“People” People
Teddy Roosevelt said, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success in leadership is knowing how to get along with people.” Were told in Proverbs 27 to be diligent to know those around us. I learned in college the 10 ideas to becoming a “people” person and since it was a Baptist school at the time, all of the ideas start with the letter “R”.
.
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- REACH out to people.
- REMEMBER a person’s name.
- RECOGNIZE a person’s potential.
- REQUEST information about them.
- Be RESPECTFUL.
- RELATE on their level.
- Be RELIABLE.
- Give REASSURANCE to people.
- Be a RESOURCE for people.
- REQUEST their help.
As I read through that list I thought there is at least one missing. RESPOND. People want to know just as much about you as you do about them. There is a certain level of transparency that is required of a leader if the people they lead are to trust them. There is a level of understanding that people need to have that lets them know you are just like them.
When you ask good questions you will see what they really care about. You’ll find out about their future dreams and goals. You’ll find out about what they cry about or what they sing and laugh about. To do this you must become a good listener and when the time is right you must become a good responder.
There are at least 10 things to discover about someone in order to have a better understanding of them and this is a two way street.
- Their background
- Their present situation or station in life
- Their personality
- Their spiritual gift (s)
- Their natural abilities
- Their dreams for the future
- Their hurts -past and present
- Their joys -past and present
- Their priorities
- Their key influencers as well as who their friends are
Remember as a leader “you must care more about who they are than what they do.” -Perry Noble. You can have good people skills and not be a good leader, but you cannot be a good leader without good people skills.
As a leader use your head to gain knowledge of people. As a leader use your heart to demonstrate a concern for people. As a leader use your hands to help people. As a leader use your life to connect with people.
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Everybody wants to be someone. Everyone needs someone. Take the time to discover the potential that others do not see in themselves and point it out to them. Be real with people and let them into your life.
15 Reasons We Don’t Lead Like Jesus
So I have been really digging into the life of Jesus and I have noticed how He related to His disciples. I think understanding how He interacted with those men is crucial to understanding some key dynamics of leadership and how to lead a team. Everyone wants to be known as a good leader but why are there so many bad leaders out there? Why are there so many out there who don’t get the team dynamic or how to pour their life into a team? I wish I had an answer because this would not just be a blog post but it would be a book. Maybe I would see you at Barnes & Noble as I sign copies of your book, however I don’t have the answer and the reality is I would not consider myself a good leader…not yet. So what did Jesus do that we could model in the teams that we lead?
- He called them to be with Him and He called them with a purpose in mind. He called them the way they were with all their faults and deficiencies.
- He began to develop them to reach their potential, even though they were far from being champions when He started with them.
- He took them with Him on day to day activities.
- He taught them. At times he taught by simply asking them questions.
- He game them ministry opportunities with clear assignments. He gave them power.
- He took the time to hear their reports and gave words of encouragement to them. Told them to rest.
- He answered their questions and their request for information.
- He gave them assignments so He could do His ministry.
- He let them get a close up view of who He was, letting them in on the inside. Teams buy into the leader before the vision.
- He intervened in their lives when He suspected problems. He was close enough to them to know there was problems.
- He corrected them when they were wrong.
- He enjoyed fellowshiped with them.
- He prayed for and with His disciples.
- He dealt with their failures and restored them to service when the time was right.
- He commissioned them and empower them to carry on the work He started.
When you look at who He had to work with it is amazing that the church exists today.
- Peter- impulsive, impatient and a denier.
- James and John- sons of thunder, judgmental, un-compassionate and inconsiderate.
- Thomas- was a doubter.
- Philip- was slow to understand and learn.
- Nathaniel- was questioning and cynical.
- Matthew- was a tax collector.
- Judas- was a schemer, betrayer and a thief.
- All of them were position conscious, not servants. They were self-centered and thinking only of themselves, not ever of Jesus. They did not know how to pray, did not know about the last days, did not understand the ministry of John the Baptist, did not know about the Holy Spirit, had little faith, were scripturally ignorant and were fearful and ran in the face of opposition. As a group they fought with each other, they did not understand the big picture, they were afraid to ask questions, they argued whether Jesus would use an IPhone or a Blackberry, they bickered over the level of the sound system in the auditorium, who would get the biggest budget, who reserved the space first to do their program and who should be able to hire an assistant.
I think you get the point that the same arguments of then are the same arguments today of those we lead. Maybe that is why we don’t lead like Jesus because all of that takes hard work. Maybe we don’t lead like Jesus because we put so much hope in potential and when it doesn’t work out like we thought we just give up and stop leading and start doing. Maybe we don’t lead like Jesus because we are not close enough to Him to know how to lead like that. Maybe we don’t lead like Jesus because were not perfect.
Nobody will ever be the perfect leader, but just because we won’t be the perfect leader doesn’t mean we can’t work towards being a great leader. Based on what I see in the scripture, Jesus was a great leader because He was personal and He got into the lives of those He led. I don’t think it was the big numbers and miracles that drew the disciples to Jesus it was the fact that He called them, empowered them, walked with them and at the end of the day He called them friends.
Equally Perfect
I went to the Phillies/Nationals game on Friday night with a friend of mine. It is a priceless trip that we do together each year and each year we try to get to the ballpark early just to soak in the environment and hot dogs. This year I noticed something that I had seen before but never really took note of. The grounds crew. Have you ever watched them prep a field for a baseball game? There are several people all working together knowing their roles and trying to accomplish one thing, get the field ready for that game. Dozens and dozens and dozens of guys working together like clockwork to finish the field for the 7:05 first pitch.
One of the things I noticed is how well they prepared the field even for a Nationals game. I don’t know if this is an MLB standard or if it is different for each team? Each guy took ownership and meticulously fulfilled their role. From how the batting cage is rolled away to how how the dirt is smoothed out, to how the lines on the grass are brushed to create a light and dark effect. How the infield is watered, the lines are chalked to how members of the ground crew walk the field to make sure there is nothing on it. They demand the best of themselves and for their team. What intrigued me is they do this in all ballparks across the country. Whether your team is in first place or last place you would never know based on the field and how it is prepped or how it looks at the end.
It made me think about the church. Do we put in the same effort to share Jesus with people who will never step foot in our church? The same effort that if we go out of our way to connect with them and invest with them and they go to the “other” church, was it a waste of time? Would we put in the same effort if we knew that going into the relationship? So many times we determine how we will live out our faith based on whether we will “win” or “lose” the hearts of those we are trying to connect with. Maybe a lesson can be learned from grounds keepers at a baseball game. The grounds keeper puts in the same effort to prep a field not based on the record of winning and losing but because they simply are connecting people to one of the greatest games…baseball. It does not matter if they connect with you or your church because at the end of the day the goal is simply to connect them with Jesus. Eventually we will learn that it is not about us. There is a purpose and a goal much bigger than the individual.
Night Of Nets
Mary Davis who is on youth staff has been working with World Vision as we partnered with them for our Poverty Revolution weekend. Through Mary’s contact with World Vision we ended up on their website. You can check out the site here or you can read the story below.
On April 25, around 20 high school and middle school students from Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA watched the documentary, When the Night Comes. Mary Davis, a volunteer youth leader at the church, coordinated this screening as a preparation for their Night of Nets event that will take place on June 6.
After watching the film, Mary had the students brainstorm ways to get more students involved for Night of Nets. They decided to show the film during their larger youth group night. It will be a relaxed event, and students will be encouraged to donate $6 (the cost of a bed net). They hope that students will desire to get further involved in the fight against malaria after watching the documentary.
Mary has a great deal of passion for getting students involved with social justice work and missions. She has been in youth ministry for 10 years and explains, “I’ve seen how when kids are exposed to what’s happening in the world, we watch them grow up and choose career paths and live lives that desire to make a difference.”
In March, the youth group at Fellowship church held an event known as Poverty Revolution. Part of this event included participating in the Broken Bread poverty meal to raise awareness about hunger. Through this event, students raised $3600 to go towards items in the World Vision gift catalog.
Mary loves teenagers and college students and has seen first-hand the impact they can have, “I love watching their faces when they recognize what’s going on in the world and the role they can play. There is hope in this realization and that’s what the gospel is all about!”
Mary will continue to engage students at this youth group for years to come with help from World Vision ACT:S. She explains, “World Vision ACT:S makes it very easy to connect these issues to students by having quality products and videos. We are able to take what you give us and adapt it to what will work for our group. Your resources allow us to engage students on different issues, and we are very grateful for this. We will keep coming back to you guys.”
Helping Hands
20 Adults and students left the comfort of Fellowship Church to go to the Dominican Republic to make a difference. Here is the article in it’s entirety that was written by Patti Mengers of the Delco Times. Click the the Delco Times link to see the video.
After a week of medical missionary work in the steamy sun, Dr. Melissa Broyles was about to bid goodbye to the Haitian children she had befriended in the Dominican Republic a month ago.
A girl named Nevolisa approached the family physician and gave her a purple rubber bracelet adorned with pink and white stars, a treasure most likely given to the child by another missionary.
“Para ti,” said the 8-year-old.
Although Creole is her native tongue, the Haitian youth said “for you” in Spanish because she knew the doctor understood the language.
“We were giving, giving and towards the end of the week, the little girl gave me this bracelet. It was really beautiful,” said the 40-year-old Concord resident.
She and her 41-year-old husband, David, also a family physician, were among 20 members of Fellowship Church in Concord who cared for Haitian refugees during a missionary trip to the Dominican Republic led by Chadds Ford pediatrician Dr. Una Brewer March 25 through April 1.
The trip was arranged in conjunction with two humanitarian organizations, the Foundation for Children in Need and Crossroads.
“Last summer, I went to the Dominican Republic for the first time and did my first ever medical mission. It was so amazing living and serving amongst the poorest Haitian refugees. I wanted to go back, take more doctors, nurses and other youth. That dream was fulfilled this year,” said Brewer.
In addition to her husband and children, ages 6, 9 and 13, Brewer took seven teenagers and several adults, including two nurses, a dental hygienist, bankers, an administrator and an engineer.
“It was great to do medical work where people were so appreciative of anything we could do for them,” said Brewer. “It was also great to see the youth from our area interact with the children and teenagers in the village.”
In addition to providing medical care to Haitian refugees, the group executed painting projects and distributed food, shoes and beds to those in need.
“Our kids came back with a whole new appreciation for what they have here in Garnet Valley. My hope is that they will have a serving heart as they grow into adults,” said Brewer.
The group distributed care packages assembled by first- and fourth-graders taught by Meg Hayes, Lauren Castafero and Beth McCarry in the Garnet Valley and Concord elementary schools. Brewer had made presentations to those classes about the impact of poverty on children.
“They collected and assembled over 250 donation packages that included shoes, wash cloths, soap and protein bars. With each one they attached a note wishing the Haitians well,” said Brewer.
The students also collected pencils and notebooks in which they wrote messages distributed to children in need of school supplies in the Dominican Republic. A fundraiser sponsored by the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Concord helped pay for bins to transport supplies and for T-shirts the missionaries brought to the refugees.
“I plan on doing something similar again next year, and I want to be able to teach more schoolchildren about how they can help make a difference both locally and globally,” said Brewer, who hopes to travel to Haiti in August to volunteer at an orphanage.
When the Broyles heard Brewer speak at their church about her first trip to the Dominican Republic last year, they immediately signed up to go. It was several months before the devastating earthquake in Haiti that would compound the need for help to refugees in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, which was struck by its worst earthquake in a century Jan. 12. More than 200,000 people died, about 300,000 were injured and more than a million were left homeless in Haiti.
“The very first day, I saw one man who came from Haiti the week before we got there. He was in a 10-by-10 hut in a remote village. He had one shirt, one pair of pants and flip-flops and he was boiling some water and eating a root,” said David.
As did other members of the missionary group, the Broyles paid their own transportation costs and brought their own examination equipment, including blood-pressure cuffs, stethoscopes to listen to hearts and otoscopes to look into ears. Antibiotics, gauze and saline donated by others were already in the Dominican Republic.
They traveled light, relinquishing airline check-in privileges to the bins of supplies they were transporting to the Dominican Republic.
“Most people left their clothes down there with the people,” said David Broyles.
A native of Roanoke, Va., David was no stranger to humanitarian missions. After Hurricane Katrina, he volunteered his services in Slidell, La., doing cleanup and rebuilding houses. He has also volunteered his services to the Delaware County Housing Authority with a church group, rebuilding houses in Chester.
Melissa, a Springfield native, volunteers as an adoption advocate and adviser. The Broyles adopted both their children, 7-year-old Elena and 5-year-old Alex, from Russia. Married 13 years, they met the first semester of medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1993.
Melissa, a 1992 graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with a degree in biology, is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
“I always knew, ever since I was younger, that I wanted to be a doctor. I like treating the whole family, from grandparents to kids,” said Melissa, who is also a graduate of Merion-Mercy Academy in Montgomery County.
David, a 1990 graduate of Bridgewater College near Harrisonburg, Va., where he majored in psychology with a minor in philosophy and religion, is affiliated he with Crozer-Keystone Health System.
“After medical school, I saw the light and went into family medicine mostly because of the broad range of what you can do in family medicine,” said David.
The Broyles found their expertise in demand during their eight days in the Dominican Republic.
“The first day we had a clinic, we had 70 people,” said Melissa. “The next day, we decided to walk around the village and people would just approach us, and they were ill. It wasn’t that they just wanted attention.”
The doctors were based in Villa Ascension, a community of about 150 cinderblock houses established by Crossroads for Haitian refugees well before the earthquake.
“By them being displaced and not having adequate health care and not being properly hydrated and not having good sanitation and living so close together and having poor hygiene, it has resulted in the spread of disease,” said David.
Villa Ascension was about an hour’s bus ride from the Puerto Plata Airport where the group landed in the Dominican Republic.
“From there, it was kind of funny. We got on a blue bus with open sides. Twenty of us were on benches,” said David.
The road degenerated from pavement to dirt to fields of sugar cane. The bus transported the missionaries through a creek, the bed of which they later restored with rocks and gravel, to get to Villa Ascension.
“The first day, the school kids swarmed the bus. Every day when we came back, they were waiting for us,” said David.
The missionaries brought the first relief and medical care to the community in about two months, said David.
“I think the need was so great that it is almost insatiable. You can’t fulfill all their needs. You do what you can do,” noted Melissa.
The homes were atop a hill accessed by a dirt road. The Broyles and their group stayed at the bottom of the hill in a building where they slept in bunk beds under mosquito nets.
“It was comfortable, but it was hot. It was buggy,” said David.
The physicians worked part of the time in a clinic attached to the building where they were staying. They would also travel by bus to remote villages usually about a half-hour from Villa Ascension. They brought plastic bins full of antibiotics, saline and gauze and would set up clinics in churches and schools.
“The youth, they cleansed a lot of wounds and fungal infections,” said David.
The Broyles would also carry supplies in fanny packs and treat people on the spot for lacerations, indigestion and infections.
“There was a man cut by a machete, people getting hit on the head with rocks, a gunshot wound,” said David, who noted that pneumonia was also common.
The Haitians are not accustomed to organized care, he noted.
“Clinics are hit or miss,” said David.
When they did clinics, the doctors were assisted by one or two interpreters. Haitians’ first language is Creole, although they could understand Spanish, which Melissa studied in high school and college.
“Every day we ventured out somewhere,” said David. “Once they learn you’re a doctor, they stop you and pull you into their houses or tell you what’s wrong with them.”
Among the Haitian refugees they served were earthquake survivors.
“I met several young moms who told me their husbands had died in the earthquake and they had several young children around them and they couldn’t feed their children,” said Melissa.
David observed many Haitians were significantly depressed from losing loved ones in the earthquake.
“In the United States you say, ‘Get an anti-depressant,’ and you’d put them with a therapist and connect them with social services, but they don’t have those resources. They’re just worried about eating and shelter,” said David.
They found one frail woman, sitting in a chair in a home atop the hill.
“We’d say, ‘How can we help you?’ She was also malnourished and depressed,” said Melissa, who noted that members of the group eventually just surrounded her and prayed.
Melissa was especially moved by Francis Antonio, a baby born via Cesarean section at a local hospital the day the group arrived. The doctors were summoned to examine the infant when his mother brought him home.
“We walk in and the mom takes off the little baby’s bootie and his foot is deformed and she’s asking me to help with the foot. It was way beyond our expertise,” said Melissa.
She discovered that both the baby’s feet were deformed, one more severely than the other. Her own son had club feet that were repaired at the Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., when she brought him home from Russia four years ago.
“I’ve been calling duPont, trying to get this baby help. That has just stayed with me,” said Melissa.
Francis Antonio was also dehydrated because he was not latching onto his mother’s breast. Fortunately, Brewer, a pediatrician, was on the mission, as was Kala Sareyka, a lactation nurse from Concord.
With their fellow missionaries, they distributed milk, bread and care packages to Haitian refugees and delivered mattresses and bunk beds to those who were sleeping on bare floors.
“In addition to relief work, we were holding children, playing with the kids, talking to moms. It was kind of hands-on relationship building,” said David.
They also went to the local dump where some villagers would scavenge for recyclable items, such as plastic and cans.
“Melissa and I provided medical care there and gave out food and clothes and just played with the kids,” said David. “There were kids whose parents were there trying to make a living.”
Melissa befriended three girls who were about the age of her daughter.
“We’d go in the field and blow bubbles and play jump rope with sugar cane,” said Melissa, who noted that she would like to take her own children with her on a missionary trip some day.
The Haitian refugees, she said, were “desperate, needy and grateful.”
“They’re very loving with their actions — touching, hugging and kissing. Some knew English, but not many,” she said.
Both doctors foresee themselves doing more missionary work in the Dominican Republic or Haiti.
“We were there and we were helping, but we were just scratching the surface,” said Melissa.
She would like to help teach Haitian refugees to be self-sufficient so they will have better living conditions and less disease.
“I’d like to teach them agriculture and how to live off the land,” said Melissa. “I can treat them for pneumonia but not prevent it from happening to the next child or next generation.”
Breaking the cycle of poverty for Haitians is difficult, especially since the Jan. 12 earthquake caused such death and devastation in their country, said David.
“They’re the poorest of the poor. They came from the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and they’re displaced to another country,” said David.
The Broyles were happy to hear from translators that some of the young people they treated during their trip expressed an interest in studying medicine.
Said David, “Just by being there and helping to inspire them, it gives them a vision.”
Rethink Possible
AT&T has a new marketing campaign titled “Rethink Possible”. On their site is a little intro video type thing that explains this. Here is what it says: Expand your boundaries of can. See what’s on the other side of to far. Play the angel’s advocate. Outsmart can’t. Put a restriction on your limits and expect to be wowed. Explore. Try. Do. Because before it could be done, it couldn’t. These are indeed amazing times. Rethink Possible. I love it. We can argue all day long about what cell phone company has the best coverage, lowest rates and least dropped calls but that is not what this is about. AT&T is trying to get the consumer to think outside the box and think about what can be.
The church is no different. For years there was a certain way to do church. Hymnals, KJV, Sunday’s best. Long talks that lacked application but were full of information. Then people started to “rethink possible.” Churches started adding musicians and became relevant and progressive. People wore whatever they wanted to church. Other versions of the Bible were taught. People started inviting their neighbors. Talks were shortened and people were challenged. Life groups and community began to happen. People began to think missionally. Satellite churches were launched and multi-site campuses became the norm. Churches became portable and met in theaters, schools coffee shops and some churches actually double as a business. Internet campuses were formed and community was developed through social networks like Twitter and facebook.
How we do things today will not be the way they are done in 5 years or even 3 years. Culture is changing and the church must adapt without losing it’s true identity. No it’s identity is not in song selections, clothing and versions but instead in what it is doing to connect people to the very core of it all…Jesus. All the bells and whistles do not replace the work of the Holy Spirit in an individuals life. So as culture moves so must the church and so must we as individuals who make up the church. There are people who would be willing to listen if they could understand what we are saying, not in our words but in our actions. Live out your faith today and “rethink possible.”
Chick-Fil-A Church
I re-posted a tweet a couple weeks ago that I thought was an appropriate blog post. Here it is: If Chick-Fil-A were a church, they’d dominate… multi-site, guest services, mission focused, quality product, team clarity, systems… That statement is so true. Chick-Fil-A runs one of the top organizations in the country and it appears to be that way from the top down. From the day you walk in to work for them you are bombarded with who they are and what they are about. There is no doubt when you walk into a Chick-Fil-A they have a superior product (if you like chicken) and from the cleanliness of the dining room to the friendliness of the staff everyone buys into the vision.
- If the church was to take those same principles of being able to be multi-site and yet you experience the same thing in each location there would be no doubt of what to expect. I have never walked into a Chick-Fil-A and hoped they had chicken instead of a burger…you just know.
- Guest Services is a cut above other establishments. They take pride in keeping it clean. They smile. They greet you. Some will get to know your name if you eat there enough. They refill your drink and clean off your table. Wow, imagine the church having everybody doing that type of customer service? Giving up a seat for a first time guest, opening doors, walking people to where they need to go instead of telling them.
- Mission focused. They know what they are about. If it does not help them accomplish their stated goals, they don’t do it. If it doesn’t help them accomplish their vision they don’t do it. They are not other restaurants. They know who they are, why they exist and what they are about. Imagine a church that didn’t change every time the “new thing” came out. Imagine a church that is focused on the mission and does not get distracted by the cheers or the complaints.
- Quality Product. It’s Chicken and delicious, enough said. What they put out creates a buzz and energy that gets people talking. Imagine the church putting out a product that people can be proud of. Imagine the church representing Jesus in a way that is identifiable and approachable no matter where you are in your journey.
- Team Clarity. There is no doubt from the same uniform to the language. They have been trained to make your experience enjoyable. Imagine a church where there is no scheming no hidden agendas. People all supporting the one main idea.
- Systems. I have been impressed with how they open a new franchise to how each franchise is run, why? Because they are all the same. They follow everything to a T. If the church could be mission focused in their systems it would eliminate silos within the church. It would eliminate most of the dissension and people would be about the mission and not self agendas.
A Gathering Force
Francis Chan wrote an article back in 2008 titled, A Gathering Force for Catalyst. I found what he wrote to be very exciting, alarming and unattainable, but is it? Read part of this article and share with me your thoughts below.
“Is there any logic in believing that God started His church as a spirit-filled, loving body with the intention that it would evolve into entertaining, hour-long services? Was He hoping that one day people would be attracted to the church not because they care for one another, not because they are devoted to Him, not because the supernatural occurs in their midst, but because of good music and entertainment?
Try to imagine what conclusions you would come to if you had no prior church experience. The things in church services might make sense to the American church-attendee, but they don’t make sense biblically.
Picture yourself on an island with only a Bible. You’ve never been to a church-you’ve never even heard of one. The only ideas you have about church are what you’ve read in your Bible. Then you enter a building labeled “church” for the first time. What would you expect to experience as you entered that building? Now compare that to what you actually experience when you attend church.
What if the church looked like this? ’They devoted themselves tot he apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together int he temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.’ (Acts 2:42-47)
It describes what the world is looking for. I used to look at this passage as something that was wonderful but could never happen int he twenty-first century. There are just too many cultural obstacles for the Holy Spirit to overcome. He is powerful enough to form a sharing and loving body in our individualistic society. I doubted God’s ability to stir a body of believers to love tirelessly and give without restraint. I reasoned that this type of fellowship was probably not intended for our time. Besides, we don’t have time to love like this.
Looking back, I wonder if I came to those conclusions because there was a part of me that wasn’t sure I wanted it. It’s interesting how much our theology is driven by desire.
Something real was happening in the early church. It was something of the Spirit, too powerful to be replicated by human effort. Imagine taking a friend to one of their church gatherings. Your friend might not experience a smoothly run, professional service. But one thing he would experience: God. Do we even need to ask which is better? So much of church growth today has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. The right team of talented people can make any church grow. When people sit through creative services, is it really God they’re experiencing?
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that we shouldn’t give our best to God. If you’re a musician, work diligently are your music. If your a teacher, labor intensely over your messages. I’m just asking you to be willing to rethink what you’re doing and ask: How can we create a more biblical environment where people see and experience God?
May people see our churches and know that mere human beings could not have created what they experienced. May we seek the priorities of the early church and trust God to once again produce the fruit of the early church. ’And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.’ (Acts2:47″
Great reminder for me to not be performance based but Spirit based.
Francis Chan is stepping out in faith…
This is a re-post from the Catalyst Blog.
Last Tuesday I had the honor of interviewing Francis Chan at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA. I was asked to wait to post this video until today because of the sensitive nature of what Francis shared…
After 16 years of serving as senior pastor for Cornerstone Church Francis is sensing the Lord leading him in a different direction. Despite not having complete clarity on what this means or exactly what is next Francis is stepping out in faith, something he has done for so much of his life. He announced this decision to the church yesterday no doubt solidifying the start of a huge transition for both the Chan family AND the Cornerstone Church family. The beauty of this announcement is that it comes in unified peace and hopeful harmony.
When I asked Francis, “what’s going on with you right now, what are you learning,” I had no idea that he would share all of this…needless to say the remaining questions I had prepared were thrown out the window as Francis spoke from his heart and offered a vulnerable glimpse into his own personal journey…
“I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t go…”
Why do I fear following in faith? What risk is too great if the voice of the Lord is leading?
Francis, thank you for your tangible example of trust and surrender…
How To Become A Legalist:
This is an incredible re-post from Ed Stetzer on how to become a legalist. Obviously this is not the goal of any individual or organization.
1. Make rules outside the Bible.
2. Push yourself to try and keep your rules.
3. Castigate yourself when you don’t keep your rules.
4. Become proud when you do keep your rules.
5. Appoint yourself as judge over other people.
6. Get angry with people who break your rules or have different rules.
7. “Beat” the losers.
In interview with Howard Hendricks, Chuck Swindoll defined the legalism problem as:
…when we get into areas that are not set forth in Scripture, either in precept or even in principle. These may be such things as length of hair, tattoos and other body piercings, skirts or pants for women, makeup or no makeup. Those are not scriptural issues. Sometimes these issues are cultural, and you do have to address them when you are in that particular culture. But I think legalism begins when you do or refrain from doing what I want you to do or not do because it’s on my list and it’s something that I am uncomfortable with.
Then, Chuck gives his blunt advice:
The problem with legalists is that not enough people have confronted them and told them to get lost. Those are strong words, but I don’t mess with legalism anymore. I’m 72 years old; what have I got to lose? Seriously, I used to kowtow to legalists, but they’re dangerous. They are grace-killers. They’ll drive off every new Christian you bring to church. They are enemies of the faith. Other than that, I don’t have any opinion!So, if I am trying to force my personal list of no-no’s on you and make you feel guilty if you don’t join me, then I’m out of line and I need to be told that.
