leadership

John Sweetman

neoLeader is not just a website and email resource. We hope that we are providing resources that help you develop as a Christian leader. We hope that you now have insights into what some prominent Christian leaders are thinking. We hope that you have been stimulated by our blogs and discussions. We hope that you have appreciated home-grown ideas and experiences.

But neoLeader has always basically been about networking and community. Real leadership growth occurs with others. You will notice that New Testament leaders never did it by themselves. To this end we have pushed mentoring and have provided some on-line community. I think that if you have been reading the blogs you will be getting to know the regular contributors at least.

Now we're moving to the next stage. On the weekend Nov 14-16, we're running our first neoLeader Retreat at Tamborine west of the Gold Coast. The purpose is to create a community of equipped and connected Christian leaders. We want to network emerging Christian leaders together with some experienced mentors. There will be input on leadership, stories, mentoring, and plenty of time to network with other emerging leaders.  

Here's the catch. You can't come by yourself. We're inviting churches to identify 2 to 4 young leaders and to send them along with a mentor (a maximum of 2 mentors and 8 participants per church). You see we're not just running a weekend retreat. We're developing equipping networks. We're wanting to start a movement that will multiply networks for younger leaders.  

We'd love you to be involved. So if you're interested, talk with a pastor at your church (all churches are invited) and help identify some emerging leaders and a mentor.

It will cost you a weekend and $95 (the retreat is significantly subsidised by the Malyon Centre for Christian Leadership), but it will be worth it.

If you want further information, please reply to this article or email leadership@malyon.edu.au.

John Sweetman

So far I've emphasised the importance of vision in leadership, but the big question is, how do you get a vision?

There's no easy answer to this. Sometimes your vision is more or less given to you because you are part of an organisation with a clear vision. You don't really have much choice. It's easy. (Though you will need to personalise it for your leadership role.)

• Sometimes it just comes from God out of the blue. A number of times I've been walking and praying and suddenly it has just hit me.

• Sometimes it comes through a long process of consultation and prayer. You talk to stakeholders, pray with others, discuss possibilities, and gradually discern the vision.
• Sometimes it's provided by a mentor. Someone wise who knows you and your leadership role well suggests a vision for you.
• Sometimes it emerges from a team as you dream together.

I'm sorry - there is no formula. But if you are leading then you need to be leading somewhere. If you don't know where you are going, how can people follow you? You need vision.

Here are a few ideas if you are seeking vision:

1. Pray lots. Vision has to come from God and is most likely to be discerned when you are praying. You want to know where God is leading. That way you won't waste time chasing something unimportant. Fasting can also be beneficial. Look for God's wisdom and direction in Scripture.

2. Be brutally honest. Be aware of both the potential and failings of your organisation/team. Admit your own strengths and weaknesses. Be honest about the challenges. God-given vision emerges from reality not pretence. You don't have to be afraid of the present. Any vision has to start with what God has given you now.
3. Talk to people. The vision doesn't have to come from you. Where do your team members think God is calling? What do your mentors say? Toss around ideas.
4. Dream. What are your passions? What could God do? What do you dream of?

If you have any practical questions about discerning your vision, don't hesitate to put them on the blog and I (and others) will have a go at answering them. It's easy to theorise about vision, but it's tougher when it comes to actually nailing a vision down.

 Mark Conner 

Thomas Edison was a famous American inventor (1847-1931). He is widely regarded as the greatest inventor who has ever lived. He singly, or jointly, held a world record 1,093 patents. In addition, he created the world's first industrial research laboratory.

In his lifetime, he played a critical role in introducing the modern age of electricity. "From his laboratories and workshops emanated the phonograph, the carbon-button transmitter for the telephone speaker and microphone, the incandescent lamp, a revolutionary generator of unprecedented efficiency, the first commercial electric light and power system, an experimental electric railroad, and key elements of motion-picture apparatus, as well as a host of other inventions [Encyclopedia Britannica]."

Edison was the seventh and last child of Samuel and Nancy Edison. At an early age he developed hearing problems, which strongly influenced his behavior and career, providing the motivation for many of his inventions.

Here are a few of his well known quotes:

• Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
• Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration. Accordingly, a  'genius' is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework. Time is really the only capital that any human being has and the thing that he can least afford to waste or lose.
• If parents pass enthusiasm along to their children, they will leave them an estate of incalculable value. 
• Barring serious accidents, if you are not preoccupied with worry and you work hard, you can look forward to a reasonably lengthy existence.... Its not the hard work that kills, its the worrying that kills.
• Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward. 
• The first requisite for success is to develop the ability to focus and apply your mental and physical energies to the problem at hand - without growing weary. Because such thinking is often difficult, there seems to be no limit to which some people will go to avoid the effort and labor that is associated with it.
• There is no substitute for hard work.
• I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others... I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent.
• I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun. 

Link

Alan Hirsch

Here is an interview with my mates Ed Stetzer and Phil Nation about their book Compelled By Love. Its a well written and conceived book, written with a popular audience in mind, and one that takes a rather unique angle on the issue of missiology...

Ed, you have written extensively about contextualization issues. Why write a book about "love" which seems to be a heart issue?
Ed: So much of what is written has only been the objective "How-to" of contextualization. The danger to which many have fallen prey is to do the right thing in ministry without any heart. God reaches out to us because it glorifies himself. His reaching, we are taught in scripture, is done through love.

Give us a sense of what biblical love looks like to you?
Philip: Biblical love is willing to die. Culture paints love as the building up of the heart and the completion of life. The Bible shows that the loving Great Shepherd dies for his flock. Biblical love is heroically sacrificial. It is not the caricature of romance held out to us in romantic-comedies.

How is this book different from what is currently being given to church leaders through conferences and the surrounding literature?
Philip: Most of what is out there is specifically addressed to church leaders. We wanted to give a view of missional living that is accessible to any believer who sits through a worship service.

How has church planting prepared you to address the issue of missional living and its motivation?
Philip: I grew up attending a growing traditional church. It was big, emphasized being big, and wanted to be bigger - but all on its own campus. Planting Lake Ridge Church has been a journey out of the church facility and into the homes of "far from God" people. It completely opened my eyes and heart to being a missionary to friends I've made in the neighborhood.

How does love relate to Missiology?
Ed: Without love, churches will not release people to go to the mission field. You have to love God enough to be obedient to him. You must love the world as Christ does in order to die for sin. You must love your neighbor enough to tell them the truth of their sin, aid in their time of need, and walk them (even ploddingly) toward the cross.

Is this book a break from traditional ministry, contemporary ministry, etc.? I guess what I'm asking is: are you proposing a new paradigm for ministry?
Ed: The easiest answer is that we are proposing a shift back to the original paradigm Christ gave the church. It is the "as you are going" mentality of making disciples rather than the "go over there" and make disciples. Missional living is not specific to a form of worship or liturgy. But it is specific to the attitude an individual Christian or church takes.

Link

 Scott Hodge 

One of the most empowering moments in The Orchard's journey of transition & change occurred a few years ago when someone said to us:

"Until you get your focus OFF of the people who are disgruntled, unhappy, unsupportive, and resistant to the direction God has called you to go, and ONTO those who are excited, supportive and on board, you will NEVER gain momentum and see a new culture created in your church." 

That statement set us free. 

It really did.  In fact, I can remember our team making several tough, but GOOD decisions that day that literally sped up our momentum by leaps and bounds. 

Some of those decisions had to do with things we were going to STOP doing.  Decisions that:

> We were NO LONGER going to try and get people to stay at our church who weren't happy.  

> We were going to stop spending time and energy trying to get the naysayers "on board" when it was very evident that most of them were not going to support the new direction.

> We were going to stop allowing some of the "small things" to continue just to keep a few people happy (You know those programs and committees that are OPPOSITE of where you're headed, but you're keeping in place just to keep 12 people happy?  Yeah, those...) 

We also made some decisions about what we going to START doing or focus on being more intentional about.  Decisions that:

> We would stay focused on God's mission for The Orchard NO MATTER WHAT.  Even if it were just the three of us in the end!

> The focus of our leading and teaching would be turned towards the people we were reaching and those who were excited about where we were headed.

> We would only engage in ministries, programs, and events that aligned with our mission - regardless as to whether or not every other church in town was doing it or not.  The mission would dictate everything - not what was "popular" with other churches or even what programs or events might have seemed "successful" in the past.

It wasn't easy, and yes, we lost a lot of people.  But....it eventually created a momentum that led towards reaching the people that God had called us to reach.  By 400% since 2003.

Link

John Sweetman
This post is a continuation of a previous theological reflection on one of John Maxwell’s laws of leadership.

Maxwell's Law #18: The Law of Sacrifice: "A leader must give up to go up."

Summary of Maxwell’s Principle
Maxwell tells the story of Lee Iacocca and the turnaround at Chrysler. Iacocca understood that successful leaders have to maintain an attitude of sacrifice in order to turn around an organization. The true nature of leadership is really sacrifice. It is a constant in leadership. It is an on-going process, not a one-time payment. Leaders who want to rise have to give up their rights. As you rise in leadership, responsibilities increase and rights decrease. Effective leaders sacrifice much that is good in order to dedicate themselves to what is best. Leadership success requires continual change, improvement, and sacrifice. The greater the leader, the more he/she must give up. For example, Martin Luther King paid a huge price to lead his people to equality.

John’s Theological Reflection
This principle has solid biblical footings. When some of Jesus' disciples asked for important leadership positions, Jesus knew they had no clue what they were asking for. He called them together and said (my paraphrase), "In the secular leadership world, position means power and control. But in my kingdom the great leaders are actually slaves of everyone. That’s how I see my own role." (Matt. 20:25-28)

So do you want to be a Christian leader? Now we need to put Jesus’ statement in its cultural context. Servants and slaves in Roman society could have significant responsibility and standing, depending on their master. They weren’t necessarily doormats. It’s just that they weren’t free - they had to serve. For a leader, giving up control and freedom is a significant sacrifice.

Don’t think that when you move up to the next rung of leadership things will get easier. Oh, some things might. You may find that you have more influence and recognition, even better resources. This can be helpful and exciting at times. But there will be more problems, greater responsibility higher expectations by followers, and possibly less encouragement. In 2 Cor 11, Paul talks about the huge cost of his missional, apostolic, Christian leadership role. He concludes with, “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (11:28). Yes, there’s sacrifice involved.

Not that sacrifice slows down a true Christian leader. You’re not looking for an easy path. Face up to the cost (it’s not going to get any easier), lay down your freedom, and then follow God’s calling with all your heart.

John Sweetman
This post is a continuation of a previous theological reflection on one of John Maxwell’s laws of leadership.

Maxwell's Law #7: The Law of Respect: "People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves." Summary of

Maxwell’s Principle
Followers are attracted to people who are better leaders than themselves. Usually the greater leadership ability people have, the more quickly they recognise leadership, or its lack, in others. An organisation works best when people follow the strongest leaders. Otherwise good leaders will leave and pursue their own agenda. Maxwell suggests that people who are 9s or 10s in leadership (out of 10) won't follow a 7 unless they have a particular purpose. That's just the way leadership works.

John’s Theological Reflection
Initially this law sounds rather judgmental. It involves rating the “amount of leadership” a person has and comparing ourselves with other leaders. How can we really know whether we are a 5 leader or an 8 leader? Some of us may struggle to accept the concept of levels of leadership. It seems so elitist. Not at all like the servant leadership that Christ commands.

However, in the parable of the talents, we find the master (God) making such an assessment. He weighs up the ability of each servant and gives them an appropriate amount to work with: "To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability" (Matt. 25:15). So God puts in each of us different potentials and abilities to lead. Of course, it's not nearly as straightforward as a basic 1 to 10 rating. There are too many variables in leadership to allow such a simplistic formula. We don't need to label ourselves with a leadership rating. But the concept of different gifts and abilities is fundamental to God’s church (1 Cor. 12) and it also applies to Christian leadership.

There are other principles to consider here. Following does not just depend on leadership ability. For effective Christian leadership, character is vital, as are also humility and a servant heart (see 1 Tim. 3; Matt. 20:25-28). And be careful as a young leader. If you’re presently following someone you think is a less influential leader, don’t write them off. Remember the importance of submitting to authority (Heb 13:7, 1 Thess 5:12-13, 1 Pet 2:13).

But we do need to recognise that some leaders may not follow us, not because they are stubborn or difficult, but because they are stronger leaders than us; and, if everything else about them stacks up spiritually, we actually need to follow them. A leader who cannot recognise and follow a stronger leader will greatly reduce the potential of his or her impact in God's kingdom. This principle is positively exemplified in Barnabas' transition from team leader to team member under Paul's leadership (see Acts 13:7, 13), as Paul's leadership strength emerged on their missionary journey. Barnabas humbly and productively followed a leader stronger than himself.

One question that intrigues me as a leader is, "How important is my contribution to the work of God?" In other words, if I don't choose to obey God or follow God, will that make any difference to what God is doing? If I stop doing what I'm doing, or if I don't take on the next challenge, will it really matter?

Over the next couple of weeks I want to biblically explore two answers to that question and the repercussions of each answer. The first is that my contribution is incredibly important and the second is that I am not important at all. Both I believe are correct answers, but I'm hoping by the end to understand how they fit together. We'll see.

1. Your role is absolutely pivotal

The whole biblical concept of stewardship means that God has given us certain resources and he expects us to use them. That's what the parable of the talents is about (Matt. 25:14-30). The guys were given talents (money) according to their abilities and the master expected them to use them. He got really cranky when one lazy bloke buried his. Oh the guy had plenty of excuses but they just didn't wash with the boss. It shows that God must think what you're doing (or not doing) is pretty important.

Then there is Paul's teaching about gifts. Everyone is gifted (1 Cor. 12:7-11) so everyone has a contribution. We don't have much of a say in our gifts, although there's nothing wrong with desiring (and praying for?) gifts (1 Cor. 14:1). But we do have complete responsibility to use our gifts. It's only as each person uses their gifts that the church grows fully (Eph. 4:16). So that means, your role is pivotal. Failure to use your gifts will mean that everyone suffers. Exercising your gifts means that everyone benefits.

For some reason, God has chosen to work through us. It's not that he has to, he just does. So to a certain degree God's hands are tied. He has made his choice and is sticking to it. We are his agents and he has no other plan. So if I pull back, or mess up, or cop out then God's work is set back. Not completely of course, but significantly.

This is the responsibility we live with, and the greater your leadership gifting, the more "talents" you have been given, the more God expects. Now of course God promises to love and support and empower you, so you're not by yourself in this, but don't think your role is insignificant. What you are doing cannot be done by anyone else. It's incredibly important in the big picture.

So give it your best shot. No excuses. Oh don't burn yourself out; God needs you for the long haul. But make the most of the opportunities that God is giving you. He's cheering you on because you really are making a difference.

If you find all of this too heavy, remember there is another installment.

After the interest on John's "Succession" article, the following post on swerve (from LifeChurch.tv), might be of interest: Transitioning an Established Church.

John Sweetman
Last week I talked about the need to plan for succession in leadership, to find and equip those to whom you can pass the baton. But I had some qualms. I know Jesus did it, but is it really practical for most of us?

Can a youth leader raise up other youth leaders? Can a chaplain develop the next chaplain? Can or should pastors try to work themselves out of their jobs? Maybe I'm dreaming. Perhaps I've read too many assignments.

To be honest, most of us are flat out keeping things going. It's tough to find and develop any new leaders, let alone to pour my life into a potential replacement. I know the feeling. I'm in the same boat. Even if we could find the time and energy, where are these people to be found? It's just too hard. Anyway, you're not planning on going anywhere.

But one question plagues me, "If I don't do it, who will?" Eventually I won't be around. Who is going to mentor, support and train the next leader for my roles? Oh I'm not saying God can't do it without me. Of course he can. But he has put me in the best position to do it, because I know what is needed.

I think of Paul the Apostle. He's an activist. He's constantly on the move, preaching at every opportunity and planting church after church. He raises up leaders in the churches, but he also keeps an eye on succession.

Young Tim is a bit frail and not all that confident, but he has a great heart and some excellent gifts. So he keeps close to Tim, encouraging and challenging him. They go their separate ministry ways at times, but never lose touch. Finally, in 2 Timothy, we see Paul passing on the leadership baton to Tim.

Not many of us will think that long-term. Anyway, we're not Christian world leaders like Paul. We're just trying to serve our small group, our ministry, our work-mates, our school.

But it does matter! Someone has to develop the next leader(s), and I'm pretty sure it's you. Why not at least pray about it? It could be the most exciting and worthwhile thing you do in Christian leadership.