Wrong Address

I was heading to Gainesville, FL, on Monday to teach at a Perspectives course being hosted by Passage Church. I typed the address of the church, 2020 NW 15th Street, into my phone's map app and merrily followed its directions...until I arrived at the address to discover no church anywhere around. So I did what any sane individual would do. I drove around the block (twice!) hoping that a large church building would appear.

At this point I stopped and googled the church in my smart phone; only to discover that I couldn't navigate the webpage to find the address. Since I didn't have the phone number of anyone at the church, I called my daughter who lives in Gainesville (no answer) and then my wife (no answer) hoping that they would be able to look up the church online.

Having exhausted all my resources and with the time that I was supposed to be there fast approaching*, I prayed; then drove to the closest place I thought I might be able to get directions. The clerk at CVS gave me a I-just-moved-here-from-Alaska-to-go-to-school look when I asked if he knew where the church was. Providentially, a lady was standing a few feet away and knew where the church was. She gave me simple directions. I jumped in my car, drove straight to the church and arrived 2 minutes before I was to start speaking.

As I was collecting my thoughts I realized I had just encountered one of the Lord's object lessons. The address of the church is actually 2020 NE 15th Street - just one letter different than I had typed into my phone. But that little error put me 30 blocks away from my destination.

According to God's call of Abram, His people are meant to be blessed so that they can be a blessing to all the families of the earth. But instead of typing "bless them" into our spiritual guidance systems we keep typing "bless me." And so we think that our mission is to find the best church to suit our needs. It's only off by two letters. But it is the difference between a church that pleases Jesus and a church that pleases Satan.

So, I want to spend the rest of my life being the lady at CVS who tells people how to find the true church.


*Actually time approaches at the same pace. It just seems to speed up if we are late for an appointment and slows down when we are waiting for Christmas.

Three Elements of a Successful Leadership Community

If you want to gather a group of leaders together, what are the elements that will create synergy and accomplishment? The folks at Converge have discovered that groups of leaders that gather around relationships, prayer/study, and mission tend to stay together longer and produce more results than groups of leaders that gather around only one of those elements. Think of them as three circles. Each circle by itself tends toward entropy (slumping attendance, confused direction, etc.). But when the three circles overlap there tends to be low entropy, high synergy and high results in shared mission.

What would that insight mean for a Vestry, staff, short-term mission team or Clericus?

Surprising fact: any personality can plant a church

Folks at the Orchard Group did a study to see if there was a correlation between church planting and personality profiles (using the DiSC assessment). What they found was that organizations tend to gravitate towards certain personalities (dominant and influencing) in placing planters. But they also found that any personality type can plant a church; albeit different types tend to plant different kinds of churches. The highly entrepreneurial planter tends to plant larger program-driven churches. Other personality profiles plant smaller, more intimate, relationally-driven churches.

So, anyone can plant. We will just all use different seeds.

Key Factors for Success in Church Planting

From Exponential 2012 - Key Factors in Successful Planting for the Experience of Converge

1. Assessment: by adding thorough assessment of potential planters Converge brought its success rate (i.e. the church still exists in 5 years and has attained self-sufficiency or is moving towards it) to 65%. There are many groups that are doing assessment. And since the basics of planting are the same regardless of denominational and geographical differences, this is something that can be "farmed out."

2. Coaching brought the success rate to 75%. While many groups do coaching, this is better done within the ethos and values of one's own organization. Therefore, raising up of coaches and developing a coaching ethos is crucial.

3. Introducing risk assessment and management brought the rate to 85%. Here are the eight risk factors that need to be taken into account when considering when and where a person/team should plant.

Four "strong" factors.
1. Funding. Lack of a clear funding strategy and/or lack of funds tend to create anxiety that leads to failed plants.
2. Cultural fit. The greater the cultural divide between the planter/team and the people the plant is intending to reach the greater the stress.
3. Number of ministry partners. Planting with a team is easier than showing up alone.
4. Number of pre-existing contacts. Planting among people you already know is easier than trying to build relationships with strangers.

Four "moderate" factors.
1. Proximity of family and friends. Converge has found that people who are close to family support are more likely to thrive in a planting setting.
2. Proximity of geographical roots. This is connected to cultural fit and pre-existing contacts. Planters who plant closer to "home" (however that is defined by the planters) are more likely to succeed.
3. Proximity of helpful churches. Plants connected to supporting churches tend to do better than ones that are isolated. "Mother," "sister," or "partner" churches can provide a variety of resources; prayer, money, members of a launch team, administrative help and personal encouragement, for example.
4. Prior ministry success. Planters who have no need to prove their competency as pastors tend to have lower stress levels.

These risk factors are helpful in recruitment, assessment, and placement since the goal is always to get the right person in the right place at the right time.

There is a wasp in my office; behind the blinds trying to get out through the window. It will never achieve its goal, no matter how desperately it tries; even though it can clearly see its goal. The wasp is like the addict that can see what sobriety looks like but can't get there. It is like the Church that envisions powerful ministry but is trapped behind its structures and presuppositions.

The saddest part, for me, is how desperate the wasp is to get out and how hard it is trying. But increasing effort will not increase effectiveness. It will only exhaust the wasp. In order to get out, it is going to need to try something different; not the same thing harder.

I wonder if the Church is willing to try something different?

Low control and high accountability

I will post more later about the InterVarsity chapter planting conference, Ambition (from Rom 15:20). But a phrase that came up often was "low control and high accountability." I've been pondering it ever since. I have had jobs that were high control and high accountability (like working in a warehouse one summer). Everything about the job was prescribed. No freedom; no creativity; no fun. I have also had jobs that were low control and low accountability. I was always wondering, "What am I supposed to be doing? And who cares?" Some parishes allow their clergy to live in this realm (or so I've heard).

But, the most satisfying jobs and ministries have had the combination of low control (making lots of room for creativity and initiative) and high accountability (clear objectives that formed the basis for periodic review and mid-course correction). What would it look like if our diocese was low-control-high-accountability? To what would we hold each other accountable? What would be the 5 questions the Bishop would ask every priest in a regular phone conversation with them?

Still pondering!

Leadership Books: In case you are looking for something to read

From the CatalystSpace Blog:

40 Great Leadership Books to Read

By Brad Lomenick, check out more of his thoughts here & follow him here!
I love leadership. And I read a lot. So I wanted to provide you with a list of some of the books I recommend.
These are not the only leadership books you should read. There are hundreds of others that are great. But these are just simply 40 of my favorites.

So here you go. And please share this list with your friends, team, and other leaders who might benefit.


40 leadership books to read:
1. Good to Great- Jim Collins
2. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership- John Maxwell
3. Courageous Leadership- Bill Hybels
4. The Next Generation Leader- Andy Stanley
5. Now, Discover Your Strengths- Marcus Buckingham
6. Love is the Killer App- Tim Sanders
7. The Tipping Point- Malcolm Gladwell
8. Tribes- Seth Godin
9. It: How Churches and Leaders can Get it and Keep it- Craig Groeschel
10. Integrity- Henry Cloud
11. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership- Henri Nouwen
12. Axiom- Bill Hybels
13. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day- Mark Batterson
14. Five Dysfunctions of a Team- Patrick Lencioni
15. Visioneering- Andy Stanley
16. Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us- Daniel Pink
17. Silos, Politics and Turf Wars- Patrick Lencioni
18. Linchpin- Seth Godin
19. How to Win Friends and Influence People- Dale Carnegie
20. Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization- John Wooden
21. Leadership is an Art- Max Depree
22. The Leadership Challenge- Barry Posner and Jim Kouzes
23. Leading with the Heart- Coach Mike Krzyzewski
24. unChristian- Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman
25. True North- Bill George
26. Built to Last- Jim Collins
27. Execution- Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy
28. In Search of Excellence- Tom Peters
29. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People- Stephen Covey
30. The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork- John Maxwell
31. What the CEO Wants You to Know- Ram Charan
32. Rework- Jason Fried and David Hansson
33. The Experience Economy- Joseph Pine and James Gilmore
34. Made to Stick- Chip and Dan Heath
35. Blink- Malcolm Gladwell
36. Making Ideas Happen- Scott Belsky
37. The Effective Executive- Peter Drucker
38. Emotional Intelligence- Daniel Goleman
39. On Becoming a Leader- Warren Bennis
40. Leading Change- John Kotter

I'm passing this along from Shawn Lovejoy of ChurchPlanters.org.

12 Lessons Learned in 12 years

Twelve years ago this week, we launched weekly worship services at Mountain Lake Church. Wow. What a ride! God has used me despite my stupidity; and I have learned so much along the way. Here's the first part of my top twelve lessons I've learned in the last twelve years.

1. Having a vision is easy. Sticking to the vision takes extraordinary discipline and effort.  

Every pastor and church has a vision. Every one of them I've ever seen is Biblical. However, even most church planters get sidetracked form their vision within the first few years. We have stuck to our guns. We've been "mean about the vision." It's made all of the difference!

2. Conviction and Courage are more important than strategy.

My passion and sense of conviction, along with the courage to stay the course are more important than any brilliant strategy I could come up with that no one has ever done before.

3. No plan's perfect; so work our Plan!

Our ministry plan is not perfect. However, we've worked the plan every year the last twelve years and every year we've gotten better at what God has called us to do. We don't have "vision flavor of the month" or "small group method of the year." We've worked our plan. We've been consistent in our ministry approach. It's made all the difference.

4. People come. People Go. Go with the Go-ers.

Don't focus who's leaving; focus on who stays. The ones that stay will see the mission through and experience the fruit of mission accomplished! When one leaves, God will bring five to replace them...if we stay focused!

5. God does things the way He wants.

It has almost NEVER happened exactly the way we drew it up. However, that's the precise thing that has kept us dependent on Him! Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Prophetic verse in my life these last twelve years! So many times, what I deemed as a failure was God's sharpening and sovereignty at work in my life and church!

6. In God's Story, ordinary matters.

 God loves to use ordinary people. I am one. The very reasons or excuses I might use to disqualify myself from being used greatly by Him make me the perfect candidate for extraordinary ministry! What are your excuses as to why God can't use you? Those are the very reasons God wants to use you; because you'll know it's not about you!

7. Change the way people think about church

In the first year of our church, we made a decision: In everything we do, we're going to seek to change the way people think about church. This is so much bigger than the type of music we do, or our dress, even though they are part of the equation! It affects everything we do. Examples? Folks don't have to be "Christians" to go on a mission trip. They might become one by going! They don't have to be a "Christian" to volunteer at our church, much less be a member! Our small groups are always not only open to new people, but are going after people who don't go to church and inviting them to be a part of their group! Every group is responsible to "get off the couch" and serve and care missionally for people groups in our community. Just small simple example of how we're changing the way people think about church both inside and outside our church in our community.

8. Go after unchurched people
We're not worried about swapping sheep or reaching professional Christians. If they want to join our mission to reach the lost, great. If not, great. We are here to help as many people as possible find a relationship with God through Jesus. That's our laser beam focus. Take us or leave us! We're here to reach people who don't like Jesus or Christians.

9. Be careful what you ask for
Did you know unchurched people don't walk in and start tithing? And it probably won't be a three-month process, either; probably more like three years! Unchurched people smoke and curse in the parking lot, and maybe even in the sound booth! All of these things really happen in our church. Being a hospital for sinners is messy!

10. The right team in the right seats makes all the difference
We've always had a great Ministry Team at our church. I am thankful for every one of them, however, the right team members with the right gifts and skills, in the right seats, in the right seasons of the church, allows a church to continue to breath and grow and reach people for Jesus Christ. The wrong team members in the wrong seats for too long will put a lid on the church's effectiveness.

11. I must measure success God's Way
Success is being who God called me to be and being obedient to what God has called me to do. I am so tempted to measure success by this week's attendance. However, I'm never as good as people think I am when we're exploding numerically; and I'm not as bad as I think I am when we're not. My role is to be obedient to the call and stay sane, centered, and happily married in the process. That is success!

12. God is faithful.
God never gives up: on me; or on my ministry! He hasn't given up on you, either! Don't give up on yourself. We only fail when we give up. God never gives up. He is faithful!

 Shawn Lovejoy

 

Demographics - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Here is a wealth of information for you to ponder -

Demographics - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life