Our church is 3 ½ years old. We have learned a lot in that time, but each day we realize we have so much more to learn. We usually look to newer churches to get inspiration, simply because they are closest to doing things the way we do them, but recently I was reminded that there are things I should learn from much older churches.
I don’t know about you, but I need to change my wanter! I need to correct my cravings and focus them in the direction they were intended: on loving and honoring our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! What a difference it would make in the way we live, if only we could be content with what we have!
The list of top small workplaces for 2008 is challenging and inspiring, even convicting at times. Some of the practices of these companies address issues our organization is experiencing and that was reflected in the staff’s evaluation of my leadership.
With the process of inviting our staff to evaluate my leadership two things needing improvement in our organization were clearly evident. My current thought is that these two things apply to every organization that desires to function effectively as a team.
The founders of Grace Community Church and I have received so much grace we even put it in our name. Yesterday I was reminded how much our staff is a product of God’s grace. We’ve all needed lots of it. (Everyone we decided except for maybe Ben. Of course, he probably just hides it well.)
Momma (and Thumper) knew best when she said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.†Let that be your goal today. It will be tough! You may have to bite your tongue a few times. You may not be able to talk for weeks.
I learned something about leadership in the process of inviting our staff to evaluate my leadership. You must treat the people you manage differently.
In this message I attempt to answer these questions:
What is it?
Why do we have it?
What difference does it make in my life today?
You can watch part of the message here.
Remember, Jesus looks beyond our actions straight to our heart. He considers our motivation. Let me ask you, what does He see? Does He see a heart with no desire for personal gratification, looking out for a neighbor before yourself? Does He see someone who desires to give more than receive?
We, as a society, no longer place a value on life. I know I should have included this comment along with the thoughts on the sixth commandment not to murder, but it fits here as well. When you commit the sin of adultery, even adultery of the heart, you are de-valuing the other person and yourself. You are essentially saying, “I’m cheap, my life is worthlessâ€, or, as the case may be, you are saying, “You’re cheap, and I’m going to take advantage of you.â€
If you are following this series you know that I invited our staff to evaluate my leadership. As I said in Part 1 of this follow-up series, we gathered for lunch after a regularly scheduled staff meeting. Essentially the luncheon was to accomplish three things.
You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13 NIV
A conversation with God:
This is a follow up to my post about inviting my team to evaluate me. Here are some of their comments. (Just FYI, I’m not hiding any of the bad answers, but I am condensing some of the similar or repeated comments into one comment. I feel bad sharing the good stuff too, like I am bragging or something, but I guess to be fair I must.)
That makes me wonder a few things. What is the advantage of telling about a loss? Is it so they can assure people they are okay financially? Is it to get press attention? Is it the modern idea of being upfront, honest and open with people, even if it’s not necessarily good news? Is this unique to Belk or is this a mindset of other organizations today, including churches? Personally I like this new approach. Do you?
You too have an awesome responsibility! Your actions and your heart will determine what is said about your children and your children’s children for generations to come. You are deciding now, based on the way you live your life, what the future will be like for your descendents. The Bible states over and over again that blessings are passed on by generations, as are the curses of God. Which are you leaving behind?
