What does it mean to be an Ambassador. When I think of ambassadors, I think of our Department of State, and the Ambassadors who are assigned to communicate and coordinate with foreign governments. They are working on behalf of The United States of America executing and supporting our foreign policy in some nation whose government we recognize as having some legitimacy. How is our role as ambassador for Christ’s Kingdom on this earth similar? Continue reading “Ambassadors of Christ”
Fundamentalist or Literalist
I recently saw a Facebook post about a lesson from the bible by the “president” played by Martin Sheen on “The West Wing”.
In the episode, a woman, Dr. Jenna Jacobs, who had a popular talk show (modeled after Dr. Laura Schlessinger) was representing the bible, from a literal point of view. Of course the president did not properly “interpret” the bible, and so his argument was not persuasive to those who believe. In his critique of this woman and her view that the bible was to be interpreted “literally” he presumed that it was also universally applicable, meaning that I can take any thing in the bible, and say that it applies equally to any situation.
But it brings to mind two words that I think that we often misunderstand as Christians, and so our idealogical opponents can wield them against us as a bludgeon from which we have limited defense. Continue reading “Fundamentalist or Literalist”
Leadership Activities – Part II
OK – I promised that I would give some how-to on leadership activities.
1) Cast Vision or Mission (at some level) for the future activities
Vision or mission can start with one person, but often things seem so obvious to that person (who had or received the vision) that it takes other leaders questioning how things work or how things happen to really flesh it out. When you share your vision, you want it to be a relatively complete and comprehensible story. Collaborating with other leaders is a great way to get feedback.
Not suggesting that the vision itself should change, but we need to become better at communication. The communicator is responsible for the content. If you send but nobody receives – that is not communication – that is broadcasting. If you are speaking English but your audience is Spanish speakers – is that going to work? How about if you are speaking martian? Or theological jargon?
Preachers can spend years in seminary developing their ability to communicate biblical truth. Yet when communicating about other things, they don’t practice with the same level or they delegate to other leaders. Leaders should collaborate around the content and communication of vision so that
a) all (leaders) are invested in the vision (there is unity).
b) the communication to the larger community is well thought out and aimed at the target audience.
c) all are able to answer questions and explain the meaning of the vision from the perspective of their role. Continue reading “Leadership Activities – Part II”
Developing Organizational Leaders
In a previous post, I wrote about developing disciplers and shepherds, which accounts for much of the leadership that most churches need. In this post, I turn my attention to describing organizational leaders – and how we can develop them from our own congregation:
Exploring the start of the problem
Lets take as a starting point, that most pastors have no formal training in organizational leadership. Some of them, however, are great organizational leaders. In my conversations with leaders of churches, I have discovered that most learn to lead and manage organizationally by doing. When they got their first pastorate, it came with the expectation that they would be the leader, the executive, the decision maker, the planner, the organizer, the coordinator. Most learned by trial and error. Continue reading “Developing Organizational Leaders”
Leadership Activities
As I said in the initial post in this series on developing leaders, organizational leaders differ from other leaders in ministry because of the activities that they are responsible for.
What do organizational leaders do?
1) cast vision or mission (at some level) for the future activities
2) establish goals
3) create plans
4) recruit and develop staff (including leaders)
5) encourage/influence others to invest (mentally/emotionally) in the vision/mission
6) execute plans
7) achieve goals
8) develop other leaders Continue reading “Leadership Activities”
Leaders or Board Members?
I want to write this post to reflect that ministries require leaders to accept different roles and responsibilities, and people gravitate toward one set or type. God has gifted and talented each of us with a somewhat unique set of qualities and strengths that makes some roles easier and others harder. While there is significant overlap between major role groups, passion is often the determining factor of this gravitation. Continue reading “Leaders or Board Members?”
Developing Leaders
Leaders are different animals. Don’t have leaders if you don’t want to be lead.
Some people lead reluctantly, they are content to be do-ers, but God thrusts them into leadership. Others are born leaders, God has baked leadership into their personality. Still others can be leaders when asked, and can let others lead and be content being contributors.
So how do you develop leaders? What does that mean? What do you mean by a leader? Continue reading “Developing Leaders”
On Witnessing to Moral Hostiles
Sometimes we are confronted with others who are hostile to the concept of sin. Not that they do it, that anything is sin. Their worldview is rooted in some concept that prevents them from accepting the truth of moral absolutes. Continue reading “On Witnessing to Moral Hostiles”
Leadership, Policies, and Partiality
Most churches have written bylaws or policies that explain how they are governed, what their belief system is, and what the rights and responsibilities of members are. Most churches have in their policies, rules about what to do when members “do each other wrong”, and when members “do wrong in the community”. Most churches have rules for who they will marry and under what circumstances. Most churches have rules stating the requirements for becoming a member or for holding church offices (elders, deacons, etc). Most churches have rules about what to do when a member of the staff or a volunteer leader misbehaves.
I think that having these rules is necessary. Many of the Pauline Epistles are filled with direction to the church around these types of issues, and their resolution, so it is clear that God values our conduct in these matters. But as important as having the rules is living by them and enforcing them with complete impartiality. A sure way to destroy a vibrant congregation over time is to continue to allow minor infractions of written rules and bylaws without consequence. In fact, I am quite sure that inconsistent application of rules is a sin. This sin has a name, “Partiality”. This sin has a more serious name, “Injustice”. Continue reading “Leadership, Policies, and Partiality”
Unity of Ambivalence
This post is about a leadership anti-pattern. Anti-patterns are practices or habits or patterns of behavior that should not be followed. This anti-pattern results in a feeling of unity within the leadership group of an organization, when in fact there is a good amount of ambivalence.
Ambivalence is a natural result in leadership having no stake in the outcome of the decision. Ambivalence is assent without passion or commitment. Ambivalence is approval with indifference. Ambivalence is “pushing a rope”. Ambivalence is LUKE WARM. D’ya know what our Lord said about luke warm? Continue reading “Unity of Ambivalence”