Leader 411

Leadership Rumble - October 14, 2007 (mp3)

S.H.A.P.E. Central

Free tools from Saddleback Church (and others) to help unlock the ministry of every member.

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CCN is tremendously pleased to announce the official launch of our latest and most innovative project with Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend: SolutionsonVideo.com!

Don't you long for more time, more answers, and more counseling resources to support your congregation? SolutionsonVideo.com is your solution!

Best of all, this site is absolutely FREE to you, your church, your friends and family:

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• Dialogue with SolutionsonVideo.com community and receive input from Drs. Cloud and Townsend themselves
  
• Watch weekly video blogs by John and Henry

Five Ways to Make Volunteers' Service Worthwhile
by Ted Harro

1. Give me a clear, compelling purpose
2. Involve me as much as possible
3. Celebrate moments by creating traditions
4. Don't waste my time
5. Stop the ball-hogging

The details can be found here. I longer version of Ted Harro's article can be found here.

Here's a synopsis of Andy Stanely's message at Willow Creek's Leadership Summit 2006 (plan now for next year).

Andy Stanley: Why I Decided to Cheat the Church

He talked about the best leadership decision he’s ever made. He made a deal with God. He explained it something like this:

God, I don’t have time to build a ministry and take care of my family. I’ll give you 45 hours per week as a church planter. If you can build a church on 45 hours, I’m your guy. I’ll let you build has big a church as you can with that 45 hours, and I’ll be satisfied with that. But I’m not going to cheat my family.

Andy decided to cheat the church before he cheated his family. With his wife, he decided to be at home by 4:30 every day. That meant he left work at 4:00.

Andy explained that God has never commanded him to love the Church. He was commanded to love his wife. He was never commanded to build the Church. Jesus said he would do that. Instead, we get it backwards. We try to go build the church, and we pray that God will take care of our family.

How did this decision impact Andy’s leadership?

1. It forced him to play exclusively to play to his strengths. Focus on the things you’re good at. The less you do, the more you accomplish. You’re not very good at very many things. Only do what only you can do.

2. It forced him to prioritize the success of the church over my personal success. He had to say no to lots of other opportunities. It forced him to focus on the main thing God has called him to do. North Point has his undivided attention.

3. The value has forced the organization to say no to many things and maintain a sustainable pace. That protects Andy’s time, but it also obviously also protects his staff’s time. We need to create a “to don’t” list. The value led to a decision to shut down the church the final weekend of every year to give all the volunteers and staff members a weekend to be with their families.

4. This value elicits incredible loyalty from the staff. Andy tells all new employees not to cheat their families.

This is a hard decision. People will be angry. We can’t fall into the “If I don’t, it won’t get done” trap. How many hours you work won’t make or break your career.

Andy wrote more about this topic in his book, Choosing to Cheat.

Download audio from the 2006 Foursquare Convention workshops

Here's what's available:

Workshops #1
Creative Communication: Connecting to a Visual Generation
The Community Center Revolution
Pillars of Influence in the Home, Church and MarketplaceUnlearning Urban Church Planting
Writing with Purpose and Passion
Missions #1 Asia
Missions #2 Europe
Leading Beyond Yourself
Rich Pastor, Poor Pastor
Raiders of the Lost Spark
On Any Given Sunday…the Ultimate Game of Preaching
Church and Culture: An Opportunity Like No Other in History
Harnessing Technology for Ministry

Workshops #2
Bi-Vocational? Get Connected!
Make the Most of What You’ve Got: Next Steps for Your Church
How to Apply for Ministry Funding
Mobilizing a Church Plant to Serve Your Community
Building Generational Bridges
Now Playing - The Preview of Your Future
Church Administration: Four Things Every Church Leader Should Know
How to Start and Develop a Ministry Institute
Re-Imagine: God’s Vision for Women in Ministry

Beware of Professional Christians
by Dan Reiland

At Crossroads, we pray what can seem like a strange prayer. We pray that God does not send Christians to our church. Before you yell "heresy" and push your delete key, keep reading. We have such a passion to reach the un-churched that we don't want to fill up the limited space we have with Christians who are looking for a new church to attend.

I have been asked: "How can you pray such a prayer?" "Do you turn away followers of Christ?" Of course we don't. We don't turn anyone away. We don't have our parking lot attendants "carding" people, asking if they are Christians and turning them away. It's easy to pray such a prayer when your heart is hot to reach people far from God.

We pray also for a second group. We pray for Christians to come who are nominal in their faith. We would love for the majority to be non-Christians, but particularly in the Southeast, that is not our reality; there are many who have some church background and consider themselves Christians even though their lives give no evidence. (Don't go theological on me, stay practical here.)

We pray for a third group to attend. We pray that the Christians that do come are leaders who are ready to serve. For these believers we are most grateful. We ask God to make this a small but powerful percentage of new people.

If we must choose who we offend (though it is not our desire to offend anyone), we will offend Christians, not the un-churched. If we offend anyone, we are most likely to offend what I call "Professional Christians." Professional Christians are believers, but have no intention to roll up their sleeves and serve. They are looking, in contrast, for a church to feed them, meet their needs, serve their schedules, and offer many of the latest and coolest programs in town. If you felt a little heat there, it is intentional. The consumer mindset in the local church is killing us.

Want people to read and respond to your bulletin announcements and other publicity? Don't just tell them when and where the event will be - tell them why they should participate. Give them a reason to attend.

How to Write a Church Activity Headline that Really Gets Read
by Chris Forbes

Everyday in the United States people are bombarded with a communication avalanche. It has been estimated by communication experts that the average American experiences 1,500-3,500 attempts to get his/her attention per day.

With all that competition, what hope do we who want to communicate to church members and unchurched people about our church events and ministry opportunities have of getting people to hear us? How do we keep the message we know is so important from getting drowned by the information tsunami?

The answer? Learn to broadcast! No, not by buying a radio station! But by learning to speak to people in a way that makes them naturally tune-in. Communication experts tell us, people are like radio receivers tuned into a single radio station. It seems all people are tuned in to “WII FM”. That stands for “What’s In It for Me?” Want to attract attention of the people you’re trying to reach? Tell them “what’s-in-it-for-me.” Tell them what the ministry event can do for them, or why they should be interested in it through the headline. In other words, give them more than facts, give them benefits.

The fact is, people’s needs drive what people pay attention to. People usually only notice what will benefit them in some way. So it never hurts to give them more than just the mere facts in your headlines, event announcements and sermon titles. Learn to think more strategically when writing brochures, newsletters and advertisements.

Read more

What role can Grace Chapel play in helping to reverse the trend toward social isolation revealed in this CNN article?

Americans are more socially isolated than they were 20 years ago, separated by work, commuting and the single life, researchers reported on Friday.

Nearly a quarter of people surveyed said they had "zero" close friends with whom to discuss personal matters. More than 50 percent named two or fewer confidants, most often immediate family members, the researchers said.

"This is a big social change, and it indicates something that's not good for our society," said Duke University Professor Lynn Smith-Lovin, lead author on the study to be published in the American Sociological Review.

Thanks to Pastor Don for the article.

Here is Stan Toler's simple method for ministering personally to seven individuals in your congregation each day in a way that will have a great impact on the people you serve.

First, spend an hour one-on-one with a person in your church or community.

Second, spend 15 minutes writing brief notes to three people.

Third, spend 15 minutes making brief phone calls to three people.

Read more

A summary of what's in the greatest book of all time.
by Jim Townsend

Wouldn't you love to be able to grasp what the entire Bible contains in just a few minutes? This compilation of the themes of the Bible will allow you to do just that. The following is a summary of what each book of the Bible contains. Keep it handy to refer to as you study and read.

Here's a sample of one book of the Bible:

2 Chronicles

• God supplies wisdom to those who want it (1)
• God values worship (3-5)
• God hears sincere prayers (6-7)
• God honors those who stand for what is right (14-17)
• God has his confronters (18)
• Some lives are a patchwork of obedience and disobedience (24)
• God is honored when leaders seek purification and reform (29-31, 34-35)
• Otherwise godly people can end life in a less than godly manner (32:24-33)
• Ungodly leaders wreak havoc on a nation (33)

By Sam Simmons

Many professions, like medicine, law, and teaching, recognize the importance of skills by requiring updates through an annual certification process. According to Reggie McNeal, ministry skills are not immune to becoming outdated and ineffective over time:

Many men and women who entered the ministry with a clear sense of call to make a difference feel overwhelmed, bewildered, defeated, and generally underprepared for the challenges they face. Having packed their bags for the journey of the church age, they now have no idea what should be in their leadership backpack for the current excursion. The portfolio of skills that once gave them standing in the community of faith no longer distinguishes them, ensures their effectiveness, or guarantees their continued leadership position. (The Present Future, pp. 7-8)

Do your ministry skills need updating? Are your ministry skills out of balance? Does your calling require you to focus your development in certain areas? Below is a list of skills helpful for ministry in the 21st century. You can use the list as a personal assessment tool or as a development guide for those you mentor.

Get the list of ministry skills here

Understanding Their Hearts and Minds
By Dr. Thom Rainer

1. Most of the unchurched prefer to attend church on Sunday morning if they attend.
2. Most of the unchurched feel guilty about not attending church.
3. Ninety-six percent of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if they are invited.
4. Very few of the unchurched had someone share with them how to become a Christian. And Christians have not been particularly influential in their lives.
5. Most of the unchurched have a positive view of pastors, ministers and the church.
6. Many of the unchurched have a church background.
7. Showing up at someone's home without an invitation was one of the biggest turnoffs articulated by the unchurched.
8. The unchurched would like to develop a real and sincere relationship with a Christian.
9. The attitudes of the unchurched are not correlated to where they live, their ethnic or racial background, or their gender.
10. Many of the unchurched are far more concerned about the spiritual well-being of their children than themselves.

Read more

According to Pastor Mark Driscoll:

• Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
• Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
• Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
• Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
• Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
• Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.
• Eighty percent of pastors' spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
• Eighty percent of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
• The majority of pastor's wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry.

Read his entire post for some ways to help avoid becoming one of these statistics (e.g. only do what you can do, exercise, find a hobby, honor the sabbath, turn of the computer and cell phone, do what God created you to do - not what everyone else wants you to do). Especially read the post if you recognize any of these symptoms in your life:

• Unusual mood swings that may include weeping without just cause, anger, or depression
  
• Exhaustion
  
• Paranoia and suspicion
  
• Weight change, including gain or loss
  
• Moments of panic and feeling totally overwhelmed
  
• Fantasizing about dying or running away to get away from the pressure
  
• Fight-or-flight cycles where you rise up to intimidate and conquer others or run away from difficulties just to avoid them
  
• Insomnia, including difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep, which can lead to a reliance on sleeping pills
  
• Too frequent use of alcohol or tobacco
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Comforting yourself with unhealthy foods packed with fat, sugar, and simple carbohydrates
  
• General irritability
  
• Reckless driving
  
• Change in sexual desire of either noticeable increase or decrease
  
• Notable ongoing sexual temptation
  
• Health-related issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, heart trouble, chronic sickness, and stomach problems including ulcers
  
• A victim mentality that sees the world as against you and everyone as an enemy to varying degrees
  
• Shopping sprees and unnecessary financial spending
  
• Reliance on caffeine to self-medicate
  
• Children, friends, and loved ones begin to feel like yet another burden