Leadership Network’s 25th Anniversary
On Wednesday night this week, Bob Buford’s legacy was celebrated as LN crossed the 25 year mark. Robert Lewis, shared that Bob has influenced the church in North America more in the last 25 years than anyone else. Here were a few of his bullets points. Leadership Network has…
- Legitimized the identity of the mega-church as it emerged
- Birthed an incredible number of relationships in a time of increased isolation
- Cross-pollinated ideas like no one else
- Provided opportunities for pastors to sit under the best leaders
- Made the national church smaller while making the local church more relevant and more missional
He included an eloquent and sincere reflection that “The bride of Christ is more beautiful because of Bob’s life.”
Get on Your Zag
I am spending two days at the Innovation3 Conference hosted by Leadership Network today and tomorrow. RIght now, Stacy Spencer from New Directions Church is preaching the good news clarity and the message of Church Unique. ”Get on your Zag” is the exhortation coined from a great little branding read by Marty Neumeier entitled, Zag. The opening of Marty’s introduction to the title:
As the pace of business quickens and the number of brands multiplies, it’s customers, not companies, who decide which brands live and which ones die. An over-abundance of look-alike products and me-too services is forcing customers to search for something, anything to help them separate the winners from the clutter.
Spencer leads New Directions with the clear mission to Empower all people to know God through life changing experiences from the inside out.
Questions for our Existence
This weekend I spoke to 60 large church pastors who are a part of the the Lutheran Church (LCMS). Billy Graham called the denomination a “sleeping giant.” The denomination as some unique strengths but is experiencing a long term decline as with many other denominations. As I prepared my time, I sensed the Spirit’s leading to begin to write down a few questions. So at the top of the pad I wrote down, “Questions for our existence” and this is what spilled out. I decided to end my talk with these questions:
- Are the Lutherans the only group that has the privilege to proclaim the Law and Gospel? If not, then why should Lutherans exist?
- Why would an active Christ follower in 2009 want to be Lutheran if they weren’t born into it?
- What is the single greatest reason to be a Lutheran in 2009? Why would a lost world care about that reason?
- If we are stronger at educating children than other denominations why aren’t we a growing denomination?
- Do we want to exercise the privilege of preaching without the responsibility being sent? (Romans 10)
- Who are Lutherans sent to today? Who is your church sent to reach?
- Does practicing the sacraments make you a church if you have jettisoned the mission of Jesus?
- What is keeping the strongest churches in our pack from taking more risks?
- If our strongest churches of the LCMS don’t take the risks then who will?
- What’s keeping the denomination from dramatically celebrating the small pockets of true innovation?
- Why aren’t the larger churches and the denominational leaders working better together for the future of the denomination?
- What will the state of the denomination be in 2080?
- Why do we elevate academia over action when our founder modeled both?
- How come Lutherans have fewer large churches than many other protestant groups?
- Who is solving our ineffective decision-making structures and policies and why aren’t large churches banding together to show the way?
- What would you be willing to give up today in your church (speaking to the large church pastor) if it meant the denomination would be stronger in 2080?
Biggest Ministry Mistakes
Blogger Tony Morgan just asked his twitter followers to write in about their biggest ministry mistakes. In the list below you will see the mistake that fuels our ministry at Auxano: Mistaken Identity
- @gsligon - “trusting a volunteer with too much influence in my ministry. can you say sabotage?”
- @menatpausecoach - “thinking that one would be ‘closer to God’ by leaving secular world for full-time ministry.”
- @teddywinter - “thinking that I can sustain it all. The need for a team is incredibly necessary.”
- @jodyearley - “calling a Jr. High event SNR (Santa’s Not Real) and then promoting in the worship guide for the little kids to see.”
- @michaelharrison - “not delegating or empowering others to serve”
- @chuck_scott - “procrastinating and calling that relying on the Holy Spirit for prompting.”
- @youcanknowgod - “student ministry services that compete with weekend services”
- @jasonsalamun - “Not raising funds prior to launching our church.”
- @kellyadkins - “caring about something less than God does. also, caring about something more than God does.”
- @dale_schaeffer - “Changing who we are as a church to fit the demographics of a community…lesson: just be who you are and watch God work.”
- @kentshaffer - “Trying to take an old school projector down from the ceiling by myself. It broke, and I almost did.”
While some of these are humorous, the idea of "changing who we are as a church" can be very dangerous. When I worked with Max Lucado at Oak Hills Church, I ripped a phrase from his book, The Cure for a Common Life, and use it for churches: "Your church can't be anything you want it to be, but it can be everything God wants it to be."
Growth Challenges Audio
While at Group Publishing today I saw the link to an audio I did with Alan Nelson a few months ago on the topic of growth challenges for the Rev magazine audio resource. In it, I share my philosophy of thinking about growth challenges, and two common systemic challenges: 1) the redemptive passion of the congregation, and 2) centralized leadership development. On the latter topic I share a little bit about the leadership development process of two churches I am close to in Houston- Clear Creek Community Church and Faithbridge UMC.
