One By One

John Maxwell did a talk years ago about finding eagles. (He described an eagle as a leader who soared above the others.) Maxwell said, “Turkeys and chickens flock together, but eagles soar alone.”

Some put ads in a bulletin asking for potential leaders to contact the church office. It’s not uncommon to ask for leaders to sign up in the lobby during the church announcements.

In my experience, it’s rare to find a great leader by asking the masses and hoping one will sign up or show up.

In every case I can think of, I’ve discovered great potential in others during one-on-one conversations.

Rather than hoping to find an eagle in a crowd, we will likely have better success spotting them after a personal conversation.

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Thoughts on Pastoral Preparation

More than classroom education, I’m a big believer in mentoring and discipleship. I’d love to see more seminaries or bible schools design programs that allow student pastors to minister and study simultaneously.

Although I see the value in what students learn in the classroom, I honestly believe that churches should take the lead role in preparing pastors. (This could also help eliminate some financial pressures that keep too many pastors from furthering their education.)

I can’t think of a better way to learn than serving under great men and women of God. Rather than three years in classrooms, I’d rather see students serving in a church while taking specialized classes.

Each pastor has such different developmental needs. Some need more time learning the basics of God’s word. Others are strong in the word, but have significant relational or leadership challenges. These are different needs that deserve different educational approaches.

Although no system is perfect, I prefer throwing gifted people into the ministry waters and helping them learn to swim rather than sending them to three years of classes to learn how to clean the pool, treat the water, and apply sunscreen.

I’m grateful for what God did in my life through seminary, but so much of the time (and money) invested doesn’t apply to what I do today. Just as I love seeing innovation in the church, I’d love to see innovation in the way we prepare pastors.

Thoughts?

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One Prayer - Father’s Day Message

I’ve pre-produced a special Father’s Day Message titled, God is…Father. We wanted to make it available early in case any One Prayer churches wanted to use it on the actual weekend. Go to www.oneprayer.com to download.

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When Edgy Becomes Offensive

I have rarely shied away from being edgy.

• “Get their attention!”
• “Prove that you’re a real person!”
• “Give them something to talk about!”
• “Connect with those who aren’t churched!”

These sayings were the unspoken mantra for many pastors in my generation. While there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these statements, without wisdom and prayerful attention, a pastor can easily cross the line from edgy to offensive.

(I have unquestionably done this many times—especially in the past. In recent years, I’ve been convicted that I was being a bad example.)

The message of Christ and the cross is offensive. But our language and attitude doesn’t have to be.

Without drifting into legalistic rules, here are a few suggestions:

• When you are promoting something, don’t make your printed materials and billboards something you wouldn’t want your 9-year-old son or daughter to see.
• Don’t use language you wouldn’t want to hear your children say.
• Keep your humor appropriate. A cheap laugh isn’t worth setting a bad example.

Our message will always be offensive to someone. Let’s make sure were are offensive for the right reasons and not the wrong.

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Recent Reading

I’ve been reading a lot lately. My most recent reads include:

Killing Cockroaches by Tony Morgan. This is a great leadership book. It reads much like a Seth Godin book.

Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson. This is a must-read for anyone in ministry.

Ten Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe by Larry Osborne. Larry’s work always challenges me.

True North by Bill George. Bill George is a giant and very down to earth. This book was tremendously helpful to me.

The Orange Code by Arkadi Kuhlmann and Bruce Philp. Steven Furtick mailed this to me as a gift. I’m half way through it. It is very good.

The Life of Elijah by Arthur Pink. I’ll be preaching on Elijah in May. Arthur Pink always has great nuggets. The life of Elijah is ministering to me in a big way.

Tribes by Seth Godin. Seth’s work is always helpful.

Switch by Chip and Dan Heath. This book is not out yet. I’ll be interviewing Chip and Dan at the Willow Leadership Summit. I’ve quoted their work in more leadership conversations with staff than I can count. I liked it as much or more than Made to Stick.

Missional Renaissance by Reggie McNeil. Our leaders are reading this book together.

What are you reading that has been helpful?

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Training Your Church

If you don’t train your church what boundaries are appropriate, you likely won’t  have many.

If you are the senior pastor, you can set the tone publicly.

I’d suggest a few of the following:

• Publicly communicate when your day off is. Talk about how important that day is to your family.
• At appropriate times, explain the challenges of your schedule. Some people think you only work on Sundays. Explaining some of what you face will create understanding.
• Create some level of screening if possible. Even if you are a solo pastor with no staff, a volunteer could help you with your email or answer phones. Many things you do daily can be handled by capable volunteers. You don’t need to know and do everything.
• Be willing to “go dark” at least once a year. You might explain to the church that you’ll be away with your family and not taking calls for a week. Ask your lay leader to be in charge. I’d suggest you give a phone number to one person who has permission to contact you with only dire emergencies. You need at least one week a year to disconnect.
• Don’t feel pressure to reply to emails instantly. I like all emails returned, won’t be slave to them.
• Protect at least one night a week for dates or family nights. Explain that Monday or Thursday or whatever is the one night you protect. When someone asks for counseling or a wedding rehearsal on that night, don’t do it.
• Be willing to say “no.” As a pastor who loves people, you’ll say “yes” to many invitations. Don’t be afraid to occasionally or often say “no.” Don’t feel pressure to give an explanation. A simple, “No, I’m sorry, but I can’t make it” is enough.

Ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. Set the boundaries that will help you go the distance.

What are your thoughts?

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Technology Boundaries

I believe one of the biggest distractions for today’s families is an overemphasis and reliance on tech toys.

If you can’t eat dinner with your family without checking your blackberry or twittering, you have a serious problem.

I’m convinced one of the most important things we can do is set boundaries from technology.

Some things you might try:

• No tech interruptions during family time.
• Take consistent blogging or twittering vacations. (Guest blogs work great.)
• Fast from email on vacations.
• No surfing the net in the evenings.

Please describe your struggles. More importantly, I’d like to know what boundaries you’re setting to become more healthy.

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Take Some Risks

Most people will see you as a pastor first. I want people to see me as a follower of Jesus who happens to be a pastor. (In my mind, the difference is big!)

Accomplishing this goal takes some work. Many church members see pastors as a step above the normal person. (Some pastors even believe this to be true.)

To me, the pastor who is viewed as a normal person has an extreme advantage over the one who is viewed as the perfect spiritual leader.

To demystify your pastoral role, you’ll have to take some self-revealing risks. Here are a few suggestions when revealing personal flaws.

• If you are courageous enough to expose selected spiritual doubts, people may relate to you as a real person.
• If you carefully reveal a martial struggle (with permission from your spouse), people may be more likely to listen.
• When you tell about certain failures, many people will feel an increased bond with you.
• If you are hurting and you express your need, your church family can be aware to pray for and minister to you.

It is not uncommon for someone to say, “Craig when you shared about your struggle with ____________ (fill in the blank), I knew you were a pastor I could relate with.”

A few people might reject you for you authentic confessions, but the vast majority will accept, embrace, and trust you as a genuine believer wrestling to grow closer to Christ.

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