The devil's ponzi scheme

Treasures are powerful magnets that have a tremendous pull on our lives one way or the other. They are never a neutral force. Our use of our treasures and our attitude toward them will either help or hurt our relationship with God. With treasure there is never any neutral ground. This is what Jesus wants us to understand.

Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Here is the connection between our hearts and our treasure: Our hearts always follow our treasure! “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Our heart follows our treasure so making sure our treasure is in the right place is foundational for how we relate to God.

Our treasure impacts our relationship with God!

Each of us has two investment strategies we can follow with the stuff God has given us and which strategy we choose will determine how connected we are to our Father.

The first investment strategy is that we can invest in ourselves. The mindset of the person who uses their treasure to invest in themselves, their priorities, and their desires without regard for what God might want with their treasures can be described this way: What I have is mine, life is about me, I am the owner of all that I have, I earned it and the focus of my life is on me.

In verse 19, we see what Jesus has to say about investing in ourselves: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

Do you see why Jesus says this is a bad idea? It’s the Bernie Madoff thing. You think you can store it up – that it can provide security – that it can deliver on its promises that it will make you happy and satisfied and fulfilled and you find out that is not true and in the end the treasure box is empty because you can’t take it with you.

Actually, thinking that our stuff can buy us happiness is the Devil’s Ultimate Ponzi Scheme: He wants us to think that our stuff will make us happy, that our stuff will buy us security, that life is about us and our pleasure when in truth his promises are empty promises and all of us have learned one way or another that stuff cannot deliver on its promise.

Have you ever wanted something really, really badly? You thought about it, fantasized about it, dreamed about it and finally the day came and you got it. And a couple of years later you asked yourself what the big deal had been?

For years and years I drove beater cars. Every time I got in my car I wondered what it would be like to have a really nice one. Every Sunday I would drool over the new car ads and finally one day I found the car of my dreams, a brand new white Accra with tan leather seats, six speeds (my son says it goes really fast like 120) sport tires and that awesome new car smell. I was in heaven…for a time. Nine years later I am used to it, I like it but it certainly did not deliver on much life satisfaction. It is only a car! You ever had that happen?

The ponzi scheme of the devil is that our stuff will deliver on life satisfaction when in fact, the more we have the more unsatisfying it is because the more evident it is that our stuff is just stuff. And one day like those who invested with Bernie – it is also all gone.

Jesus has an alternate investment strategy. He says we can invest in God’s Kingdom, verse 20. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.” This is actually an amazing statement because Jesus says, you cannot take your stuff with you but you can send it on ahead of you.

Here is the mindset of those who invest in His kingdom. They see all of what they have as His rather than theirs. They see life as about Him, not me. Rather than owners they see themselves as stewards. Rather than I earned it, they know He gave it. Rather than a focus on me, they have a focus on God and His purposes.

Those are very different world views. The first world view says life is about me so that I will accumulate all that I can, spend all that I can and save all that I can. The second world view says that life is about God so that I will give all that I can, share all that I can and invest everything I can in things that will build His kingdom. These world views are 180 degrees from one another.

How is it that we can store up treasures in heaven with our treasures on earth? Think about this: There are only three things that cross the line from time to eternity. Our own spiritual maturity; the lives we have impacted with the love of Jesus; and the financial investments we have made that helped others find Christ or grow in Christ. Nothing else crosses the line from time to eternity.

But, any treasure that I invest in the expansion of God’s kingdom becomes a treasure that I store up in heaven because it resulted in lives changed and people coming to Christ. You cannot take it with you but you can send it ahead of you. The ponzi scheme of Satan cannot deliver and you lose it all in the end. Invest in God’s kingdom and you live with the investment results for all eternity. Which choice are you making with your treasure?

Why does it matter? Because our heart and life focus follow our investments! Verse 21, “For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also. Remember the two life views? Our treasures are either focused on ourselves or on God’s kingdom and our hearts follow the direction in which we invest our treasures: Self or God. Each of us has one treasure but two investment options. Our hearts will follow the investment option we choose.

Jesus wants us to understand that we cannot be focused in both directions! We are either focused on ourselves or on God’s Kingdom. Where we have our treasures is where our focus goes. Our hearts and life focus follow our investments. Jesus wants us to carefully consider which direction our lives are focused: On ourselves or on God!

Treasures are powerful magnets that have a tremendous pull on our lives one way or the other. They are never a neutral force. Our use of our treasures and our attitude toward them will either help or hurt our relationship with God. With treasure there is never any neutral ground.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Incarnation and the heart of God

There is no more beautiful story than that of the incarnation. We have trivialized the incarnation into a nice holiday season with presents and fancy trees when the reality was stark and harsh.

The Son of God, the one who was present at the creation of the world, the one who mankind rejected to go their own way, the king of the universe, was willingly sent by the Father to become a baby in a squalid town, Bethlehem, to grow up in a working class home making furniture. Think of that, the one who had made the world, the mountains, the seas, the animals and the sky, who put the galaxies in their place is now sawing tables and chairs.

In becoming a man, in taking on our humanity, everything changed in how we could relate to God for in becoming like us and living with us for a season we could touch, hear, learn from and relate to the unapproachable God. The Apostle John put it this way, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Never again could men and women say, “I cannot understand God” for now they had met and can continue to meet the Lord of the universe through the person of Jesus Christ.

When at thirty years old, Jesus started his ministry he was clear about one thing. The only way to the father, the only way to salvation, the only way to know God was through him. He declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6). There are no alternate routes, there are no other spiritual guides, he and he alone is the route to the Father!

This is not politically correct and never has been. If you read the gospels and the life of Paul you discover it was not well accepted in that day either. For the religious officials in Judea, Jesus could not be the awaited Messiah because he came in poverty and died on a cross in shame. For the Greeks and Romans with all their various “new age” type religions including statues to “unknown God’s” (just to stay on the safe side), a savior who died and rose again was nothing less than foolishness on a grand scale.

In our day, Christianity is vilified and marginalized and alternate spiritual routes are explored and embraced no matter that they contradict one another and have no basis for truth. I am intrigued by how quickly people grab on to numerous alternate spiritual routes that have no validation in history and no internal consistency, but only vague and foggy spiritual language but it is believed as truth while Christianity with its historical grounding, Scriptures and internal consistency is rejected as foolishness.

One of the lies of the evil one is that life is about us. There is another lie: that we can choose our path to God – which is a grand lie indeed since it elevates our wisdom above God’s and allows us to create our own God, our own path and our own spirituality. That is a greater lie than the first one because now life is not only about us but we have the ability to determine its destiny.

If Jesus was trying to create a popular religion he failed miserably. God does not appear as a baby, make furniture, live itinerantly without a home, befriend prostitutes and the sick and the poor and sinners. He does not allow himself to be nailed to a cross so that he can bear our sin on his own body, naked, bleeding, diminished and alone. He would not choose twelve followers who would not qualify for anything other than blue collar work and tell them to change the world (which they did). He would not choose ordinary people like us down through the centuries to keep on changing the world – which he does.

Jesus did not come as a religious guru, or to found a popular religion. He came as the Lord of the Universe, took on our bones and flesh and with truth and grace pointed us to himself as the one who could save us from our sin, give hope to the hopeless, heal the sick and lead us into a relationship with the father – through him. And Jesus and the message of the gospel have been transforming individual lives, one at a time ever since. Not in religion but in relationship.

Anyone who is serious about a relationship with Jesus Christ must confront the claim he made that he is the only way to the father. There are no alternate routes. If he is wrong on that he was not God. If he is right on that he is the only God.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

transformative leadership

My colleague Alvin Sanders defines transformative leadership as the ability to convince people to do what they don't naturally do. I think that is a pretty good definition and it is every leader's challenge.

Organizations, including ministries, naturally gravitate toward what is comfortable rather than what is missional and best. It is why it is so easy to slip into an institutional mode, lose one's cutting edge and all the while think that all is well until we wake up one day and realize that we are no longer effective. 

Think for instance of how easy it is in the church to focus on ourselves, fill our lives with programming and activities and to almost ignore the mandate to be salt and light in the world. That comfort zone is reflected by the amazingly low new conversion statistics in most churches. We simply don't have the time or inclination to develop friendships that are genuine outside of the church. Where you do see regular conversions happening you have a transformative leader who has convinced the congregation to do what they don't naturally do! But what God calls them to do.

Or take the issue of dealing with conflict. Most people are conflict avoiders who would rather not deal with relational difficulties. In organizations where there is a Matthew 18 practice (keeping short accounts and dealing with conflict) you have a transformative leader who has convinced the organization to do what it does not naturally do.

Transformative leaders see through a lens of what should be rather than what is and lead their team, division or organization to healthy practices that others often ignore because they are harder, uncomfortable and not what folks naturally do. It is why their staff look different than the average and why their results are better and their culture healthier. 

If you are a leader, are you a transformative leader or one who easily settles for what is comfortable? Jesus was a transformative leader and I believe He desires us to be the same.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Spotting your future leaders is often counterintuitive

Every organization needs good leaders and a leadership bench. Often, however, the very people we need to help us lead in the future are under our nose but we miss them because they are "leaders in the raw" whose behaviors don't look like leadership material today. In fact their behaviors today may cause one to assume that they are not potential leaders. It is counter intuitive but here are some of the traits of your future leaders that should cause you to pay attention.

They have strong opinions
All leaders do. In the case of leaders in the raw however, those opinions have not yet been tempered by diplomacy so those opinions may come off as sounding arrogant or obnoxious. Now some people are arrogant and obnoxious but often what sounds like such is actually a future leader who is yet unpolished.

They have lots of ideas
People with lots of ideas are obviously thinkers. Granted there are people with lots of ideas and no ability to carry them out but it may be that they are on to something and we should pay attention.

They question the status quo
That is what leaders naturally do. This can be threatening to us because they are questioning how we currently do what we do. There is no need to be threatened - and there is reason to pay attention even if some of their analysis may sound naive. Those who question the status quo are often leaders in the making.

They are not afraid to get in your face
Truth is, you may have to get in theirs to talk about attitude or how they express themselves. But the very fact they are willing to go head to head with you is an indication that there may be a leadership gene that does not yet know how to finesse the message.

They are passionate about what they think
Passion is a trait of a leader. They believe deeply and that belief can easily come out in less than helpful ways when they are young. I am not talking about those who are inflexible in their beliefs but those who have a passion around their opinions and actions.

They want to change the world
Those of us who have been around a while know that none of us can change the world. But we can change something in the world for the better. Those who want to change the world when they are young may not know that life is not that simple but we should pay attention to the underlying desire that is expressed.

They attract others to follow them
This is the definition of a leader (whether a good one or not - others are following). Leaders must lead and there is something about them that causes others to follow. 

They have strong personalities
Yep, that is what leaders have. The strength of their personalities when young can be irritating and cause them friction with others but it is a sign that there are deeply held beliefs and passions that lie beneath the surface. Leaders are not shrinking violets after all.

The behaviors of a potential leader or leader in the raw may seem irritating, caustic, arrogant, or cynical to more mature leaders. And, indeed, that is often the case in terms of how they come across. Because they have strong personalities it is often necessary to "get in their face" and talk about how they come across, how they are perceived when they speak passionately and about behaviors that are counter productive. 

None of that, however, should keep you from paying attention, developing them, giving them opportunity to lead something at an appropriate level and to mentor the underlying leadership piece toward greater health and maturity. The very behaviors you may not like today are the ones that you need in a more mature form tomorrow. If you are a leader think of your younger days and you get the drift.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Ten things I wish more ministries understood

Having worked in the ministry arena for many years I have seen a whole spectrum of organizational health from the excellent to the ugly. I am thankful for each organization that is committed to health and focused ministry. On the flip side there are some key things that I wish every ministry understood. I list them below in no particular order.

One: Money is not the answer to everything!
Ministries, unlike business does not have to make a profit, just stay in the black. Because they rely on donation income it is easy to think that they can always get more - that the key to more ministry is more money. Actually, while funds are important, there is never an unlimited pot and it may well be that we could accomplish just as much if not more by doing what we do differently. That is how the rest of the world operates and we should as well.

Two: Size is not the determiner of success
Using the size of a ministry (or church) as the determiner of success is foolish. Large organizations can look impressive but be highly ineffective. The larger one is the more difficult it is to be nimble and flex to meet the missional agenda. I desire an effective organization, not a large organization.

Three: People matter - a lot
Staff are not tools to accomplish our mission. They are the heart of any ministry and we are stewards of their gifts. Too many leaders are so focused on their own agenda that they are willing to use staff for their ends rather than mobile staff toward common ends. There are frankly too many toxic leaders in ministries who disempower and discourage good staff.

Four: Commitments mean something
Our word is our bond and when we promise something we need to keep our promises. For some reason Christian leaders seem to be less concerned about keeping their promises than they should be - all in the name of pushing their mission forward. Ethics and truth matter a whole lot and say a whole lot about an organization. This even means that we pay our bills on time!

Five: Spirituality does not make up for substandard organizational practices
I know Christian organizations that are known for prayer retreats and who talk a lot about following Jesus whose organizational practices would get low marks in the real world. They pay poorly, treat staff poorly, allow toxic leaders to lead and rarely chart a consistent course. Their "spirituality" does not make up for their shoddy organizational practices. It never does. Ministries of all organizations should be committed to the highest degree of excellence.


Six: Faithfulness is not the whole picture
I have talked to many in ministry who would say that faithfulness in doing what they do is the most important thing, irregardless of the results of their work. Often they quote from John 15, where Jesus talks about Him being the vine and we the branches. They are right about the importance of faithfulness and wrong about the importance of fruit. That passage talks about "much fruit." Results matter in all arenas of life including ministry.

Seven: It is OK to transition people out of the organization who do not fit
Many ministries have a sense that they need to be life long employers to those who have been faithful staff members even after those staff member no longer make the kind of contribution they ought to make. This is both poor stewardship for the organization as well as for staff members who are no longer in their lane. Leaders who think this way do neither party any favors. Rather it is an abdication of responsibility to both.

Eight: You have to know who you are and where you are going
Organizational clarity is leadership 101. What has God called us to do; what are our non-negotiables in how we do ministry; what must we focus on day in and day out and what culture must we have in order to fulfill our mission? Many ministries have foggy clarity leading to equally foggy results. Focus matters!

Nine: Senior leaders should always be held accountable
There is a tendency in the ministry world for leaders to have very little accountability for their actions or for the results of the ministry. Yet they hold others accountable and are ultimately responsible for the ministries results. I know many outstanding ministry leaders but I also know of many who frankly don't belong in leadership because they are not stewarding the organization well or are not fulfilling their own role well (after all they have staff to carry the water for them). Accountability always starts at the top.

Ten: Governance boards should ask the hard questions
That is what governance boards do but my experience is that this is rare in the Christian arena. After all we are doing ministry and we assume the best and don't want to be seen as having a business agenda in a ministry world and we gloss over what would never be glosssed over in the secular arena. That is an abdication of the oversight role of a board. If they do not ask the hard questions which sharpen the leader and the organization who will?

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

I want to have a voice but I am not in charge

This is a common issue, especially for staff members who are wired to lead but are not in a place of leadership yet. You see things that could be done better or opportunities that are not being exploited and you want to have a hearing. Sometimes no one is asking your opinion and other times when you  have pressed in you didn't get the hearing you wanted. What do you do?

Being heard in large part depends on how, when and what we choose to address. Let's start with the how. Often when we feel passionate about something we speak equally passionately, even forcefully and with emotion. This is rarely going to get the hearing we desire as leaders don't like to be forced on an issue. In addition, the emotion behind the conversation may cause a leader to feel that one has an agenda. 

Finally, the use of strong language - which leaders in the raw often use - is unlikely to garner a hearing. Leaders are usually willing to listen to a well articulated view that is shared without emotion and which is directed at the health of the team or organization. How we say what we say has a direct impact on how it is heard and responded to.

Then there is the what. It take wisdom to decide whether one should address certain issues. I remember a time when my senior leader was convinced on a course of action that I was sure would end in a disaster. While I had expertise in the area he chose not to ask me what I thought and I chose to not interject believing that he was not going to hear me anyway. 

The upshot was a loss of 1 million dollars over a year's course at which time he came to me and asked me to fix the area in question and eventually lead it. Had I pressed in when I could have I would not have been heard. Eventually I was heard and had the opportunity to redesign the whole division. Even when we believe we are right, there are times that it is not worth the capital expended in addressing, especially if we perceive we will not be heard.

Which leads us to the when. Again this is a wisdom question. Leaders are busy people with many issues on their minds. While what is on our minds is important to us, it may not rise to the importance in the mind of a leader. Look for an opportunity where it is possible to have a conversation in a natural and relaxed way rather than trying to press in on an already busy mind.

In addition, no matter where we are in the organization we can model excellence in our work, probity in our conversation and wisdom in our decisions - all of which give us influence when speaking to issues. 

As a young leader who wanted a voice but did not have the position, I learned the hard way on these three principles. Some I handled well and some not but keeping the how, when and what will give you a much greater voice from whatever chair you fill in the organization.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

When leaders themselves become the barrier to effectiveness

Ministries often find themselves plateaued and unable to break through that barrier. There are many factors that can be in play but one of the common factors is the senior leader himself or herself. The larger the organization the more disciplined a leader must be if they desire to see that organization grow and become more fruitful and effective.

Leaders often lead out of a personal style without much thought to how that style impacts their organization. I was once called in to do a church consult with a church of around 500. The pastor was highly relational and a great speaker but operated by the seat of his pants in terms of management style. That frustrated his staff who didn't know where he was or what he was doing. In addition, they felt neglected as he didn't provide them with clear guidelines for what he wanted and often micromanaged or changed what they had done.

His board, made up of retired professional folks - former CEO's and corporate types were frustrated by what they perceived as a lack of organization - they were right.

When I shared the frustrations of his staff and board with the senior pastor his come back was "well that is who I am." All true. But what I told him was that if he continued to do life as he was that he would be the barrier to the growth of the church, he would lose key staff and he would face frustrations with his board. If he wanted to take the church to the next level of growth he needed to change how he led. Or, he could grow another church to the five hundred mark doing life as he currently did (although again he would frustrate his staff in the process).

My friend chose to modify his life and leadership with the help of an executive coach.

This scenario is a common one and it explains why many churches will grow steadily and then growth stops. It has met the leadership ceiling of the senior leader - and unless the senior leader changes his leadership priorities to reflect the size of the church, the church will remain plateaued. It often takes an outside coach or consultant to help a leader understand how they can modify their leadership to take the church to the next level.

There are some principles that are fairly constant in this regard.

Focus matters. The larger the church or organization the fewer things a senior leader focuses on and they are disciplined in that focus. In my role, I have focused in on only four key areas that are critical for me to do. Everything else can and is done by others. Getting the focus right and being disciplined in keeping focused is a rare but critical component.

Clarity matters. The larger the church or organization the more clarity matter because the senior leader cannot provide individual clarity to staff or volunteers. There must be organizational clarity so that everyone knows what the the boundaries are and what the missional goals are. Lack of clarity actually becomes a barrier to additional growth.

Staff matters. The larger the church or organization the more critical it is to have the most competent staff possible because the senior leader does not have the time to manage key staff. This means that senior leaders must hire people more competent than themselves in their area of ministry and then delegate and trust those staff to deliver in their area. On this score there is another principle. The larger the church the fewer direct reports the senior leader has. I have three - in an organization of 550! This is not always easy for senior staff to accept but it is a critical part of the focus of senior leaders.

Results matter. The larger the church or organization the more critical it is for the senior leader to focus on results rather than activity. Everyone is busy but not everyone sees the same results. The question is whether we are focused on results or activity! They are not the same thing.

Here is the bottom line. Bright people can take an organization to a certain level on the strength of their energy, ideas, personality or gifts. But they will hit a leadership ceiling where key disciplines of leadership either are embraced or the organization will not continue to grow. That is where the hard work begins! What a leader does at that juncture will determine whether they help their organization break through the growth barrier or live at the barrier.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Living the gospel every day

So often we forget: The gospel is not only that which brought us to Jesus but it is that which sustains us on a daily basis. We have two daily needs - to preach the gospel to ourselves and to live out the gospel - every day.

What do we need to preach to ourselves daily? That the Father forgives our sin, accepts us fully, loves us unconditionally, empowers us with His Spirit and that we can rest in His presence as ones who He sees through Jesus as holy in His sight. We have no need to prove ourselves to God or to win his favor. We have His favor and all the benefits of our redemption - Ephesians 1 and 2 are a great reminder. 

Why do we need to be reminded to live out the Gospel daily? Because there is no arena of life that is exempt from being lived in light of the Gospel that has changed us. Every relationship, thought, decision, relationship, interaction, conversation, choice - all of life is to be lived in light of the Gospel and the new life we have been called to in the Kingdom.

Try praying this simple prayer each morning. "Jesus, remind me constantly of your love, presence, forgiveness and empowerment. And help me today to live out the Gospel in all that I do and say and think."

How different our world would be if all of His people lived out the Gospel daily in all the circles of people and influence they have. The Gospel is meant to touch all of our life and it is meant to touch all those we come into contact with. To say it another way, we are to be Jesus to all those we come into contact with. 

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Never Forget

Every December 4 through January 14 since 2007 I daily read the blog www.reachtj.blogspot.com as a remembrance to the hope we have in Jesus and the grace that he extends so freely to us. The blog is the account of my 42 day hospital stay from which I never should have survived - but God gave my family hope and He extended to me  the grace of an extension of life for which I am eternally grateful. 

The battle between life and death started on December 4 when I entered the hospital unable to breath. They quickly determined that I was in congestive heart failure and had massive pneumonia and a huge pleural effusion (a collection of fluid in the wall of the lung-like having a liter of pop stuck inside your lung wall). What they would not know for a week was that it was MRSA  or Methicyllin resistant staphylococcus aureas- a "super bug" pneumonia. This would lead to septic shock, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a failed mitral valve in my heart, high fevers that required ice cooling jackets, the shutting down of some of my organs, heartbeats of 220 or higher without the ability to shock my heart back into rhythm - all this while I was in a coma and on a ventilator. On a number of occasions the doctors gathered the family to prepare them for my imminent death.

Amazingly God gave my wife, Mary Ann, hope two days into this ordeal. Two days later was the day that I told her I believed I was going to die. It was the day that they would put me on a ventilator from which I should not have woken up alive. It was the day that I could barely breath as I felt I was drowning in my own fluids. But two days before that day as she sat by me bed she asked Jesus, "How should I pray?" And God replied in an audible voice (to her), "It will be very close, but T.J. will live." A voice of hope when there was no human hope. A voice of hope that she clung to during the next weeks of a life and death struggle. When the doctors gently told the family there was no hope she stood on the hope God had given her. She was a rock of faith as were my sons Jon and Chip who walked through the dark days with her and became men in the process. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to the love and perseverance of Mary Ann, Jon and Chip!

Our family experienced amazing grace during and after those days. Our prayer partners came to pray and love on the family. Friends gathered around and sheltered them in their love. And time and again, God gave His grace when it was needed. One night as my youngest sister was standing by my bed angry with God tired and discouraged, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Immediately she knew that it was going to be OK whether I lived or I died. She turned to see who was there but there was no one. She knew she had been touched by God or an angelic being. On another day, a nurse came in tears to Mary Ann and said through tears, "I was just in T.J.'s room and God gave me a vision of him alive and well!"

People often ask me what I remember from my coma. Only one thing. I knew that my lungs were ruined but that God had a set of perfectly healthy lungs for me. That was the Spirit's encouragement to me when I was deeply sick and unable to process what was going on. Another blessing!

Most of all we were blessed through the thousands who prayed for God to do something miraculous and extraordinary. It is the faith and prayers of thousands around the world whom God answered in His sovereignty in choosing to heal my broken heart, clear my lungs, defeat MRSA, septic shock, cool the fevers until the day I walked out of the hospital on January 14, a product of His grace.

God gives us hope in all situations and His grace is with us always. Think back to the situations you have been in where He has shown you His hope and His grace and never forget. Never forget! It is His grace that sustains us day to day, it is His hope that walks with us through the dark nights of the soul that we all experience. Someone asked me, "How do you remember?" One of the ways I remember is to read the blog put up for me daily from December 4 to January 14. It is a month of remembrance for me.  I will follow that practice until I see Jesus face to face and can thank Him in person. 

I am a walking billboard of God's hope and grace. So are you. Never forget. Always live in thanks for His hope and grace. 

http://www.reachtj.blogspot.com/

When elephants fight the grass gets trampled

It is a saying from Congo, and it is about what happens when leaders get into disputes with one another. Who gets hurt when leaders fight? The people they are supposed to be leading are nowhere more evident than when there is conflict among leaders in the local church.

Divided congregations almost always reflect split boards and/or staff. Fractures in leadership will spill over into the church body. It may take time, but it will happen. And it can be from dysfunction among staff or boards.

In one situation where I provided counsel, a large church exploded when the senior staff's fractures became public. It was hidden for years, but when it finally came into the light, sides were taken, offenses were taken on, and the result was a competing church started, others leaving in discouragement and what will be years of healing ahead. When elephants fight, the grass gets trampled.

It is no different when there is ongoing tension between the senior pastor and the board, and it can be the fault of either party. Those tensions do not go unnoticed in the congregation because people can read attitudes, words spoken, and words not spoken. Given enough time, those divides become more extensive and more challenging to heal, and eventually, the conflict escalates, and who gets hurt in the process? Members of the congregation who had nothing to do with the issues, who have little context for what happened but who got trampled in the process. When elephants fight, the grass gets trampled.

This is why it is so critical in the local church to have unity, clarity, alignment, and healthy relationships between leaders. It does not mean that they cannot disagree, but it does mean that they know how to disagree agreeably and guard the spiritual climate of the congregation. When leaders fight, someone gets hurt. It is also essential to have a board and staff covenant that spells out how members work together in health rather than dishealth. 

Don't allow the grass to be trampled in your church!

Ambition and ministry

Ambition is a truly delicate issue for those of us who are in full time professional ministry. In fact, I believe it can be perilous and at the root of much ministry dysfunction, but more about that later. First, by ambition I am not speaking about:

• Wanting to use our gifts to their fullest. After all they were given to us by God to be used fully for him.
• Wanting to have the greatest influence for God that we can within the arenas He has given us. Of course that is the catch - within the arenas He has given rather than the ones we try to manufacture for ourselves.
• Being available to God for any assignment He may have for us. But they are His assignments not ours.

Given that caveat I would suggest that ambition as the world uses the term - to get ahead, achieve success, grow something big, make a name for ourselves and grasp the gold ring are incompatible with those in ministry. In fact, I can give story after story of ministry leaders driven by the their personal ambition and ego that have ended up not only hurting themselves but their ministries and the people they leave in the wake of their own ambitions. 

At its worst, ambition becomes narcissism and there are plenty of narcissistic leaders in the Christian arena: more so I suspect than in the secular arena. I have seen any number of Christian leaders create carnage in the wake of their ambition and then go on to do it again and again. Using a veneer of spirituality it is possible to really about furthering our own life ambitions and advancement.

Why are these incompatible with leading ministry? Because they are far more about us than they are about Him. In fact, it is possible to use ministry as a means of self advancement rather than for the advancement of His kingdom. Any of us in full time ministry know that and deal with the internal struggle on an ongoing basis. If we don't we should!

Contrast that kind of ambition that has self very much at the center with the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John that he simply does and says what the Father has told him to do and to say. Certainly Jesus was not out to make a name for himself (even being God)  but was only concerned about the name of the Father and glorifying His Father. 

Or think about Paul whose ambition was to know Christ and to make Him known (Philippians). In fact, contrast Paul's lack of personal ambition with the ambition of the pseudo apostles in 1 Corinthians who held themselves up against Paul. Their concern was their reputation, lifestyle and standing while Paul says in his defense that he came with trembling and trepidation to preach of Christ and Him crucified. 

These are perhaps important correctives to the celebrity leadership culture we find in the Christian church today. We celebrate superstars and public Christian leaders who lead large ministries as if that is kingdom success. It is no more kingdom success than the pastor who serves his church of 150 with humility and faithfulness. It is all a question of motivation as well as how we define success. And whether our driving ambition is for ourselves or for Jesus and His reputation.

I believe all of us in full time ministry need to grapple with the following questions on an ongoing basis.

• Am I comfortable and OK with the role He has called me to play in His service today? If he were to have me play this role for the rest of my life would I be OK with that?
• Do I believe that it is He who elevates us to larger ministry platforms or do I need to seek that elevation myself?
• Am I maximizing my gifts and influence today with the platform He has given me or am I longing for something different?
• Is my ministry more about me or more about Him? 
• What is my definition of ministry success and does that definition square with the Scriptures?
• How much of my personal definition of success and self worth is driven by the definitions of success around me in my culture?

I am always struck by the life of Moses. When he was forty and thought he was something God could not use him. When he was eighty and didn't think he was qualified God chose Him for the one of the greatest leadership assignments in redemptive history. Moses got it right. Do we?

In loving memory

Our most faithful dog Starbucks passed from this earth this past week after eleven years of faithful friendship at the Addington home. God send her to us at just the right time and she was bar none the best pet one could have.

We often take for granted the richness of God's gifts to us. Starbucks was one of those gifts. No matter how stressful our day, she was always there wagging her tail (I love you), giving small licks (give me some love) and wanting to be with us wherever we were (please let me snuggle with you). Every day she would welcome me home at the same place at the top of the stairs and if I had been gone for weeks it did not seem to matter in the least. Ever forgiving for all slights she waited for another chance to wag her tail and express her love. Many early morning blogs were written with her next to me on the couch.

Today there is a strange emptiness in the home and in a corner of our bedroom where she kept faithful watch over her "charges." She walked with our family through a decade of life and change: kids going to college, two near fatal illnesses, a job change and all the mundane stuff that makes up life but which she brought greater richness to.

Ironically, given what I blog on she was a very self defined dog. She knew what she wanted and was never shy to seek to get it. If she wanted something she would sit and give one an intent stare for as long as it took for us to figure out what we were supposed to know and do. If we got it wrong she moved not an inch. I suspect she felt we were hard to train. And like her owners she did not easily change her mind. We will forever remember her and appreciate what she brought to our lives. Another gift from a loving God whose creation is amazing.

I am so very thankful

Dear Father:

I have so much to be thankful for this year. Every perfect gift comes from you. You are the source of my hope, the ever present help in trouble, the One who has walked with me through every joy and sorrow I have experienced. You are my rock, my salvation, my savior, my hope, my forgiver and everything I have. You are the great I am!

I thank you my family - all of them and how they enrich my life and challenge me.

I thank you for my Christian family who walk through life with me - fellow pilgrims on the journey.

I thank you for my friends for life who know me for who I am and still love me deeply. Examples of You and Your love.

I thank you for the friends I have seen leave this earth this year who I will one day see again with You. They are examples to me and were Jesus to me.

I thank you for meeting the needs I have. My daily bread is your gift. All that I have is from You and is Your provision.

I thank you for being with me through difficult times. The pain is often real but your presence is even more real.

I am thankful for the disappointments I have encountered this year for they give me the opportunity to trust You.

I thank you for hope. Hope for tomorrow, next week, next month and next year and hope for eternity with You and experience your grace and provision in their midst.

I thank you for the incarnation so that I can know you through Jesus in so real a way. Your visitation to this earth changed my life forever.

I thank you for grace and forgiveness. I need it so very much every day and You are always there and always faithful.

On this Thanksgiving day I simply thank You. You are my greatest gift on every day. 

What keeps you awake at night?

What keeps you up at night or wakes you up and prevents you from going back to sleep?

Often the Holy Spirit wants us to pray for a specific issue in our lives or in the lives of others. It is amazing how often God wakes us up at a specific time to pray for a specific need for someone we may know. During one long hospitalization of my own, people reported on the blog that the Holy Spirit kept waking them up at 3:00am in the morning. Because those came in from around the globe, God literally raised up a 24 hour prayer covering at 3:00am in the morning.

There is another reason we may wake up.

My experience is that we can avoid issues that the Holy Spirit wants to get our attention on with our schedules and busyness. But one cannot avoid the night. When He chooses to get our attention at night, when we wake up, there is no place to hide and we face ourselves more candidly than we sometimes want to.

Most of us are very good at avoiding areas of life where we need spiritual renovation. It is not comfortable to peel away layers of our lives that we know deep down are not healthy. It is far easier to ignore areas of dishealth than to admit that they exist and that we need to deal with them. But the Holy Spirit does not let us off that easy because He wants us to be whole, healthy and spiritually alive. And one of His strategies is to gently encourage us to face ourselves - often in the middle of the night when our distractions are at a minimum - and we have nowhere to hide.

Often our busyness is a strategy to hide from issues and closets in our life that need urgent attention but we would rather not face.

Whether it is a situation we struggle with or an area of our lives that needs attention, those issues that wake us up and keep us up are areas that we need to press into with intentionality.

If it keeps you awake, pay attention. It will help you get to sleep!

Low organizational EQ and its impact on staff

Here is an interesting question: Do organizations have a corporate EQ? I firmly believe the answer is yes and it is the sum of the EQ of its leadership and staff. Poor EQ in an organization leads to poor decision making and acceptance of behaviors which would not be permitted in a healthier organization.

A reader of this blog recently wrote me about an organization he had worked for and made this statement which goes to the heart of the issue: "So often there is just wholesale action with so little consideration of the effect. The EQ of the whole organization is unbelievably low." Notice the connection here between wholesale action, lack of consideration of the impact and low EQ within the organization as a whole. 

What are some of the signs of poor organizational EQ? One of them is allowing staff to stay in place even when they create relational chaos around them. I have seen ministries suffer significantly because of one highly dysfunctional leader who created chaos for those who worked for him but was protected by those above him. 

Organizations with low EQ often lack the ability to talk about the elephants in their midst. Thus even when significant issues are present those impacted by the dysfunction do not have the ability to talk to and be heard by those who could deal with it. One of the key signs of poor EQ is the inability to handle conflict: talk about it, deal with it and resolve it. The more organizational elephants there are the lower the organizational EQ.

Making decisions without thinking through the ramifications is another sign of poor organizational EQ. Have you ever watched a ministry make a series of sweeping changes that made no sense and had major unforeseen (by them) consequences? People with good EQ think through the ramifications of what they do with great care and solicit the input of those who can give good counsel. They are rarely caught unawares of the consequences of their decisions. Those with poor EQ tend to make decisions without adequate thought and get caught in the backdraft of those decisions.

Poor EQ also keeps organizations from admitting when they are wrong just as it keeps individuals from the same. When bad things go wrong there are two ways out for ministries with poor EQ. The first is to spin the situation the best they can which often lacks key elements of truth. The second is to spiritualize the situation and play the "God card." "God is leading us to do such and such" which sounds great but is often more about not solving problems earlier and now needing to spin the outcome. God gets blamed for a lot of bad decisions by ministries! 

Spirituality is not necessarily a sign of good EQ.  Sometimes it simply gives a veneer of spirituality to an otherwise toxic workplace. In my experience there are few things that create greater cynicism than poor EQ covered with a veneer of spirituality by leaders.

Truth is a sign of good organizational EQ while spin is a sign of poor EQ. Ironically people usually see through the spin and the only ones fooled are the individuals (leaders) who are creating the spin.

A key indicator of good or poor EQ in individuals is how they treat those around them. The same is true with ministries and organizations. Poor treatment of people internally and externally is a sign of poor EQ. It may be in not protecting them from toxic leaders, in not keeping their commitments, in not dealing with problems which then leave staff or others vulnerable or poorly managed transitions that leave people hurt. 

Those who work for ministries with poor EQ pay a high price, as do those from the outside who also get caught in the dysfunction. It is a sad but not uncommon scenario. If you are in such a situation and find it "crazy making" don't be fooled that it is you who is responsible. You may well be working in an unhealthy environment where the organizational EQ is creating chaos and dishealth. 

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

The ten top traits I look for in leaders

Leaders come with many different kinds of wiring and lead with varied styles. I celebrate those differences. When hiring or promoting, I care much about how a person leads but I care even more about what lies behind their leadership. There are ten traits that I look for in leaders that are for the most part personal traits that spill over into how they lead.

A Kingdom heart
In ministry settings a kingdom heart is crucial. Our leadership is not about ourselves but about Jesus and what He wants to accomplish on this earth. A kingdom heart is one that understands we are not building something for ourselves but for Him.

Humble
Humble leaders can focus on others and the mission because they are not building a kingdom for themselves. Humble leaders have the capacity to live and lead with personal transparency and have a "nothing to prove and nothing to lose" attitude. They are open and non-defensive when challenged.

Intentional
There are two ways one can live: intentionally or accidentally. The best leaders understand how God has wired them, what He has called them to do (and not do) and organize their lives around the most important rather than simply responding to life. Everything about their priorities and time management is intentional and focused.

Clarity
Clarity is required for intentional living. Clarity about how God has gifted and wired us, clarity in our leadership priorities and organizational clarity all contribute to the ability to be deeply intentional. 

Accountable
Those who lead others and expect them to be accountable must be accountable themselves. To lead one must be willing to follow! Lack of accountability is about hubris while accountability is about humility and a healthy commitment to health. This includes accountability for results

Reflective
The best leaders are deeply reflective people: about themselves, others, the organization, methodology and life in general. They are thinkers rather than simply doers. Their actions come out of thinking and reflection rather than simply responding to events around them. They are thinking, reflective practitioners.

Inquisitive
The best leaders are deeply inquisitive, always asking questions, probing people in their organization and in others, desirous of learning and growing. They ask the question "why" often and don't assume that conventional wisdom is always wisdom. 

Team focused
Healthy organizations are formed around teams that work synergistically together under good leadership with accountability for results. Thus leaders must be willing to work with and through team rather than working independently.

Generous
Leaders give themselves away to help others be successful and the organization reach its objectives. They are servants to those they lead and understand that it is as others succeed that they succeed. Thus they mentor, coach and help others grow with a generous spirit.

Healthy EQ
Unhealthy EQ is the greatest killer of leadership as it creates relational chaos in its wake. No matter how brilliant an individual is, if there are EQ issues, they will not end up on one of our teams. Healthy EQ, on the other hand builds healthy relationships which leads to healthy collaboration and the building of healthy teams.

TJ Addington of Addington Consulting has a passion to help individuals and organizations maximize their impact and go to the next level of effectiveness. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com.

Challenging the status quo

It is easy to be a part of the pack going in the same direction, content with the status quo and believing in conventional wisdom. It is far harder to question the status quo and to believe that conventional wisdom is definitely conventional but rarely wisdom.

I am drawn to those who challenge the status quo rather than join it, who question conventional wisdom rather than blindly buy into it and who are willing to risk new ways in order to better fulfill God's purposes. If I am going to follow anyone, it will usually be those that don't follow the crowd.

Consider:

Conventional wisdom says that if you can convince people to live a certain way, with certain habits that they will become like Jesus. Yet the church has miserably failed with performance based Christianity and has not seen significant spiritual transformation take place among its people. Now, wise leaders are asking the question, how do we get to transformation of the heart rather than settle for conformity of the life.

Conventional wisdom says you need to dumb down the gospel if you are going to grow a church. Gospel light sells. Yet, some of the fastest growing churches are full of people who actually want to know what God says in his Word and they preach it boldly. Which produces the more mature believers?

Conventional wisdom says that missionaries should not give those they minister too too much responsibility too soon. They might mess something up. Yet, some missionaries follow the example of Paul and develop, empower and release new believers into ministry quickly. Which produces more fruit?

Conventional wisdom says that a church must program for everything and everyone and in a multitude of options, it will flourish. Yet many very large churches keep it very simple so they do the key things that help people grow and then give people time to be involve in ministry outside of the church. These often have far more influence for Christ than those who program aggressively.

Conventional wisdom says that we ought to do all that we can do to create and fill ministry slots in the church so that everyone is using their gifts. Of course we often totally ignore wiring and gifting when filling those slots - and we please the evil one by tying up our congregations inside the four walls of our church where they will be relatively ineffective at reaching the community.

Yet, those rare churches that focus on helping people do ministry in line with their gifting and wiring and to use them where God has actually put them six days a week see amazing things happen. In resisting the temptation to make ministry about the church they release people into ministry exactly where God wanted them to be to the chagrin of the evil one.

Conventional wisdom says that to be successful a church must be edgy in its worship. Yet, congregations that give options find that all kinds of people participate because they find a worship style that works well for them.

Remember conventional wisdom is always conventional. It is often not wisdom. Rather than simply following the crowd in ministry, ask yourself if there is another way that might produce even better results? Ask what the underlying assumptions are of the conventional way. Ask what the alternatives might be. Ministry pace setters do not live by conventional wisdom. They know it is often not wisdom at all.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Fraud thriving in US churches but you wouldn't know it

Does your church have adequate safeguards against financial fraud? Forbes Magazine has an article on this topic that is worth reading if you are a church leader. 

Fraud thriving in US churches but you wouldn't know it

For the gold standard of financial accountability, visit the ECFA site. They have multiple tools and information on ethical and safe financial practices for ministries.

Cling tighter, even if just for a moment

Guest Blog by Chip (Steven) Addington, my son, who just returned from a trip to Haiti with the ministry Healing Haiti.

On my first full day In Haiti we went to an orphanage for developmentally or physically disabled kids. Our job was to take several of them to a local hotel pool and help them with water therapy. Really just a chance for them to stretch their limbs, and be out of the orphanage. The kids couldn't walk so this is some of their only exercise.

When we arrived at the orphanage and met the kiddos we would be helping at the pool, someone handed me a little boy, and he clung to me. A little guy named Maxum, he was completely blind until an operation few months  ago, and still can't see much. He has severe mental challenges, he can't speak, and can't understand much speech. He was put Into my arms and there he clung for the next couple of hours.

He is the sweetest little kid. His only communication are smiles or little fits and cries, hugs and little kisses when you hold him. He loved the pool, just floated around with me and grinned as I tossed him up in the air. For the last hour all he wanted was to be held and hugged, he cried when I handed him off, while I went to the bathroom. So I just held him, and let him cling to me, and I to him.

Little Maxum like all the kids at that orphanage were abandoned, some fished out of trash piles. As soon as Maxum was placed in my arms, and as soon as I felt him take a breath and wrap tightly around my neck, I thought "my God I would die for protect this kid" so fast was my love for him. Especially knowing he had been abandoned. As we drove to the pool in the caged back of a truck, every bump made me clutch him tighter. Making sure he wouldn't hit his head or strain his neck. I had to remind myself to hold loosely enough for him to breath.

When ever he clung tighter I would do the same, trying to tell him in the only language he seemed to know that he he was safe and loved. His intense little squeezes would only last a moment. A second of energy expended that gave me the power to hold him close for another hour.

My instinct and desire to keep this child safe and to hold him tightly, shielding him from the world around came on in seconds. I knew I only had him for a couple of hours.

Imagine now how God feels for you. Someone he crafted with great care and toil. A child he knows to the very core, for all of eternity. A person he has traveled with and felt every pain they have.

How much tighter must He be holding you.

Cling tighter, he will feel it, even if it's just for a second. and he will do the same.

the ten dysfunctions of missions in the local church

I have written extensively on the topic of missions - in large part because I am a missions leader (ReachGlobal). The mission world is going through a period of major and needed change and it is my conviction that this must also happen with the mission committees or ministries in the local church. The following are my version of the ten dysfunctions of missions in the local church.

Not having a coherent plan
In many congregations, missions is a collection of people supported, places visited with short term teams or projects that while all nice are not designed to fit into an overall strategy or ministry plan. We do not run other church ministries this way and we should not run missions this way. 

Not connecting mission efforts to the overall ministry of the local church
Mission efforts are often the most isolated and siloed of the ministries in the local church. In fact, missions should be integrated into the overall mission of the church with its ministry philosophy and focus. It should not be an addendum to other ministry efforts but be in alignment with them.

Supporting missionaries you would not hire all things being equal
Don't support people that you would not hire in your own setting if there was an appropriate job for them. Just because someone has a "call" to go the the mission field does not mean that you are "called" to support them. Mission dollars are precious: use them wisely.

Living in the past
Missions has radically changed as the world has changed. The typical missionary today is not the guy in a pith helmet living in the jungle but more likely to be living in a large city somewhere in the world and the world moves to the city. Their primary job is often not hands on evangelism or discipleship (other than what all of us are called to do) but equipping national believers to do what they can do better than we can. 

Not differentiating between strategies of addition and multiplication
The last dysfunction applies here. Many mission committees don't understand that strategies of multiplication on the mission field look different than strategies of addition. It is critical to understand that ministries of multiplication - where national leaders are being equipped and supported will yield far more ministry results. 

Assuming that there is no longer a need for western missionaries
The great commission is a call for the church to go - until the end of the age. The moment we stop sending people and only send money is the day when we abandon the call of God on the church. While the job of missionaries has changed in the globalized world the need for missionaries from all people to all people has not and will not change until Jesus returns.

Misunderstanding of the economics
"I cannot believe what it costs to send missionaries" is often heard when churches see support schedules. What they forget is that their own staff have many "hidden costs" in benefits, support staff and the largest one of all, expensive facilities. When missionaries raise support there are not hidden costs as they must raise funds for travel, living costs, retirement, ministry costs and salary. It is all in the open and often actually cheaper then the staff in local churches when you build in the costs that are hidden above.

Devaluing leaders on the mission field
"We won't support you because you are not doing real mission work but leadership." Really? Can you imagine staff in the local church not having leadership? Mission efforts are important enough to be strategic, focused and targeted and that requires good leadership. Leaders actually maximize ministry results and are worth every dollar invested.

Unwillingness to support administrative staff on the field
Similar to the last dysfunction, this one says we won't support you because you are doing administration or teaching or supporting the other staff on the field. Not only do we not say that in our own context but it takes even more support internationally when one is dealing with the issues of living cross culturally, often in hard circumstances. It is the support staff that make it possible for other staff to be on the field.

Redefining missions
There is a dangerous tendency today to redefine missions around things other than the core mission of the great commission to see disciples made and churches planted. Missions should always be holistic as Jesus was but at the core and center must be the Gospel and the local church which is God's chosen instrument to reach the world.

For other key blogs on missions, see Top Mission Blogs: Getting to strategic mission strategies

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Leading by modeling

We often think of leading by telling and certainly leaders share, dialogue and sometimes tell. However, we often underestimate the power of what we model on a day to day basis. 

There was a reason that Jesus lived and ministered with His disciples. In doing so they experienced Him, observed Him, saw His interactions which often surprised them (sinners, Samaritans) and watched His dependence on the father. They did not know Him to be from the Father simply because He said He was. Rather they knew because they saw the evidence in His life.

Staff, family and friends watch us before they listen to us. In fact, much of the cynicism around Christianity and leaders comes from the fact that how we live does not match the words we use. Our lives are far more powerful than our words although both are necessary. Our words are authenticated by our lives.

Live the talk. Doing so brings influence with those around us. It is why Paul told Timothy to watch his life and doctrine carefully. One without the other is not authentic. When both are present it is a powerful combination.

When there is fear in your organization

Fear in any organization is a sign that there is an issue that needs to be addressed. It could be over a changing marketplace that has put people's jobs in jeopardy, a manager who takes retaliation on those who choose to tell them what they think (yes it happens in ministry as well), a product launch that didn't go well or a department that has a toxic environment. Whatever it is, where there is fear there is an issue that needs to be addressed by leaders. It happens in ministries and the secular workplace.

The cause of the fear may not seem rational to leadership but that does not mean that the issue does not need to be addressed. Often fear is the result of anticipated organizational changes or a known issue that raises feelings of uncertainty for staff. Leaders forget that they know more than their staff and have context for what is happening while staff often do not. Whether it feels rational or not to leaders, fear is something that needs to be addressed.

Leaders cannot always say everything they know but they should be as candid as they can be in addressing the source of fear where it exists. People respond well to candor and a discussion on even difficult issues a business or ministry is dealing with. They trust candid leaders while those who withhold information are less trusted. "Just tell us what it is and we will deal with it" is the desire of most staff.

Of course, if the fear comes from a dysfunctional leader and their behavior that dysfunction needs to be addressed at its source. Again there may be a need for a candid conversation with those involved and an apology by a staff member who has caused the issue.

When there is fear: Don't ignore it; be candid about the issues that have caused it and if necessary deal with leaders whose behavior brings fear with them. Fear is a symptom of something that needs to be addressed.

Seven Ways to kill ideas and innovation

It is not hard to kill new ideas or even the willingness to share them. Think of these seven responses that are guaranteed to shut down such discussion.

• "That is the dumbest idea I have ever heard!"
• "We have never done anything like that before."
• Body language that says, "You have to be kidding."
• "I will think about it" - and that is the end of it.
• Ignore it
• "That will never work."
• "Leader such and such will never go for that."

There is hardly an invention in history that someone in the process didn't think was a really dumb idea. Every organization has an ethos that either welcomes new ideas or resists them. Which represents the place where you work? 

This matters because change, ideas and innovation are essential to ministry success - or in any other arena. As the context of our world changes, our strategies must also change even though our core mission does not. Lack of flexibility brings with it a withering of effectiveness. 

If you are a leader, do you invite and encourage ideas and innovation? How many innovative ideas have been initiated in your organization in the last 36 months?

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Do you own your decisions?

One might be tempted to answer that question with an automatic yes but not so fast. Owning our decisions means that we also own the implications of our decisions for others along with whatever consequences of that decision are.

Whenever our decisions impact others around us it is critical to ensure that they understand what we are thinking, doing and deciding and that we have taken their concerns and the impact on their lives into account. I only truly own my decisions when I am willing to take responsibility for how those decisions impact others. When I ignore the impact on others I am not taking true responsibility for my decisions.

Decisions also have consequences. Sometimes they are all good but sometimes they have unintended consequences that we had not considered. It is easy when something goes wrong from a decision we made to blame others or imply that we were not fully responsible for what happened or the decision made. We are currently watching this play out in the political arena over Obama Care. 

We own our decisions when we take responsibility for the consequences of that decision. Sometimes that means we must clean up unintended consequences, admit we had not anticipated something or even rescind the decision. But whatever we do, we take personal responsibility and do not blame others or circumstances for what happened. It is the right thing to do and it is a mark of an ethical individual.