That’s Why It’s Here
A person who has always intrigued me is Walt Disney. When you think of vision you have to think of Walt Disney. Here is a man who had a dream to build a world that would capture and engage the imagination. What I didn’t know is that he died before the completion of the project. Soon after the completion of The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, someone said, “Isn’t it too bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?” Vance replied, “He did see it. That’s why it’s here.” Even after Walt Disney passed from this life, his vision for the future held strong. He had established firmly in the minds of all those he came in contact with the vision he held for the future. He had a passion and a desire and those things are contagious. Because of that passion and desire people today plan their entire year around visiting the Magic Kingdom.
Walt once said, “As a leader you must live like everyone matters… too many leaders keep their distance from employees physically & emotionally.” Walt said, “The ability to relate with all types of people and backgrounds is not a gift, but a learned behavior.” Disney has learned that people will return on two things: 1.Satisfied with first visit. 2.The biggest return is positive interaction with Disney staff.
All that to say, for a vision to be complete and for it to last it has to be all about people. Walt Disney was an example of connecting with people and connecting people with the vision. Walt Disney World exists today because people bought into him as a leader because he lived out the vision in every area of his life.
What are you trying to sell? What is your vision? Are you fighting to be heard or do people listen because you care about people and your vision is compelling?
That’s A Great Question…
I recently started following a blog by Rachel Held Evans based on a Re-Tweet (that’s something that people do when… never mind you wouldn’t understand if I have to explain it to you.) anyways the tweet caught my attention because it was about the college I attended Liberty University . Last week she had a post called, That’s A Good Question. Here is what she wrote up front: “Perhaps the most significant life lesson I’ve learned in my young adulthood is that knowing all the answers isn’t as important as asking good questions.”
I enjoyed that thought because as a young leader we want people to think we have all the answers when the truth is we don’t, we only have our answers. I have heard many leaders talk about the importance of asking good questions and then shutting up to actually listen to their response instead of doing what many young leaders do and try to give their opinion of the answer. I love to ask questions and I love to have others ask me questions. I think one of the best way to encourage someone is to ask them what their thoughts are? You would be surprised at how that can brighten somebody’s day.
I think this is a great reminder. Who are you listening to? What questions are you asking? Are you really listening? Are you willing to learn from anybody?
You can check out Rachel’s site here and check out a new book she has coming out in July called Evolving In Monkey Town.
To-Do Vs. To-Don’t
Time management is an issue for almost everybody. As soon as we scratch an item off our “To-Do” list it almost immediately gets replaced with another “T0-Do” item. This item always seems to be even more important and crucial than the last one we did and so begins the ugly circle of scratching items off a list to feel better about ourselves and our time management skills only to feel bad about ourselves a second later because our list got bigger.
I’m learning as are most of you that I can’t do everything. I have to be strategic with my time and energy. Just because something may be important to you does not mean that it is important to me and vice versa. So I tried something the other day and I called it the “To-Don’t” list. Yes, sadly I felt good about making the list and immediately scratched it off of my “To-Do” list. The concept is all those things that I don’t accomplish at the end of the day were either not that important or “critical” or I simply ran out of time. Most likely I ran out of time because I spent to much time on items that weren’t that important. So occasionally I have a “To-Don’t” list because I can’t do everything. I am finding that most of the items on that list can be delegated to someone else.
Do you struggle with time management? Have you ever tried to make a list of things that you were not going to do? It’s therapeutic and it just may allow you to spend time on the things that are really important.
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…
Redefining Success In Coaching
What makes a good coach? When somebody says he or she is a good coach what does that look like? How can you gauge whether or not that coach is successful? Reality will tell you that the coach is only as good as his team, right? Nobody ever says that the coach who finished 0-30 is a good coach. Nobody is knocking down his door to recruit him for another coaching position. So really the coach is only as good as the players around him. Of course a good coach can improve and challenge his players, he can put in a system that makes them more effective. He can teach them the fundamentals and he can inspire them to new levels but at the end of the day it’s whether you win or lose that defines your success.
The same could be said about pastors. Nobody is recruiting or knocking down the door of a pastor who took a church of 500 to 200. A pastor is only as good as the team that he has around him. Staff, volunteers and those who buy into the vision. The pastor can teach them the fundamentals, he can challenge his church, he can put in new systems to be more effective. He can inspire them and pray for them. However there is a point where they have to grasp the vision and work together as a team to accomplish the one goal. Multiple goals don’t work. Multiple coaches don’t work. Arguing about how it used to be or how it was different on your former team won’t work. Trying to change the goals and vision of the coach won’t work. What works is everybody understanding their role no matter how big or small. In the end when the team wins and captures that championship, everyone from the towel boy and water boy to the assistant coaches to the head coach to the MVP player gets a ring. Why? Because they all played a part to reach the goal.
So how do you define success with a coach or pastor? Do they buy into the vision and work together to accomplish the one goal. If yes, then regardless of whether they win the championship or not, they are redefining what success is and at the very least they are heading in the right direction.
Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.
– John Wooden
Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you.
– Eddie Robinson
Coaching is a profession of love. You can’t coach people unless you love them.
– Eddie Robinson
Transcending Sports
I am a huge sports fan. I enjoy the game. I enjoy the competitiveness. I enjoy the sportsmanship. I enjoy those moments that transcend the game. The moment that sticks out to me from this last years NCAA tournament will be that of coach Bob Huggins on the court holding Da Sean Butler after the senior towards the end of the game and the end of his fabulous West Virginia career tore his ACL and likely ended his chances of a future NBA career. Those who follow sports know that Coach Huggins has made some poor choices in the past but all that gets thrown out the window in my book when you see his love and genuine concern for his players. To see the bond that they have. To see how hard they played for him shows their respect for him and his coaching ability.
It made me think of those who are around us. When they are hurting are we willing to get on our knees and hold them through their difficult time? Do we really care more about the person than what that person can do for us? I believe that Da Sean Butler will remember that moment for the rest of his life. It was not just losing in the final four, it was not just tearing his ACL, it will be the moment that his coach was there and walked through one of the most difficult moments in his life that he will remember. That will be a moment that shapes him. It transcends sports. It’s a life lesson that people are important.
Who in your life today needs you to get on your knees and hold them through their difficult time?
Failure To Thriving
God has a sense of humor. Don’t believe me? The fact that your reading this blog post proves it. All through school since I can remember I struggled with English. I feared the spelling bee days. Brian Regan has a great clip on that.
I scratched a clawed to get a D in any English class I ever took. Vocabulary and grammar were the same way. I feared having to write any type of paper especially if it was 500 words or more, that was crippling. I have always struggled with some form of dyslexia. Once again Brian Regan has another funny clip on that.
So needless to say when I began to write a few years back I did it to simply appease a few, literally 3 people, who said, “Hey you should blog.” What I heard was public humiliation time. Fear struck me again as I began to write. As readership increased my confidence did not. I thought people were crazy. After all what can I possibly share that will be of any value or importance to others? After 500 plus blog posts I have found, as with anything, the more you practice the more natural you become at it and it generally becomes something you enjoy. My English skills and grammar and vocabulary probably have not improved dramatically. I still use too many comas and use small words so I can spell them, but blogging has become something I enjoy to do. If for no other reason as my friend Greg Darley said, “It allows me to get my thoughts focused.” [Side Plug: you need to check out Backstage Leadership that Greg runs...I'm in and love it. It has been life changing in my approach to leadership. End Of Side Plug.]
So thank you for reading and supporting me these last 3 years as I share my heart and randomness. I think of Moses who questioned God about how he would lead his people out of captivity, “Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
Don’t let your insecurities keep you from enjoying God’s best for your life. Whether you have an audience of one or you speak to thousands on a daily basis, understand and realize that you have a voice. What you failed at early in life may just be what you thrive at today. Chase your dream and enjoy the ride.
Unchurched Questions
There is no denying the fact that I am a huge Perry Noble fan, to me he’s the Kobe Bryant of the church world. Love his story and what God is doing through him. Love his approach to ministry and the creativity and innovativeness that he is surrounded by. I love his approach to saying anything even though it may be offensive to some. I love his passion for the local church and for people to meet Jesus without apology. All that to say, I’m not Perry Noble. I’ll never be Perry Noble nor would I want to be him. I’m me. I’m who God created me to be. Saying that though I have learned so much from him over the last couple years as I have from so many others. Frequently he posts something that really just gets me fired up and excited and says what I am thinking way better than I could ever write. So here is a re-post from March 31st of a few thoughts from Perry. He called his post: Ten Questions That Unchurched People ARE NOT Asking!
#1 – “What do you do to disciple people?” (This question is usually asked by people who want to ‘microwave” spiritually, not understand that they themselves actually became mature in the “crock pot.”)
#2 – “Who is speaking this weekend?” (They usually don’t care about the WHO…it’s the WHAT that matters to them.)
#3 – “Are you reformed in your theology?” (Most of them have no idea what in the heck this means!)
#4 – “Is your church spirit filled?”
#5 – “What version of the Bible do you use?” (Many unchurched people don’t even really know there are different versions!)
#6 – “What denomination are you affiliated with?”
#7 – “How many different activities can I sign my family up for in order to add to the insane schedule that we already have?”
#8 – “Does your pastor teach exegetically through the Scriptures?”
#9 – “Are there lots of crosses and pictures of Jesus in your church?”
#10 – “Are you guys pre trib, mid trib, post trib or partial trib?”
Great questions and just a reminder to focus on what is really important.
Change Conflict Healthcare?
I love politics and I love to debate and argue about politics or anything for that matter. It really doesn’t even matter if I’m right because I want to convince you and we will both be wrong. I think I have always been that way. Even when I was on a jury I convinced all the other jurors to change their vote and vote not guilty because there was a conflict in the prosecutors case. Just enough so that he did not follow the law to a T. So I love to argue and debate. This blog post is not going to be that. Today I am simply making an observation about what I see.
They say that any decision a leader makes it will inevitably have supporters and haters. Perry Noble said, “If everybody likes you or your idea then you’ve spent way too much time kissing rear ends instead of being faithful to who God has called you to be and what He has called you to do!” I love that and the truth is everything rises and falls on leadership. At the end of the day the leader has to be able to make the decision and then stand behind that decision regardless of where the support or lack of support is coming.
As of today President Obama has been in office 451 days. For the last six months I have heard people complain about where is the change? That was the platform that he ran on, CHANGE…Yes we can. I have seen several changes that I think are important that people are either missing or don’t want to see. The fact that we have an African-American in office holding the most coveted position in the world is change. The fact that there is an African-American making decisions when 55 years ago Rosa Parks did not have a choice where she could even sit on a bus, shows that this is change. It gives me hope that in the years to come modern day slavery such as human trafficking and sex trafficking may come to and end as well. Sometimes change comes in the still small steps that lay the foundation for future change.
With health care changing there are some that are for it and some who are against it. Now change has occurred and the same people who complained the last 451 days about where is the change, have it and don’t like it. I would venture to guess these same people would have complained no matter what policy took effect. These were the same people who probably would have argued about the Emancipation Proclamation, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The truth is there are people who are never looking for resolve but rather are looking for a fight.
In any decision…there is Change, Conflict, Growth. The growth may mean that what you see now doesn’t work and needs to be tweaked, overhauled or dropped completely. It may mean that this was exactly what we needed. I love the fact that he made A decision. How this will work out we may not know for years. Perry Noble posted on his blog the other day ““Christians” will scream that God is “Jehovah Rafa,” (the God who heals) in our services…but then rely on our government for healing more than Him!” I believe God is bigger than Barack Obama and everyone who sits in a position of leadership in this country and that God is not surprised about the change. What that looks like I have no idea. But I know that nothing great has ever gotten done in this country by simply doing nothing.
The government of the United States has been around since July 4, 1776. That is 234 years. The church has been around for over 2,000 years. Spend your time investing in what matters and what will last instead of wasting it in things that won’t matter. Control what you can control and pray and leave the rest up to God. Change-Conflict-Growth.
Thoughts?
