Dishonoring Parents

The church will soon find itself in the midst of a looming storm. This storm is a battle between generations; adult children versus parents. As a self-centered generation of baby boomers are faced with the "inconvenience" of caring for their parents, cultural clouds will darken. Read more about how lay leadership and pastors can prepare for the darkening sky in this article found at our sister site.

Effectively Prioritizing

Leaders should set priorities. I say "should" because, all too often, leaders let the priorities and agendas of others side-track the organization.

We let the last minute panic of others (usually caused from their own lack of planning) pop up and steal our day. We get pushed down dead end trails running after errant stakeholders. We waste time reorienting ourselves after our attention is distracted for non-strategic matters.

Leaders should set priorities. Think of the "setting" as in setting something in concrete. Assuming that priorities are seated firmly within the strategy of the organization, priorities should not change without abundant discussion, contemplation and analysis. Running up against opposition does not warrant a changing of the strategy embedded priority. If priorities changed, then strategy should have changed as well.

Priorities, if properly chosen, are the stepping stone goals that will move you and your team toward accomplishing your purpose. Priorities serve as the guard rails for the organization to ensure coordination of effort and direction of movement.

An entity that does not respect and defend their priorities will create a culture that lacks accountability and efficiency. The culture becomes one of individuality and disconnection. Efforts are disjointed and lack focus. Multiple paths to no where are entrenched as "the way we do things around here" without priorities.

Priorities should be as sacred as mission to the leader. They are the boundaries in which you will succeed.

Best Practices

The business world is flush with buzz words such as "best practices." However, of all the adages created by the corporate community, "best practices" is one of the more descriptive and beneficial to follow.

A church is certainly not a business and in most cases is better off not trotting down the trail of fads that business entities gleefully follow. The search for "best practices" though is a beneficial goal for the church community and can come in many forms. Here are a few places to seek out those best practices for your congregation:

1. Start with the Bible. Christ was careful to map out for us how His message effectively flows through the people of His creation. At their core, people have not changed. They still seek the same things that Christ addressed. Carefully consider the manner in which the early church engaged with people to find the best practices of approach and execution.
2. Be a student of organizations represented in your congregation. Seek out casual conversations with lay leaders in your church to learn what is working best in their business, school, civic organization. How are they communicating with people? What are their goals for next year? How are roles assigned according to those goals? What motivates people toward action in their organization?
3. Read widely. Subscribe to Google Reader to track articles from innovative publications of best practices such as Fast Company. As you read, make notes in your paper or online based capture system. Look for application not just information.
4. Have courage to experiment. Effective organizations are willing to try new things. Unfortunately, churches usually are not. Be honest with your congregation ahead of time that it is a trial and their support during and input after is critical.
5. Recruit a "sister church" to share ideas and resources. Much like the once popular municipal trend for cities to have a sister city in the East or Europe, the same can apply to a church. Find a like-minded pastor to share ideas and resources. Visit each other's campus and meetings. Organize the manner in which you will share ideas and materials (set up a shared page on BackPack) to make it easy to share and navigate.

The search for best practices can be an encouraging and beneficial activity that the lay leaders of your church can become involved with and benefit from.

Improving Personal Discipline

There has been some recent research that indicates the development of discipline in general has a "spill-over" effect in other areas of our life. The analogy is that a runner who develops his or her ability to run further and faster can use that developed skill in various applications. Whether running from danger or climbing a ladder, the level of fitness developed will improve one's ability to perform various tasks. Discipline works in much the same way.

As we develop the discipline of keeping our work space organized, we become more apt to apply the same skill to keeping our car and closet organized as well. The fitness of discipline goes beyond like tasks though. Having discipline in general allows us to be more disciplined in all aspects of our life. Being diligent about showing up on time, will make us more apt to stick with healthy eating habits. Discipline, as it turns out, is a muscle that moves in all directions.

If you are struggling with the lack of discipline in any area, begin to build discipline in the things that you find to be enjoyable or easy. The building of this discipline will eventually be applicable to all aspects of your life. Simply be disciplined.

In Private

As Microsoft prepares to release their new Explorer 8, the benefits of the new "In Private" mode for searching stealthily through the online world are hinting to some morally distracting features.

"The feature, called InPrivate, has been dubbed in some blog postings as 'porn mode', because it also hides the browsing history from other people using the same computer." - newspaper article

Buried within the benefit of hiding one's presence from the ever lurking Google ad machinery, the new Explorer 8 release reminds us that the already cancerous impact of online porn will become even more difficult for parents, spouses and friends to discover. Morality will never be enforced by online screening tools, however, an early detection system can be helpful in fighting this growing moral plague.

Encourage your church leadership to stay ever vigilant in the battle for the mind. There are many lives at stake that depend on your insistence.

Difficult Conversations

Seems that church is a lab of sorts for difficult conversations. Most of these conversations should have a happy ending -- bringing healing to a relationship. They often don't because we avoid difficult conversations.

Where there are people there will be difficult conversations. People tend to create controversy. Egos are played out. Things are said that should have been kept quiet. Bad attitudes go undetected until too late. Secret agendas suffocate the good intentions of others. Mistakes are seen as targets to be fired upon rather than part of the journey of living.

Whatever the source, the dynamics of being a church will result in the need for difficult conversations. The need is always there, the desire to act on that need is often rare.

Most people avoid having a "heart to heart" with someone else. We wish that issues would simply fix themselves and we ignore the symptoms that the issue is growing worse. We do not like to talk to others about issues that could upset them. We fear confrontation, reprisal and the hurtful words in response that may follow. No doubt, engaging in a conversation that intends to address a difficult situation leaves us open to these risks. In the end, however, it is worth it and it is our responsibility to pursue the healing dialogue.

If you have a difficult conversation on your horizon, consider these helpful tips:

1. Timing is very important. A difficult conversation cannot be accomplished in a hallway passing. Pick a time when you feel the other person will have the fewest distractions and be the most rested.
2. Location, location, location. Find a place for your meeting that is private as well as a neutral territory. The chance that your conversation will be overheard or interrupted will significantly minimize the depth of the conversation.
3. Offer a generic yet meaningful invitation. If you are too specific in your invitation to meet -- "Hey Bob, I've been wanting to ask you why you are a jerk to the rest of the team so how about we get together for coffee tonight" -- will allow the other to build up the steam of defensiveness prior to your meeting. Instead go with: "Bob, would you have some time for me this week? I'd like to talk with you about something important."
4. Be prepared to walk down the path of denial, victimization and possibility. In other words, it will take some time for the other person to see themselves in the role that you describe them. We don't often see ourselves as others do, so give them some time to deny, point to others and then gradually accept there may be a shred of truth in this conversation.
5. Insist on getting back together. Don't leave them to struggle in isolation with what you have dropped in their lap. Ask them to think about it a couple of days and to call you or plan to get back together. The greatest potential for discipleship and healing comes in the follow-up.
6. Stay true to your promises. If you promise confidentiality, not a word to anyone else. If you promise support, stay as close as a brother. If you promise to engage the assistance of others, do so without fail.
7. Learn from the mistakes of others. To be an effective encouragement in our church, we must always realize we too are capable of the same offenses we discuss with others. The humility of walking with someone through a struggle should be a constant reminder that we have our own failings. Someone who has walked through the journey becomes an effective guide for others who stray off the intended path.

The ability to effectively engage in difficult conversations places a tremendous responsibility on you to be the keeper of the faith in your church. Don't deny the opportunities that present or the ability to improve this important obligation to others.

How to Respect Your Pastor

It's not something we as lay leaders say out loud but we think it. We generally think of pastors respecting our leadership not the other way around. After all, we conclude, that we lead "real organizations" in the "real world" with challenges that far exceed the study and preach routine of a pastor.

You may not admit it, even to yourself, but most lay leaders have been there. It is an inappropriate view of all involved.

I believe that being a pastor is one of the hardest "jobs" known to man. Their leadership skills are tried and challenged every single day by church members and leaders who do not respect their abilities or authority. We often see the pastor as someone who was brought into this world by a committee and can be easily taken out of this world by committee. We underestimate the amount of personal challenge they experience in their role. They need and are due our respect.

In general, to fully respect someone, we must understand who they are as a person and what they are encountering in their journey. This is difficult information to garner from a pastor. They are often not at liberty to share with us the who and what of their difficult day. They are not comfortable sharing with us their genuine feelings and frustrations. Pastors often isolate themselves internally to project an external persona as expected by their congregation.

To respect we must understand and to understand we must gain trust. Gaining and cherishing a pastor's trust is an important element of becoming an exceptional lay leader. It takes quiet times of listening to your pastor's fears, goals and frustrations without judging or offering the bullet points of generic success. The trust building conversations will start small and inconsequential. Your pastor must learn they can trust you. When they find that you break that trust, you will not have the opportunity to respect them. When they find that you step up to champion their cause and their performance, they will begin to trust your motives as genuine.

If you distrust your pastor, it is your obligation to remedy that relationship. Our pastor is given obligations by God on our behalf. God has given us obligations as lay leaders to respect that authority and pastoral position in meaningful way. End the cycles of distrust in your church by reaching out to your pastor with respect.

Power of Weekly Review

We all need a moment in time where we are certain about where we are so we can clearly see where we need to go. A time of weekly review provides that point in time.

Several practical descriptions exist regarding the format of the weekly review -- Google "weekly review" for a list. Personalizing your review is very important. By creating a set time each week with a structured format that you will review your status, you will decrease the time spent on execution, re-work and inefficient processing.

The weekly review is intended to give you a perspective on where you are in your march toward your goals. It is a time to re-align the pieces of your work with the overall master plan. Details are properly stored in accessible forms and places so that actions in the coming weeks are thoughtfully executed in alignment with your goals. Reviews of this nature give you the confidence of knowing you are progressing in the desire direction.

Use these guiding questions to create an effective review in your weekly routine:

1. What action items did I commit to this week that are not yet in an actionable format?
2. What elements of my work did not go as planned this week and what adjustments do I need to make to bring them in line with my goals for next week?
3. What resources do I need to get in place for next week's work to be more efficient and on time?
4. What action items am I carrying that I can delete from my list?
5. Which of my assumptions changed during the past week and what is the impact on my goals?
6. Is my calendar complete for next week with enough detail to get me to the right place, at the right time with the right materials?
7. Did I pick up additional information this week that needs to be added to or updated in my "Contacts" list?
8. What materials did I collect that I don't need to keep?
9. What is one thing I can change about my work pattern to increase my efficiency next week?
10. Which of my goals require greater focus this week to stay on schedule?

Incorporate a weekly review in your routine to gain a sense of calm and accomplishment.

Hostile Toward Pastors

Hostile work environment: A good description of a "career" in ministry?

I'm not really sure why it happens, but it does. I've seen it often during my 25 plus years of lay leadership in churches. It is likely that I have even added to it myself. The hostile work environment that lay leaders create for their pastoral staff is interesting, confusing and manageable all at once.

As a result of the years of oppression and critique that we lay leaders have brought upon our pastors we have in many ways marginalized them in their pursuit of meaningful ministry. Pastors are on "high alert" regarding virtually every word they say and every move they make in fear of being criticized by their membership.

I have this theory that people who otherwise don't have a platform in life to assert their opinions migrate to the church as an "open mic night" disguised as a church-wide business meeting or committee setting. It is a rare church that throttles the verbal venom spewed from "well meaning brothers and sisters" who are pursuing their own version of "the Lord's work." Neck veins have popped at the pastor's expense over trite topics ranging from carpet color to meaningless increases to near poverty salaries. I hold lay leaders responsible for allowing, maybe even creating, this hostile environment.

Many swear that it's in the bible: Pastors are to serve their flock. Feed their flock. Protect their flock. There is some substance to that claim, but in the flock-scenario of their mindset the sheep rush the shepherd disarming him of his staff and then beat him into submission while at the same time berating him on his scrawny legs poking out from under his hideous robe. We are for the most part confused about who serves who.

As lay leaders we should lead. We must support our pastor in meaningful ways that build confidence, instill trust and encourage success. Our approach should include the defense of unity carefully following the biblical rules for confrontation. We should not allow spiritual-snipers to force our pastors into a fetal position of defenseless survival. We should ask the hard questions of those who are in opposition to our pastoral leaders:

1. Is their opposition or critique based on inaccurate information?
2. Have they made their opposition known to others without first approaching the pastor one-on-one?
3. Do they have a history of offering criticism without offering to be part of the solution?
4. Does their position lack biblical merit?
5. Does their opposition lack evidence that supports their claim?
6. Are they approaching the situation without love and respect for the pastor?

If you determine any of these 6 questions to be true, it is your obligation as a lay leader to protect your pastor and intervene. For the church to survive, or even thrive, lay leaders must come to the defense of their pastors. We must encourage them and serve as a defense between them and those who forget to love and respect the called of God.

Re-Recruiting Champions

Think about your team and what you need to do in the next week or month to build your team. If you are typical, your leadership mind went to the problem child and the behaviors you need to correct or the motivation you need to build. You likely gave but a passing glance to your stars. Stars, you conclude, don't need much attention. That conclusion should be viewed with caution.

Stars are a dream to work with. They get things done. They move the agenda. They compliment and encourage. The are a joy to be with. They self-manage so you can spend your valuable and limited leadership attention on the more needy team members. The last one wil get you in trouble. That belief that champions need less attention should change if you want to breed excellence and grow a thriving church.

Champions should continually be re-recruited. They need to hear why the organization values their time and effort. They should have their own "one-on-one" meetings with you and other leaders to praise them on their performance. Recognition among their peers should be routine. Treat champions as if you may lose them at any minute.

Re-recruiting a strong team member re-engages their commitment to the organizational effort and holds them out for lower performing team members to study and emulate. Taking champions for granted is a common and costly mistake. It takes years to rebuild from the loss of a champion. Champions should be cherished.

Take a look at the percentage allocation of where you invest your time. Chances are, if you are typical, you invest about 80% of your leadership time with your team on generic team matters or dealing with low performers (or cleaning up their mess). Flip it. Challenge yourself to spend 80% of your time with champions and almost-champions. You'll find the energy and effectiveness of your team are exponentially higher than before. Make it a habit to recruit daily your champions to stay on the team. (And lay leaders, re-recruit your champion pastors in the same way!)

Organizing for Future

I see it as a "wink of the eye" from God when his creation, namely man, has a sense of what should be but doesn't look far enough in application. IBM recently completed a survey of over 1,000 corporate leaders to gain a collective perspective of what the organization of the future will look like. In the "collective insight and wisdom" of these corporate leaders they came up with these five elements:

1. Hungry for change
2. Innovative beyond customer imagination
3. Globally integrated
4. Disruptive by nature
5. Genuine; not just generous

My first impression upon reading the list: Church

God plants within the heart of these unsuspecting business leaders the recipe for a dynamic organization. People are people. People respond to organizations in similar ways. Organizations are effective in similar manners. The five elements of an effective organization of the future, appear to me to have merit for churches desiring to make a significant impact on their community.

1. Hungry for change: A never ceasing hunger to see people change their spiritual groundings, their lifestyle, their behavior and their compassion for others. Hunger is not a sensation to which our culture can relate. It requires that we set aside comfort, personal goals, success to hunger for something different in ways to reach others with something different.

2. Innovative beyond customers imagination: Not innovation for innovation sake or as a "competitive advantage" for the church around the corner to steal market share from the next closest church, but rather a innovation in reaching out and individually seizing people in ways and with meaning that resonate with their soul.

3. Globally integrated: Technology has made global integration a possibility for churches and should be a by-product of pursuing the other four characteristics. Global integration includes serving others who are doing the task better than your church. Integrated carries with it a "behind the scenes" role rather than a global domination strategy for the sake of notoriety.

4. Disruptive by nature: History showed and valued and applauded a disruptive church. The present finds plenty of disruption internally over carpet colors and committee seats, but little in the way of stopping the flow of a life and culture that is headed for ruin. Few churches can be found today challenging the culture. More need to be caught in the act of disruption.

5. Genuine; not just generous: Gulp. Guilty. Genuine church is rare. Genuine church is overwhelmingly attractive. Genuineness is the magnetic pull that brings people face to face with the purpose of the church. Generous is culturally hot with each cause identified with a new plastic wrist band. But generosity as a fashion statement is self-centered. Self-centered generosity is not generous. Those churches that "get it" will and are reaching people in ways and rates not recently seen. Genuine should be the core belief and effort of the five characteristics.

It started with people searching for the organizational answer. It followed that God puts in our heart as lay leaders and pastors what it will take to reach people. It is a shame to let insights into the heart of an effective organization be "wasted" on corporations. What will you do now that you know?

Hiding in an Office

The most dangerous position from which to lead a church, business or organization is from an office.

In terms of the lowest rate of return of any real estate in the organization, the office is by far the winner. An office becomes a deadly organizational trap as leaders experience upward mobility within the organization. A more prominent position brings with it a more private and comfortable space. Keyword being "space."

An office puts an arbitrary space between the leader and the people of action. An office is typically a hiding place far away from the hassles, moans and whining of those on the front-lines of organizational purpose. Leaders build a cocoon of retreat in which they can "think" strategically or plan "purposefully" yet they are so detached from the real action that their thinking and planning are unrealistic and out of touch.

Leaders must keep themselves in the midst of the daily flow of organizational activities. They cannot hide. They cannot retreat. They must see time spent in an office as a detached existence. Conversations with those serving and those being served must take place away from the sterile, paradigm numbing walls of an office.

If your church seems to be out of step with your leadership, honestly assess the time you spend locked in your room. It is time to come out and engage.

Have We Moved the Boundaries?

"Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set." - Proverbs 22:28

I'm always a little apprehensive when I get off in the weeds of theology in a place where so many well informed pastors and lay leaders visit. But I wonder if we, the lay leaders and pastors directed by God to lead matters of His church, have moved some ancient boundaries.

As way of review and not instruction to our learned readers, we know that land, given by God, was a sensitive topic in bible history (Deut. 19:14). God gave land to head of families to in turn assign individual plots. The warning of Proverbs 22:28 was to highlight the importance of respecting those initial assignments and not showing disrespect for the decision of God and ancestors.

I wonder (open question; inviting our readers to expound) if God assigned the "land" to which individual churches are responsible, including the inhabitants of that land -- to particular churches? Are we responsible for certain "dots on a map" defined as our community? Do the curses and implications of Job 24:2, Isa. 5:8, Deut. 27:17, Prov. 15:25, 1 King 21:16-19; Hosea 5:10 hold true for the modern day church?

Should my church, your church, be content with what God has given us to the extent that we are more careful about "stealing market share" for the sake of growth? Are we guilty of moving the boundaries that God set forth? Hmmm?

The Origin of Culture

Confession: Over the span of my 25-years of leadership, I have read several books on creating culture and they have all left me confused.

The "do this and then do that" approach to creating culture, I believe, is flawed. A theory of culture that adequately predicts the variations thrown at a leader is either too shallow in its approach or so complex that execution is beyond managing. My experience has led me to believe that culture is developed when we simply focus on doing the right things.

I hear the sighs of disappointment when such a claim is made. We all hope for the three step, fool proof approach to creating culture. That elusive promise doesn't exist. Culture is a by-product of showing up and doing what is right every minute of the day. The collaboration of lay leaders and pastors agreeing to what is right and then executing on that rightness, brings about lasting, positive culture.

Culture is a reflection of how your church feels about their leadership, and ultimately, each other and their joint purpose. Leadership creates the elements of culture. Culture is simply an expression of that leadership. When a leader "endears" others to his or her leadership, the spark of a positive culture begins to emerge. Culture becomes an after-thought of our efforts. We do right and on occasion look back over our shoulder and see the boundaries of positive culture forming. We don't set out to create culture, we set out to do what is right for and with those we lead.

Doing what is right takes mental toughness and discipline. Leaders fail daily for lack of these two important abilities and convictions. Culture reflects the actions of leaders. If a leader allows favoritism or ignores challenges to the church's purpose, the culture will reflect that decision.

The complexity of how and why culture exists has led me to focus on the key drivers instead of the culture itself. I have found that when a leader (1) cares deeply for those they lead and acts accordingly and (2) creates an environment in which those they lead can make a distinct difference in life -- a meaningful and supportive culture will develop.

Stop trying to create a culture for the sake of creation -- instead, develop the leadership discipline of doing what is right.

Right for a Lifetime?

"The more definitive and widely accepted the ‘answer’, the more it prevents people from seeing how it will turn out to be wrong. Once you think you know, for a fact, that things work in a particular way — or the answer to problem ‘a’ is always technique ‘b’ — there’s no need to explore any further. Of course, over time, the world changes, but almost nobody looks to see if that affects what they already know for sure — until the unthinkable happens and our nice, simple answers stop working." - Lifehack article

Observation: Churches of today eventually act like churches of yesterday.

"We've always done it that way" has turned into the banner of mediocrity for many churches. From the outside looking in, it seems to be closed mindedness. For those that reside comfortably within the cozy walls of unchanged existence -- it doesn't seem wrong at all.

Let's face it, we are often people of habit in matters that would benefit from a different perspective. When it comes to church, we like our experience predictable. We are not interested in what matters most to others, but rather what matters most to me. The creaking floors of traditional religion become a charming aspect to the familiar house we have built for ourselves. The structure becomes a warehouse of our junk and less of a house of worship.

We fall into the downward spiral of self-contentment when we fight for an answer found many years ago that once worked. Blood-red carpet, heavy pews, a 52-Sunday predictable rotation of sermons, first and last verse -- we grow attached to what worked then and can't see that it just might not work now.

The logic of the dilemma is entrenched in knowing what we know to be right and proclaiming "right lasts a lifetime." It isn't necessarily so.

Given, there are certain dogmas and practices that are to remain unchanged in describing and living the principles that Christ set forth -- however, there are variations to the theme in living out and expressing those unchanging tenets that our lazy belief structure tends to dismiss. If we believe something is right and will always work, the grip that we place on that belief is tight and steady. The only way for us to loosen that grip and reach out to something else is for us to see a different answer in the faces of a few we trust. It is a leaders responsibility to connect those dots.

Religious practices are viral. If we desire that God's presence in our life take on a realness, then we are open to hearing from others the real experiences of their spiritual encounters. We are open to change, when we see and experience a better way.

The fear of boat rocking has left many church lay leaders and pastors hesitant to change obsolete practices. Yet, the natural death of an ineffective church will eventually make the necessary changes without their participation. It is leadership's responsibility to do what is right; to take a chance.

The message to leadership is: Do nothing and your church will eventually die an unfortunate death. Do something and your odds of success are greatly improved.

Emotional Contagions

In the last five years, a growing body of psychological research — much of it focused on the emotionally negative or positive boss — is bearing out the power one individual’s mood can have on others.
“It is one of the most robust phenomena I have ever seen,” said University of New Hampshire researcher Richard Saavedra. “And it’s all unconscious.” - Kansas City Star article

We humans have this uncanny ability to sense mood. Think about the last time you went home to a spouse that was a little perturbed. Took mere seconds to pick up on it I suspect. Recent studies have shown that our ability to pick-up on emotional cues leads to a rapid interpretation of the data causing us to act differently toward others. Emotional contagions are like tiny virus particles super-charged with mood that have a significant impact (good and bad) on those who "ingest" them during interactions with others.

The most powerful of these contagions come from those in leadership positions. As a leader (either per the organizational chart or as an unofficial opinion leader) you send off emotional cues that infect the organization with either positive emotions or negative emotions. It is far more powerful and potent an influence than you likely recognize and should be used to strengthen your leadership.

Pay careful attention to how you enter a meeting and what mood you create. Watch your vocabulary very carefully to ensure you are building up and not tearing down. Learn to compartmentalize your life so a bad day at work doesn't spill over at home. Find joy in the meeting of people and let your thought life give guidance to your words and ways.

If your church is shaped by fear or has deep pockets of ridicule and pessimism, look at the mood of those in leadership to effectively bring out a positive change.

The Secret of a Thousand Leadership Books

Some perceptive reader condensed several top selling business books down to three or so points printed on an index card and posted them on his blog. As I skimmed over the 3 major points of Good to Great by Jim Collins, a book I was very familiar with, I was fascinated by how accurately the mini outline caught the essence of the book. As I read a couple of leadership books after my index card outline discovery, I noticed that most of these books follow an easy to condense format: A couple or three main points then lots of examples of those points. When read, the points capture an "aha" moment that fades fast once the last page is turned.

Soon after my three point index card discovery, I came across an article by Daniel Goleman of Emotional Intelligence fame in which he made the case for will power as a muscle of sorts that can be developed with practice. He concluded that many people simply don't have the will power to pass on dessert or get work done on time without distractions, because they have never experienced overcoming a previous barrier multiple times. According to Goleman, by overcoming an obstacle once, we begin to build the muscle of discipline to overcome it again in the future.

The index card experience of discovering three simple points in leadership books, yet not giving them much thought after finishing the book and the idea of building a discipline muscle to overcome barriers seemed to want to be married to each other. Maybe the reason we dive so heartily into leadership books but don't execute on what seemed to make a lot of sense when we read it, is that we haven't built up the discipline muscle that gives us the strength to make something new happen. We are lazy, disassociated readers. We read, we yawn, we sigh that's nice and forget what we read in less than 36-hours.

We would be better off to simply execute on something, anything, and then repeat the process again to build the stamina and mental perseverance to apply that execution ability to other things in life. We can forget the higher forms of leadership for a minute and practice execution whether it is brushing our teeth after every meal or keeping our desk clean for a week. Consistently doing something is the goal.

We are a nation of attention deficit readers who hope by assimilation to become great leaders without the messy prospect of doing something. Change your pattern of read and forget to read and do something. Just do something. It's where all great leaders start.

Customize Church

Newly released data from a major survey finds that most U.S. adults range far from knowing or caring about the distinctive teachings of their professed faith.
They believe overwhelmingly (92%) in God and 58% say they pray at least once a day. But when it comes to specific religions — the teachings of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Roman Catholic Church or scores of other denominations — they're all over the map, finds the latest data from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. - New York Times article

History has demonstrated that the church, in terms of programmatic themes and formats, tends to be influenced by the consumerist preferences of popular culture. The recent Pew Forum survey supports that observation.

With this survey and others finding that the traditional attendance patterns of church participants are changing, pastors and lay leaders should carefully consider the data. These surveys uncover an increase in the popularity of non-traditional church formats as well as the inclusion of some individualistic approaches to worship. Many worshippers are combining traditional and non-traditional formats to express their religious convictions.

My assessment is that the survey results are indicative of a more recent consumer movement that values co-creation and customization of products and services. Personalized products, custom furnishings, tailored wardrobes are increasingly popular and reflect an individualized approach to consuming. Congregational leadership should consider the trend as a warranted approach.

Past consumer trends have not always served the church well and in many cases have detracted from ministry impact, however, co-creation and customization have components that show promise for ministry efforts. The American church has become impersonal using an approach that aggregates large audiences into congregational settings. Individuals report experiencing a feeling of isolation of disconnection in today’s church that is design around the group experience.

Consider appointing several work groups at your church to explore the customization of church. By addressing individuals and their specific spiritual needs, churches can add another layer to their ministry approach. Review how attendees interact with the large settings, classes and web portals to create a more personal connection. Test ways in which “spiritual students” design their own study curriculum including the appointment of a personal mentor and a schedule of classes they choose to attend.

Creative approaches that allow the attendee to create a spiritual routine and agenda that fits their personal needs will likely be a welcomed addition to your ministry array in this increasingly customized consumer culture.

Courtesy of Trend Ping

Deadly Change

One of the things I hear often from pastors is how difficult is to move some of their lay leaders toward a change in approach, focus -- or sometimes -- even just change in carpet.

Well if you are having one of those days where change seems too hard to face, jump on over to our sister site and read the story of "deadly change." It's all about washing your hands!

Get a Box

As I continue my quest to be "paper free" I am incorporating more online resources into my workflow getting away from computer based applications.

Two of my favorites (presently) are Google documents and Box.net

Google documents allows you to upload, revise, create, send, post documents with an online application tool that looks very familiar. You can save your creations as a Word file or with a new addition, you can quickly convert to a PDF file for easy transport. Like all Google applications, it's free and size is not an issue.

As an online file cabinet to hold files that I might need while away from the office or to work on from home without using a work computer, I have a Box account. You can get an account with very adequate storage space for free and the ability to upgrade as your storage need increases.

Box and Google docs both allow a document to be emailed directly to your online account as well as various sharing arrangements for collaboration with others. Google docs also has a push/pull function that allows you to access your files on your computer and when back online it will sync the online version with any revisions.

By depending more on the anywhere availability of online applications and file storage I have greater flexibility in organizing a paper-less workflow.

Have a paper-less tip to share with other pastors and lay leaders? Post a comment and share it with others!

Consumer Church

"The most pervasive logic or vision for ministry today is shaped by the market and the values of consumerism rather than by the Gospel of Jeus Christ," - Kenneth Cardin, Methodist Bishop

Like it or not, your church, my church, competes in the market place. Our "competition" is not other churches, but rather any event, past-time, choice that serves as an alternative to church attendance. There is an old business adage though that applies to this market place dynamic -- go where the competition is not.

In a business sense, to go where the competition is not, is to create a new mental space -- a unique place in the consumers array of choices. To extend it a bit more, it means to create a new loyalty in their heart.

I believe that business practices and marketing strategies have gone where they should not go in the ministry of Christ, however, I think there is important application here.

By striving to create that new loyality in their heart we are striving for spiritual matters. I know without a doubt that the things of God are more attractive, more meaningful and more fulfilling than anything the consumer world can offer. Yet, the market place is winning the attention of the consumer.

If the message of Christ is unchanged, and the power of Christ has not diminished, as lay leaders and pastors, we must examine why the things of Christ are not widely held or appreciated. If it is not in the message, perhaps it is in the messenger.

Consider what your life "sells" to those around you. Do you speak more admirably of your car than you do of your faith? Do you know more about the NFL than the book of James? Have you found yourself going on and on about the latest movie plot while never giving a second thought to the greatest story ever told?

I fear that we, the messengers, have been to blame. The message is still strong. We have not remained so.

As a laity leader of your church or a pastor, I encourage you to ask the following question for 1 month in each of your classes, meetings and informal gatherings: "What does it mean to be a "consumer" of Christ as opposed to a consumer of things? After 1 month, call a special evening of dialogue to honestly share what you have learned. I suspect it will be a turning point for you, your church and your community.

Laity Should Insist on Sabbatical

Human Resource studies estimate that 20% of organizations in the U.S. have some form of sabbatical for their executives. It is seen as a way to increase retention and productivity of the executive. The stresses of leadership require a stepping away from the responsibilities to refresh. The experience is often accompanied by additional education or self-study that benefits the executive and the organization upon their return.

The practice of sabbatical began in the Jewish culture related to an agricultural economy and eventually spread to include periods of respite every seven years for those in the rabbinical services. Some churches have adopted the seven year break for their pastoral staff.

The role of pastor is likely one of the most difficult leadership positions in the U.S. Dealing primarily with a volunteer workforce, a membership struggling with the financial and social stresses of society as well as an often tight budget from which to serve -- pastor's are reaching record periods of burnout and turnover.

I believe it is the responsibility of church lay leaders to speak on behalf of the pastoral staff and insist to other leadership that provisions be made for pastoral sabbatical. When a laity leader comes to have a deep understanding of the day-to-day stresses of ministry, they are more likely to appreciate the benefit of such a break.

As a lay leader, spend some time with your pastors to understand what they face and what you can do to walk with them in that journey. A good start is becoming an advocate for their rest and reflection.

Problem of Creativity

In a recent Convergence survey, creativity was listed in the top five needs of the surveyed pastors. More specifically, the inability to inspire creativity within their staff and lay leadership was the problem at hand. These church leaders join millions of other leaders seeking that elusive goal of creativity.

When I encounter a leader who expresses a desire for his or her team to be more creative, I ask them: What would you like for them to create? The question throws them a bit since everyone knows that organizations just need to be creative. I'll get a ramble about wanting breakthrough ideas or "out of the box" strategies -- but they sound more like merit badge efforts or check off the box --hey look at us, we're creative -- prideful accomplishments .

I've come to believe that creativity doesn't exist in organizations because (1) it isn't what they are really striving for and (2) it's impossible for them to conjure up something that is truly creative, genuinely new. Their misguided pursuit takes the emphasis off of organizational outcomes and attempts to place the spotlight on personal performance.

One could argue that creativity versus construction is a matter of semantics and in some cases it is. However, to do so looses sight of the subtle distinction and importance that vocabulary plays in an organization. Striving for a brilliant, totally new idea is a futile attempt that is likely embedded in self-serving motives. Rather, constructing something new from elements at our disposal removes the pride of ownership and becomes a team effort much like a group building something with a pile of Legos.

Constructing new objects, paradigms or processes is not enough by itself. Instead, organizations are better served by assembling parts, ideas, processes in a unique way to meet a need. A focus on purpose rather than creation moves the organization toward a more meaningful pursuit. It is about vocabulary for sure, but it makes a distinction that draws away from personal fame for the sake of impressing others with a so called creation. The canvas needed for creating something new doesn't exist. Rather we are to make a new product, or process, or effort from the building blocks that God has already given us. It is the classic create versus make distinction. For a expanded explanation of the subtle difference click on over to our sister site to learn more about the problem of creativity.

They Will Manage Your Time

I've found over the years that others will manage your time if you let them. It is rarely a positive experience when our much cherished passing minutes are put in uncaring hands.

Observe the flow of your work place to spot the culprits. Notice that the same guy who stands in your door frame yapping on about his new lawn chair/cooler is the same guy that walks out the door proclaiming "it's quitin' time" leaving you in catch up mode. He is managing your time.

There's also the pseudo-interested office mate that wants to get into long, seemingly deep, discussions about yesterday's meeting or the big project that everybody is working on. They keep the conversation between the lines in terms of relevant topics, but they go way too deep and long. You get the feeling that they would rather talk than do. You're feeling them right.

They are the type that will manage your time to their entertainment. They like talking. They figure talking about work is work in itself, so they pass time with you strapped to their victim seat jawing about nothing. The only sporting thing to do with them is drop phrases like: "I thought I heard you weren't working on that project anymore." Drives them nuts. The only thing worse than having to actually do the work, is thinking that someone doesn't think they can. Play with them a bit. You've earned the right.

The final type is the "can we talk" victim. Never fails, you are in the middle of a chaotic crunch so you can get home in time to watch old Burt Reynolds movies with your mother-in-law who is in town for a yet to be determined period of bliss, and the victim enters. They are typically on the verge of tears and the exchange goes something like:

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can see you are in the middle of something. Never mind. It's not that important, it's just, well I don't know who else to turn to, you've always been so good at helping me see what to do, and now that I'm pretty sure I overhead someone say my name in the same conversation when they were talking about not needing as many people around here and it's my birthday, almost, it's actually next week, but I know, I'm pretty sure, they said my birth date too, so I know they mean me, and I just bought a new car and can't afford it even with a job and without a job well I'm in deep, whatever you do don't say anything, but if you were to say something it would be great if you'd let them know I have asthma and it would be a shame for an asthmatic to be living on the street, and aren't people with asthma protected by that ADA thing, I have rights and all, but I can't afford an attorney if I don't have a job, and I just knew you'd know what to do, and I'm sorry, listen to me, I've been rambling and probably for no good reason, right? Tell me it's for no good reason.

To which you reply: "I'm sorry, have we met?"

They all manage your time. Close the door, say no and make them live by your clock. They'll get the idea and start living according to your rules. Stand up when they darken your door so they won't sit down. Gradually start moving toward the door as you chat upon announcing that you have a call to catch or you should continue the conversation later but right now you're suffering from too much Dr. Pepper intake. If you need to talk with them, go to their office, don't sit down and quickly state your business. Don't wait on them to start a meeting. Don't continue the conversation past 5 p.m. Ask them hard questions when you see them so that they know it's not fun and games when they are in your presence. Ask them how in the world do they manage to have so much free time and they really should let someone know if they need more to do and you'll be happy to put in a good word for them so they don't get bored.

Don't let them manage your time though. After all, it is YOUR time.

Single and Uninterested

“ Unless religious leaders take younger adults more seriously, the future of American religion is in doubt,” - Robert Wuthnow, After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings are Shaping the Future of American Religion.

There is a tectonic shift currently underway in American churches. As post-boomers remain single longer than their parents and grandparents, the draw of American church is less influential in their life. Many young couples are moved to regular church attendance for the benefit of their young children. Without the pull of investing in a child’s spiritual development, single post-boomers are seeking alternate paths of spirituality.

Look for overall church attendance to wane as singles delay regular church participation for other leisure activities. Those congregations who focus more seriously on this unique segment of the U.S. population will find some success in attracting them to church attendance. A focus on core needs, both spiritual and emotional, will help drive the shift from traditional to specifically focused single, young adult formats.

A sustained effort to build a core group of singles is essential to success as this cohort desires a like-aged, like-minded group of significant size to warrant their interest. A more aggressive marketing trend toward this population will be pursued by some spinning off single-centered publications and web portals that are supported by denominations or individual churches.

Courtesy Trend Ping

Commit to Capture

Observation: (1) Pastor and lay leader team work depends on strong relationships and (2) strong relationships depend on doing what you say you’ll do and (3) keeping your commitments requires remembering them and (4) keeping track of your “to do” items requires an “air tight” capture system. All successful efforts begin with an effective capture system.

I’ve noticed, and I’m guilty as a lay leader, of catching one of our pastors on a Sunday with a request or finding myself unprepared to capture a “to do“ from them. In the fast pace of Sunday activities, that’s probably not the best time for us to discuss a next action, but that is the day that the most interaction occurs. A capture system solves that problem.

While there are many capture mechanisms, and I have tried most of them, my present system is based on the Getting Things Done (GTD) approach. Before I describe my system, let me mention some “runner up” systems that I’ve used that almost fit the bill for me and might fit your routine.

Some prefer to be totally digital incorporating laptop, desktop or handheld solutions. If that is your preference I recommend the applications from 37 Solutions. Entry level use is free and more expanded access is cheap. I use one of the solutions (BackPack) in my current approach, but more about that in a minute. For a straight forward “to do” list design, I recommend the Ta Da product that replicates a simple “to do” list design.

I also spent several years using the Task list along with OneNote on Microsoft Outlook. It is very effective for those who have continual access to their computer. You can of course capture on a slip of paper and enter as a Task on the computer later.

For many “GTDers” the paper approach called Hipster PDA is an effective solution which at its core design is simply a stack of index cards clipped together. My current system uses a variation this approach to capture not only my next action items but notes.

I use a modified Hipster approach with a Levenger Circa 3x5 index card punch. I print the cards on my Canon iP1800 printer which accepts a stack of blank index cards. I print templates, which are abundant if you Google Hipster PDA template, on the blank cards, punch them and insert in my Levenger 3x5 Circa notebook. I carry extra cards in my pocket in case I encounter a hallway conversation without my notebook. I use a fine lead mechanical pencil instead of pen since the writing space is small and I can change entries if the item changes.

The cards follow the GTD philosophy, arranged around the context or place I will do the action item. I have an @office, @home, @errands and someday maybe card to record actions. I use the previously mentioned BackPack from 37 Solutions to keep more extended notes on a project or other long document needs. Each BackPack page has a distinct email address so you can forward an email to a specific page to process later. On the Circa card I’ll remind myself there is more backup by recording (BP) by the action item to prompt me to look in BackPack for more details. On the BackPack site I put a key word from the card in the BackPack internal search engine which pulls up that tagged page.

For email threads that drive an action item on my Circa card I record (OF) to indicate more detail in an Outlook Folder where I have saved the email. I prefer to use Google Desktop to search my Outlook files (I use only a few folders and let Google find the documents) instead of using the Outlook search function.

The journey to an effective capture system that is designed for your personal needs begins with a strong desire to capture and execute on your commitments followed by some experimentation. Grab a stack of index cards and see how the flow feels. Take a peek at the 37 Solutions applications and play around with the free versions. Learn a little more about the capabilities of your laptop, handheld or desktop. Keep revising it until it feels right. Capture the commitment!

The Demographics of Unemployment

"At a time when the American economy is trending down and the unemployment rate is ticking up, one out of every seven U.S. workers fear they will be laid off in the next 12 months, according to a recent Pew Social and Demographic Trends survey."

As the economy hits a rough spot, the worry of being "laid off" will escalate in coming months. The worry of losing one's source of income coupled with the financial stress encountered during a down-turn will cause additional pressure on the stability of the family in the U.S.

Those families that do encounter unemployment will require additional short-term support to get them through this trying period. Additional spiritual support should be targeted on males as they enter a period of depression and lowered self-confidence during times of unemployment. A higher tendency to avoid church community contact due to the personal shame men exhibit during unemployment is a significant problem. Men's ministry pastors should be proactive in seeking out unemployed males for personal counseling as well as creating events such as weekly lunches for unemployed men to come together with other men to network for job opportunities as well as receive encouragement.

Courtesy of Trend Ping

The Lay Leader & Porn

Ironically, porn is a controversial topic in many churches. A father told me recently that he discovered his son had issues with viewing porn. Not knowing how best to handle his addiction, the father approached his son's youth pastor. The pastor quickly directed him to a counselor indicating porn was not a topic that the church felt comfortable dealing with. The father was stunned to hear that such a widespread problem was being ignored by his church.

Many churches are hesitant to tackle this important topic. Pastor's are torn between knowing many in their congregation struggle with the issue and yet the culture of their church is not open enough to discuss it in the proper light it deserves.

I believe that lay leaders of the church should come to the support of the pastor in a methodical manner such that the issue can be addressed in more than a fleeting manner. Laity should take on the difficult conversations with church leadership that believes porn is not a subject to be discussed in the church. Laity is the bridge to which important, life crushing issues, should be brought out in a loving light of support.

Marriages and families are literally being destroyed everyday in our midst and most sit by watching it deteriorate the fabric of our church and community. My challenge to church laity is to stand by your pastor and bring light to this growing spiritual disease.

For an example of a loving and complete treatment of the topic, here is a link to a message entitled Pure in a Porn World brought by Pastor Chuck Land in Houston, that I believe to be a great example of how this topic can be lovingly handled. Take the challenge lay leaders to bring change in your church!

Middle Class Attitude Down

"Americans feel stuck in their tracks. A majority of survey respondents say that in the past five years, they either haven't moved forward in life (25%) or have fallen backward (31%). This is the most downbeat assessment of personal progress in nearly a half century of polling by the Pew Research Center and the Gallop organization." -- Report: Inside the Middle Class

Distressed times make for distressed people. As the U.S. economy falters, look for the sentiment of the population in general to move to guarded self-concern. In this state of despair, the church will have a window of ministry opportunity to provide financial counseling, marriage mentoring and career guidance.

Special attention should be paid to congregational disconnect as concerns drive parishioners inward and less willing to be a part of community. Those churches who set up support groups and confidential lines of communication for community use will capture this down time as a spiritual time of growth and connectivity in their community.

To better understand the middle class views of your congregation, this 169 page free report is an excellent composite of their current attitudes.

Scenario Planning Engages Lay Leadership

Scenario planning can be an effective tool for churches to develop ministry opportunities and infrastructures. A future based scenario plan involves incorporating future trend data and projections into a "what if" planning process. A group is assembled comprised of church leadership who plan as if the event or condition is the current state. For example, a disaster scenario much like the hurricane that devastated New Orleans, can be used to organize emergency response teams as well as developing a process for the collection of emergency resources.

The scenario planning process is a beneficial tool to teach church leaders to engage and plan cooperatively. A church may also choose to engage other churches or organization in their planning which is very helpful in broadening the ministry network for your community. By engaging in the planning process, a church will often discover other more immediate opportunities for them to minister to the community. Whether the condition actualizes or not, the process is the beneficial outcome of the approach. Moving lay leaders and pastoral staff toward more effective planning and execution is a important benefit of this fun exercise.

If you would like to develop a scenario planning effort at your church, the following steps will help you get started.

1. Determine a scenario around which you will plan. Appoint an individual or small group to write a scenario for the group to consider. Use a computer search engine to accumulate data from which they will write a 2 to 3 page scenario description that includes the cause and effect of the scenario. Do not include a solution or response to the scenario. Simply describe what happened in the present tense and the nature of the impact to your community or your targeted community. If you need suggestions search for "future trends" and select a scenario such as world wide flu epidemic, severe shortage of water, or large elderly population without healthcare insurance.

2. Distribute the scenario to your scenario planning team giving them a couple of weeks to study and contemplate possible solutions.

3. Come together as a team to brainstorm solutions. Get everything on the table. Don't allow the group to get too far into detailed solutions until you have discussed each broader solution.

4. Decide upon 3 possible solutions and divide your group into teams to further develop the details of the 3 possible solutions. Don't spend more than a couple of hours on this effort.

5. Bring the groups back together and have the 3 groups present their initial thoughts. As a group, then decide which among the 3 proposed solutions (or a hybrid of the 3) will be the selected solution. As an entire planning group, further develop the chosen solution to include specific actions, resources needed and persons accountable for the effort.

After developing the above plan, step back (perhaps at a later meeting) to see what lessons can be learned from the process and whether there are some immediate ministry opportunities that the group can pursue. Generally, lay leaders will become more involved in the ministry planning process and will often discover a passion they have for a ministry through the process.

By using a scenario planning methodology, pastors and lay leaders become more familiar with their community, their talents and their calling.

If you would like to schedule a Convergence led scenario planning event at your church, contact Casey Cease for details.

Expanded Prison Ministry Opportunities

In their newly published report Life After Lockup, the Urban Institute provides an exhaustive look at the prison population in city and county jails. An opportunity for church based prison ministries exists in expanding their focus from State or Federal Penitentiaries to local jails. Local inmates experience a very high return to criminal behavior, have more immediate family needs and lack a support mechanism upon release to help them overcome the offending issues.

Local churches are well suited to provide much needed support to the inmate as well as their family during these relatively brief times of incarceration. A more expanded localized jail ministry is an excellent opportunity for church laity to organize around and serve this need that impacts the community at large.

Church Size and Pastor Availability

“Among Protestant churches, 27 percent of the clergy are part-time. A church typically needs two hundred members to afford a full-time minister, and many obviously fall short. The remarkable variation in sizes of churches, in fact, bedevils modern ministry as much as anything.

In America today, just 10 percent of clergy serve “large” churches with 350 members or more, and the result is that one tenth of all clergy preach to one half of all churchgoers. The lopsided corollary is just as remarkable. Half of all clergy do the preaching to just 11 percent of churchgoers. These churchgoers belong to congregations with fewer than one hundred members.” From the book Who Shall Lead Them? By Larry A. Witham

As the economies of church existence continue to grow increasingly difficult with rising mortgage costs and the potential for dwindling giving as the boomers age, look for many creative approaches to “filling the pulpit” in years to come.

Southern Baptist report that over 40% of their churches already employ “bi-vocational” ministers; those ministers who primarily preach on Sundays with reduced pastoral responsibilities during the week while holding another full-time job. Bi-vocational positions will become more attractive to pastors who have been unable to balance their “calling” with lower salaries that did not provide adequate income to support their family. Look also for a newly called supply of pastor's for bi-vocational positions to come from retired or semi-retired laity desiring a more dedicated impact in ministry.

In some regards, look for bi-vocational churches to experience an increase in ministry effectiveness as church members are required to participate more directly in the day-to-day affairs of the church. The experience felt by larger churches of membership disconnect and raised expectations of the full-time or "fully funded" pastoral team to fulfill daily ministry can be minimized under a bi-vocational format.

It is likely, that smaller churches will begin to join forces integrating multiple congregations under one church to increase the affordability of hiring a full-time staff. Look for bible churches and denominations of similar belief to be the first to integrate.

An entrepreneur approach to church will continue to increase as those called to full-time service organize and control their own church start-up with a closely held board and governing documents that prevent their termination for control issues. Their “success” in terms of church growth will fuel the capacity to remain “employed” at above market salary rates. Look also for an extension of the traditional church model to include external non-profit efforts centered at a church that have an international ministry emphasis.

Bi-vocational training programs, many web-based, will likely spring up providing “bi-vo” pastors resources, training and access to a network of those in similar circumstances.

Courtesy of Trend Ping

Vocabulary is Important

“Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit -- you decide.” Proverbs 18:21, The Message

Vocabulary is important. However, we are so surrounded with words that we minimize their impact on our own well-being and that of others.

Tribal Leadership authors Logan, King and Fischer-Wright use one’s language to place individuals and their collective organization in various stages of development. They point to “a specific fingerprint made up of language that people use” to understand the person’s outlook on life including their work. Their premise is that when we change our vocabulary, we change our beliefs which in turn reinforces our new perspective and communication style.

Words have long been known to build up or tear down a child’s self-esteem and life-perspective. That impact appears to have a similar affect on adults. I have been surprised through my 25 years of leadership to find past employees who still remember a compliment I gave or kept a thank you note I sent many years ago. We hold to the admiration given to us by our leaders. That admiration reinforces a leader’s ability to “endear” those who follow to his or her leadership; which I believe is the strongest organizational connection to which a leader can aspire.

Words, of course, cannot be mere hollow scripts. Compliments and encouragement must be heart felt. Inquiries into a team member’s well-being must be genuine. Transparency on the part of the leader must be real. Words are a reflection of our inner-beliefs. While they can be used to manipulate on occasion, over time, they will always bear out deeper convictions.

The Proverbs teach at length about the incredible power of words. Words are the means by which others will interpret our values, follow our encouraging vision, and learn of unknown capabilities. We are cautioned to guard our words. We are told that our words convey wisdom and cultivate honesty. They are not merely words -- they are elements of teaching, healing and direction. They are to be used wisely.

If you find some under your leadership who lack confidence, consider what your words have done to put them in that diminished state. Have you thoughtlessly dismissed their thoughts with a quick dismissal of their ideas and a statement of your own thoughts?

Consider how your words have stripped them of motivation. Have you removed their accountability and responsibility by speaking to them as children?

If you find they are self-focused at the expense of the team, have your words conveyed your efforts are all about me, my or I? Our team will mimic our words and therefore adopt our beliefs.
Vocabulary is important. Proverbs 16:10 instructs that “A good leader motivates, doesn’t mislead, doesn’t exploit.” Your words will determine your standing against that promise.

Courtesy of RodBrace.com

Mobile Access Strategy

According to a Pew Internet and American Life Project report "62% of all Americans are part of a wireless, mobile population that participates in digital activities away from home and work." With Hispanics leading this usage trend, joined by teenagers and Afro-Americans, the move toward anywhere connectivity is quickly becoming an important point of connection.
As commercial applications of this connectivity are further deployed (following Japanese commercial applications), the consumerism channels that are developed for hand-held access will open up additional avenues for the American church to access a population in search of information and inspiration.

Look for tech oriented church strategies to reformat web sites to include formats suitable for mobile access as well as daily content for education and inspiration. As PDAs and phones develop more user friendly screens, watch for sermon text to be download-able prior to and after the sermon to be followed during the delivery or contemplated after-wards. Links to supporting material and scripture links should be provided.

Connecting church memberships digitally will be more common as churches adopt intra-net technology to provide real time texting and contact information among members via phone or PDA. This technology will allow contact groups to be formed and dialog to continue 24/7 via these intra-net contact folders increasing the connectivity of cell groups within the church and providing a higher level of Monday through Friday interaction.

Weekday interactions between pastoral staff and members will also be greatly enhanced as hand-held devices become the mainstay of communication. Pastors should adopt texting methodologies now to begin use of this real time digital connection with their membership.

Courtesy of Trend Ping

Non-negotiable Statements

We all have those momentary regrets when we wish we hadn’t committed to something. You know the feeling, as your energy sinks sitting there over dinner with a new grad from the selling you anything program. You knew it was coming when the invitation came your way and you were a little surprised that your brain agreed to the proposal without question even though it was the same night as your child’s soccer game.

The trick to staying out of these situations is being very disciplined about your list of non-negotiables. Having a list, which is the first step, allows you to depend on predetermined life rules that you follow without having to think or even feel bad about evoking the rule. In this example your list would include: (1) I will attend all of my child’s soccer games and (2) I believe that pyramid sales arrangements are detrimental to relationships so I won’t participate in them or purchase from them. (Don’t mean to offend anyone, this is just one of mine.)

Your list should be no more than 10 or so really important pre-made decision points that you’ve given great thought to before you place them on the list making it far easier to make a quick decision when the occasion arises. It’s also instructive, when time permits, to tell someone who has asked you to violate your list, what a non-negotiable list is and how you use it to better define and manage your life.

Non-negotiable will vary wildly from person to person but they all follow certain parameters. Items on the list should be those circumstances that are more subtle than expected moral guides. For example a non-negotiable list would not include prohibition from dating others when you are married or destroying your neighbors garden. These are expected norms and you really shouldn’t have to think about whether they are right or wrong. Your non-negotiable list will include pre-made decisions that you have likely not followed in the past to your disappointment.

Non-negotiable statements should cover decisions that you have been called on in the past to quickly respond to -- such as “I won’t agree to a private lunch with someone of the opposite sex unless I inform my spouse of the “when and where” ahead of time. (One of my own.) Your list helps set parameters to situations that could be a problem, mis-interpreted or something that you just don‘t want to do.

Non-negotiable lists can also be developed for your office or family, creating a rule set that all will know the importance of and will use as a pre-made decision that develops a cultural norm for the environment.

Let your non-negotiable list serve as your protection system to maintain your integrity, productivity and energy.

Here are a few suggested non-negotiable statements to stimulate your thinking:

I won’t schedule any meetings before 8 a.m.
I will always be home for dinner with my family.
I won’t let my car gas tank get below a quarter tank.
I won’t be on the computer while in bed.
I will only use a debit card or cash for my purchases.
I will close my office door and I am not to be disturbed on Tuesdays.
I will not give my email address to people I do not know.
I will have breakfast with my best friend every third Saturday of the month.
I will have a time of meditation from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. daily.
I will clean my closet every second Saturday of the month.
I will leave work everyday with my inbox empty.
I will not text message while driving.
I will stand up when someone enters my office to shorten the conversation.
I will return voice messages at 3 p.m. daily.
I will not meet with Bill unless he makes an appointment.

Pastor Turnover

"The increasing conflicts in congregations has ... added to the dramatic turnover in ministry. The Southern Baptists have been fairly open about this, reporting in 1988 a peak of roughly 1,400 “forced terminations” — or firings — of pastors in one year. Subsequent surveys, conducted out of pastoral concerns for clergy themselves, found the number settling to under one thousand in 2000.

It was found that fired pastors had served, on average, for just three months. The primary cause has been “control issues regarding who will run the church,” reported the LifeWay ministry of the convention. Other factors included “poor people skills of the pastor” and a “pastoral leadership style perceived as too strong.”

While some worry that a third of all Baptist clergy will experience “termination” in their ministry, an outside scholar notes wryly that “Since the relationship between pastor and congregation is said to be God’s will, there is much (deeply ambivalent) laughter about God changing his mind so often.” The LifeWay study also found that 45 percent of the recently fired pastors left Baptist ministry: “We would like to know why so many did not return.” - Who Shall Lead Them? by Larry Whitham

Turnover among pastors has become an organizational barrier to churches for growth, efficiency and effectiveness. As the trend worsens, look for pastoral outsourcing solutions to be offered by larger churches absorbing unsettled churches as a satellite.

For those churches who are "closely held" by a small group of members, default on loans will be a potential failure point as attendance declines along with charitable giving. In some cases, employment agreements and severance packages will be more common as pastors demand on the front end of the employment/calling process financial guarantees that cover moving expenses and the inconvenience of displacing a family and leaving a previous position.

Committee based churches will be faced with the desire of Generation X and younger newly emerging church leaders to operate on loosely organized teams that trade tightly held autocratic rule for more goal oriented cooperation. When faced with conflict in beliefs about leadership, look for this cohort to depart the traditional church for more informal approaches to ministry.

Ultimately, churches who have a strong desire to survive and thrive will see a new breed of lay leaders arise that are more attuned to the difference between governance and management. In this scenario, lay leader board actions will be limited to the financial and fiducial responsibilities required by State and Federal rules that are outside the areas of ministry focus, message and staffing. Pastors will create leadership teams led by key lay leaders who have a focus and responsibility for their area of ministry emphasis.

Courtesy of Trend Ping

Reconnecting After a Conflict

When the Pastor and key leaders are not aligned, the church will not be effective. There will be times in the Pastor's journey where they will say or do something to upset a key leader, director or deacon. It is important that the Pastor, as the leader of the church, reach out to that individual to repair the relationship and bring them back into the purpose of the church.

These instances more often occur when a Pastor has not established strong baseline relationships that withstand these times of conflict and quickly come back into alignment. For that reason, it is crucial that Pastors deepen key relationships. However, there are ways that a Pastor can regain their relationship with the leader and regain organizational momentum.

If given the opportunity, we know the right words to say and have the desire to reconnect, but the opportunity doesn't always exist. The 10 suggestions below may help you access the opportunity or generate other creative ways to reconnect.

1. Catch the leader doing something honorable, creative, helpful and send them a thank you card (if the disconnect is serious) or a phone call.
2. Ask them to ride along with you for support as you make a visit to a church member's home.
3. Tell them a particular book has puzzled you as to how you can apply it or whether you should apply it in your church and would they mind reading it so you all can get together to discuss.
4. Invite them (and spouse) to your home for dinner. Keep is casual. Don't force the topic of dispute.
5. Copy them on an article that you found interesting and ask them to email you their thoughts.
6. Invite them and a friend of theirs to lunch to get their input on an upcoming message series. Having their friend there helps break the ice in conversation.
7. Ask your spouse to have coffee with their spouse and see where the conversation leads.
8. Speak highly of them in front of others. It will get back to them.
9. Send an "I miss your friendship" card and express your desire to meet.
10. Pray daily for them, their ministry and that God would allow you the opportunity to reconnect.

Recruiting Others to a Shared Vision

You likely already have the skill -- and have practiced it quite often -- of recruiting others to a shared vision. If you have been married a couple of years or more you are experienced. Just use that approach with others.

Recruiting others to a shared vision is the same process you use to convince your spouse that you need, really, really need a your own space or the latest “all my friends have one” purchase. By dissecting the approach you take with your spouse, you can use the same method (minus the romance) with others you want to join with you in a shared vision.

Before we approach our spouse with our thinking, we make sure we actually do some thinking. We prepare for the obvious questions:

Why do you want to do this?
What will it accomplish?
Why is it important to you?
What will it cost?
What are other alternatives?
Why do you need to pursue it now?
What is the benefit to you and me?

Once you have thought through your possible questions and have inspiring responses in mind, you now pick the right time to approach the subject. Timing and environment are very important. You make sure that you will be uninterrupted so they have time to ask their questions and discuss at length.

After introducing the new idea, you give them time to think about it, remind them why it is important to you and convey appreciation for their consideration. (Not your style -- try it. It works.)

If you don’t hear back from them in a reasonable amount of time, you follow up to see if they have additional questions and to gauge their acceptance. When an agreement is made, you routinely keep them posted as to progress to reinforce the wisdom of their decision and a reminder of their commitment to the cause.

This process of engaging others builds trust and experience for future partnership building. As the relationship deepens in trust (just like your marriage) you will grow more comfortable in applying the same loving approach with others on your team. Give it a try!

Learning to Listen Strategically

Let’s face it -- as leaders we like to pontificate the future vision of hope and impact to those gathered at our feet with twinkling eyes of awe and determination. Don’t kid yourself. Those blessed to be in your midst, as you would see it, are really much more interested in having a productive relationship with you and the purpose of your organization. Leadership is about relationships and relationships absolutely require excellent listening skills.

Listening is an art that is rarely taught, often under-appreciated and the missing skill of many bewildered leaders. We don’t receive listening grades in school -- unless of course you were that continual interruption for your third grade teacher who would give you the opportunity to ponder your listening deficit with nose in corner. Listening is the glue that keeps marriages intact, strategies defined and feedback flowing. Listening is crucial to leadership and life.

To listen “strategically” we test ownership of our vision with our team, capture different points of view that may change our approach and strengthen our relationship with the team members. Strategic listening serves as the road map of meaningful conversations.

Strategic listening requires a balance between capturing input (preferably in writing for later processing) and asking leading questions. Push yourself during conversations to follow up on comments that come up to make sure you understand what is being said. Repeat back in your own words what you hear to ensure you are on track. Ask questions that are open ended that allow others to express their ideas and emotions. Avoid indicating their input is something you already thought about or is not helpful. Don’t interrupt. Keep eye contact. Show them you are interested by writing down what they say.

As you listen, expect to learn something. An attitude of expectation will create a more engaging conversation and demonstrate appreciation to others. Strategic listening should not be reserved for only those you believe to be on your side. By showing an attitude of expectation and interest to those who traditionally disagree with your position or have been difficult to engage in the past, you take the first step toward converting them into a partner rather than a barrier to success. The act of listening is a powerful, often avoided, element of converting contrarian views into a highly supportive relationship. Listen very closely to objectors and you will often learn how to improve your plan and address objections.

Leaders who listen endear themselves to those they lead. Strategically apply the art of listening in your organization and see your vision take root in people you once thought would never grow and benefit from those who are fully engaged.

How to Prioritize

Prioritization is a topic that is touted in thousands of books, websites and articles defining the 5 easy steps toward greater productivity; but we still fail to be a people of prioritization. The steps are “easy” but the discipline of doing it is tough to follow. We lack motivation to perform. If that’s you -- that’s the first indication that you are not focused on important work.

Rather than focus on the “how” to prioritize -- make a list, consider the time frame, secure the resources, blah, blah, blah -- it is more productive to focus on the particular “why” of the task ahead. The “why” we want to do something is far more motivational than ranking the various opportunities that face us.

Each project under consideration for the investment of our precious time should be vigorously interrogated as to its benefit to our overall productivity, well-being and purpose. It is very easy to not do something if it really isn’t important to us. Things of importance will naturally rank high on your to-do list.

We prioritize without purpose if we are not in constant view of our goals. By clearly defining in generalities what you want to accomplish at work, home or in life, you take a big step forward toward prioritizing your energy and time. If you don’t know where you are headed, prioritization efforts don’t have a standard to which to measure their importance.

Once you have a clear understanding of your purpose and desired impact, simply record the next step in getting there (GTD basics) in your capture system. If you don’t have a system to capture your next action items, start with index cards. Write a single opportunity for action on each card. Align them on the table in the order you feel best reflects your purpose. Study the order and adjust areas that don’t feel right. Once you have them in an order that makes sense for your goals, number them, pop them in your pocket -- you now have a prioritized list and a system that you can adjust to your own preference of doing work.

The bigger issue is not the order in which you do things -- it is having the discipline of not doing things that are not aligned with your purpose or mission. A mission should be motivating. Prioritization should be simple, focused on the next action item and allow intuition to evaluate your flexible steps. The discipline of following through on your list is the key to growing comfortable and dependent on your prioritization process.

Technology Quota - Email Solutions

I've seen an increase in the "badge of honor" syndrome among busy leaders. It is the swelling of the chest when a leader explains to other mere organizational mortals that they just don't have time to vacation, play, relax or in some cases, even sleep. It's an odd little interchange where one person is bragging to another about how busy he or she is which is intended to let the other person know how important they are based on the demanding schedule they must manage. I see it differently.

Everyone has the same 24-hours in a day. No one has proved to me yet that they have discovered a way to escape the commonly held day/night earth rotation. The problem comes then, with the use of their 24 precious hours.

The truth and tragedy of the issue is that some people do not prioritize or manage their time optimally. As a result they feel rushed and stressed, which their busy mind interprets as being important -- when they are just unorganized. There is hope.

For the overwhelmed, de-constructing our time so we can manage it more efficiently can be, well, overwhelming. A simple place to start is to introduce regular doses of technology into your daily routine. Develop the discipline of a technology quota to force efficiency in your routine. Commit to learning or applying one new techno-solution each week.

A great place to start for busy leaders is to more effectively manage your emails. Emails are digitized conversations. Much like verbal conversations, there are some in your email circle whom you want to interact with real time and others that you should ignore. The trick comes in differentiating them -- automatically.

A little organizational trick is to employ rules to sort your emails for you. If you use Outlook, use rules to color code and automatically file under the Organize tab. If Gmail is your email of choice it has many of the same functions including a slick little tool to identify emailers and then delete, archive or file automatically based on a unique address. Gmail allows you to customize your main email address so you and the Gmail software can recognize and react to members of groups (your deacons for example) or online spammers that may have received your address when you enrolled or purchased online.

Here's how it works on Gmail: Let's say your regular email address is pastorxyzabc@gmail.com. Gmail allows you to add words to your address in this way: pastorxyzabc+deacons@gmail.com by using a "+" symbol between the regular address and the additional word. You can use any word (+purchases; +family; +spam) and then allow Gmail to filter for messages sent to that address and handle them to your specifications. You can also insert "." in your address and Gmail treats it the same way. You could use pas.tor.xyz.abc@gmail.com to identify a specific emailer or group. Giving out customized email addresses will allow you to quickly identify emailers who matter and those who don't.

That's just one of thousands of email technology solutions to help you become more efficient in your time use each day. Set a weekly technology quota to keep you moving toward greater productivity while at the same time becoming more responsive to those who matter most.

Step 4 of Fulfilling Your Vision (Aligning Effort)

You have arrived at the last step in your journey to fulfill your vision for your church. With your champions enrolled and well versed in the urgent purpose you have called others to join in; the last step is where the impact is made and the vision takes shape.

Step 4 is the alignment of effort. Alignment is often the missing ingredient in a plan. By creating well defined roles and allowing others the flexibility to execute their portion of the vision, a unified effort brings results. Simple in concept, alignment is frequently overlooked in a volunteer organization such as a church. Leaders tend to not closely coordinate or align volunteer efforts as they would an employed position. Champion volunteers, on the other hand, are aligned first with your urgent purpose, making them more inclined to accept assigned roles and coordinated efforts. Be clear in your expectations of your champions and check in with them often to monitor their progress. Ensure they have reasonable timelines and the necessary support and resources.

It is important that each person involved not only understand their role, but also understand the role of other champions. Moving from the “big picture” to an individual’s specific role allows self-coordination and greater creativity without interfering with other roles. By using a “tight-loose-tight” oversight approach, you can appropriately manage a unified effort while allowing the personal touch of individual effort.

The initial “tight” is the definition of your urgent purpose. A vague purpose statement will not fulfill your vision. Create the expectation among champions that everyone will strive for the same, highly defined goal. Once the “tight” expectation is established through your urgent purpose definition and described during your focused communication phase, you can then allow a more “loose” approach to execution. Allow champions a great deal of latitude in executing their part of the plan. Encourage new approaches and different avenues. The final “tight” is in the expectation of timelines and end results that represent successful execution of the vision. “Tight-loose-tight” will inspire your team to individualize the effort while at the same time stay on goal.

By aligning effort your momentum is more likely to overcome negative opinions or political maneuvering by those desiring the status quo or an alternative direction. The alignment establishes your individual champions as a team of highly coordinated and inspired ambassadors for the cause. They will find strength in their coordination and satisfaction in the part they play. Celebrate with them as you reach your desired destination and realize the purpose for which God has called your church.

Here are links to all 4 steps:

Step One - Engaging Ministry Champions
Step Two - Defining an Urgent Purpose
Step Three - Focused Communication
Step Four - Aligning Effort