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Tag Archives: team leadership

5 Truths I’ve Discovered During This Season

20 Apr

There are seasons in nature and there are seasons in life and ministry. If you’re not sure about this, check out Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Currently, we’re experiencing an incredible time of growth at VALLEY Christian Church that is unprecedented in the history of our church; attendance up 30% in the last 15 months! Many are coming to Christ and we’re hearing stories of lives being transformed on a weekly, if not daily basis. Here are a five truths I’ve discovered during this season of growth:

1. There are no tricks, gimmicks or shortcuts in Kingdom work. It’s work, and the fact is, more time is spent plowing, sowing and watering than reaping. Nothing replaces good ‘ol fashion prayer, sacrifice, denial, serving study and generosity!

2. No one does it alone. Ministry (and life) were created by God to be done together. The stronger the team, the greater the impact and the more shared responsibility and reward.

3. Give it away. If it’s not your strength, find someone who has the strength and give the job to them. Delegation is a humbling and necessary part of leadership. “Jack of all trades” is often a title that Control Freaks cling to.

4. Perseverance is one of the most undervalued character traits of a Christian. People with tenacity demonstrate character over the long haul, week after week, year after year. Some of the greatest Bible giants were all bout perseverance (Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and David to name a few). Surround yourself with people who persevere.

5. Simplify. Every sermon, every meeting, every ministry should have a clear, simply expressed goal or purpose. If you can’t explain it simply, you’re not really sure what you’re doing and you’ll never experience success (Kingdom fruit).

This is just a quick list of what I’m learning these days. My heart is full of gratitude to God in this season and I’m enjoying every minute of it realizing it is just that, a season. More truths are sure to follow in future posts.

 
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Posted by on April 20, 2012 in Church Growth, culture, Leadership

 

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A Genuine Leader

11 Apr

“A genuine leader is not a seeker of consensus, but a molder of consensus.”

I heard this quote a couple of weeks ago on a TV show (Blue Bloods) and have been pondering it every since. There’s a lot of truth to it, which leads to a bigger question, “How does a genuine leader mold consensus”? Considering the rich examples of leadership in the Bible, here’s what I came up with. Even though these are based on Scripture, it seems like these principals may be applied inside and outside of the church for leadership.

Listen – This is a “dual antennae”. Listening to God and listening to what those you are leading are struggling with, asking or talking about. What is the need or issue?

Understand – It is not just what you hear, but what does it mean. If a leader fails to understand, no decision or action after this will succeed.

Study/Prepare – This is the stuff of leadership. Every good leader takes multiplied more time in preparation than in presentation. Most weak leaders are lazy in their preparation and doom their plan before it is ever attempted.

Connect - No one likes something being forced upon them. Take time to connect on a personal level before presenting the plan or idea or action.

Present - Make sure your presentation is made with excellence. Quality communicates value and commitment to the listener.

Persuade – This is the point weak leaders generally overlook completely. Ask for questions. Answer questions clearly and completely. Consider suggestions from others and implement or make changes that are prudent. It is at this point the “buy in” comes from the larger group you are leading. They feel heard, understood, connected to and excited about the new plan or idea (that you actually molded for them).

Execute – Plans mean nothing unless they are met with action and follow-through. Assign responsibilities, communicate expectations and create “mile-markers” along the way to ensure progress. In short, “Lead Leader Lead“!!!

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2012 in Church Growth, culture, Leadership

 

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Update on Championship Saturday

07 Nov

We did not prevail in our quest for a championship on Saturday (11/5/11). We lost the Section 1 Championship to Croton High School 21-7. The game was a tough battle and could have still gone either way until Croton scored its third touchdown with 3:37 let in the fourth quarter. It was a great season for the Lourdes High School football team, and a very rewarding season as a coach.

Today was that weird and awkward day when we collect all the equipment, watch the last game film as a team and say goodbye to all of the seniors who will graduate and move on to college in the summer. Now the “off-season” has set in and I get to focus all of my attention of ministry again. As hard as the loss at the end of the season was, I know that in just a few short weeks, I’ll find myself missing the players, coaches, competition and fun of football again. Two-a-days start again in 9 short months. Let’s ROLL!!! :)

 
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Posted by on November 7, 2011 in Coaching

 

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Championship Saturday

05 Nov

Today the wait is finally over. This is my eleventh season coaching high school football, and I’ve never coached in a game of this magnitude before. As a coach, I’ve coached League Championship teams (2) and lost a one, but I’ve never coached in a Sectional Championship before. To add to the drama of the situation, the high school where I now coach, Our Lady of Lourdes, has never played in a Sectional Championship before! It’s a wonder I was able to sleep last night. With a win today, Lourdes Football Team will be just two wins away from playing for the State Championship!

After all the work, sweat, practices, hours of film and preparation, we’re finally here. It really makes me take a moment and reflect on how critical perseverance is if anything is going to be accomplished in this life. Whether it’s marriage, parenting, ministry or coaching, nothing significant is ever accomplished without perseverance. As happy as I am to have made it to this big game as a coach, it’s not enough. Now we need to demonstrate the same character that brought us to this point as we play today. No matter what adversity we face today, we will persevere. And when the last whistle blows, we can walk off the field knowing, we played like Champions today!

Let’s go get a Championship today, boys!

 
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Posted by on November 5, 2011 in Coaching, Leadership

 

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7 Reasons TRUST Is A Must

17 Oct

Trust is an essential element of any team, whether that’s a church staff or a sports team. Here are 7 reasons why TRUST is a must:

1. Trust heightens focus. You can’t focus on the task at hand if you have doubts about the motives of your team mates.

2. Trust creates a positive environment for growth. Suspicion causes teams to implode.

3. Trust makes others feel more responsible for their actions. Controlling leadership encourage irresponsibility.

4. Trust brings out the best in others. “I believe in you” is one of the strongest statements in the English language.

5. Trust is a force multiplier. A team that is built on trust will accomplish more than a team that lacks trust.

6. Trust strengthens relationships. Doubt and suspicion undermine relationships.

7. Trust adds value. Where trust is lacking, team members feel insecure and unsure.

How’s the trust level on your team? If you feel stuck in a rut in your ministry or organization, it could be time to trust, in order to experience a breakthrough together.

 
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Posted by on October 17, 2011 in Coaching, Leadership, Staff

 

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How To Reach Your Goals

28 Aug

Continuing the series of posts about goals:

1. Recognize that this will involve change.  Change can be stressful but without change there will be NO Progress.

2. You must have a vision.

3. Must have Daily Disciplined Accountability.

4. You must be a “team player” (cooperative attitude).

5. Must stay in shape physically, mentally and spiritually.

6. Break your goal into small pieces.  Remember, you can eat an elephant one bite at a time.

7. Begin NOW.

8. Don’t be a “SNIOP” (person Susceptible to the Negative Influence of Other People).

9. Share you goals with positive people who encourage you.

10. Practice positive self-talk.

 
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Posted by on August 28, 2011 in Coaching, Leadership, Staff

 

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Get A Goals Program Going – 2

27 Aug

Over the years, I’ve seen lives (including my own) change dramatically due to the pursuit of worthwhile goals. Writing your goals down on paper will make you more committed to achieving them.

REASONS WHY MOST PEOPLE DON’T HAVE A GOALS PROGRAM:

1.   FEAR – Reaching worthwhile goals can be risky.  What if I don’t reach my goal?  Many people avoid failure by not setting goals but they also miss out on many opportunities that can lead to good health, a happy family, satisfying work, financial success and, most importantly, self-fulfillment.  Some people fear success itself.  If they are successful, more will be expected of them.

2.    POOR SELF IMAGE OR SELF ESTEEM – They don’t see what is available for them because they don’t think they deserve success.  Also, they have difficulty recognizing and acknowledging their good qualities and gifts and, to do so, comes the responsibility to use those qualities.

3.   NOT CONVINCED IT IS IMPORTANT – They believe most of what happens to them is caused by external circumstances and not by the choices they make.  Having a goals program does make a difference.  Results of a famous study conducted by Yale University revealed that the 3% – 5% of the people who thought about their goals, were committed to writing them down and were persistent in working toward them, accomplish more than the other 95% combined.

4.   DO NOT HAVE THE KNOW HOW – Unfortunately, nowhere in our educational system do we teach people how to create a goals program. The benefit you will enjoy from having a goals program will definitely be worth the time and effort that is required.

NOTE: What you get by reaching your goals are not nearly as important as what you become by reaching your goals because what you become is the YOU God created you to be. Remember, one day everyone will say either, “I wish I had” or “I’m glad I did”.

 
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Posted by on August 27, 2011 in Coaching, Leadership, Staff

 

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Two (or Six) Are Better Than One -1

09 Aug

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work” Ecclesiastes 4:9

For a few years now, I’ve been using a great routine when it comes to sermon/message preparation. Here’s what it looks like:

1) I put together a message plan for the next 6-9 months (usually with the help of other staff pastors).

2) I begin to outline sermons for the next two or three weeks.

3) On Tuesday of any given week, my focus in on the message I’ll be preaching the following week. This helps for developing continuity in a series and a sense of progress and movement in a series.

4) On Wednesday, my focus in on putting the finishing touches on the message for this coming Sunday.

5) Thursday morning I meet with four of the other pastors on my staff to walk through the message. These are friends who input and opinions I value and trust. Quite often the message I’ve prepared looks dramatically different after our “message prep” session. This group gives me added confidence that the message for Sunday will be clear and also has a sharp edge to communicate the truth that God has placed on my heart to share. They help to make sure there is always a clear Gospel presentation in each message, as well as plenty of “meat” to challenge the mature Christian to continue to growth in Christ-likeness.

6) All of this preparation is well and good, but the most critical element that I’ve implemented in my preaching process is gathering another group in my office between our Sunday gatherings to help evaluate and critique the message (they just heard), before I preach it a second time in our 11am gathering. Usually, two of those who join me for this evaluation were present in our Thursday group. It’s also very beneficial to include a couple of people who were not a part of the prep group, but just heard the message for the first time. These last minute tweaks really help to refine the message for maximum effectiveness. All total, there are usually about six people involved in the message preparation and evaluation process we’ve been doing for years. It has helped me be a much better communicator and little wonder our church has grown exponentially since we began this message preparation approach. This is also a great opportunity to practice humility as every preacher knows that feeling of vulnerability after delivering a message. These are people who are confident and secure of their relationship with me who give open and honest feedback. I solicit their corrections and make a point of grading the message myself to start the ball rolling. Funny thing is, I’ve never given myself an A+ the first time around. Since no one is prefect, there no way any sermon will ever be, there’s always room for improvement.

How about you church leader/pastor? Why not get more people involved with the process to sharpen your sermon and your delivery skills?

In the next post, we’ll take a look at the benefits to others in the team sermon preparation approach.

 
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Posted by on August 9, 2011 in Leadership, Preaching, Staff

 

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