betterthanblank

Going through my Google Reader and hit up Craig Groeschel’s blog. As usual he’s got some excellent content. He’s doing a series on ‘Successful Ministry’ right now, that is so basic that it’s ridiculous. But I assume they don’t teach this stuff in ‘Pastor School’. Check it out:

The size of your ministry does not determine the level of your success.

• Too many pastors have led large ministries while tragically failing personally and morally.
• Too many have sacrificed their families all in the name of “church growth.”
• Too many have lost their personal passion for Jesus while leading His church.

Successful ministries are built on Christ by leaders who do the small things daily:

• They return calls and emails promptly.
• They show up on time.
• They pray for God’s guidance.
• They love and serve people.
• They study hard and preach passionately.
• They have a consistent and strong work ethic.
• They follow through on commitments.

You are successful when you:

• Live daily with integrity.
• Pursue Christ with all your heart.
• Preach your best sermon to a very small crowd.
• Visit the sick in the hospital.
• Cry with the parents who just lost a child.
• Forgive the church member who wronged you.
• Give privately to someone in need.

You and those closest to you will know:

• The sacrifices you’ve made.
• The pain you’ve endured.
• The hard decisions you’ve faced.
• The loneliness you’ve felt.
• The fear you’ve overcome.
• The weight you carry.

When working with pastors, many are often looking for a “big win.” They want to have a big community event, a big servants’ banquet, or a big series that runs attendance higher.

While all these can be effective, I encourage consistency in the small things daily.

I’ll compare it to football. Most championship teams win games on many four-yard, six-yard, and eleven-yard gains. They might win one game a season on a last second hail-Mary pass, but most games consistently succeeding at the basics.

To me, this all seems like common sense. But I’m surprised by the lack of these things I see in my own life and by some other leaders I know.

Time to re-focus.

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The A-Team was one of my favorite shows ever when I was a kid. Here’s how it worked…

• The team leader was Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, whose plans tended to be unorthodox but were effective.
• Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck was a smooth-talking con-man who served as the team’s appropriator of vehicles and other useful items.
• The team’s pilot was Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock, who had been declared insane and resided in a mental institution for the show’s first four seasons.
• The team’s strong man and mechanic, was Sgt. Bosco B.A. (”Bad Attitude”) Baracus, better known as Mr. T.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Craig Groeschel wrote a great little post over at his blog, check it out:

The four styles I most often observe include:

1. Relational leaders: These leaders motivate others through personal connections.
2. Visionary leaders: These leaders move people by painting a picture of what “could be.”
3. Administrative leaders: These leaders move the ball forward by organizing groups of people with clear boundaries, expectations, and accountability.
4. Innovative leaders: These leaders find new ways to accomplish old objectives.

Although no leader should be boxed into one style, recognizing and capitalizing on strengths and style can be extremely helpful. This week we’ll spend some time discussing each style.

What is your dominant and secondary style of those listed? Read the rest of this entry »

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