Tag: coaching

You’re Not The Gatekeeper Of Every Ministry

Remember that iconic line from Monty Python and The Holy Grail?

“None shall pass!”

Arthur, King of the Britains, attempts to pass a bridge.  It is guarded, however, by the infamous Black Knight.  He guards this bridge with his life, allowing no one to cross over to the other side.  He claims, “None shall pass” twice before earning multiple ‘flesh wounds.’

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I share this because I recently had a powerful coaching discussion with my Lead Pastor.  In September of 2014 I transitioned into a Campus Pastor role in the midst of our church’s first multisite launch.  Can I just say…I’ve learned a lot in just 8 months!

As a new, and smaller, campus we want to be careful and purposeful about when and how we start new ministries.  Too much too soon can bring more problems than good.  This was the topic I brought up to him.  After a few minutes, he made a statement that instantly gave me clarity on the issue.

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Wow!  And he followed up with this.

He explained that new ministries simply need to have clear purpose, leadership, boundaries, and must be fully in line with the mission, vision, and core values of our church.  That’s my job.  As long as that is all in place, we want to be permission-giving.

If you’re in a senior leadership role, can you relate to this?  Do you find this helpful?  How is the creation of new ministries handled in your church?

Join the discussion.  Please leave a comment below.

 

 

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How Proximity Can Affect Your Perspective

“I can see it’s not level from here!”

I didn’t actually say that out loud.  But it’s what came to mind as I was watching a a hired worker on a scissor lift hang crosses from our Sanctuary ceiling in preparation for our Easter services.

He was roughly 25 feet off the ground as I witnessed him pull out a leveling tool to see if the cross was level.

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I almost laughed.  It was so obvious from where I was positioned on the ground and about 30 feet from him.  The cross was very crooked.  But his proximity to the work being done was so close that the degree of inaccuracy was not clear to him.  He needed a resource, a level, to bring it into perspective.

This is often the case with leaders when they find themselves in particular seasons in their company or church.  Sometimes we end up so close and focused on a problem or need for change that we simply cannot see the obvious.  In these times it’s often a good idea to consider involving the perspective of someone not as close to the situation as we are.  Someone whose proximity is more distant.  This ‘level’ can either be someone on another team within your organization or a hired consultant.

So many times, these people will step into our situation and almost immediately take notice of something that was staring you and I right in the face the entire time.

Where are you looking for that ‘A-Ha’ moment?  Do you have others helping you who don’t have a direct connection to your present situation?

Join the discussion.  I’d love for you to leave a comment below.

Mentoring/Coaching Opportunity

infuseLooking for a mentoring/coaching experience that will challenge you?  Check out Infuse with Jim Wideman!  Hurry…spots are filling up quickly.

Jim writes about Ten Fundamentals of authentic leadership in his book.  Here are the Top Three that most resonated with me.  Get the book and read about the other seven for yourself.

Leaders set an example – Jim says to give others something worth following.  This is so true…and not just regarding ministry work.  The way you and I tangibly live out our personal lives will greatly impact the trust level people have in us.  The people we lead need to observe zero difference in our personality and character inside and out of the office.

Leaders grow spiritually – This is a topic I’ve personally come to understand & respect more in the past year than in my prior 20 years of ministry.  Ministry doesn’t just begin with the Spirit moving us toward Kingdom work.  The Holy Spirit lives in us as believers.  If our lives are spiritual, then shouldn’t our work and leadership be reflective of how close we are growing toward our Father?  It is absolutely critical that church leaders constantly revisit the spiritual disciplines to keep themselves sharp and useful.

Leaders are lifelong learners – This is as valuable to the young seminary grad as it is the 70 year old pastor who has been leading the same church body for 50 years.  Read books on leadership (even some from secular authors).  Study examples of Jesus and how he led the disciples.  Attend a conference once a year.  And finally, find yourself a life coach (mentor, or accountability partner).  You and I don’t know everything, and the things we lack will limit the effectiveness of our leadership.

Comments are welcome below, or you can leave me a voice message HERE.  God bless.