Category Archives: Leadership

Book Review, Ethos, Leadership, Ministry, Resources, Thoughts

Avoid the Cockroaches

I’ve been reading Tony Morgan’s Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musing on Leadership and it has quickly become one of my favorite books. I can see this small collection of blog posts, lists, thoughts, and challenges as one of my “go to” books for a quick jolt or simple reminder of my calling.

Tony Morgan is the Chief Strategic Officer at NewSpring Church in South Carolina. He has a great blog filled with all kinds of goodness. Killing Cockroaches is Tony’s attempt to collect some of his “best of” posts into book form because some “don’t embrace the credibility of an idea unless it is contained writing the hardbound covers of a book.” It is Small is the New Big for ministry leaders.

Morgan defines Killing Cockroaches as “responding to the urgent stuff in our lives that keeps us from doing the important stuff in our lives.” He relays a story when he worked in the corporate world as a CEO. One day he was working and was called away from his desk by a screaming employee who needed him to kill a cockroach that was in her office. I’m positive that “exterminator” was not on his nor any CEO’s list of job responsibilities.

This emergency (and others like it) would be what Covey would call the “tyranny of the urgent” and as a leader you could spend the bulk of your time chasing down emergencies and putting out fires. For some they feed on this type of energy. They love feeling needed or swooping in like a caped superhero. Unfortunately these feeling move from a feeling of exhilaration to burnout in the blink of an eye.

Sometimes we have to meet oncoming deadlines. Sometimes we have to swoop in and save the day. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do. Sometimes we do have to kill the cockroaches.

But how can you avoid the soul-crushing realization that you’ve moved from a full-time leader to full-time exterminator. Morgan has some ideas:

Blocking out time in my schedule. A little proactive planning will give you the time you need to work on the important things. This helps me balance home, work, and Micheal time. I’m actively working on this in my life so that when emergencies do arise I can shift things around and still come back to what is important. I have also found that by trying to control my own schedule I can anticipate emergencies a little better than before. Do you plan a head? What can you do this week to pro-actively schedule your time?

Empowering other competent leaders. I spent 27hrs last weekend traveling (14hrs) and teaching (13hrs) between Thursday AM and Saturday PM. I was beat and I was a bit wiped come Sunday morning. The great thing is that I have a great group of adults and support people to help me teach classes on Sunday mornings. I know that I can count on them to lead, teach, and coach. So instead of worrying about getting a teacher to cover or summoning some energy from within (which would have been an impossible task this past Sunday) I knew that everything would be taken care of because I am sharing leadership responsibilities with other competent leaders. Who are you working with? Do they know that you appreciate them? Are you unleashing them for ministry?

Identifying my strengths. I always try to play with my strengths. In high school I was stocky and quick. In football it would have been a colossal mistake for me to try and push over or run over some of those 6ft+ offensive linemen. Instead I played to my strengths- stay low, go under/through, get into the backfield and mess up the O’s play. It worked. Could I have tried other techniques? Yes but I would have ended most games black and blue with little to no glory. Play to your strengths and avoid living within your weaknesses. When you have to constantly work within your weaknesses that is a recipe for disaster. Plus, working and living in your strengths most of the time gives you the (ahem) strength to kill those cockroaches when you have too. What are your strengths? Do you get to play to your strengths everyday?

Morgan states plainly that it is my fault when my day is filled with killing cockroaches. “It is easy to blame the screaming person who runs into my office,” he says, “but oftentimes I’m the one who has allowed (and sometimes created) those urgent demands.”

Today I hope you don’t have to kill any cockroaches. I hope you get to do what you love and can avoid the tyranny of the urgent. If you do find yourself dealing with cockroaches I hope that these suggestions will help you. Good luck friends! Keep pressing on to “take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Killing Cockroaches in 4 Easy Parts (from the Introduction)
1) Mix equal parts powdered sugar and borax in a bowl.
2) Sprinkle in cracks along walls and under cupboards
3) Keep mixture away from children and pets
4) Repeat as necessary for one to two weeks until all roaches have died

Tony Morgan
Killing Cockroaches

Book Review, Discipleship, Ethos, Leadership, Resources

Notes to Practice Greatness With

A few weeks ago, I read Reggie McNeal’s Practicing Greatness. This book quickly shot up into my Top 10 books of all time list and has been slowly washing over me since finishing it.

In the book McNeal challenges leaders to practice 7 disciplines that give power to great spiritual leaders. What I loved about this book is that McNeal’s heart and desire for good leaders to become great leaders really shone through. Some of these disciplines you may already be practicing but by naming them and by intentionally practicing them they should truly impact your life of service. McNeal writes that great spiritual leaders are committed, consciously and intentionally, to these 7 practices:

Self-Awareness: This protects leaders from being self-absorbed and merely role driven. This leads to increase awareness of burn-out and helps leaders overcome stress. Integration of mission, talent, and personality through life-experience.

Self-Management: The failure to manage self leads to self sabotage or derailment.

Self-Development: Never stop growing. Pursue life-long learning and build on your strengths. Choose to grow through failure.

Mission: Decide to spend your life focused on your mission rather than allow your life to be hijacked by other people’s expectations and agendas. Don’t be distracted by weaknesses that debilitate your energies.

Decision-Making: Be consistent in making good decisions. good leaders know how, when, and what good decisions need to be made.

Belonging: Enjoy significant relationships that nurture your life.

Aloneness: Not just the realization of the alone-nature of leadership but intentionally building solitude with God into your life.

All in all this is one of my favorite books on leadership. I just hit the highlights here so I would encourage you to pick up a copy of this great book and integrate these practices into your life.

Which discipline are you practicing right now? Which discipline do you really need to practice today?

Discipleship, Ethos, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Theology

WWYD?

Do you find yourself asking What Would Micheal Do?

Before you accuse me of being arrogant hear me out.

A friend of mine has a 2yr old (soon to be 3yr old) son. This friend of mine and I grew up going to Jr and Sr high together and for the most part we are just as close as we were then. I love his family and his little boy is adorable. I often get to talk with the little one over the cell phone while his Dad prompts him to “carry on a conversation” with me. Sometimes he goes on and on and sometimes he just says “Hi Mikey!” Love it!

BTW, this little boy is the one and only person who can get away with calling me Mikey. Don’t even try it.

While at his grandparents house this little boy somehow got a hold of a picture of me from high school. According to his parents he keeps this picture of me in a little box and pulls it out, talks with me, asks me what I’m doing, and then puts it away.

When I first heard this story I laughed. “How cute and how bizarre?” I thought. A thrill of emotion went through me as I beamed with pride over the idea that I am loved by this little boy.

But beyond being cute and sweet this little story serves as a great big reminder to me.

We are all being watched. You, me, everyone has little eyes and little lives looking to see how we treat them, treat others, and how we live out our worship to God.

Someone, somewhere right now is asking themselves the question WWYD? What Would YOU Do?

They may not have your picture in a box but they look to see how you react to difficulties in your life.

They may not see you everyday but they think about how you show your care for others.

They may not talk with you each week but they orient their priorities to the things that that are priorities in your life.

Hopefully, soon my own son will be here to look to me for guidance, to talk with me, to share with me, and to learn from me. I hope that the words that I say, the actions of my heart, and the pattern of my life is something that he and others can look to in order that they may understand more about the One that I serve.

May our rally cry be like Paul’s, not that people follow us to be like us alone, but that they follow our example because we are following the example of Christ. (1Cor 11:1)

To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Leadership, Life, Ministry, My Life, My Wife Rules, Thoughts

Support

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One thought that has sweeping across my mind the last few days has been that I am blessed with a ton of support people in my life.

I live in an area where the youth ministers regularly meet together- not just to accomplish events but we really connect with one another. While there has been some turn over the last few years (I’ve been here 3 years and I’m one of the veterans) we pray together, hang out together, and support one another. I had lunch with one of these guys yesterday and while the reason behind our meeting was professional we dove deep into the personal side of life. Today I had lunch with an “older” minister- a guy who isn’t old he’s just a little further into the journey than I am- and our time together was this great melding of the personal/professional that only ministers can truly understand. We shared about our season and then we went and visited another minister who just became a dad. Again, another chance to connect with one another and support each other.

Have I ever mentioned here that I also have an awesome wife who supports and encourages me and challenges me. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me and we are about to launch into the great beyond of parenthood together. While the days of Monday night dates may soon go the way of the dodo, I wouldn’t have traded anything for the time we spent together last night. Thanks Babe.

I have close friends that I can count on- whether in town or on the phone.

I truly am blessed with some great relationships at church too. I love the give and take of doing life together with the families I have around me at church.

Big THANKS to all of you who support me, encourage me, challenge me, count on me, and who let me count on you.

You are appreciated and loved. More than you know.

Awesomenessness, Campus Ministry, Collecting Experiences, Leadership, My Life, Study, Youth Ministry

Looking Forward

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I am so excited about an opportunity I’ve been given. At the end of the month I’ll be teaching a seminar class at Harding University for the youth ministry department. My seminar will focus on weighing the differences between Campus Ministry and traditional Church Youth Ministry. I’ve titled the class Bringing the Big Man to Campus.

I am super excited about this. It has been a goal of mine to pursue opportunities in public speaking and teaching. This opportunity fell in my lap and I am running with it. One day I would love to travel and speak. I love inspiring people and discussing issues of ministry, leadership, and development. This is a chance to do something different and to work on my skills. This also lets me meet and interact with students who are about to set out and serve teens and their families. This is promising to be a great weekend.

Please keep me in your prayers as I am preparing to teach this class. I’ll be sure to post some content for the weekend here soon. Thanks for your prayers!

Book Review, Discipleship, Leadership, Resources, Worship, Wrestling With Scripture

Working Definition of a Worship Leader 1

In Worship Matters, author Bob Kauflin laysout his working definition of a Worship Leader. He states,

A faithful worship leader
magnifies the Greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skillfully combining God’s Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God’s presence,
and to live for God’s glory.

Let’s unpack this definition and get at the heart of what Kauflin is saying.

A Faithful Worship Leader…
Here faithful is defined as “adhering to the observance of a duty, keeping your word, fulfilling your obligations. It involves being loyal, constant, and reliable.” Kauflin rightfully argues that God isn’t concerned with the worship leader being exalted with fame and/or popularity. God is first and foremost seeking worship leaders who are faithful to Him. In my favorite section of this chapter Kauflin writes,

Although we never know exactly how people are going to respond during a meeting, we tend to reap what we sow. If we sow to God’s glory in Christ, we’ll reap the fruit of people in awe of God’s greatness and goodness. But to do that we must faithfully paint a compelling, attractive, biblical picture of the Savior. God isn’t hiding from us, waiting to see if we’ll find the right combination to unlock his blessing. He is eager to work through us as we faithfully lead our church into a clearer understanding of his glory.

In the margin of the book I wrote a great big ole “BOOM!” around this passage. Kauflin is exactly right. We can’t be faithful to tends because they come and go. We can’t be faithful to styles or to particular songs. We are called to be faithful to God Almighty. Anything less would be foolish.

Magnifies the Greatness of God…
When leading others in worship, I always seek to begin with songs that proclaim the greatness of God. I love hearing the church sing songs like We Praise Thee O God, Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, How Great Is Our God, Indescribable, and Awesome God. I often will read a Psalm that reminds us of the nature of the God we sing to and pray to and worship. Kauflin begins this chapter by quoting Psalm 145:3:

“Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”

Kauflin believes that when leading worship the leader must be clear and specific about God’s nature and acts so that we remind people just who this God is and what he has done. Basically, we need to make sure that we communicate through the songs that we sing, the scriptures that we read, the prayers that we pray, and everything else we do proclaims that God alone is worthy of our worship. He warns that unless there is a strong biblical foundation for our worship we will run the risk of worshiping a feeling, emotion, or style. Reminding people of who God is and what he has done- not an upbeat song or warm fuzzy feeling- provides the appropriate foundation for our affections.

In Jesus Christ…
One of my biggest complaints with some churches and ministers is when I gather with them we can often spend an entire worship experience together and the name of Jesus rarely, if ever, comes up. There is a guy on TV that preaches and I have never-NEVER- heard him talk about Jesus. What’s with that? It isn’t just guys on TV. Too many ministers and preachers have forgotten to heed the example of Paul and have failed to deliver the message of “first importance.” The message of Jesus Christ and his death for our sins.

Kauflin encourages those who lead worship with this challenge,

Everytime we step up to lead the congregation, we should present a clear picture of “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2Cor 4:6). We come together to retell, remember, and respond to the gospel and all that it accomplished. We have been saved to trust in, love, desire, and obey the matchless One who is the only Savior of the world and the radience of the Father’s glory.

Therefore, one of our primary thoughts as we plan a Sunday meeting should be: Will our time together cause people’s view of, trust in, and desire for God’s glory in Christ and him crucified to increase?

That is a great challenge and one I will take with me every time I step up to lead.

Through the Power of the Holy Spirit
I know sometimes I get so wrapped up in the lighting, the mood, the right songs, avoiding the wrong songs, pacing, verse numbers, atmosphere, sound system that I feel like leading people in worship is my job and mine alone. I believe that by controlling all the right elements that I can change peoples focus and attitudes toward God. While I don’t really believe that my actions/focus might say otherwise.

Kauflin begins by saying that churches can magnify the greatness of God in Christ and still “fail to demonstrate the kind of empowered living and passion that the gospel should produce” because churches/leaders “attempt to worship God apart from the power of the Holy Spirit.”

One of the most haunting conversations I have had was with a leader with one of the ministries I served. We had had numerous issues with spiritually impoverished people- infighting, rampant sin, rebellion against authority, ill-will, and lack of leadership. One day while lamenting these issues he turned to me and said, ‘Micheal, maybe were are seeing these things because the Holy Spirit has never been welcomed here. We are wondering where his presence is in the middle of all this and I’m thinking he isn’t here because people have never invited him here.”

There is so much we speculate about when it comes to the Holy Spirit. We spend nearly 100% of our time when speaking about the HS either avoiding talk about the HS or arguing about the unknown mysteries of the HS. I think it is time we remember what we do know about the Spirit’s role in worship.

Tomorrow: The Spirit’s Role

Book Review, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, Theology, Worship

Definition of a Worship Leader

I’ve been reading through Bob Kauflin’s great primer on worship leading called Worship Matters. I have been reading at a Berean-pace so I’ve been in it for a few weeks now. I really like Kauflin’s writing style and his desire to lead others in worship come across as clear and concise.

Kauflin has come up with this working definition of a worship leader…

A faithful worship leader
magnifies the Greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skillfully combining God’s Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God’s presence,
and to live for God’s glory.

This is a definition I can get behind. Can we please move beyond the idea that a worship leader is merely a song leader? Throughout the week I want to unpack Kauflin’s description.

For right now though… What would you add to this description of a worship leader? What would you take away?

Discipleship, Ethos, Leadership, Ministry, Sermons, Theology, Thoughts, Wrestling With Scripture

Are We Human?

I had the opportunity to speak at the junior high and senior high chapels at my alma mater this morning. I really enjoy speaking and teaching and so I try to take every opportunity that comes my way. I look at it as “honing my speaking skills.” Jay Leno hits the comedy clubs. I hit the guest speaking circuit.

I was given the assignment to speak on “What is the definition of humanity?” Real easy huh?

I decided to approach defining humanity by the way we treat others who are different from us. Meaning, our humanity depends on us treating all men with dignity, respect, kindness, and compassion.

This first issue the church dealt with was with racism. The Jewish Christians were unwilling to fully accept the Gentile Christians. This bred hostility and an attitude of exclusiveness.

“We’re in. You’re out. Deal with it!”

In Ephesians 2 Paul reminds us that, regardless of our past, we all have a brand new beginning with Jesus. Because of his mercy and grace, we have been brought inside. We belong to one another and to him. He goes on to say,

“It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God’s ways had no idea of any of this, didn’t know the first thing about the way God works, hadn’t the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God’s covenants and promises in Israel, hadn’t a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. Now because of Christ—dying that death, shedding that blood—you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything.

The Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:11-18 MESSAGE)

We are part of a New Humanity. Being human means that we live out the Greatest Command not just in our cozy holy huddles but by loving those who are considered outsiders. Loving the unloveable. Jesus is our example and our mark.

Through the story of the Good Samaritan we learn that being this new human means we care for those who are a different race and religion than we are.

Through the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery we learn that this new humanity show compassion to those whose moral compass points a different direction than our own.

Through watching Jesus heal the lame, the diseased, the poor we see that being human is loving the broken.

Have have you shown your humanity to others today?

Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Faith in Action, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Wrestling With Scripture

They Could Not Take Your PRIDE

Every year on this day I celebrate the life Martin Luther King with a post of one of Dr King’s speeches. Sometimes I post the full text or I highlight some of moments that speak to me as I read them. Today I want to post my favorite quote from Dr. King. It is short. It is to the point. It is powerful. I think a lot about this quote in life. Too often we feel that the task before us- whether it be a grand task like Justice or a seemingly insignificant one like Self-Discipline- is impossible.

Press on and keep pressing. If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk- CRAWL.”

Having this attitude, this focus, and creed helps me keep crawling to a better day for my self, my family, my ministry, and all those whom I come in contact with.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

This is my goal. This is my ideal. This is my mission. Press on and keep pressing… fly, run, walk, or crawl.

Whose crawling with me?

2009, Ethos, Leadership, Life, Resources, Youth Ministry

Thursdays Are For Micheal

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This semester I have changed my day off from Tuesdays to Thursdays. Tuesdays were not working for me for a variety of reasons but mainly it boiled down to being too early in the week and too many commitments that made Tuesdays a terrible day for me to be off.

I have spent the last two weeks spending my Thursdays on myself and have felt the better for it. I don’t feel rushed trying to finish a Bible study or preparing for Wednesday night class like I did on Tuesdays. I have actually been able to work on a few personal projects. I am learning what a day off really can be. It feels good.