10 items you need to take on your leadership journey in 2018.

1 - Personal Pursuit of Jesus

I Timothy 3:1-7 

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)  He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

The reason you should pursue Christ is not so others will follow you more effectively,  but because you are a sinner, in desperate need of a Savior. That being said, you cannot lead someone anywhere that you either have not been or are not going. You cannot lead people to follow Jesus if you are not passionately pursuing Him yourself.

2 - Unwavering Courage

Each week you are working with the toughest thing on the earth - PEOPLE 

People are a tough crowd. They have their own language. They have their own style. They think they know everything. There will be weeks where you feel like you are absolutely waisting your time. In those moments you are going to need, courage. Courage to keep talking to someone that doesn’t seem to care. Courage to keep serving someone that doesn’t seem to want your help. Courage to look past who this person currently is, and see who they could be in Christ. 

If you are going to be successful, you are going to have to have and model unwavering courage. 

3 -  Self Control

A leader can’t expect to control others, if he is not able to control himself. 

If there is one thing I would encourage you to control, it would be your thoughts. What you think, is what you speak. What you speak is what you do. What you do becomes habitual. Your habits will develop your character and your character will determine your destiny. Who you are and who is around you in five years will be in direct proportion to what you think today. 

4 - A Road Map

No one will follow a person if they do not know where they are going. Because of this, a great leader takes time to map out where they are going in great detail. It is very important to have short, medium and long range goals for the ministry you lead. What is your small group, registration team, or worship band, going to be like in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months? If you don’t know, why would anyone join you?

5 - Unity

Amos 3:3 says "How can two walk together unless they be in agreement." It's going to be very difficult for you and your team to move forward if you are all going in different directions, or stabbing each other in the back as you walk. As a leader you have to keep everyone focused on the journey ahead and walking there together. If that is not happening, you either have the wrong destination or you have the wrong people walking with you. 

6 - Something EXTRA

The only difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the word, extra.  If you want to do extraordinary things in life or see God do extraordinary things in the lives of people. Then you are going to have to add something“extra” to all the ordinary things you do.

When you give extra-time, extra-study, extra-prayer and extra-planning, you open the door for God to do the extraordinary. So give something extra. 

 7 - A People Personality

A leaders greatest asset is not money, facilities, or programs. His greatest asset is people. A great leader knows how to communicate with, respect, enthusiasm and love for people. Here are some tips for having a people personality. 

Smile.

It is very hard to be distant or “shut off” to someone that is smiling at you. So every time you talk with someone, pull them in and open their heart with your beautiful smile. 

Ask questions about them.

Peoples favorite word is their name and their favorite story is their own. When you talk with people ask them questions about themselves. Get them talking about their life and they will love you.

Leave your problems at home. 

Don’t carry your stress, drama and life issues around with you. Carrying that stuff around makes us angry, irritable, and frustrated. Those three things do not open peoples hearts to God. So check that stuff at the door and turn your heart towards the people and not the problems around you. 

8 - Great Communication

There is nothing that we will ever do in ministry that only effects one ministry. Everything we do will include other departments of the church in one way or another. Because of this, we need to keep other people and ministries in the loop with all of the pertinent information. 

Without teamwork, we will fail. To be a great leader you will need to communicate well to the people above you, beside you as well as under you in ministry.

9 - Attention to Detail

It’s not the big things that will hurt you. It’s the small details that will kill you. Pay attention to details. 

10 - Responsibility

If you are going to be successful you must be willing to accept responsibility not only for your own mistakes and shortcomings, but also for those of the people under you. When things go well in your department give the credit to those around you. When things go wrong in your department, you step up and take responsibility for your team.  

Nothing ever gets accomplished by pushing the blame off on others. We all make mistakes from time to time. 

Three things to do when you make a mistake. 

1- Own up to it. 

2 - Learn from it. 

3 - Move past it. 

Which of these do you poses and which ones do you struggle with? I would love to hear from you in the comments below. 

Making statements will not improve your team, but asking questions will. Here are four questions to ask when wanting to build great teams.

I've found that statements like "I need more help", "I have too much to do", or "I can't do this on my own", never changes anything for the better. Statements don't cause change, questions do. 

Here are four questions I ask myself to help build a team .... Why - What - Who - How 

Why ... are we doing this ministry?

It is so important to clearly define why you are doing what you are doing. If people don't know why they are doing something ... they will quickly stop doing it. Give people a cause to role their sleeves up and rally around. 

What ... needs to be done each week?

What are the things that need to be done each week? People need to be greeted.  We need to gather the information of all first time guest so we can follow up with them? Guests need a great worship experience and message that will inspire them to change. 

Because these things are what need to be done; we established a ministry department for each of these items. We wrote up job descriptions for First Impressions Team, Worship Team,  Production Team, Kids Ministry and more. 

It is important to note that we always write up job descriptions before we recruit the workers. God will never give us anything that we are not ready for. We create the ministry and then God will give us people to do the work of the ministry. 

Who ... do I know that I could personally invite to be a part of ministry?

I've found through the years that many high level volunteers are not primarily moved by corporate pushes to volunteer but rather personal invites. So I when I need help, I always ask myself, "Who do I know that would be great to serve in or run this ministry department". Then I set up a coffee meeting, cast the vision of "why", hand them a written job description of "what", and invite them to join the team. 

How ... can we get larger amounts of individuals to volunteer their time? 

One of the best ways to inspire a large group of people to begin to serve in our ministry is:

1 - Inspire them with a message on serving. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. So teach a message on the "why" of your ministry and give them the faith they need to serve. 

2 - Give them an opportunity to respond quickly. In the lobby or online have people sign up to attend a special VIP Banquet to hear about the roles they can play. 

3 - Announce and offer sign ups for at least 3 weeks after your message. This will give more people a chance to sign up, and allow potential attendees to put the date on their calendar. 

4 - Hold the VIP Banquet. Feed Them. Inspire Them. Inform Them. Give them a chance to sign up. 

We have walked this type of corporate serving push many years and always add new members to the team!  If this will work for us, I know it will work for you. 

What do you do when things aren't working?

You just picked up your phone and saw that one of your friends just moved into their new facility, another hit an all-time high in attendance, and your buddy from college is speaking at a ministry conference you can't even afford to attend. 

What do you do when the life you are experiencing doesn't look as good as your friends social media posts? 

Lets get more specific ...

What do you do when things just aren't working?

What do you do when the budget dries up?

What do you do when attendance goes down?

What do you do when you've dropped the ball?

What do you do when you just received a phone call that changed everything?

If you don't answer these questions correctly, things will only get worse. 

Here are four things you have to do when things get tough:

1. Don't jump ship.

In Acts 27 the Apostle Paul goes through a tough time. The ship is is sailing on is getting ready to crash. Many people think about jumping ship, but Paul encourages them, "unless we stay with the ship we cannot be saved". 

Many times like the men Paul was traveling with, when things get tough, we want to quit the ministry, leave the church, dump the friend, jump ship and move on. But what good will that do? Running away from the tough times will not change anything. Keep trying. Keep pressing. Keep believing. Don't jump ship. 

2. Hold onto what you believe. 

In the same story in Acts 27, once the ship ran aground the men held onto pieces of the boat that had broken off. They held onto those pieces and floated safely ashore. 

When things start getting tough, you have to hold onto that you believe. 

Hold onto that passage of scripture. Hold onto that statement of faith. Hold onto what you know to be true. It just might be what it takes to get you safely to shore. 

3. Trust God for supernatural provision. 

God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above that which we can ask or think. When tough times come, trust him to provide, protect, deliver, and change the situation. 

God parted the Red Sea for Moses, held the sun still for Joshua, surely He can help you.  Don't jump ship. Hold onto what you believe and trust Him to do something that only He can do!

4. Don't become bitter. 

There are very few things in life that we can control. We cannot control other peoples actions, words, or deeds. However, we can always control our heart. 

Scripture teaches us, "Above all else guard your heart for it is the well spring of life".

When your ministry is not growing, but your buddy is busting at the seams, guard your heart. 

When your Pastor pulls you into his office to correct you and you feel that he is not being fair, guard your heart. 

When you lose something or someone that was very dear to you and you don't understand why, guard your heart. 

Guard your heart against bitterness. Bitterness is a small monster that burrows it's way down deep and grows in the darkest place of our heart. But bitterness never stays there. It grows and begins to claw its way into ever area of our life. 

When things get tough. Choose to not become bitter. 

It would be so great to live in a world where there were no problems or opposition. But that is not the world we live in. Jesus once said, "In the world you will have many troubles, but don't worry, I have overcome the world".  

Your story is not over.

Jesus tomb is empty. 

Don't jump ship. Hold onto what you believe. Trust God to do the supernatural. Never become bitter. 

Do you want to accomplish more in your day? Here are 4 proven methods to not waste your most prized procession. TIME.

In Ministry we all want more. More people. More Influence. More opportunity to minister to others.
More time to get things done. In Luke 16 we see that when we are faithful with what we have been given, we will be trusted with more. 

Even though we can never actually get more time, I've discovered four things we can do to get more done in the time we have been given. 

Here are four things you need to do in order to not waste your most prized possession. 

TIME

Once it is spent, you can never get time back. So spend your time wisely.
Here are a few tips to faithfully steward your time.

1 - Always have a notebook on you – especially in meetings

You never know when a great idea for a message, or ministry, is going to hit you so always have a notebook close by so you can write down the idea you have. Also, always and I do mean always have a notebook with you in meetings. God uses your superiors and your ministry partners to encourage an inform you so always be ready to learn. 

2 - Prioritize your schedule.

What are the four big things that you need to get done this month? Write them down as well as all of the steps (to do’s) it is going to take for you and your team to complete them. At the end of the day, look over your list to not only see what you accomplished, but to take stock on how efficiently you spent your time. 

3 - Four things you should do every day in ministry.

Have a Personal Study Time – message Prep does not count. 
Work on your Personal Health – workout at least 3 times per week. 
Team Building – Spend some time with your team – meeting, learning, eating, laughing.
Start checking things off your To Do List – Get to work doing the things you need to do.

4 - Make sure that you run your day don’t let your day run you.

Set your schedule then get to work. Work hard and work smart, but get to work! Once your day is prioritized stick with it. Don’t allow other things like Social Media, Phone Calls, or text you receive to get you off track or wasting time. 

 

10 tips for dating in your 20's

Ok, your 20’s are in full swing and my guess is you are looking for someone. Someone special. Someone that catches your eye as well as your heart. That is so great! However, before you rush out on a series of dates and fall in love. Take a few minutes to read, ponder, and apply these next 10 tips. I think you will be glad you did. 

1. Take it slow. 

What is the hurry?  You aren’t going anywhere - they aren’t going anywhere. Don’t go so fast.

"Decisions that are made quickly are quickly regretted."

Other than surrendering your life to Jesus - Who you tie your heart to is the most foundational decision you will ever make. So take your time. The world is not going to have a man and woman shortage anytime soon. Take it slow. 

2. Master the Basics. 

Relationships are like a house - you have to have a good foundation. To build that foundation - here are some questions you need to have answers for. 

Do you believe the same things about faith - God - eternity?

Are you both going the same direction in life - location - goals?

Do you make each other better? Does this person bring out the best in you? Draw you closer to Jesus?  Or do they bring tension and stress?  When you are with them, do you find yourself making decisions you regret or decisions that make you better?

The only way you can find out the answer to these questions is by mastering the fundamental of talking. Far too many people spend more time looking at each other, a movie screen, or their phone on a date rather than talking. 

Far too many people spend a lot of time touching (holding hands - kissing - and other physical activities that hormone filled 20somethigns do) but not enough time talking. You have to master the art of TALKING to find out if this person is really for you. 

3. Get to know the person not the body.  

Studies have shown us through the years that relationships that are built on physical touch, do not last very long. Because of this, don’t get physical. Get to know who they are as a person and what they believe, not just their body. You know you are attracted to them, but do you know if you are comparable?

4. Don't take it so serious. 

Here is some good advice – relax. You like them and they like you, but you are not married yet.  So don’t act like it.  Have fun. Don't be so serious. 

5. Look for Chemistry not romance. 

All great teams have chemistry.  You are looking for a great teammate so find someone that you can talk with, laugh with and hang out with for long periods of time. Chemistry is the key word. Romance is a feeling that with the right lighting - right food - right atmosphere - can be manipulated to make a special moment and then it's gone, but chemistry is something that last. 

6. Date only Christians

Scripture teaches that two people cannot walk together unless they are going in the same direction.  I know he looks great in those jeans - I know her legs are incredible - but are her legs following Jesus! What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul. You never want to tie yourself to somone emotionally that is not going the same spiritual direction as you. 

7. Set good boundaries. 

Boundaries do not hold you back, boundaries, set you free.  So before you go out on a big date, clearly define your personal boundaries on physical touch and other important issues.

8. Save sex for when you are married. 

I know this is such an archaic view compared to todays standards. But look around you. Is how we currently walk out sexual expression in America working? Nope! So maybe you should live out your sexuality in a different way. Maybe you should try Gods way. God says that Sex is not something people that love each other do, sex is something that people in convenent relationship of marriage do.

9. Pursue Jesus more than you pursue a person. 

In relationships, who you are will determine who you need. Because of this, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. When you find out who Jesus is and who you are in Him. Who you are will determine who you need as a teammate in life. 

10. Never Settle. 

Never settle for someone who is not a believer. Never settle for living together over marriage. Marriage is beautiful fulfilling 

You are the head and not the tail! Jesus did not die for you to settle. Jesus died for you to soar! Become who Christ has called you to be and you will find who Christ has called you to be with.