Leadership 201

How do you make a leader? For some time, the thought was that leaders are born. But that’s simply not the case. That concept is decidedly unchristian. It leads to the notion that leadership is all about gifts and abilities – certainly important components – and not that leadership is about influence. Here’s an example. A Christian leader must be humble. Is humility a gift or ability? Well, James 3:13 says that humility comes from wisdom. Paul, in Galatians 5:22-23 lists nine fruit of the Spirit. But in Colossians 3:12 there is a parallel list with the insertion of “humility” as well as “compassion.” So, while I wouldn’t dogmatically say that these two qualities need to be added to our list of nine fruit of the Spirit from Galatians, I will say that humility is something God develops in our life. Therefore, leaders can be made.

(How well do you know me? Many of you have already guessed where I’m going to go with this. Maybe that makes me boring and predictable. Maybe it makes me sure of where to look for guidance and instruction. I’ll let you decide…)

In three short years, Jesus started a movement that remains to this day. And He started that with a handful of misfits. So how did He manage to prepare these guys to carry on with His great work after He had left? Sanders wrote,

Jesus trained His disciples superbly for their future roles. He taught by example and by precept; His teaching was done “on the road.” Jesus did not ask the Twelve to sit down and take notes in a formal classroom. Jesus’ classrooms were the highways of life; His principles and values came across in the midst of daily experience. Jesus placed disciples into internships (Luke 10:17-24) that enabled them to learn through failure and success (Mark 9:14-29).

That’s what we’re doing in our CONNECT small groups ministry. CONNECT is a Leadership Factory. Our Commission from the Lord is to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20). A disciple is a follower, not just a learner. A disciple is striving to be like the Master. And the proof of discipleship is engagement in the work of making disciples. Is that how you view your involvement in your CONNECT group? Do you understand that you are actively engaged in a Leadership Development program which closely resembles on-the-job training?

Maybe you haven’t jumped into a small group yet. Maybe you’re worried about the misfits with whom you’ll be yoked, guys like Peter, John, or Judas. Maybe you’re worried that you might be the one labeled “misfit,” like Thomas. Maybe you just think that what you’re already doing is good enough and you don’t need redemptive community to be a true disciple. I guess the question is, “How’s it working for you?” Or better yet, “Where are the disciples you have helped produce?” It’s easy to pick them out. They’re the ones out there, making more disciples.

Summer is Here!

OK, so maybe we’re still about a week away from the official start of summer. But for any of you who were out and about last Sunday afternoon know that it doesn’t get much more summer-like in Lancaster County than 90+ degrees and 90+% humidity. Praise God that He delivered a little rain and a breeze to cool things a bit.

So, what happens to group life in the summer? Well, we are all trained by our culture to want to “take a break” in the summer. From the time we enter school as a child, we are enculturated into believing that summer is the time when we disengage. Once you become parents, you plan vacations around the time when the kids are out of school. It becomes part of our habits and our rhythm. But, does that pertain to group life?

Well, if your time in group is like school, a place to go to learn information, then the answer is “Yes.” But, if group is how you live out your Christian faith, the answer is radically different. It would be the equivalent of saying, “Whew, summer is here. I can finally stop breathing for 3 months!” And, ironically, the very time when we have the most availability to serve God’s Kingdom purposes, especially as families with school-age kids, is the time when we are most likely to go AWOL.

Listen up. I totally understand that we all need a change of pace. And that’s the beauty of group life. You have incredible freedom to modify your group experience. In fact, it’s necessary! If you have just finished a season of studying God’s Word, it’s time to put it into practice! In fact, that is what it means to lead a worshipful life. God expects us to respond to His Word. If He tells you to “Love your neighbor,” He expects more than, “Wow! What a concept to ponder!” out of you. If He tells you that He crafted you for service and uses your acts of servitude to create Christ-like character in you, a child of God will jump at the opportunity to serve.

So, how do I know so much about how hot it was on Sunday afternoon? Well, my CONNECT group was engaged in Kingdom work in our neighborhood at that time. We were occupied with our Second Annual Flag Day Block Party and Parade. We had tried this as an experiment last year to see if folks would come out to connect as neighbors and it was a HUGE success. So this year, we expanded the party. There was no agenda beyond loving our neighbors in a way which reflects the things we claim to believe about God and people. And once again, the people came in numbers.

Why did they come? Was it because they can’t resist a good party? Was it that we supplied all the meat? Or was it that most of them realize that they don’t really know their neighbors? At our core as humans is the desire to truly know others and to be known by them (another blog post on another day).

And this year, I was asked twice as often about why we were doing this. Last year, the answer was simply about wanting to get to know everyone. This year, the answer was more along the lines of “Well, we claim in church and in our Bible study group that we are supposed to love our neighbors. We decided to try it out and see how it goes.”

Last year, conversations were superficial and neighborly. This year, I personally was invited into 2 deeper discussions of spiritual matters. And, as I wandered through the crowd, I heard others being asked serious life questions, even specifically about the Christian faith. We didn’t go around commenting on tattoos and those who had brought beer. We didn’t pretend that everything is perfect in our lives. We did open up and invite others into our lives and they responded likewise.

The ones God has prepared for party planning did it with excellence. The ones He made to be servants pulled off the enormous plan. Those who are merciful entered into the suffering of others. And those who were made to be evangelists figured out how to listen more than talk and then to speak with relevance and clarity on the things which we know are true.

So, how is your CONNECT group going to stay on mission with God this summer? Take a little time and let me know your ideas for the summer season.

Leadership 101

How many people tuned out the moment they saw the title for this post? I have found that, when the topic of leadership comes up, there are two types of people. There are those who lunge at the opportunity and those who shy away. So, we all know who the leaders are. It’s that easy, right?

But whose definition of leadership are we using? Pastor Doug has me revisiting a book I read years ago, Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. As the weeks progress, I will occasionally reference this book in posts about leadership. If any of the thoughts from this book intrigue you, I recommend you consider picking up a copy to read. Sanders would say that there are two types of leaders, natural and spiritual. The differences are conspicuous. The natural leader trusts in his abilities, while the spiritual leader puts his trust in the Lord. The natural leader relishes in power and control, while the spiritual leader delights in faithfulness to the Lord. And the natural leader creates methods, while the spiritual leader looks to the model given by the Lord. Do you see a pattern developing here?

The world says that leadership is all about power. It’s about coercing or manipulating others into doing what you want. It’s the leadership methods of Attila the Hun or Machiavelli. It’s about using every resource available to you without restraint to advance yourself and your will. There’s no room for others except as they profit you. Do you know anyone like this? I used to be one. Sadly, some days, I still am.

But the biblical model of leadership is one of influence. Do you know the difference between manipulation and influence? It’s your focus. If you’re focusing on changing the behavior of the other person, you’re manipulating. But if you are seeking to model Christ-like devotion and servitude and find that it’s attracting other to do likewise, that’s influence. It’s not so much telling as it is showing. Christ could have visited to tell us how to live. Rather, He chose to enter His creation and demonstrate a faithful life. And in a mere three years, He was finished and He left, giving us all we need to follow in His ways. And His disciples transformed their world.
In one sense, everyone is a leader. If you consider long enough, you’ll find someone with whom you are influential, someone who is watching you and learning, good or bad. And Paul wrote, “To aspire to leadership is an honorable ambition” (1 Timothy 3:1). But what of those eager for leadership? Peter wrote:

…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5-7)

So, after pondering this, how will your interactions in group, at work, at school, in your family be different, Christian? Will others look at you and see Christ or a self-serving horror?

A Life Worth Honoring

A week ago, we as a country celebrated Memorial Day. Again, I’ll be honest with you. I come from California and we talk a little about honoring fallen soldiers but we don’t really do that. It took coming here to Lititz to realize that Memorial Day in Southern California is mostly about marking the beginning of the water sports season and usually involves a long weekend at the Colorado River. But this year, my second Memorial Day in Lancaster County found me reflecting deeply about the men and women, both military and civilian, who have given their very lives for something much bigger.

Some are probably wondering why this post didn’t come up on Memorial Day. Frankly, it’s because I intend to mess with that holiday just a little bit and I believed it would be disrespectful to do that on that day. But here, one week later, I want to muse about a day set aside to honor Service.

Because, isn’t that what Memorial Day is really about when you strip away the very specific instances of heroism and sacrifice? Isn’t your life your most precious possession? I don’t mean your “life” in the worldly sense, limited to your days from birth to death. Rather, I mean the biblical view of your life, your entire being, who you are. In fact, Scripture teaches us that the actions of our earthly life reveal the condition of our soul. So, the one who pours him- or herself out for a bigger cause is demonstrating the values and priorities of that person.

This is incredibly relevant to the materials that we are going through right now in our groups. We are learning how God has uniquely prepared each of us to fit together and to serve together to further His Kingdom purposes. Also, by committing to follow Christ’s model of Service, we grow to be more like Him and to walk more intimately with Him.

The life worth honoring is the one poured out in service to the Lord. In Romans, Paul devotes 11 chapters to laying out his Soteriology (Doctrine of Salvation). Then he starts Chapter 12 by saying:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

And Hebrews 11 is a list of notable Old Testament saints who gave their entire life over to following God’s unfurling plan. These are the types of Christian lives that should be honored and celebrated. Do you want to know how you can finish the race well? Do you want to know how to live without regrets? Do you want to end your days knowing that you were part of something bigger than yourself, something that will last? Are you looking for something worth dying for?

Then find out who God created you to be and throw every bit of yourself, your very life at it.

After all, that’s why He gave it to you.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

Understanding SHAPE

OK, it’s time for another confession. I often watch movies that would not be on the Christian Approved list. Last weekend was one of those times. You see, I had been intrigued by the dating rituals of a certain young man I was counseling. Frankly, it was very foreign to me. I’m pretty old school. If I want to communicate something, I just say it. But not so with this young guy, and apparently not so with his generation. How do I know? Well, the culture produced the movie, “He’s Just Not That Into You.”

Please don’t think I’m recommending this movie. I’m not. But it was about the culture and about how relationships form, and those types of movies draw my attention. And of course I found lots of poor communication and over-reliance upon nonverbal communication in this story. But the plot of the movie was built around our basic need to connect to others in meaningful community. And what was painfully obvious to me was the pervasive spirit of discontentment running through most of the characters.

My fear is that our study of SHAPE will result in the same spirit of discontent. Frankly, that is one reason that we are asking all of our CONNECT groups to go through both the SHAPE study and the Serving Together study. Together they form a full picture of how God intends to use serving to develop you while bringing glory to Himself. For those who are not serving anywhere, the solution is simple: take an educated guess at your SHAPE, pick a place to serve, and take a ministry on a test drive. But for those who are already serving somewhere at Grace Church and have done the SHAPE study and felt that maybe they are plugged in at a place where they don’t fit well, those are the people who concern me most.

It’s like in the movie, when the young husband, Ben is struggling to figure out who he is as a newly-married man. Along comes the flirtatious, knock-out, single gal, Anna. Although he knows that he has committed himself to his wife, Janine, he deceives himself into thinking that he’s really meant for Anna.

Some people might have the idea that God doesn’t want them serving in the ministry they are in. That is unlikely. The Serving Together study helps you understand how God uses whatever your present circumstances in order to work in and through your life. If you have a heart for Missions, you don’t have to start by making travel arrangement to the CAR. Rather, look around you for ways to use your SHAPE to reach people, especially those very different than you. If you’re in Children’s Ministry and feel that God really SHAPE’d you more for Adult Ministry, ask your ministry supervisor if help is needed in building up the volunteers in Children & Youth, training and encouraging them, or connecting with the parents who are entrusting their precious treasures to the ministry.

I guess the point I’m trying to get across is that SHAPE is a tool to help you figure out how God wants to use you exactly where He has planted you. Yes, sometimes that will lead to a radical change. But, more times than not, it starts with small changes right where you are. Remember, we are all on a journey as we learn to walk faithfully with our God. Resist the American cultural leanings toward instant gratification, easy, quick solutions, and discontentment. It’s a process. Enjoy the ride. He prepared it for you before you drew your first breath.

He’s really just that into His people!

Control

We sat as a family in the Youth Room and listened intently as Pastor Doug told us all that he doesn’t like the ocean. He explained that he had been forced into a bad experience with “Jell-o fish.” I thought, “He must have been stung thousands of times by the jellyfish to cause this kind of long-term damage!” :o)

Then, Doug told all of the parents that we need to listen to our youth, to hear what they have to say and start the process of moving them to adulthood. What a frightening concept to the father of two teenage daughters! So, we asked our girls what we could do to validate their maturity. One said, “Stop treating us like 5-year-olds!”

OK, I’ll confess that I didn’t respond well to her use of hyperbole (that word is for you, Jeff!). She had exaggerated to make a point, that she felt like we were controlling them too much, not allowing them more freedom.

Lately, I have heard some in the CONNECT Ministry object to Leadership requiring certain studies. Let me explain what’s happening here. We are a developing ministry which is slowing transforming the culture of Grace Church. In order to develop CONNECT and disciple our members, we have determined key steps toward our goals. Therefore, twice a year we require specific content for our entire ministry.

Having everyone on the same page is very important to maintaining the unity of our church. Groups ministries have a tendency to produce churches with Multiple Personality Disorder. But all of our groups are part of CONNECT and Grace Church, and we are all intended to pull together in the same direction, albeit in different ways according to our SHAPE.

Also, most of these studies run 6 weeks. If CONNECT controls your content for 23% of the year, that leaves tremendous freedom and time for each group to pursue studies and activities which are meaningful to their unique discipleship needs.

Finally, and I say this at risk of hurled stones, one of the greatest discipleship needs in this area of the country is toward submission to authority. Now, no one likes godless leadership, but we are striving as Leaders of the CONNECT Ministry to model Christ-like headship. Partly, this is to maintain order and intentionality. But it’s also because this is crucial to your holiness.

Let us know if you feel like you’re being treated like 5-year-olds…..