I'm so blessed by the church I am a part of. I'm overwhelmed by the awesome servants I serve alongside. And foremost among those are our tech teams at Cobblestone.
We have four worship celebrations on Sundays at Cobblestone, in three pretty distinct styles, starting at 8 a.m., and concluding at 8 p.m.
And for those worship celebrations, our tech teams produce three separate ProPresenter presentations. For PRIME (at 8 a.m.), that includes a countdown clock, song lyrics, responsive readings, Scripture, message slides, etc. For the 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. services, they prepare countdown clock, song lyrics, video clips, message slides, etc. And for The Third, at 7 p.m., they carry in stage props, create a countdown clock, song lyrics, videos, and slides for yet another message!
Along with that, someone runs lights and sound in each of those celebrations, using multiple configurations and many different channels and microphones and so on.
And three different worship bands plan, practice and prepare, week after week, singing different songs in different styles...
And of any of these people, I can ask practically anything, and they will move heaven and earth to make it happen, whether it involves filming a video or editing a sound clip or preparing a special musical number like Johnny and Juli Rae Cole did this morning!
And they do it all joyfully and sacrificially. Some of our volunteers spend ten or twelve hours or more at The Loft on a Sunday, in addition to weekday practice hours, and preparation time, and more.
So allow me to give thanks for such fine servants of God, who make Cobblestone what it is. They are the finest folk I've ever served with, and they give of themselves tirelessly and constantly, and only a handful know what they do and how well they do it.
So thank you, all of you! David, Suzan, Kyle, Sam, Johnny, Aaron, Guy, Johnny, Jamie, Sean, Johnny, Julie Rae, Julie, Deb, Matt, Tim, Jeremy, Nina, Andrea, Chaz, Justin, Johnny, Kevin, Aubrey, Anna, Tony, Hannah, Andrea, Keturah, Lisa, Andrew, and--did I forget a Johnny?--and even some I've neglected to mention, for which I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I know I should never have started mentioning names.
But thank you. A million times, thank you. My life, worship, and service is blessed immeasurably by you all.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Get Lucky
Time Management Ninja is one of the blogs I read daily, and they got lucky with this post, entitled, "Being Lucky is Hard Work": If only I was as lucky as he.
Or she. Or as so-and-so.
Have you heard this excuse? (Have you used it?)
But, for those waiting to get lucky… it can be a long wait. Sometimes forever.
Do you sit around and wait to get lucky?
Or do you go out and make your own luck?
Sometimes It Is Not Luck
I am always amazed at those who think they are going to drift along until everything just falls into place for them.
It’s just not going to happen.
“Things may come to those who wait… but only the things left behind by those who hustle.”
- Abraham Lincoln
You can sit around waiting for the world to bring you your dreams on a silver platter.
Or you can go out and get them. And do them yourself.
Which sounds like a better plan?
Luck is Hard Work
Take a close look at those that you consider successful. Did they just wait until it happened?
Or did they work long and hard to get where they are?
Being lucky is about doing, and that being said, you can increase your luck.
Here are just a few ways to increase your luck:It is all about hard work.
- Be Early – Being early breeds serendipity. Really. When you are early for things, even meetings and appointments, magical things tend to happen. That is when chance happens.
- Finish Before Deadlines – Similar to being early, is finishing tasks or projects ahead of schedule. When there is adequate time to review and deliver right, is when extraordinary results occur.
- Go Outside Your Domain – We all tend to stay in our comfort zones. It is when you stray outside your normal elements that you often discover new luck. So, get out there and go beyond your normal boundaries.
- Raise the Bar – Amazing results happen when you aim higher than you normally do. You will never reach new levels of achievements if you don’t reach for them. Stretch yourself and your goals.
- Don’t Follow the Rules – Rules were meant to be broken. Or rather maybe they are “just guidelines.” This is not about doing anything crazy or unethical, it is about challenging the status quo and the norm. Don’t be normal when it comes to the rules.
- Be Prepared – Being ready means you are ready to take advantage of new opportunities. You don’t want to miss or have to turn down a new opportunity because you were too busy catching up.
- Do One More Thing – Those who are lucky do more than those who are not. Make it a habit to always “do one more thing.” Whether it is finishing a job right, or one last task at the end of a long day. Do it every day for a year and you will have taken 365 more steps towards your goals than those who don’t give the extra effort.
Get Some Luck
Want to be lucky? Make your own.
Get out there and do instead of waiting for it to come to you.
Being lucky is easy, but it takes a lot of hard work.
Do you make your own luck? How have you been lucky through hard work?
50 Things a Pastor Should Know How to Do
Someone put together a list of what they consider "50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do" (turns out I only score a 35). But at least seven have to do with alcohol, and a couple others would be inappropriate for a happily married man, so I don't feel so bad. But it got me thinking. What would a similar list look like for pastors? What are the 50 things every pastor should know how to do?
How about these:
1. Pray.
2. Read well and deeply.
3. Keep a straight face when someone is telling you something stupid or outrageous.
4. Remember people's names.
5. Pretend to be interested in a meeting.
6. Listen.
7. Comfort someone in distress.
8. Be present.
9. Visit someone in the hospital.
10. Lead someone to faith in Christ.
11. Say no.
12. Preach (how to prepare, write, and deliver a sermon).
13. Meet someone for the first time.
14. Choose wisely (i.e., avoid botulism) at a pot luck meal.
15. Read the Bible.
16. Study the Bible.
17. Memorize Scripture.
18. Hold a baby.
19. Baptize someone.
20. Worship.
21. Listen to God.
22. Cast vision.
23. Ask (and grant) forgiveness.
24. Learn from criticism.
25. Set priorities, goals, and objectives.
26. Be a good husband or wife.
27. Be a good parent.
28. Handle money.
29. Hold his or her temper.
30. Think before speaking.
31. Show a welcoming and hospitable spirit.
32. Give credit where it's due.
33. Identify leaders.
34. Train leaders.
35. Keep a confidence.
36. Stay out of compromising situations.
37. Be accountable.
38. Repay evil with good.
39. Teach.
40. Conduct a funeral.
41. Offer wise counsel.
42. Conduct a wedding.
43. Give generously.
44. Disciple someone.
45. Build strong and deep relationships.
46. Rest.
47. Handle rejection.
48. Fast.
49. Exercise self-discipline.
50. Delegate.
Wow. That's just pretty much off the top of my head. And I'm sure I've missed some really important stuff (which you're welcome to add in the comments). But as I look over the list, I can't identify any one item that I would consider disposable....and could easily have kept going.
So, as if this list wasn't daunting enough....what would YOU add or subtract?
Nowhere Near Ready for Leadership?
David Foster, on his blog, writes about the signs that you're nowhere near ready for leadership:One of the hot topics in my hometown of Nashville right now is the controversy going onwith our quarterback, Vince Young.
The press loves nothing more than to find something small and blow it out of proportion. So now there is a triad of dissent between Vince Young, our quarterback, Jeff Fisher, the longest tenured coach in the NFL and considered by most one of the top four coaches in the game today, and our absentee owner who lives in the deep, dark recesses of Houston.
The truth is, I know a couple of these people very well. And I know how they operate. As I’ve been thinking about all that gets stirred up in football and sports and political arenas, I think about the difference between those who are true leaders, and those who simply fill leadership positions.
So here are my 5 signs you’re nowhere near ready for leadership:So before you lust after a head-coaching job, a CEO’s position, or anything that will require personal responsibility and accountability, ask yourself, “Am I ready for leadership?”
- You’re nowhere ready for leadership if you can’t stand the heat. Leaders are admired, followed, and paid well. But they are also criticized, put upon, and cut down relentlessly. A true leader understands this and stands up under the heat of leadership.
- You’re nowhere ready for leadership if at the first sign of controversy you play the victim. You know, the person who always uses the why, who, and when questions: Why is this happening? Who’s to blame? When are they going to fix it? That is the language of victims. By definition, victims can’t be leaders. But oh, don’t we have so many filling leadership positions.
- You’re nowhere ready for leadership if you don’t have a core passion for some important, world-changing mission that you’re willing to sacrifice your comfort and even your well-being for. Having watched Coach Fisher the many years he has been here in Nashville, I admire his work ethic. I’ve found this to be true in other people I know like Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, Randall Wallace, and those who truly achieve greatness. They are willing to pour everything they have into a passionate mission, a big idea that can truly end up changing the world.
- You’re nowhere ready for leadership if your primary motivator is money. Yeah, it is true that by and large leaders get paid more than followers. But I don’t know one significant leader who does it for the money. What I’ve found is, when you find something you’re passionate about that matters and do it with excellence, the money always seems to follow.
- You’re nowhere ready for leadership if you’re not a reader. I heard someone say many years ago that leaders are readers. Why is this important? It’s important because of one truth you can’t deny. And that is, speed a leader; speed a team. Or said another way, a leader has to be not just out front, but out front just enough, informed by what he’s learning – insights and principles – that will allow the team, the organization, the company, to move forward to a successful effort. I’ve heard men and women proudly proclaim, “I haven’t read a book in years.” The sad truth is, they didn’t have to say it. Everyone around them knew it.
On Ministry Momentum
Here follows some great ministry advice from Steven Furtick, author of Sun Stand Still and pastor of Elevation Church: I have a crucial piece of advice for any ministry leader who is seeing God bless them with a current wave of momentum:
Make sure your private devotion keeps pace with your ministry momentum.
As your ministry gains speed, the demands on you are just going to become greater. You might think that once you gain the momentum you’ve been working towards, it will finally free up space in your life. But it won’t. In fact, your time will be even more constrained.
The temptation you’ll face will be to ride your own spiritual coattails.
The great prayer time you had. Last week.
The eye-opening moment you had in your private Bible study. Two months ago.
The game-changing time of fasting you engaged in. Last year.
But it doesn’t work like that. Your relationship with God is only as strong as your most recent encounter with Him.
You must never get to the point where you’re too busy ministering for God that you’re too busy to meet with God. Or you can consider yourself on the clock. For burnout. For a lack of fresh vision. For a moral failure.
And then because of those things, for losing your momentum.
No matter how great your ministry is going…
You’re never going to outgrow your need for prayer.
You’re never going to outgrow your need for study of God’s Word.
You are never going to outgrow your need for God.
He’s what gave you your momentum. He’s what’s going to maintain it. And He’s what’s going to sustain you through it as the demands on your life become greater.
Even Jesus felt the need to go off by himself and spend time in prayer as people began flocking to Him. Personally I’m not going to be the one who says I need less private time with God than Jesus.
Make the decision now. Wake up earlier. Stay up later. Clear out your schedule during the day. Whatever you do, do whatever you have to do to prioritize the presence of God in your life.
And then keep riding the momentum.
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
I don't remember where I obtained my copy of the book, While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks: Forty Daily Reflections on Biblical Leadership, but I'm so glad I did. It is a lavishly designed and illustrated journey into the world of sheep and shepherd, with striking application to the task of leadership for pastors, elders, managers, executives, teachers, counselors--anyone who finds himself or herself in a leadership role. The author, Dr. Timothy S. Laniak, draws on the experience of many trips to the MidEast and his expertise as professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Cornwell Theological Seminary to craft a vivid, Biblical depiction of the shepherd leader.
The book is divided into forty readings with titles like, "The Shepherd Healer," "Gathering the Scattered," and "My Sleepless Shepherd," punctuated with full-color photographs. One of my favorite passages is found in the reading for Day 7, "Feed My Sheep":
It was twenty years ago that my wife Maureen and I spent a memorable winter in China meeting with members of the underground church. We carried in our backpacks Christian books and tapes that would be useful as a portable seminary. Chinese Bibles took up the most space. When we met our first contact, she informed us that we would need to speak in coded language: "Just refer to what you brought as 'bread.'" That night we served "bread" to a hungry pastor who had traveled for days from a remote province where his whole church had just been jailed. He was hoping for "bread" to take back to his discouraged flock. The unforgettable look of gratitude on his face reminds me that this world's only source of life and hope is God's word.Though frequent (and unnecessary) typographical errors frustrated me at times, I have no doubt that the beauty and benefit of this book will amply reward anyone who reads it.
Will you join me for some honest self-assessment? What do we as leaders eat? To what sources do we return for our soul's primary sustenance? Is our "diet" rich in God's word? Are we as leaders good readers? Do we really study scripture and meditate on it daily, relishing its insights as spiritual delicacies? Do we supplement this feeling with devotional classics, theological treasures, and inspiring biographies? Or do we fill our hungry void with the empty calories provided on television and by endless "browsing" on the internet?
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