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."
Showing posts with label Spiritual Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual Leadership. Show all posts
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Nuggets #7
Sorry I missed yesterday. I had a huge sinus headache and took a big nap in the afternoon, which helped immensely.
An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Continuing on with Blinding Speed
In relationship to velocity, the catalyst's first focus is calling people out to the purpose of God. Movement will not happen if people do not move together in common mission. The catalyst takes seriously the description of the first century church being of one heart and mind.
The second focus is the need to accelerate the group's response to the Spirit of God. The spiritual catalyst experiences God as the wind of his spirit and recognizes that momentum remains fragile in the time between understanding and commitment. Momentum is both powerful and fragile at the same time: powerful in that, once it is obtained, its force can be unstoppable; fragile in that it can be easily lost.
The church that learns to celebrate the spontaneous movement of God's spirit and even the unexpected invitation to follow him increases the force of its movement. The catalyst not only calls God's people to move toward intentionality, but continually inspires and motivates God's people to accelerate their rate of spiritual response.
Seeing at Blinding Speed
I want to make clear that what focuses the speed of the church is not a plan but a purpose and a passion.
Spiritual leadership is not the ability to define everything the future holds. It is the willingness to move forward when all you know is God. The apostolic leader finds his direction from the compass of the purpose of God, is fueled by the passions of God, and, while he's moving to do what he knows, God clarifies and directs.
Spiritual Magnetism
If you're committed to velocity - to focused speed - but you're all alone and h ave no mass, you might wonder how you can be a part of creating movement. You may not be able to immediately affect volume, but you can affect density. The beginning point is always ourselves. We must submit our lives to Jesus Christ, let him change our hearts and character, become servants, and model a life of humility and sacrifice. Then our spiritual density will make us magnetic. The more Christ reigns in our lives, the more people will be drawn to the Jesus in us.
That's the end of Chapter Two. Blogging about this book motivates me to read faster. As you have probably figured out, my passion is church leadership. I love discipling people one on one, whether in a 1-2 hour meeting, in passing, or in casual conversation. I love to pour. I love helping leaders learn how to disciple their volunteers and leaders. Some of you may be called to teach others God's character and model his relationship to his creation. Some of you are called to serve, some of you are called to pray. some of you may not even know what your call is. One way to find out is to take a Spiritual Gifts Inventory. It's a great place to start in finding out how God is shaping you for service. Blessings to you this Sabbath.
An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Continuing on with Blinding Speed
In relationship to velocity, the catalyst's first focus is calling people out to the purpose of God. Movement will not happen if people do not move together in common mission. The catalyst takes seriously the description of the first century church being of one heart and mind.
The second focus is the need to accelerate the group's response to the Spirit of God. The spiritual catalyst experiences God as the wind of his spirit and recognizes that momentum remains fragile in the time between understanding and commitment. Momentum is both powerful and fragile at the same time: powerful in that, once it is obtained, its force can be unstoppable; fragile in that it can be easily lost.
The church that learns to celebrate the spontaneous movement of God's spirit and even the unexpected invitation to follow him increases the force of its movement. The catalyst not only calls God's people to move toward intentionality, but continually inspires and motivates God's people to accelerate their rate of spiritual response.
Seeing at Blinding Speed
I want to make clear that what focuses the speed of the church is not a plan but a purpose and a passion.
Spiritual leadership is not the ability to define everything the future holds. It is the willingness to move forward when all you know is God. The apostolic leader finds his direction from the compass of the purpose of God, is fueled by the passions of God, and, while he's moving to do what he knows, God clarifies and directs.
Spiritual Magnetism
If you're committed to velocity - to focused speed - but you're all alone and h ave no mass, you might wonder how you can be a part of creating movement. You may not be able to immediately affect volume, but you can affect density. The beginning point is always ourselves. We must submit our lives to Jesus Christ, let him change our hearts and character, become servants, and model a life of humility and sacrifice. Then our spiritual density will make us magnetic. The more Christ reigns in our lives, the more people will be drawn to the Jesus in us.
That's the end of Chapter Two. Blogging about this book motivates me to read faster. As you have probably figured out, my passion is church leadership. I love discipling people one on one, whether in a 1-2 hour meeting, in passing, or in casual conversation. I love to pour. I love helping leaders learn how to disciple their volunteers and leaders. Some of you may be called to teach others God's character and model his relationship to his creation. Some of you are called to serve, some of you are called to pray. some of you may not even know what your call is. One way to find out is to take a Spiritual Gifts Inventory. It's a great place to start in finding out how God is shaping you for service. Blessings to you this Sabbath.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Nuggets #5
Now we're on Chapter Two of An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus: Momentum
In Isaiah He (God) clearly declares that, while we are to remember the past, we are not to remain in the past. Our memories of God's activity in our lives are to move us into the future. Our experiences from the past are to give us the confidence to face the challenges of tomorrow.
A Refuge FOR the World, Not FROM It
But the church was never intended to be a monastery. In fact, God intends that there be no place that we can hide, except in his presence. When the church becomes our shelter from a radically changing world, we fail to turn to God and make him our hiding place and our shelter.
Mass Can Be a Mess
Conferences and siminars are jampacked with church leaders who come with one simple questions, "How can my church grow?" Only after we begin to deal with the complexities and challenges of growth do we tune in to issues such as assimilation and discipleship. Anyone who has experineced significant growth in a congregation knows that assimilation and discipleship are integral to growth and, in many ways, impossible to separate from that dynamic. But when you're standing at the front end of the challenge of leading a congregation to grow, you're just asking the simple question, "How do I get more people here?" It doesn't take that much intuition to figure out that if you don't have any people, you're not pastoring a congregation.
Mass equals people. Without people there is no momentum. When people move together with common purpose, momentum happens. And while most Christians would quickly acknowledge that it is important to reach people for Christ, an underlying comfort level is often threatened when growth actually happens.
The same people who make the church messy also make the church meaningful. We must be willing to make a mess to save a life.
That's probably enough for today. Chapter two is fascinating. It's all about growth and momentum and how pastors often think the way to make their church grow (which unfortunately seems to be the goal of many) is to read blogs, listen to podcasts, and read books on how other pastors in other parts of the country have done it. I think what some pastors don't realize is that growth happens in two ways. The first is that the pastor wholeheartedly seeks God and His direction for that particular church. He listens for God and doesn't just shoot in the dark by trying different things, or copying someone else. It's also about connecting individuals to other individuals and having a discipleship strategy in place. That means Bible studies, small groups and one on one discipleship relationships. When all people get is teaching on Sunday morning, it's a buckshot approach. You're hoping that what is said to the crowd actually lands in people's hearts. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't because everyone is in a different place with different issues and questions, but there is no one to ask questions of during a Sunday morning teaching.
Jesus addressed the crowds. Many were added to their number. These people accepted the Gospel. But that's not how you make leaders. Jesus then walked alongside his disciples. That was his small group. Then He took a few off to the side and taught them individually. That's one on one discipleship. It was His disciples who became leaders and started the church when Jesus rose, not the crowd.
So, the question for today is . . . Where are you? Are you part of the crowd, sitting and listening once a week? Are you growing by serving and practicing God's commands? Are you being discipled in a small group? Are you leading a small group or growing someone individually? Are you turning out leaders who will turn out leaders? Are you reaching even furuther than that? God has a purpose for your life. How willing are you? He's watching your heart and your actions. Surrender all and be in for the ride of your life!
In Isaiah He (God) clearly declares that, while we are to remember the past, we are not to remain in the past. Our memories of God's activity in our lives are to move us into the future. Our experiences from the past are to give us the confidence to face the challenges of tomorrow.
A Refuge FOR the World, Not FROM It
But the church was never intended to be a monastery. In fact, God intends that there be no place that we can hide, except in his presence. When the church becomes our shelter from a radically changing world, we fail to turn to God and make him our hiding place and our shelter.
Mass Can Be a Mess
Conferences and siminars are jampacked with church leaders who come with one simple questions, "How can my church grow?" Only after we begin to deal with the complexities and challenges of growth do we tune in to issues such as assimilation and discipleship. Anyone who has experineced significant growth in a congregation knows that assimilation and discipleship are integral to growth and, in many ways, impossible to separate from that dynamic. But when you're standing at the front end of the challenge of leading a congregation to grow, you're just asking the simple question, "How do I get more people here?" It doesn't take that much intuition to figure out that if you don't have any people, you're not pastoring a congregation.
Mass equals people. Without people there is no momentum. When people move together with common purpose, momentum happens. And while most Christians would quickly acknowledge that it is important to reach people for Christ, an underlying comfort level is often threatened when growth actually happens.
The same people who make the church messy also make the church meaningful. We must be willing to make a mess to save a life.
That's probably enough for today. Chapter two is fascinating. It's all about growth and momentum and how pastors often think the way to make their church grow (which unfortunately seems to be the goal of many) is to read blogs, listen to podcasts, and read books on how other pastors in other parts of the country have done it. I think what some pastors don't realize is that growth happens in two ways. The first is that the pastor wholeheartedly seeks God and His direction for that particular church. He listens for God and doesn't just shoot in the dark by trying different things, or copying someone else. It's also about connecting individuals to other individuals and having a discipleship strategy in place. That means Bible studies, small groups and one on one discipleship relationships. When all people get is teaching on Sunday morning, it's a buckshot approach. You're hoping that what is said to the crowd actually lands in people's hearts. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't because everyone is in a different place with different issues and questions, but there is no one to ask questions of during a Sunday morning teaching.
Jesus addressed the crowds. Many were added to their number. These people accepted the Gospel. But that's not how you make leaders. Jesus then walked alongside his disciples. That was his small group. Then He took a few off to the side and taught them individually. That's one on one discipleship. It was His disciples who became leaders and started the church when Jesus rose, not the crowd.
So, the question for today is . . . Where are you? Are you part of the crowd, sitting and listening once a week? Are you growing by serving and practicing God's commands? Are you being discipled in a small group? Are you leading a small group or growing someone individually? Are you turning out leaders who will turn out leaders? Are you reaching even furuther than that? God has a purpose for your life. How willing are you? He's watching your heart and your actions. Surrender all and be in for the ride of your life!
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