Nuggets #12

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Secular Leadership Is Spiritual
Everything that makes leaders unique is spiritual. Many things that make them effective are learned and concrete, but the essence of their true leadership remains intangible. There are others who do the same things they do, yet these unique leaders still rise above the rest.

A movement of Visionaries and Dreamers
A wonderful thing about being around new believers is that they haven't discovered the limitations the church has embraced.

The first-century church was founded on the adventurous journeys of men like Paul and Barnabus. It was never intended to be a place of safety from the rapidly changing world. The church should be the greatest revolution ever initiated on this planet. She moves from generation to generation through the dreamers and visionaries who believe that nothing is impossible with God. And like prophets, they call God's people to live their lives as if God is truly God.

Ethologically Sound Leadership
It's painful but important to realize the our communities reflect our leadership. I'm troubled when pastors tell me what they don't like about their congregations. I could understand this if they had only been there for two weeks or maybe even two years. But I hear this from pastors who have been at their churches more than five years. They're frustrated because people don't "do evangelism" or people are too afraid of risk or a variety of other issues. One of the most difficult things for a leader to do is help a pastor look in the mirror.

If you've been leading your congregation for more than five years, your congregation likely reflects who you are. If you hold the position of leader, and the ethos does not reflect your core values, then you're not the leader - someone else is. If you are genuinely the leader, and you do not like the values of your congregation, the first place you need to bring change into is your own life.

Ethos emerges from the lives of individuals, and whether you realize it or not, you've been shaping the ethos of your congregation from the first moment you gave a message or made a decision. We're going to look at six different areas in which you as a leader have a direct impact on the ethos of your congregation.

We'll look at those six things tomorrow. Pretty direct stuff, huh? Don't 'cha just love it? It's so true. Congregations reflect leadership. John Maxwell says it a different way, "Everything rises and falls on leadership."