Leading in Unstable Times

The title of this blog is a tad misleading. The author begins with the premise of how one could lead effectively in unstable times, but he actually digresses and spends time discussing leading through change. This is not a leadership blog for ministry, but the two crises of leadership discussed are very relevant to the church today.

First, the author briefly discusses the role of the leader when great change is needed. He gives the example of politics, where a party simply elects a new leader, rather than give the current leader leeway, to enact necessary change. Many of us may have been raised (or are currently serving in) congregational churches. Thus we know that the pastor faces this risk of the congregation simply ousting him or her from leadership.

The author accurately points out that this truly is not a good way to enact change within a congregation. He writes that when organizations (or nations) rapidly change leaders, they are just like consumers switching to a new brand “which has not let them down YET” (emphasis mine). From the perspective of the congregation, I wonder how we have been guilty of switching churches or simply worship services (which we all know can be simply another church-within-a-church)? From a leadership perspective, how often have we jumped from approach to approach, curriculum to curriculum, and so on? The author aptly describes change as a two-way street. The congregation must provide the leader time and space; the leader must provide the vision.

Two Words that Kill Passion

In this blog post, author Donald Miller reflects on a conversation with a friend who is a surgeon. Miller asked the surgeon, “Why do you desire to help so many people?” The surgeon replied, “Because it’s fun…I like helping people because I enjoy it, I’m the opposite of an evangelical.” Miller was speechless for a moment, reflecting later, “I had nothing to say. I was so accustomed to the passive guilt complex so many of us hear week after week and in book after book that I knew he’d have no shortage of evidence that Evangelicals are constantly being made to do good things they don’t really feel like doing.”

Acts highlights joy as a major characteristic of the early church. The followers were passionate and enjoying serving others for Christ, sans guilt trip. Miller then argues, passion is killed by ought-tos. As leaders, are we so suffocated by our to-do list, things we should do, that we realize we’ve gone an entire day without enjoyment in our work? An entire week? Forbid, an entire year passion-less? Do you feel guilty after not completing all of your ought-tos? Do you feel guilty even when you do?

If leaders stepped away from their “ought tos” and began to seek to serve within their skill set and passion, they would be more effective. So the issue seems to come to two questions: are we ministering out of our spiritual gifts, first, and are we being joyful in our work? Because, as we learned this week, our attitudes are contagious.

I Can't get No....Satisfaction (Nathan McWherter)

Andy Stanley (I know, not more Andy Stanley) has a great talk about appetites. He says that appetites are created by God and they are never satisfied in the world…especially ministry. Many people operate however as if there is an end to our striving i.e. If my ministry is large enough, or if I have a bigger impact, or if I write a book, then it will be enough. We think that there is an end to our leadership. That our appetites will be satisfied is however, a misconception. We will never be satisfied even if we achieve the highest goal. Our appetites drive us forward and always say “now”, never later. We chase this goal this ‘end’ but we never arrive. We push and push and push but it only creates friction in our ministries and dissatisfaction in the long run.

Managing the tension or responding to that voice saying “now” determines the direction of you family, profession, and life. I think that this is so true. I think that in ministry we have a chance to arrive at satisfaction. That somehow we, since we work for the J-man, can achieve this all satisfying end. I believe this leads to dissatisfaction in leadership, not because we try to achieve or press on towards a goal, but because we think that the end will be all satisfying. What then is the balance? I think that we will always be in tension with what is achieved in our ministry, and our desires until Jesus returns: recognizing where we are might help.

Interesting Research Applies to Leadership

You must read the article before reading this post. Don’t cheat; you’re in seminary!

Hurt Feelings? You Could Take a Pain Reliever...

Welcome back. Aren’t the results of that study hard to believe? Do you buy it?

Just so you know, I’m not a secret, undercover pharm rep trying to infiltrate our cohort and lead God’s people away from Jesus as their savior to worship Tylenol as their god. I find this article relevant to leadership, though, because it begs a really important question for leaders: How do you deal with rejection?

I do not have a great track record with rejection. I tend to deal with it in one of these three ways:

1. Attack: Give back what I’ve been given. It’s like tennis: as long as we keep hitting the ball back and forth, we’re playing a game.

2. Retreat: Hide. I’m on the outside and it’s all over. I’m taking my ball and going home.

3. Fortify: Build walls of protection to not get hurt again. These walls are built with different bricks: strength; humor; distance; intelligence; arrogance; anything to keep the assaulter out.

A verse (1 Peter 2:23) says about Jesus, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

Jesus handled rejection in a fourth way: he committed/entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

Rejection will come. It’s a promise. How do we deal with it like Jesus?

Whoever I am...I am Thine.

John Ortberg, whose name is splashed across Christian bookstores as perhaps the new Max Lucado, writes a refreshingly honest article in Christianity Today about motives in leadership and ministry. What, or rather as Ortberg writes, who motivates us? The who is us—but which us? Ortberg writes that there is a “public me” who writes sermons, attends meetings, and is constantly aware of how he is perceived; a “private me” who listens and feels; and a “real me,” the combination of sinful desires, hopes, and the mixture of good and bad. It is here that our motivations dwell. He writes that others often see the “real him” before he does.

I was challenged because of a question posed at the beginning—am I a leader, calling people to deeper discipleship, or simply desiring success? As I consider re-vamping the program elements of my ministry, I struggle with the same question. How well am I keeping the balance of drawing new kids and faithfully discipling my current ones? I’m just as confused with the “real me” as Ortberg is.

Ortberg concludes the article with a poem written by Bonhoeffer when he was in prison, struggling with how others perceive him versus how he truly feels. The tension is held in a positive light when Bonhoeffer concludes the poem (perhaps with a sigh), “Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine.” Even on days I wonder about my motives and decisions as a leader, perhaps there is some peace knowing that I am thine.

Do For One

This is a great podcast "Do For One" where Andy Stanley explains why we must “Do for one, what we wish we could do for everyone.” Andy Stanley has been a dynamic leader at Northpoint Church in Georgia. The concept is basically that as leaders we begin to be pulled in many directions. It becomes easy to then decide that since you have little time, resources, and energy, investing into others becomes something that cannot be fair. The result often times is to pull away from doing for anything.

Practically, I was down at the Drive conference in Atlanta last week. There, they used this concept practically by creating a “drivewish” twitter account which was used for people to express what they wish could happen for them at the drive conference. The account was filled with materials, backstage passes, individual time with different people and other things. I received a Drive T-shirt, and through the willingness of people I was able to receive one-on-one time with a team member and a practical theology resources for leadership. Out of 5,000 people there was no way they could provide one-on-one time or a t-shirt for everyone, or give everyone access to these resources, but they did for me. Andy’s concept of doing for one what you wish you could do for all is practically lived out in his ministries that he leads and is a great leadership strategy that you can begin utilizing today in your life. Check out Andy’s leadership podcast and practically speaking.

Nathan McWherter