Archive for Leadership
Values that MATTER!!
Posted by: | CommentsBefore we launched the Dialogue Church I thought I knew what our values would be. But you can’t really just predict your values or say what you want your values to be. Values are something that get revealed over time as you are tested. Real values are what are leftover after you have been abandoned, beaten, abused, ridiculed, mistreated and YOU ARE STILL STANDING FOR THESE THINGS! Values are what you are willing to fight for and die for, not just think are cute and cool ideas.
Here is one value that I know we won’t turn our backs on: HONOR.
We want to honor up, when we honor up we honor all the way up to the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to honor God, God’s Word, God’s man (the Pastor), leaders, guests, and with our finances! Honor is something you give. Sniff out dishonor in this church: gossip, criticism in the wrong direction, division, rebellion, sin, selfishness, apathy toward the vision, lack of energy around the mission. Don’t let anyone talk trash about your pastor, his family, or his staff team. Don’t let anyone think its ok to give God less than their best!
Here is another value: EXCELLENCE
Excellence matters. Because what we do matters. What we do represents the Lord Jesus Christ and for all of eternity what we do for Christ will last. Let’s make it count. Excellence honors God and attracts the unchurched! Excellence in the little things will lead to excellence in the bigger things. If you are faithful with a little, you will be given more to manage and use for God’s purposes! Everything matters, do it will excellence. All that you do, do to the glory of God, do to the best of your ability and keep improving! Excellence is doing the best you can with what you have. Be excellent! And require excellence from those on your team; it is the best way to honor them!
Here is another: EVANGELISM
I don’t really care that this word seems to be old hat or old school. The definition is “leading unchurched people to become hardcore followers of Jesus Christ.” We won’t ever get away from reaching out to the unchurched. We will never get so mature that we don’t need to focus on the one lost sheep (Luke 15). We will never stop trying new approaches or different ways of communicating the gospel to those who are far from God. Oh yeah, and we won’t ever stop ticking off the people who just want church to be “ALL ABOUT ME.” We will do whatever it takes to reach as many people as we can with the good news of Jesus Christ!
How about this one: THE GOSPEL
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. I realize this is a belief, but its also a value. We won’t ever get so deep that we don’t talk about the gospel every single weekend. We won’t ever get so big that we don’t bring it back to the gospel every single weekend. We won’t ever get so New in our methodology that we don’t celebrate the old old story. We won’t ever get to polished that we don’t talk about the old rugged cross every single weekend. It’s all about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Period!
One more: PREACHING
Since the time Jesus came walking on the earth, to now, the church has evolved but one thing that has remained is the simplicity of preaching. Speaking the word of God into people’s lives. There is nothing more catalytic to making life changing decisions than clear biblical preaching. Preaching is biblical teaching + spiritual leadership. You need both to be an effective preacher. Preaching is about proclaiming God’s Word, not my personal opinions. “Thy word not my word, changes lives.” We are called to declare the gospel not decorate it. I don’t know exactly why this is, but God has chosen to use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. God has chosen to use the simplicity of preaching to make known His Word and to change lives! Elevate the man of God in order to elevate the Word of God!
Leadership from the Boston Bruins
Posted by: | CommentsPastor AnthonyMilas.net recently wrote an insightful post about leadership from the Boston Bruins. I thought I would share it here:
1. DON’T CRITICIZE – Vancouver’s goalie criticized Boston’s goalie on a missed save, suggesting he would have made it. The very next game the BRUINS scored 3 goals on him and he was YANKED from the game, oops! Don’t get caught up in criticism, focus on bringing your A game each and every time you play!
2. PROTECT EACH OTHER – I love how the BRUINS have each others’ backs! If you mess with one Bruin, you’re gonna find a bunch of guys standing by the side of their fellow team mate! UNITY MATTERS! Protect the vision and guard against division!
3. EVERY MINUTE MATTERS – Unfortunately as I watch the BRUINS it seems that there are times where they lack in intensity and focus, and it has cost them, (ha-ha I’m not being critical, it’s an observation). What it shows me is that there can never be a time where we just go through the motions, because there is an opposing team, looking to beat us! MINSTER HARD OR GO HOME!
4. CELEBRATE – I love watching the BRUINS celebrate after each goal. We should celebrate the GREAT THINGS JESUS IS DOING and CELEBRATE BIG! Celebrating not only fires up the team, it fires up the entire stadium, CELEBRATING is CONTAGIOUS!
5. KNOW YOUR ROLE – It is critical that every BRUIN know their role and position and then function accordingly. When they do there is harmony and balance, and the results speak for themselves. As leaders we must know our roles, and strive to bring HARMONY and BALANCE to the team!
Hosea 6
Posted by: | CommentsRecently, one of my staff team members, Laura Frost, who oversees theDC.tv Host Ministry wrote this encouraging and challenging email to her team leaders and team members. I wanted to share it with you because I thought it was so powerful. Here it is:
Hosea 6:6 says, (God speaking here) “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God, rather burnt offerings.” Mercy – right conduct towards others and loyalty to the Lord.
(Laura speaking/journaling now!) Lord, how many times have I served others not out of mercy but out of sacrifice, duty? Too many to count. Help me to serve because You love me, You set me free daily from my sin, You lavish your grace on me time and time again when I don’t deserve it….I should do the same EVERYDAY with EVERY person..to my family, to the DC staff, to the Host team members, to my life group, to my neighbors and friends, to those I don’t get along with. Freely give mercy because mercy is given freely to me. Help me, Lord.
So team, I encourage you to think about serving others with mercy this week. Not because you think you should do it or b/c “that’s how Christians should act”. But because YOU have been given much mercy, much grace, much forgiveness, much love – when you dwell on what you’ve been given through Christ, it is much easier to give it to others. So, love extravagantly this week, serve wholeheartedly this week, praise and thank God continuously this week because He has given much to us.
Wow! What an awesome privilege to be able to lead such amazing leaders at The Dialogue Church! I love my dc staff & church family! You make me a better Christ-follower, better husband, better father, and a better Pastor! Thank you for leading with excellence! Excellence matters!
Did God Really Say? Pastor Steven Furtick
Posted by: | CommentsHere is an amazing blog post from Pastor Steven Furtick, www.stevenfurtick.com:
1 Now the serpent said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” Genesis 3:1-3
There are some questions we have no business trying to answer.
The first sin in human history wasn’t just pride. That’s the common interpretation, and it’s partially true, but it’s not the whole story. The first sin was disbelief in something God had said. A promise He had made. And it all started with an innocent question.
Satan implanted four simple words in Eve’s mind: Did God really say? An innocent question. But a question she had no business trying to answer. He got her to scrutinize something she was simply called to believe. She fell for it. Ate the fruit. And people have now been scrutinizing God and His promises ever since.
Satan’s strategy towards us is still the same today. His primary question is still: Did God really say…? If he can get us to innocently question God’s promises or His character, the rest will take care of itself. Just ask the Israelites who listened to the 10 spies’ negative report of the Promised Land.
Now of course there’s room to ask tough questions about God. You’d have a mindless faith if you didn’t. Of course there’s room for wondering how we navigate the tensions of this world that we live in that’s so often a waiting room between the promises God has made and their fulfillment. You wouldn’t live in reality if you didn’t.
Nevertheless, we always have to remember:
Like the Israelites in the Promised Land, you’re called to explore God’s promises, not scrutinize them.
There really are some questions you have no business trying to answer. Questions whose only answer can ever really be, “God has said.”
Is God really good if people are dying in Japan and from tornadoes?
Can God really heal people?
Has God really forgiven me?
That’s not land you’re supposed to scrutinize. Not because it isn’t important. But because God hasn’t called you to validate His promise of His goodness. His healing power. His forgiveness. Or any other promise He has made. He’s called you to believe it.
Is it difficult? Of course. But since when has faith ever been easy?
Don’t waste time trying to validate a promise that God has simply called you to believe.
Some people will say that just means you’re brainwashed.
I say it just means you’re born again.
And you don’t want to repeat the mistakes of Adam and Eve again.
