thinking of how things will reflect on Christ. It will cause you to want to set the agenda, rather than finding joy in submitting to the agenda of Another. Self-glory turns those who have been chosen and called to be ambassadors into self-appointed kings.
10. Control ministry rather than delegate ministry.
When you are full of yourself, when you are too self-assured, you will tend to think you're the most capable person in the circle of your ministry. You will find it hard to recognize and esteem the God-given gifts of others, and because you do, you will find it hard to make ministry a community process. Thinking of yourself more highly than you ought always leads to looking down on others.
Personal humility and neediness will cause you to seek out and esteem the gifts and contributions of others.
Pastors who think they have arrived tend to see delegation as a waste of time. In their hearts they think, Why should I give to another what I could do better myself? Pastoral pride will crush shared ministry and the essential ministry of the body of Christ.
Personal Grief and Remorse
It is important for me to say I have written these cautions with personal grief and remorse. In shocking self-glory I have fallen, at some time in my ministry, into all of these traps. I have dominated when I should have listened. I have controlled what I should have given to others. I have been defensive when I desperately needed rebuke. I have resisted help when I should have been crying out for it. I have been too full of my own opinions and too dismissive of the perspective of others.
I am saddened as I reflect on my many years of ministry, but I am not depressed.
Because in all my weakness, the God of amazing grace has rescued and restored me again and again. He has progressively delivered me from me (a work that is ongoing). And in being torn between the kingdom of self and the kingdom of God, he has miraculously used me in the lives of many others. In love, he has worked to dent and deface my glory so his glory would be my delight.
He has plundered my kingdom so his kingdom would be my joy. And he has crushed my crown under his feet so I would quest to be an ambassador and not crave to be a king.
In this violent mercy there is hope for everyone. Your Lord is not just after the success of your ministry; he is working to dethrone you as well. Only when his throne is more important than yours will you find joy in the hard and humbling task of Gospel ministry. And his grace will not relent until our hearts have been fully captured by his glory. That's good news!
Don't Miss:
www.apministries.me
Resume of Jesus for Application to serve at the United Church of Personal Truth
by Matt Slick
Bob: So, pastor Ellen, I've got one more resume for us to go over. I've saved the best for last. It's from a guy named Mr. Word.
Ellen: Interesting name.
Bob: Yeah, it is. Anyway, you won't believe this guy's resume. It's really short and hilarious.
Ellen: How so?
Bob: Well, he doesn't put down his age. Apparently he doesn't have any formal theological training. In fact, he doesn't even list an address and there's no phone number.
Ellen: You're joking.
Bob: Not at all. And check this out. Under "Experience" it says, "Discipled 12 men for 3 years as we walked around the country, depending on God for our food, clothing, and shelter. We preached about the Judgment to come and the need for repentance from sin."
Ellen: Walked around the country?
Bob: Yeah, I guess he doesn't have a car! LOL
Ellen: LOL
Bob: It gets better. Under "Special Skills" it lists creating, forgiving, teaching, admonishing, discipling, and healing.
Ellen: You've got to be kidding. This guy is arrogant.
Bob: You haven't heard the half of it. As always, we did a background check on all applicants and you won't believe what we found. The guy has had numerous complaints against him for such things as disturbing the peace and violence.
Ellen: Wait! He's violent?
Bob: Oh yeah! He trashed one religious institution when he went in there and turned over some tables. Then he attacked everyone by swinging something, a whip I think, and chased them away while he was yelling at them. There were huge complaints about him most everywhere he went. Oh, I almost forgot. His so-called disciples were doing the same thing. They're just like him, causing problems wherever they go! Apparently, they are against a lot of preachers. It's a real problem.
Ellen: And this guy wants to work here? Like that's going to happen.
Bob: But wait, there's more!
Ellen: LOL
Bob: Okay, so we contacted some places where he's been and they said he's friends with some pretty bad people and that has a foul mouth.
Ellen: Really?
Bob: Yeah. There are a bunch of reports of him hanging around drunkards, prostitutes, drug adicts, and gluttons. And get this, apparently he calls people names like hypocrite, being full of dead bones, vipers, that they are of the devil, and stuff like that. This guy is a complete lunatic.
Ellen: LOL... and he wants to serve in this church? Wow... this is great stuff. Maybe I can use his resume as an illustration of how not to behave as a Christian in my sermon this week.
Bob: Great idea! But I have to warn you. Here at the bottom of the resume he wrote that he wants to visit our church this Sunday. Here, let me read this, "I will be at your next Sunday service. I am coming quickly as I visit seven churches."
Ellen: Seven churches? What? Is this guy desparate for a job?
Bob: Apparently.
Ellen: Well, have a couple of the elders stand guard by the front door next to the self-help book tables so that if we spot him we can kick him out. We definitely don't want anyone like that getting in here and messing up our congregation with this kind of wacko teaching.
Bob: You got that right. What a joke this guy is.
Ellen: That was great for a laugh though.
Bob: By the way, what is your sermon on this Sunday?
Ellen: It's on how to love everyone and how love is the most important thing and how we need to be tolerant of others.
Bob: Great, I'm looking forward to it.
-------------------------------
Resume Attached
Name: Mr. Word
Contact Info: I'll contact you.
Objective: To teach the gospel and the word of God the Father to his congregation so that God's people might become disciple makers.
Education: None
Travel: Never left the country
Work and Related Experience: Discipled 12 men over a three-year period.
Special skills: Creating, forgiving, teaching, admonishing, discipling, and healing
Hobbies: Feeding thousands of people, walking on water, calming storms, etc.
References: God. Introduction upon request.
Note: "I will be at your next Sunday service. I am coming quickly as I visit seven churches."
www.apministries.me
Bob: So, pastor Ellen, I've got one more resume for us to go over. I've saved the best for last. It's from a guy named Mr. Word.
Ellen: Interesting name.
Bob: Yeah, it is. Anyway, you won't believe this guy's resume. It's really short and hilarious.
Ellen: How so?
Bob: Well, he doesn't put down his age. Apparently he doesn't have any formal theological training. In fact, he doesn't even list an address and there's no phone number.
Ellen: You're joking.
Bob: Not at all. And check this out. Under "Experience" it says, "Discipled 12 men for 3 years as we walked around the country, depending on God for our food, clothing, and shelter. We preached about the Judgment to come and the need for repentance from sin."
Ellen: Walked around the country?
Bob: Yeah, I guess he doesn't have a car! LOL
Ellen: LOL
Bob: It gets better. Under "Special Skills" it lists creating, forgiving, teaching, admonishing, discipling, and healing.
Ellen: You've got to be kidding. This guy is arrogant.
Bob: You haven't heard the half of it. As always, we did a background check on all applicants and you won't believe what we found. The guy has had numerous complaints against him for such things as disturbing the peace and violence.
Ellen: Wait! He's violent?
Bob: Oh yeah! He trashed one religious institution when he went in there and turned over some tables. Then he attacked everyone by swinging something, a whip I think, and chased them away while he was yelling at them. There were huge complaints about him most everywhere he went. Oh, I almost forgot. His so-called disciples were doing the same thing. They're just like him, causing problems wherever they go! Apparently, they are against a lot of preachers. It's a real problem.
Ellen: And this guy wants to work here? Like that's going to happen.
Bob: But wait, there's more!
Ellen: LOL
Bob: Okay, so we contacted some places where he's been and they said he's friends with some pretty bad people and that has a foul mouth.
Ellen: Really?
Bob: Yeah. There are a bunch of reports of him hanging around drunkards, prostitutes, drug adicts, and gluttons. And get this, apparently he calls people names like hypocrite, being full of dead bones, vipers, that they are of the devil, and stuff like that. This guy is a complete lunatic.
Ellen: LOL... and he wants to serve in this church? Wow... this is great stuff. Maybe I can use his resume as an illustration of how not to behave as a Christian in my sermon this week.
Bob: Great idea! But I have to warn you. Here at the bottom of the resume he wrote that he wants to visit our church this Sunday. Here, let me read this, "I will be at your next Sunday service. I am coming quickly as I visit seven churches."
Ellen: Seven churches? What? Is this guy desparate for a job?
Bob: Apparently.
Ellen: Well, have a couple of the elders stand guard by the front door next to the self-help book tables so that if we spot him we can kick him out. We definitely don't want anyone like that getting in here and messing up our congregation with this kind of wacko teaching.
Bob: You got that right. What a joke this guy is.
Ellen: That was great for a laugh though.
Bob: By the way, what is your sermon on this Sunday?
Ellen: It's on how to love everyone and how love is the most important thing and how we need to be tolerant of others.
Bob: Great, I'm looking forward to it.
-------------------------------
Resume Attached
Name: Mr. Word
Contact Info: I'll contact you.
Objective: To teach the gospel and the word of God the Father to his congregation so that God's people might become disciple makers.
Education: None
Travel: Never left the country
Work and Related Experience: Discipled 12 men over a three-year period.
Special skills: Creating, forgiving, teaching, admonishing, discipling, and healing
Hobbies: Feeding thousands of people, walking on water, calming storms, etc.
References: God. Introduction upon request.
Note: "I will be at your next Sunday service. I am coming quickly as I visit seven churches."
www.apministries.me
Pastor, We Need to Talk - The Top 10 Things Your Church Will Tell You
by Thom Rainer
Pastors are like information sponges. If they aren’t studying, they are receiving a regular deluge of information from church members.
I asked 22 pastors to share with me the most common items they hear from their church members. In the past, this information came in the form of letters, in-person conversations and telephone calls. The digital age has made emails, texts and social media more common.
Eleven of the pastors were above the age of 40, so an equal number were under 40 years old.
Here are their top 10 responses in order of frequency. Each response is followed by a quote from a representative pastor in the interview.
1. Requests for hospital visits and other visits to those who are ill.
“If I said ‘yes’ to every one of these requests I got, it would be a 60-hour-a-week job. I have to disappoint and even anger some folks, because I can’t get to everyone.”
2. Requests to attend events and meetings at the church.
“I really wish I could be omnipresent. It seems like I’m supposed to be at every wedding, every church meeting and every Sunday school class function. I do my best, but I sometimes disappoint some folks.”
3. Criticisms.
“The criticisms that bother me the most are those that begin with ‘I love you pastor but ...’ The words that follow are usually anything but loving.”
4. Updates on someone’s health.
“I have to say I appreciate those in my church that keep me updated about how someone is doing. Now, some of them go overboard with the details, but it does help me set priorities to visit and call.”
5. Books a pastor should read.
“I have learned that when a church member recommends a book to me, it’s usually a book about something he thinks I should be teaching or preaching.”
6. Encouragement.
“Thank God for the Barnabases in my church. It seems like God uses them at key and critical times when they communicate with me. I hope I never take them for granted.”
7. Ideas on how to do things better in the church.
“Some of these messages are from well-intending members. Others are from members who thinly disguise their criticism as a suggestion.”
8. Sermon suggestions.
“I have a few members in my church who would be happy if all of my sermons were from the Book of Revelation. I’m glad this Mayan thing passed. I was getting inundated with those requests.”
9. Theological and biblical questions.
“I love it when people have genuine questions about what the Bible teaches. That indicates God is giving them a real hunger for His Word.”
10. Jokes/forwarded spam.
“There are a few members in the church who feel like they have to forward me every joke or political issue they get in their email. Usually I’m one of 30 or 40 recipients, so I don’t feel obligated to respond.”
Interestingly, if we had just taken the responses from the under-40 group of pastors, “theological and biblical questions” would have ranked fourth instead of ninth. The younger pastors seem to be encouraging and receiving biblical conversations.
If you are a pastor or staff member, what would you add to this list? If you are a layperson, do any of these items of communication to pastors surprise you?
www.apministries.me
Pastors are like information sponges. If they aren’t studying, they are receiving a regular deluge of information from church members.
I asked 22 pastors to share with me the most common items they hear from their church members. In the past, this information came in the form of letters, in-person conversations and telephone calls. The digital age has made emails, texts and social media more common.
Eleven of the pastors were above the age of 40, so an equal number were under 40 years old.
Here are their top 10 responses in order of frequency. Each response is followed by a quote from a representative pastor in the interview.
1. Requests for hospital visits and other visits to those who are ill.
“If I said ‘yes’ to every one of these requests I got, it would be a 60-hour-a-week job. I have to disappoint and even anger some folks, because I can’t get to everyone.”
2. Requests to attend events and meetings at the church.
“I really wish I could be omnipresent. It seems like I’m supposed to be at every wedding, every church meeting and every Sunday school class function. I do my best, but I sometimes disappoint some folks.”
3. Criticisms.
“The criticisms that bother me the most are those that begin with ‘I love you pastor but ...’ The words that follow are usually anything but loving.”
4. Updates on someone’s health.
“I have to say I appreciate those in my church that keep me updated about how someone is doing. Now, some of them go overboard with the details, but it does help me set priorities to visit and call.”
5. Books a pastor should read.
“I have learned that when a church member recommends a book to me, it’s usually a book about something he thinks I should be teaching or preaching.”
6. Encouragement.
“Thank God for the Barnabases in my church. It seems like God uses them at key and critical times when they communicate with me. I hope I never take them for granted.”
7. Ideas on how to do things better in the church.
“Some of these messages are from well-intending members. Others are from members who thinly disguise their criticism as a suggestion.”
8. Sermon suggestions.
“I have a few members in my church who would be happy if all of my sermons were from the Book of Revelation. I’m glad this Mayan thing passed. I was getting inundated with those requests.”
9. Theological and biblical questions.
“I love it when people have genuine questions about what the Bible teaches. That indicates God is giving them a real hunger for His Word.”
10. Jokes/forwarded spam.
“There are a few members in the church who feel like they have to forward me every joke or political issue they get in their email. Usually I’m one of 30 or 40 recipients, so I don’t feel obligated to respond.”
Interestingly, if we had just taken the responses from the under-40 group of pastors, “theological and biblical questions” would have ranked fourth instead of ninth. The younger pastors seem to be encouraging and receiving biblical conversations.
If you are a pastor or staff member, what would you add to this list? If you are a layperson, do any of these items of communication to pastors surprise you?
www.apministries.me
Sunday, February 3, 2013
This is from Brain Dodd Leadership Post
18 Practices Of Highly Effective Churches Who Partner With Their Local Schools
“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV)
One of the keys to growing a prevailing church is the ability to effectively serve and partner with your local school system. Led by Senior Pastor Derwin Gray, few churches do this as effectively as Transformation Church in Indian Land, SC just outside of Charlotte.
If you are a regular reader of this site then you know that Transformation is one of my favorite churches. I also think Pastor Derwin is America’s leading voice on multi-cultural, multi-generational ministry. When you watch the short video above, you will understand why I feel this way.
You will also notice the following 18 Practices Of Highly Effective Churches Who Partner With Their Local Schools which I personally learned from the video:
Highly Effective Churches Make Serving Local Schools A Priority - Pastor Derwin and his team went to the schools. They did not wait for the schools to come to them.
Highly Effective Churches View Serving Schools As Part Of Their Mission – As Executive Pastor Paul Allen pointed out, the leadership felt that as a multi-cultural church, they were strategically placed near a school represented by 32 different countries.
Highly Effective Churches Value Personal Relationships With School Leadership - Transformation took the time to develop relationships with and publicly recognize the contributions of Principal David McDonald of Indian Land Middle School and Assistant Principal Steven Puckett of Indian Land Elementary School.
Highly Effective Churches Celebrate The Achievements Of Their Local Schools – Pastor Paul was quick to note that Principle McDonald was recently named South Carolina’s Middle School Principal Of The Year and gave the church an opportunity to honor him as well.
Highly Effective Churches Know The Needs Of Their Local Schools - Pastor Paul made the congregation aware of the school’s need for a Kindle Lab.
Highly Effective Churches Support Local School Programs - Transformation is making a long-term commitment to the I Lead Program, a 3-year male leadership initiative.
Highly Effective Churches Are Deeply Invested In Their Local Schools – To effectively serve local schools, you must be involved in multiple initiatives, not just one-time events. Transformation has served in School Staff Appreciation, Lunch Buddies, and tutoring programs among others.
Highly Effective Churches Believe In Their Local Schools - Pastor Paul said, “We believe in what God is doing in our Indian Land School System.” Pastor Derwin later added in his first words, “We believe in your guys.”
Highly Effective Churches Are Extravagantly Generous To Their Local Schools - Because of the generosity of those who attend Transformation, each school was presented checks for $10,000. WOW!!!!! In addition, I was impressed with the genuine embraces and prolonged applause that followed.
Highly Effective Churches Are Genuinely Excited About Their Local Schools – “We are excited about what God is doing in our school system” are not just words. Transformation demonstrates this by their actions.
Highly Effective Churches Publicly Pray For The Individual Schools In Their Area and Its Leaders
The Success Of Highly Effective Churches Is Directly Tied To The Success Of Their Local Schools - Much like the words of Jeremiah 29:7 written above, Pastor Derwin clearly communicates that “If our community doesn’t get better because Transformation Church exists, then we have failed.”
Highly Effective Churches Think Long-Term - The leadership of Transformation Church desires to have a long-term relationship with their local schools. As Pastor Derwin acknowledged, “We look forward to the continued relationship.”
Highly Effective Churches Are Thankful For Their Local Schools - Pastor Derwin prayed, “We thank You (Jesus) for these men, the teachers, and the students they represent.”
Highly Effective Churches Believe Local Schools Are A Blessing - Many church leaders and Christian parents mistakenly do not value the public school system. As Pastor Derwin prayed, “We ask You to bless them to continue to be a blessing.”
Highly Effective Churches Believe In The Next Generation - Pastor Derwin has a great vision for the next generation. ”We believe the students, boys and girls, will one day grow up to be men and women that change this world.”
Highly Effective Churches Count It As A Privilege To Partner With Local Schools – “We thank you for the honor and privilege to be able to partner and be in relationship with the Indian Land schools.”
Most Of All, Highly Effective Churches Who Partner With Their Local Schools Are Excited About Jesus - I love how Pastor Derwin closed, “Jesus, You continue to take our breath away.” Pastors and church leaders, when is the last time Jesus took your breath away?
You can now see why Transformation Church is one of my favorite churches. Pastors and church leaders, after watching this video, what is one thing you can do TODAY to better serve your local school system?
Subscribe here so future posts can be sent directly to your Inbox. As a gift for doing so, I will also send you a FREE copy of my brand new eBook 455 Leadership Quotes: Lessons From 2012′s Top Christian Conference Speakers. Pastor Derwin is prominently featured in this document.
Anthony
“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV)
One of the keys to growing a prevailing church is the ability to effectively serve and partner with your local school system. Led by Senior Pastor Derwin Gray, few churches do this as effectively as Transformation Church in Indian Land, SC just outside of Charlotte.
If you are a regular reader of this site then you know that Transformation is one of my favorite churches. I also think Pastor Derwin is America’s leading voice on multi-cultural, multi-generational ministry. When you watch the short video above, you will understand why I feel this way.
You will also notice the following 18 Practices Of Highly Effective Churches Who Partner With Their Local Schools which I personally learned from the video:
Highly Effective Churches Make Serving Local Schools A Priority - Pastor Derwin and his team went to the schools. They did not wait for the schools to come to them.
Highly Effective Churches View Serving Schools As Part Of Their Mission – As Executive Pastor Paul Allen pointed out, the leadership felt that as a multi-cultural church, they were strategically placed near a school represented by 32 different countries.
Highly Effective Churches Value Personal Relationships With School Leadership - Transformation took the time to develop relationships with and publicly recognize the contributions of Principal David McDonald of Indian Land Middle School and Assistant Principal Steven Puckett of Indian Land Elementary School.
Highly Effective Churches Celebrate The Achievements Of Their Local Schools – Pastor Paul was quick to note that Principle McDonald was recently named South Carolina’s Middle School Principal Of The Year and gave the church an opportunity to honor him as well.
Highly Effective Churches Know The Needs Of Their Local Schools - Pastor Paul made the congregation aware of the school’s need for a Kindle Lab.
Highly Effective Churches Support Local School Programs - Transformation is making a long-term commitment to the I Lead Program, a 3-year male leadership initiative.
Highly Effective Churches Are Deeply Invested In Their Local Schools – To effectively serve local schools, you must be involved in multiple initiatives, not just one-time events. Transformation has served in School Staff Appreciation, Lunch Buddies, and tutoring programs among others.
Highly Effective Churches Believe In Their Local Schools - Pastor Paul said, “We believe in what God is doing in our Indian Land School System.” Pastor Derwin later added in his first words, “We believe in your guys.”
Highly Effective Churches Are Extravagantly Generous To Their Local Schools - Because of the generosity of those who attend Transformation, each school was presented checks for $10,000. WOW!!!!! In addition, I was impressed with the genuine embraces and prolonged applause that followed.
Highly Effective Churches Are Genuinely Excited About Their Local Schools – “We are excited about what God is doing in our school system” are not just words. Transformation demonstrates this by their actions.
Highly Effective Churches Publicly Pray For The Individual Schools In Their Area and Its Leaders
The Success Of Highly Effective Churches Is Directly Tied To The Success Of Their Local Schools - Much like the words of Jeremiah 29:7 written above, Pastor Derwin clearly communicates that “If our community doesn’t get better because Transformation Church exists, then we have failed.”
Highly Effective Churches Think Long-Term - The leadership of Transformation Church desires to have a long-term relationship with their local schools. As Pastor Derwin acknowledged, “We look forward to the continued relationship.”
Highly Effective Churches Are Thankful For Their Local Schools - Pastor Derwin prayed, “We thank You (Jesus) for these men, the teachers, and the students they represent.”
Highly Effective Churches Believe Local Schools Are A Blessing - Many church leaders and Christian parents mistakenly do not value the public school system. As Pastor Derwin prayed, “We ask You to bless them to continue to be a blessing.”
Highly Effective Churches Believe In The Next Generation - Pastor Derwin has a great vision for the next generation. ”We believe the students, boys and girls, will one day grow up to be men and women that change this world.”
Highly Effective Churches Count It As A Privilege To Partner With Local Schools – “We thank you for the honor and privilege to be able to partner and be in relationship with the Indian Land schools.”
Most Of All, Highly Effective Churches Who Partner With Their Local Schools Are Excited About Jesus - I love how Pastor Derwin closed, “Jesus, You continue to take our breath away.” Pastors and church leaders, when is the last time Jesus took your breath away?
You can now see why Transformation Church is one of my favorite churches. Pastors and church leaders, after watching this video, what is one thing you can do TODAY to better serve your local school system?
Subscribe here so future posts can be sent directly to your Inbox. As a gift for doing so, I will also send you a FREE copy of my brand new eBook 455 Leadership Quotes: Lessons From 2012′s Top Christian Conference Speakers. Pastor Derwin is prominently featured in this document.
Anthony
Saturday, February 2, 2013
The Unit: What We Are Together
Romans 1:12
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Romans 6:5
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Romans 8:17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 15:30
Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
1 Corinthians 1:10
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
1 Corinthians 5:4
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Corinthians 12:24
For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
1 Corinthians 14:23
If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
2 Corinthians 1:11
Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
2 Corinthians 6:1
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 Corinthians 6:14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
Ephesians 1:10
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Ephesians 2:6
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 2:21
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Ephesians 2:22
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:16
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Philippians 1:27
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Philippians 3:17
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Colossians 2:2
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Colossians 2:13
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Colossians 2:19
And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Colossians 2:18-20 (in Context) Colossians 2 (Whole Chapter)
1 Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:10
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
2 Thessalonians 2:1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
Anthony
Monday, January 28, 2013
The Unit: The Second Quality Of Championship Teams
Championship Teams Are Respected By Their Peers - Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick was forced to admit, “They’re just better than us. They’re better than everybody.”
The respect meter goes of the chart when we work together as a team! For a true team member (not someone that is just on the field) it is all about the team, not about the individual glory. I was reminded of this on Saturday, my son plays basketball for the Fort Lauderdale sharks. I phone him on Saturday night and asked about the game. He responded, "We lost." My natural question next, "How did you do?" To my surprise, he resonded, "Dad I had, 22 points, 4 rebound and 4 assists, but it don't matter dad, we lost!"
I think that there are far too many Christian that miss this truth. We gage out life by the individual anoting, rather that the colletive impact. We rather see one another do bad, than to work as a team for the greater good! As a result, we have no "street cred." No one respects us.
Talent doesn't make a team! Commitment to the mission at all cost, is the stuff that makes championship teams...It's individuals working as a "The Unit" God has brougth them together to be. This kind of team are respected by their peers in every walk of life.
www.apministries.me
The respect meter goes of the chart when we work together as a team! For a true team member (not someone that is just on the field) it is all about the team, not about the individual glory. I was reminded of this on Saturday, my son plays basketball for the Fort Lauderdale sharks. I phone him on Saturday night and asked about the game. He responded, "We lost." My natural question next, "How did you do?" To my surprise, he resonded, "Dad I had, 22 points, 4 rebound and 4 assists, but it don't matter dad, we lost!"
I think that there are far too many Christian that miss this truth. We gage out life by the individual anoting, rather that the colletive impact. We rather see one another do bad, than to work as a team for the greater good! As a result, we have no "street cred." No one respects us.
Talent doesn't make a team! Commitment to the mission at all cost, is the stuff that makes championship teams...It's individuals working as a "The Unit" God has brougth them together to be. This kind of team are respected by their peers in every walk of life.
www.apministries.me
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Qualities Of Championship Teams
As next Sunday approaches and it being Superbowl Sunday; as well as the beginning of my new series entitled The Unit, I thought I would give you some qualities of Championship Teams. I will give one each day throughout the series. Here's the first:
Championship Teams Have Special Character - Head Coach Nick Saban gives us incredible insight into what is necessary to compete at the highest level. He says, “To repeat, it takes a special will because you’re always fighting against yourself. It’s human nature to be satisfied with what you did last year. It takes a special group, with special character, to overcome that. And this team did.”
www.apministries.me
Championship Teams Have Special Character - Head Coach Nick Saban gives us incredible insight into what is necessary to compete at the highest level. He says, “To repeat, it takes a special will because you’re always fighting against yourself. It’s human nature to be satisfied with what you did last year. It takes a special group, with special character, to overcome that. And this team did.”
www.apministries.me
Should Pastors Know Who Gives?
by Larry Osborne
One subject that’s always good for a little controversy is a discussion of whether or not a pastor should have access to congregational giving records.
Years ago I was a proud, card-carrying member of the “I-don’t-know-who-gives-what” tribe.
But I changed my mind after being challenged and realizing that ...
I had a hard time explaining why a pastor is any different from other ministry leaders
Think missionaries, parachurch ministries, Christian media, seminaries and the like.
I had a hard time explaining why capital campaigns are different.
No one seems to object to the pastor knowing about large commitments and gifts to a building project. So how is this different than gifts to the general fund?
I found nothing in the Scriptures supporting my viewpoint.
Frankly, all the verses I used to support staying in the dark could just as well be applied to missionaries or anyone leading any ministry—even the church treasurer—something that no one I know of advocates. The idea that a local church pastor is somehow different is simply not biblical.
Even though I took pride in not knowing, I still made subconscious assumptions.
I couldn’t help it. It’s human nature. But once I had the facts in hand, I was amazed at how inaccurate most of my assumptions were.
A while back, I was discussing this with a group of pastors at a gathering I was hosting. The very next day I had an experience that showed once again why having the facts is always better than making assumptions—and how having the facts radically changes (and should change) the way we deal with individuals.
Our church was being picketed by the carpenters’ union. Their huge “Labor Dispute—SHAME ON NORTH COAST CHURCH” sign showed up during the week and during our worship services in an attempt to “motivate” us into firing a non-union subcontractor we’d hired to work on our new campus construction.
After the first weekend of picketing, we received an email from a concerned parishioner.
He informed us that after prayer and reflection, his family would no longer be giving their “first fruits” to our ministry. He said he would still give the Lord what was His, but it just wouldn’t be to North Coast—at least not until the issue with the union was resolved.
He then went on to say that though he didn’t particularly care for the methods the union was using, he felt our church had a moral obligation to support companies that provide a living wage in order to show the community we care about people and not just the bottom line. He concluded by thanking us for the way our ministry and teaching had blessed his family and promised his entire family would continue to pray for us as we worked to resolve the issue.
If you were in my shoes, how would you respond?
Not just what would you say or write, but how would you feel?
Based on content and tone, it’s clear the writer is a union member, but he’s also a strong Christian, fully committed to the church, praying for it regularly and supporting it with his “first fruits.”
My bet is you’d wonder if other families like his were thinking the same thing—and, if they were, what they might do in response.
Here’s how I responded.
I asked my assistant to get me some facts. Who was this gentleman? What was his attendance pattern, involvement in our small group ministry AND his giving record?
Here’s what I found out.
He’d attended our church for a couple of years. He’d never been involved in a small group. His “first fruits” giving the previous year was all of $500. Year-to-date, it was zero.
Now, come on. Let’s admit it. That changes things a bit, doesn’t it?
Frankly, for me, the facts changed everything.
Rather than crafting a response appropriate for a strong Christian, highly committed to our church, I needed to put together a response designed for a big hat, no cattle Christian making an empty threat about cutting back his non-existent financial support. It needed to be addressed to someone who talked a good game, but whose deepest loyalty ran far more with the union movement than his local church.
Once I had the facts in hand, I realized the best way to respond would read something like this:
Dear _________
Thank you for sharing your concerns about resolving the issue with the protestors. I fully understand in light of your union loyalties why you might be hesitant to give God’s “first fruits” to a church that hires non-union workers.
Perhaps that’s a sign we are not the best church for you or your family at this time; especially since we’re likely to continue to use our donated funds to hire the lowest qualified bidder on this and other projects in the future.
In light of your concerns, I have asked our finance department to return to you all the “first fruits” gifts you have given to our church so far this year so you can forward them on to a ministry you can fully support. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a record of any such gifts.
Rest assured, if we find any, we will send them to you posthaste. In the meantime, may God guide you and your family as you search for a church worthy of your full support.
http://www.churchleaders.com/mobile/pastors/pastor-articles/164802-larry-osborne-should-pastors-know-who-gives.html?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=clnewsletter&utm_content=CL+Daily+20130127
www.apministries.me
One subject that’s always good for a little controversy is a discussion of whether or not a pastor should have access to congregational giving records.
Years ago I was a proud, card-carrying member of the “I-don’t-know-who-gives-what” tribe.
But I changed my mind after being challenged and realizing that ...
I had a hard time explaining why a pastor is any different from other ministry leaders
Think missionaries, parachurch ministries, Christian media, seminaries and the like.
I had a hard time explaining why capital campaigns are different.
No one seems to object to the pastor knowing about large commitments and gifts to a building project. So how is this different than gifts to the general fund?
I found nothing in the Scriptures supporting my viewpoint.
Frankly, all the verses I used to support staying in the dark could just as well be applied to missionaries or anyone leading any ministry—even the church treasurer—something that no one I know of advocates. The idea that a local church pastor is somehow different is simply not biblical.
Even though I took pride in not knowing, I still made subconscious assumptions.
I couldn’t help it. It’s human nature. But once I had the facts in hand, I was amazed at how inaccurate most of my assumptions were.
A while back, I was discussing this with a group of pastors at a gathering I was hosting. The very next day I had an experience that showed once again why having the facts is always better than making assumptions—and how having the facts radically changes (and should change) the way we deal with individuals.
Our church was being picketed by the carpenters’ union. Their huge “Labor Dispute—SHAME ON NORTH COAST CHURCH” sign showed up during the week and during our worship services in an attempt to “motivate” us into firing a non-union subcontractor we’d hired to work on our new campus construction.
After the first weekend of picketing, we received an email from a concerned parishioner.
He informed us that after prayer and reflection, his family would no longer be giving their “first fruits” to our ministry. He said he would still give the Lord what was His, but it just wouldn’t be to North Coast—at least not until the issue with the union was resolved.
He then went on to say that though he didn’t particularly care for the methods the union was using, he felt our church had a moral obligation to support companies that provide a living wage in order to show the community we care about people and not just the bottom line. He concluded by thanking us for the way our ministry and teaching had blessed his family and promised his entire family would continue to pray for us as we worked to resolve the issue.
If you were in my shoes, how would you respond?
Not just what would you say or write, but how would you feel?
Based on content and tone, it’s clear the writer is a union member, but he’s also a strong Christian, fully committed to the church, praying for it regularly and supporting it with his “first fruits.”
My bet is you’d wonder if other families like his were thinking the same thing—and, if they were, what they might do in response.
Here’s how I responded.
I asked my assistant to get me some facts. Who was this gentleman? What was his attendance pattern, involvement in our small group ministry AND his giving record?
Here’s what I found out.
He’d attended our church for a couple of years. He’d never been involved in a small group. His “first fruits” giving the previous year was all of $500. Year-to-date, it was zero.
Now, come on. Let’s admit it. That changes things a bit, doesn’t it?
Frankly, for me, the facts changed everything.
Rather than crafting a response appropriate for a strong Christian, highly committed to our church, I needed to put together a response designed for a big hat, no cattle Christian making an empty threat about cutting back his non-existent financial support. It needed to be addressed to someone who talked a good game, but whose deepest loyalty ran far more with the union movement than his local church.
Once I had the facts in hand, I realized the best way to respond would read something like this:
Dear _________
Thank you for sharing your concerns about resolving the issue with the protestors. I fully understand in light of your union loyalties why you might be hesitant to give God’s “first fruits” to a church that hires non-union workers.
Perhaps that’s a sign we are not the best church for you or your family at this time; especially since we’re likely to continue to use our donated funds to hire the lowest qualified bidder on this and other projects in the future.
In light of your concerns, I have asked our finance department to return to you all the “first fruits” gifts you have given to our church so far this year so you can forward them on to a ministry you can fully support. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a record of any such gifts.
Rest assured, if we find any, we will send them to you posthaste. In the meantime, may God guide you and your family as you search for a church worthy of your full support.
http://www.churchleaders.com/mobile/pastors/pastor-articles/164802-larry-osborne-should-pastors-know-who-gives.html?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=clnewsletter&utm_content=CL+Daily+20130127
www.apministries.me
Build Me a Son General Douglas A. MacArthur
I prayed this prayer while my wife was carrying our son. It continues to be a blessing. I hope it blesses you.
Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face him self when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
and humble and gentle in victory.
Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee- and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm; here, let him team compassion for those who fall.
Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his,
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously.
Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."
www.apministries.me
Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face him self when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
and humble and gentle in victory.
Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee- and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm; here, let him team compassion for those who fall.
Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his,
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously.
Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."
www.apministries.me
Traits of a good soldier
The following is a shortened quotation from the Soldier's Handbook of the Finnish Defence Forces from 2004.
(And there's a reason why I categorized this entry to the trading section of my blog, so pay attention.)
The Finnish Reserve Officers' Union did a research in 1998 on leadership in combat situations. The target demography of the survey were Finnish World War II veterans. According to their experiences, certain common traits could be distinguished in the way of action of soldiers who were highly apprechiated by their brothers in arms. Some of these traits are listed below.
Ability to get the job done
Not leaving a man behind
Exceeding oneself
Overcoming one's fear
Uniform behaviour (safety, predictability)
Discipline (following orders and sticking to the plan)
Consistency in bringing one's A-game to every combat situation
Courage
Fearlessness
Peacefulness
Skill and proficiency
Reliability
Some of the traits which good soldiers specifically do not have included the following.
Cowardice
Foolhardiness
Recklessness
Laziness and sloppiness
www.apministries.me
(And there's a reason why I categorized this entry to the trading section of my blog, so pay attention.)
The Finnish Reserve Officers' Union did a research in 1998 on leadership in combat situations. The target demography of the survey were Finnish World War II veterans. According to their experiences, certain common traits could be distinguished in the way of action of soldiers who were highly apprechiated by their brothers in arms. Some of these traits are listed below.
Ability to get the job done
Not leaving a man behind
Exceeding oneself
Overcoming one's fear
Uniform behaviour (safety, predictability)
Discipline (following orders and sticking to the plan)
Consistency in bringing one's A-game to every combat situation
Courage
Fearlessness
Peacefulness
Skill and proficiency
Reliability
Some of the traits which good soldiers specifically do not have included the following.
Cowardice
Foolhardiness
Recklessness
Laziness and sloppiness
www.apministries.me
Friday, January 25, 2013
5 Reasons Why People Aren't Giving in Your Church
by Casey Graham
I want to challenge you to take this list and allow your ministry team to go through these items together. This could create a massive revolution of giving in your church!
We have found 5 key reasons people aren’t giving as faithfully or consistently as we want them to.
1. People don’t feel needed.
At one time, I remember church funding being all about need! The “weekly need” was published in the bulletin, and the goal was to meet the weekly need. I believe we have swung the pendulum too far away from this.
We don’t want to be “that” church, so we try to make our churches look like everything is professional and “done.” People park the cars in the parking lot, we have nice signs and great children’s workers.
We are trained to create a culture where everything feels “done” and people feel welcomed more than needed.
The problem is while we project the idea that everything is OK, the church is struggling to stay afloat financially. People want to be needed. People are attracted to needs.
I’m not going to solve the tension today, so I want you to ask your team this:
How can we help our people feel more needed financially?
2. People don’t understand.
I truly believe if people just had a clear picture of where the church is headed, you could solve most of your funding issues.
People need VISION and CLARITY about the future more than we think they do. People’s giving rarely increases unless you give them something to stretch for.
We find that when a church has three to four objectives they want to accomplish through their operational budget, and they highlight them to the congregation and make a specific ask, people move their giving!
Ask this question:
What are we trying to accomplish over the next 12 months that we could clarify for our congregation to fund?
We assume because we are clear that they are clear. Nothing is further from the truth!
3. People feel like the church wants something from them, not for them.
I have found pastors think they are closer to their people than they really are.
You know who I learn the most from when meeting with staff teams? The spouses.
The spouses who are not on staff give me more insight into the relational credibility of the senior leadership more than the staff team. Here is the deal: Most of the time, we stay quiet about money until we need some. This is why you have to create relational equity with your donors each day, week, month and year.
For instance, having a thriving personal financial ministry is building equity. Sending first-time givers thank-you notes is building equity. An overnight generosity retreat with your top giving and ministry leaders is building equity. A teaching series on money WITHOUT an ask is building equity.
You have to build more equity than you hope to withdraw.
What are your strategic times to build relational equity with your donors this year? What are you going to do FOR them?
4. People aren’t educated.
I have met with more than 1,000 people in a one-on-one financial coaching environment. I never met with one person who was tithing.
Most people would say to me, “We can’t tithe.” About 90 minutes later, they would walk out of the meeting knowing they COULD tithe, but they are choosing not to. In reality, they are choosing five magazine subscriptions over giving to God. That is just reality.
Personal financial education ministry is a must!
You have to train your people on spending, saving, debt and giving! It’s imperative! We are the spiritual leaders, and they are lost sheep in this area!
How can we increase our personal financial education system this year?
5. People don’t know what is expected.
It is so funny that we want to reach all these lost people, but we rarely tell them what the Bible says about giving. It is 100 percent expected of us to give to God and be generous.
How are you helping people understand the theology of giving and all the Bible has to say about it? When people know what is expected, they will oftentimes meet that expectation.
How can we leverage our offering times this year to teach people what the Bible says about giving?
For a lot of people, the reason they are not giving is not their fault. We have to take responsibility and help them get on board NOW!
Don't Miss:
www.apministries.me
I want to challenge you to take this list and allow your ministry team to go through these items together. This could create a massive revolution of giving in your church!
We have found 5 key reasons people aren’t giving as faithfully or consistently as we want them to.
1. People don’t feel needed.
At one time, I remember church funding being all about need! The “weekly need” was published in the bulletin, and the goal was to meet the weekly need. I believe we have swung the pendulum too far away from this.
We don’t want to be “that” church, so we try to make our churches look like everything is professional and “done.” People park the cars in the parking lot, we have nice signs and great children’s workers.
We are trained to create a culture where everything feels “done” and people feel welcomed more than needed.
The problem is while we project the idea that everything is OK, the church is struggling to stay afloat financially. People want to be needed. People are attracted to needs.
I’m not going to solve the tension today, so I want you to ask your team this:
How can we help our people feel more needed financially?
2. People don’t understand.
I truly believe if people just had a clear picture of where the church is headed, you could solve most of your funding issues.
People need VISION and CLARITY about the future more than we think they do. People’s giving rarely increases unless you give them something to stretch for.
We find that when a church has three to four objectives they want to accomplish through their operational budget, and they highlight them to the congregation and make a specific ask, people move their giving!
Ask this question:
What are we trying to accomplish over the next 12 months that we could clarify for our congregation to fund?
We assume because we are clear that they are clear. Nothing is further from the truth!
3. People feel like the church wants something from them, not for them.
I have found pastors think they are closer to their people than they really are.
You know who I learn the most from when meeting with staff teams? The spouses.
The spouses who are not on staff give me more insight into the relational credibility of the senior leadership more than the staff team. Here is the deal: Most of the time, we stay quiet about money until we need some. This is why you have to create relational equity with your donors each day, week, month and year.
For instance, having a thriving personal financial ministry is building equity. Sending first-time givers thank-you notes is building equity. An overnight generosity retreat with your top giving and ministry leaders is building equity. A teaching series on money WITHOUT an ask is building equity.
You have to build more equity than you hope to withdraw.
What are your strategic times to build relational equity with your donors this year? What are you going to do FOR them?
4. People aren’t educated.
I have met with more than 1,000 people in a one-on-one financial coaching environment. I never met with one person who was tithing.
Most people would say to me, “We can’t tithe.” About 90 minutes later, they would walk out of the meeting knowing they COULD tithe, but they are choosing not to. In reality, they are choosing five magazine subscriptions over giving to God. That is just reality.
Personal financial education ministry is a must!
You have to train your people on spending, saving, debt and giving! It’s imperative! We are the spiritual leaders, and they are lost sheep in this area!
How can we increase our personal financial education system this year?
5. People don’t know what is expected.
It is so funny that we want to reach all these lost people, but we rarely tell them what the Bible says about giving. It is 100 percent expected of us to give to God and be generous.
How are you helping people understand the theology of giving and all the Bible has to say about it? When people know what is expected, they will oftentimes meet that expectation.
How can we leverage our offering times this year to teach people what the Bible says about giving?
For a lot of people, the reason they are not giving is not their fault. We have to take responsibility and help them get on board NOW!
Don't Miss:
www.apministries.me
11 Questions Church Leaders Should be Asking
by Tony Morgan
A friend in ministry recently asked me what questions church leaders should be asking. I thought about the types of questions I try to help answer when I’m working with them in the church consulting or coaching relationships.
Here are the first questions and some bonus thoughts that came to mind:
1. When was the last time I heard from God?
Am I doing what he called me to do? This is the “Acts 6″ question.
Acts 6 is a great reminder that it’s possible to be doing the ministry of God without doing the ministry God has called us to do.
2. What should our church be known for in this community?
For a moment, ignore anyone who attends your church. What does the rest of the community know about your church?
That’s a better reflection of whether or not you’re really accomplishing your vision.
3. Are we really focusing our time, money, leadership, prayer behind the things that will produce life change and community impact?
If not, there’s a good chance that “fairness” is driving these decisions. Fairness never produces revolution.
4. Is our church growing both spiritually and in numbers?
Churches that are stuck and not bearing fruit hate this question. As I’ve shared before, I don’t believe healthy churches are necessarily big churches, but healthy churches are growing churches.
5. Is there a clear path to help people take steps in their faith with the ultimate goal of becoming fully-devoted followers of Christ?
Having a vibrant Sunday worship experience is only one component of that. I’m amazed at how many churches haven’t really established a discipleship strategy beyond Sunday morning.
6. Have you taken the time to identify what a fully-devoted follower of Christ looks like?
Most churches haven’t done this, so they end up just “doing church” without any intentionality of purpose or process.
Don't Miss:
Page 2 of 2
by Tony Morgan
7. Are you empowering the people of God to do God’s work?
This is the “Ephesians 4:12-13″ question. Declining churches pay people to do all the ministry. Growing churches challenge people to use their gifts.
8. Are you developing leaders?
This includes both spiritual discipleship and leadership mentoring, and I think it’s what’s going to distinguish the churches that last longer than one generation.
9. Is my community any different because of my ministry?
We may need a whole new set of measures to confirm whether or not our churches are really making an impact.
10. Do believers see their ministry happening only at the church?
Or have they become missionaries to their families, their neighborhoods, their workplaces, their schools, etc.?
Honestly, I’m really tired of Christians thinking God saved them to go church on Sunday and then eventually experience Heaven. Our purpose is much bigger than that.
11. Do I have the right leaders around me to accomplish the vision?
Read Exodus 18:18-23. This isn’t some new business leadership principle. This is biblical advice that’s been around for thousands of years and still applies today.
Those are the first questions that popped to my mind.
What are the questions you are asking as a leader in the church?
Don't Miss:
www.apministries.me
Divided Country, Divided Church Tuesday
Yesterday morning before President Obama was sworn in, Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, sent the following tweet: “Praying for our president, who today will place his hand on a Bible he does not believe to take an oath to a God he likely does not know.”
Shaun King, founder and CEO of HopeMob and former pastor of Courageous Church, called out Driscoll on Twitter using some not-so-charitable words, but he later apologized for losing his cool and using inappropriate language. Shaun, however, maintained his conviction that Driscoll was out of line sending the tweet in the first place, as were the 3,200+ people who retweeted the sentiment. Shaun eventually showed
humility, but to my knowledge, Driscoll still hasn’t apologized for what he said.
This morning, Adam Hamilton, pastor of Church of the Resurrection near Kansas City, gave a moving sermon at the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service calling on President Obama to cast a vision that would unify the country. He also cited ways his own congregation had bridged the partisan divide within their own church in order to serve their community. During the sermon, Adam seemed to come across as a voice of reason to the nation, and I even got a real sense that his words were edifying the president.
The question is, how did we get to the point where so many Christians seem to be making politics a test of orthodoxy? What happened to giving people the benefit of the doubt? Why would a prominent pastor publicly question the faith of the President of the United States—and on Twitter of all places? I’m not saying we shouldn’t hold our leaders to a high standard—especially the ones who claim the name of Jesus Christ—but isn’t doing it on a social network under the guise of offering prayer way too cynical?
I’m no fan of some of President Obama’s policies, but his predecessor and I didn’t see eye to eye on everything either. I watched for eight years as George W. Bush’s political opponents, even some of the Christian ones, vilified him mercilessly. President Bush could do nothing right in their eyes, and I heard many Christians question his faith over the course of his presidency. When President Obama was elected four years ago, I had hopes that he might be treated differently. Oh, I knew the Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannitys of the world wouldn’t show him any mercy, but I expected the average, garden variety conservative evangelical to do better.
I was wrong. It hasn’t happened. There have been some glimmers of hope, like this one, but they’ve been few and far between. Not only does it seem like we’ve become two Americas, we’ve become two churches as well— not because of theology, but because of politics. How sad is that?
But the President is pro-choice, you say.
I hear you. That’s one of the issues where I sharply disagree with him. But think about it—aren’t we more likely to do more to reduce the number of abortions if we work together in those areas where we do agree? What good is defending the purity of our pro-life stance by refusing to associate with anyone who doesn’t see things our way? There’s a lot of talk in church circles these days about numbers and accountability. At the end of the day, do you think God is going to hold us more accountable for the unborn babies we could have saved or for remaining rigid in both our position and our methodology?
So I have a challenge for believers of every political persuasion.
Stop assuming the worst about others. If someone claims Christ as their Savior, extend them the same benefit of the doubt that you’d want extended to you. And when a fellow believer holds a view that you find absolutely abhorrent, instead of grandstanding or taking your ball and going home, address the disagreement together as both friends and brothers or sisters in Christ. And pray for all of your political leaders, including the President—not in a condescending way, but with humility.
Yesterday, after reading Mark Driscoll’s tweet and Shaun King’s reaction to it, I tweeted this: “Tired of political division between Christians. Aren't the body & blood of Christ more powerful than allegiance to political parties?”
The answer to that question is yes. And Christians have an opportunity over the next four years to set an example for the nation by coming together to do God’s work. We don’t have to like each other’s politics, but we do have to love and respect each other. It's one of the responsibilities that comes with being part of God's family.
Subscribe to Shane's free weekly email update, which includes his latest articles, blog posts, and social media content.
Anthony
Shaun King, founder and CEO of HopeMob and former pastor of Courageous Church, called out Driscoll on Twitter using some not-so-charitable words, but he later apologized for losing his cool and using inappropriate language. Shaun, however, maintained his conviction that Driscoll was out of line sending the tweet in the first place, as were the 3,200+ people who retweeted the sentiment. Shaun eventually showed
humility, but to my knowledge, Driscoll still hasn’t apologized for what he said.
This morning, Adam Hamilton, pastor of Church of the Resurrection near Kansas City, gave a moving sermon at the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service calling on President Obama to cast a vision that would unify the country. He also cited ways his own congregation had bridged the partisan divide within their own church in order to serve their community. During the sermon, Adam seemed to come across as a voice of reason to the nation, and I even got a real sense that his words were edifying the president.
The question is, how did we get to the point where so many Christians seem to be making politics a test of orthodoxy? What happened to giving people the benefit of the doubt? Why would a prominent pastor publicly question the faith of the President of the United States—and on Twitter of all places? I’m not saying we shouldn’t hold our leaders to a high standard—especially the ones who claim the name of Jesus Christ—but isn’t doing it on a social network under the guise of offering prayer way too cynical?
I’m no fan of some of President Obama’s policies, but his predecessor and I didn’t see eye to eye on everything either. I watched for eight years as George W. Bush’s political opponents, even some of the Christian ones, vilified him mercilessly. President Bush could do nothing right in their eyes, and I heard many Christians question his faith over the course of his presidency. When President Obama was elected four years ago, I had hopes that he might be treated differently. Oh, I knew the Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannitys of the world wouldn’t show him any mercy, but I expected the average, garden variety conservative evangelical to do better.
I was wrong. It hasn’t happened. There have been some glimmers of hope, like this one, but they’ve been few and far between. Not only does it seem like we’ve become two Americas, we’ve become two churches as well— not because of theology, but because of politics. How sad is that?
But the President is pro-choice, you say.
I hear you. That’s one of the issues where I sharply disagree with him. But think about it—aren’t we more likely to do more to reduce the number of abortions if we work together in those areas where we do agree? What good is defending the purity of our pro-life stance by refusing to associate with anyone who doesn’t see things our way? There’s a lot of talk in church circles these days about numbers and accountability. At the end of the day, do you think God is going to hold us more accountable for the unborn babies we could have saved or for remaining rigid in both our position and our methodology?
So I have a challenge for believers of every political persuasion.
Stop assuming the worst about others. If someone claims Christ as their Savior, extend them the same benefit of the doubt that you’d want extended to you. And when a fellow believer holds a view that you find absolutely abhorrent, instead of grandstanding or taking your ball and going home, address the disagreement together as both friends and brothers or sisters in Christ. And pray for all of your political leaders, including the President—not in a condescending way, but with humility.
Yesterday, after reading Mark Driscoll’s tweet and Shaun King’s reaction to it, I tweeted this: “Tired of political division between Christians. Aren't the body & blood of Christ more powerful than allegiance to political parties?”
The answer to that question is yes. And Christians have an opportunity over the next four years to set an example for the nation by coming together to do God’s work. We don’t have to like each other’s politics, but we do have to love and respect each other. It's one of the responsibilities that comes with being part of God's family.
Subscribe to Shane's free weekly email update, which includes his latest articles, blog posts, and social media content.
Anthony
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Impact Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On My Christian Life
Posted by Brian Dodd
There are times in my life when I am involved in discussions that because of the subject matter, I have nothing of value to add. I am simply in over my head and there are people in the room whose experiences and perspectives are way beyond mine. In those instances, I just remain silent, take notes, and try to learn something. One such subject is race.
As a middle-aged Caucasian man living in the suburbs, I am afraid that any thoughts I may have on the subject will only reveal my ignorance. However, as I attempt to reflect on the impact of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend, there is a very specific thing I am thankful for this year.
I attend Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA. We are a predominantly white church who is trying very hard to become more and more multi-cultural. One of the things that makes our church unique is this suburban Atlanta church has an African-American senior pastor, my dear friend Dr. Crawford Loritts. In addition to being a great friend, I am privileged to serve alongside him as an Elder of our church.
Crawford mentioned it in today’s message and I agree with him, without Dr. King changing how our society views race, he is most likely not our pastor. I would even go a step farther. Without Dr. King changing how our society views race, I have serious doubts there would be a movement in our country today for churches to build bridges across racial lines and become multi-cultural.
Dr. King’s message would one day make it possible for a Caucasian family to sit under an African-American pastor in the South. Because of that reality, I have personally received the following blessings from my relationship with Crawford:
My daughter gave her life to Christ under his leadership.
Crawford reminded me that what a leader becomes on the inside is far more important than the public task they are assigned.
No one has invested more in me theologically than he has.
He has modeled what it means to have moral authority.
Crawford has given me insight into how to raise a teenage daughter.
Crawford showed me the value of providing solutions.
Crawford always encouraged me to embrace and press into hard issues rather than avoiding them.
When you hear me use the phrase “Jesus wants to tell His amazing story through your life”, I am actually quoting Crawford.
Crawford taught me that Christians are never without options or resources. He taught me Romans 4:17 which says, “the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” That verse has sustained me during many dark times.
And finally, I have developed a life-long friend.
When I think of the life of Dr. King this weekend, these are 10 things I will be thankful for. What is one way you have been blessed by the life of Dr. King?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/01/20/the-impact-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-on-my-christian-life/
www.apministries.me
There are times in my life when I am involved in discussions that because of the subject matter, I have nothing of value to add. I am simply in over my head and there are people in the room whose experiences and perspectives are way beyond mine. In those instances, I just remain silent, take notes, and try to learn something. One such subject is race.
As a middle-aged Caucasian man living in the suburbs, I am afraid that any thoughts I may have on the subject will only reveal my ignorance. However, as I attempt to reflect on the impact of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend, there is a very specific thing I am thankful for this year.
I attend Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA. We are a predominantly white church who is trying very hard to become more and more multi-cultural. One of the things that makes our church unique is this suburban Atlanta church has an African-American senior pastor, my dear friend Dr. Crawford Loritts. In addition to being a great friend, I am privileged to serve alongside him as an Elder of our church.
Crawford mentioned it in today’s message and I agree with him, without Dr. King changing how our society views race, he is most likely not our pastor. I would even go a step farther. Without Dr. King changing how our society views race, I have serious doubts there would be a movement in our country today for churches to build bridges across racial lines and become multi-cultural.
Dr. King’s message would one day make it possible for a Caucasian family to sit under an African-American pastor in the South. Because of that reality, I have personally received the following blessings from my relationship with Crawford:
My daughter gave her life to Christ under his leadership.
Crawford reminded me that what a leader becomes on the inside is far more important than the public task they are assigned.
No one has invested more in me theologically than he has.
He has modeled what it means to have moral authority.
Crawford has given me insight into how to raise a teenage daughter.
Crawford showed me the value of providing solutions.
Crawford always encouraged me to embrace and press into hard issues rather than avoiding them.
When you hear me use the phrase “Jesus wants to tell His amazing story through your life”, I am actually quoting Crawford.
Crawford taught me that Christians are never without options or resources. He taught me Romans 4:17 which says, “the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” That verse has sustained me during many dark times.
And finally, I have developed a life-long friend.
When I think of the life of Dr. King this weekend, these are 10 things I will be thankful for. What is one way you have been blessed by the life of Dr. King?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/01/20/the-impact-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-on-my-christian-life/
www.apministries.me
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Eight Reasons We Preach
Another year. Another year of preaching. So why do we do it?
Another year. Another year of preaching. So why do we do it?
There are so many factors involved. I don’t want to ponder issues of pay (many preachers receive less than minimum wage for what they are doing). I don’t want to dwell on inappropriate motivations, even if they are significant for some. I will just mention some of them in passing.
Let’s take stock of some of the good reasons we preach.
1. We preach because God is a God who speaks; therefore we have something to say. Actually there are probably too many who are too confident that they have something worth saying. I don’t think we have much that is worth saying, but the Bible is a revelation of God that is certainly worth proclaiming! That is why Paul could urge Timothy to “preach the Word!” in his final words to him. He wasn’t urging Timothy to chatter and noise and declaration of vain imaginations relating to societal ills and self improvement principles. He wanted him to preach the Word.
Consequently the Bible must never become just a repository of preaching material. It must always remain the very exclusive fuel for the fire of our walk with Christ, through whom we can know the Father. When the Bible starts to feel dry to us, we have a real issue. Not because we need to squeeze a message out of its apparently dusty pages, but because something isn’t right in our relationship with the One whom we represent when we stand to preach.
2. We preach as an act of service to others. Paul views every gift given by the Spirit to the church as a gift given for the building up of others. Consequently any gifts that relate to preaching must be offered to others in faithful service. So it can’t be primarily about our own fulfillment, and certainly shouldn’t be about our own egos. We preach to build up others — to proclaim, to offer, to invite, to comfort, to challenge, to help. Not to control: that would be self-focused. Not to cajole: that would be self-serving. Not to show off: that would be self-glorifying. We preach to serve.
3. We preach because the Gospel is thrillingly good news. The mission of the preacher is not merely to communicate ancient truths relevantly. God has given us a message. And that message is labeled as good news for a reason. The great sweep of redemption history involves the intra-trinitarian mission to rescue fallen creatures and restore them to full glorious fellowship with a loving and giving God.
It is not some sort of heavenly Plan B to make the best of a bad situation and try to restore some semblance of respectability to a God who is on the throne but attacked on every side. When time is wrapped up and we have the benefit of both hindsight and eternal perspective, we will be gasping at the multi-colored and multi-faceted dazzling beauty of what God has done in Christ.
We get to proclaim that now!
4. We preach because people need to hear the Gospel. There are only two types of people in the world. Those who need to hear the gospel and be saved, and those who need to hear the gospel as they are being saved. While we may get beyond simplistic and trite presentations of some scaled down version of the good news to some sort of legal loophole, we never move beyond the gospel in its glorious richness.
What God is like, what He has done for us in Christ, how much we need Him, redeclaration of total dependence — justification, regeneration, reconciliation, adoption, fellowship. Preaching Christ so that people will trust in Him. This is something our people can’t hear enough about. They need the hope, the faith and the love that are only found in the Gospel. We are not called to give tips for successful independent living or to offer life coaching team talks. We are called to preach Christ and Him crucified, that all may trust in Him, know Him, enjoy Him.
Gospel preaching, why wouldn’t we want to do that?
5. We preach to build God’s kingdom. There will always be a tension here. Ever since Genesis 3 we have all been deeply infected with the death-virus of godlikeness. We will default to independence in any way conceivable (including self-driven ministry), and our flesh will always look to build our own kingdom. But we are called to join Christ in His work of building the church. It is not about our pursuit of godlikeness, but about our humble service for the God we desire to honor and please.
There are so many factors to keep in mind in this pursuit. God often works more slowly than we’d prefer. So we need patience. God can transform people and communities in miraculously short order. So we need to expect great things. God can choose to build His work in ways we don’t expect. So we need to trust in His providence. God can choose to bless the work of others, even in our neighborhood (after all, the earth is the Lord’s, including your neighborhood!) So we choose to esteem others. We are not building our own kingdom. We are privileged to participate in building His.
6. We preach to equip others for ministry. No matter how great you may be, you are nowhere near as great as your whole congregation equipped, enthused and launched into ministry. I’m thankful that many churches have grasped that ministry is not wrapped up in a clerical class. God has given gifted people to the church to equip believers for their ministries. I long to see the day when an entire church is so gripped by God, so equipped by God, and so excited by God that they are like an army of effective witnesses, of empowering encouragers, of heartfelt worshippers, spilling out into the rest of the church and the community and the world.
We preach to that end. We don’t preach to look ministerial. We don’t preach to build our own reputation. We preach to serve Him, and we preach to serve them.
7. We preach because we can’t help but speak of Someone so wonderful. This should be the case. Sadly, over time, it can easily cease being the case. We can end up in a role, in a ritual, in a rut. We end up preaching because that is what we do, or that is how we pay bills, or that is how we get respect. We feel we should. We feel it is expected. We know it is needed. And somewhere along the way we fail to notice the fog gathering between our hearts and heaven.
A growing spiritual complacency is the proverbial frog in boiling water syndrome for preachers. God can become familiar and distant at the same time. He can become a concept, a set of truths, a source of identity for us, but somehow fade from being the captivating One who so fills our hearts and lives that we can’t help but speak of Him. May we all have a constant stream of newly engaged folks in our churches — constant reminders of the simple reality that a captivated heart can’t help but spill out.
8. We preach because we care about the people to whom we preach. Again, this should be the case. Sadly, over time, our flesh can easily co-opt the other-centeredness of ministry and turn it to a self-serving project. We can become preachers doing so to gain respect, to gain credibility, to gain attention, to gain a following, to gain influence. The gain increases and the give becomes token. Of course we can talk about giving — we can frame the ministry in self-sacrificial and spiritual terms. But really?
Just as spiritual fog can go undetected for too long, so a growing self-absorption is hard to spot in the mirror. Our flesh will always justify a subtle pursuit of godlike status. So we must keep walking with the Lord and ask Him to search us and know us. Ask Him to underline the motivations that drive what may look like a gloriously giving ministry. The true biblical preacher is shaped by the Word they preach, and they join God in giving of themselves as they preach it to others. The blessings are hard to quantify, but they must be the by-product, not the goal.
http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/peter-mead-eight-reasons-we-preach-1471.asp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scnewsletter&utm_content=SC+Update+20130117
Anthony
Another year. Another year of preaching. So why do we do it?
There are so many factors involved. I don’t want to ponder issues of pay (many preachers receive less than minimum wage for what they are doing). I don’t want to dwell on inappropriate motivations, even if they are significant for some. I will just mention some of them in passing.
Let’s take stock of some of the good reasons we preach.
1. We preach because God is a God who speaks; therefore we have something to say. Actually there are probably too many who are too confident that they have something worth saying. I don’t think we have much that is worth saying, but the Bible is a revelation of God that is certainly worth proclaiming! That is why Paul could urge Timothy to “preach the Word!” in his final words to him. He wasn’t urging Timothy to chatter and noise and declaration of vain imaginations relating to societal ills and self improvement principles. He wanted him to preach the Word.
Consequently the Bible must never become just a repository of preaching material. It must always remain the very exclusive fuel for the fire of our walk with Christ, through whom we can know the Father. When the Bible starts to feel dry to us, we have a real issue. Not because we need to squeeze a message out of its apparently dusty pages, but because something isn’t right in our relationship with the One whom we represent when we stand to preach.
2. We preach as an act of service to others. Paul views every gift given by the Spirit to the church as a gift given for the building up of others. Consequently any gifts that relate to preaching must be offered to others in faithful service. So it can’t be primarily about our own fulfillment, and certainly shouldn’t be about our own egos. We preach to build up others — to proclaim, to offer, to invite, to comfort, to challenge, to help. Not to control: that would be self-focused. Not to cajole: that would be self-serving. Not to show off: that would be self-glorifying. We preach to serve.
3. We preach because the Gospel is thrillingly good news. The mission of the preacher is not merely to communicate ancient truths relevantly. God has given us a message. And that message is labeled as good news for a reason. The great sweep of redemption history involves the intra-trinitarian mission to rescue fallen creatures and restore them to full glorious fellowship with a loving and giving God.
It is not some sort of heavenly Plan B to make the best of a bad situation and try to restore some semblance of respectability to a God who is on the throne but attacked on every side. When time is wrapped up and we have the benefit of both hindsight and eternal perspective, we will be gasping at the multi-colored and multi-faceted dazzling beauty of what God has done in Christ.
We get to proclaim that now!
4. We preach because people need to hear the Gospel. There are only two types of people in the world. Those who need to hear the gospel and be saved, and those who need to hear the gospel as they are being saved. While we may get beyond simplistic and trite presentations of some scaled down version of the good news to some sort of legal loophole, we never move beyond the gospel in its glorious richness.
What God is like, what He has done for us in Christ, how much we need Him, redeclaration of total dependence — justification, regeneration, reconciliation, adoption, fellowship. Preaching Christ so that people will trust in Him. This is something our people can’t hear enough about. They need the hope, the faith and the love that are only found in the Gospel. We are not called to give tips for successful independent living or to offer life coaching team talks. We are called to preach Christ and Him crucified, that all may trust in Him, know Him, enjoy Him.
Gospel preaching, why wouldn’t we want to do that?
5. We preach to build God’s kingdom. There will always be a tension here. Ever since Genesis 3 we have all been deeply infected with the death-virus of godlikeness. We will default to independence in any way conceivable (including self-driven ministry), and our flesh will always look to build our own kingdom. But we are called to join Christ in His work of building the church. It is not about our pursuit of godlikeness, but about our humble service for the God we desire to honor and please.
There are so many factors to keep in mind in this pursuit. God often works more slowly than we’d prefer. So we need patience. God can transform people and communities in miraculously short order. So we need to expect great things. God can choose to build His work in ways we don’t expect. So we need to trust in His providence. God can choose to bless the work of others, even in our neighborhood (after all, the earth is the Lord’s, including your neighborhood!) So we choose to esteem others. We are not building our own kingdom. We are privileged to participate in building His.
6. We preach to equip others for ministry. No matter how great you may be, you are nowhere near as great as your whole congregation equipped, enthused and launched into ministry. I’m thankful that many churches have grasped that ministry is not wrapped up in a clerical class. God has given gifted people to the church to equip believers for their ministries. I long to see the day when an entire church is so gripped by God, so equipped by God, and so excited by God that they are like an army of effective witnesses, of empowering encouragers, of heartfelt worshippers, spilling out into the rest of the church and the community and the world.
We preach to that end. We don’t preach to look ministerial. We don’t preach to build our own reputation. We preach to serve Him, and we preach to serve them.
7. We preach because we can’t help but speak of Someone so wonderful. This should be the case. Sadly, over time, it can easily cease being the case. We can end up in a role, in a ritual, in a rut. We end up preaching because that is what we do, or that is how we pay bills, or that is how we get respect. We feel we should. We feel it is expected. We know it is needed. And somewhere along the way we fail to notice the fog gathering between our hearts and heaven.
A growing spiritual complacency is the proverbial frog in boiling water syndrome for preachers. God can become familiar and distant at the same time. He can become a concept, a set of truths, a source of identity for us, but somehow fade from being the captivating One who so fills our hearts and lives that we can’t help but speak of Him. May we all have a constant stream of newly engaged folks in our churches — constant reminders of the simple reality that a captivated heart can’t help but spill out.
8. We preach because we care about the people to whom we preach. Again, this should be the case. Sadly, over time, our flesh can easily co-opt the other-centeredness of ministry and turn it to a self-serving project. We can become preachers doing so to gain respect, to gain credibility, to gain attention, to gain a following, to gain influence. The gain increases and the give becomes token. Of course we can talk about giving — we can frame the ministry in self-sacrificial and spiritual terms. But really?
Just as spiritual fog can go undetected for too long, so a growing self-absorption is hard to spot in the mirror. Our flesh will always justify a subtle pursuit of godlike status. So we must keep walking with the Lord and ask Him to search us and know us. Ask Him to underline the motivations that drive what may look like a gloriously giving ministry. The true biblical preacher is shaped by the Word they preach, and they join God in giving of themselves as they preach it to others. The blessings are hard to quantify, but they must be the by-product, not the goal.
http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/peter-mead-eight-reasons-we-preach-1471.asp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scnewsletter&utm_content=SC+Update+20130117
Anthony
Participate in Children’s Ministry Day, Feb. 16
Thousands of children from churches nationwide will participate in hands-on outreach ministry again this February on the sixth annual Children’s Ministry Day.
Established by the national ministry Woman’s Missionary Union, Children’s Ministry Day gives children opportunities to serve others.
For example, in 2008, children from New Hope Community Church in El Monte, Calif., ministered to residents of crime-ridden Skid Row in Los Angeles. Danielle, 6 at the time, initially was fearful, but that changed when a resident to whom she handed food thanked her and smiled.
After that first outing, Danielle asked repeatedly when the children could go serve there again, says Eva De La Rosa, New Hope’s education director.
“We don’t know if anyone accepted Christ that day, but (a neighborhood) pastor mentioned they were a much calmer crowd than normal,” De La Rosa says.
Children’s Ministry Day has a different theme each year. In 2008, the theme was hunger. This year’s theme is “Helping Hands,” encouraging children to lend a hand to the homeless or people in need in their communities.
Children’s Ministry Day this year is Feb. 16.
A version of this article originally appeared in the January/February 2010 issue of Outreach magazine.
Anthony
Established by the national ministry Woman’s Missionary Union, Children’s Ministry Day gives children opportunities to serve others.
For example, in 2008, children from New Hope Community Church in El Monte, Calif., ministered to residents of crime-ridden Skid Row in Los Angeles. Danielle, 6 at the time, initially was fearful, but that changed when a resident to whom she handed food thanked her and smiled.
After that first outing, Danielle asked repeatedly when the children could go serve there again, says Eva De La Rosa, New Hope’s education director.
“We don’t know if anyone accepted Christ that day, but (a neighborhood) pastor mentioned they were a much calmer crowd than normal,” De La Rosa says.
Children’s Ministry Day has a different theme each year. In 2008, the theme was hunger. This year’s theme is “Helping Hands,” encouraging children to lend a hand to the homeless or people in need in their communities.
Children’s Ministry Day this year is Feb. 16.
A version of this article originally appeared in the January/February 2010 issue of Outreach magazine.
Anthony
Sunday, January 13, 2013
18 Things Leaders Need To Know About Leading Leaders
Brian Dodd On Leadership
It is a great challenge to lead people and take them on a journey to a brighter tomorrow. It is a completely different thing to lead leaders. A much higher level of skill and insight are needed.
On today’s ESPN NFL Countdown, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway were profiled. Both lead men who are arguably the best ever at their positions. Harbaugh coaches middle linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed. Elway leads quarterback Peyton Manning.
I found their comments quite insightful on what is required to effectively lead leaders.
John Harbaugh
Leading Leaders Is A Privilege - “How many times do you get a chance to be part of something like that?” – Harbaugh on coaching Lewis’s final home game in Baltimore.
Leaders Want To Move People To Action – The Ravens front office received multiple letters of spontaneous acts of celebration throughout Baltimore while watching Lewis.
Leaders Want To Do Something Memorable - The letters also told dozens of stories of how the game provided memorable experiences for fathers and sons. The shared experience of watching this particular game together is something that will forever bond them.
Leaders Thrive With Open Communication – The Ravens have created an environment where leaders are given total freedom to express their opinions.
Leaders Hate Mediocrity – After a sub-par practice, the team leaders called another practice to get things right.
Leaders Value Trust – Trust matters. Trust says you can count on me moving forward. After that sub-par practice, the players knew the coaches were going to lose trust in them while watching the practice tape. They proactively earned it back.
Leaders “Confront Issues and Not The Person.” - Leaders do not confuse silence with compliance. They push back. They challenge boundaries and preconceived notions. They address issues.
Leaders Will Make Hard Decisions - With the offense sputtering during mid-season, Harbaugh made the difficult and unusual decision to switch offensive coordinators during mid-season.
Leaders Are Attracted To Other Great Leaders - Harbaugh then hired former Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell as his offensive coordinator.
John Elway
Great Leaders Are Attracted To Big Vision - Upon arriving in Denver two years ago, Elway’s vision was clear, “I want to win a Super Bowl”
Great Leaders Want To Enjoy Their Work - Elway wanted to “get guys to be able to enjoy coming to work again.”
Great Leaders Embrace A Process - It was not until the season’s 6th game that the team began to gel. But as Elway said, “(It was) fun for me to see them become a team.”
Great Leaders Are Deeply Passionate About The Organization - On recruiting Manning to the Broncos, Elway “sold the Denver Broncos. I’ve spent 16 years here. I moved here in 1984. I’m going to show what we had here. I’m proud of that.”
Great Leaders Have Feelings - Great leaders are still human beings. Manning felt a level of disappointment and disillusionment after his time with the Colts had concluded. Elway knew he needed time to process those feelings.
Great Leaders Always Have Something To Prove - Manning’s disillusionment turned into a challenge. Elway rejoiced when saying, “A great player with a chip on his shoulder is always dangerous.”
Great Leaders Want Significance - Great leaders do not desire titles or position. They desire influence and significance. At the press conference announcing Manning’s signing, Elway boldly stated, “My goal is to make Peyton Manning the best quarterback that has ever played the game.”
Great Leaders Produce - John Maxwell teaches that leaders never confuse activity with accomplishment. Elway acknowledges that, “I will have been successful and Peyton will have been successful if we can win a couple of championships.”
Great Leaders Want Opportunities For Greatness - Elway’s hopes for Manning is “to give him a chance to win a world championship.”
After reading this list of 18 items, what is one thing you can do TODAY to more effectively lead leaders?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/01/12/18-things-leaders-need-to-know-to-know-about-leading-leaders/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=18-things-leaders-need-to-know-to-know-about-leading-leaders
Anthony
It is a great challenge to lead people and take them on a journey to a brighter tomorrow. It is a completely different thing to lead leaders. A much higher level of skill and insight are needed.
On today’s ESPN NFL Countdown, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway were profiled. Both lead men who are arguably the best ever at their positions. Harbaugh coaches middle linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed. Elway leads quarterback Peyton Manning.
I found their comments quite insightful on what is required to effectively lead leaders.
John Harbaugh
Leading Leaders Is A Privilege - “How many times do you get a chance to be part of something like that?” – Harbaugh on coaching Lewis’s final home game in Baltimore.
Leaders Want To Move People To Action – The Ravens front office received multiple letters of spontaneous acts of celebration throughout Baltimore while watching Lewis.
Leaders Want To Do Something Memorable - The letters also told dozens of stories of how the game provided memorable experiences for fathers and sons. The shared experience of watching this particular game together is something that will forever bond them.
Leaders Thrive With Open Communication – The Ravens have created an environment where leaders are given total freedom to express their opinions.
Leaders Hate Mediocrity – After a sub-par practice, the team leaders called another practice to get things right.
Leaders Value Trust – Trust matters. Trust says you can count on me moving forward. After that sub-par practice, the players knew the coaches were going to lose trust in them while watching the practice tape. They proactively earned it back.
Leaders “Confront Issues and Not The Person.” - Leaders do not confuse silence with compliance. They push back. They challenge boundaries and preconceived notions. They address issues.
Leaders Will Make Hard Decisions - With the offense sputtering during mid-season, Harbaugh made the difficult and unusual decision to switch offensive coordinators during mid-season.
Leaders Are Attracted To Other Great Leaders - Harbaugh then hired former Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell as his offensive coordinator.
John Elway
Great Leaders Are Attracted To Big Vision - Upon arriving in Denver two years ago, Elway’s vision was clear, “I want to win a Super Bowl”
Great Leaders Want To Enjoy Their Work - Elway wanted to “get guys to be able to enjoy coming to work again.”
Great Leaders Embrace A Process - It was not until the season’s 6th game that the team began to gel. But as Elway said, “(It was) fun for me to see them become a team.”
Great Leaders Are Deeply Passionate About The Organization - On recruiting Manning to the Broncos, Elway “sold the Denver Broncos. I’ve spent 16 years here. I moved here in 1984. I’m going to show what we had here. I’m proud of that.”
Great Leaders Have Feelings - Great leaders are still human beings. Manning felt a level of disappointment and disillusionment after his time with the Colts had concluded. Elway knew he needed time to process those feelings.
Great Leaders Always Have Something To Prove - Manning’s disillusionment turned into a challenge. Elway rejoiced when saying, “A great player with a chip on his shoulder is always dangerous.”
Great Leaders Want Significance - Great leaders do not desire titles or position. They desire influence and significance. At the press conference announcing Manning’s signing, Elway boldly stated, “My goal is to make Peyton Manning the best quarterback that has ever played the game.”
Great Leaders Produce - John Maxwell teaches that leaders never confuse activity with accomplishment. Elway acknowledges that, “I will have been successful and Peyton will have been successful if we can win a couple of championships.”
Great Leaders Want Opportunities For Greatness - Elway’s hopes for Manning is “to give him a chance to win a world championship.”
After reading this list of 18 items, what is one thing you can do TODAY to more effectively lead leaders?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/01/12/18-things-leaders-need-to-know-to-know-about-leading-leaders/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=18-things-leaders-need-to-know-to-know-about-leading-leaders
Anthony
10 Leadership Lessons From Ray Lewis “No Weapon” Postgame Speech
New post on Brian Dodd On Leadership
There is no leader currently more inspirational that the Baltimore Ravens legendary middle linebacker Ray Lewis. The video above was shot immediately after the Ravens overtime victory against the Denver Broncos.
While it is certainly justifiable to be sucked into the emotion of Lewis, there are 10 very tangible leadership principles that you can take from the video that if applied will make you a better leader.
Great Leaders Lead From A Biblical Foundation – The first words spoken by Lewis were when he quoted the prophet Isaiah “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” (54:17)
Great Leaders Respect Others – Lewis took time to stop his interview to acknowledge Peyton Manning and show him respect.
Great Leaders Have Great Belief In What God Can Do – Lewis reminded us that God can do the impossible.
Great Leaders Are Confident – This confidence flows from preparation and past performance.
Great Leaders Find A Way To Succeed – Great leaders do not make excuses. They simply find a way to get it done.
Great Leaders Bring People Together – Lewis’s passion has simply been the unifying force of the Ravens for over a decade.
Great Leaders Are Well-Prepared – The Ravens defense studied film and found tendencies that resulted in an overtime interception that led the team to victory.
Great Leaders Point Out Issues – The special teams gave up two touchdowns. I am very confident Lewis and others will address that in practice this week.
Great Leaders Never Give Up – Lewis pointed out the team simply kept fighting until the end.
Great Leaders Are Great Encouragers - This principle comes from watching the video below. Lewis reminded quarterback Joe Flacco that they have faced a similar situation before and the team prevailed.
Ray Lewis is simply one of the greatest leaders in the history of sports. What is one thing you learned from these 10 lessons that can improve your leadership TODAY?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/01/13/10-leadership-lessons-from-ray-lewis-no-weapon-postgame-speech/
Anthony
There is no leader currently more inspirational that the Baltimore Ravens legendary middle linebacker Ray Lewis. The video above was shot immediately after the Ravens overtime victory against the Denver Broncos.
While it is certainly justifiable to be sucked into the emotion of Lewis, there are 10 very tangible leadership principles that you can take from the video that if applied will make you a better leader.
Great Leaders Lead From A Biblical Foundation – The first words spoken by Lewis were when he quoted the prophet Isaiah “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” (54:17)
Great Leaders Respect Others – Lewis took time to stop his interview to acknowledge Peyton Manning and show him respect.
Great Leaders Have Great Belief In What God Can Do – Lewis reminded us that God can do the impossible.
Great Leaders Are Confident – This confidence flows from preparation and past performance.
Great Leaders Find A Way To Succeed – Great leaders do not make excuses. They simply find a way to get it done.
Great Leaders Bring People Together – Lewis’s passion has simply been the unifying force of the Ravens for over a decade.
Great Leaders Are Well-Prepared – The Ravens defense studied film and found tendencies that resulted in an overtime interception that led the team to victory.
Great Leaders Point Out Issues – The special teams gave up two touchdowns. I am very confident Lewis and others will address that in practice this week.
Great Leaders Never Give Up – Lewis pointed out the team simply kept fighting until the end.
Great Leaders Are Great Encouragers - This principle comes from watching the video below. Lewis reminded quarterback Joe Flacco that they have faced a similar situation before and the team prevailed.
Ray Lewis is simply one of the greatest leaders in the history of sports. What is one thing you learned from these 10 lessons that can improve your leadership TODAY?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/01/13/10-leadership-lessons-from-ray-lewis-no-weapon-postgame-speech/
Anthony
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)