Sorry for the long delay between postings. As you may know, I was gone for eight days on a mission trip to the big island south of us. (Since this page is accessible to everyone, I want to limit some information to limit who can stumble upon where we went and the work we did.) I have a great number of stories and things I have learned from this experience. I will post some thoughts about the trip over the next few days.
I thought the first thing I would do is share what I learned about the church members who went on the trip. To sum up my thoughts concisely: Wow!
We have a very talented, gifted group of people who make up our church. We had seven team members in total, and all of them contributed in ways that made great use of those gifts and talents. Because of their unique gifts, personalities, and contributions to the group and mission, we would not have been as successful if they had not participated.
Each one of the team members shared their testimony during a worship service. Each one of them greatly encouraged the church and honored God with their testimonies. I have a deeper appreciation for who they are and what God has done and is doing in their lives. These testimonies did two things during the trip. One, people in the country we visited could better identify with us as we worked alongside them each day and worshiped together each night. More importantly, the testimonies reminded the people in this country that everyone, no matter what country they live in, face trials and difficulties that only God can address.
I would urge you to prayerfully consider going on a mission trip. It does not matter where. The reality is, God is at work all over the world. Additionally, God can use you when you say "Yes" to Him. You may not think you can make a contribution, but I saw God use six people in a way that made a huge impact to the people in the church that we served.
I could not be more proud or more pleased with how well the team members did during the trip. They represented their Savior and First Baptist Church at Weston well during the trip.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
Seize Opportunities
I read an article today in The Financial Times that is very appropriate for you, your family, and our church. The article, written by Donald Sull, is titled "Why the worst of times can also be the best of times." The author's premise is that wise businesses can often turn tumultuous times into golden opportunities to increase market share, bring about needed changes in the business, and instill cost disciplines that were lacking.
The article got me to thinking, what opportunities is this economic mess presenting to myself, my family, and the church? I don't have time to share all of my thoughts on these issues, but I would like to point out some opportunities presented to small groups within our church.
These uncertain times has created a great opportunity to strengthen the fellowship that takes place among small group members. People have less money to travel, so they will be spending more time in town. Add to this the desire to have stable relationships, and you have people who are just waiting to be asked to a group fellowship or to share a meal. As people spend time with one another, friendships will grow and life will be shared.
A second great opportunity small groups have is to reach out to new people. Uncertainty, job loss, and worry all add up to pain in people's lives. As followers of Christ, we can share the truth that Jesus wants people to lay aside their own burdens (which are heavy and painful) and to take Jesus' yoke upon them (which is easy and light.) Invite people to your small group and encourage group members to bring their friends. As these visitors hear the Bible being taught and see the difference Christ makes in other's life, many will be drawn to Jesus.
As Sull points out in the article, seizing opportunities during difficult times requires keen perception and courage. As a leader, you must look for the opportunities when others see struggles, then help your group members see the opportunities.
Seeing opportunities is not enough though. You must exercise courage to act upon these opportunities. This will require you to step out of your comfort zone from time to time, but you can reach people when they are hurting most, thus transforming their lives. Let us be people who make the most of these "worst of times" by seeing them as opportunities and acting on those chances.
The article got me to thinking, what opportunities is this economic mess presenting to myself, my family, and the church? I don't have time to share all of my thoughts on these issues, but I would like to point out some opportunities presented to small groups within our church.
These uncertain times has created a great opportunity to strengthen the fellowship that takes place among small group members. People have less money to travel, so they will be spending more time in town. Add to this the desire to have stable relationships, and you have people who are just waiting to be asked to a group fellowship or to share a meal. As people spend time with one another, friendships will grow and life will be shared.
A second great opportunity small groups have is to reach out to new people. Uncertainty, job loss, and worry all add up to pain in people's lives. As followers of Christ, we can share the truth that Jesus wants people to lay aside their own burdens (which are heavy and painful) and to take Jesus' yoke upon them (which is easy and light.) Invite people to your small group and encourage group members to bring their friends. As these visitors hear the Bible being taught and see the difference Christ makes in other's life, many will be drawn to Jesus.
As Sull points out in the article, seizing opportunities during difficult times requires keen perception and courage. As a leader, you must look for the opportunities when others see struggles, then help your group members see the opportunities.
Seeing opportunities is not enough though. You must exercise courage to act upon these opportunities. This will require you to step out of your comfort zone from time to time, but you can reach people when they are hurting most, thus transforming their lives. Let us be people who make the most of these "worst of times" by seeing them as opportunities and acting on those chances.
Review of The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family
Sorry about the long lay-off between postings. I spent a week without any internet access. It was not too bad if I say so myself. During the Thanksgiving break I took some time to read. Every family needs to read The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family by Patrick Lencioni.
If you are unfamiliar with Lencioni's books, here is the basic style employed by him to communicate his message. Lencioni makes great use of the fable to communicate. He weaves a ficticious tale to breath life into the content he is sharing through the book. For those who migrate to fiction, this style will "pull you in" to communicate truths that can be applied to life. Lencioni is one of the better writers who employs this style of writing.
The premise behind the writing of this book is Lencioni putting into practice the leadership teachings he employs in the business world to his own family. This sounds very "dry" and almost "wrong" to use business practices in the family, but the reality is leadership is what is needed within the home.
Lencioni has boiled down leadership within the family to answering three basic questions. Obviously, a family is more complicated than three questions, and the author is clear that a family is not seeking perfection with this plan, just to be "good enough." By employing these three questions, the family will have a target to aim for and a plan on how to hit that target.
If you want to know what the three questions are, then you will need to read the book (or visit the website and view the tools available online.) Trust me, it is worth going to the library or purchasing the book. It could change your life.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Review of The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
I have been "sitting" on this book for about 3 weeks. The point of the book is that people are made for relationships, need relationships, are starving for relationships, and the church and small groups is the best means of meeting that need. The reason I held back on this book is that I could not shake this feeling that some of the things in the book were "off." More about that in a moment.
First, the strengths of this book. Randy Frazee does a very good job of laying out the biblical and sociological argument on the need for community. He does a good job of presenting the theological argument for community, and does a great job of presenting a study on culture and society to demonstrate how our culture has changed. He uses various studies and authors to present how the United States culture became more fragmented after World War 2. If you want a good, brief overview of "what happened" in regard to community, this would be a good resource.
Frazee argues that in order create community, a person needs a common purpose. Within the church and small groups, the author cites how his church uses the study of 30 theological truths on which to focus everyone on the same target. For anyone wanting to know what are some of the critical components of the Christian faith, these thirty are a pretty good starting point.
It is at this point that the nagging doubts about the book crept in. The "solution" to creating community is just unrealistic in our culture in general and South Florida in particular. Obviously, there are adjustments to lifestyles that need to be made to creat community. One cannot expect to do the same thing you have always done and get different results. However, Frazee goes so far as to suggest that people should either pick jobs very close to their home, preferably within walking distance, or move to a house closer to work. The idea being that you need to limit your travel as much as possible and spend it in your neighborhood.
Short of a cataclysmic change in our culture, this is not happening. It is an unrealistic expectation of people to structure their lives around where you live on this lone principle. I understand his premise of being purposeful of spending time in your neighborhood and investing yourself in the people in that area, his solution is not viable.
What this should create in us is an intentionality in how we spend our time. If possible, do your shopping locally and build relationships with the workers and owners in these stores. Spend your leisure time in your neighborhood and make friends with your neighbors. Invite people to your home on a regular basis and spend life together. These are all steps to building community and inviting new people into that community.
First, the strengths of this book. Randy Frazee does a very good job of laying out the biblical and sociological argument on the need for community. He does a good job of presenting the theological argument for community, and does a great job of presenting a study on culture and society to demonstrate how our culture has changed. He uses various studies and authors to present how the United States culture became more fragmented after World War 2. If you want a good, brief overview of "what happened" in regard to community, this would be a good resource.
Frazee argues that in order create community, a person needs a common purpose. Within the church and small groups, the author cites how his church uses the study of 30 theological truths on which to focus everyone on the same target. For anyone wanting to know what are some of the critical components of the Christian faith, these thirty are a pretty good starting point.
It is at this point that the nagging doubts about the book crept in. The "solution" to creating community is just unrealistic in our culture in general and South Florida in particular. Obviously, there are adjustments to lifestyles that need to be made to creat community. One cannot expect to do the same thing you have always done and get different results. However, Frazee goes so far as to suggest that people should either pick jobs very close to their home, preferably within walking distance, or move to a house closer to work. The idea being that you need to limit your travel as much as possible and spend it in your neighborhood.
Short of a cataclysmic change in our culture, this is not happening. It is an unrealistic expectation of people to structure their lives around where you live on this lone principle. I understand his premise of being purposeful of spending time in your neighborhood and investing yourself in the people in that area, his solution is not viable.
What this should create in us is an intentionality in how we spend our time. If possible, do your shopping locally and build relationships with the workers and owners in these stores. Spend your leisure time in your neighborhood and make friends with your neighbors. Invite people to your home on a regular basis and spend life together. These are all steps to building community and inviting new people into that community.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Learning From The Adoption Process
Those of you who know Shay and I know that we are "somewhere" in the adoption process. I wanted to do something different with this posting by sharing some of what I am learning through this process so far. As you will see, I think there is a great leadership lesson what we are experiencing as we wait.
The background of this tale is that Shay and I started the paperwork for adoption from China 3+ years ago. When we started the paperwork, families were taking nine months to go from approval to travel to get their child. By the time our paperwork was approved, families at that moment were waiting twelve months. We have been waiting almost 30 months since our paperwork was approved.
Here is what I have learned: adoption takes a long time! Just kidding.
I think I have learned a couple of important lessons as we have navigated this process so far. The first lesson is on patience. I have never been a patient person. I get bored easily on many things, so waiting around is not one of my strong points. I'm not known as a patient person.
As the months have accumulated, I realized God may be trying to teach me something. So, I decided to do a little word study on patience. I realized that patience is an attribute of God. It is most often associated with His desire to forgive, but it is used in how He deals with His children when they are disobedient as well.
Since God desires that I be conformed into the image of His Son, God has used this experience to develop this attribute in my life. As I have had the discussion with people over the last few months about the adoption process, many have commented at how patient Shay and I have been throughout the process. In other words, people are seeing in me (Shay was already a patient person) an attribute of God that was not present before this experience. (Kind of cool if you think about it.)
Which leads to the other thing I've learned and the leadership lesson for all of us. I did not set out to develop patience. Heck, I never pray and ask God for patience. I figure the only way He can answer that prayer is to make me wait on something, which I don't like to do. Yet, God has developed this attribute in me.
How? Shay and I had already settled a couple of important issues at the beginning of the adoption process. We knew God had clearly called us to adopt, and He called us to adopt from China. Once those items were settled, the process and timing was out of our hands. We were responsible to say "Yes" to adopting and to discern where He wanted us to adopt from. Everything else, like timing and processes, are tools in accomplishing the mission. Waiting does not seem like an "optional" part of the process since it is part of adopting from China (not that we knew the wait time in advance.) I did not even recognize it as patience until recently because my focus has been on the mission of getting our child from China, not the circumstances surrounding the process.
This is the crux of the lesson. If you know what God has called you to do (mission/vision), then everything else that occurs is part of the process of helping you toward fulfilling the mission. Some of that stuff will be positive and some of it negative, but none of it catches God by surprise.
Victor Frankl wrote one of the greatest books I have ever read, Man's Search For Meaning, that touches on this issue. Though not a Christian, he identifies that every person needs a future hope to help him live in the present. Frankl was a prisoner in a concentration camp during World War II. He talks about how a person with a why can endure almost any how.
Shay and I can endure the wait time because our focus is on what lies at the end of the wait, Elizabeth. We are focused on the mission assigned to us. For us, the wait time is part of accomplishing the mission. If we didn't have the "payoff" at the end of the wait time, we would have quit a long time ago.
I would suggest you determine what your "whys" are in your life. What is your mission? Let God show you that and decide to pursue that mission(s) whole-heartedly. You will be able to endure any of the obstacles is you know what the target is at the end of the journey.
The same is true for your work. Be clear as to what the mission/vision for your work is and pursue it. Decisions should be filtered through the question, "Does this help me accomplish the mission or hurt me in accomplishing the mission?" A "yes" answer means you should pursue that option, and a "no" answer means you reject that option.
Mission/vision are critical in accomplishing the purposes God has for your life. Once you settle these issues, the obstacles and roadblocks seem much less daunting and discouraging.
The background of this tale is that Shay and I started the paperwork for adoption from China 3+ years ago. When we started the paperwork, families were taking nine months to go from approval to travel to get their child. By the time our paperwork was approved, families at that moment were waiting twelve months. We have been waiting almost 30 months since our paperwork was approved.
Here is what I have learned: adoption takes a long time! Just kidding.
I think I have learned a couple of important lessons as we have navigated this process so far. The first lesson is on patience. I have never been a patient person. I get bored easily on many things, so waiting around is not one of my strong points. I'm not known as a patient person.
As the months have accumulated, I realized God may be trying to teach me something. So, I decided to do a little word study on patience. I realized that patience is an attribute of God. It is most often associated with His desire to forgive, but it is used in how He deals with His children when they are disobedient as well.
Since God desires that I be conformed into the image of His Son, God has used this experience to develop this attribute in my life. As I have had the discussion with people over the last few months about the adoption process, many have commented at how patient Shay and I have been throughout the process. In other words, people are seeing in me (Shay was already a patient person) an attribute of God that was not present before this experience. (Kind of cool if you think about it.)
Which leads to the other thing I've learned and the leadership lesson for all of us. I did not set out to develop patience. Heck, I never pray and ask God for patience. I figure the only way He can answer that prayer is to make me wait on something, which I don't like to do. Yet, God has developed this attribute in me.
How? Shay and I had already settled a couple of important issues at the beginning of the adoption process. We knew God had clearly called us to adopt, and He called us to adopt from China. Once those items were settled, the process and timing was out of our hands. We were responsible to say "Yes" to adopting and to discern where He wanted us to adopt from. Everything else, like timing and processes, are tools in accomplishing the mission. Waiting does not seem like an "optional" part of the process since it is part of adopting from China (not that we knew the wait time in advance.) I did not even recognize it as patience until recently because my focus has been on the mission of getting our child from China, not the circumstances surrounding the process.
This is the crux of the lesson. If you know what God has called you to do (mission/vision), then everything else that occurs is part of the process of helping you toward fulfilling the mission. Some of that stuff will be positive and some of it negative, but none of it catches God by surprise.
Victor Frankl wrote one of the greatest books I have ever read, Man's Search For Meaning, that touches on this issue. Though not a Christian, he identifies that every person needs a future hope to help him live in the present. Frankl was a prisoner in a concentration camp during World War II. He talks about how a person with a why can endure almost any how.
Shay and I can endure the wait time because our focus is on what lies at the end of the wait, Elizabeth. We are focused on the mission assigned to us. For us, the wait time is part of accomplishing the mission. If we didn't have the "payoff" at the end of the wait time, we would have quit a long time ago.
I would suggest you determine what your "whys" are in your life. What is your mission? Let God show you that and decide to pursue that mission(s) whole-heartedly. You will be able to endure any of the obstacles is you know what the target is at the end of the journey.
The same is true for your work. Be clear as to what the mission/vision for your work is and pursue it. Decisions should be filtered through the question, "Does this help me accomplish the mission or hurt me in accomplishing the mission?" A "yes" answer means you should pursue that option, and a "no" answer means you reject that option.
Mission/vision are critical in accomplishing the purposes God has for your life. Once you settle these issues, the obstacles and roadblocks seem much less daunting and discouraging.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Review of Wide Awake by Erwin McManus
Erwin McManus' latest book is a return to the style and perspective of his previous offerings, which is issuing the call for Christians to live a joy-filled, purposeful life. He has a very easy style to read, and I found myself finding several great nuggets of truth throughout the book.
Using Scripture and stories, he paints the picture that there are eight attributes that believers must exhibit to live a life wide awake.
- Dream
- Discover
- Adapt
- Expect
- Focus
- Create
- Enjoy
- Invest
A couple of quotes that really grabbed my attention point to the need of moving from comfort to significance.:
"We have confused comfort with peace, belief with faith, safety with wisdom, wealth with blessing, and existence with life. And for many of us, our dreams will be buried under the epitaph, 'I refused to let go of what I had.'" (p. 106)
"A life of expectations sometimes brings great public success, but sometimes God glorifies himself and finds the greatest honor from our lives when we are willing to fail in the eyes of others simply by doing what is right even if it means losing our perceived value to the world. Faith is not measured by success but by faithfulness." (p. 112)
The chapter on invest was interesting because it is about the importance of investing in others. Our greatest impact is found in pouring our lives into others, for it is through others that we can multiply our impact and store up treasures in heaven.
"If you live a life of self-importance, you won't find many people who want to help you when your life starts falling apart. We must make a personal commitment that our goals, ambitions, and dreams will never overtake our value for people." (p. 221)
I would highly recommend this book. The caveat for others would be to understand Erwin is a bit of a "free spirit." For a logical, conventional person like myself, his artistic-bent presses me to think and observe differently. I like this stretching of my perspective, but you may feel uncomfortable at first with this different way of viewing things.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Small Group Covenants
At the conference last week, Russ Robinson mentioned the covenant that his small group uses as a guideline for group life. Thanks to the initiative of Debbie Christie, I have posted a copy of that covenant below. In addition to that covenant, I have included a couple of other covenants in pdf. format.
The group covenant is an interesting tool. It is meant to give everyone in the group a clear understanding of the expectations and responsibilities for the group. This allows everyone to be on the "same page" when it comes to what group life will be like.
In my own group, we went over group expectations such as confidentiality, openness, authenticity, fellowships, and being on time. My shortcoming in regard to the covenant was not putting it in writing, although we do touch on the topic about once a quarter.
If you are a new group, you should certainly use a covenant. It is a great way to get your group started and gives you great shot at being healthy from the beginning. If you are a current group, it is a little more difficult to add a covenant but is certainly worth the effort. I would suggest you modify one of the included covenants to make it your own. The more personalized it is for your specific group, the more effective it will be in guiding the group.
Russ' small group covenant
Other small group covenant (Willow Creek)
The group covenant is an interesting tool. It is meant to give everyone in the group a clear understanding of the expectations and responsibilities for the group. This allows everyone to be on the "same page" when it comes to what group life will be like.
In my own group, we went over group expectations such as confidentiality, openness, authenticity, fellowships, and being on time. My shortcoming in regard to the covenant was not putting it in writing, although we do touch on the topic about once a quarter.
If you are a new group, you should certainly use a covenant. It is a great way to get your group started and gives you great shot at being healthy from the beginning. If you are a current group, it is a little more difficult to add a covenant but is certainly worth the effort. I would suggest you modify one of the included covenants to make it your own. The more personalized it is for your specific group, the more effective it will be in guiding the group.
Russ' small group covenant
Other small group covenant (Willow Creek)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Planning A Meeting
Another great point that came from the conference on Saturday was on planning a meeting. Russ was able to share from his experience on the importance of planning on what you want to accomplish in each meeting. He broke it down to four categories:
Head: What do I want my group to know?
Heart: What do I want my group to feel?
Hands: What do I want my group to do?
Homework: What do I want my group to plan?
In thinking about these four targets, I really took a hard look at how I lead. I think most of the leaders at First Baptist Weston are the same: we do a great job on informing people about what they should know. We are content based and hit the know part well.
Personally, I get the heart stuff many times in my Sunday morning group, but I don't do as well with my men's group. Connecting the head and the heart are essential to transformation.
I was able to put these into practice on Sunday. I was able to take a passage that was about someone else doing evangelism and give us a homework assignment for the week. This assignment has caused me to reflect on this passage several times over the last 3 days.
Head: What do I want my group to know?
Heart: What do I want my group to feel?
Hands: What do I want my group to do?
Homework: What do I want my group to plan?
In thinking about these four targets, I really took a hard look at how I lead. I think most of the leaders at First Baptist Weston are the same: we do a great job on informing people about what they should know. We are content based and hit the know part well.
Personally, I get the heart stuff many times in my Sunday morning group, but I don't do as well with my men's group. Connecting the head and the heart are essential to transformation.
I was able to put these into practice on Sunday. I was able to take a passage that was about someone else doing evangelism and give us a homework assignment for the week. This assignment has caused me to reflect on this passage several times over the last 3 days.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Small Groups Conference Reflections: Your thoughts
Here is your chance! Let the world know what you think.
What was the most significant point you heard at the conference on Saturday?
Feel free to add to people's thoughts.
What was the most significant point you heard at the conference on Saturday?
Feel free to add to people's thoughts.
Reflections on Small Groups Conference
For those of you who were at the Small Groups Conference, you heard four of the best presentations I have ever heard given at any small groups conference. I will spend the rest of this week giving some of my thoughts on what we heard on Saturday.
I want to start on the personal level. I had the opportunity to eat dinner with Russ and Lynne on Friday night before the event. My number one takeaway from the weekend is the authenticity exhibited in Russ's life. Based on what I heard him say over the weekend and what I know from his books, he is a "tent-making" minister who lives what he teaches. He is the type of person that you leave energized after speaking with him.
The first session is the one that spoke to me most significantly. God is a community unto Himself. He has never been alone. Since we are made in the image of God, we must be made for community. It is so simple, yet so easily overlooked.
The implication is you and I are helping people to become more conformed to the image of Christ by leading them in a small group. This is accomplished by creating a safe environment for community and fellowship to take place. This is a foundation upon which our small groups must be built. Bible study without community is folly.
On my next posting, I will make it very brief and give you the opportunity to opine about what you liked about the conference and ask questions.
I want to start on the personal level. I had the opportunity to eat dinner with Russ and Lynne on Friday night before the event. My number one takeaway from the weekend is the authenticity exhibited in Russ's life. Based on what I heard him say over the weekend and what I know from his books, he is a "tent-making" minister who lives what he teaches. He is the type of person that you leave energized after speaking with him.
The first session is the one that spoke to me most significantly. God is a community unto Himself. He has never been alone. Since we are made in the image of God, we must be made for community. It is so simple, yet so easily overlooked.
The implication is you and I are helping people to become more conformed to the image of Christ by leading them in a small group. This is accomplished by creating a safe environment for community and fellowship to take place. This is a foundation upon which our small groups must be built. Bible study without community is folly.
On my next posting, I will make it very brief and give you the opportunity to opine about what you liked about the conference and ask questions.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Preview of Russ Robinson on Saturday
As I have been praying about the upcoming Small Groups Leadership Conference, I realized that the speaker, Russ Robinson, will be very new to many of you. Russ has co-written three books on small groups and will be releasing a new book soon. For many years, Russ was the executive director of small groups at Willow Creek before returning to his private law practice. What makes Russ such a great resource is that he comes from trenches of leading a group, so he knows a leader's struggles first-hand.
As I reviewed the handouts for the event on Saturday, I got a sense for the direction he will be taking us on Saturday. One of the topics of discussion is on creating community. Here is some information to help you better understand what it takes to create community within a small group. This is based on the book Building A Church Of Small Groups.
Spend some time this week praying and thinking about how "authentic" the fellowship within your group is today. Feel free to post comments on one or more of these characteristics and how your encourage their practice in your group.
As I reviewed the handouts for the event on Saturday, I got a sense for the direction he will be taking us on Saturday. One of the topics of discussion is on creating community. Here is some information to help you better understand what it takes to create community within a small group. This is based on the book Building A Church Of Small Groups.
Creating Authentic CommunityAs you can tell, the five characteristics listed above are not easy, natural practices found in our lives. They each require an intentional effort on the part of small group leaders to provide the environment for authentic community.
Self-Disclosure: To know and be known
Care Giving: To love and be loved
Humility: To serve and be served
Truth-Telling: To admonish and be admonished
Affirmation: To celebrate and be celebrated
"Spiritual growth cannot take place apart from community, and the fruit of such growth can only be expressed in community."
Spend some time this week praying and thinking about how "authentic" the fellowship within your group is today. Feel free to post comments on one or more of these characteristics and how your encourage their practice in your group.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Leadership In A Small Group
I read a great article on leadership of small groups by Rod Dempsey at Smallgroups.com that is a great summation of the task you and I have as leaders. The article was very brief, yet he hit the big issues that all leaders need to wrestle with in their small group.
The four components of leadership are as follows:
Vision: The leader is the one who sees the desired future for the group. This vision keeps the group on task and going in the right direction. Habakkuk wrote "write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run that reads it."
For our small groups, the vision is simple: people will experience spiritual transformation, develop meaningful relationships, and care for others.
Influence: A leader must influence others to work toward achieving the vision. Influence is gained by using words, knowledge, skills, and examples to guide others towards vision fulfillment. The main tool for influence in your group is the Bible. Properly taught and applied, the vision for small groups will be fulfilled.
Development: Leaders must be preparing the next generation of leaders. By developing other leaders, you are multiplying your influence. 2 Timothy 2:2 is Paul's charge to Timothy to do just that: develop leaders. This means you must identify and train an apprentice in your group.
God's priorities: A leader recognizes that it is not about his or her own agenda but God's agenda. We get our marching orders from God, not from ourselves, the latest trend, or the world. Stay diligent in your personal Bible study and preparation. In so doing, you will stay connected to the power needed for leadership.
To foster some discussion, "Which of these is the hardest for you to implement?"
The four components of leadership are as follows:
Vision: The leader is the one who sees the desired future for the group. This vision keeps the group on task and going in the right direction. Habakkuk wrote "write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run that reads it."
For our small groups, the vision is simple: people will experience spiritual transformation, develop meaningful relationships, and care for others.
Influence: A leader must influence others to work toward achieving the vision. Influence is gained by using words, knowledge, skills, and examples to guide others towards vision fulfillment. The main tool for influence in your group is the Bible. Properly taught and applied, the vision for small groups will be fulfilled.
Development: Leaders must be preparing the next generation of leaders. By developing other leaders, you are multiplying your influence. 2 Timothy 2:2 is Paul's charge to Timothy to do just that: develop leaders. This means you must identify and train an apprentice in your group.
God's priorities: A leader recognizes that it is not about his or her own agenda but God's agenda. We get our marching orders from God, not from ourselves, the latest trend, or the world. Stay diligent in your personal Bible study and preparation. In so doing, you will stay connected to the power needed for leadership.
To foster some discussion, "Which of these is the hardest for you to implement?"
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Growing as a Leader
I was reading a book last night, which I will review later, and the author mentioned an article that intrigued me. The article is Seven Transformations of Leadership found in the April 2005 Harvard Business Review.
The premise of the article is stated in the summation on the cover of the article, "Leaders are made, not born, and how they develop is critical for organizational change." Three critical points jump off the page in that brief statement. Leadership is learned. Development of leadership skills is possible. The growth of every organization is tied to the development of its leaders.
I don't know that I want to tackle all three of those issues, but I do want to touch on the issue of development as a leader. The authors David Rooke and William Torbert identify seven "action logics" that reveal seven leadership styles that a person can develop. The way I understand "action logics" is that the actions a person uses to lead reveal the way he or she thinks and views leadership.
The seven logics are the Opportunist, Diplomat, Expert, Achiever, Individualist, Strategist, or Alchemist. These logics function as the leader's dominant way of thinking and influence the actions they take to lead others. These seven are on a scale from the Opportunist, who is the autocratic selfish leader, to the Alchemist, who not only leads effectively in the moment but is able to transform himself and others to have a more significant impact in the organization and the world.
The bottom line for me and you is found in these two questions we should be asking of ourselves, "What kind of leader am I right now, and what steps do I take to develop into a more effective leader?" Developing into a better leader requires intentionality, purpose, and work. We should take time to evaluate how we are currently leading, make sure we are "aiming the gun" in the right direction, and put into practice those things needed to improve our leadership.
I hope you will read the article, which is eleven pages long, and let it challenge you. I must admit I was not pleased with my self-evaluation. I saw a less that flattering view of myself in light of this article. However, the great news contained in the article is that leaders can and should grow and develop.
The premise of the article is stated in the summation on the cover of the article, "Leaders are made, not born, and how they develop is critical for organizational change." Three critical points jump off the page in that brief statement. Leadership is learned. Development of leadership skills is possible. The growth of every organization is tied to the development of its leaders.
I don't know that I want to tackle all three of those issues, but I do want to touch on the issue of development as a leader. The authors David Rooke and William Torbert identify seven "action logics" that reveal seven leadership styles that a person can develop. The way I understand "action logics" is that the actions a person uses to lead reveal the way he or she thinks and views leadership.
The seven logics are the Opportunist, Diplomat, Expert, Achiever, Individualist, Strategist, or Alchemist. These logics function as the leader's dominant way of thinking and influence the actions they take to lead others. These seven are on a scale from the Opportunist, who is the autocratic selfish leader, to the Alchemist, who not only leads effectively in the moment but is able to transform himself and others to have a more significant impact in the organization and the world.
The bottom line for me and you is found in these two questions we should be asking of ourselves, "What kind of leader am I right now, and what steps do I take to develop into a more effective leader?" Developing into a better leader requires intentionality, purpose, and work. We should take time to evaluate how we are currently leading, make sure we are "aiming the gun" in the right direction, and put into practice those things needed to improve our leadership.
I hope you will read the article, which is eleven pages long, and let it challenge you. I must admit I was not pleased with my self-evaluation. I saw a less that flattering view of myself in light of this article. However, the great news contained in the article is that leaders can and should grow and develop.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
George Washington's Leadership Lessons
If there was a set of character traits and qualities our world desperately needs today, it is the qualities of leadership displayed by George Washington. James Rees makes the case that George Washington can serve as an example of the type of leadership needed today. George Washington's Leadership Lessons is a very quick paced, entertaining read.
The "meat" of the book is fifteen leadership lessons that can learned from observing the life of Washington from his youth to his death at Mount Vernon. Though it would be difficult to pinpoint only a couple of highlights, it was striking to look at the traits of "Takes personal responsibility," "Humble," and "Heartfelt faith" in light of our national leaders today. Any organization would benefit from leaders who exhibit the qualities described of Washington.
Although the book was a very sympathetic work toward Washington, the author acknowledges some of Washington's failings. It is important to note that these failings should not lesson our admiration of his positive qualities, nor should it diminish our desire to mimic his positive leadership traits.
An interesting addition to the leadership lessons is a listing of 11o Rules of Civility that Washington hand copied as a young man. Although some of these rules seem very dated due to the changes in culture, the intent behind them are very much needed today. I found myself checking my own application of these rules in my life.
Overall, I would recommend this book to those who may fall into two categories. For those who are seeking to learn about leadership, this is a great primer into the leadership traits of our greatest Founding Father. The second group of readers would be those who want to gain an additional perspective on the life of Washington. The book takes brief snapshots of various points of Washington's life and views them through the prism of leadership.
Great group fellowship
We had a great fellowship time in our Parent's with Preschooler's small group on Saturday. Our group has been meeting for a year, but this was our first fellowship without kids being present.
Here is what really stood out to me about the evening: no amount of Bible study can build fellowship like spending time with people. Don't get me wrong, Bible study is important. However, spending time with people is how real friendships are developed.
We had intended to eat and play games, but we ended up just talking with one another after the meal was finished. There is something about being around people that you like and can be yourself with them. Of course, that's the "pastor" in me talking. The reality is we had fun with one another.
If you are in a small group, encourage your group to get together and share a meal with one another. It is a great way to deepen your friendships. Plus, it adds so much to your small group Bible study because of the time you spend with one another outside of group time.
The other thing we do as a "group" is have a "guy's night out" and "girl's night out" about every month. This is just another way to have some fun and build friendships.
Here is what really stood out to me about the evening: no amount of Bible study can build fellowship like spending time with people. Don't get me wrong, Bible study is important. However, spending time with people is how real friendships are developed.
We had intended to eat and play games, but we ended up just talking with one another after the meal was finished. There is something about being around people that you like and can be yourself with them. Of course, that's the "pastor" in me talking. The reality is we had fun with one another.
If you are in a small group, encourage your group to get together and share a meal with one another. It is a great way to deepen your friendships. Plus, it adds so much to your small group Bible study because of the time you spend with one another outside of group time.
The other thing we do as a "group" is have a "guy's night out" and "girl's night out" about every month. This is just another way to have some fun and build friendships.
Start of something new
The goal of my blog is to add another layer of communication from myself to small group leaders and small group participants at First Baptist Church at Weston. Some of the topics that will be covered will be mundane items like upcoming events in the life of the church, curriculum choices, etc. At other times, I will share my thoughts on issues facing small groups and leaders, things I am studying, and books I am reading.
Like any new endeavor, this will require some learning on my part. I hope you view this as a tool to help you stay up-to-date on what is going on within our small groups ministry at FBC Weston.
Be sure to share your thoughts.
Pastor Scott
Like any new endeavor, this will require some learning on my part. I hope you view this as a tool to help you stay up-to-date on what is going on within our small groups ministry at FBC Weston.
Be sure to share your thoughts.
Pastor Scott
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