My Leadership Agenda

Last week I mention my new role at SpringWell as a member of the Senior Management Team. One of my responsibilities now includes leading the staff. In our first meeting together I shared the priorities (agenda) I felt we needed to focus on as a team:

Prayer

We cannot expect to do anything significant for God unless we bath it in prayer. This is the only way we tap into His heart for the church. We need leaders who pray to be a part of a team that prays.

People

Ministry is about people. People are not the problem. Programs are not the answer. God only cares about three things: Relationships, Relationships, and Relationships. Everything we do must keep people in mind. If we loose sight of that then we loose sight of whom we are called to serve.

Process

We want to be effective in everything we do at SpringWell. We must be challenged about how we do what we do. Process and systems by themselves do not make a church more effective. But when a church focuses on prayer and makes people a priority, process allows them to influence a greater number of people.

How about you? Are you praying? Are people a priority? Do you recognize the value of process?

My New Role @ SpringWell

This week my role at SpringWell expanded as I accepted Scott’s invitation to join the Senior Management Team. I have to admit that when I was first approached with the idea, I was somewhat hesitant. I only arrived on staff in late October and wasn’t sure if I should make such a quick transition. I’ve really enjoyed my first few months at SpringWell and I know God has blessed me in building new relationships. In the end, I had to follow the same wisdom I have shared with students for almost 20 years, “Bloom where you are planted.” So I accepted my new responsibilities this week and we announced it to the staff on Tuesday morning.

 

As a member of the Senior Management Team I will primarily be responsible for the following:

 

• Leading the Ministry Staff (Staff Meetings. Planning, etc.)
• Spiritual and Leadership Development of the staff
• Developing and Implementing Ministry Plans
• Empowering an Army of Volunteers
• Facilitating the Creative Arts Process
• Providing an intentional Care strategy

I’ll be involved in much more but these areas will get most of my focus. I appreciate Scott’s confidence in my ministry and look forward to working with the staff. The Senior Management Team is now comprised of me, Ken Newton, and Dan Dather. Please pray with us, and for us, as we strive to Bloom Where We Are Planted!

Paradigms the Church Must Embrace (Part 1)

Simplicity – The move from programs to choices

 

The Western Church does a good job of taking what is simple and making it complicated. I know there are many exceptions but most people I speak with agree.

 

How have we complicated church?  We could certainly break it down and in the process become very cynical and negative. But that is not my purpose. I don’t want to just expose the problems; I want to help solve them. I am passionate about revitalizing the local church. To do so, we must admit there are some 800 pound elephants standing in the corner. One elephant is that we have over-programmed the church. And in the process we have developed churches where we expect every person to conform to the “program.” This will not work in the future.

 

Churches that hope to experience revitalization must return to simplicity. We must move from programs to choices. To the unchurched, programs are frustrating. Instead the church needs to offer choices and options. Too often the local church tries to do too much. We cannot do it all.

 

Thom Rainer’s book Simple Church is a great reminder regarding this issue. He deals with discipleship to make his point. He recognized that the healthiest churches have a simple process for making disciples. This process comes with choices but refrains from being complicated.

 

How can we take this philosophy to each and every area of our church? What areas need simplified? The calendar? The worship service? The organizational structure? Home Groups? The list can go on and on. If we, as church leaders, will wrestle with simplifying how we serve in the local church, I am convinced we will become more effective. People need Jesus. And He is a choice not a program.

 

How about you? Have you ever been frustrated with how complicated church has become? What are some changes you made that made a difference?