These are personal reflections from Mark Batterson, Senior Pastor at National Community Church.
The more we grow...
1) ...the greater the PRIVILEGE
I never want myself or anyone on our staff to have a sense of entitlement. We're only servants--I Cor. 3:5.
2) ...the more COMPLICATED things get
Sin complicates your life in negative ways. Growth complicates your life in positive ways. Learn to thank God for complications!
3) ...the harder it is to maintain UNITY
Vision is the key to unity! The larger you get the more frequently you need to cast vision. Unity doesn't happen by default--Eph 4:3.
4) ...the better STEWARDS we need to be
Growth raises the stakes. With greater responsibility comes greater accountability.
5) ...the more ABOVE REPROACH we need to be
I Corinthians 10:23 says, "Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial." As our leadership expands, there can be an unhealthy and unholy tendency toward the permissible end of the spectrum! Guard against it. As our influence expands, leaders need to move toward the beneficial end of that spectrum!
6) ...the easier it is to exist for those who ALREADY BELONG
As a church grows it is very easy to give in to centripetal force--we become inward-focused and ingrown. The Great Commission is centrifugal--go into all the world.
7) ...the easier it is to do ministry out of MEMORY instead of ministry out of IMAGINATION
The beginning of the end for every entreprenurial organization is the moment they stop doing what got them to where they are! You need to keep making mistakes. You need to keeping experimenting. Don't repeat the past. Create the future!
8) ...the more we have to remind ourselves of WHY we're doing what we're doing and WHO we're doing it for
There is a fine line between building Thy Kingdom and My Kingdom. As your circle of influence grows, you need to stay Christ-centered.
9) ...the more you have to guard your heart
As you grow, so does the target on your back. Leaders need to keep a pure heart in the midst of criticism and temptation. The blessings of God backfire when they produce pride. Stay humble.
10) ...the bigger our DREAMS need to get
The size of our dreams is one of the best barometers of spiritual maturity. People with a big God have big dreams!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Leading in the Trenches
According to John West in his book Leading in the Trenches, here are 5 things to consider as you build your leadership.
1. Seeing the big(ger) picture
One of the most common traits that employees lack at the beginning of their careers (and sometimes later on, too) is perspective. Most of us are confronted each day with more things to do than time to do them. A key to your success—and the success of your entire team—is recognizing which things are important enough to take priority and actually get done. In order to do this you've got to be able to see the bigger picture.
Try to understand how what you are working on right now fits in to the picture at least two levels up from you. You might “just” be working on a piece of software to write out the new output file format, but if you know that piece of software is needed before the product ships, and if you realize that this product is supposed to turn your company's fourth quarter revenues around, you will be totally focused on getting that work done.
2. Understand what could be better today
A trait most often desired in strong leaders is vision: the ability to look around and see how things could be, not just how they are. Developing a vision that is powerful enough to inspire others while remaining concrete enough to actually accomplish takes practice. You can start getting that practice right now.
Look around at your work environment, tools, and processes: how could things be better? What one change could you envision that would make you more productive? Or more relevant to the company? How about for your whole team, or division?
You want to be careful here, especially at first.
You might get fired up about some of your ideas and want to run straight to your boss and fill him in on all the great stuff he should be doing. There are often reasons, and sometimes good reasons, that things are the way they are, and you or your boss may not be able to change those things right now.
The key is to take the time to do the thinking. Then, as time goes on, look for appropriate opportunities to share your ideas with those around and get their feedback. Then, when you're at that staff meeting and out of the blue the boss says “How can we make things better?” you'll be ready.
3. Responsibility
Take responsibility for your own actions. For example, when someone compliments you for a job well done, accept their thanks or congratulations humbly.
By the same token when you make a mistake, don't make excuses or try to avoid the blame. Admit your error, learn from it, and don't fail in the same way again. And if you want extra credit, go find the people you inconvenienced and apologize.
4. Recognition and reward
We all like to be recognized for our contributions. But this recognition doesn't just have to come from the boss.
When a coworker meets a milestone or stays all night to pull the team out of a jam, say “thanks” or give a word of congratulations. It doesn't have to be fancy or formal.
This is a great habit to form early in your career, and giving this kind of peer support also provides a low penalty learning environment to discover what kinds of praise and recognition people respond best to.
5. Mentorship
One of the most valuable aspects of leadership is the strong desire to develop others so that they can reach their full potential. But, again, you don't have to wait until you are the boss to start doing this.
As you learn and develop, look for opportunities to pass your skills on to others. Helping others develop is immensely fulfilling, but its also great for your team and can help establish you as a trusted expert with your peers and a valuable leader to your boss. Just don't spend so much time helping others that you don't get your own job done!
1. Seeing the big(ger) picture
One of the most common traits that employees lack at the beginning of their careers (and sometimes later on, too) is perspective. Most of us are confronted each day with more things to do than time to do them. A key to your success—and the success of your entire team—is recognizing which things are important enough to take priority and actually get done. In order to do this you've got to be able to see the bigger picture.
Try to understand how what you are working on right now fits in to the picture at least two levels up from you. You might “just” be working on a piece of software to write out the new output file format, but if you know that piece of software is needed before the product ships, and if you realize that this product is supposed to turn your company's fourth quarter revenues around, you will be totally focused on getting that work done.
2. Understand what could be better today
A trait most often desired in strong leaders is vision: the ability to look around and see how things could be, not just how they are. Developing a vision that is powerful enough to inspire others while remaining concrete enough to actually accomplish takes practice. You can start getting that practice right now.
Look around at your work environment, tools, and processes: how could things be better? What one change could you envision that would make you more productive? Or more relevant to the company? How about for your whole team, or division?
You want to be careful here, especially at first.
You might get fired up about some of your ideas and want to run straight to your boss and fill him in on all the great stuff he should be doing. There are often reasons, and sometimes good reasons, that things are the way they are, and you or your boss may not be able to change those things right now.
The key is to take the time to do the thinking. Then, as time goes on, look for appropriate opportunities to share your ideas with those around and get their feedback. Then, when you're at that staff meeting and out of the blue the boss says “How can we make things better?” you'll be ready.
3. Responsibility
Take responsibility for your own actions. For example, when someone compliments you for a job well done, accept their thanks or congratulations humbly.
By the same token when you make a mistake, don't make excuses or try to avoid the blame. Admit your error, learn from it, and don't fail in the same way again. And if you want extra credit, go find the people you inconvenienced and apologize.
4. Recognition and reward
We all like to be recognized for our contributions. But this recognition doesn't just have to come from the boss.
When a coworker meets a milestone or stays all night to pull the team out of a jam, say “thanks” or give a word of congratulations. It doesn't have to be fancy or formal.
This is a great habit to form early in your career, and giving this kind of peer support also provides a low penalty learning environment to discover what kinds of praise and recognition people respond best to.
5. Mentorship
One of the most valuable aspects of leadership is the strong desire to develop others so that they can reach their full potential. But, again, you don't have to wait until you are the boss to start doing this.
As you learn and develop, look for opportunities to pass your skills on to others. Helping others develop is immensely fulfilling, but its also great for your team and can help establish you as a trusted expert with your peers and a valuable leader to your boss. Just don't spend so much time helping others that you don't get your own job done!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Youth Volunteers
Engaging Youth in Lifelong Service reports that adults who engaged in volunteering in their youth give more money and volunteer more time than adults who began their philanthropy later in life.
Key findings:
*44% of adults volunteer and 2/3 of these volunteers began volunteering their time when they were young.
*Adults who began volunteering as youth are 2x as likely to volunteer as those who did not volunteer when they were
younger.
*High school volunteering recently reached the highest levels in the past 50 years.
*In every income and age group, those who volunteered as youth give and volunteer more than those who did not.
*Those who volunteered as youth and whose parents volunteered became the most generous adults in giving time.
Key findings:
*44% of adults volunteer and 2/3 of these volunteers began volunteering their time when they were young.
*Adults who began volunteering as youth are 2x as likely to volunteer as those who did not volunteer when they were
younger.
*High school volunteering recently reached the highest levels in the past 50 years.
*In every income and age group, those who volunteered as youth give and volunteer more than those who did not.
*Those who volunteered as youth and whose parents volunteered became the most generous adults in giving time.
Cartoons
Nickelodeon has the corner on long lasting cartoons, in fact "Sponge Bob" has been in the top 5 for over 5 years. That is longer than most cartoons are even around! Personally, I love watching "Sponge Bob." The first time I saw it I was like yeah right, this will never last, boy was I wrong.
Did you know the average length of stay as a children's pastor/ministry director is 2-4 years? That is so sad, cartoons stay longer! How can we encourage one another and spur one another on so that number changes?
I think we have to start with humility. We are all on the same team serving the same God, let's all get on the same page and see what happens.........
Did you know the average length of stay as a children's pastor/ministry director is 2-4 years? That is so sad, cartoons stay longer! How can we encourage one another and spur one another on so that number changes?
I think we have to start with humility. We are all on the same team serving the same God, let's all get on the same page and see what happens.........
Saturday, March 3, 2007
How do you define a kid's small group?
I would define a small group as....
A small group provides a safe environment where kids can study God’s word with their peers. A place where students grow to be good friends with their small group peers; pray together and hold each other accountable as they grow spiritually. A group guided by a trained small group leader, where students are given the tools and support they need to be part of a biblical community. They can love and be loved, know and be known, serve and be served, celebrate and be celebrated.
A small group provides a safe environment where kids can study God’s word with their peers. A place where students grow to be good friends with their small group peers; pray together and hold each other accountable as they grow spiritually. A group guided by a trained small group leader, where students are given the tools and support they need to be part of a biblical community. They can love and be loved, know and be known, serve and be served, celebrate and be celebrated.
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