If I knew then... Part 3

Continuing my thoughts regarding lessons I have learned in 30 years of ministry...

Be dilegent about who is on your team, John Maxwell will tell you those closest to you will determine your success. If you are a senior minister over seeing a staff of others, it is vital that you have the right people close to you. I have to admit sometimes I have not made the wisest choices when it comes to choosing people to be a part of a team I am leading. More times then not I have been guilty of the "sin of Samuel" when it came to choosing people to join our staff. Too often we look at the outward apperance of a particular person and think this is the one. Now 30 years later I find it is essential we do not get caught up in the sin of Samuel rather we must be dilegent in finding the right person to come along side of us. With that in mind allow me to share a few tips, that I wish I knew then, when it comes to hiring staff.

• Bathe the process in prayer. Too often we ask our friends or contacts, "who is out there" as if there is someone who would be the perfect fit for us. Now lets be honest who knows your church better than God? Our freinds may know something about our church, usually it what we have told them. yet God knows our needs even before we ask Him. Pray for the candidates, pray for the process, pray for the church to be open to the new staff member. Prayer is the foundation for choosing the right staff to be a part of your team.
• Be patient. Sometimes we hurry the process. We move ahead because of pressure from others, a pressing need or a sense we want to move on to something else. If we have bathed the process in prayer we should rest in the assurance that God's timing is the best timing. Patience will be rewarded; impatience often leads to making poor choices when it comes to adding staff.
• Listen to what others are saying and then some. I believe we must do due diligence in checking references, but remember the references are going to put the best spin on something, that is why they are on their friend's resume. When checking references be willing to dig a little deeper. Ask the reference for others you can speak with about the candidate. More than once I have been burned by accepting a recommendation from a reference when I should have dug a little deeper. When it comes to listening to what others are saying, LISTEN TO THEM. I have witnessed people receive a poor recommendation regarding a potential staff member and the leader still hire the person, believing he could change them - what a mistake?
• Look beyond the skills and look at the person's character. John Maxwell says he would have spiritual men lead his church rather than smart men, I would have to agree. I would rather have a person on staff whose character is strong rather than a person who is multi-talented, you can learn skills, but character cannot be taught - it is an inside job. Character flaws show up when you least expect it, and often times the results are devastating.  

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• An incredibly busy day as I worshiped at two places today; this morning I was at First Christian Church of Kissimmee and this evening I was at Christ Church of Marion County.
• Jim did a great job speaking on the subject breaking free from addictions this morning.
• If you did not hear today's message you need to pick up a copy - I am serious about this.
• Thank you Derrick for your testimony!
• We also heard about the ministry of Grace Landing this morning. Once again we saw the diversity of ministry today; thank you Juda for all of your work in this ministry.
• Hey Jim, I never thought of Adam and Eve playing freeze tag in the Garden of Eden unitl I heard your sermon today - thank you for that image!
• The churches in Ocala really love a variety of music.
• Tonight I heard old favorites as well as Chris Tomlin's newest worship song and I have to be honest, both songs enhanced my worship this evening.
• Doug's communion meditation was great this evening, this idea of the bride price was very thought provoking.
• The more I represent Florida Christian College, the more I see the need for us to be a resource for the churches in the state.
• Memory work at First Christian Church of Kissimmee begins tomorrow - can't wait to hear the stories of what God's word will do as it becomes a part of our lives. 
• I still cannot get over the fact that we prayed for 153 incoming freshmen by name Friday afternoon.
• Checked out my calendar for August this is going to be a crazy month!
• Are you ready for some football?
• Peyton Manning takes less money so his team can be competitive in the free agent market, his decision may be just the solution to putting the colts back in the super bowl - what a great example of leadership. Peyton understand It is not all about him. Great lesson for the church to learn today.
• Something to chew on; A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.  ~ John C. Maxwell

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Worshiped at our home church in Kissimmee today! It was good to be home and we really missed the connection of the local church, Thank you FCC Kissimmee for being a church where we can grow and be connected.
• Jim did an excellent job preaching on the topic of our Freedom in Christ.
• Some old friends have returned to Kissimmee and I believe the children's ministry of FCC Kissimmee is going to prosper.
• Question; are you a slave to sin or a slave to Christ?
• Derek and worship team did a great job as well.
• Last week I spoke with an alumnus of Florida Christian College who has transitioned his church from 60 to 350 and if he mentioned discipleship once he mentioned it 10 times. 
• If I had to do it over again I would spend more time making disciples.
• What is missing in our churches today is critical thinking - not criticism, but critical thinking that asks the question are the things we are doing really making a difference in the kingdom?
• Ken Idleman's book, "Not a Fan" really makes you think about your relationship with Christ in a critical way.
• What are YOU doing for the cause of Christ, too often we talk about what our CHURCHES are doing, but seriously what are YOU doing?
• Something to chew on; In order to be a leader a man must have followers. And to have followers, a man must have their confidence. Hence the supreme quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. If a man’s associates find him guilty of phoniness, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must square with each other. –Dwight D Eisenhower

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts from an Amazing Day...

• Preached at River Run Brevard today, this church is doing a wonderful job as a grace dispensing church.
• The more I preach about grace the more amazed I am that we really do not have a handle on this topic, nor do we talk about it near enough.
• I am not talking about a sugar-coated grace that cost nothing and means nothing, I am talking about biblical grace, which cost Christ everything and no matter what we can still not afford it and yet it is given to us as a gift from God. To see how great it of a gift it is, meditate of this passage for a few minutes.  
• I cannot get over the fact that once Paul heard from God regarding his thorn he never mentions it again. 
• Remember the more we focus on grace the smaller our thorns become.
• I really loved the worship this morning.
• Sadly we said goodbye to another family who is moving north for a new job. Pierre and Cari, we will miss you very much.
• I am preparing a workshop of an upcoming conference on Biblical leadership, I wonder how did we get so far off target of what God desires for leaders of HIS Church?
• How can it already be mid July?
• Something to Chew on; The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You cannot blow an uncertain trumpet.

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts from an Amazing Day...

• Worshiped with the church at River Run Brevard today, again I met some very gracious people.
• This morning's topic; "The Warning Signs of Christ's Return"
• The warning signs of Christ's return are seen in nature, culture and in the church.
• The reason for the warning signs is simple - God wants us to BE READY.
• When considering the warning signs we must consider the frequency and intensity of the signs.
• Unfortunately many people are apathetic regarding His return, not just in the world but in our churches as well. For if we really believed his return is soon it would be reflected in our plans, our budgets and our conversations.   
• The worship this morning was great, JW is a great worship leader, he has the two elements that are essential for a worship leader; a heart for worship and talent, and if I had to choose just one of the elements it would be a heart for worship.
• Once again I saw God work in a mighty way at FCC this week - His provision is always perfect.
• Something to chew on; It is not acceptable to Jesus that hell prevail. Our job as church leaders is not to meet a budget, run a program, fill a building, or maintain the status quo. Our job is to put hell out of business. John Ortberg

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts from an Amazing Day...

• Worshiped with the fine folks of First Christian Church of Stark this morning.
• I was very impressed with the impact they are having in Stark, via benevolence ministries, athletics and a Christian school. This small church is having a big impact in their town.
• One of the most gracious congregations I have met in the last 3 months, this is a tribute to their minister Steve.
• On top of their hospitality, a family treated us to a local seafood restaurant - GOOOOD Food!
• During our worship we focused on the biblical messages behind some of our patriotic hymns; very interesting approach.
• I continue to be amazed at how God answers prayers, often in ways we would never dream of.
• I have seen the truth of Ephesians 3:20 recently and I have to tell you, it is pretty powerful.
• This week, I am heading to Cincinnati for the NACC, and I am really excited to see what God will be doing over the next week.
• After a crisis we have one of three options if we are to survive; move on, move over or move out.
• The first 2 chapters of Tim Tebow's new book are pretty inspiring, I look forward to finishing reading the book on my flights to Cincinnati and back.
• Something to chew on, A good leaders leads with optimism, enthusiasm and positive energy and guards against pessimism and weeds out negativity.

If I knew then... Part 2

Continuing my thought regarding lessons I have learned in 30 years of ministry...

1. Continual learning is a must! I remember Ray "Cotton" Jones telling us in a class once, you can tell when a preacher's mind died by the books in his study. How true that is, if we are not constantly learning you are in trouble. I have been extremely fortunate that the churches I have served have valued this idea. In my 30 years of ministry I was able to attend some type of conference every year for the purpose of of sharpening my skills in ministry. Because of their generosity, both in time off as well as resources I was able to experience new trends and methods in ministry. Not only was I able to attend conferences that helped me grow, three churches went the extra mile in helping me be a life long learner. The New Hope Christian Church in Anderson IN, allowed me the time to work on a masters degree, which I earned in 1988. Two other churches, First Christian Church, Orlando FL and Damascus Road Christian Church Louisville KY allowed me time off to teach in Christian Colleges in Kissimmee Fl and Louisville KY.  Our culture is ever changing and it is a wise leadership who realizes the value of education and continued improvement for their minister. Not only was my leadership supportive of attending conferences and continuing my education, but the senior ministers I served also saw the value and they were my chief cheerleader in making sure I continued sharpening my skills. Now that I am employed at a Christian College, I want to make sure the students i come in contact with treasure education for it is the key to long term success in ministry.
2. Treasure friendships in ministry. There is a blessing that comes from the friendships that I have developed over the years in ministry. People like Gary, Guthrie, Adam, Dave, Bill, Steve, Dick (of as his wife calls him, Richard), Another Bill, Mike, Dale, Joe, Wayne, Bob, Larry, and Jim just to name a few have been a great encouragement and a source of strength. It is true no one knows what it is like to be a minister but another minister. I am glad for the friendships I have learned from these men, I have laughed with them and cried with some of them. This week I will be at the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati and once again I will rekindle some of these friendships and though it has been a year since I have seen some of them, I can assure you we will pick up our conversation just like we had talked yesterday. Solomon was right there is something about friendships that truly strengthen us and make us better. Be sure to treasure your friendships.

More lessons to come later...