Axiom—Chapter 6: Bold Move
Sheryll:
The difference between maintaining and exploding-it takes bold moves to go where God wants to take us. In our human minds, we may not see the big picture. God has huge plans that taking baby steps will never lead us to. We must be willing to make bold moves, in spite of the obstacles, to be able to celebrate the victories God has in store.
We have seen so many bold moves in our daily Bible readings-it is a bold move for a few men to go up against thousands; it is a bold move for a little girl to agree to give birth to the Savior of the world; it was an incredibly bold move for one Man to say He would die on a cross, descend to Hell and come back with the keys to life and victory. Bold moves change the world forever. Let’s be a people who are always listening to God as He tells us what our next bold move will be.
Tony:
I remember hearing a teacher years ago say, “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K.” As leaders, we must always be assessing the effectiveness of what we are doing. Jesus put it this way, “You can tell a tree by the fruit.” Are the things we are doing producing the right kind of fruit? Are we getting the kind of harvest we believe God wants? If not, we must be willing to make some bold moves or we end up in a rut or becoming stale. It is easier to just keep doing what we are doing, especially if it has seen some success. But our God is a bold, audacious, dynamic God, always on the move. If we are going to lead effectively, we must keep pace with Him. Learn to continually challenge your processes and you’ll find out that it is a lot more fun to lead than maintain.
Let's hear your comments.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Casting Vision
Axiom-Chapter 5
Tony and Sheryll:
This is a great chapter. Our favorite line in the whole book is “Cancel your career…”. The Bible makes it very clear how important vision is and how important it is to cast vision with clarity and passion. If we are not passionate about the vision, those we are leading will not be either. And the vision of the local church is the most powerful and exciting vision possible. How could we not be excited about it? It is God’s plan for the world and He has given us the privilege of partnering with Him in it.
Our job as leaders is to make sure the passion we feel for what we are doing is transferred to those we are leading. When I arrived at our campus early Sunday morning and it was already buzzing with volunteers who were happily giving up their off day morning, it was obvious we are doing a good job of casting the vision with passion and excitement. They were there because they believe they are changing the world with what they do. Make sure your team members never minimize their gifts and talents as they serve the Lord. Everything counts and everything moves us forward toward God’s dream.
Let's hear your comments.
Tony and Sheryll:
This is a great chapter. Our favorite line in the whole book is “Cancel your career…”. The Bible makes it very clear how important vision is and how important it is to cast vision with clarity and passion. If we are not passionate about the vision, those we are leading will not be either. And the vision of the local church is the most powerful and exciting vision possible. How could we not be excited about it? It is God’s plan for the world and He has given us the privilege of partnering with Him in it.
Our job as leaders is to make sure the passion we feel for what we are doing is transferred to those we are leading. When I arrived at our campus early Sunday morning and it was already buzzing with volunteers who were happily giving up their off day morning, it was obvious we are doing a good job of casting the vision with passion and excitement. They were there because they believe they are changing the world with what they do. Make sure your team members never minimize their gifts and talents as they serve the Lord. Everything counts and everything moves us forward toward God’s dream.
Let's hear your comments.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Axiom Chapter 4
Axiom—Chapter 4
Sheryll:
Once again, this chapter reinforces being a proactive rather than reactive ministry. For example, team leaders need to be expanding their teams NOW for the fall growth season.
The Church needs to be a shining example of the love of Jesus. When we aren’t prepared for those He sends through our doors, we do damage to His people. We, as leaders, need to always be thinking of not only this week and month, but next month and next year. We should:
Be:
God-oriented
People-oriented
Detail-oriented
Tony:
Chapter 4 is about being strategic. Being finishers and big picture people who get excited about lives being transformed and sustaining that transformation by being prepared.
Jesus teaches 4 laws of harvest:
1: See the harvest
2: Go into the harvest
3: Have the right tools for the harvest
4: Have a safe place to bring the harvest
This chapter is all about making sure we have #4 right. If we do the first 3 right and blow it on #4, we blow it and make all the hard work of no avail. It is not enough to be a great place to invite our friends, family and associates. We must make sure we are a great place for them to stay. That’s why the details are so important.
2 Corinthians 6:1 Message—“…Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details…”
Let’s hear your comments.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Axiom-Week 3
We were unable to post last week due to a wonderful vacation in a place with very limited phone or internet access. So here is our post for Chapter 3. Hope you are enjoying the book.
Sheryll: This is proactive instead of reactive. Proactive leaders make their teams feel safe by defining the seasons. If a leader is able to correctly identify the current season, that leader will be able to identify the next season and help equip the team for that season. Knowing the seasons empowers the leader to be strategic. For example, recognizing the summer months for a church as an opportunity to strengthen your existing core and identify new team members prepares us for the multiplication season that comes with the end of summer and fall. This also provides stability and gives no place to fear and worry. We recognize that attendance will be more sporadic during the vacation months, yet we still will grow, and prepare for the visible growth months coming soon.
Tony: Think about taking a group on a trip but not knowing where you were going or how to get there. The group would not be very comfortable, and you probably wouldn’t be very confident in your leadership. When we seek God’s wisdom on the seasons we are in and those coming, we are able to provide the information needed to put those we lead at ease and to make us more confident in our decision making process. Never assume that just because you recognize the season, that others will too. I have found that many times people are waiting on the leaders to identify what is going on, just like they would wait on the group leader to provide directions for a journey. Expect God to reveal the seasons to you as you seek Him. He wants us to lead effectively, not wander around. For us as a church, we are in a season of "core strengthening." During the summer months we need to focus on making the core of our teams stronger. This is a great time to have some team parties, read a book or listen to a teaching series together, etc. Toward the end of August and the start of September, the pace will quicken and you will be glad you spent the summer strengthening your team.
Sheryll: This is proactive instead of reactive. Proactive leaders make their teams feel safe by defining the seasons. If a leader is able to correctly identify the current season, that leader will be able to identify the next season and help equip the team for that season. Knowing the seasons empowers the leader to be strategic. For example, recognizing the summer months for a church as an opportunity to strengthen your existing core and identify new team members prepares us for the multiplication season that comes with the end of summer and fall. This also provides stability and gives no place to fear and worry. We recognize that attendance will be more sporadic during the vacation months, yet we still will grow, and prepare for the visible growth months coming soon.
Tony: Think about taking a group on a trip but not knowing where you were going or how to get there. The group would not be very comfortable, and you probably wouldn’t be very confident in your leadership. When we seek God’s wisdom on the seasons we are in and those coming, we are able to provide the information needed to put those we lead at ease and to make us more confident in our decision making process. Never assume that just because you recognize the season, that others will too. I have found that many times people are waiting on the leaders to identify what is going on, just like they would wait on the group leader to provide directions for a journey. Expect God to reveal the seasons to you as you seek Him. He wants us to lead effectively, not wander around. For us as a church, we are in a season of "core strengthening." During the summer months we need to focus on making the core of our teams stronger. This is a great time to have some team parties, read a book or listen to a teaching series together, etc. Toward the end of August and the start of September, the pace will quicken and you will be glad you spent the summer strengthening your team.
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