Category Archives: Leadership

Leadership, Ministry, Youth Ministry

A New Day

Today, I am a youth minister again.

For the last few months I have had to pull double duty while we hired a pulpit minister. it has been really great but I am so glad that I can now focus on my students more fully.

I have learned a whole lot over the course of the year. I have felt more confident in my speaking and I have really enjoyed studying and preparing for my weekend messages.

I won’t speak to the entire congregation again until Graduation Sunday on May 20th. I’m thinking about going through 1 Samuel 1-3.

I love this passage and I think it is perfect for a day where we honor our Seniors and the sacrifices that their parents have made.

What did your church do for you when you graduated? Drop me an email or a comments and let me know.

Have a great week everyone!

Book Review, Ethos, Leadership, Popular Culture, Questions

My Experience

As repeated polls have revealed, when asked what they spend most time talking about with their child, her As, Cs, or Fs, more than 70 percent of parents say the Fs.
-Marcus Buckingham

Was that your experience because it was mine? Everytime I brought home a report card or a progress report hardly two words were spoken to me about my good grades. The conversations always revolved around how bad one grade was and what I must do to turn it around.

Usually that wayward grade would be in some math class. My English grades were always high and I did very well in Science and in History because it is in those subjects that my strengths lie. I knew deep within my heart that I would never excel at math. I could only get a little better.

However, that isn’t what the world believes. Maybe it isn’t what you believe.

According to Marcus Buckingham, formerly of the Gallup Organization, 61% of people believe that you will grow the most in your areas of weakness. Really? I will grow the most in my areas where I’m weakest?

It has been my experience that simply cannot be true. My weaknesses shouldn’t be ignored (I would have failed if I had completely ignored those math grades) but they cannot be my focus. According to Buckingham, a far better use of my time would have been spent working on my strengths. That what I kept yelling whispering to my parents all those years ago.

Maybe that is why Buckingham’s work has really connected with me. Last October, I heard him ask the grades question. Twelve years of arguments and frustrations all came flooding back to me in that instant. It all made sense to me. Instead of being encouraged to focus on my strengths I have been told my entire life that I need to focus on the areas where I’m lacking. While the motivation behind this belief is all well and good it is merely a wild goose chase.

According to Buckingham, to learn about success you must study success not failure. Studying failure will teach you more about, well, failure.

I’m more interested in success anyway.

Check out Marcus Buckingham’s Go Put Your Strengths to Work. Click on the link to watch a preview video.

Also check out Trombone Player Wanted. A great video resource to supplement this great material.

I will be attending another seminar with Buckingham on Wednesday. I am absolutely stoked about this event. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Until then- focus on your strengths not your weaknesses!

Leadership, Ministry

When Opportunity Knocks

OPEN the door!

I had dinner tonight with the guys from LifeChurch.tv. Their leadership is in town for the Creative Pastors Conference and offered a dinner invitation to 30 area church leaders who might be interested.

I was more than interested.

The people over at LifeChurch are doing some very creative and very interesting things.

First, they are doing the satellite thing and they are doing it well.

Second, they began offering not just podcasts and not just video podcasts but they created OPEN, a website offering all of their videos, artwork, and teaching to churches completely gratis. Unheard of in the world of ministry. Big props for OPEN.

Finially, they are growing like gangbusters and yet whenever I hear from one of their leaders they are quick to say three things:

  • To God be the glory.
  • This is working for us.
  • This might not work for you.

Tonight’s dinner was great and I’m still processing a few things (which is always a good sign). It was a real treat connecting with different ministers and different ministries from all over the country in such an informal and intimate setting.

Big thanks to Bobby and the rest of the LifeChurch.tv leaders. Have a great conference and a safe trip home.

Books, Discipleship, Faith in Action, Leadership, Ministry, Questions, Resources, Theology, Youth Ministry

Providing Answers AND Questions

Part of my job as a youth minister is to create an enviroment where teens can feel free to ask questions and a place that helps them answer their questions. While reading Youth Ministry Mutiny by Greg Stier, the protagonist provided 30 questions that his youth ministry centered all of their teaching around. The minister said that, “Every teen and adult should know, live, and own the answers to these questions as a result of our ministry in their lives.”

Here they are:

  • Who is God and what is He like?
  • What is the Trinity?
  • Who is Jesus?
  • Why did he die on the cross?
  • How do I know he really rose from the dead?
  • Who is the HS and what does He do?
  • How do I get plugged into the power of the HS?
  • Is the Bible really God’s Word and how does it apply to my life?
  • What is truth and can I know it with certainty?
  • What is sin and how does it impact my life and my relationships with others?
  • Why does God allow evil in this world?
  • What is a Christian and how does a person become one?
  • If Jesus is the only way to Heaven, are all other religions wrong?
  • What about people who have never heard about the Gospel?
  • What is the Great Commission and how does it relate to me?
  • Is the really a heaven and a hell and what are they like?
  • Is there a judgement day and what difference should it make in my life?
  • Can I really be forgiven for all my sins, even the really bad ones?
  • Will God ever leave me or forsake me?
  • Who are Satan and his demons?
  • How do I engage in spiritual warfare?
  • What is Church and why should I be involved?
  • What are spiritual gifts and how do I discover mine?
  • How should the return of Christ impact my life?
  • What is prayer and how do I do it?
  • Why should I study my Bible and how do I do it?
  • How do I defend my faith?
  • Who am I, where did I come from, and what is my purpose?
  • Which is true creation or evolution, and why does it matter?
  • How can I worship God in everything I do?

As I looked over these 30 questions I felt like they covered just about everything I’ve tried to pass along to my students. Of course this list isn’t/shouldn’t be exhaustive but they gave me a great jumping off point. What do you think? Anything you’d add? Anything you’d take away?

Discipleship, Faith in Action, Film & Theology, Heroes, Leadership, Ministry, Politics, Resources

My Great Change

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Monday night I headed over to downtown Ft. Worth for a screening of the newest film from Walden Media, Amazing Grace.

The film tells the story of William WIlberforce.

Wilberforce was a member of British parliment near the end of the 18th century and early part of the 19th century. In 1784, a “great change” occured in his life. He became a Christian.

This “great change” influenced the way he lived and lit a new fire in his belly. Wilberforce set out to abolish slavery in all of the British Empire. It became his all consuming passion. He dedicated the rest of his life to this end. Friends were lost and enemies were made but he never gave up. For 34 years, he continued to push for an end to the “horrors of the slave trade.”

Three days before he passed away, Parliment passed the Slavery Abolition Act, freeing all slaves within the Brish empire.

One man. One Faith. One Pursuit. Millions of lives changed.

While watching the film I was struck by the thought that one person can make a lasting difference in the world. I used to believe that as a kid but somewhere along the way that belief turned into merely a pipe dream.

My least favorite sentances in the world are:

“It’s always been this way.” and “We’ve never done it that way.”

Those are the two biggest lies that cripple young dreams and vibrant life. Well, I’m not buying it anymore.

Yesterday I read Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper. It was a great little read. It is under 80 pages so you could read it in about an hour. It again drove the point home to me: One person can make a difference.

The movie was very good and I am hoping to promote it with my teens and their families. The film opens on February 23. You can go to the film’s website to see where it will be playing in your area.

Discipleship, Ethos, Faith in Action, Leadership, Ministry, Religion, Theology

Great Reminder From a Great Man

“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for peace and for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will. But if the church will free itself from the shackles of a deadening status quo, and, recovering its great historic mission, will speak and act fearlessly and insistently in terms of justice and peace, it will enkindle the imagination of mankind and fire the souls of men, imbuing them with a glowing and ardent love for truth, justice, and peace. Men far and near will know the church as a great fellowship of love that provides light and bread for lonely travellers at midnight.”

-Dr. Martin Juthur King, Jr.

Leadership, Music

On Being Authentic

Red Hot Chilli Peppers, LL Cool J, Tom Petty, Audioslave, and Jay-Z.

Q: What do all of the these artist have in common.
A: They have all worked with uber-producer Rick Rubin.

As I’ve stated before I think Rick Rubin is the kind of producer you want to work with. Every time you hear an artist or a group talk about Rubin they tell of the creativity and highly charged energy in the recording studio. Rubin seems to bring out the best in his artists.

Rubin helped resurrect Johnny Cash and it is the Cash on American recordings that will forever define this country legend. (For more of the process of working with Rubin check out the liner notes for the Unearthed box set)

I generally get excited when I hear about artists tapping Rubin to work with them. Recently Rubin has produced songs or albums by Neil Diamond, The Dixie Chicks, Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park, and, or course, U2.

I was happy to see and hear what Rubin has been able to do with these artists and each of them have been able to release some pretty great stuff. However, Rubin is working with another band and I am none too happy about it.

From Metallica.com:

Oh, and by the way, this up and coming producer guy named Rick something-or other, has been coming by the studio every now and again to listen to some of our new stuff and throw his two/three cents in. Since this Rick dude is new to all of this, we thought it would be a nice gesture to help break him into the music business by asking him to produce our next record. We’re very happy he said yes! In other words, we are psyched to share with you that Rick Rubin is producing the next Metallica album!

I think they were going for sarcasm in that post but it completely smacked of condescension.

Let’s be honest, Brand Rubin is red hot right now and Brand Metallica has been faltering for years. In the past 10 years Metallica has released 4 albums. Only two of those have had completely new material (1997’s Reloaded and 2003’s St Anger).

Beyond their music, their off stage antics (suing their fans) have turned them into the band everyone loves to hate.

Metallica has burned too many bridges with their fans to be so flippant about Rubin graciously agreeing to work with them. Leave it to Lars to act as though they are giving this incredible producer a break.

Authenticity must be earned and it is even harder to reacquire after it has been lost. I’ll be interested in hearing this new album if only to hear if Metallica allowed Rubin to do his job.

I’m afraid though that Metallica is Metallica’s worst enemy. Some kind of monster indeed.

link

Book Review, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, Resources

The Emotionally Helthy Church Begins With… (Pt 2)

The Emotionally Helthy Church Begins With… Me.

More from The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero:

Our churches are in trouble, says Scazzero. They are filled with people who are

  • unsure how to biblically integrate anger, sadness, and other emotions
  • defensive, incapable of revealing their weaknesses
  • threatened by or intolerant of different viewpoints
  • zealous about ministering at church but blind to their spouses’ loneliness at home
  • so involved in “serving” that they fail to take care of themselves
  • prone to withdraw from conflict rather than resolve it

In Chapter 4 Scazzero provides the reader with a spiritual/emotional maturity inventory questionaire. The inventory is broken into 2 parts. Part A includes questions that help the reader work through general formation and discipleship issues. Part B looks at the emotional componants of discipleship and is broken into sub-sections (For section titles see chapter breakdown below).

While I scored fairly well on each componant, I was able to see gaping holes where a higher maturity level will help me become a better disciple of Christ and a more healthy leader in the church. I do not want to become just another statistic of a burnt out minister who takes those around me down as I flame out. I don’t want my peers to experience this either. We are the body of Christ. Let’s change the statistics.

The rest of the book is brokendown into chapters that corespond with the 6 emotional componants of discipleship from Part B of the Spiritual/Emotional Maturity Inventory:

  • Look Beneath the Surface
  • Break the Power of the Past
  • Live in Brokenness and Vulnerability
  • Accept the Gift of Limits
  • Embrace Grieving and Loss
  • Make Incarnation Your Model for Loving Well
Book Review, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry

The Emotionally Health Church Pt 1

Something is desperately wrong with most churches today. Many sincere followers of Christ who are passionate for God and his work are unaware of the crucial link between emotional health and spiritual maturity. They present themselves as spiritually mature but are stuck at a level of immaturity that current models of discipleship have not addressed. Discipleship that really transforms a church must integrate emotional health with spiritual maturity. The Emotionally Healthy Church, winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award, offers a strategy for discipleship that accomplishes healthy living and actually changes lives.

Scazzero argues that it is impossible for someone to be emotionally immature and be spiritually mature. One must become competent in both the interior world (what goes on inside of us) and the exterior world (people and experiences that go on around us).

To do this we mustn’t place the spiritual dimensions of our lives over and above the other aspects of our lives that are just as critical to our being. Throughout history we have separated our spiritual lives from our physical, social, intellectual, and emotional lives. Scazzero argues that this view come more from Plato than from Christ Jesus.

We have separated the spiritual for so long that we in the church are perfectly okay with:

  • Someone who is a dynamic, gifted speaker in the pulpit and an unloving spouse and father at home
  • A church leader or elder and be “unteachable, insecure, and defensive”
  • Competent in scripture and still be full of anger or lost in depression
  • A minister who says yes to any and everyone but no to your family
  • Cooperative on the surface and Passive-aggressive on your delivery

Sadly we find these things acceptable in church. As Scazzero puts it, when someone is dealing with something this serious we often just “pray and hope for the best.”

“To truly love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength requires that we know not only god but also our interior- the nature of our own heart, soul, and mind. Understanding that world of feelings, thoughts, desire, and hopes with all its richness and complexity is hard work. It also takes time- lots of it.” (55)