Social Media

I find it ironic that I'm writing about the dangers of social media and then going to post it on two social media sites.

Social media is great...social media also sucks. You can influence large amounts of people on social media...you can also lose all credibility with social media.

As soon as you post a tweet, a status update, share a link, post a blog...it goes from a thought in your mind to public information for all your friends...and one of two things will happen.
1. They will love it.
2. They will hate it.

There is really no room for error...if they love it, your leadership becomes more effective. If they hate it, well your leadership is questioned.

Also, don't let your emotions get the best of you on social media...if you are sad or angry...it's probably best you don't tweet immediately. You don't want to make your Facebook or Twitter as a journal for your inner most thoughts and issues. If you are angry at someone's tweet or status don't use the site to correct them. Talk to them in person. The worst thing you can do in a situation like that is start a war for the entire world to see.

With all the don'ts of social media there are plenty of positives as well. People are hungry for information these days. They want to read what you have to say...so from that perspective alone the influence you can have and the the resources you have to pump your ideas are great. I believe people can make real strides for changes in their life, their thought processes, their ministry, and their leadership through social media.

Be bold, be creative, but most importantly be wise with what you throw on these sites.

peace be the journey.
///tres

More than Leading on a Platform.

Recently God has been challenging me to new things. I left a position of being a student pastor to now being an associate student pastor at a church in Cullman. Reading that line it would seem as if I had done something wrong, there is no way God would move a leader down in position for his will...well actually that is exactly what He did. This is a great opportunity for me to grow in ministry and leadership and I know for a fact this is where God wants me to be.

With that said, I've learned a lot in the past few months I have been here and God has challenged me with a new aspect of leadership. The entire time I have been posting blogs I had been the man, the head honcho, the student pastor...now Im coming at this from a new perspective.

A leader is more than standing on a stage or platform.


If you feel like the only time you can lead is when you are speaking, or preaching, or leading worship...well then you are wrong. Completely wrong. Real leadership is when you step off that stage and teach someone how to play an instrument for your worship team, real leadership is teaching a kid how to listen for God's voice and look for God's words to preach on the very stage you spend most of your time on. A leader makes new leaders, no I'm not dissing on pastors or worship leaders, there are a lot of them who are doing just that...but being a young leader, this lesson sometimes never gets taught or missed completely. But this lesson is of most importance, because your ministry is only as strong as the leaders you surround yourself with.

So grow some leaders.

This goes without saying, but I am going to write about it anyways. Who you are on a stage should be who you are off the stage as well. If you are more spiritual on a stage then in your daily walk I advise you to step off the stage. You may be the cause of the stress you are trying to fix on your team if that last statement is true.

peace be the journey.
///tres

What Is Most Important?

My pastor has a phrase that he uses all the time: "What is most important? Whatever it is time to do right now."

I have taken that phrase to heart the past few weeks. What was most important the past few weeks? School and Youth ministry. We had a huge trip coming up that I had to nail down the finishing touches on and get a few midterms out of the way in school. Im sure you all understand.

But what was cool was that while I hated not writing on this blog, I was realizing that I was leading by example and that I would eventually get to write about it.

If you are planning things, or volunteering for things, or working a job, etc...you must continually ask yourself what is the most important thing at this moment? (Obviously you can't say bump a paying job so you can learn to knit for an upcoming small group) Whatever it is time to do at that moment is most important. When you treat what you are doing in that moment as total importance your work ethic, ministry, job becomes more successful because of the attitude of importance you are using.

So what is most important right now? What other "thing" can you put on hold for a moment so you can use your best work?

peace be the journey.
///tres

God's Plan.

Today our guest post is from a great friend of mine named Jared Waldrop. He is the student pastor of Westmore Church of God in Cleveland, TN. Find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter: @jaredwaldrop.

Jeremiah 33:3
"...Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know..."

Ever get to that point where you feel like your creativity and innovation is just tapped out? Ever feel like the well is dried up for fresh ideas for ministry? Ever hit a wall when it came to the next step in planning and vision casting, etc...? 

There comes a point when you’ve exhausted all of your resources and creativity.  You’ve gleaned from everyone else around you.  You’ve been to all the trendy conferences.  You’ve read all the books, checked all the blogs & ministry sites, and used the latest teaching material…  I found myself there a few years ago.  I had done everything I knew to do and just felt like my creativity was tapped.  I was unsettled.  Our youth ministry was not as effective as I knew it could be – and it was driving me crazy.

Then I came across Jeremiah 33:3… a verse I had always known, but never truly taken to heart.  It hit me like a ton of bricks: I had been doing ministry my way… not God’s way.  I was trying to run a student ministry from my limited resources and perspective instead of consulting a limitless God – the greatest resource of all.  I was doing the best I knew to do – instead of asking God to show me His specific plan for our student ministry.  

The “great and unsearchable things” began to show up in ministry doors opening that I had not seen before, strategic partnerships to make ministry easier and more effective, a renewed passion and burden that focused my ministry efforts… Everything changed.  The nagging “where do we go from here” feeling in the pit of my soul was replaced with a kingdom confidence as I released my plans to take on His.  

God has a specific plan for you and your ministry - one that will fit your context, your students, your city… and it may be very different from the ministry down the road.  Don’t get trapped trying to reproduce what you see at the latest conference or read about in the latest book.  Those things are GREAT to glean from – but above all, consult God’s plan for your ministry.

Let this verse change your perspective.

We serve a God of unlimited resources. He will show you the next steps, birth new creative things in your heart, show you how to do ministry the best way possible where He has placed you... just ask.

Humility.

As a leader you must stay humble. It is very easy to get big headed the more successful you become. 

When you have a successful role in leadership (and you will by reading this blog) (sarcasm) you can become even more of an impact by simply admitting that you did not do it by yourself. A lot of times leaders think they have gotten to where they are based completely on their work efforts and so forth (they did work hard don't get me wrong) but they leave out how God has blessed them, how He gave them wisdom, how someone else gave them an opportunity to lead, and how others helped lead.

The best leaders never lead by themselves...never. So when your ministry or business or church makes an impact, don't forget the God that supplied and the people that helped. The downfall will happen just as fast if you take all the credit.

Who is helping you lead? Have you thanked them? Have you thanked God?

peace be the journey.

///tres

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