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Archive for the ‘Church Leadership’ Category

BOOBS.

In Church Leadership, Church Leadership; Discipleship; Growth in Christ, Family, sex, spiritual battle, Uncategorized on October 1, 2010 at 8:04 am

Yes, the title alone was enough to draw you here. But for those of you who are Christ-followers [men, you will get this, ladies, you will send me nasty replies]…then you need to hear this.

Just heard about another church planter/leader/pastor who has an affair with another leader/staff person. This was the youth pastor and lead campus guy’s wife. I am TIRED of hearing the same story every month. And I mean every month, sometimes more than once a month.

It took just 1 glance to knock King David down.

What if the team around him held him accountable? No, they sent for the lady as King David asked and said nothing about it.

Last week I had the privilege and honor to spent a few days with the church that is our largest supporter here in Utah: Flamingo Road Church. Pastor Troy, Stephanie and the entire team were beyond belief with how they encouraged us and blessed our hearts beyond measure. BTW: Pastor Troy and FRC is the most unheard of mega-church who does so much with so little! They are twice the size they were a few years ago…WITH LESS STAFF! And that’s just 1 highlight! Thanks PT, Steph, Pastor Raul and the entire team…you blessed us beyond belief!

They put us up right on South Beach in Miami while we were there with them [and yes, they paid for everything, and I mean everything, so don't stop sending your support thinking we are on luxury vacations...I rarely ever pay for travel, almost never :].

One of the pastors said the beach was amazing, but not everyone wears clothes at times, so watch out! Being from the sticks, I thought…hmmm, really? Nah…can’t be.

Day 1. Minute 1. Glance 1. 1 word:

BOOBS.

Boobs everywhere. And not wrapped in teeny-bikini’s, but out there for the world to behold.

Ladies trounced around like 3 year-old-little girls who did not realize that not wearing your top was not-optional. At 3, I get it. At 23, not so much.

What a struggle I had! I tried to look at the ocean…we moved our chairs out of certain lines of sight, I focused on worship songs ["God of Wonders" is not one to sing while fighting lust...just saying.] But dang, my flesh was all over me sending me glancing in many directions sub-consciously!

Not everyone was topless and butt-covering-less, but there was enough. Dudes were diverting from their walk by the water all the way up to the ladies laying out to not just casually stare, but to totally stare. Dudes were taking pictures, videos, you name it.

Guys and ladies…we hold the commission to build the Kingdom. 39% of you pastors are hooked on porn, and that is just the PASTORS!

Many others struggle with the flesh and other sin.

1 question: WHO DO YOU HAVE AROUND YOU? [BTW: NO EXCUSES FOR EVERYONE IN THE WORLD TO NOT HAVE A www.XXXCHURCH.com porn filter on every computer you own...and your Iphones!] The FRC staff are there pushing each other hard…I saw it. Not that they are perfect, but they are real and transparent and there for one another.

Do you have people holding you accountable? Do you truly have a team of brothers [or sisters] who hold you to your glances, whatever they may be? From finances, your marriage, sexually, how you spend your time, your sabbath, on and on? AND THIS IS NOT JUST FOR CHURCH STAFF/PASTORS!

If you think you are too strong to have a great band of brothers or sisters to be open and vulnerable with…then you are one glance from falling and adding your name to the wrecking ball that is the church when a pastor/leader falls as we seek to advance the kingdom. Stop being lazy…go get some peeps and live it out.

My wife was my accountability for those days [and yes, I failed on occasion and had victory as well], and we truly enjoyed the trip once we got over the we-are-really-from-a-small-city shock of what South Beach was. THANKS FRC for being a light in the darkness!

“Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.” Proverbs 11.14 [nlt]

Most Top Level Leaders Have This 1 Thing in Common.

In Church Leadership on December 7, 2009 at 4:32 pm

In my limited experience, one of the greatest things that strong leaders I know have in common is this:

THEY ARE GREAT COMMUNICATORS.

I am not talking about speaking communication from a stage, etc. I am talking about communicating across the hundreds of needs, requests, and demands they are swamped with.

1. I am amazed that people cannot return or reply to simple e-mail. [I generally return an e-mail the same day and believe we should all strive for that courtesy. If non-urgent, within 24 hours.]

2. I am amazed that people cannot reply to a twitter or facebook thread. [How hard is it to hit REPLY? I work hard on twitter and facebook to not "selectively" reply. If you are that important, get a fan page:]

3. I am amazed people cannot return phone calls and/or texts. I now use google voice to have my voicemails transcribed to e-mail and sent to my inbox. [Are we that important and is the person that non- important?]

4. I am amazed at the lack of thanks offered. [Cards, calls, verbal, etc.]

I am not saying we need to put our prayer, study, family and other things ahead of communication [Mark Batterson talks well of e-mail addiction, and I used to have a very hard time with it as well], but if you want to be a top level leader, you will figure this piece out and keep it healthy. And I am not saying I am 100% on this either, but dang, we have to address this mess.

**I have a habit to keep my inbox clear at all times. If I have an e-mail that is a task, I assign it or put it into my gmail task list.

**When I head out for a drive, I take my call list.

**I check e-mail during different times of the day, I make calls during the afternoon only unless urgent, and I generally check twitter and facebook in the morning and evening, sometimes more often when I need a little “break” during the day. That can be an addiction as well. And I don’t do applications, games, etc. I actually block those because of time constraints.

**If all else fails, hire someone to HELP YOU! But don’t be so important that you can’t sign your own cards of thanks! We know when you assistant signs your cards, etc. and that is tacky.

The busiest of the top leaders are busy for a reason, and they have their hands in a million things, but this one characteristic seems very consistent across the board.

The same holds true of those who are not as top-level [but you can be disciplined to get there...key word: discipline]. They seem to not be as concerned with communicating, which I believe is a top key to any relationship, vision or mission. Nothing is more frustrating than lack of communication.

If you want to go to this next level as a leader, these things you must do.

Have you noticed the same in whatever career God has placed you?

There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life!

In Church Leadership, church planting journey, community outreach, marketing on June 16, 2009 at 4:01 am


The 2 campaigns [from London] pictured here [top one says: THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.]

[The bottom one says: THERE DEFINITELY IS A GOD. So join the Christian party and enjoy your life].

The humanists/atheist group CREATED the original ad and of course Christians REACTED as we normally do instead of CREATING.

This made me think about how we might start better communicating the love of Jesus without being “reactionary.”

In our next calling to Utah, this is especially important…

People might ask if we are going to Utah to [react to] convert the LDS.

Nope.

Our goal is “to seek and to save the lost”. Someone else had that as their mission…[Luke 19.11]
and to USHER IN [create] the KINGDOM of GOD, not just another church that has relevant and inspiring services, great children’s ministry, does servant evangelism and recovery programs, etc.

SO…how do we engage [create] without reacting?

Any thoughts?

Disappointed with God?

In Church Leadership on June 10, 2009 at 5:20 pm

I have been lately, but probably more with others who say they are leaders and/or say they are Christians. Been there with me before?

Very few people are motivated beyond themselves…tough stuff to digest and see played out at times.

Are you there or have you been? This video was done for a series at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. If you are Disappointed with God…you might check out the entire series online.

This has been a very tough road for us…but we know God is fully in control. But sometimes knowing something and resting in it are two different things.

Disappointed (With God) from Central Christian on Vimeo.

this 1 thing will kill your church.

In Church Leadership on June 9, 2009 at 3:17 pm

Looking for some staff guidance? Mark Driscoll lays out an amazing overview of what will hurt a church or staff more than anything else.

I can vouch that this 1 thing would have radically changed many mistakes I/we made over the years.

Whether you are in ministry vocationally or lead as a volunteer this will set the tone for what you are doing.

CHECK IT OUT HERE.

postscript: I do believe that by “negatives” he is referring to people with sin in their lives and attitudes sowing discord and not handling it Biblically, and not just people who “disagree” with the leader. Disagreement is a healthy part of the process. Enjoy!

I am finally ready for this.

In Church Leadership, church planting journey, spiritual battle, Spiritual Growth on May 19, 2009 at 4:08 pm

I have been all over the place in my method of life, ministry and leadership. I am finally ready to make this more a part of my life than ever before.

If you are rocked by this…you are numb. Satan ALWAYS gets us thinking radically different than this, and other church leaders don’t help much, myself included.

This short read is WORTH YOUR TIME LIKE NO OTHER. Francis Chan brought it HERE.

May you also feel 1 inch tall after reading :)

what growing church plants have learned…

In Church Leadership, church planting journey on May 17, 2009 at 8:00 pm

I think one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle for a growing church plant is:

1) being called to the geographical region and growing a burning passion for her.
2) accepting and declaring the unique calling and missional code of that territory.

I believe this with all of my heart and have tried to express this in numerous pieces and parts. Ed Stetzer and David Putman put it concisely in their book, “Breaking the Missional Code” so I will defer to them and their process:

1. CALLING FROM GOD –>
2. EXEGETING THE COMMUNITY –>
3. EXAMINING WAYS GOD IS WORKING IN SIMILAR COMMUNITIES –>
4. FINDING GOD’S UNIQUE VISION FOR YOUR CHURCH –>
5. ADJUSTING THAT VISION AS YOU LEARN THE CULTURE –>

Our team will have to rely on God to help us accomplish this. What has worked in the rural mid-west won’t be the same on all levels in the far west.

What context are you ministering in? You were placed in a certain community, work, school, neighborhood and church for a reason!

leadership is…

In Church Leadership on May 13, 2009 at 9:14 pm

what if God really were the lead “leader” in my life?

leadership is influence as they say, and i agree with that.

but i often wonder this: “do i influence me more than i let God influence me?” because i am GREAT at leading and influencing myself.

i wonder who is winning on the scorecard. really.

many.

In Church Leadership, Devotional on May 2, 2009 at 7:07 pm

Many will laugh.

Many will not understand.

Many will not go.

Many will mock.

Many will not like your decisions.

Many will think they can do it better.

Many will say they are your friend, and then turn their back on you.

Many will hurt you at times.

Many will think you are crazy.

Many will think you are motivated by self-interest.

Many will think you are surrounded with tons of people.

Many won’t know that it doesn’t matter.

Many people can’t wait to climb to the “top.”

Many will find out that it’s lonely there too.

Many will want to kill your mission, your call, maybe your life.

MANY killed Jesus too, but what did that do? It freely gave redemption to MANY.

psalm 40.3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

is it God or satan?

In Church Leadership, church planting journey, the sticks conference on April 29, 2009 at 4:32 pm

This is such a great question I get so often. Is it God’s plan/will/growth or Satan’s attack in my life/ministry/family?

I don’t know if anyone can precisely answer that question except God Himself.
Couples things to chew on:
1. God does not WILL EVIL. There is NO EVIL in HIM.
2. But God does ALLOW EVIL. [Book of Job, et al.]
3. And when HE ALLOWS it He promises to WORK IT TOGETHER FOR GOOD. [Rom. 8.28]
So, when we face trials, testing and temptations, what are we to do? PRAY MORE? ACCEPT IT? CAST OUT DEMONS?

How about this:
1. PRAY. It’s commanded. [1 Thes. 3.17]
2. RESIST the enemy. It’s available [1 Peter 5]
3. LOOK for growth and refinement. [Job 23.10]
Too easy? How about this:
So…when we have a VISION or a MISSION or a CALL from GOD as a Leader…who is it from?
GOD/SATAN/US? [can we know?] and if we know, why aren’t we RECKLESS ABOUT IT?
Love it.
THE DIVINE MYSTERY. I will be talking about this at THE STICKS conference in 2 weeks.
I want to help us all understand how to clarify our call and define our mission. I also want to look at how quickly that our perceived mission can turn GOOD and BAD.

What messes up the GOD-POWERED VISION that we feel we have received, especially in a smaller town setting? [75-100K or less]

How do we look at this in the smaller towns that God has CALLED us to?
Or was it HIS call?
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