What Motivates You?

Want to, get to, have to, called to, must – Which of these attitudes would best describe your last meeting with your students? I will admit that I have encountered each of these at least once in my ministry.
Since today is Saint Patrick’s Day I did a quick internet search and read some of the Wikipedia entry on St. Pat. I was unaware that he so hated Ireland that he left it the first time he was there. He was captured as a slave and taken to Ireland where he served as a herdsman for 6 years before running away from his master and boarding a ship for home. Shortly after returning home he had a vision of a man calling him to return to Ireland as a missionary. This time he went willingly and his impact was quite different. He was accused by others bishops of impropriety, but he remains a hero to the Irish Catholics to this day.
As I reflect upon those I have recruited or hired to work alongside me in my 20 years of ministry. Those who were most effective were not the most talented, but rather, those who sensed a God-given call to be involved in that ministry. Some of you may have received that divine call before starting your current ministry. For others, that calling became clear after humbly surrendering to serve. Still others may be serving out of a love for the type of interaction you receive with your students.
My prayer is that when somebody asks you “Why do you pour so much time into that class or group?” You will honestly be able to say “I know God has called me to do it and I love being in the center of His will.”

Calling brings longevity – John 10:13

Farewell to Favre

It seems these days that the people of Wisconsin are more concerned with the next quarterback of the Green Bay Packers than who will be the next President of the United States.

I found the following post that may serve to help you evaluate your own leadership skills.

After pondering over what made Favre such a great champion, here are a few sentimental observations:

1) He Showed up to Play Every Sunday.

Regardless of what was happening in his life (i.e. his father's death and his wife's cancer), he still found a way to get to the game on time.

2) He Played Through the Hurts.

I've watched just about every Packer game since Favre's debut. I've seen him clobbered, hammered, hamstrung, smashed, and boggled. Yet, Brett kept getting back on his feet again. Remember the year when he played half a season with a broken thumb? Somehow, the desire for victory was far greater than the physical pain.

3) He Took Risks and Made Plenty of Mistakes.

Not only does he hold the career touchdown record, he holds the interception record as well. You can't win big by playing it safe.

4) After He Blew It, He Shook it Off.

Nothing could rattle his confidence. On the next set of downs after an interception, he'd throw deep (and crazy) again. Favre didn't allow failure to be final and always believed that setbacks are supposed to be followed by come-backs.

He never blamed others for his mistakes, and always took responsibility for losses on the field.

5) He Inspired the Team.

Brett always had a good word of encouragement for the younger guys around him. I remember when Ryan Longwell, as a rookie kicker, muffed an easy field goal against the Eagles, and lost the game. The crowd booed. Favre went over to his dejected teammate and said, "Hey, don't worry about it. It's not your fault. We lost this thing together."

6) He Kept Smiling.

The thing I appreciated most about Brett Favre was his enthusiasm and love for football. Most of the time, he really enjoyed himself and was glad to be there.

7) He Didn't Quit Until the Clock Ran Out.

Many players give up when the tide turns against them, but not Brett Favre! He played his heart out every second of every down in the game. Perhaps that's why he led his team to so many last second comeback victories.

Revitalize Your Church: Farewell to Favre

Why don't more people participate?

I have been mulling over the question of why more adults aren’t involved in the superb classes you teach or groups you lead. I’ve come to 2 conclusions.
1. They don’t like it. Like Mikey and his Life cereal, they may not like it because they haven’t even tried it. I’m becoming more and more convinced that the key to getting people to “try it” is personal invitation. We can print brochures, make announcements, and send emails, but personal invitation is paramount. And some people will need to be invited several times. Many people will transfer negative experiences in other groups and automatically perceive that your class will be boring and irrelevant also. What can we do to change that perception? A survey of adults who were previously involved in church but have now dropped out found that many don’t buy into church life because they don’t feel engaged and welcome.
2. They don’t value it. This is actually two observations rolled into one. Some people don’t think the experience will change anything within their day-to-day life and others don’t think they have anything of value to contribute. Conclusions from the survey mentioned in the last point found that "People are looking for a faith that can change them and to be a part of changing the world." None of us are looking for more activities, we all long to make a difference. While leaving an area as undisturbed as possible may be a noble goal for wilderness camping, it is a miserable goal for Christian leadership.
Last week I challenged you to look for things to celebrate within your group. This week I am challenging you to consider how your learners could be changed by your next time together?

"Say So"

What successes have you celebrated with your class/group recently? In yesterday’s sermon Pastor Sean reminded us that although the church at Philadelphia had little strength, He had opened doors for them and they had been faithful to his name.
Sometimes a culture of celebration yields a spirit of hope. I know that I often focus on the things to be corrected rather than taking time to celebrate the successes. It was invigorating for me to celebrate the successful Ladies retreat yesterday!
I would like you to consider 2 steps. 1) reply to this posting with one of your recent successes so that others in the leadership community can celebrate with you. And 2) schedule some time in your next class/group meeting to share successes.
Since I grew up in the fundamentalist Baptist tradition, we often had “say so” meetings on Sunday nights. This was just an opportunity to “let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”

Obvious and Hidden Threats

The last couple of days have been pretty crazy around the Thomas home. You probably heard the flood warnings on the radio Sunday morning. With frozen ground and blocked sewers, residents in low-lying areas were told to prepare for flooding as the rains fell.
While we are nowhere near a natural waterway, we fell prey to that warning. The gutters on our building were solid chunks of ice and as the rain fell, it melted the snow on the roof which caused a torrent of water in the courtyard in front of our home. Ann called for help since she noticed the carpets were wet.
The obvious threat was the standing water in the courtyard. Most thought it was threatening to come over the threshold and flood the house so sandbags were purchased and shovels and brooms were employed to keep the water at bay, but the carpets continued to get wetter and wetter.
When the carpet restoration people arrived they pulled back the carpet to remove the soaked padding and found what I had expected – Two cracks in the floor that were allowing ground water to enter the house even though the threshold was not breached.
What does this have to do with teaching? I’m glad you asked!
While we rightly put much emphasis in crafting a creative, meaningful lesson and take steps to ensure a hospitable environment where learning can take place, damage may be happening in unwatched places. Most teachers rightfully guard the “threshold” of their class/group, but may be unknowingly neglecting their own souls and allowing damage to creep in. Pastor Sean spoke directly to one of these threats on Sunday – lethargy.
Psalm 78:72 tells us that David led with “integrity of heart” and “skill of hand.” Outwardly your students can pretty easily observe your skill of hand. But many leaders have become adept at hiding the weaknesses of our integrity (remember the Televangelist and Priest sex scandals?).
Can I encourage you to take some time today to consider the threats to your foundation before you have a mess on your hands?