Your God-given Mission
John Sweetman
A vital aspect of leadership is intentionality. The Bible calls it "self-discipline" or "self-control." In other words, as a leader I do the things that I intend to do. Or perhaps better put, "I do the things that God intends me to do."

It is difficult to be intentional about priorities and choices until we decide what God actually wants us to do. Without a defined direction, there is no way to prioritise the daily use of our energy and time.

So what does God want you to be and do? Many leaders spell this out in a personal mission statement. I'm in two minds as to whether to push this. For some people it really helps and for others it's just words.

Here are some suggestions that may help in discerning God's direction for you:

• What has God said to you about his purpose for your life? How has God gifted you? What passions has God given you? How has God used you?
• What is important in your life? What brings you the most joy? When are you most satisfied? What would you choose to do if you had freedom and time?
• What do your mentors say you should be doing?
• What responsibilities has God given you so far? How does God want you to fulfill these responsibilities?
• Pray and read the Scripture. Ask God what He expects of you.
• Take time to dream. What would you love to see God do through you? Who would you like to be like?

If you keep a journal, go over it and pick out themes. If not, start a collection of notes, quotes, ideas, and verses that stand out to you.

Covey suggests that you visualise your funeral and ask what you would like people to be saying about you.

It probably would help to write some things down now. If words don't help, then maybe some mental images are the way to go. I have developed a personal mission statement (see below) that I update every year. I keep it in my diary.

This is an important exercise. You can be well organised without any idea of God's purpose for you. But you can only be truly intentional if you have some idea of what God's calling you to be and do.

Your mission and values may only be vague at this stage, but God has given you a unique call. You can't do everything. What is important at the moment?

John's Mission Statement

Mission:

I have a heart to authentically pursue God and am committed to living with integrity, generating spiritual life, health and change, and intentionally investing in the next generation of leaders.

Core values of my life include:

• maintaining an honesty and open vulnerability about my life
• seeking and using the development of personal spiritual authority and wisdom
• intentionally building accountable relationships with a few friends
• taking every God-given opportunity to lead, teach, equip and mentor
• being a broad stream that accepts and integrates a wide variety of people and ideas
• challenging the status quo and being an agent of steady change
• intentionally investing my life and experience in the next generation of leaders

Roles that take priority in my life include:

• Child of God - Growing my intimate relationship with my Dad so that I know his voice and thoughts, is essential to my life.
• Husband - My wife is more important to me than any other person and I stay close to her, support her, and encourage her growth and ministry.
• Father - I love my boys unconditionally and encourage and guide them to make the most of the gifts and opportunities God gives them.
• Mentor and Coach - I intentionally form relationships in which I influence and am influenced by leaders and potential leaders. I use my wisdom and experience to facilitate and support kingdom growth.
• Principal - I seek to influence the staff, students, pastors and churches to know God through his word, understand culture and ministry, work together in love, and effectively build God's kingdom.
• Teacher - I challenge and encourage others to be passionate about serving God, and I facilitate their growth in wisdom, ministry and character.

Hi people

We're taking a break here until the 4th January.

We are looking forward to what God has in store for neoLeader and the MALYON CENTRE FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP in 2009.

Have a Merry Christmas

Taking Responsibility
John Sweetman 

A vital aspect of leadership is intentionality. The Bible calls it "self-discipline" or "self-control." In other words, as a leader I do the things that I intend to do. Or perhaps better put, "I do the things that God intends me to do."

Intentionality starts with taking responsibility. If you see your life as being controlled by external circumstances like people or situations or work or experiences or even your personality, then you'll always have good reasons for not being intentional.

I'm not saying that external circumstances don't have an impact. Of course they do. There are many things that our circumstances prevent us achieving. You have to be realistic. But we are responsible to do what God calls us to do. If that wasn't true, God would not judge us for the way we live our lives. But he does hold us accountable (Rev. 20:12), so we must be responsible.

Ultimately, our behaviour is a product of our decisions not our conditions. Your choices are determining how you live and what you achieve. Until you are willing to take complete responsibility for your life and the way you use your time, you will never be able to manage your life effectively.

This is the starting point. It's no use reading any further if you're still making excuses. Here's some things people say to themselves:

• I could achieve more if my boyfriend (wife, boss, parents, children, friends, etc.) didn't demand so much.
• I will never be able to organise myself - it's not in my personality.
• I would spend time with God, but I just can't see how I can fit it in.
• I would be more effective if I hadn't got such a raw deal in my life.
• People have let me down so much that I just don't try any more.
• I can't get control of that area of my life. I'm just too weak.

If you feel like this, then you don't need help on intentionality, you need to repent. You are making excuses. You are abdicating your God-given responsibility. I know that sounds tough and I realise that for some people intentionality can be a major challenge. I also acknowledge that Satan can really make it difficult for you. But ultimately your choices are your responsibility.

It's time to acknowledge, "I am living my life the way I have chosen." Perhaps you can say that aloud right now as a check that it really is what you believe. Go on - have a go.

Once we admit responsibility for our decisions and actions, we can then move to being intentional.

Charles Swindoll
When someone says to me, "Chuck . . . I got a lot out of the message," I usually try to respond in a way that allows him or her to be more specific.

After I say, "Thank you, I'm glad it was helpful," I'll usually ask, "Did it make sense?"

"Well, yeah."

"How did it make sense?" I'll probe. It's very interesting to hear people say, "Well, in this way . . ." I find that their response often connects just as I had intended. And that's a good feeling.

But it's a terrible feeling when they tell you something quite the opposite of what you intended.

I'll never forget my preaching on divorce one time to a large congregation in Texas. In my preparation, I really worked through the issue meticulously and carefully, because I knew it was a serious concern to them. In fact, the pastor had asked me if I would address it. So here I was, the out-of-town speaker solving their problems! When I finished the message --after speaking very carefully for about fifty minutes-- I felt like it was communicated clearly. As I was standing in the back, a lady came up to me and said, "Now, I just want to be sure that I got it." She then described to me the opposite of what I had been trying to say! I don't think I've ever been so stunned with the realization that you can think you're communicating clearly . . . when in fact they're getting something quite different.

So, I think it's good --even essential-- for you as a pastor to ask, "Now, what do you think I've been saying today?" Be ready for a surprise! Try to preserve their faces in your mind as you hear them say something totally different than what you were trying to say.

Humbling, you know. But feedback is essential. Please welcome it.

Link to the original article

Small indigenous churches are getting lots of attention, but where is the fruit?

Dan Kimball is the pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California.

I hope I am wrong. For the past few years, I have been observing, listening, and asking questions about the missional movement. I have a suspicion that the missional model has not yet proven itself beyond the level of theory. Again, I hope I am wrong.

We all agree with the theory of being a community of God that defines and organizes itself around the purpose of being an agent of God's mission in the world. But the missional conversation often goes a step further by dismissing the "attractional" model of church as ineffective. Some say that creating better programs, preaching, and worship services so people "come to us" isn't going to cut it anymore. But here's my dilemma-I see no evidence to verify this claim.

Not long ago I was on a panel with other church leaders in a large city. One missional advocate in the group stated that younger people in the city will not be drawn to larger, attractional churches dominated by preaching and music. What this leader failed to recognize, however, was that young people were coming to an architecturally cool megachurch in the city-in droves. Its worship services drew thousands with pop/rock music and solid preaching. The church estimates half the young people were not Christians before attending.

Conversely, some from our staff recently visited a self-described missional church. It was 35 people. That alone is not a problem. But the church had been missional for ten years, and it hadn't grown, multiplied, or planted any other churches in a city of several million people. That was a problem.

Another outspoken advocate of the house church model sees it as more missional and congruent with the early church. But his church has the same problem. After fifteen years it hasn't multiplied. It's a wonderful community that serves the homeless, but there's no evidence of non-Christians beginning to follow Jesus. In the same city several megachurches are seeing conversions and disciples matured.

I realize missional evangelism takes a long time, and these churches are often working in difficult soil. We can't expect growth overnight.

But given their unproven track records, these missional churches should be slow to criticize the attractional churches that are making a measurable impact. No, I am not a numbers person. I am not enamored by how many come forward at an altar call. In fact, I am a bit skeptical. But I am passionate about Jesus-centered disciples being made. And surprisingly, I find in many large, attractional churches, they are.

Yes, people are attracted by the music, preaching, or children's programs, but there may be more to these large churches than simply the programming. There are also people being the body of Christ in their communities. When these disciples build relationships with non-Christians, the evidence of the Spirit in their lives is attractive. The existence of programs and buildings does not mean mature disciples are not a significant reason why these churches grow.

There are so many who don't understand the joy of Kingdom living here on earth and the future joy of eternal life. This joy motivates me missionally, but I also cannot forget the horrors of hell. This creates a sense of urgency in me that pushes me past missional theory to see what God is actually doing in churches-large and small, attractional and missional. Where are disciples actually being grown? What is actually working?

I hope there are examples of fruitful missional churches that I haven't encountered yet. I hope my perception based on my interaction with the missional movement is wrong. But for now, I would rather be part of a Christ-centered megachurch full of programs where people are coming to know Jesus as Savior, than part of a church of any size where they are not.

Link to the original article

And despite Australia's relative ineffectiveness, several congregations are experiencing success:
• One in eight Australian congregations have a conversion rate of 10 to 15%.
• One in fourteen Australian congregations have a conversion rate of over 15%.
(Source: National Church Life Survey)

Australians are interested:
• 68% of unchurched Australians believe in God, while 28% of unchurched Australians believe in Jesus' divinity.
• 63% of unchurched Australians identify themselves with a Christian denomination.
• 25% of unchurched Australians attend church at least once a year.
• 24% of unchurched Australians claim to have significant confidence in churches.
• 17% of unchurched Australians claim to be sympathetic to churches.
• 12% of unchurched Australians claim that they are at least somewhat likely to become a more frequent church attender, while another 14% claimed that they were unsure.
• 1 in 6 six unchurched Australians claim that they would come to church if a friend invited them, while a further 2 in 6 are unsure.
(Source: Australian Community Survey)

OUR EXPERIENCE...
We are a church plant in two locations run by leaders with very little experience. We have made so many mistakes. Yet we have found that Australians can in fact be reached.

Here are some stats from a church wide survey conducted this year...
• Regular attenders who invited 2 or more friends to church in last 6 months
Kelvin Grove = 73%
Strathpine = 93%

• Regular attenders who shared their faith at least twice over last 6 months
Kelvin Grove = 75%
Strathpine = 72%

• Conversion rate
Kelvin Grove = 21% of average attendance per year
Strathpine = 22% of average attendance per year

JUST TO ENCOURAGE YOU...
Jesus said...
• "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35).
• "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few" (Luke 10:2).
• "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18).

Martin Luther said...
• "There are but two days on my calendar, Today and That Day".

From Craig Groeschel's Blog
If your ministry is full of lukewarm people, it could be a reflection of lukewarm leadership.

I'm convinced that one of the most important things you can do for your ministry is to have a personal spiritual revival!

Question: What do you do when you realize you are lukewarm?

Answer: You do something drastic!

If some small change would have made the difference in your spiritual life, you would have made the change a long time ago.

You might:

* Start a seven day fast and devote extra time to seeking God.
* Take a sabbatical and pray like you haven't in years.
* Confess to your spouse, your elders, or to trusted friends and ask for help.
* Seek spiritual counseling from another pastor or counselor.
* Take the week off and go to a hotel alone with no cell phone, no computer, and no books but the Bible.
* Read a children's bible and pretend like you're hearing the gospel story for the very first time.
* Repent to your family for your lack of spiritual passion and leadership.
* Tell your church honestly that you are struggling and invite them to pray for you.
* You might turn off your computer now and go somewhere and cry and repent deeply.

Link to Craig's Blog

John Sweetman

A vital aspect of leadership is intentionality. The Bible calls it "discipline" or "self-control." In other words, as a leader I am intentional about what I do and am not controlled by my emotions, needs, circumstances, or other people. Without intentionality, it is very difficult to follow God and set a path for others. Self-control is a qualification for Christian leadership (1 Tim. 3:2).

So over the next few weeks I want to dialogue with you about being intentional. I know it's not a good time to tackle such a subject. December is a time of parties, feasting, and going with the flow. You're flat out surviving let alone trying to control what's happening.

I certainly don't want to spoil your fun or make you feel guilty. I read about someone who was so intentional, he had found a way to reduce his shower to 30 seconds. While I admired his efficiency, my reaction was - how stupid, you've taken all the pleasure out of having a shower. There always needs to be time to relax, enjoy, chat, rest, have fun, be spontaneous, and follow the Spirit.

But the big questions are: "Who or what ultimately controls your life?" "Are you doing what is important?" "Are you actually making the difference God wants you to make?" It's not about being super-efficient, it's about controlling your life enough to accomplish what you are called to do.

Some leaders find this easy, but most of us who want to enjoy life, who care about others, and who have lots of demands, find it difficult. We move from option to option, achieve some things, but feel frustrated that we're not really making the difference we hoped we could make.

Over the next few weeks I want to share some of the things that have helped me. Take everything I say with a grain of salt. You are different from me. What helps me might stifle you. But don't ignore the issue. Intentionality is fundamental to leadership. If you can't lead yourself, you should not be leading others.

From Out of Ur Blog...

Tony Jones, the former national coordinator of Emergent Village and the author of The New Christians, has articulated his beliefs about homosexuality on his blog. Jones, along with other Emergent leaders, has been questioned for years about his views on the debated cultural and doctrinal issue. Until now, Jones had always responded by saying he hadn't made up his mind on the question. "Homosexuality," he would say, "is one issue that I don't want to get wrong."

Well, it seems Jones has now made up his mind. The blog post, which can be read here, explains his journey with the issue from childhood. But Jones discloses that:

...all the time I could feel myself drifting toward acceptance that gay persons are fully human persons and should be afforded all of the cultural and ecclesial benefits that I am.

And:

I now believe that GLBTQ can live lives in accord with biblical Christianity (at least as much as any of us can!) and that their monogamy can and should be sanctioned and blessed by church and state.

(BTW, for those unfamiliar with the acronym GLBTQ it stands for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer. And for those who are unfamiliar with the acronym BTW...are you kidding me?)

Clearly, Jones' statement is very carefully worded to convey his intent and nothing more. But for his critics and those suspicious of Emergent Village, this discloser will only add fuel to their fire. It should be noted that Jones no longer speaks on behalf of EV, and his remarks shouldn't be projected upon others within the Emergent conversation.

Link to Out of Ur Blog

Some key quotes from Seth Godin's new book

# "People yearn for change, they relish being part of a movement and they talk about things that are remarkable, not boring."
# "Leaders make a ruckus."
# "Organizations that destroy the status quo win."
# "Boring ideas don't spread. Boring organizations don't grow."
# "We choose not to be remarkable because we're worried about criticism. We hesitate to create innovative movies, launch new human resource initiatives, design a menu that makes diners take notice, or give an audacious sermon because we're worried, deep down, that someone will hate it and call us on it."
# "If the only side effect of the criticism is that you will feel bad about the criticism, then you have to compare that bad feeling with the benefits you'll get from actually doing something worth doing. Being remarkable is exciting, fun, profitable and great for your career. Feeling bad wears off.”
# "Odds are that growth and success are now inextricably linked to breaking the odd rules and seeing your organization's new rules loose an industry too afraid to change."
# "The art of leadership is understanding what you can't compromise on."
# "Leadership requires acting and thinking like the underdog. That's because leaders workto change things, and the people who are winning rarely do."
# "The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow."