Sometimes IT JUST HAS TO BE DONE.

As I type this blog, I have a million thoughts going through my mind about what I have to get accomplished (and it's overwhelming). I have let my internet class work pile up the past two weeks and have to get it all done by next Monday. So it JUST HAS TO BE DONE!!!

This goes hand in hand with a lot of things in leadership. Sometimes regardless of how much you like or dislike the task, rather it be a busy week where you have no time to accomplish something so meaningless...IT JUST HAS TO BE DONE! For the good of the business, church, ministry the task has to get done. You have pushed it off long enough, too many people have said they were going to do it for you but never did...it's time. Some people aren't as passionate about something as you, so it falls down on their priority list, let them see you take the task and do it sometimes just for them to see that you are for real about your passion. When this happens, more times than not it will spark their passion too.

What are you putting off? It may be at the point to where IT JUST HAS TO BE DONE!!!

peace be the journey.
///tres

Resource Friday.

This is resource Friday with a twist. What resources are you using? Add them to the discussion. Share with others what's helping you lead.

Leave us a comment.

peace be the journey.
///tres

Balance.

Today our guest poster is Shaston Hunter. He is the worship pastor of Building Church in Huntsville, AL. Find him on Facebook and follow him on twitter: @shastonhunter.

Balance

Balance is something that has truly been on my heart when it comes to
Christ, this probably has a lot to do with our church just getting out
of our "Balance" series also.

Sadly enough, when I think back to balance in my relationship with
Christ throughout my life time, I found myself not understanding the
principle and importance of it. I am currently 27, A worship leader at
a Church called "Building Church" here in Huntsville AL. I was raised
in church all of my life, involved in every possible way and have been
a believer since I was a kid. It wasn't until about three years ago to
where my life started taking a different chapter and I started
understanding balance in my everyday walk with Christ.

See in the midst of a busy life full of ministry,  school, marriage,
work, etc. We find ourselves so off course from our destiny and
purpose and we find ourselves doing things just because its routine or
we're just used to doing it that way which starts making us so out of
balance. Instead of fully understanding our purpose and pursuing our
destiny, we are pursuing everyday life and the things involved in it
when we don't even realize it. This is when we must bring the balance
back into our life and follow the way Christ has laid before us with
His word. Matthew 4:4 says that man shall not live by bread alone but
by EVERY word that that proceeds from the mouth of God. This just
brings it back to the basics for me. We should be vessels living to
please Him and live by His every word and desire.

Here is some questions to ask yourself regarding balance in your life,
ask yourself these questions and be honest with yourself...

1) What is motivating my decision making?
2) What is most valuable to me?
3) Do my actions support my core values?
4) Where can I start to reflect my core values?

Romans 1:1-2
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to
God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his
good, pleasing and perfect will.

I encourage you today to find balance in your life, pursue your
purpose and pursue you destiny all while making sure you have the
correct foundation laid in your life on a daily basis. Bring your
relationship with Jesus back to the BASICS, get into His word everyday
and continue asking Him to grow you and allow His balance for your
life to be magnified!

You Can't See Without Vision.

This is something I wish I would have known going into leadership. I had heard the word vision a lot growing up in church but for some reason I always associated the word with me having to go into a trance and see myself as a wheat stalk and everyone I knew was bowing down to me...sorry I just never imagined myself as wheat so I thought I never had a vision. Maybe I stand alone in this idea of thinking, maybe I wasn't theologically as strong as all of you reading this...but it's what I associated vision with.

Man I was way off.

Now understanding that vision is what God places in your heart for you to be a part of, what makes your life worth living everyday, vision being the driving force behind why you are in leadership roles, I realize that without vision I will never lead because I would have no idea where I was going. God has a plan for your life, and if you're reading this blog you may know exactly what it is. If not I challenge you to really stop and think about what you are doing with your life and how what you are doing/planning on doing will bring glory to God and will change the world.

Did you know you can bring glory to God and change the world and not be a pastor? If you didn't then you should read this.

Without a set vision, you will never accomplish what God has planned for you. When you have vision you have purpose to wake up every day and see the vision unfold before your eyes. Sometimes you will get caught up in life other times you will just miss it because you don't know what IT is. Do not set a limit on your vision, your vision to yourself should seem impossible, when it seems impossible to you it allows you to believe in God to do the impossible.

What's your vision? How impossible is it?

peace be the journey.
///tres

You're Not Good at Everything.

Some of you may have read that title and instantly disagreed with me. If you think you are good at everything then I ask you to respond to this post and I will then give you all the info about this blog and pass this project along to you.

I believe that a leader is great when they admit they are not good at everything. You become more successful with your leading and ministry when you realize this. I can't sing and I can't play the guitar so why would I lead the music in my ministry? If you still aren't following me, I'm terrible at planning youth trips...so I don't, I have someone else do that. My point is that we aren't good at everything, but what you are not good at someone else is, so let them do it. The person that plans our trips does not want to speak at our services...but I am decent at it (I didn't want to say good because I feel like that is bragging). Knowing your limitations is good for your leadership because it requires someone else to step up and lead with you. The whole point in being a leader is to raise more leaders right?

What are you not good at?

peace be the journey.
///tres

Under the Sun.

This past weekend I went to a ministry training conference cleverly entitled MTC. It was great to see friends and make new ones. What stuck out to me and what I wanted to share was a simple phrase that completely changed a thought process.

"There is nothing new under the sun, an idea that you've had...someone else has had it too."

The first part is a phrase I have heard a lot but never in the comparison to leadership and ideas. I began to think how true this is. The disciples took messages from what Jesus had already said and made them their messages, so really the only original speaker was Christ, from him on it's just been repeats in different ways.

This concept doesn't just apply to messages, it can also go with plans and ideas. Of course you can't say you are going to make a carbonated beverage and call it coca-cola, but ideas for leadership, strategic plans, stage ideas, whatever...they can come from anywhere. If you think of it on your own then cool, but I guarantee someone else somewhere has done it. When we realize that we are all in this together then that is when we see the kingdom advance and change everything. You and the local baptist church are not like the bloods and the crips...we are a body together. Be willing to share ideas with everyone even if they don't go to your church. An idea that you have that worked great for you could possibly be something another church in your community needs to reach someone you will never have the opportunity to reach.

There is nothing new under the sun, so I challenge you to use someone else's ideas sometimes because they may be better and more successful than yours, and to share your ideas with someone outside of your church. This might do something unimaginable in your community...you might change it. How crazy would that be? Churches working together for the same common purpose??? Different churches united in the community. When you can get that nothing new is under the sun...it changes everything.

Who can you help? Who can help you?

peace be the journey.
///tres

Resource Friday.

This past October I attended a conference...a refreshing, vision transforming conference. I attended Catalyst. They have a great news letter they send out via email with some articles that will help you with your leadership. Check it out here.

Have a great weekend. May you impact someone with leadership.

peace be the journey.
///tres

One Talent Scenario.

Today we have a guest post from a great friend of mine Jonathan Fox. He is the student pastor of The Church Revived. Check him out on Facebook and follow him on Twitter: f0xishere

Here is what he has to share with young leaders:

ONE-TALENT SCENARIO –  INVESTMENT 

I think one of the most well known parables that Jesus spoke of was the one concerning the talents.  It has been preached in churches all over and is usually a scripture used to point out we are supposed to use our “talents” for God.  Great implication except that the parable deals with more than just using your God given gifts for the work of the ministry.  We have all been given a one-talent scenario that requires us to invest rather than maintain.

As a young leader I know how important it was and is now that I have people who can invest in my life.  I haven’t reached the point in life that I have just because I was clever.  I am the product of other people’s investments.  The parable of the talents is about the use of what God gives you but it is also about investment.  If you look at the parable Jesus speaks of three individuals that received a portion of talents (money, not gifts) according to their ability.  They were given the task to MANAGE what they had until their master returned.  One was given five, the other, two and the third, one.  The first doubled his and was rewarded, the second likewise.  But the third hid his until his master returned and gave it to him preserved and in the fashion it was received.  

I think we miss the big picture of this parable.  Jesus explained that the first two men invested their talents and received back 100% of what they invested.  Either way you slice it both of them acquired the same.  They were given an amount and they doubled it.  They invested and got a return.  The third man however buried his one talent thinking, “If I can just maintain this one thing my master gave me he will be pleased.”  He didn’t step out in faith like the others and invest.  His master even said, “Why didn’t you put my money in the bank, AT LEAST it could have drawn interest.”  It wasn’t about numbers or getting a certain amount.  It was about investing into something in efforts to further what was entrusted to him.  When we invest we will always see a return.  Jesus said in the parable of the sower, “…some thirty, some sixty and some one hundred fold.” The problem is that we try so hard to maintain what we have we lose a desire to invest what we have. 

The idea is not to preserve self or maintain what has been given to you but to step out in faith and invest in the lives around you.  Some investments will turn out to be a bust.  But we can learn and grow as we learn where to invest.  Where and who is God asking us to put our resources, time and energies into.  Investment takes time and faithfulness.  This could be your one-talent scenario.  What are you going to do with it?

Idea is Not Even Half

At one point in time we have all had an idea. When I was young I had an idea to build a roller coaster that went off of my fort in my grandparent's back yard...but it ended with being an idea. Recently I heard someone say that 10% goes to thinking of an idea and the other 90% goes to working out and sticking with the idea. This goes perfect with my idea to build a roller coaster at 7 years old. I had a great idea (to me) but in reality it would never happen because I would never work towards seeing a roller coaster built. (Im giving myself credit saying I could have built it if I wasn't so lazy at 7, not the fact that I was only 7)

But what about you? So many times in leadership we think of a great idea, but how often does it end with just being a great idea? We must think of great things and then start putting them to work. But not just put something to work, stick with it. See your idea start happening and if it starts to slip, stick with it and try and figure out a way to fix it.

Ideas are nothing more than a daydream until you see work on it and make it become what you thought of in your mind.

Are your ideas only ideas right now? Why? Let's see them happen.

peace be the journey.
///tres

Peter Plan.

Yes, I did just think of a catchy but corny name for this blog post. I originally had simply typed plan plan plan...but I thought in my mind for some reason you the reader would rather see this article titled after a famous children's movie.

What an intro.

As I approach eclipsing the two year mark as student pastor I have now done a few trips, some small groups, ministry projects, leader meetings, etc...and I have found out that all these topics have one thing in common as for how to be successful...plan.

Your next trip will only be as good as the plan you have for it, the same goes for a service you have a part in, and even a meeting. For the people that you have been placed over in leadership to fully grasp your heart in a meeting you have to plan. I have had meetings that have been complete failures and meetings that I felt like I had just successfully discussed taking over the world...and the only reason one was greater than the other is the planning I had done for the meeting ahead of time.

The same goes for any project you are trying to see be successful. How can you give 100 homeless people food in an hour if you have not already made the sandwich or purchased the pizza? Just a small example. But every detail needs to be planned ahead of time. Things come together and work smoothly if you and your team are already fully aware of your plan.

I challenge you, that your next meeting, or next sermon, or next worship set, or whatever it is you are heading up...have a plan for it. You can't stretch to new ideas until the simple ones are already planned out.

What are you planning?

peace be the journey.
///tres

Valentines Day

So today is Valentines. The day of love, cheap candy, and proposals. I think that covers the spectrum. Today while driving around doing some Valentine errands, a thought came to me. I love what I do. What about you?

Notice I said I love what I do. Somedays I may not like what I do, somedays I may be worn down by what I do, sometimes I may cry (yes cry) but I still love what I do. Relationships are like that, there is never a relationship where people are happy every day of their entire life with their significant other. But why do they stay together? LOVE. They love each other, they know that though somedays they fight they could not live without the other one by their side. Through the fights, through the stress...love prevails. Love is not just a feeling, it is a choice.

Now that you have a run down on relationships from a relationship expert I will get to what this has to do with leadership. If you don't love what you do people will notice. Why would someone want to follow or work hand and hand with someone who doesn't love what they are doing? There may be tasks that you hate, but you know you must do them for a reason...what's the reason? The love you have for what you do. I do not like moving chairs...but I know that if I do not move chairs on a weekly basis then our multi-purpose building would not turn into our student worship facility. I do it because I love what I do. I dislike moving chairs, but love creating an environment for amazing teenagers to worship their Creator on a weekly basis...so I move the chairs anyways. I choose to love what I do despite some of the things I do not like. Now this is just a small example of the dislike but love scenario.

What's yours?

May you find love in your area of leadership if it does not already exist.

peace be the journey.
///tres

Resource Friday.

Sometimes a good blog is worth the time to read, but if you add free stuff to a blog then it becomes like brown sugar in honey butter at Outback. (If you haven't tried it then you might want to with your bread) As a leader you will have people following you, and to be successful and make an impact you have to disciple those that are following you. Yes this resource is set up for teens, but you can probably take some of the resources and tweak them to fit the discipling you are going to do for your ministry. Remember it's not just ministry in a church but ministry in your jobs as well.  Disciple those in the workplace too, but don't shove it down their throat. A good leader knows when it is time to disciple someone.

Here's the resource: The Disciple Project

http://thediscipleproject.net/

(a project with a link to another project)

peace be the journey.
///tres

Self Confidence is Overrated

Today's special guest writer is Brent Hand. He is one of my closest friends and student pastor of ChristWay Church. Add him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter: @brenthand. Here is what he has to share with all young leaders.

Self Confidence Is Over Rated

From Saturday morning cartoons, high school guidance counselors, and inspirational posters of kittens in precarious situations we’ve been told to believe in ourselves throughout life.

But today I’m telling you to stop believing in yourself because you can’t do it.

You can’t deliver a life-changing sermon.
You can’t make a lasting impression on students.
You can’t create an atmosphere of worship.
You can’t rebuild a broken home.
You can’t convince someone to believe again.
You can’t bring hope to a dying community.
You can’t fix a warped relationship.
You can’t save the world.

Luckily we all know someone who is capable of doing “immeasurably more” than we can even imagine.

I struggle with confidence issues a lot.  At one point in my ministry I found myself questioning my own judgment, ability, and wisdom constantly.  If we were to be honest, that’s something that haunts a lot of young leaders.  But I finally I realized a very simple truth: who cares what I can and can’t do?  Ministry should never be about what I’m able to do.  It’s about what he’s able to do.

The work God has done in our lives and through our lives relies completely on grace, “so no man can boast.”  You can only brag about what you’ve done, so if you’re bragging, then you are talking about something YOU did.  And if it’s ministry you’ve done in your own strength, can we really label it ministry?  It’s just an empty action.

If you in fact CAN do what it is you are doing without him, then please stop.  How boring is it doing only what you can do in your own strength?  How small are your goals?  How limited is your vision?

The truth is you can build a following without the power of God.  You can even see results.  But you’ll never see the impossible.

In any type of ministry there is a draw to be recognized, to be seen, to be heard.  But you have already been called by the one with the only opinion that matters anyway.  And what has he called us to?

He called us to be servants, not rock stars.
He called us to be the last, not the first.
He called us to wash feet, not sell out arenas.
He called us, above all else, to be humble.

Stop wasting time trying to get noticed and worrying about being good enough.  Spend it doing what he’s called you to do.  Dream big.  Act boldly.  See the impossible.  That should be enough.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Talk It Out.

I have said this before, every Wednesday I eat lunch with two great friends who happen to be Student Pastors. We talk about ministry, life, ideas, what works, what doesn't work, and tell jokes. It's a great time...recently we started recording these conversations and put them on a podcast. If you are interested in listening click here.

No that was not a plug, it is actually one of the most refreshing parts of what I do. I get to spend time with friends and soak in great knowledge in student ministry. But what if you are not a student pastor? What if you lead a small group? What if you lead nothing but hope to one day? Then check this:

Talk it out with people. Wherever you are planning on leading, find some people in that group, take them to eat or to coffee or to a ball game, and talk with them. Tell them your heart, express what you want to see happen, how it could happen, etc. Sometimes before you can spill your heart  the people you are with are already sharing their heart, and what's amazing is that most times your hearts are aligned and you didn't even know it. Because you created this segway of talking you find that you are wanting to head in the same direction which will make leading a lot easier.

If you plan time to talk it out with a mentor or someone you look up to, you will see that they can help you along the way. Usually they know if what you are about to do will be successful or a failure, and if they see it will be a failure they can guide you to making it successful. Talking it out with a mentor will be nothing short of amazing. There is so much knowledge for them to share, and knowledge is great when you are a young leader.

So take this for what it is. Talk it out with your team and your mentors. Nothing is more refreshing in leading than learning something new or aligning of hearts.

Who are you talking it out with?

peace be the journey.
///tres

Time Management

Boy oh boy is this something all young leaders struggle with? For me it was/is. With social networking sites owning people's souls like they do today, time management is even harder to accomplish.

So how do we manage the unmanageable? How do we tame our time? I can't think of anymore cool sayings to encourage time management. So I will just continue this post. If you can't manage your time then you will get overwhelmed with the tasks (plural) at hand. When leading it seems you are never just involved in one thing and if you are involved in one thing there is multiple layers to that particular task. (Long sentence) The best thing to do in this situation is to get a to do list started via paper and pen or a smart phone app. When you constantly see all the tasks at hand your are motivated to knock them out.

Time is precious, make sure you are not wasting time on things that you don't think is important. I promise getting a helium tank for an event is more important than liking someone's status on Facebook. Set certain time for you to accomplish tasks and when that time is up...STOP. Do not get burned out on tasks, simply work as hard as you can in that amount of time and you should get things done that you have to. Only you know the pace at which you can work so base how much you do in a day by your work pace. However, if you have a terrible work ethic or only want to give a little time to the task then you may want to re-think this whole leader thing. Everyone wants to be the leader who is giving the leadership speeches on how they became successful, but to get there you have to work as hard as the person giving the speech worked...which is extremely hard in case you didn't know.

Today I have wen't to school, took a test, had a staff meeting, contacted some workers, and typed this post. After this, I will finish some internet homework, study somethings for my sermon tomorrow night, work on literature for my small group I lead on Thursdays, and then  STOP...so I can relax and attend an awesome small group with some great friends. (I also wear a humble badge) But by no means am I bragging, just giving an example. I want to lead and be effective, so there is some work involved. Im not stressed out about the work because I have time managed and it's getting done at a good pace. Instead of playing x-box live for 3 hrs I limit myself and work a little more on things that need to be done. I can beat some stranger in NHL 11 online later on, right now I have to get stuff done. That used to be my biggest problem, stopping mid task to have me time...me time is much more enjoyable when a task is complete.

Maybe you can relate. What's really important in your life that you spend a lot of time on? What do you spend time on that you could cut out a little? How is your time management?

peace be the journey.
///tres

But I'm Not a Pastor.

Pastor-leader of a spiritual community.

When you think of the word leader in ministry it is very easy to jump straight to "the pastor", but there are so many more leaders in ministry. When I first began I thought I was just someone who would be put in a room with a few teenagers to keep them occupied, little did I know that in our first staff meeting my opinion would be asked for and my opinion would end up happening. Me, a 20 year old, making a decision for not just student ministry but for the entire church. This one example shattered my idea of the pastor being the sole leader of the church. (Note he is the ultimate leader whom we follow but we all lead as well)

I made this point because if I had that thought, then Im sure plenty of other people have the same thoughts on leading in ministry. Churches need leaders but that doesn't mean they are asking you to change your career focus or quit your job and become a kid's pastor. There are so many different areas of ministry inside and outside of the church that needs someone to lead it. For example I have a friend who is an art major. Recently our church started a children's small group called "little creators" that is helping children expand their creative skills and now this art major is leading this group. She hasn't went to seminary, she doesn't have the entire Bible memorized, she isn't even on staff at the church, but she is leading.

If only we can get past the idea that the only leaders a church can have are paid staff. Leaders can lead pretty much anywhere. People are always looking for leaders. As a student pastor I am pushing a small group of teens to become leaders in the things they do. Why wouldn't the local high school football team need a spiritual leader? Or a local hardcore band have a spiritual leader that influences everyone that listens to their music? Or what about a girl that is on Facebook and Twitter non stopped, why can't she be a spiritual leader for those reading her post? This is just in my area of ministry. With adults leaders are needed everyday in a work environment, why not make it a spiritual leader? The workplace and the church go hand in hand. A staff pastor can't go into your workplace and or your school and change an employee or friend's life, but you can.

You're not the pastor but you can be the leader of your community, but isn't that what a pastor is anyways? So in a way...maybe you are.

peace be the journey.
///tres

Resource Friday.

Today is resource Friday in case you were not aware or have been knocked unconscious for the past couple of days. Today I wan't you to have some resources that will help your spiritual leadership. We can never have enough messages from pastors tingle our ears. There isn't an old scroll somewhere that says we must only listen to 2-3 (depending on Sunday Night services) messages a week. Allowing yourself to grow and be challenged throughout the week will feed your spiritual hunger. Also, if you ever speak for your ministry, or your small group, or bible study then these messages will broaden your thinking processes. 

A phrase that has stuck with me over the past year is "what fills your heart will lead your life". Let's fill ourselves with some amazing messages.

This week I have made a list of speakers I have been listening to lately. They are great leaders who have challenged me to become a better leader myself. Hopefully it will do the same for you. Remember what fills your heart will lead your life.

Craig Groeschel

Judah Smith

Rob Bell

Brian Houston

Steven Furtick

peace be the journey.

///tres

Why Young Leaders are Important

Today is Thursday. The goal is to have a special guest poster each Thursday. Guess what...? We have a special guest poster.

Today our poster is Rick Hand, lead pastor of Church 29:11. Add him on facebook and follow him on twitter: @rickhand.

So here it goes!!!

An Oxymoron?

Bad luck, civil war, uninvited guest, confirmed rumor and government intelligence are a few oxymorons. How about Young Leaders? I mean, you can’t be young and be a leader, can you? Being young and being a leader are counterproductive, aren’t they? That’s what a lot of people think. But I’m not one of them.

I learned the benefits of young leadership a long time ago. And I still treasure it. I’m not old, plan to never be, but I’m also not as young a leader as I used to be. So I seek out young leaders. I want to hear what they have to say. Yeah, people younger than me. There are some things they possess that I need. But I know this blog is supposed to be about what I have to share today that you need. So let me see if I can bridge the two.

Young Leaders Have Energy

I don’t just mean having more late night get up and go than their older counterparts. They have more emotional energy, too. When others are ready to throw in the towel, young leaders with a dream or vision have what it takes to keep pressing, to keep fighting.

Seeing the uprisings in the streets of Cairo reminded me of the many other times in history, recent and past, when change took place because of young leadership. Look at the faces in the crowds. It’s university students and even teenagers taking the stand and risking being labeled a rebel to birth a dream.

What dreams do you have? What changes need to take place in your “community”? Keep up the energy! Don’t let others around you, young or old, get tired while doing good (Galatians 6:9). Keep pushing!

Young Leaders Seek Wisdom

Like Solomon. It was his defining characteristic. One day God offered him a blank check. He told Solomon to ask him for whatever he wanted. He could have asked for money or a dozen other things. But without wisdom it wouldn’t have lasted (just google “lottery winners where they are now” and you’ll see). But he asked for wisdom, the thing that would give him the ability to gain all those other things and maintain them, too!

I know, it’s not true for everyone. There are some who think they don’t need wisdom, they already know it all. But a truly wise person knows they don’t know it all and seeks consistently for more wisdom. Once they stop, they’re no longer leaders.

As a Lead Pastor, I like it when a young leader has an idea. But I absolutely love it when they are willing to place it on the public square for others to take potshots at. It’s not just because that process improves the idea, which it does. But I love seeing a young leader with confidence enough in their dream to say to another person, to their mentor, to their peers, “I have a great idea. Help me make it awesome!” Confidence enough to let it be picked apart, then pick up the pieces and reassemble the new, better and improved dream.

Young leaders, you are the idea people. You are the connected people. You know more of what’s going on in culture, the culture we are called to reach, to engage, to impact for Christ! And you know better what it will take to communicate and connect with them. You already have so much untapped wisdom. Be wise with it, and seek more.

Young Leaders Are Fresh

This is probably the best thing about you. Young leaders are always going to have more fresh ideas because, well, because they are young. They don’t have any old ideas yet. That’s one of their greatest assets, maybe their defining characteristic.

But it’s coming. One day you’ll have kids of your own. They’ll laugh at the way you pronounce a word or your skinny jeans – because JNCOs could come back in style. But even in little ways, too, you’re going to get old. Fight it! I certainly do. You can always get older tomorrow but you can never get younger.

You have to purposefully stay fresh. If you don’t, you’ll get 2 or 3 good ideas and run them in the ground. You’ll have a favorite verse that you quote too often, a pet peeve sin that comes up in every sermon/lesson, or a story that you tell. And tell. And tell. And those who follow you, your Wednesday night kids or whoever, will quote that verse, rebuke that pet peeve and tell that story behind your back – in parody, just like you do your Lead Pastor.

Your greatest value to us, the church, your community and the world, is in WHO you are, your young leadership. So develop it, work it, use it! (1 Tim 4:12) A young leader who has become stale is nearly worthless. Don’t become a clone of anyone. Fight to stay out front, in the “lead.” You can learn to play shuffleboard and horseshoes later. So above all, keep it fresh.

R

Just Listen

Sometimes we become so busy with our work. I don't know about you but I am constantly busy...everyday. Im not complaining, I love it. Being busy shows progress most of the time, but if you are not careful being busy could hurt you.

You may have a thriving ministry and can't tell you are hurting. Because if we are not careful being busy working may possibly affect our personal walks with Christ. What you do not want to become is a full time leader and a part time follower of Christ. In this situation you may think numerically or technically you are leading great but as you lead this way your spiritual leadership will show how ineffective you are being.

So how do you stop it? How do you get back to being a full time follower of Christ?

 Stop what you are doing for a little while and just listen. So many times we pray and sometimes they can be deep prayers but how often do we stop and just listen? Before I was hit with reality of being a part time follower I would pray and then instantly go back to what I was doing not allowing anytime for God to speak about the things I had just prayed. It was like God here's my problems and my heart. You can email me the results when you get a chance. Just listen and reflect on what you've prayed and see if you can hear God speak in some way about your situations.

The time you spend talking with God/ reading His word/ developing your walk should be equal if not greater to the amount of time you are attempting to lead someone. If you want someone to follow you and develop a great walk with Christ along the way then you need to make sure you are in check. You are only capable of leading someone as far as you are spiritually, they can't pass you because you cant lead them there if you haven't been there yourself.

So pray, listen, follow, lead...in that order.

peace be the journey.
///tres

One Week. (Stick With Something)

Today marks one week that YLP has been going. What is also exciting about this is that this marks the longest I have ever blogged consecutively. One week right? Big deal? Well to others maybe not but to me yes...it's a HUGE deal.

Sticking with something is important to leadership. Who wants to follow someone who starts something but never finishes it? So many ideas that we have would be life changing and set a new standard for leadership if we just stuck with it. I would weigh 30 pounds lighter if I could just stick with my diet and workout plan. Im sure some of you could be the same way.

So how do we stick with an idea? I think of several ideas I have had that I did not stick with and regret tremendously. Teenagers that got excited about something we had just started doing but then fell through on my end. I remember seeing their faces and having to answer questions about why the idea failed. That is not fun, and that is a road I would like to stay away from for now on. I began to think about why they failed and came up with a list of ways to keep your ideas from failing:

1. Plan for the long run. Think weeks, months, years in advance and plan for those. The third month is just as important as the first week. The first week is simple. The idea is fresh on your mind, it's new so of course it's going to be successful. But if you stick with something for the long run it gets tougher. People get comfortable with what is going on and want to see something new, thoughts become harder to find the longer you go into something. If you plan months in advance then you are always on top of things, won't be scrambling at the last minute, and gives you some extra time to prepare.

2. Ask someone for help. Believe it or not you are not in this alone. Whatever area you are leading there are other people in the same boat. Im sure they are looking for help just as much as you are. Find someone to bounce thoughts off of, help with an event, the lighter you make your load the better quality leadership you will produce. You might want to read that line again. Actually Im just going to type it again. The lighter you make your load the better quality leadership you will produce.

3. Push through the pain and the stress. In the beginning it may look like you're never going to make it, but with the longer amount of time you spend with an idea comes success. A mega church doesn't happen over night, an addiction isn't broken in a day, not every instrument player shows up one Sunday and tells you they want to play worship music, you don't start a fortune 500 company over night. Through time you will be successful, only if you stick with it and never give up.

All of the examples from number three have one thing in common. They started with an idea. What's your idea? What are you doing with it?

peace be the journey.
///tres