Spiritual Formation in the Mega-Church

A Great post by Dan Reiland for every church leader!

Very large churches are sometimes accused of being shallow. A mile wide and an inch deep. There is certainly truth to that potential, but I have found that many of the driving characteristics that allowed a church to become 2,000 or more people, or 10,000 or more, actually provide more discipline and depth than some mid-sized or smaller churches may possess. Nonetheless, the risk of shallow is a real one. Growing a local church always involves risks and trades; there is no perfect plan. But the trades are not an either/or situation. The primary and most common trade is the willingness to risk depth of discipleship (spiritual formation) for reaching more people. These two do live in tension, however, they are not mutually exclusive. To reach more and more people risks depth and community. To maintain closeness and intimacy risks reaching more people. There is no perfect formula. Let’s be candid, there are small churches that are shallow and large churches that have depth. Just as there are large churches that are stuck and no longer reach new people, and many small churches that are growing like crazy by reaching new people. Ah, and when that’s true, the small church becomes larger! Then, the risk is simply swapping one trade for another. Personally, I think generalizations are unwise, but I understand why we make them, and they often provide for provocative and productive conversations. So for that conversation, let’s focus on the question of depth in spiritual formation within the mega-church. 1. The church will never have more depth than its leaders. Programs don’t produce depth of spiritual maturity, leaders do. I’m privileged to serve under a leader of great wisdom, depth and discipline. Kevin Myers is the founding and senior pastor 12Stone® Church, a mega-church located in the suburbs of Atlanta. Kevin has a strong and vibrant prayer life, chases God with a passion, and lives with great integrity. Those qualities are infused into the DNA of the church. The wisdom and insight that God grants him, whether in a board room or teaching on Sunday morning, is truly Holy Spirit driven. Kevin would tell you, and so would I, that it is certainly more difficult to drive depth in churches that grow larger and larger, but that’s why we keep leaning in and leading! 12Stone Church has its flaws, but being shallow, easy or “all show” is not among them. Guests, including pastors, nearly always include among their first comments, the sense of spiritual intensity. It all starts with the leaders. 2. To stop reaching more people is to become shallow. In my opinion, we don’t have a choice. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is clear, to make disciples! But we can’t forget that includes evangelism. The Great Commission never instructed us to disciple the same people with the same programs in the same ways over and over again. Discipleship by definition and logic must begin with evangelism. You and I are passionate about the process of spiritual formation in the life of a “disciple” of Christ. A Christ-follower. Spiritual formation begins with conversion! Candidly, if we have the same people in the same Bible study for years on end and nothing changes, (the church or the people) maybe that is shallow. The New Testament is filled with stories of miracles, life change, and reaching people. Yes, the churches from Ephesus to Corinth were filled with flaws, but reaching people was the purpose of the gospel. 3. Speed and pressure create the tension. The process of spiritual formation is not any easier in a smaller church, people are people. But the smaller church does not face the complexity of speed and pressure in the same way as found in mega-churches. The forming of someone’s spiritual maturity takes time, nurture and care. These things are not absent, or less in heart and culture in a mega-church. But the finite nature of time has objective limits. The larger a church becomes, the scarcer the precious commodity of time becomes. It is the nature of a mega-church to move fast, carry great weight and therefore time is compressed. The primary solution is raising up and developing capable volunteer leaders who have a heart for leading others in their spiritual journey. 4. Don’t confuse depth of spiritual formation with complexity. In my earlier years I have been included among those who designed and produced a process of spiritual formation, (discipleship), that was more complex than plans to launch a Space Shuttle for weeks of orbit. It took me some time to learn that complexity didn’t equate to depth. In fact, it is the opposite. Like preaching shorter is more difficult than preaching longer, a simple (not simplistic), process requires massive thought, experimenting and continual innovation. The best processes are seamless and easily communicated. They don’t need a chart. At 12Stone, we focus on two things, small group life and serving. That’s it. Is there more to spiritual formation than that? Of course! But we build all these things into those two large components of Christian community. In addition, we employ a short front-end process that includes: first-time Guest / Discover 12Stone / Salvation / and Baptism. The list is not long and we make it easy for people to find their way. More importantly, the leaders know how to point the way, take a hand and lead. 5. Maturity is difficult to measure. We never want to stray from biblical standards, but be cautious of long lists. Well intended commitment to scripture can quickly turn into a pharisaic list of to do’s, then maturity can become works oriented. If you want a list, I recommend that you go with something as simple as prayer and evangelism for evidence of maturity, or perhaps the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5). Another way to measure spiritual formation is from spoon fed (baby Christians) to self-led. The self-led Christian takes responsibility for their own spiritual formation. The church for them is simply the environment that resources, encourages and inspires their continued growth. A third way to measure maturity is clean, clear and simple. It is stories of life change. After all these years and practicing all these and more, it is the one I prefer most. Capturing and telling stories of changed lives is compelling; it embodies the vision. I find it to be the most comprehensive, organic and practical approach. There is no list, and yet you have all of Scripture you can apply. Further, the idea of self-led is easily taught and incorporated. Spiritual formation is not static. None of us ever arrive. However, scripture makes it clear that maturity can be achieved. If you are part of a mega-church or perhaps you lead a smaller church, but sense a need to strengthen your spiritual formation, I trust these are helpful to you.

THE FIVE BIGGEST MISTAKES NEW LEADERS MAKE

A great post by Dan Rockwell!

Inexperience is opportunity. Learning from mistakes promotes growth and develops confidence. But making unnecessary mistakes is foolish.

Don’t learn everything from personal experience.

You grow the most at the beginning. Wise leaders learn from the experience of others.

The Five Biggest Mistakes New Leaders Make:

#1. Leading an unprioritized life. Leaders with too many priorities fail at everything they do. The top three priorities for all leaders: 

1. Priority #1: Personal development and well-being.  
2. Priority #2: Family. 
3. Priority #3: People development and relationships.

You’ll spend most of your time working in and on your business. Just don’t neglect your priorities.

#2. Working too hard. A bias to action – something most leaders possess – leads to low performance as time passes, unless you learn how to prioritize and rest. Learn to trust the people around you.

You can’t bring your best when you’re lost in the business.

#3. Chasing too many opportunities. Limit the sphere of your activities to the things you do well. Your first question is, “What needs to be done?” Drucker said the second question is, ““Of those things that would make a difference, which are right for me?”

#4. Neglecting feedback, both giving and receiving. Ask teammates:

1. Based on my use of time, what are my priorities from your point of view?
2. Based on my interactions, how am I making others feel about themselves?
3. Based on my strengths, when am I at my best?

#5. Having all the answers. Tap into your ignorance. The practice of “not-knowing” elevates leaders more than having all the answers. 

1. Lead with confidence while staying curious. 
2. Ask, “What else?”
3. Ask, “What do you think?”

Bonus mistakes new leaders make:

1. Promoting new people too soon.
2. Micromanaging.
3. Under-communicating mission and vision.
4. Assuming others know what you want.
5. Assuming you understand people’s motivations.

What mistakes do new leaders make?

How might new leaders avoid common “new leader” mistakes?

Five things to know if you are a leader

A great Post from Dave Kraft Some people are in a leadership role, but are not really leaders. Others don't think they are leaders, but actually are. Here are five things to look for to determine if you, or someone else, is really a leader! 1) People Are Following You Because They Want To, Not Because They Have To  People follow a leader for at least two reasons. They respect who you are and they are excited about where you are going. It is undoubtedly true that people buy into who you are before they want to join you in where you’re going. In the military, and in most businesses, people have to follow because of their leader’s position. That is the lowest type of leadership. It is so much better if people are following you because they want to, based on your character rather than on your position. In his excellent book “Organic Leadership,” Neil Cole mentions five types of authority that we most often encounter: Positional - Expertise - Relational - Moral - Spiritual  Neil says this about positional authority: “It is derived from the rank or place one occupies in a system or organization. It is tied directly to the chain of command. With positional authority, the amount of respect a person has is based on the position alone. Many times those who show respect to a person in positional authority do not actually respect the person as much as they fear the position.” 2) You Possess A Vision Of A Better Future That Stretches And Challenges You And Others  John Maxwell, the leadership guru, has said for years that everything rises and falls on leadership and I totally agree with him. Allow me to add that things rise faster when that leadership has a vision and falls further when it doesn’t. Everything starts with vision. A real leader is one who leads people from where they are to where they could be or should be and that someplace is future oriented. Andy Stanley in his excellent book “Deep and Wide” says: “The catalyst for introducing and facilitating change in the local church is a God-honouring, mouthwatering, unambiguously clear vision.” Gotta love it! Growing disciples long for a “mouthwatering” vision. I believe people who follow us want to be stretched and challenged to something bigger than themselves and bigger than current reality; something that will honor Jesus and His kingdom. People respond to vision, morale is built on vision, organizations grow and are sustained when a vision is present. I love Exodus 32:34: “But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you.” (ESV) God speaks and shows his leaders a vision of a preferred future. The leader then, with His help, leads the people toward that future which is a win for the followers, the church or organization and for the kingdom. 3) You Are Delegating And Trusting Others With Decision-Making Responsibilities-Not Just Giving Them Tasks To Do  Delegate or suffocate. Big leaders trust others to help them. Little leaders try to do it all by themselves sending themselves further down the road to burnout. Life-giving and empowering delegation happens when a leader trusts others in making decisions, which is far different than merely giving tasks to others but making all the important decisions yourself. Exodus 18:22 (ESV) mentions this: “And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you” (Underlining mine). A growing and developing leader is learning how to train others in making decisions and is not becoming the bottle-neck in the decision-making process. 4) You Are Building A Culture Of Trust, Honesty, And Safety  Too many churches and organizations are built on a culture of fear: fear of an overbearing leader, fear of failure, fear of not making your numbers, fear of not doing everything perfectly, fear of offending someone, fear of losing your job by speaking your mind. Everyone does better when a culture of trust, love, kindness, patience, honesty and safety characterize any group, church or organization. We could use a good dose of the “fruit of the Spirit” in our church leadership. 5. You Take Responsibility For Your Sins And Mistakes Without Blaming Others  Watergate was a turning point in American politics. This was the first “-gate” but not the last that opened up a window for us to see how some leaders lead by lying and distorting the truth (for personal gain and votes) rather than telling the truth. If history is any guide, we will face other “-gates” that we will need to look into. It is the strong, not the weak, leader who is quick to confess, repent, take responsibility and not dodge the bullet thereby allowing someone else to become the fall guy. The next generation of leaders is looking for honesty and integrity in their leaders. They want leaders who are transparent, vulnerable and honest about their sins, shortcomings and mistakes.  Author and pastor, Mark Batterson, says “Authenticity is the new authority in leadership.” What most followers are looking for in their leaders is authenticity, not perfection. So how are you doing?  Are you leading through character or relying on your position? Are you leading with a compelling vision? Are you leading by delegating or doing it all by yourself? Are you leading out of a culture of fear or a culture characterized by trust, honesty and safety? Are you leading by taking personal responsibility for your actions or are you quick to place the blame elsewhere? Please take a few minutes and evaluate your leadership. Where would Jesus want you to experience change?

ONE OF THE BIGGEST SHIFTS IN LEADERSHIP

a Great post by Dan Rockwell.

Regret with the end, hurts more than dissatisfaction at the beginning. Disappointment is realizing the cheese moved.

1. You don’t want what you wanted. 
2. You aren’t getting where you want to go. 
3. You don’t like who you’ve become.

When you’re disappointed with yourself, it doesn’t matter what others say.

The shift:

You begin thinking one way, but end up thinking another.

1. You thought you would be in charge, but you’re putting others in charge.
2. You thought leadership was about you, but it’s about others.
3. You thought it was about control, but you found it’s about release.
4. You thought it was about giving, but now you need to receive.

Surprisingly, kindness is the grease that shifts your thinking. 

Kindness is simply being useful to another.

Receive and enjoy:

One of the biggest shifts in leadership is finding you must receive. When you don’t receive kindness, you tell others they don’t matter. 

Arrogance makes you minimize the kindnesses of others. You’re afraid of enjoying kindness, it might make you look needy or weak.

An open hand gives and receives. An open heart is a full life.

Influence:

Received kindness, not coercion, is influence. Benjamin Franklin said, “He that has done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.”

Three ways to receive kindness and extend influence: 

1. Say thank you with gusto. “Wow! Thanks so much.”
2. Explain how much you enjoy an act of kindness.
3. Publicly share the kindnesses of others.

Three kindness tips:

1. You go further with others. Leaders who give all the time end up with nothing to give. Nothing limits leaders more than believing they can succeed on their own.
2. Adopt a short-term view. Don’t reject long-term planning, but focus more on kindness today.
3. One small kindness doesn’t solve all your challenges. Enjoy it anyway.

SUCCEEDING WITH THREE CHALLENGES THAT DERAIL LEADERS

A Great post by Dan Rockwell

Three Challenges that Derail Leaders:

Challenge #1: Self-development during seasons of success.

Talent’s halo makes you over-estimate your abilities and under-estimate your need for growth.

I often ask audiences to raise their hands if they’re smarter than the person sitting beside them. We all laugh, but there’s a hint of truth behind the smiles.

Leaders who do everything well are confused.

Challenge #2: Living by priorities rather than urgencies.

Urgencies make you feel important, but sticking to priorities makes you a leader.

Three things that obscure priorities:

1. Pressure.
2. Problems.
3. Opportunity.

The most dangerous urgency is opportunity. Priorities enable “no.”

Challenge #3: Pouring into yourself as you pour out for others.

You ran out of steam because you poured out but didn’t pour in.

Warning phrases include:

1. “I’ll take time off after…”
2. “Just this time.”
3. “I just need to finish this, before…”

Don’t justify poor decisions by suggesting you’ll do it right next time.

An excuse is permission for failure to continue.

Succeeding with the three challenges:

Jim Parker, retired CEO of Southwest Airlines, gave me a surprising answer to winning at leadership’s challenges. He was CEO during 9/11.

It’s been five years since we talked, but I still remember him saying, “Be yourself.”

I keep relearning the wisdom behind those underwhelming words.

1. Frequently reflect on yourself and your journey.
2. Define your values.
3. Connect with mentors and coaches who help you find and express your best self. Avoid mentors who pressure you to be like them.
4. Define yourself by who you are, not who others expect you to be. This is the leaders journey.

Being yourself is never an excuse for laziness, indulgence, or flaunting weaknesses.

Be yourself or someone else will define you.

What derailing challenges might you add to my list of three?

Tem Leadership lessons I learned from George Washington by Tony Morgan

A Great Post by Tony!

Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to read Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. This biography of our first president won a Pulitzer Prize.

As you might imagine, there are many leadership lessons to be learned from studying the life of George Washington. These are ten that stood out to me:

1. My character and integrity, good or bad, will shape the culture of the entire organization.

   “Washington believed that courage and cowardice originated from the top of an army. As he wrote during the American Revolution: ‘This is the true secret . . . that wherever a regiment is well officered, the men have behaved well—when otherwise, ill—the [misconduct]or cowardly behavior always originating with the officers, who have set the example.’”

2. Don’t pursue leadership, let it come to me.

   “The hallmark of Washington’s career was that he didn’t seek power but let it come to him.”

3. People are watching for my reaction.

   “One lesson he had learned from the French and Indian War was that fear was contagious in battle, especially among inexperienced troops.”

4. Seek the counsel of other wise leaders.

   “Equipped with keen powers of judgment rather than originality, he was at his best when reacting to options presented by others. Once he made up his mind, it was difficult to dislodge him from his opinion, so thoroughly had he plumbed things through to the bottom.”

5. Embrace contrary opinions.

   “It was true that Washington surrounded himself with loyal men, but he never walled himself off from contrary opinion or tried to force his views on his generals.”

6. Freely acknowledge the contributions of others.

   “Never loath to credit his officers, Washington trumpeted Wayne’s virtues to Congress: ‘He improved upon the plan recommended by me and executed it in a manner that does signal honor to his judgment and to his bravery.’”

7. Believe the best in others.

   “As a stalwart realist, he thought it dangerous to demand perfection from any human production and questioned ‘the propriety of preventing men from doing good, because there is a possibility of their doing evil.’”

8. Expect unity from the team.

   “Through his tolerant attitude, he created a protective canopy under which subordinates could argue freely, but once decisions were made, he wanted the administration to speak with one voice.”

9. Don’t make decisions too quickly.

   “Hamilton concurred that the president ‘consulted much, pondered much; resolved slowly, resolved surely.’ By delaying decisions, he made sure that his better judgment prevailed over his temper.”

10. Stay focused.

    Washington had a “tenacity of purpose, his singular ability to stalk a goal with all the resources at his disposal,” and “George Washington possessed the gift of inspired simplicity, a clarity and purity of vision that never failed him.”

What you may not know about me is that I’m a political junkie. Even though I have a business degree, my Master of Public Administration was obtained through the School of Political Science. In particular, I love presidential politics. The history. The strategy. The leadership. The personalities. It’s all fascinating to me.

WHEN TO BRING IT UP – WHEN TO LET IT GO

A great post by Dan Rockwell!

Leaders who bring up every little failure, issue, or shortcoming are irritating nags. They can’t let it go. 

When you blab on about trivialities, talented people want to pull their hair out. Or they want to grab yours.

Let it go:

Leaders who dig into small issues waste their talent on trivialities.

1. Mind your business.
   • Insecurity expresses itself as a need to know everything.
   • Arrogance makes you believe you can fix people.
   • Meddling inspire apprehension – apprehension slows progress.
2. Establish priorities. Leaders without priorities chase rabbits and discourage teams. The only way to let go of insignificant behaviors is to do what matters now. You aren’t worthy to lead until you know what  matters now.
3. Lean toward silence with a smile. Most extroverted leaders talk too much. The only thing worse than an excited extrovert is a cloistered introvert. At least you know what the extrovert thinks. Both create anxiety.
4. Establish reporting only where issues matter.
5. Protect your headspace. On a scale of 1-10, how much does this issue matter?Let others worry about 6’s or 7’s.

Bring it up if:

1. The failure is about character. Being on time doesn’t take a high IQ.
2. You expect others to take action. Stop expressing opinions. Are you simply blabbing on because you’re in love with your own voice, or do you expect something to change?
3. You hear excuses, rather than responsibility.
4. It’s a pattern. Once is fine – three times, it’s time to talk.
5. Others fall below their capabilities.
   • What are their strengths?
   • Are they able?
   • How much improvement is possible?
6. They aspire to be better? Don’t pour yourself into those who don’t care.
7. You can adjust their role away from failure or weakness.

Bonus: Bring it up, if they’re working to improve, but persistently frustrated.