Avoiding Board Traffic Jams

Many board meetings and agendas look like this traffic jam: tons of business, everything seems to move slow and it seems that we cannot get on top of if. The result is leadership frustration, long meetings and ministry decisions made at a crawl rather than at highway speed.

It does not need to look this way. In fact, most organizations should be able to deal with their business in one meeting a month, leaving the second meeting for dreaming, prayer, and thinking about the future.

How does one avoid the traffic jam?

One: Rather than dealing with every situation that comes up, make policy that can guide staff in future decisions. By making policy, leaders avoid the necessity to deal with the issue again and give the staff appropriate guidance on how to deal with future like issues.

Two: Never formulate strategy as a board. Whenever possible, delegate the formulation of policy or strategy to staff or a few qualified individuals who can then come back to the board with a recommendation. The board then does not need to strategize by committee but can accept, reject or tweak the recommendation saving it significant time.

Three: Don't use board time to listen to reports. Board meetings are working meetings not times to hear reports. Instead of doing reports at the board meeting, have leaders summarize relevant current information and send it out ahead of time in an email. Many boards could cut meeting time in half if they followed this one practice.

Four: Prioritize board work. Not all rocks are big rocks, some are pebbles. Put the big rocks at the front of the agenda and deal with those first. Where possible simply delegate the smaller rocks or the pebbles to other qualified individuals.

Five: Ensure that the chair of the board keeps the meeting moving. That is their job. Endless discussions are unproductive. At an appropriate time, cut off discussion and take a vote and move along. If there is deadlock, put off the decision to another meeting and move on.

Six: Be willing to make decisions. Any decision in most cases is better than indecision. Some boards are paralyzed by the necessity of making a decision resulting in long, drawn out and frustrating traffic jams. Don't let that happen. After appropriate prayer and discussion, make a decision and move on. If you have to revisit it later so be it but doing nothing is worse than doing something.

Seven: Start and end your meetings on time. This forces the board to do its work in a timely basis and to prioritize its work. Board meetings will stretch to whatever boundaries there are so set boundaries and keep them.

Eight: Have clear lines of responsibility and authority. Be sure that in your organization it is clear who can make what decisions and then empower them to do so in line with your ministry philosophy and policies. The goal of boards is to clarify direction and then empower people to make decisions that are in alignment with that direction. By doing this boards seek to remove traffic jams from its culture.


Nine: Be clear on your mission, guiding principles, central ministry focus and the culture you are creating. By clarifying the big issues, it make it possible for both boards and staff to made decisions that are in alignment with that clarity. Ambiguity over these issues makes decision making very difficult.

Ten: Ensure a good working relationship between staff and boards so that they both understand their responsibilities, trust each other and are working in sync with one another. The higher the trust level the faster decisions can be made and the more decisions can be delegated to appropriate staff levels.

Please pray for believers in India

Many do not realize that there is significant persecution of believers in India. It is often overt and ignored by the authorities. Hinduism is not a peaceful faith - especially when it comes to Christianity. Below is a recent report from a ministry leader in India. I have not included his name for security purposes. As you think of the growing church in India please pray for pastors who are on the front line and God's people who are often under tremendous pressure.

From a ministry leader in India:

Dear Praying friends,
Your prayers are our strength and through your prayers we have been protected by the attacks of enemy. India has a long history of Christian being persecuted. It is the same place where St. Thomas was put to death in the 1st century AD and Graham Stains and his two young sons were burnt alive in 20th century AD.

Again, At this juncture India is going though a very difficult phase as far as Christianity is concerned. It has been a long time since Christians are under attack - physically. Many saints have lost their lives defending the faith and many churches were burnt.

It seems that the time of India has come. There are great news of thousands coming to Christ. And sure enough the enemy is not happy. It also seems that the enemy is trying to recapture his lost territory. And thus fighting a lost battle (he has been defeated of the cross of Calvary).
Literally, he has set India on fire. From Kashmir (up North) to Kanyakumari (down south) incidences of attacks of Christians are reported everyday.

Let me start from Kashmir: there has been a great unrest in Kashmir valley since last two months. The last time I was in Kashmir in June 08, I had time baptizing new believers and again this time Aug. 08 my visit along with bro. Anil and Pappu is the worst so far. We could be with the new believers just the day we arrived (Aug 22).

From the next day the separatists called for a strike and the administration has imposed indefinite curfew in the entire region. The separatists demanded that all Hindus and Christian must leave Kashmir and Kashmir must be declare as a separate nation.

Well, we were suppose to be back on Aug. 25 but there was no way to get out and get to the airport. So I took to the empty road with heavy military presence, alone, to walk to the airport which is 20KM from the place where I was staying.

God melted the hearts of the military personnel who would let me pass after just asking me where I was going. I reach the airport and I am in Delhi right now. But Anil and Pappu are still trapped in Srinagar. They also tried to walk to the bus station but were beaten up by the military and they both got injured on their legs. Since we do not have funds for their air tickets, they were planning to come back by bus and train. Now the situation is worse their and I am trying to get air tickets for them. Please pray.

Well, in Haryana, two of the NISA partners were beaten up mob for sharing the gospel with Hindus. Their houses vandalized and property destroyed. Both of them left Haryana (Nilokhedi) for a safer place.

In Delhi, a mob attached a church while Sunday worship was going on last month. The pastor other believers including women and children were beaten up and many were admitted into hospital. Later the pastor was arrested on charges of converting people. He was released on bail. The case is pending in the court. If convicted, he could face a jail term for 3 years. Skipping the many small incidences (small means nobody died) I will come to the most horrible situation in Orissa:

God is doing great and mighty things in Orissa, thus the state is on the hot list of the enemy. You are aware of Dec. last year violence against Christian. It did not stop there. It continued till date. From last few days orissa is experience fresh violent attacks on Christians in many districts.
Some reports:

NISA has learnt of attacks on numerous Christian homes and institutions in the wake of the attack on Swami Lakminanda Sarawatiʼs ashram which resulted in his death on August 23.

In a report received from Bishop Juria Bardhan, of the Believers Church in Orissa on August 24 in the morning, one of the pastors Jeebaratna Lima from Khurda district while going to conduct the Sunday service was attacked by a mob and they were almost setting fire on him after spraying petrol. He was saved on account of the timely arrival of police. He is presently in police custody.

In another incident, pastor Bahumulya Paik of Believers Church (Bamunidei, PS.Patpur, Ganjam district) was attacked on August 24 by a mob of about 100 people. Believing him to be dead, the mob moved on the attack other Christian homes, however the pastor managed to escape once he regained consciousness. He is however not been able to receive adequate medial treatment as the curfew has been imposed in the area and roads have been closed or blocked.

There are reports of other Christian who have fled to nearby forests. Pastor Bishnu Kumbhar and his pregnant wife ran into forest in the darkness being chased by a group of people and now have taken shelter in one family in a neighbouring village.

At about 9:00 pm on August 24, a mob destroyed one of the Believers Churches at Tengada Pathar in Phulbani by hurling bombs and set fire on the houses of the local believers. About 30 Christian families have sought shelter in the forests.

We have about 30 Christian families in this village. All the Christians have run to the jungle along with Pastor Aluo Jena and hiding there. Several women who were earlier belived to be missing are hiding in the jungle without and food and water and proper shelter.

Reports of churches and Christian homes being attacked are coming from across Orissa. According to reports received on a Believers Church in Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar was attacked and broken down on the morning of August 25.

Four Christian houses are believed to have been burnt in Kanjmandi, Nuagam PS. Baliguda, Kandhamal district. Local Christians along with Pastor Lebiyo Rait have escaped into the forest. Pastor Amit Pani, from Ambapani, Kalahandi was rescued from a violent mob as it attempted to stormed his house. He is currently under police protection.

Real Missions

Denny Morrow, PhD

Contributing Writer

"Our church only supports 'real missionaries'. You know, the ones who are in the trenches with the heathens."

"I like to give only to missionaries doing 'real work', not to some leader at a regional office."

ReachGlobal's 530 international missionaries serve on five continents. They have various job titles: church planter, teacher, psychologist, school principal, business entrepreneur, international relief worker, English language tutor, piano teacher, city team leader, area leader, international leader.

'Real missions' also includes positions of leadership. There is much to be grateful for when someone says “I feel led to lead.” Leading in our organization involves mentoring, coaching, vision trip planning, being a liaison with national church leaders, training new church planters, budgeting, approving financial reports to ensure accuracy for donors, conflict resolution, adding value to ReachGlobal leadership meetings, orientation for new workers, team public relations, and of course, personal evangelism.

In many ways, not including leaders as ‘real missionaries’ is the equivalent to excluding lieutenants from status as ‘real soldiers’. Leaders add huge value to organizations, especially this one. With leaders typically supervising eight missionary colleagues, our organization is in line with current organizational wisdom about optimal leadership.

Moreover, our leaders are constantly ‘sharpening their saws’ in order to work smarter through seminars, in-person coaching, and linkages back to their home churches. None of us is as smart as we need to be. All of us need the Holy Spirit to help us lead well.

So, we need all parts of our missionary body – workers who are actively engaged in local ministry, teachers who specialize in great schools, business entrepreneurs who open doors of opportunity, relief workers who offer cups of cold water (and a whole lot more), and oh yes, leaders who are following God’s call with the same abandon as their colleagues.

For those at half-time

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), the master calls his three servants and tells them that he is going on a long journey. He divides up his wealth and tells them to invest it well so that there is a return when he comes back home.

Upon his return, two of the servants had doubled the money given to them to manage. To these two, Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servants. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness (Matthew 25:21).”

The third servant was preoccupied with his own life issues and frankly didn’t have time for his master’s investments so he merely buried it and offered a lame excuse for why he had not invested them on his master’s behalf. Jesus’ words for the third servant were harsh. He had not paid attention to his masters business but only to his own.

There is both a message of blessing and warning in this parable. Of course, the master is Christ and his servants are us. The talents (money) he handed out are the gifts, opportunities and unique work he has made for us to accomplish on his behalf. Our choice is whether we will faithfully steward what He has entrusted or whether we will live a life of self preoccupation and selfishness. Will we be like the first two servants who took their stewardship seriously or like the third who only took his issues seriously.

The amazing thing is that Jesus has entrusted to each of us a portion of his ministry and has gifted us with abilities and empowered us with His spirit. We have been invited by the Lord of the Universe to represent him and make a difference for His kingdom. All he asks of us is to be faithful in using those gifts.

For me, those ‘talents’ are gifts of leadership, vision and strategy and communication. God wants me to be faithful in using these gifts on His behalf. For my friend Naomi, he gave gifts of administration and faith and she used those gifts in representing Christ as a school principle and administrator and these days at 99 she uses her faith gift as she prays for people all around the world.

For my friend Doug, who was the classic entrepreneur, he gave the gift of making and giving money, extending mercy to people in need and evangelism. He used those gifts to advance the kingdom by funding many ministries, helping hurting people who came across his path and sharing the gospel with those he did business with.

His wife Susan, was gifted with the ability to mentor other women, teach and has an incredible gift of hospitality. Thousands of people from all walks of life have enjoyed her hospitality and their home is frequently full of friends, neighbors, and foreign students.

We often think that ‘real’ ministry is reserved for full time, trained ministerial types. That is a lie of the devil. The Master has given each of us gifts and has asked each of us to make ministry investments on His behalf. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things by simply being faithful with the gifts and opportunities he gives us.

This is one of the greatest blessings any of us could experience because these investments have eternal value. Those of us who take our opportunity seriously will be with many individuals in heaven who our lives touched – many whom we never met – because we used the gifts given to attain a lasting, eternal legacy.

But there is also a warning. There are many who are so consumed with ‘our own stuff’ that, like the unfaithful servant in the parable, they bury and ignore the responsibility God gave and have little to show for their lives when the finish line is crossed. They leave no eternal legacy.

The definition of the third unfaithful servant would be that of a wasted life that may have yielded temporal success but was an eternal failure. In the end it is a life of deep regret when the consequences of life decisions are faced and the picture of what could have been is seen.

Halftime is both an incredible opportunity and a major danger zone. Almost everyone who does not finish well fails in the second half of life. There are many - who like in the parable of the sower - allow their passion for God to be “choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature or live out their potential (Luke 8:14).” They cannot say with Paul, I have finished the race and have kept the faith.

It is the choice of using the opportunity God has given like the first two servants in the Parable of the Talents or simply burying our opportunity like the third.

In many ways, halftime is a decision time. We must decide whether we will take the experience, financial stability and increased disposable time for His purposes or focus instead on ourselves – allowing our passion for Jesus and His work to grow cold. The legacy we want to leave can be lost if we do not stay focused in the second half.

Too many people retire from both work and ministry, as if the latter is the same as the former – do our time and then relax. It is sad to see people who have so much to offer disconnect from what is most important for a life of empty leisure.

My heroes are those whose passion to know Christ and be used by Him grows as the years pass, knowing that the finish line is coming and wanting to finish well and leave an eternal legacy. We may retire from our job. But there is no retirement from the call of God on our lives or the work which he created uniquely for us. As long as God does not retire from ministering to us, why would we retire from ministering for Him?

When my friends, Bob and Judy, head to Mexico to their second home on the water, their days are filled with ministry with their Mexican friends and extended families (they are like family) and spending time on projects that give Bob and Judy opportunity to develop relationships and share the love of Christ. Bob may be retired from his full time job but he is permanently engaged in the work God created him for. That is how God designed us. There is no retirement from God’s work.

How are you doing in the second half?

Weak staff links

What happens when you have a staff team but one of the members of the team does not function at the level of other members on the team? You know you have a weak link.

Weak links on a team come in a number of forms. They may not have the capacity others have. They may not be team players. They may lack relational EQ. Or, they may not be in philosophical alignment with the leader, the team or the organization. In the later two cases they may be in fact very competent but a weak link nonetheless.

There are four options in dealing with weak links:

One: Ignore the issue

This often happens because of the desire to avoid conflict. Actually, however, this creates more conflict than it avoids. Weak links - for any of the reasons above - put a strain on both the team and the organization and it is a constant frustration and irritation.

Other team members often hold the team leader accountable for not dealing with the problem that they all have to live with. Weak links pull down the rest of the team in a negative fashion. While ignoring the issue is the easy way out, in the end it is a very foolish thing to do.

Two: Place the weak link on a development plan

This is a proactive approach where you clearly articulate the issues to the staff member involved, tell them what needs to change if they are going to be successful on the team and then put in writing a clear description of the above. Development plans always mean tighter supervision for a time to see whether the individual can up their game in the needed area.

Make sure that you document the issues and the plan along with timelines to determine whether progress is being made. In the event you need to use option four below you want to ensure that you have been fair, are legal and have done due process.

Three: Move the weak link to a position where they are no longer the weak link

It is possible that the individual is either out of their skill set or playing at a level to high for them to play at. This option should only be considered if there are not attitudinal, relational, or philosophical problems. In that case go directly to the fourth option!

Four: Move the weak link out of your organization

If option two or three have not worked, or if the individual has a fatal flaw (character, competency, relational or philosophical) which makes it impossible for them to function as healthy staff members in your organization bite the bullet and do what you need to do to transition them out.

Not to do so is to hurt the organization, its mission and the remaining staff. If supervisors or boards cannot make those tough calls they are in the wrong job and should let someone else lead.

Transitioning someone out of the organization should be done legally (talk to an HR person), with grace, with generosity as you are able and with honor but it must be done if you are going to take your ministry to the next level. We honor people but we always do what is best for the ministry.

Passing the baton

Leadership transitions are frought with peril. Four years ago when I was named the Executive Directior of ReachGlobal, my predecessor gave me a great gift. He made it exceedingly clear that the role was now mine, that I would never hear a negative word attributed to him and in every conversation, public and private he was only positive. Then he gave me a baton, symbolizing the leadership transition.

Because of the huge trust I have in him, I asked him to stay on as a Global Ambassador for ReachGlobal. It would not have worked in many situations but it has worked perfectly for us. In large part because of how he handled his own transition.

On the other hand I have watched other leaders, organizational, pastoral transition very badly and the end result is that it hurts the organization.

Why do many leaders transition badly?

I think there are a number of factors. One is that they cannot let go. They have invested too much and are unable to take their hand off the wheel and essentially hand off the baton. In a race, once the baton is handed off, it is over for the previous runner. Some people do not have the emotional intelligence to accept the fact that their run is finished.

Second, many leaders are unable to celebrate a different kind of leadership - which it will be from theirs - when somone else is not in charge. They second guess them, are unhappy with staff or directonal decisions and either publically or privately make their views known. In either case the views become public and it hurts the new leader.

Part of the reason can be defensiveness and even an unhappiness at the success of the new leader. Their success can be seen as a failure for the previous leader - after all it did not happen on their watch. Whatever the motivation for not being supportive or for speaking ill or even remaining neutral - there is something coming from a unhealthy place.

What healthy transitions look like

In a healthy transition, the past leader makes a commitment, as mine did that he would only speak positively, would never criticize or even take a neutral attitude. What is interesting is that while I stand on his shoulders as a leader, I am a very different leader for a very different day. He could have taken exception to a number of decisions that I made but he never did. Not to me and not to others.

His wonderful, supportive attitude came out of a place of spiritual health. He had prayed for his sucessor for years before the transition happened. He had also been clear that he would support that successor no matter who it was. So when I was chosen, and I would not have been his choice, he could and did say, this is who I have been praying for, this is God's choice and I will be fully supportive. And he was from day one.

It takes humility to see a successor who has strengths we do not have exercise them and see success. But his success will not be my success and the reverse is also true. We are different people with different strengths for different times.

Healthy leaders are willing to understand that their leadership is finished and refuse to get involved in the discussions, details or offer counsel unless it as asked for by the new leader and then only to him or her. People will fish for the opinion of the prior leader, wanting to know their opinions of the new leader and any criticisms there might be. After all, the staff have relationships with the prior leader. Healthy leaders never get drawn in and simply remain supportive.

Wise new leaders honor the past even as they reinvision for the future. There is never a need to put down the past leader (indicates poor EQ on the part of the new leader), nor is it necessary to critizice the past. New days requrie new strategies and the fact is that will be true when we give up our leadership post as well.

A key underlying philosophy for both the previous leader and the new leader is that it is not about us. It is about the mission and health of the organization. We are simply stewards of the organization and when we choose to be critical we are hurting the organization - and indicating our own insecurities.

When I leave this position my intention is:

To walk away with thanksgiving for the opportunity I had

To publically and privately support the new leader

To pray for that leader and their leadership

To never be critical of the new leader or new direction

To celebrate the gifts and qualities of the new leader.

I learned from the best. Thank you Ben

When congregations don't let leaders deal with staff issues

There are many congregations that make it very hard for their leaders to lead. In doing so, they severely hinder leaders from carrying out their Biblical leadership mandate, and just as importantly hinder the congregation from maximizing its ministry opportunity. Let me share a real life example that I have seen played out a number of times. While the example is specific to a staff situation, the principles apply to many situations that leaders face.

The Scenario:
A board must deal with a staff situation where a staff member no longer fits the ministry, is not performing well or is uncooperative with the senior pastor. In either case, the senior pastor or leadership board must help make a staff transition if the ministry is going to move forward. These are always hard issues for a senior leader and for a leadership board.

The board works to help the staff member move to another ministry and does so with grace and a healthy process. An announcement is made that honors the staff member and indicates that he/she will be leaving the church. Immediately, leaders start to get calls from members of the church. There is pressure to change the decision and there is pressure to explain why the decision was made.

When leaders indicate that the decision has been made after prayer, discussion and with due process, they then receive a letter from the "loyal opposition" in the church calling for a congregational meeting to discuss the situation. This comes out of a faulty understanding of "congregationalism" where it is believed that all decisions of the church must be discussed and decided by the congregation and that they have the right to weigh in on any decision. (There are several blog entries under the lable of "congregationalism" that address this issue).

The problem

In doing this, the congregation (or members of the congregation) place the leadership board in an impossible situation. First, they deny the leadership the ability to lead. Leadership is not about taking a poll and simply doing what the majority of the group want to do. Biblically, leaders are called to oversee the health and direction of the congregation. And, as they lead, congregations are asked to cooperate with their leaders so that their leadership is a joy and not a burden (Hebrews 13:17-18).

Second, to say to leaders that you cannot make staff decisions is to handcuff them and create a culture that is permission withholding rather than permission granting. In other words, you cannot make key decisions without our permission.

This actually stems from a posture of mistrust toward leaders which is prevalent in many churches but which violates the culture that the New Testament describes for the church. Essentially it is importing the mistrust that society has for its political leaders and importing it into the church. The church, however, is to have a culture of trust rather than mistrust.

Third, how do leaders discuss staff issues (performance, cooperation, effectiveness) in public? Why would we assume that those discussions are private in the workplace but public in the church? From a legal perspective you cannot do that, nor does it honor the individual involved. So in asking for "all the information" from leaders, congregations place their leaders in an impossible bind. They are not free to share "all the information," nor should they.

Even if the information was freely shared (lawsuit anyone?) how is a congregation supposed to process that information? They are not the supervisor of the staff, they do not know the dynamics of the staff and they cannot resolve issues that there may be.

The congregation is asking its leaders to disclose what they cannot and should not disclose, and insisting that they get to make the decision even though they do not have the information and should not have the information and are coming at the issue from a position of mistrust (otherwise why are they challenging the decision?).

Why would anyone choose to lead in a setting like that and why would we assume that a congregation with this culture would flourish in ministry? You cannot handcuff leaders and honor God and you cannot handcuff leaders and be effective.

Should a senior pastor know what people give in the local church?

OK, I acknowledge that this blog will be controversial to some and runs against "conventional wisdom." The truth is that conventional wisdom is not always wisdom. So I will wade in and at least raise some issues to consider.

As one who has helped many churches raise funds for capital projects and consulted with churches on other issues I have often been privy to giving information. I have also had the privilege of working with very generous individuals in a development capacity. It is against that background that I raise this issue.

If I were a senior pastor today, I would want to know what individuals in the church were giving for these reasons:

So I can thank them
Think about this. We thank people who use their gifts of teaching, leadership, administration, care and those who make sacrificial personal investments in ministry but because of our "taboo" on knowing what people give it is usually not possible to sit down with someone who has been extraordinarily generous and thank them - and tell them how their investments in the ministry are making a difference.

Many generous individuals give large sums of money outside of their local church - which is to be expected. But when they do, someone says "thank you" and "let me tell you how your dollars are making a difference." That is not the motivation to give but it is a real encouragement when someone does give. We do not encourage those who give generously in the church enough - especially when a senior leader does not know who to thank.

So I understand their spiritual commitments
The commitment of being generous to God is a very direct indicator of spiritual commitments and maturity. As a leader I would never want to place someone in a leadership position who was not a regular giver because it tells me something about where their heart is. If you doubt that connection, just pay attention to how much Jesus talks about the heart, money and the connection between the two.

I would not want someone in leadership who did not have a devotional life, who was not committed to personal growth, or who is stingy with God. It is an indicator of immaturity and immaturity does not fly in church leadership.

So I know how much to listen if someone is in serious disagreement with leaders or church direction
Read this section carefully. I am not saying that we pay attention to those who have money more than we pay attention to those who do not. But here is an interesting observation that I make from experience. It is not unusual for someone who is perceived to have money to use that perception to try to influence decisions that are made.

Let me give you an example. A church I was working with was entering into a major expansion project. An individual who was perceived to have means was a vocal opponent and would not let go of his opposition. When we looked to see what his giving record was, he was giving nothing to the church - which would have shocked many.

Now why would a church leader take someone seriously who had no stake in the ministry? In fact, why would a church leader who is responsible for the spiritual health of the flock, not sit down with someone like that and confront him with the fact that he is not living in obedience in a major area of his life and that until he does, he does not have the credibility to speak to the issue?

We would have a conversation if someone's marriage was on the rocks, if they were involved in pornography, or living in conflict with someone - so why would we not have a conversation if they are ignoring this area of Christian obedience? In my experience, and this should not surprise us, it is those who do not have a commitment to giving - often who are in leadership positions in the church who most vocably argue that no one should know what people give. Isn't that telling?

So that I would know if there are spiritual issues that need to be addressed
People who do not give are hiding deeper spiritual issues in their lives. Generosity with God is such a basic and fundamental indication of commitment to Him and maturity in our walk with him that the lack of it - from those who would otherwise claim to be fully devoted followers is an indication of deeper spiritual issues. If I care about people and their spiritual commitments I would be concerned about the lack of obedience in this area of life.

We would lovingly talk to someone who started to ignore church attendance or someone whose marriage seemed to be on the rocks, or someone who seemed to be straying in some other area of life. So why would we not lovingly talk to someone whose spiritual claims are not matched by their personal commitments in the area of giving?

But, Scripture says no one should know what we give
Actually, Scripture does not say that. It says that we should not trumpet what we give for purposes of being praised, just as Jesus criticized the pharisees for praying and fasting in pubic for the purpose of "looking spiritual."

Why are we willing for a pastor to know the intimate details of the troubles we face but not a key area of our spiritual lives?

But, if the pastor knows what someone gives he will treat them differently than others
That could be true, but not in the sense that one might think. If as a pastor I knew someone did not have a commitment to giving to their church I would indeed make a judgment and it would be that there is not a stake in the ministry. At the same time, knowing that someone does have a financial stake in the ministry tells me something about their spiritual maturity and commitment to the church. The issue is not whether they are a wealthy giver or a modest giver, it is the fact that they are living in obedience in this core area and have a commitment to the ministry.

Scripture says that we do not treat people differently because they are wealthy or poor. It does not say that we listen to everyone equally. I listen to those who have a stake in the ministry and a commitment to the ministry as demonstrated by their participation, the use of their gifts, their giving and their time and energy on behalf of the ministry. Those are also the only ones that I would entrust to place in leadership positions - which is consistent with New Testament teaching.

I raise these issues for your consideration. I know that not all will agree and some will strongly disagree. But it is something to think about.

Advice for young leaders

Contributing Writer: Lindsay NormanI often find that young leaders are enthusiastic to be mentored and to learn. There are books and materials for individuals already in leadership roles, but significantly less material that covers how young leaders can grow to their potential. Here is what I have found helpful as I intentionally walk the road to develop my full capacity.

Get a Mentor

Only after having a few mentors in my life can I look back and say this has been, and continues to be, one of the most pivotal elements to growing as a leader. I had mentors in leadership roles who recognized I was a leader years before I did. Feedback I received from one of my mentors was, “Lindsay, you need to be in a role where you are standing on your tip toes every day. Be in a role that is just out of reach the majority of the time so that you are challenged.”

Mentors listen, love and speak into your life. The best part about them is that the relationship is judgment free. The purpose of mentoring is to come along side and be a life coach. The assumption is already there that the “mentee” is learning and growing. It is assumed there will be bumps along the way to growth. That removes the judgment factor. It’s assumed we will mess up! The mentor is there, not to prevent you from messing up, but to help process through why and help you look to the future.

Consider yourself a learner

Every leader goes through an extraordinary amount of learning. Learning about the organization, about other leaders, former leaders, and most importantly, learning about yourself are all critical pieces to development. It is difficult to made effective decisions as a leader if you don’t understand the ethos, mission and vision of the organization.

It is equally difficult to lead well if you don’t understand how the other leaders lead. For the sake of optimal effectiveness as a young leader, I don’t want to be making decisions regarding circumstances that are the responsibility of other leaders.

Finally, and I believe most importantly, a potential leader must learn about themselves. As an upcoming leader, the question must be asked, “How am I wired? Where are my strengths? What am I passionate and really good at? What energizes me?”

This can be done through self-knowledge tools like executive testing or other tools like Myers-Briggs, Gallops StrengthsFinders, or the Firo-B. This can also be done by engaging with a life or work mentor/coach who you trust and who knows you well. There is a great deal of resources on the Internet and in books stores that are available today to help us learn about ourselves.

Learn from Mistakes

It is nice when others make the mistakes before we do, isn’t it? As a potential leader, it is critical to learn from the “dumb tax” others have paid. Believe me, you’ll pay your own dumb tax, you don’t need to pay the same tax as others. As you see mistakes or learn from others past mistakes, ask yourself these questions, “Why did that happen? What were the circumstances? What were the decisions that led up to that mistakes? Who was involved? How can I learn from that mistake?”

As a potential leader, look at the mistake from every angle. Critically think through the situation. And most importantly, don’t judge! You will have your opportunity to make your own mistakes! Mistakes are good. The shape, mold, and sharpen us in our thinking, strategies and leadership. Mistakes by ourselves or others should not be dismissed before a thorough autopsy has taken place. The more learning that takes place early in your leadership development, the more effectively you can navigate leadership in the future.

Take Risks

At some point, the bird knocks the baby out of the nest! Why? Because they need to grow, mature and face the realities of the world. As a leader, in order for us to develop, we need to begin making decisions.

I would recommend making decisions after having organizational context (don’t jump into a leadership role and start making decisions with gaining context and playing the role of “learner”) and touching base with a mentor or supervisor. I don’t touch base with a supervisor because I want them to make the decision for me. I touch base with my supervisor or mentor/coach because I want to process my plan of action and decision-making with them.

By doing this, it allows them to speak into any other aspects I haven’t thought of. It allows me to practice decision-making before the decision actually gets made. After doing this a number of times, a potential leader should be learning about all the factors necessary for a good decision. Eventually, independent decisions can be made. This process also builds the trust of your supervisor that your judgment can be trusted.

Growth can’t be done without taking risks. Good mentor/coaches will also encourage you to take risks. How do you learn unless you try?

Ask Questions

As a potential leader, I don’t have all the answers. Yes, you heard me correctly. I can draw on my own experience and on my knowledge of the organization, but that only gets me so far.

Questions need to be asked for the purpose of further understanding and for information to make good decisions. Again, having a good mentor/coach or a supervisor who is intentional about your leadership growth is critical so you can ask questions without judgment.

Knowing where and when to ask question is equally important. If I am in a meeting with all organizational leaders and I am finding that I don’t understand something, I often make a note to myself and ask someone at a break, especially if it is evident that all others in the room are following the conversation. On the other hand, if I am “picking up” that others may have questions like I do, I will ask. If you want to grow as a leader, listening and asking questions is important.

EQ – So Important!

Where do I communicate skepticism about a process, policy or decision that has been made? When do I ask tough questions about other leaders or the organization as a whole? What is my role in the organization? Where do I vent? When and how do I support decisions even if I don’t fully agree with them?

Knowing how to answer and navigate these questions is a direct reflection on your emotional intelligence (EQ). As an up and coming leader, observing, listening, asking questions, and dedicating yourself to learning should help you get a feel for how to answer these questions. Many times, these questions should be directed toward your mentor/coach who can help you navigate the situation.

If you are going to create trust with other leaders and coworkers, how you navigate these questions is critical. The answers will differ depending on the organization or ministry you serve in, the communication process in place, the leaders within that organization, and the trust that is built into that organization or ministry. It is difficult to verbally ask some of these questions to others if you are not trusted or if you do not trust the leadership. More importantly than knowing when to ask these questions is knowing WHEN NOT to ask these questions.

Emotional, spiritual and physical refreshment

One of the greatest gifts I ever received came ten years ago when my friend, Grant, took me fly fishing on the Gallatin River in Montana. This is the river where the wonderful film “A River Runs Through it” was filmed. Since that time we have vacationed every year in Big Sky where I am now.

All year I look forward to Montana. I want to walk the Gallatin and the streams looking for that special trout. As satisfying as outfoxing the rainbow is the fresh air, mountains, running water, wildlife and the wonderful exhaustion that comes at the end of a full day. Two to four weeks in Montana can bring a level of refreshment that almost nothing else can.

A key component of healthy living is ensuring that we get the rest, refreshment and refueling we need. Not to the exclusion of other priorities but as one of our key priorities. Why? We cannot run on empty forever. When we do something suffers – physically, joy, spiritual perspective, or emotional health.

I was talking to a friend about a well known Christian leader last year and my friend said, “He says he is running on fumes.” Within weeks word hit the national news that his personal life was a mess and he lost his ministry. Our bodies and minds were not made to run on fumes. It is the red zone on our personal tachometer that if you do it for too long, engine damage will occur. Yet that is often the pace at which we live.

When we run too fast, we easily lose perspective. When we are lazy we give up spiritual influence. The trick is to live with intentionality, pay attention to the important things – the big rocks and build in opportunities for refreshment.

The book of Ecclesiastes is a fascinating read. You can read it and conclude that Solomon was a huge pessimist – “Meaningless! Meaningless! Says the Teacher, Utterly Meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Sounds pretty pessimistic to me.

But you need to read on. Solomon’s point is that all the work, success or money in this world will not fulfill us if we have not integrated an eternal purpose into our lives. That is why many of the most successful people in our world are unhappy people. They have everything but the one thing they crave, satisfaction and purpose, is missing. That only comes when we embrace our eternal purpose.

Solomon also says that all the pleasures of the world – and he had a lot of experience in those was equally meaningless, again, unless it was infused with God’s pleasure. That is why the toys of life and the experiences of life pursued by so many are equally frustrating because the guy with the most toys does not win after all. In themselves, they do not have the ability to bring satisfaction or meaning in life.

But, if we live our lives with purpose, understanding that it is about relationship with God and work for God, then both our work and our fun, our work and our relaxation are infused with God’s purpose, joy and satisfaction.

Thus Solomon’s words “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him who can eat and find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26).”

Both work and refreshment are blessed by God when we understand the purpose of our lives – to live in relationship with him and carry out His unique role for our lives.

Those whose lives are most fruitful are also those who take the time to think, reflect, dialogue with key friends, and be quiet long enough that God can pop things in our minds that we actually hear. Being more productive in life does not necessarily mean working harder, it means working smarter – and taking the time to decompress and let our minds be available for bigger things.

All of us can find places of refreshment, even in our busy days. I think the genius of Starbucks, for instance is that one can get away, have a good brew, enjoy a quiet environment with a book or laptop and have a mini oasis in a busy day.

Because I travel regularly, I have used my airplane time to think, read, journal and meditate – rather than “work.” Hotel rooms can be a place of refuge in the evening – if the television is not turned on – a habit I have developed. I even have a recliner in my office where I can shut the door and be alone during a busy day.

Key to regular refreshment is finding those practices that bring refreshment to you. Every one of us is wired differently. I find it hard not to be doing something. Whether it is fly fishing, cutting trees, writing, reading or walking, I do my best thinking when I am doing activities that fill my tank. One of the main reasons I write, whether books or this blog is that in writing, I am able to crystallize my thoughts and I do my best thinking by putting it in words. The activity of writing helps me think deeply and clarify issues that have been ruminating in my mind.

I have other friends who use the 18 holes of golf to do some of their best thinking. Some do it with one or two other people over coffee and sharing their lives transparently with trusted friends. Our friend Barb loves to walk and does her best thinking and praying on her daily hike. Carol loves to garden and does a lot of thinking as she pulls weeds and pinches old buds. Mark loves to do it on his boat as he searches for the big fish in the Florida Keys. Bill does his best thinking reading a great book. For some it is knitting or some sort of handwork – like hand tying flies for fly fishing.

We live in a performance oriented society. But here is something to consider: who we are and who we become is more important that what we do and what we accomplish

The healthier we are emotionally, spiritually and physically, the more productive we will be. But there is no way to micro-wave health. And, it is easy to ignore and not easy to quantify. Others don’t necessarily see our emotional or spiritual health until the deficit of taking care of them cause problems in our lives.

What people see of us is a small portion of who we really are. Our thoughts, motives, intentions, intimacy with Christ, or lack of it, the habits that we practice, or don’t, the practices we cultivate in our hidden lives are the powerful but hidden core of who we are and they form the character that flows out of us.

Why do we find this so difficult when we know it is so important? Because it is hidden! Others do not see what is in our hearts, and the demands of life and work are so pressing. But we ignore our hearts to our peril. The public ‘us’ is only an extension of the private ‘us.’ Character is what we are when no one is looking – and character is formed in the dark, before we need to exhibit it.

Jesus regularly withdrew to “a private place to pray” and spend time with the Father. How often do we follow his example? Is there room in our busy lives to do ‘soul work,’ allowing Him to mold our thinking, priorities, passions and innermost hearts?

Building times of refreshment into our lives is key to ensuring that we give ourselves and the Spirit opportunity to keep our hidden self healthy so that “who we are” informs “what we do.”

Everywhere I go, people tell me, life is too busy. For most of us it is and the cost is emotional, spiritual and physical. As our spirits become eroded over time, our effectiveness wanes and the joy and satisfaction that Solomon refers to is diminished.

It will mean using the “amazing power of no” so that we have time for our own refreshment. It means that we will be proactive in planning or finding ways for refreshment during our busy days, weeks and months. It will pay off with greater joy and satisfaction as God does his thing in our hearts and as we allow our batteries to be recharged. It will allow us to live and minister out of greater personal health because we have taken the time to stay healthy spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Seven Practices that keep us growing

Do you have a plan for continuing to grow spiritually, emotionally, relationally and to continue to develop the strengths God has given you? Each of us has a way of learning and growth that works for us. I want to suggest that there are seven disciplines that directly relate to maximizing our growth, potential, and therefore legacy.

The people we know

If you surround yourself with people who are wiser than you – some of their wisdom will rub off. The most influential people I know are deeply intentional about their relationships. They purposefully pursue relationships with individuals they respect and that they know they can learn from.

God has blessed Mary Ann and me with some of the most outstanding friends one could ever have. Each of them has influenced us in a very specific way including our faith, obedience, marriage, leadership, emotional intelligence – and the list could go on. This rich mosaic of quality friends as left an indelible mark on our lives.

We have a saying called “friends for life.” We intentionally pursue relationships with people who want to share the journey with us and then we are intentional in keeping the relationship close.

Relationships are an investment. If you invest in healthy relationships with people who are passionate about living out their lives for maximum impact you will be deeply influenced by their lives. The advice most of us got as kids is true: you become like the friends you keep. We have many acquaintances but we nurture our key relationships – more precious than all the gold in the world.

It is these key relationships that can speak into our lives, tell us truth but with the knowledge that we can trust them explicitly. There is also huge accountability built into such relationships because there is a transparency about one another and the issues we face. I know that if I were to start walking down a dangerous path exactly who would show up at my door and get my attention. I also know who will encourage us, help us and share our joys and burdens.

All of us have friends – but not all of us cultivate key friendships that have the power to help us grow, develop and become all that God made us to be. One of the young people I have mentored is moving from Minnesota to Los Angeles. He asked for any parting advice I might have. I said, “find a good church and then find the most mature, gifted, passionate individual or couple and pursue that relationship.” I said, “don’t worry about age differences, economic or educational differences, be intentional about the relationship.”

Our key friendships matter if we are going to keep growing and stay on the cutting edge of life and ministry. Choose them carefully and then nurture them regularly. Each of my friends is a faithful mentor in some area of life. Not formally but informally. I am better for every one of them.

The books we read

Books, really good ones, are like relationships. They mold us and cause us to think deeply. The issue is not how many books we read but the quality of the books we read. C.S. Lewis is a close friend of mine – as I have enjoyed his company having spent a great deal of time with his books. As are many others including my hero Winston Churchill with whom I have spent many hours, sans cigar!

As I get older I spend less time with books of business and strategy and far more time with books of the heart. Not that I ignore the former (especially don’t ignore the ones I have written) but the reality is that to finish well, my heart has to be in the right place so it has become a priority.

Choose books with care. As it says on the t-shirt book lovers wear, “too many books, too little time.” Read books that will challenge your thinking rather than simply confirm what you already know. Read deeply, allowing the writer to ruminate in your thoughts. Shallow thinking is one of the sins of our time. Read ancient as well as new – all wisdom does not reside in the present. Some of the deepest thinkers are long gone but you can meet them in their writing.

The experiences we choose

Experiences can change our lives, our perspectives and our understanding. I remember asking Jot and Marietta to travel to China with a small group I was leading. Jot later told me, “I thought why would I want to go to China?” They came and have had a many other trips back, have led ministry teams and have been active in China ministry. Experiences change us.

While we all love good experiences, the trick is to choose some that will stretch us and take us out of our comfort zone. Whenever I travel internationally, I ask to be brought to the poorest area of town. I know that 54% of our world lives on $3.00 a day or less. I want to get a reality check and see the needs as well as what God is doing in amazingly tough circumstances. You cannot make too many of those trips and come away unchanged and more deeply committed to ministries that help the hopeless as well as give them eternal hope.

I remember a ministry trip our church took to train teachers in rural Yunnan province in China. When we arrived at the college, people saw the dorms (horsehair mattresses), the toilets (holes in the floor), the food (hmm, pretty bad), the bugs (really big), the air-conditioning (open windows) and several were ready to turn around and go right back home. Yet, at the end of the ten day training period, no one wanted to leave.

Stretching ourselves with experiences that are out of our comfort zone can be game changers for us. Our cautious living may keep us in the safe zone but not in the growth zone.

The ministry we undertake

Using our gifts in ministry will always help us grow and stay fresh. But it can be scary and intimidating as well. Ministry changes us because we are joining God in His work. And when we join Him in His work, nothing stays the same.

Earlier this year, Mary Ann got a call from one of her former students at the high school whom she had helped when she became pregnant in ninth grade.

Now graduated, she was living with her boyfriend who was abusing her, had a four year old daughter and her dad had come to live with them to try to protect her. None of the three were employed. Talk about a messy situation.

She rounded up some help, called the police to meet her at the apartment, found a place for the dad to live and another place for the gal to live then networked around to find the dad a job. The gal she rescued was too used to a life of chaos to live in the order she found herself in and she went back to the abusive boyfriend several months later. The dad has remained employed and is growing in his faith.

I am always amazed when I watch Mary Ann pull something like this off. But she is in her sweet spot and ministry is often messy. But in the mess we watch God work, change lives, become whole – and learn to trust Him when things don’t go as planned – as they often do not. While Rebecca has gone back to her old ways, other members of her family are exploring faith.

You cannot stay engaged in real ministry with real people in real situations and not grow and change. Every time we take a step of faith in joining God in what He is doing, we deepen our own faith and are willing to take an even greater step of faith in the future.

The risks we take

On a regular basis, God calls us like he called Peter, to step out of our comfortable boats and to follow Him in some endeavor that requires us to trust Him and take a giant step of faith.

My friend Mark was a successful stockbroker and investment advisor when God called him to start a church that would reach the unchurched young professionals in Rockford, Il. Mark had no seminary degree, already had a well paying job but he had a passion for those who didn't know the Good News. Nothing in his resume, however, indicated that he was going to be successful in church planting – except that he was passionate.

They held their first services in Mark’s living room using videos for the preaching from Willowcreek Community Church. That risk paid off. Today, ten years later the church runs about 7,500 per weekend and they baptize in excess of 500 new believers every year. Mark sold his brokerage business so that he could lead the church full time.

It is always worth taking the risk when it is clear that God is in it. Risk forces us to trust God in ways we have not had to trust before. The comfort zone is a dangerous place for growth and development. It is in the red zone where we see the most growth but we must be willing to take the risk – to grow. My experience is that God is often calling us to risk something for Him. Those who respond, grow. Those who do not, don’t.

The questions we ask

We grow when we choose to be inquisitive. I love spending time with my friend Ken. He asks tons of questions – about everything. It does not matter if he is meeting with a twenty-something or someone like himself who runs a large corporation. He is always asking, listening, learning.

Some people don’t ask many questions because they think that it is a sign of weakness. I had lunch with the senior executive of a ministry that serves other ministries including the one I work for. In the two hour lunch, he asked one question, at the end. Otherwise it was all about him. I told a friend on the way out, this individual is not a good leader and he is not a learner.

Asking questions is an art that can be learned. The simple question, “What do you think about….” can open great conversation, give you a glimpse of a different perspective and learn something new.

The obedience we pursue

Nothing will cause us to grow, develop and stretch like a commitment to be a fully devoted follower of Christ. Many of us have a “negotiated followership.” We follow when it is easy and convenient, but where followership is inconvenient we fudge. That is why studies show that there is very little difference in lifestyle between those who claim to be evangelicals and the rest of society.

Non-negotiated followership is the commitment to align our lives with Jesus and Scripture through the empowerment of His Spirit. Every time we take a new step of obedience, we change and we grow – closer to what God wants us to be.

The New Testament is explicit that there are things that we are to “take off” and other things that we are to “put on.” Our life is a journey of taking off those things that are part of our sinful nature and putting on those things that are from the Spirit of God. Nothing will bring more personal growth than a commitment to continuously align our lives with His.

Our commitment to keep growing, stay engaged and join God in His work takes intentionality and a set of disciplines that is designed to keep us on the growing edge.

Legacy

What if you could actually shape the legacy you leave? Rancy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon had that opportunity when he discovered that he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Millions have been impacted by "The Last Lecture he gave on lessons he had learned in his life.

The courage and grace with which Randy and his wife Jai faced his early death riveted and inspired many. His book has caused many to think about the power of legacy and what they will leave behind.

All of our lives have a finish line. The question is, when we reach that line, what have we left behind? What legacy will we leave?

Fast forward to the day of your funeral. Your family is there, your kids, your spouse - if you are married - and your closest friends. If you could listen in on their conversation what would you want to hear? What will your kids say about you?

When I consult with organizations on issues like their preferred future, we never start with the present. Rather we ask the question, what do you want to look like in ten years? What kind of organization do you want to be and what kind of impact do you want to have? You look first at the end and then you design a plan that will make it possible for the organization to reach its target.

Here is an interesting concept. We often live life without much of a target - driven by the moment, our jobs, the expectations of others and the overwhelming busyness of life - hoping we get it right. But too many get to the finish line with a long list of regrets.

They realize that they didn't invest enough time in their children or marriage. They regret that they did not have more time for deep relationships. They wish that there had been more time for reflection and thinking but now there is too little time for those things that suddenly are more important than the salary they pulled down or the ladder they climbed.

It is possible to minimize the number of regrets we have a the finish line by determining now what we want our legacy to be. And then to use the legacy we want to leave as the blueprint for how we choose to live our lives. In other words we need to start with the end result we want and then design our lives in a way that is most likely to get us there.

God did not design live to be randomly or carelessly lived. He created each of us uniquely first for relationship with Him and then for work for Him. There is purpose to our lives - an eternal purpose that will outlive our days on this earth.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), the master calls his three servants and tells them that he is going on a long journey. He divides his wealth and tells them to invest it well so that there is a return when he comes back.

Upon his return, two of the servants had doubled the money given to them to manage. To these two, Jesus said, "Well done, good and faithful servants. You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness (Matthew 25:21).

The third servant was preoccupied with his own life issues and frankly didn't have time for his master's investments so he merely buried it and offered a lame excuse for why he had not invested them on his master's behalf. Jesus' words for the third servant were harsh. He had not paid attention to his master's business but only to his own.

There is both a message of blessing and a warning in this parable. Of course, the master is Christ, his servants are us. The talents (money) he handed out are the gifts and opportunities he has given to us to use on his behalf for the unique work he prepared for each of us to accomplish on his behalf. Our choice is whether we will faithfully steward what He has entrusted or whether we will live a life of self preoccupation and selfishness.

Using the gifts God has entrusted to us is one of the greatest blessings any of could experience because these investments have eternal value. Those of us who take our opportunity seriously will be with many individuals in heaven who our lives touched - many whom we never met - because we used the gifts God gave us to attain a lasting, eternal legacy.

Take a few moments and jot down what you want your legacy to be and then ask whether you are living out the priorities that will get you where you want to be when you reach the finish line. It makes all the difference in this world - and the next.