Archives For Ministry

Cultivate Loyalty

July 16, 2012 — 2 Comments

Loyalty is defined as “the quality of being loyal to someone or something” or “a strong feeling of support or allegiance.” Just reading these very basic definitions of loyalty, tells me that I'd love to be a person that has loyal supporters. These definitions are so pretty, clean, and happy; that I'd even like to be loyal to those that I serve. In fact, I am loyal.

However, there is a downside to loyalty. The downside is when we use the loyalty of others to insulate us from reality. Loyalty is a marker of a great team, but it can also serve as the precursor to downfall. The kind of downfall that roots itself in valuing loyalty above all. So what are we do to? We want loyal people to surround us, but we don't want to over value it; loyalty doesn't mean skilled, talented, or gifted.

How do you earn the loyalty of others, without creating an unhealthy space around you?

Cultivate. Cultivate is defined as “trying to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill).” What if we say that loyalty is important, but cultivating loyalty in others is our true goal. This becomes the goal over surrounding ourselves with loyal people.

Here are some ways that I've found to cultivate loyalty in all of those around you:

Follow Through. There are times that we have to be people of our word, and follow through on our promises. Actually, these times should be ALL THE TIME. Be a leader that cultivates loyalty through keeping your promises and following through on your goals.

Always Listen. When you choose to listen, you are opening up doors of influence. When you are a leader that defaults to listening, you become a leader that people can't help but to be loyal to.

Speak at the Right Time. The right word at the wrong time, is the wrong word. It's imperative as a leader that you learn to discern the right times to speak into the situations around you. Maybe it's the right time to confront an issue, or it's the right time to praise an action. Either way, leaders will always stay loyal to the one that speaks with excellent timing.

Loyalty is not a spiritual gift, it's not something that can be demanded (it can, but that isn't loyalty…thats called fear), and it's not something you should even have to mention. Loyalty, is however, something that can be cultivated and grown within the people you lead; and investing in building a loyal team is always worth it.

 

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Small Groups Matter

July 10, 2012 — Leave a comment

 Jesus Was_JC

At churches all across the world, people are learning that bigger isn’t always better.  While there are a great many benefits of being a part of a large church; the benefits of becoming smaller are important. Small groups bring about real discipleship, life change, and spiritual growth. If you read this blog for any length of time you’ve heard me write about how-to lead small groups, how-to recruit leaders to lead small groups, how-to organize the details of small groups, and even pushed some tips at you from the greatest small group leader of all time.

I love small groups, but over the past two years those small groups have taken on a special meaning. I’m a pastor and a leader of great leaders; but I’m primarily a husband and a father. It’s as the latter that I’ve seen the real impact of small groups.

I’ve watched as my wife has lead a group of boys from the 1st grade up through the 3rd grade.  I’ve seen her talk throughout the week of the conversations she’s had with those boys. As our lives have changed over the years, she’s has continued to have a big impact on the changing lives of those boys.  They matter to her, and because they matter to her; they matter to our family.

I’ve seen my sons and daughter relate their church experience much more to their small group leader, then they ever do to a large group skit or worship time. Those large group elements are A+ quality, but it’s the regular relationship they have with Ms. Amy, Mr. Geoffrey, and Mr. Alan that have impacted them the most.  My kids matter to those leaders, and because they matter to them; they matter to our family.

I believe in letting our children learn within the safety of a personal relationship with someone I trust. I believe college students, empty-nesters, and stay-at-home moms can have a profound impact on my family through the conversations they have in small group with my children. I believe I need influential people in my childrens life, and I believe those people should be someone I believe in.

Small groups matter to me as a NextGEN pastor, but they matter much more to me as a husband and father.

 

Image Source: Small Group Guy

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A Student of the Game

July 9, 2012 — Leave a comment

Someone asked me the other day if I had experience on a particular area related to what I do.  In total honesty, I had to tell them that  I had zero experience. I have spent 0% of my time on the job dealing with, planning for, or being held responsible for the task they had asked me about.

However, I do know quite a bit about it. I’ve read about it, I’ve studied it from a distance, and I’ve walked with others through the journey.  When I got a surprised look about my answer, I realized that it’s not always expected that we would be a student of the game. It’s so important to learn about the things in and around what you do; because you never know when what you’ve been learning will become the foundation for the “next big thing” you’re asked to do.

For me, I currently lead a Family Ministry team leading church ministry for those children and students from birth up  through college. I work and exist in the context of one campus, and with much staff. This could always change, and when it changes; I want to be prepared.

Here are the things I’ve taken the time to learn about:

  • Multi-Site Church Ministry // It could happen…
  • Church Planting // Not interested now, but still a powerful calling that could come calling.
  • the Family Integrated Church Model // This is the total opposite of what I do.
  • Curriculum I’m not currently using at our church // This is so easy to keep up on, and every one in any sort of church teaching environment should always be studying whats out there in the education arena.
  • Volunteer-led Church Ministry // Let’s hope I get to always work with great teams of paid staff, but I should be ready to lead in other ways too.
  • Denominational Church Ministry Trends // There is what I work in, and then there is everything else.  I want to know about everything else.

What are you taking the time to learn? Are you making the investment in areas that you bump up against naturally everyday?

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Loving the Leaders Around You

July 2, 2012 — Leave a comment

I’ve been fortunate over the past 10 years to lead some really great leaders.  Leading someone with talent, skill, influence, and passion takes a special kind of love.  Here are some of the things I’ve learned over the years, with some much more important than the others; but all worth being put into practice.

Loving your Leaders:

  • Always start on time.
  • Never speak long when you only have something short to say.
  • Honesty is more important than flattery.
  • Give their kids fist bumps and high fives at every opportunity.
  • Pray for them.
  • There is still a place for flattery.
  • If they don’t drink Starbucks, then don’t take them there for meetings.
  • Compliment them on their shoes.
  • Keep the cynic away from them when they’re vulnerable.
  • Take the time to invest in learning their kids’ names.
  • Play a practical joke on them every once in a while, just to show them you care.
  • Make their time in the office worth it.
  • Let them borrow your stuff.
  • Never tease on them in front of the people they lead.
  • Cancel the meeting if you have nothing important to say.
  • Give them books.
  • Invite them to do things with your family.
  • Let them always go first, and second, and third, and fourth.
  • If they don’t like practical jokes, then don’t risk it.
  • Help them with a personal problem.
  • Laugh the loudest at yourself.
  • Take the seat farthest from the most important when leading a meeting at a board room conference table.
  • Keep the play-by-play on the obvious at a minimum.
  • Advocate for them when they are within earshot.
  • Let their ideas belong to them.
  • Speak well of them, in front of the people that love them.
  • Thank their wives or husbands for the gift of their spouses time that they willingly give away so often.
  • Surprise them with small gifts, at the most unexpected times.
  • Buy breakfast…often.
  • Share your blessings and gifts with them.
  • Give them some of your own opportunities to get the credit.
  • Clean out the fridge at work.
  • Pray with them.
  • Give them the close parking spots.
  • Say your sorry when it’s called for.
  • Always end on time.
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Experience Over Everything

June 28, 2012 — Leave a comment

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I’ve written plenty in the past about leading others, and doing it with strategy, vision, perspective, and humility.  However, the great fear for any writer, is the belief others might have that I write about these things because I have great strategy, vision, perspective, and humility. I have various forms of all of those things, but what I’m learning is that I really have little more than my own experiences. Many of those experiences are rich and some of my experiences have even been productive, yet others have been abject failures; but all have been worth it.

There is no formula for “Making it Work”, but instead it takes a good leader being willing to combine the good ideas, with strategic planning, and really great people.  What comes of it, will oftentimes be determined by factors outside of your control; but the process you go through to discover success or learn from failure, creates the experience that makes you rich.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

 

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