Thursday
Jul222010

Great Ministry flows out of Great Relationships: Leadership thoughts with Mike Love - Part 1

During AWAKE camp, we had a leadership seminar with Mike Love. Here is part one of his thoughts:

Great ministry flows out of great relationships.

With every relationship, there are tensions. Everyone pulling on the rope makes things better.

Exodus 18,

-what are you trying to accomplish?

-Jesus uses the same pattern of leadership with the disciples

-who are you investing in?

-the purpose of leadership is to produce other leaders.

-target young adult/people to invest in future leadership role

-watch out for poor organization as that hurts people/leaders.

-leadership is not measured by your presence but in your absence.

Relationships in leadership

Relational expectations are:

1) relationship with self - tension by being human and the messiah. Need to understand our limitations,

2) relationship with the LORD; publicly and personally: what is the state of your soul. Being spiritually fresh.

3) relationship with our spouse/family - tension between family (unresolved conflict). Unbalanced schedule, family ministry is harder than public ministry, family life doesn't stroke the ego like public ministry because they expect you to walk it out. Rare is the pastor from wanting to do more ministry when they go home to their families. Where ever you are, be there. Private victory must proceed public victory. Carve out a balanced life.

4) relationship with your pastor. Champion your pastor.. Find a mentorship person.

5) relationship with parents. Tension between their kid and the group. Care and love parents... they are your ally!

6) relationship with other churches. Be with the youth guys in your city.

7) relationship with the community between the inward and outward. Work stronger with our community.

8) relationship with the fellowship. Your direction between district direction and personal/church vision

Energized relationships - the lost, friends, family

De-energizer relationships - people who are always needy, critical people, spectators (opinions but doesn't have solutions)

Must need relationships - life spiritual coach, thinking relationship (idea bouncer), listening friends, empathizer - someone to feel. Fun friends. Correcting friends. Have people who love you enough to share advice that would perhaps end your friendship. Understand the risks and rewards of friendships.

Hope this gives you some insight into your leadership. Part 2 is tomorrow.

Lead Well!

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Tuesday
Jul132010

What makes a Great Leader?

What makes a great leader? Is it charisma? Intellect? Emotional stability? Profit or productivity? If it could be one phrase, I would choose this one:

                        A great leader brings out the best in others.

Intellect, giftings, and personality of a charisma leader may help you for a while… but what makes an organization; whether a church, business, sports team, non – profit; is if the leader brings out the best in others.

Here are some thoughts about bringing out the best in your organization:

Share your heart – communicate vision that moves people… not just product.

Challenge your people to get involved – communicate to people not just to participate but to share the vision… to make it their own. This naturally comes out of intentional relationships.

Encourage – keep on encouraging your people. I think there is a HUGE misunderstanding in leaders today that think: “I could do things better…” This may be true, but it won’t help you or your organization. If your people do, at the most 80% of what you could have done, that will save you 100% of your time to focus somewhere else. In saying that, I am not encouraging delegation as much as bringing out the best. Get your people in their zone.

Example – you build the environment in your organization. You build what you are. Is your organization bringing out the best in people or are you using people to bring out your best?

Humility – helping others to be their best is to back out and let your best people lead. You don’t always have to be in the spot light… tough one, but the greatest leaders bring out the best in others.

The greatest organizations of all time; including businesses, sport teams, churches are ones that build a culture (that starts with the lead guy) on bringing out the best in others.

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Wednesday
Jun162010

There is NO such thing as “Good” or “Bad” stress in the Kingdom

What causes you to stress out? Is it family conflicts, money pressures, church people, deadlines and demands… whatever it is, we ALL face with stress; perhaps on a daily basis.

It is important to determine your stress points and your relieve valves. If not, we become damaged leaders that damage others… and it usually starts with those that are closest to us.

Furthermore, there are AWESOME resources to help leaders determine stress points, indicators that we are stressed, and how to deal with stress appropriately.

But what does Scripture have to say about stress? Interestingly enough, the Bible doesn’t address stress as a topic as much as how to respond:

  • Stress does NOT come from God. It is generated by the worldly needs that we encounter on a daily basis. There is no such thing as “good” or “bad” stress in the Kingdom. In saying that, if unchecked, stress will develop a door for the enemy to rob you of the joys in your life – Matthew 13:22
  • Stress indicates a lack of intimacy with Christ – Luke 10:41-42; Matthew 6:33
  • Stress reveals the motivation to control the situation as the reality is... ONLY God has supreme control – Isaiah 55:1-3; Hab 3:17-19
  • UNCHECKED and/or un-dealt stress will cause a blurred perspective, an ungrateful attitude, and will result in burnt relationships. – Romans 8:31 (fear or faith motivators); Psalms 127:1-2

How you and I do business with stress is more important than what is stressing us out. How are you dealing with stress?

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Thursday
Jun102010

The Power of Trust

Trust is a powerful tool in a hand of any leader… but it doesn’t come easy. Look at Hezekiah, a spiritual leader and king of a nation:

  • He trusted in God - he led his people out of apostasy (v.4). He did this by destroying the things that defiled them for generations. This would have been a hard task/project for any leader. In fact, I don’t think many leaders would have gone as extreme as he did because the fear of rebellion. But, Hezekiah was more concerned what the LORD would have thought than the people. What are you more concerned with?
  • Trust will be tested - Hezekiah’s trust in the Lord was tested by people and circumstances. The Assyrian king flexed his military power to destroy Hezekiah’s kingdom (v.4-5), mocked his trust in God (v. 25), and called out to the people to rebel against Hezekiah (v.30)… Has your trust in God ever been tested?
  • Trust with God earns trust with people – this should be a given. If you and I follow God as Hezekiah did, people would respond to our leadership in trust. It is amazing to me that the people did not rebel against Hezekiah in the face of the Assyrian nation. In fact, they are willing to lay down their lives for their leader than give in to the Assyrian king (v.36). Imagine if Hezekiah gave in??? The real benefit of trust comes out when you and I are tested. Would your people be willing to lay down their lives to your leadership?

Relections:

I truly believe that the local church is the hope of the world. You and I have the great honor and privilege to build our people, communities, and leadership teams out of TRUST... not out of position, power, or prestige.

How are you revealing TRUST to your people? Are you living a life that communicates God’s heart to your people? Not religious apostasy...

How has your trust in God and people been tested? By others? People? Even God? How have you responded? More importantly, what do you and I need to do to trust in God for/more?

Do your people trust you with their lives? This is the ultimate example of trust!

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Saturday
Jun052010

Dealing with Difficult times, Disappointments, and Death

In light of the difficult times that we are feeling and expressing in West Kelowna, I hope to give some practical guidelines when it comes to grief...

What is Grief?

Grief is a natural response to loss. EVERYONE grieves differently... There is no wrong way to grief. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one – and this type of loss does often cause the most intense grief. But any loss can cause grief, including:

  • A relationship breakup
  • Loss of health
  • Losing a job
  • Loss of financial stability
  • A miscarriage
  • Death of a pet
  • Loss of a cherished dream
  • A loved one’s serious illness
  • Loss of a friendship
  • Loss of safety after a trauma

Stages of Grief

All of us may go through all or some of the natural stages to grief. It is important to know the stages because it helps you to associate that there is a healing process in your lost.

Shock – “this could have not happened”

Anger – “why is this happening?”

Blame – “whose fault is this?”

Depression – “I am too sad to do anything.”

Acceptance – “I am at peace” (This does not mean that you condone or agree, but you have accepted reality.

How to deal with grief?

Get support – surround yourself with people that you trust... people who you can talk to. Remember, don’t grief ALONE. You can turn to family and friends, a support group at your school or community center, counsellors, and/or your faith.

Take care of yourself – eat properly, exercise, and get TONS of rest.

Take it easy – don’t make major decisions as the grief process may interfere with judgment

How to find peace?

We can find comfort knowing that God is in control even though we feel that we aren’t – John 14:1-6

God gives us comfort so that we can comfort those in times of difficulty – 2 Corinthians 1:3-8

Finding hope in God gives a deep peace that goes beyond our questions, frustrations, anger, and understanding – Philippians 4:6-7

God is with us... to give rest, peace, direction, hope, strength... and is for us! – Psalms 23

I hope this helps...

With ya friends!

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