LeadingSmart

The 30-Night Rule...2009 Update

Two years ago, I made a commitment to my family, to my boss, and to you. You can read it here, but in summary I said...

• There is a dynamic tension in trying to juggle the priorities that are important to me (family, ministry, learning, writing).
• In the previous couple years, I had spent too many nights away from home.
• I made a plan to change that and intentionally keep my priorities right.

And so, I committed to take control of my schedule and spend no more than 30 nights away from my wife in 2008. I made the same commitment at the beginning of 2009.

I've just tallied my traveling for last year, and I'm glad to report that I stayed well within my goal for the year. Thank you for your prayers, and for the handful of you who asked me on occasion how I was doing.

The 30-night rule is the right decision for me for this phase of my life. For you, the right decision might be 60-nights...or 3-nights. I don't know, but if traveling is a part of your life, then it's important to get some helpful counsel from people who know and love you. I made this decision in consultation with three important people:

1. My wife - she's the one who has to carry the load when I'm gone. She's also the one who knows when I start to get "toasty" because of an insane schedule.
2. Mark Beeson - he's my boss and close friend. It's important to me that I'm fulfilling my responsibilities in leading the church, and he helps me figure this out.
3. A few trusted friends - there are 2 or 3 other people who I confer with on every speaking request or traveling opportunity that I get. They know me. I trust their insight.

Two questions for you...

• Are you in control of your schedule, or are you controlled by your schedule?
• Do you allow others into your life to help you keep your priorities in check?

Nero & The Burning of Christians

After hearing this 6-minute story, I told Mark Beeson, "I'm neither a historian nor a theologian, but I think that was one of the most compelling historical Bible stories I've ever heard."

See if you agree...

The Early Church from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Just Ask Leadership

When the book Just Ask Leadership by Gary Cohen, was first announced last year--I couldn't wait for it to come out. The thesis of the book is that the best leaders are those who ask informed questions. It was Peter Drucker who said, "The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask." I believe that. I had the opportunity to study the book with my Executive Pastors Coaching Network in December, and even had a chance to interview the author (video snippets coming soon).

It would be impossible to write about every part of the book that I enjoyed, but here are some of my favorite quotes:

• Egos can vault you into a leadership position, but as a leader you now must set your ego aside and relinquish control.
• Cultures develop (within a company or organization), intentionally or unintentionally. So don't leave this matter to chance.
• David McLaughlin, former chairman of the Red Cross and past president of Dartmouth College, said that he always knew whether he was leading or managing. If he was handling issues that were one to five years out, he was leading. If the problems were closer to the present, he was managing. [I agree, though for me I know I'm leading when the issues are 3-12 months out. If they are closer, I am managing...which sometimes is required for a season.]
• Leaders may hesitate to fire ineffectual or untrustworthy coworkers out of fear of not being liked, or because of the work involved with hiring and covering gaps. The longer these employees are kept on, the better prospective employees look. The desire to fill the position quickly combined with the desire for a skilled, trustworthy employee can, however, result in leaders feeling "selector's remorse" six months later.
• In meetings, leaders have difficulty keeping quiet when they have an idea that's better than the ones currently being batted around. Revealing that idea, however, often spoils the learning and discovery process of their coworkers.
• If you think you're talking too much in a meeting, so does everyone else.
• Poet and organizational philosopher Dave Whyte calls leaders the "chief conversationalists." He believes leaders should think not of what they have to do but of what conversations need to take place.
• Centralized leadership doesn't work with the current generation. People want to work their way, not your way. They know what motivates them and how they best achieve results and obtain information, and they want to receive full credit for their efforts.
• The person best equipped to solve a problem is the one who lives with it every day. Don't make decisions for your coworkers. With questions, help them expand their consciousness so that they can see the world anew. Help them make their own decisions.

Thanks to Gary Cohen for a great book. Where do you see these thoughts intersection church leadership? Where do they fall short?

"Son, Where Have You Been?"

That's what my mom asked me today. She said, "You haven't written on your blog or tweeted much lately."

There are several reasons my mom's question makes me happy:

1. She cares about me.
2. She reads my blog.
3. She used the word "tweeted" in a sentence. Yes, my mom is savvy about social media!

Well, for my mom and others who might wonder, I've been working every spare minute on a home construction project. That is both good and bad. It is good because I can't explain how much I love working on such projects. They wear me out physically but fill me up emotionally. It is very therapeutic.

But it's bad because I haven't had much time for blogging. My part in the project is moving from physical labor to managing contractors--so look for my content to be revived next week.

So, for me, home construction projects bring me energy. What does it for you?

Granger Responds to the Crisis in Haiti

Granger Community Church Responds to the Emergency in Haiti from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Make your donation here.

A 4-Month Learning Experience

Beginning next month, Mark Waltz is entering a four-month journey with leaders whose responsibilities are focused on connections, volunteer involvement, group relationships, and spiritual growth. If you are a senior pastor or a pastor/director responsible for adult connections or assimilation ministries - you should really consider applying for this coaching journey.

Mark has gone all around the country training teams of people - staff and volunteers - focused most specifically on guest services ministries, occasionally venturing into conversations related to volunteers and relational ministries. Typically that happens in a day, two at most.

But this is different.

• It will be intensely practical. Highly conversational. Interactive. And limited to 12 leaders.
• You will study. You will read. You will learn together. You'll explore your specific questions, issues and church dynamic.
• His coaching will be very specific about cultivating culture, building teams, casting vision, designing environments for connecting, serving and growing.

It isn't cheap. And it won't be terribly convenient (like travel to northern Indiana). But after spending a decade in ministry with Mark, I know it will be worth it.

Consider making this the core of your training/learning experience in 2010. I'm confident you'll be better from the experience. I'm certain you'll lead your church, your staff, your teams more effectively and serve your people and guests more thoroughly because of this coaching journey.

Decide soon - it starts in five weeks, and there are only a few spots left. More information here.

Life Together

This is the group I'm doing life with this week. It is our senior team at Granger--and we are holed up in a house in southwest Michigan. The conversations we are having, foundations we are establishing and plans we are making--will ALL have impact for the next decade.

If you have a moment--pray for us.

Jesus' Ministry Included External Experiences

There has been a good amount of conversation in the past few days on this blog and others about a critique of a quote from Tony and me in a book by Skye Jethani. One of the comments that was recently left was quite intriguing to me--and I'd love to get more dialogue about its' substance.

To give context to the comment, here is the quote from The Divine Commodity:

These pastors [Tim & Tony], representative of so many contemporary Christians, believe that God changes lives through the commodification and consumption of experiences. If our worship gatherings are energetic, stimulating, and exciting enough then people will attend, receive what’s being communicated, and be spiritually transformed. The justification for this approach is simple: people won’t come to a church that’s boring. And what qualifies as boring is defined by our consumer/experience economy. But the moment we believe transformation occurs via external experiences, the emphasis of ministry must adjust accordingly. Manufacturing experiences and meticulously controlling staged environments become the means for advancing Christ’s mission. And the role of the pastor, once imagined as a shepherd tending a flock, now conjures images of a circus ringmaster shouting, “Come one, come all, to the greatest show on earth!” In Consumer Christianity, the shepherd becomes a showman. (p.75)

And here is a portion of the comment that was left by Bruce Cole of Huntley, IL:

More to the substance of Skye's contention...I don't know how we separate life transformation from external experience. It's not an either/or, but a both/and. I understand the transformations brought to individuals by Jesus to be connected to external experiences as well as internal ones (touching the hem of his garment; a conversation with him at a well; calming a storm; walking on water...). In Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians, I understand the external experience of hearing the Word of God preached as a key (possibly chief) means of the Holy Spirit's transformative work.

And I look at 2000 years of liturgical history (leitourgia - work of the people) as the history of people constructing environments as means for advancing Christ's mission. In fact, the more "high church" liturgical, the more tightly controlled it is. To call it "manufacturing" is pejorative. What possible expression of corporate worship is not constructed and characterized by external experience? None that I can think of.

Very thought-provoking words by Bruce Cole. What do you say?

Ten Degree Weather Doesn't Slow Us Down

It was nice to wake up this morning to see this article in the South Bend Tribune. (I'm reposting it here to save you from a visit to the ad-heavy, pop-up-laced, clunky South Bend Tribune website).

Granger Community Church members gather to aid in giveaway effort
By HEIDI PRESCOTT South Bend Tribune Staff Writer

GRANGER -- Trodding through several inches of snow, Susanna Martino approached the door of a trailer carrying a box of groceries.

"It feels like this box has 800 cans of food inside," the bubbly 22-year-old said to several Granger Community Church members flanking her Saturday. It was darn cold outside to boot. "But this is not me complaining."

Martino climbed the stairs to find a Mishawaka woman propping open the door to her Oak Grove park trailer. The resident thanked Martino, of Edwardsburg, explaining how she doesn't get out much because heart problems make it hard to breathe sometimes.

And she asked if Martino and her friends would be taking food to the trailer of her cousin who lives nearby and is going blind. Yes, they reassured her.

"We believe everyone matters to God, so you matter to us," Martino said with sincerity, adding how the church would pray for her upcoming visit to the doctor.A few minutes later, Martino had a hard time putting the brief but emotional encounter into words. Instead, her eyes filled with tears as she softly said, "You wish you could do more."

Work to be done

Between 1,600 and 1,700 men, women, and children streamed out the doors of Granger Community Church shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday toward semi-trailers after receiving last-minute instructions in the vast auditorium for the food drop.

"Travel with your truck if you can," Jack Magruder, director of life mission told the group gathered for the 9th annual event taking place in Granger and in Elkhart, "The magic occurs when the boxes are delivered."

About 350 volunteers loaded boxes in Elkhart.

But before deliveries are made to 12 nonprofit agencies and 12 neighborhoods in St. Joseph, Elkhart, Berrien Springs and Marshall counties like Oak Grove Mobile Home Park, there is work to be done. More than 5,200 cardboard boxes weighing a total of 158,400 pounds needed to be loaded onto semi-trailers and trucks.

To accomplish this, throngs of volunteers stood shoulder-to-shoulder and passed the boxed items from hunger relief organization Feed the Children trucks down the line to delivery trucks. The boxes contained enough groceries to feed a family of four for five to seven days, as well as personal care items, church officials said.

"We came prepared," Martino said, alluding to the gloves, boots and layers of long sleeves she and her friends from Granger Student Ministries wore as they loaded Truck No. 4.

Making a difference

Rachel Ditto of Granger agreed the 11-degree temps were no big deal given what the food drop means, not only to her but the people she is helping. "It's a blast; this is an opportunity I look forward to every year."

And Ditto was not the only person to feel that way.

Many of the volunteers have attended two, three, four or more food drops. Parents and children, grandfathers and grandsons, work together to not only make a difference, but also to educate their children on the importance of helping others less fortunate.

"I'm here to help other people who don't have any of the stuff we have; to help the poor, people who have lost their jobs and are going through tough times," said 12-year-old David Flowers of Granger.

He and his parents know the task does not have to require so many volunteers. The lines could be much shorter than 80 or 90 people. "But we're all putting our hands on the boxes," said David's mom Lisa Flowers, "and in a way we are giving them our blessing."

Chazwell Whitmer, 10, of Elkhart said he felt the need to attend the food drop with his parents "to do everything I can to help others."

Others maintain they want to take part for God.

"God gets really, really happy when you do this, and you'll go to heaven," said Lauren Landry, 8, of Berrien Center, who also helped pack boxes with canned food and paper towels ahead of time.

Her mom, Susan, is not surprised by her daughter's kindness and generosity.

"It gives her pride to know she is making a difference in someone's life," she said. "You never know what situation you'll find yourself in. We do this behind the scenes, but it's fulfilling."

Staff writer Heidi Prescott:
hprescott@sbtinfo.com

Tony Reaches for the Skye

Rewind to last February when I first met Skye Jethani. We spent an entire day together with fifteen other leaders (including Dave Ferguson, Will Mancini and Frank Viola) talking about the future of the church. I didn't know who Skye was before that day, but gained a quick respect for him.

At that time, Skye mentioned he had a book coming out soon.

Fast forward to this past October and I ran into Skye again at the Story Conference in Chicago. We talked for a few minutes and I learned that his book was being promoted at the conference. Someone saw me looking at the book and said, "Did you know Skye wrote about you?"

That was news to me, but I learned about it in the car leaving the conference from someone on my team. Skye had quoted from Simply Strategic Growth written by myself and Tony Morgan. Let's just say that he wasn't in agreement with the quote he chose.

Fast forward again to yesterday when blogger Justin Wise included the quote in a post where he was awe-struck by the brilliance of Skye's integrity in the way he disagreed. I was equally awe-struck by Justin's awe-struckedness (is that word?) and the response of some of his commenters. After Catalyst picked up the article, I figured it had gone pretty public. I left a comment that probably, in hindsight, had more sarcasm than substance.

Tony Morgan, on the other hand, actually addressed the issue head-on. He writes in a post today:

Unlike Skye, I’m still of the opinion that healthy churches are growing churches. I also believe that if we embrace some intentionality in our ministries including our worship services, we’re more likely to connect with today’s culture. At the end of the day, I believe churches should be both attractional and missional. Skye believes otherwise.

You should read the rest of his thoughts. Then come back here and tell me what you think.

Spiritual Themes in "Avatar"

I've been to the theater to see Avatar twice. And, I wrote a book called Pop Goes the Church -- all about finding God in the pop culture of movies, shows and books. So, you would expect me to be able to unearth all kinds of spiritual truths in this movie.

However, I was so captured by the creativity, story line and stunning graphics that I completely missed some of the spiritual conversations that could be started as a result of this movie. Lucky for me, Roy Shaff was more observant.

In a post yesterday, Roy talked about some of the symbolism in the movie relating to spiritualism in America, and then offers Christians some great discussion ideas. Roy writes:

• First, In the Gospel of John, Jesus is the Logos, the “Avatar” of divine wisdom. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. I do not want to go nuts; but, there is a good discussion here.
• A second discussion starter can come from the mother of Neytiri, Mo’at, is the Tsahik (Righteous One, shaman or spiritual teacher) of the Omaticaya clan (the Na’Vi). When she first meets Jake in Avatar form, she notes as others in the clan do, Jake’s overweening arrogant pride. This is fundamental. Human pride of conquest and Na’Vi humility are divergently central to the plot of Avatar. This is a key tenet to healthy spiritually life—that ability to learn. Jake’s interest to the Na’Vi was his heart. He has unprecedented heart. It is enough to ensure his ‘insanity [of spiritual pride] could be cured.’
• Third is the universiality of our search for God. Christians believe that God is self-evident (though deniable) and rewards of those who pursue the Spiritual journey with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Nicholas Wade’s new book, “The Faith Instinct,” lucidly lays out the scientific evidence that humans are hard-wired to believe in the transcendent. As philosopher Will Herberg says, “Man is homo religiosus, by ‘nature’ religious: as much as he needs food to eat or air to breathe, he needs a faith for living.” (Read Roy's entire post here).

What do you think? Are these good conversation starters for someone who is far from God?