Friendliness tops the list

A very helpful question every church should be asking is "What's working, and how can we do more of it?" (Chip and Dan Heath suggest this rather than focusing on what is not working.)  That makes sense to me.  Of course, we want some level of competence in a lot of areas, but it's great to be a Living Legend in at least one area.

Let me tell you what our guests see as something that's "working" at Wesley UMC: Friendliness.  The first and second time guests who fill out a little survey we send them, and folks who join our church, telling us why they stayed, usually include the words "friendly" or "welcoming" in their reasons. The truth is that these days, there's almost nothing that a church would rather have "working" than friendliness.

Gary Macintosh and Charles Arn have recently been asking people who had visited a church for the first time to name the most important impression they took away.  The leading answer was "the friendliness of the people."  Denominations, facilities, preaching, and music all took a back seat to friendliness as the thing that impressed people most.

Thanks so much folks.  Your friendliness is helping to win souls for Christ.  We already have a great, and well deserved reputation for our music program and Service to the community. Thank you for putting friendliness right there at the top of the list.

The Simple Difficulty of Being a lead pastor

This article contains a summary by Patrick Lencioni of the 5 temptations and corrective actions from his book "The Five Temptations of a CEO."  The book can easily be applied by pastors, particularly senior pastors who work with staff.  Staff leadership has been one of the ongoing issues of my ministry with mostly positive results, but some frustrations that could be dealt with if I could avoid the temptations I am prone to.   I can often hire well, and give people freedom to flourish, but struggle in some ways.

The Simple Difficulty of Being a CEO pdf free ebook download from ww.tablegroup.com

For instance, I think I have sometimes failed to encourage a little productive conflict in the interest of getting all the best ideas on the table.  I have also, at times, retreated to take comfort in personal success, such as prestige of appointment or salary (or retreated to  wallow in frustration over a lack of these success markers).''

Requesting to leave my last appointment, which carried some prestige with it, I recognized that for the good of that ministry I needed to step away.  It was also for my personal and family good.  As it happened, I received another "good" appointment, which has been great for me and family in so many ways.  Here, I must mentally and emotionally tie my success to progress as a congregation.

 I have been willing to move forward without having a "perfect" plan (since such things don't exist, outside of God's plan for us.) I have struggled in holding people accountable, but I think this has had as much to do with not having a process as not being willing to.

At the end of the day, being a lead pastor (CEO in the book) is really quite simple - not in the sense of being easy, but in the sense of not being complicated.  The solution is not to focus on succeeding in avoiding the 5 temptations, but in keeping the temptations on the table, admitting to the struggles and having the benefit of the team.

Big Hairy Audacious Goal

August 8, 2012      Big Hairy Audacious Goal          Judges 7-11

Scripture. The Lord said to Gideon: “You have too many people on your side. If I were to hand Midian over to them, the Israelites might claim credit for themselves rather than for me, thinking, We saved ourselves. Judges 7:2

Observations.  This is the scene where God whittles Gideon's army down to 300 dog lappers.  This reading also includes Jepthah's daughter, who is made a human sacrifice.  Clearly not of God who's spirit had come on Jepthah's before he made any promises about sacrifice.

Application. We must set Big Hairy Audacious Goals that can only be accomplished with God and point to God.

Prayer.  God, I am leading this congregation at a time of refocusing our priorities and goals.  Help me as you helped Gideon to be audacious and to make sure you have the credit. Amen.

Cheerful in mercy, passion in leadership

August 7, 2012             Cheerful in mercy, passion in leadership                Romans 11-12

Scripture. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful. Romans 12:8b

Observations. I think I generally get so caught up on the gift list in Romans 12 that I have never preached these words that follow-up.  I am struck by the call on leaders to lead with passion. Also, I am aware of how many people who respond to the call to show mercy are less than cheerful while doing it.  But when I think of Bob and Caroline in our community, who head up large mercy ministries, I can't help but think of them as cheerful.

Application.  I need to lead with passion, which means, among other things, pacing myself so that I have gas left in the tank for meetings and occasions when I lead-to watch my moodiness and to be cautious about what I bring from life struggles into those situations.

Prayer.  God, you have called me to lead and gifted me to lead.  Grab me with passion for the mission of your church and let that flow from me to others.  Amen.

Life in the Spirit

August 7, 2012              Life in the Spirit              Romans 7 and 8

Scripture: And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.

Observations.  Paul helps us understand about the source of our sinfulness, which in part, has to do with knowing something is sinful.  Once we know we shouldn't do something, we think about it all the time.  This is a feature of the law.  As Christians we read the old testament laws, and Jesus has lifted up the greatest for us, but we are to live by the spirit.  The spirit living in us removes the power of our sinful natures.

Application.  I need to spend more time reflecting on these chapters in order to help myself and others understand how the spirit is at work in us when we still are conscious of sinful thoughts.  And to pray regularly for the Spirit to increase.

Prayer.  God, I thank you for adopting me as your child and joining your Spirit with mine.  Amen.

Caught In a Trap

July 24, 2012           Caught in a Trap      Esther 6 - 10


Scripture.  So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? Esther 6:6


Observations. So it goes for those who seek to aggrandize themselves.  They get caught in the traps they would set for others and burn in jealousy when another is elevated.


Application.  Ve Humble.  Seek the lowest place at the table. Do good work not for worldly reward.


Prayer.  God, you know me and my weakness for wanting to appear successful at all times.  Be my peace, Jesus.  Amen.

an emerging, vital mainline approach

"As a result, a sort of neo-liberal Christianity has quietly taken root across the old Protestant denominations--a form of faith that cares for one's neighbor, the common good, and fosters equality, but is, at the same time, a transformative personal faith that is warm, experiential, generous, and thoughtful. This new expression of Christianity maintains the historic liberal passion for serving others but embraces Jesus' injunction that a vibrant love for God is the basis for a meaningful life. These Christians link spirituality with social justice as a path of peace and biblical faith."  


Diana Butler Bass challenges the 20th century idea that conservative churches are growing and liberal churches are dying.  Now that conservative churches (and the RC) are losing members in droves, too, she asks what mainline (or liberal) churches have learned with a few more decade of decline.  One observation is that contrary to expectation based on the dominant narrative, liberal churches have a higher degree of "spiritual vitality" on surveys. If I could pull the loaded word out of Bass's observation, I believe she describes a faith experience that sounds like something many young people could embrace.


"a form of faith that cares for one's neighbor, the common good, and fosters equality, but is, at the same time, a transformative personal faith that is warm, experiential, generous, and thoughtful. That... maintains the ... passion for serving others but embraces Jesus' injunction that a vibrant love for God is the basis for a meaningful life. (That) link(s) spirituality with social justice as a path of peace and biblical faith."  

Can Christianity Be Saved? A Response to Ross Douthat
Posted: 07/15/2012