Scripture Works

I'm not sure how to share this story without giving all the details (sorry, I'm not quite ready for you to know everything :) ) but I'll try.
Over the last two and a half days four specific scriptures have come to mind at rather odd times. The first was a command, so I started following through. The second was the context and attitude that I was supposed to have in the midst of the time. The third scripture was a word to stop and the last was an answer to why I should stop after two days.
It was all a little bit strange because two out of the four scriptures were ones that I would only have come up with if I did a word search. I knew the stories but they were not ones that would have readily come to mind. In fact I went back and looked up the scriptures just to make sure I was not fooling myself. Much to my amazement (a sign of my lack of faith I'm sure) the scriptures read just like they came to mind. The outcome of it all was a huge reminder that God is in control.
So why do I share this story? Partly for myself as a reminder of the power of scripture and my need to stay grounded in the midst of it. But also for anyone reading so that I might simply share a word of encouragement to read the Bible. If you have ever wondered if God still speaks to people I know the answer is yes. When people talk about the Bible being a living word this is what I think it means. That the Bible comes to life in the midst of our lives today just as it did for those who heard it the first time. When these scriptures came to my mind there was no mistaking how they fit into my life at that very moment. It was a simple decision, was I going to obey and do what the scriptures said or was I going to pass it off as just a random thought. I tested the scriptures against other things that I know about Jesus and what it means to be a faithful follower and there were no contradictions. There were no chances that my following through with these things was going to impact anyone but myself so I did what God directed. The result is a major change in my outlook on life this morning. I'm sure God is in control and that life will continue to unfold in ways that will bring God glory and will be for the benefit of God's people (that is everyone, not just some select few).
So the long and short of this rather odd post is a word of encouragement. Read your Bibles. The chances of you remembering something that you have never read are rather slim. So read larges chunks of the Bible, not just select passages. You never know when God might speak into your life through the oddest stories at times that you never would have anticipated.

Reflections LEAD: Bill Hybels (2)

Bill Hybels second presentation focused around the theme of motivation. The basic concept centered around the need to motivate oneself as a leader and how to share that motivation with others. There were a lot of good suggestions and insight but as I looked back over my notes what really stuck out for me was the reminder to stay focused upon the daily disciplines of spirituality and health.
While it would seem that this is just one of those things that you would take for granted and always include in a life of faith, I know that isn't the case. There is a reason that they are called disciplines and that is because they take discipline. I find myself to easily making excuses for not doing what I know are the right things to do.

• I'm to busy
• This is to important to wait
• I'm tired
• I deserve a day off
• I'm just not getting anything out of that these days
• It really doesn't seem to make a difference

However it is expressed it comes down to the reality that they are excuses. These excuses build up over time and then suddenly I find myself out of shape emotionally, physically, and even spiritually.
Are there ways to remain motivated in the midst of what is sometimes the drudgery of discipline? What does it mean to live out the old Nike slogan, "Just Do It!" when you don't feel like it? How do you stay motivated when it doesn't seem to really matter?
Hybels made the point that everyone has different things that motivate them. As leaders we should learn what the motivators are for the people we lead and do what we can to help encourage them in ways that speak into their lives. Maybe this is the key to our own motivation as well. Knowing what keeps us going. If you exercise so that you can spurge and have that double chocolate fudge brownie is that enough motivation to get you up and out the door at 6:00 a.m. when its cold and rainy? I know it isn't enough for me because I'll just go ahead and spurge anyway. But maybe it is enough for someone else.
What seems to motivate me the most are big picture goals. Knowing where I'm headed and what God wants me to be doing is real motivation for me. It means that I have to continually remind myself of how the everyday disciplines help accomplish those big picture things. I need to know that my ability to accomplish God's purposes is dependent upon my being in the best physical health I'm capable of, which means eating as well as possible and exercising on a regular basis. It means that I have to stay in tune with my spirit and where God is leading and the only way I can do that is through the practices of prayer, fasting, worship, etc.
The truth of the matter is that when I leave out the basic disciplines of life I lose my motivation for other things more quickly than I would hope. Is it enough to keep me going in the long hall? I don't know but it is at least enough to get me motivated to do somethings in the next few days that I have allowed to slide.
How about you? Do you know what motivates you in life? Would you care to share them?

Reflections LEAD: Jimmy Carter

I've been wanting to reflect more upon former President Jimmy Carter's presentation at the Leadership Conference for several days. I have to say that I don't get the anger and venom being spread around the blogosphere because of this. If you want to check out some of the "experts" who have opinions but did not hear the presentation you might be interested in checking out the conversation over at Monday Morning Insight. I'm sure there are other places as well, but that should be enough to get a feel for the discussion that is on going.
Personally I found Carter's interview inspiring and helpful. His level of honesty and openness was refreshing in a political environment that does everything it can to control the spin around issues as well as people. I have to say that I am more impressed with Carter as an international leader following his presidency than I was when he was running for re-election. I remember that as my first opportunity to vote in the presidential election and I have to say that I voted for Anderson.
Enough of this, let's get on to the insights and reflections.
To statement from Carter's presentation that stood out for me.

• "What human beings ought to do is what Jesus Christ did."
• "We can accommodate changing times by clinging to unchanging themes."

The first statement is a no brainier for folks who look to Jesus as the corner stone of their faith, in fact there are a lot of folks who don't consider themselves Christians that think that would be a good idea. For me it was just an affirmation of Carter's faith and integrity.
The second statement is one that takes a bit of a turn on what is often said in relation to reaching out to others in contemporary worship. The phrase is often along the lines of "the methods change but the message doesn't. " That approach assumes that we are in charge of choosing the methods that we will use in presenting the gospel. As well as assuming the methods we use we can also control the ways in which those methods impact the message. (For those who want to follow that line of questioning I would recommend Shane Hipps book.) So what would the church look look like if it settled upon some themes that are central to the Gospel and absolutely not let them go?
Themes like:

• Love your neighbor
• Forgive others
• Feed the poor
• Heal the sick
• Care for the widows and orphans

These might be a good place to start and it might keep us busy for awhile, busy enough to focus upon the things of most importance and not worry about so much of the other stuff that keeps us from doing the things that Jesus did.

Reflections LEAD: Richard Curtis

The interview with Richard Curtis was a mix of humor and stark reality as I reflect upon it. The reality of what Curtis has been able to do because he has joined in the battle to fight poverty is amazing. It also gives some new approaches of ways to invite people to become involved that I had never thought of before. I know that concept of the Red Nose Day will stay with me for some time.
Now for some reflections on one of the notes that I took during the interview with Curtis.
One of the quotes from Curtis was: "When things go wrong you can't panic to early because what seems to be failure, might actually turn out to be the key of what will be successful." This statement while pithy is completely counter intuitive and goes against everything that is ingrained within leaders. For me the role of leadership is to make sure that the right things happen at the right time. When something isn't going right a leader is supposed to fix it or get it stopped. So what would it mean to not panic in the midst of failure? Even more significantly for me is the question, When should you allow failure to become the seed bed for success?
We have all heard how many times Edison learned what didn't work in making a light bulb before he (and his lab crew) found the right combination. You might have heard a leader say, "We've never had a failure, we just know a lot of things that don't work now."
So are there some snippits of possible wisdom that might come from this thought process?
How about some of the following:

• If it isn't happening just the way it was planned it doesn't mean that you should start over right away
• Make sure that you step back and analize (with others) the things that have gone wrong (as well as what happened that was right) to see what might actually have gone right [Remember the story of Post-it Notes]
• Time is your friend, allow it to be
• Always ask what are we learning in the midst of this

Any other thoughts that you might add?

Reflections LEAD: John Ortberg

I don't think that there has ever been a time when I have not been challenged and/or surprised by John Ortberg when I have heard him speak. Listening to him do the primary teaching through the Old Testament several years ago was a high lite in many different ways. His presentation at the leadership conference did nothing to change that.

The focus of Ortberg's presentation was on the Shadow Mission of leaders. He used the story of Esther in the Old Testament as a way of illustrating those dynamics in a number of ways. The key point of the Shadow Mission Ortberg said, was that it is our authentic mission hijacked by our ego and our wounds with no Jesus present. I've been thinking about this statement for almost two weeks now and it is still rather unsettling. I'm not going to use this blog for that level of self-revelation in addressing what could be my shadow mission but I want you to know that I'm working hard not just at recognizing it, but also raising the questions about redeeming it and moving beyond the power it has to control me.
The other part of what Ortberg suggests is significant for the church is addressing the reality that every local church (as well as denominations, etc.) has a Shadow Mission. What does it mean to acknowledge that and put it out for the light of day? Would it loose the power of controlling us if we named it for what it is and began to look for ways that might keep us from falling into its trap? I think it has some potential.
For instance in our local setting I would say that our shadow mission over the last several years has been, "Don't offend anyone because they might leave." [I want to make it clear that this is my first reflection on the issue and it is not one that I have spent a great deal of time talking about, praying about, or looking for clear discernment over. As well as saying it is my impression and I take ownership of that completely.] This is not to say that offending people should ever be our goal, in church or anywhere else. The reality that I see is that we have resisted encouraging debate, discussion, and disagreement because we are afraid of the potential fall out. Because of that we as a church have suffered. We have lost the ability to engage one another in ways that generate healthy dialogue and bring forth new energy because we don't want to risk people getting upset and taking their toys and going someplace else to play.
The truth though (as I see it) is that because we have not fought off this Shadow Mission we have had people leave. They have left because we we haven't engaged them or allowed them to engage in the tension of discerning among competing needs and desires. We have not said the hard things because we didn't want to offend and in that we have left unhealthy behavior go unchecked. So the very thing that we have tried to avoid has actually happened but in a way that on the surface has allowed us to appear to remain happily pursuing the mission God has given us.
These are just some thoughts in relationship to Ortberg's presentation that I have had and I would be glad to engage in discussion on line or off line about them. I would even be glad to be wrong on this one (in fact I would be happy if I was). So talk back to me if you are out there.

Reflections LEAD: Colin Powell

Colin Powell's presentation was a video interview with Bill Hybels at the conference. While not a real time presentation the interview setting worked surprisingly well from my perspective. I ended up taking quite a few notes and will try today to reflect upon one of his points.
Much of the interview was talking about some his basic statements of leadership that are apparently found in his book. Many of the statements are not new in the leadership genre but one that was very helpful for me to remember was, "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."
This statement reminded me of a speaker who I heard before my junior year in college at a leadership seminar that I was invited to attend as the student council president. I'll have to go back later and see exactly who it was that was speaking because knowing me I probably still have my notes. But any way, This gentleman was the last speaker of the week long event and among other things that I still remember from him is the challenge to "Be 10 times more enthusiastic." His point was that people love to follow people who are excited about life and about what they are doing. I think this is the same type of thing that Powell was trying to get across. People who are optimistic are attractive to other people. We search out folks who help us face life in positive ways. Our positive outlook on life gives far more energy through other peoples response than the energy it takes to expend. Optimism is not just helpful to the individual but it is a must for a forward moving organization, including the church.
This can't be a false optimism. It can't be a man walking through a rain storm saying it's going to quit raining anytime now for two hours straight. (think Charlie Brown standing on the pitchers mound) But rather a man walking in a rain storm saying, it's raining now, but it will quit eventually, we will all dry out and the sun will shine again. It has to be an optimism that is realistic but forward looking and able to communicate the positive possibilities that lie ahead.
How do we implement this in the midst of current reality at the church? This is a key question right now and there are a few folks who are not going to respond well because it seems like for them the sky is always falling. I think the key point is to name the reality as clearly as possible while at the same time painting a picture of what is going to be possible in the future. It has to express the hard work necessary and the sacrifices that might be necessary but all of that in the context of a hope filled future. It is that kind of optimism that will multiply our possibilities and invite others to be apart of what I think is the most exciting things in the world. That is the chance to be involved in God changing the world through a local church.
I know that I'm excited about the future and I hope that others are as well.

Reflections LEAD: Michael Porter

If you want a refresher check out the notes on Michael Porter from the conference before jumping into some reflection time. There were mixed reviews of Porter's presentation from the people with whom I attended the conference. Some folks just zoned out at the professor type presentation and others really tuned in to the statistics and presentation. I agreed with everything that he was saying for the most part about getting the most out of God's resources and impacting the community in positive ways for long term benefits. The down side of his approach was that when everything is so analytical and processed the space for the Holy Spirit gets limited.
I could go off on that tangent for some time, but I'll limit this time to some positive reflections on one of his comments.
One of Porter's statements was: "Many congregation's community outreach is more about them than about those they are serving." This was not so much an AHHHA! moment as it was an invitation to look inward. Unfortunately the statement is not only true about congregations but also about people like me as well. The very nature of altruism is that it is assistance given without regard to personal benefit. While it would be nice to think that everything that is done in the name of Christ would be completely selfless and giving because it is needed I think we could all agree that isn't the case.
Think of the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke. The example of being a good neighbor is one that had no possibility of bringing a benefit to the Samaritan who comes to the assistance of the one robbed and beaten. Could that be the reason the two religious leaders didn't stop? Could it be that they saw no personal benefit for them in 'wasting' their time with the beaten man?
In the church it seems like we are quick to publicise our good deeds because it is all about name recognition (of course we justify this by saying that we want the glory to go to Jesus as long as our church, or maybe even our own names, get associated with it as well).
One of the classical spiritual disciplines is that of providing hidden service, doing for others that which they nor anyone else will ever know who was responsible. But this is a missing discipline in many of our church's and one that I have to confess is not modeled well because by it's very nature those who do it remain hidden.
Even those acts have to be examined though and the question asked why? Why are we doing these things? Is our motivation Christ centered or is it to ease our own sense of uncomfortableness with our lifestyle or actions?
I'm really afraid that this reflection has raised more questions than it has answers. Sorry for the navel gazing, but I think the questions are worth an honest examination and maybe through the examination we will gain a better insight and a willingness to give of ourselves in selfless ways.

Reflections LEAD: Marcus Buckingham

The session by Marcus Buckingham was a review for me in many ways. I've read three of his books on the strength movement so far and have been living with these ideas for the past three years. I found that I took the least notes for Buckingham but also got a lot out of the reminder in what he had to say.
I want to spend this time reflecting upon one of the three things that he said in relation to the 3 skills that you should learn. I'm sure that for many people there is one or maybe all of the skills that will be difficult to embrace. For me the third one is the most difficult, "you need to be able to talk about your strengths without bragging and your weaknesses without whining." It probably has something to do with the way I grew up but it is a constant battle for me to be able to comfortably name my gifts and even to be comfortable in having others name them. It makes me uncomfortable to have people talking about what I do well as it feels like I'm drawing attention to myself and placing myself above or ahead of others.
It isn't that I don't know what my strengths are, I'm fairly clear on those. It is somehow connected with the false notion that in any given setting everyone should be able to do whatever is needed. It is an inner battle at times to recognize that there are some things that no one else is going to be able to or even want to do that I can do very well. This thought process made it very difficult for a lot of years to accept compliments from people. I would simply discounted what people said with something like, "oh it was nothing, anybody could have done that." Finally a good friend and mentor took me aside and said to me, "When you discount the praise I give to you you treat me like I don't really matter. So when I give you praise just shut-up and say 'thank you'."
Ok, it might have been a bit blunt, but it worked!
Having gone around the barn to get to this point now what? I think one of the significant conversations that we need to have in team settings centers around some "whats" of why we do what we do.

• What draws me to this job, ministry, situation, opportunity, etc.?
• What make me come back on a regular basis?
• What experiences in the past make this situation easy, hard, fun, challenging?
• What can I bring to this ____ that will make me go home at night feeling like I can't wait to come back?
• What does this current situation remind me of in my past? Why?

I think these questions would help us get at some of those underlying feelings and emotions that are always tied together with our current settings. It probably isn't something that you come into a planning meeting and just dump on people and tell everyone that we are going to get all reflective now, but rather questions and conversations that happen on the side after a meeting or in more informal times. Having someone ask us these questions and be willing to take the time to listen might help us all identify our strengths and why we are willing and even wanting to use them.

Reflections: LEAD Floyd H. Flake

In looking back over my notes of Flake's presentation there were several things that stood out. His emphasis upon being a leader of integrity and trusting God enough to always do the right thing was very important. I've always considered integrity to be the one thing that no one can take away from you but rather the thing that one gives away at great personal cost. Putting it in the context of trusting God was a helpful insight to me. Shortcuts are tempting because there are times when I wonder if God will really be faithful in the midst of the hard things. Given the hard work and lumps that one can take along the way when you stand up and do the right things when they aren't very popular it is no wonder that we are tempted to take an easier, less costly way out and compromise at times. But it really is a trust issue. Do we believe that God will provide and watch over us not just in this life but in the life yet to come. If we trust God to be faithful to all that has been said in the Bible then integrity is not an option, but a sign of faith.
The other focus of Flake's presentation centered around training leaders to do even more than we are capable of doing ourselves. This really rings true for me. It is why every time I turn around in the church I'm encouraging people to work in teams and to bring someone else along to experience the joy of giving in their areas of ministry. Paraphrasing something that Fiorina said, "Everything worth doing is worth doing with others." I pray that our church culture will come to finally embrace this idea that every ministry is a team ministry and that leadership is always in the process of being shared and inviting others to embrace the possibilities that they will be able to partner with God to take the ministry beyond where it currently is.
For me personally I have to continually ask myself, "Am I spending enough time with those who will do more God than I could ever do myself?"
Sometimes the answer is yes, and many times it is a reminder that I have to refocus and prioritize my time. That being said there are a few things that need to get done today so I'm off to attempt to live some of these principles and ideas in my daily life.

Reflecting On Carly Fiorina

Some reflections about the interview with Carly Fiorina from the LEAD conference.

In looking back over my notes it seems like a lot of what connected with my during Fiorina's interview was the way she addressed issues of fear. One of the things I made note of was, "Many fears are stupid, but they are real." I don't recall if it was an actual quote or a summary of what I heard her saying but it has been kind of just sitting there for me the lasts few days.


I know that when you "grow up" and step into positions of leadership that the world things you have put away all your fears and the reality is that just isn't the case. Most of our fears just go underground and become what John Ortberg (reflecting on his address in a couple of days) named as our "shadow mission". The fears are what controls us because we won't allow ourselves to honestly address those fears. We are afraid that someone else might find out what those fears are and use them to our detriment or that if our fears become known they will make us look weak and ineffective. So we spend our time and energy avoiding any opportunity which just might make us face those fears.

Is there a way of being in leadership and being honest about our fears? What would it look like if the leaders around you could name their fears:

• I'm afraid of being rejected
• I'm afraid of being laughed at
• I'm afraid that when I'm gone no one will miss me
• I'm afraid that I really can't do the job
• I'm afraid of spiders

Whatever the fears that we bring to life it seems that the first step in dealing with them is to be able to name them. Maybe in naming our fears we realize just how stupid the fear is. Not that it takes away the reality of the fear but it at least is given a name and possibly we find that there are people around us who don't have those fears and are willing to step in and take care of the spiders in our lives without making us feel like we are any less important, successful, or capable because of that fear. Maybe over time we realize just how much we are missing out on because of our unwillingness to face those fears and we do the hard work of overcoming them. (Though I'm not sure what you might be missing out on by addressing your fear of spiders but I'm sure that it could be overwhelming and debilitating to some.)

I wonder if the fears in my life are holding me back from fully using the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given me to use for God's glory? How about you?

Travelogue Reminder

For those of you wanting to see the rest of the pictures of the great sabbath journey north if you live in Fort Wayne you can see them tomorrow night in the worship center beginning at 7:00 p.m. I look forward to seeing you there.

And here is another teaser post of a picture like you will see tomorrow evening.

Reflecting Back

Over the next couple of days I want to spend some time reflecting back on the speakers and the messages that I heard at the LEAD conference. I'll try to take the notes that I took during the conference and distill them in a way that allows me to express my thoughts in a more clear and concise way.

Because I know many people are sequential in thinking I'll start with the first presentation by Bill Hybels and work my way through each one. You can find my notes on his presentation here. Or if you would like to see some clips of that presentation check here.

In his presentation Hybels focused upon the need for people, from the leader(s) proclaiming the vision to those following and implementing the vision, to have a deep sense of ownership of that vision. In fact he used the illustration from Jesus teaching in John 10 in focusing upon the ownership of the shepherd with the sheep. To me this is a key point not just in concept but personally in practice. One of the things I have been asking myself recently is what am I willing to lay down for the people God has given me responsibility in leading? Another way to put it that is a bit more unsettling might be, "What am I willing to die for?"

I have to say that in many ways I too easily answer the dying question with trite answers such as my faith, my family, etc. But what would my life look like if I really knew what Jesus thought was of ultimate importance for my life. Through a lot of prayer, self-reflection, and conversation with others I came to the realization a couple of years ago that my focus in life was to prepare the church for my grand-children's children. But the reality is that I get myself tied up in knots about a lot of things that don't really have an impact upon that future. There are times when I "forget" what is of ultimate importance in my life and I face off with issues or people and take on an attitude of "I'll die for this because my way is the 'right way'." Because I approach some of those things with a live or die attitude I lose focus and thus effectiveness.

Reflecting upon Hybels presentation I think that one of the ultimate questions for a leader, (Anyone for that matter, because I won't take the time right now to explain how everyone is a leader in one way or another. That will have to be a different post.) is two fold: 1)What are you willing to die for? and 2) What are you not willing to die for? Sometimes it isn't until we answer the second question that we really figure out the answer to the first. I think in relation to the church there are many times that we make a stand and choose death for the wrong reasons. How many times do we choose to make issues out of our preferences rather than our principals? How many times do we choose to take a stand on something that is important but that is not of ultimate importance? Maybe it would help if we knew more clearly what God was calling us not to die for so that we were more clear about what cross God might ask for us to take up and be willing to die upon for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Any thoughts or reactions?

About Midnight

Today we used the Sarah Kelly song "About Midnight" in worship. (Thanks Heather and Kacie for doing a great job on it.) The song comes out of the Acts 16 passage where Paul and Silas are in prison and the Bible says, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God..." The focus was upon how in our darkest hours we can still turn to God and sing praise and that their are people around us who notice how we approach hardships.
I didn't speak about my own life experiences in the midst of the darkest hours but I know the reality of this passage. It seems like when I have gone through the worst of times with those around me that all I can do is cry out to God. Not to ask why, even though that at times is present, but to say, "God in the midst of it all you are still God and I will not forget that." I don't think I'm different from others or have more faith than other people do, because I'm sure that isn't the case. But I have noticed that in the midst of suffering and darkness it is those people who turn to God, not just for answers, but just because, who face the darkness with the best attitude.
I pray that those who are going through the darkness of life, of which I know many who are, will find strength in giving praise to God.

Bill Hybels: LEAD

Patrick Henry Hughes
A testimony to God's power in spite of what seems to be trials to insurmountable to overcome.
Patrick was born without eyes and with limited abilities to use all of his limbs but with a spirit of optimism and a musical gift that speaks beyond anything that can be imagined.

Inspire Me
How much does it actually matter if someone is inspired in what they do?

• 40% performance difference between those who are inspired in what they do
• 85% of people are less likely to leave an organization if they are motivated/inspired by what is happening
• Motivation matters!!!!

Whose job is it to keep me motivated?

• 1 Sam. 30:6 "He went off and encouraged himself in God"
• Live your life in such a way as to remain inspired
• remember that we are on a mission for/from God
• remind ourselves of the reason why we do what we do
• It is my job to keep the motivation at the right level and in the right direction
• Leverage my spiritual gifts in the appropriate ways
• Make sure the players on the team are motivated and inspiring to others
• Read the lives of those who motivate you
• Hang out with people who inspire you
• Participate in events that inspire
• Pay attention to the physical disciplines
• Pay attention to the working environment
• Have an inspiring outlet or recreation outside of work
• Practice daily spiritual disciplines to keep the faith fresh

[saturation reflection: take one verse or section and live with it for a year or so. read it daily even more often and allow it to soak in deeply]

What is the best way to inspire and motivate the people around you?

• The single best way to inspire and motivate the people around you is to live a motivated life yourself
• Your own motivation is a force multiplier
• Connect everyone you lead to a compelling cause
• Learn the inspiration language of each person you lead and USE IT!
• Identify and reduce every demotivating thing in our surroundings (Hersburg?)
• Celebrate every sign of progress toward your shared goals

[side note: develop a team under the heading "Ministers of First Impressions"]

What would it look like if a whole church lived in a spirit of inspiration?

• Acts 2:42 "The members of the church ....

LEAD: Jimmy Carter

Bill Hybels is setting the stage by talking about who we can learn from. The need is to be open to learn from God through very diverse people and approaches. I totally agree, "It's all about learning." Bill says and he is so right. If we aren't learning we aren't leading!

Building Humanity

• In the different roles he never changed who he was or the basic nature of how he approached life.
• Looking for characteristics in others of: honesty, integrity, loyalty, deep wisdom in their specific areas, willingness to engage in disagreements
• Carter was in trusted with leadership at an early age. From selling peanuts to buying rental property before he turned 16.
• The leadership opportunities at many times are adversely affected by issues and events that are completely outside of the control of the leader. Carter illustrated this with discussion about the Iran Hostage situation, third party candidates, and other issues.
• In Carter talking about his growing up in a racially diverse situation he illustrated the necessity of seeing each other as human, not differently human, made in the image of God.
• People who are poor are just as intelligent, just as capable, just as worthy as the President of the United States.
• "What human beings ought to do is what Jesus Christ did."
• "We can accommodate changing times by clinging to unchanging themes."

Just listening to Pres. Carter speak about his experience and the reasons why it is clear what leadership is all about. It is about an honesty and integrity in all things, when things go right and when things are going wrong around you. It is clear that in many ways Carter was a man ahead of his time. In the writing of history and the perspective of time Jimmy Carter I believe will be seen as one of the five people who impacted the world for positive change during the 20th Century and into the 21st. May his leadership and ministry continue and multiply.

Richard Curtis at LEAD

Living for the Greater Good

a film maker and tireless worker for the poor among us

There is a particular power in humor.

Pick people for what they are doing now, not what they once did or what others think they could do.

What makes things great is to have people draw out the best from within them.

When things go wrong you can't panic to early because what seems to be failure, might actually turn out to be the key of what will be successful.

"When you are fighting for the poor, you are fighting for their right to laugh, to sing, and to hope for the future."

One of the ways Richard has been involved is through the Red Nose Day.

"I'm not embarrassed to ask people to do things because people really want to do something significant."

I'm as impressed as Bill Hybels is with the work that Richard is doing to alleviate the suffering of the poor. Having seen the interviews and the clips and knowing the reality that is faced it is a hard question of how to bring my gifts to the benefit of others. Not just for the benefit of others for a more comfortable life or a little bit more (whatever that is) but for the benefit of life and hope and a future which might embrace the love of God. So what is the calling that is upon my life from God? I think I know, but will I remain open for God to speak truth into my life in ways that I have not yet heard?

John Ortberg

As the lead into the first afternoon session the drama team starts out with an office scene about confronting the leader with their dysfunction and how it carries on. The punch line is when the main speaker dreaming about making the confrontation goes into his office and a coworker comes to his door and begins to use the same lines that he had just used about his boss.

The Leader's Great Fear

Possible candidates:

• fear of failure
• fear of mutiny
• fear of criticism ("Leadership is disappointing people at a rate they can stand." from a Harvard business teacher)

The possibility always exists for the leader to drift into choosing to live their lives for a shadow mission. A mission that is self-satisfying and destructive rather than God honoring.

Now we go to take a look at the story of Esther:

• Queen Vashty says no to the request to come to the King's party and he is furious because she threatens his shadow mission which is ego, appearance, and pleasure
• Esther is made queen so they she might be eye-candy for the King
• Haman is a more powerful and effective leader than the King and uses a bribe to get his way to get rid of Mordici
• Esther doesn't want to rise to the issue of confronting the King even though Mordici and her people are in grave danger

Things to consider:

What is your shadow mission? [the reason a s.m. is so damaging is that it is our authentic mission hijacked by our ego and our wounds with no Jesus present]

What is our church's shadow mission? [What would happen if our shadow mission statements were publicly known?]

Who is Mordici in your life?

• Esther is street smart and knows that addressing the shadow side must be approached with caution, wisdom, and from the back side
• The reality that Esther speaks is one which allows the God of Israel to be seen clearly

Jesus faced a shadow mission: To be the leader without suffering / to be the Messiah without the cross. This is seen in the temptations during the 40 days, when Peter tries to convince him that suffering is not necessary, up to the very end at the garden where he wrestles with it for the last time.

The reality of facing the shadows in our lives is one of the key points of being a part of the future that God will hold for what is yet to come.

Colin Powell at LEAD

We are continuing to soak in the info and challenge of the Willow Creek Leadership Conference and this next session is presented by Colin Powell. I've been looking forward to this presentation as I heard Powell about 9 or 10 years ago and was completely mesmerized by his insight and approach.

A few one liners that Powell is expanding upon:
"Leaders are Problem Solvers" this is the way that Powell's interview is starting off and it is both a no duh statement as well as an oh yeh realization.

"Only People Get Things Done" it is putting the people in the right opportunity for them to maximize the work. Use the 1/3 - 2/3 rule: 1/3 of time for top leadership to plan, explain, etc. and 2/3 for those making the implementation decisions to do it right.

"Reward your best performers - Get rid of your worst performers"
The first one to know that a poor performer is not performing are the ones that are making the most impact. If poor performance is not addressed it eats into the heart of those who are giving the most.

"Make sure you have fun along the way"
so why don't we have more fun?

"Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier"
optimism is contagious, not false or forced but real, will make a difference far greater than the one who is optimistic

Powell once again does not disappoint. Well said and a good challenge.

Michael Porter

For those wanting more info and a different more reflective take on the LEAD conference check out the link here.

Now for this mornings sessions.
Strategy and Leadership: "Doing well what is good"

Churches can be the front lines of solving problems all around the world.
Experience says that the church doesn't have the impact that it ultimately should. we don't get the bang for the buck that God deserves.

To do what we want done we need to apply some strategic thinking to the process of church.

Don't think of what you are doing as charity or philanthropy, but as providing a service. A service that is given to a customer who you want to add value to.

Many congregations community outreach is more about them than about those they are serving. A hard word here, but one that I know is true!

4 Questions we should be asking:
1. Have we really defined what our goals are?
2. What set of community services and / or needs are we going to address? More is not better!
3. What are we going to focus upon?
4. How are we going to get others to join in making a difference?

in a business the goal is always the same (to make money)
in a non-profit the goal must be clear and the strategy must follow the goals

Making choices about what to do has to focus not upon what is more "worthy" almost all unmet human needs are "worthy". But upon where you can add the most social benefit per dollar/resource expended.

Where can we do the most good with the resources that we have!

What other organizations are available doing a great job meeting the needs that you have identified? DON'T DUPLICATE/REPLICATE/REINVENT

Where can we add value beyond good intentions?
Can we avoid agenda creep?

3 common mistakes in setting strategy:
confusing strategy with goals
seeing small steps as the whole strategy
making vague statements stand alone as the strategy being pursued

Strategy always started with goal definition. Being very specific and local to the setting.
Make sure that there is a solution model that makes sense.

IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE AN IMPACT UPON OUR COMMUNITIES FOR GOOD. THE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DO THAT GOOD WELL.

Check web site for more slides on background info on doing good well.

Marcus Buckingham

Go Put Your Strengths to Work

2 Ways to Help Move People to Their Strengths
Change the atmosphere of those you lead
Change yourself
3 Myths:
- As you grow, your personality changes
Truth: As you grow, you become more of who you already are.
- You grow the most in your areas of greatest weakness.
Truth: You grow the most in your areas of greatest strength.
- A great team member puts his strengths aside and does whatever it takes to help the team.
Truth: A great team member volunteers his or her strengths for the benefit of everyone.

3 Skills to learn
First identify your strengths and be as specific as possible
Second you have to change the way you structure your time toward your strengths
Third you need to be able to talk about your strengths without bragging and your weaknesses without whining

Buckingham's books are ones that I have been living with for the last several years and have profoundly effected the way I look at life. If you haven't read any of his books, check them and his web page out here.

Floyd Flake

The Heat of Responsibility
Notes from the session given by Floyd H. Flake

• Leadership is about moving people beyond their own self-seeking motives
• Leadership is at times about the role of transitioning for the future. The leader will not be there in that position forever and should be aware of setting the stage for the leaders that are yet to come.
• To many things fail because the goal is unclear and we don’t know where we are going
  It means standing up to those who are opposed to the vision because they just don’t expect you to do it.
• You have to be willing to risk and even die for the vision and have an unwillingness to compromise.
• There is a time to make a decision and that is a leadership moment
• Great Leaders have to be moral and people of integrity
• Face it there are some folks who are just plain mean, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be
• The people around the leader have to be ones that the leader and those who are following the vision are trusted.
• Trust God enough to be honest and to always do the right thing.
• A true Leader will lead the people to the place that they are asking: “What are we going to do next!”
• Transcendent Leaders always look for those who are going to carry the vision beyond the life of the leader
• Our job now is to work at creating leaders who will do more than we have been able to do ourselves

Some really good things to things to think about and dwell upon here!

LEAD: Carly Fiorina

Carly Fiorina shares an interview with Bill Hybels and here are a couple of notes and insights.

• “I was not a gifted student, but my parents were a gift to me.” Quote from book
• In leadership asking the right question is more important having the correct information.
• “I must do what I feel passionate about.” In the context of making the decision not to continue in law school and changing the direction of her life.
• “Teamwork is what makes thing fun!” - “Nothing worthwhile is done alone.”
• “Everybody is afraid of something, and every time you overcome that fear you become stronger.”
• Many fears are stupid, but they are real.
• Prejudice is real and it comes from a basis of fear of the unknown and different, but do not let other people’s fears and prejudices control and define you. Look for common ground and where you can go from where you are.
• “I will save my tears for things that matter in my life.”
• You must give people a vision that is bigger than their fears.
• The vision has to be real and cover the truth of the sacrifices that might/will be necessary.
• Leadership is about seeing potential in others.
• You have to invest in other people and their potential to learn beyond their comfort zone.
• You need to tell people that you expect them to develop leadership skills and that they need to take ownership of their own growth.
• Leadership takes passion as well as dispassion. [Dispassion so that there is enough objectivity to see things and people as they really are.] It is the ability to see the truth as it is and not sugarcoat reality.
• One of the most important parts of a leader is authenticity. When people can’t connect with you or see you for you really are they stop connecting with you or following you.
• People’s titles and positions don’t change who they are!
• A team of people working on tough choices must deliberate with all honesty but with complete confidentiality.
• At the end of the day can you say, “What I’ve done today, has it been to the best of my ability and filled with integrity?”
• “There is a gift in everything.”

These are a few notes and quotes that jumped out at me over the past hour and a half.

Posting from LEAD: Bill Hybels

Today, Tomorrow, and Saturday a.m. I'll be blogging live or semi-live from Granger Community Church where we have a group of 20 folks from SJ attending the Willow Creek LEAD Conference.
Bill Hybels just finished speaking on "Vision to Die For"
Here are a couple of bullet points from his presentation.
· At the end of the day smart leaders know that the success of a vision is determined by how well the vision is owned by others.
· Vision: The painting of a picture that produces passion within people.
· Jesus said that ownership matters when it comes to the way a shepherd will protect their sheep. Vision is the same way.
· Examples:
o Person willing to take DVD’s into countries resistant to Jesus
o The civil rights leaders of the 60’s who walked into the hatred and violence of others (crossing the bridge into Selma and so many others)
· PROCESS
· When people aren’t included in the discernment of vision and the development of the vision they feel devalued and expendable.
o Vision Formation
§ TEAM approach: “What does God want our Church to look like 5 years from now?”
· God: not me or you or the person down the street
· (People don’t always have to have their way, they just have to have their way considered)
§ First Draft Approach: take the initial leadings and take it to folks and ask things like, “What excites you about this?” and “What makes you scared about this?”
§ Make sure the leaders have a chance to hear and refine the presentation of the Vision.
§ VISION LEAKS
· Use everything and anything (within reason) to reaffirm vision
§ Celebrate milestones and success stories along the way
§ ACTS 21 Paul going back to Jerusalem knowing that he will likely die
§ Those who are lead are looking to see how deep the leaders own the vision that they proclaim. Are the leaders willing to sacrifice to see the vision lived out? Are the leaders willing to put the vision and God’s dreams before their own comfort and success?
§ The leader has to decide: “Am I a hireling or am I an owner in God’s Vision”

This was a cut and paste so sorry for the strange markings. The next one will be better and maybe later I can come back and clean things up.

Praise Where Praise is Due

There are many times I find it easy to complain about the service offered to me as a consumer. (See some earlier posts if you want confirmation of that.) It isn't that I want to be picky or demanding it is just that I think a consumer has a right to expect a fair return on their money. I don't want more than I have coming to me, just what should be reasonably expected. It is so easy to complain about things that I think I (and probably you) miss out on recognizing that many times people and even companies give more than expected or needed. So today I want to give praise to a major company for going beyond the expected.
Last night I called Citi Card about a couple questions with a bill. As we were on vacation for quite an extended time last month the payment wasn't sent early enough and so there were late fees and finance charges added to the bill and as you might guess with a trip like we took the finance charge was not a matter of pennys. When I explained to the customer rep. why the bill was late she offered to void the late fee and then took off the finance charge as well. All this without hassle or me threatening to no longer use my card. So thanks Citi for going beyond the expected and providing service that met and exceeded my expectations.

Saying Goodbye

Growing up we moved on a fairly regular basis it seemed. Between the time of my birth and moving to Indiana to begin my ministry I didn't live in one location for more than five years. So over the years I said a number of goodbyes. It got to the point where I just knew that my friendships were all temporary. Either I or the other person would end up moving and in time we would lose track of one another. It just got easier to approach those relationships as temporary. Over the last several years having lived in the Fort for more years than anywhere else I've been trying to change that approach toward friendships. The reality is though that saying goodbye is still not easy.
Today I said goodbye to Kyle and his family. Kyle has been the lynch pin of our music at HEbrews Joe over the last four years. He has led the band and even more for the services almost every week over that time frame with a few weeks off here and there. In that time Kyle has become more than a coworker in ministry, he has become a friend. It is that friend that I said goodbye to today and it was not without tears.
So we send Kyle and his family off to new adventures, friends, and possibilities. We send them off with our prayers and best wishes and we wonder what will happen in our lives? Will time bring us back together in a different place or time? Will our paths cross at all or will we in time lose track with one another? Only time will tell but for now, today, I want to say thanks Kyle for being apart of the life and ministry of Saint Joseph, you will be missed. May you continue to use your gifts for God's glory and may you grow in faith and strength in all things and in all ways.

Travelogue Scheduled

For those of you in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area who are interested in the other pictures and stories from the Sabbath Journey North the date and time have been set for the travelogue. If you would like to come to Saint Joseph on Aug. 15 I will be sharing the pictures and stories at 7:00 in the worship center. It won't go over an hour so there is quite a bit of editing to do between now and then but it will be done I promise you.
See you then.

No Pictures Today

I'm not posting any pictures or reflecting upon our travels today for that you will have to look back at earlier posts. Today I just want to reflect for a moment on how much I enjoy people who get hungry for something, especially when that hunger is for Jesus.
I just spent a few moments talking with someone who I think is remembering why she fell in love with Jesus in the first place. I see it in couples who have been married for some time and they have their jobs and maybe children and over time things become comfortable and known. Then for one reason or another they rediscover each other. Maybe it is because of a crises or just because they have some extra time together but suddenly the passion and love is red hot again and they can't get enough of each other.
I love it when people who have been followers of Jesus for a time go through this as well. They find themselves wanting to read the Bible more, or to spend time in prayer that they never did before, and everything becomes new and they just can't get enough of it all. Then I wonder why don't we all experience this every day? Could it be that we begin to take Jesus for granted? Or as in the case of a married couple that we come to the sinking realization that Jesus isn't going to change and become like we want him to be and answer our every need? I don't know why the switch is turned on for some folks to fall in love with Jesus a second, third, or fourth time but I wish I knew what made it happen because I would spend my days looking for people in the church and the community who were ready to have their switches flipped and do everything that I could to be a part of getting them there.