Veggie Tales on Leadership

I read the following in a devotional today. I thought you might be inspired by it. At a minimum it might inspire you to watch the new Veggie Tales video. 

Read: Ephesians 3:7-12

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. - Ephesians 3:7

TODAY IN THE WORD
In a recent Veggie Tales production, “Lord of the Beans,” the main character, Junior Asparagus, was given a magic bean and sent on a perilous journey of discovery. Junior had to sort out among competing possibilities what the bean could do and what he should do with it. In the end, he learned that gifts are given so that we can employ them to help others. He then used the magic bean to provide for the needs of a desperate community.

Paul used the gifts of leadership and the gospel to reach out to the world with God's grace. How did he become a leader? Did the early church hire a consultant to headhunt and recruit him? Hardly. He became a leader only by God's grace and through God's power. In a dramatic confrontation on the road to Damascus, Christ rescued His chosen apostle—as He rescues us today—from being God's enemy. When Paul called himself “less than the least” (v. 8), it's not a crisis of confidence or a wallowing in self-pity, but an accurate assessment of who receives the credit and glory for Paul's life.

Paul defined “leadership” simply: to be a leader means to be “a servant of the gospel” (v. 7). Leaders obey their callings, in his case, to preach to the Gentiles. The overall calling of the church is to bear witness to God's plan for history, the mystery now revealed in Christ (v. 9).

Paul also clearly identified the purposes or goals of leadership. The point was not his personal reputation or even the number and size of churches planted (though God had given him a passion for unreached places). Instead, it was ultimately all about the good news of Jesus Christ, the redemption He bought with His blood, and the growth of His kingdom (vv. 10-11). All leadership roads, or at least all the holy and worthwhile ones, lead to and from these central truths.

Source: MBI - Today in the Word

How do you spell M-E-N-T-O-R?

 Found this following article that I thought was an interesting acronym for what you do as a small group leader or teacher.

A friend who was in charge of our men's ministry once said, "Some of these guys really don't want me coaching them; they don't want my help!"

"That's all right," I said, "If all these guys are living spiritually healthy lives, you can take it easy."

"But some aren't thriving spiritually," he said. "They need encouragement."

A coach's primary goal is to help leaders become fully mature in Christ. By mentoring, we participate in the process of presenting every man and woman complete in Christ. This happens by helping them cultivate their spiritual health—even when it's an uphill battle.

The acronym MENTOR provides steps to help you guide your small group leaders to spiritual maturity.

Motivate them to find a spiritual partner.

Encourage them to review the health assessment regularly.

Never forsake gathering together.

Tell them what you sense God wants them to hear.

One-on-ones are vital.

Release them to multiply their lives

Mentoring is essential to multiplication. It's not just about studying the Bible and spiritual formation--it requires that you dream a future for your students.

 

Source: Small Groups - Shaping Shepherds and Sheep

5 Vital Signs of Healthy Leadership

Found the following website this morning and I thought it might encourage you to do a personal inventory. 

The Apostle Paul was a healthy leader. In his letter to the church at Philippi we discover five vital signs of healthy leadership.

Vital Sign #1: Healthy Leaders Demonstrate Spiritual Vitality
Paul was a healthy leader because he was spiritually vibrant and alive. In Philippians 1:21 Paul stated: “For me, living in Christ and dying is gain.” Paul shared the secret to spiritual vitality: We must move from a self-directed life to a God-directed life. Ministry leadership in the church is not about us. It’s not about buildings, budgets, or baptisms – healthy leadership is all about God’s presence in our lives.

Vital Sign #2: Healthy Leaders Are Motivated by a Compelling Vision
Paul was consumed by a compelling vision. He understood his mission to share the gospel and nothing could stop him. Even being under house arrest couldn’t stop him. In Philippians 1:12 he shared: “How I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advancement of the gospel.” He shared the gospel with prison guards.

Vital Sign #3: Healthy Leaders Commit to Ongoing Learning
In Philippians 3:10,12 Paul prayed, “ My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…Not that I have already reached the goal…but I make every effort.” In this passage Paul stated that he wanted to know Jesus. He knew he has more to learn.

Vital Sign #4: Health Leaders Are Relationally Connected
Paul cherished his relationship with the believers at Philippi. In Philippians 1:3 he said, “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you.” As a healthy leader Paul has established a partnership with this church. It was based on their common experience together. There are times when leaders must face loneliness, but leadership does not happen in isolation. Healthy leaders resist the temptation to push or pull. Healthy leaders are connected to those they lead.

Vital Sign # 5: Healthy Leaders Serve with a Sense of Divine Empowerment
In Philippians 4:13,19 Paul declared: “ I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me…And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Paul knew that the epicenter of his leadership was Jesus Christ. Paul knew that only when we are totally dependent on God and empowered by His Spirit are we genuinely sufficient.

Source: LifeWay: Biblical Solutions for Life - 5 Vital Signs of Healthy Leadership

Study Through the Bible Courses

Are you looking for small group lessons that get into the Bible rather than just talk about religious themes? Another advantage of this material is that it doesn't get bogged down--It appears that each theme is only 4 to 9 sessions.

I found the following resource. One benefit is that you buy the download then make as many photocopies as necessary so that each participant doesn't have to buy a book. With enough, notice I could help you with the copier at church to make the copies necessary. 

Check out the link below

Link to Study Through the Bible Courses

I’ve Got a List, Too!

 This week a website compiled the research of other lists of fastest  growing, most innovative and largest churches. This master list supposedly lists America's "top churches." The pastor of the church that topped the list at church relevance posted the following on his blog.

   I think LifeChurch may be on one list because its leaders value the things on the list below.

I didn’t want to be left out. Here is my list of some of the most successful Christians. (I left out their names because God knows who they are.)

• The small group members who bring shut-ins to church each week.
• The single mom with four kids, struggling to make ends meet, who tithes and gives a $5 offering to missions each week.
• The boy at our church who earned enough points to win two bikes, but gave them to a family who couldn’t afford them.
• The rich business guy who gives over half his income away and takes his two sons downtown to serve the poor every week.
• The bi-vocational pastor friend of mine who works a job for fifty hours a week, so he can preach for free on the weekends.
• The eighty-three year old who feels like she can die and go to heaven because her great-grandson just accepted Christ.
• The couple who prays all weekend long while I’m preaching.
• The leaders of the church who decided not to build a bigger building but give the money they raised to start churches.
• My daughters who pray every night for all the missionaries from our church.
• The guy I read about from another country who was beheaded because he wouldn’t deny Christ.

I only hope I can one day make a list like this one!

Source: I’ve Got a List, Too! at LifeChurch.tv : swerve

Do You Speak “Christianese”?

 I found the following illustration challenging. If it sitrs your curiosity, check out the source at the end of the post.

"In order to work right, the church must be relevant. It must communicate God’s truth and hope in the language of the culture in which it’s situated. Unfortunately, many consider cultural relevance a compromise for the church. Though they may be sincerely motivated, they’re wrong. As an incontrovertible example, let me share some words from Jesus Himself on this.

 
Videns autem turbas ascendit in montem et cum sedisset accesserunt ad eum discipuli eius et aperiens os suum doce bat eos dicens beati pauperes spiritu quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum beati mites quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam quoniam ipsi saturabuntur beati misericordes quia ipsi misericordiam consequently beati mwido cordequoniam ipsi Deum videbunt beati pacific! quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum beati estis cum maledixerint vobis etpersecuti vos faerint et dixerint omne malum adversum vos mentientes propter me gaudete et exultate quoniam merces vesti-a copiosa est in caelis sic enim persecuti sunt prophetas quifuerunt ante vos

 
Wasn’t that awesome? It defines the foundational message of Christ and explains His life and ministry, doesn’t it? I wouldn’t be surprised if you stopped to read it a couple of times and contemplate its importance to your life. You just read a portion of the greatest sermon ever given by the greatest preacher in history ... the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12). The truths you just read are a part of the foundational hope that Jesus Christ came to give us.

Source: MondayMorningInsight.com > Does Your Church Speak “Christianese”?