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Leading a local church is tough work, and not for the weak-stomached or nimble-minded. Let's face it... leadership is hard work. So here in our Leadership area, you'll be able to learn important leadership skills, connect with other leaders, and interact on topics like how to deal with church conflict, establishing your vision and values, and how to manage and recruit volunteers.
This is an interesting short video of Tim Keller, taken from a recent speech he gave at a Veritas Forum on the campus of UC Berkley. In this clip, Tim shares that he does think that religion has caused a lot of damage in the world; and he describes what he calls the 'slippery slope' of going from religion to oppression. Take a look; and let me know what you think. Next up, watch Rick Warren describe his PEACE plan in our next post today; then see the response when Rick Warren invited Ingrid (our friend from SliceofLaodicea) to an all expense trip to Saddleback, along with a place on his stage. I think all three of these posts work together. I'm wondering, do we sometimes use Tim Keller's 'slippery slope' even within different segments of Christianity?
Tim Keller: The Slippery Slope from Religion to Oppression
I believe it was General George Patton who said, “Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” If you think about his words, there really is a huge difference between telling people HOW to do things and telling people WHAT to do. One prescribes the process while the other prescribes the end result. As church leaders, we must recognize that everyone is not just like us, (and that, in most instances, is a great thing!) The way that we work (the process by which we achieve tasks) differs from how others on our staff might w ork. That’s why it’s important that we allow each person the latitude to do his or her work in their own way; realizing in the end, that their way may, in fact, may achieve a better outcome than we ourselves could have thought of.I love how General Patton put it: “Let them surprise you with the results.” When we allow people to choose the path they take to achieve the desired task, the end result many times ends up being better than we had even imagined. Allowing (and actually encouraging) creativity and innovation with your staff will allow them to flourish and dream and succeed.
Stop Telling People How to Do Things!
Twittering for Jesus
Perry Noble "Twitters." So does Tony Morgan. What does this mean? Well, it simply means that these guys are sharing their lives throughout the day through Twitter.com, telling the whole world what they're up to during the day. (For example, recently Perry was working on the plans for Mother's Day at Newspring Church. Tony was headed off to a leadership strategy meeting to discuss NewSpring's future. Have you ever heard of Twitter? If not, maybe it's time to spread your wings and discover a new, free tool that you can use for ministry. Twitter is a social networking tool that many pastors and church leaders are starting to use to communicate on the Internet with their friends, colleagues, and church members.
‘We’re Helping Couple Have a Healthy Sex Life’…
“What’s wrong with married couples having hot and holy sex?” is the question more and more pastors and Christian counselors are posing to believers. Once regarded as a hush-hush topic in church, sex is increasingly being openly discussed and even promoted by an unlikely ally – Christian pastors. But this effort comes with strings attached – it’s only meant for married couples. "People carry a lot of guilt from parents who said sex is bad," said the Rev. Kerry Shook, senior pastor of the 15,600-member Woodlands Church outside Houston, according to ABC news. "We help them (couples) to have a healthy sex life. One of the things we cover in scripture is how to meet each other's needs in bed."
If I Weren’t a Pastor, I Would…
I'm on the plane waiting for take off for Orlando as I'm typing this morning... just a sec before I have to close up shop. So... I thought I'd ask a question that I hope you all will take a moment to respond to... here it is: "If I were not a pastor, I would probably be..." What career track do you think you would have taken if you didn't choose the church vocation? I'd love to hear from many of you (especially you lurkers!). I hope to give you some great updates from the National New Church Conference in Orlando this week. If you are there, be sure to look me up! There's talk of a special bloggers dinner one evening; and Scott Hodge, Chris Elrod, and myself will do a breakout Q&A on blogging on Tuesday. Until then, let's hear it... what would you be doing if you weren't a pastor?
Ten Signs it’s Time to Confront
I HATE CONFRONTATION! With a passion. And I'm not looking forward to a phone call and meeting I need to schedule today. Confrontation stinks. And yet, many times it needs to be done. As much as I hate confronting, I hate NOT confronting even more. David Foster recently wrote on his blog about ten signs it's time to confront. David writes, "No one really likes confrontation, even those who say they do. For if you really like it, you’re a bully more than a person. But the truth is, we do have to confront. Here are 10 signs it’s time to confront the people you love, care about, work with, or are responsible for..."
Ministry Thinkhole #2: The Competency Trap
Last week, we began a series on "Ministry Thinkholes." In his new book, Church Unique, consultant Will Mancini discusses what he calls thinkholes that can really bog down today's church leader. Mancini describes thinkholes as obstacles, barriers, and danger zones that keep us from thoughtful self-knowledge. The first thinkhole we looked at last week was the problem of ‘Ministry Treadmills’, the idea that being so busy with our next event or ministry demand can actually paralyze us from taking the time needed to lead our churches into the future. This week, we'll look at the second thinkhole that Mancini mentions: the "Competency Trap".
7 Ways We Keep Church Hoppers From Staying
Pastor Brian Jones recently wrote on his blog: "I call church hoppers “connoisseurs of fine churches” because they’re continually on a quest to find the church that is spiritual enough for them, will endlessly engorge themselves on the “services” of the churches they attend, and always have a critical word to say afterwards whenever “church” doesn’t meet their standards. Here are seven things we try to do to keep church hoppers from wearing out their welcome..."
Pastors In Transition: Why Clergy Leave Local Church Ministry
Why do pastors leave the ministry? Several common issues emerge from the research of Dean Hoge and Jacqueline Wenger: preference for another form of ministry, the need to care for children or family, conflict in the congregation, conflict with denominational leaders, burnout or discouragement, sexual misconduct, and divorce or marital problems. Of these factors, which form the basis for the central chapters of Pastors in Transition, two are especially important: conflict and a preference for specialized ministry. A close third is the experience of burnout, discouragement, stress and overwork. As the authors explore these factors, they provide significant insights into what can be done to help people stay in ministry.
Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading
The bestselling author of "The Message" challenges believers to read the Scriptures on their own terms, as God's revelation, and to live them as they read them.
Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders
Based on his extensive experience as coach and mentor to many thousands of Christian leaders across a broad spectrum of ministry settings, Reggie McNeal helps spiritual leaders understand that they will self-select into or out of greatness.
The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World (by Alan Roxburgh)
This book gives church and denominational leaders, pastors, and clergy a clear model for leading the change necessary to create and foster a missional church focused outward to spread the message of the Gospel into the surrounding community.
I'm Todd Rhoades... the MMI guy. I'm also on the team at Leadership Network (although that doesn't mean that they endorse everything I write here). In my past life, I was the founder and developer of a website named ChurchStaffing.com.
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- Peter Hamm on And I Wanted to Be There: "Ingrid, Rick... RIck, Ingrid". Ain't Happenin' This Side of Heaven
- on And I Wanted to Be There: "Ingrid, Rick... RIck, Ingrid". Ain't Happenin' This Side of Heaven
- Peter Hamm on Rick Warren Video: Rick on Reveal and the new SBC Study...
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