BA - Fort Wayne Bible College
MAR - Trinity Evangelical Divinity
D.Min - Grace Theological Seminary
Birkman Certified Coach
John Maxwell Certified Team Member
Myers/Briggs Certified
FIRO-B Certified
TKI Certified
25 Years Executive Coaching
KEY THOUGHT: Discipleship is not about growing a big church. It is about growing big people!
The generational trends says that Millennials are biblically illiterate, but they are passionate about learning. This generation is passionate about acquiring new knowledge and a desire to learn things at a deep level rather than skimming the top of issues. The challenge in discipling this generation is to build depth in a shallow culture. Teaching at them will not work. Go to where they are – that will work! Understand their emptiness is a result from a secularized materialistic world. This has led to a hunger for more and many are unable to go further than a search for experiences.
So, what are practical strategies and approaches for this generation? Start with the leaders heart by being a Shepherd and not a star. Everything about the pastoral role is about leading with a shepherds heart. The Shepherd exists for the sheep; the sheep do not exist for the Shepherd.
Our discipleship strategy must go deeper than what we currently offer. Our prevailing culture is that we are image-driven. The culture has neglected the inner voice that cries for more. As leaders you must be aware of what you are doing to attract people. That will be the thing that you must do to retain people.
We must provide Bible teaching and doctrinal studies. It may seem overly simplistic, but we must face the fact there is a generation that is not grounded with common bible knowledge. There is a fundamental need to teach bible basics and fundamental doctrine. In a superficial culture, depth is attractive!
Provide content driven courses and lessons to help them learn. This generation has a tremendous appetite for learning. Why not make the church the center of that learning journey?
Before we get into these 7 actions, we need to consider what a sustained successful leader looks like. Here is a quick hit list of thoughts.
•Sustained Successful Leaders are attractional – you are drawn in
•The more that I see, the more I want to see
•Other people think more of them than they think of themselves
•They desire to learn more than they can teach
•They see possibilities instead of problems
•They lift more than they let down
In short these are the types of leaders that we desire to be with and to become. These leaders make me better and in turn I can make my part of the world better.
7 Action Steps
They put relationships FIRST
Relationships are nurtured and highly valued. These leaders realize that ONE is too small of a number to achieve success. It remains a leadership law – Help others succeed and they will in turn help you succeed. These leaders know they are dispensable while their team is indispensable. Add value to others and they will add multiplied value to their world. That is multiplied leadership!
They know that significance matters
What happens around you is success. What happens in you is significance! This is a journey of transforming your perspective from finite to infinite. Significance is when you realize your calling and life mission is bigger than your ability to achieve in your lifetime. Success is allowing others to grow larger than you.
They use HUMOR
Do not take yourself so seriously – learn to laugh at yourself. Others have been laughing already. Learn to laugh again, it is healthier!
They lead from their strengths
Question: What sets you apart from being average? Stay in your strength Zone. Stop working on your weaknesses. Invest in your strengths, establish a growth plan that intentionally moves you forward to your hope and dreams.
They manage negative thinking
Learn to focus on what you can control! There is so much you cannot control currently in your life – Covid-19, economy, employee shortage, retirement, etc.. Understand this too shall pass. Compartmentalize your life – stay present and grounded in what matters the most in life.
They make their own luck
A solid work ethic is necessary, show up first and be the last to leave in important assignments and projects. Understand that anything worthwhile is uphill. Effort must be exerted, and time must be invested. I know that we say , we do not believe in luck, but I would suggest a different type of luck – WHO-LUCK! Who do you know that is doing leadership at a higher level than yourself? Who can take you to the next level of leading? Who are the leaders you are being influenced by – get to know those people and read their content.
They manage their energy
Optimize your energy not your time! Know when to take a break and change the setting.
LINKS
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Key thought: Millennials are time-poor and need to see value.
Today’s demands of a 24/7 world keep Millennials busier than any generation prior. Text Messages, Emails, Phone Calls that pour into their inbox as they tend to their jobs, children, and homes. Scheduling conflicts force prioritization! With so little time available to this generation, they want to know the time they invest is worthwhile.
The challenge for the church world is to rethink calendars, programs, and schedules all need to be reinvented for this new Millennial world. A great place to start is to look at your current calendar of events and ask this question; Why do we do it this way? Is it still effective? Is this the best way? Be brave enough to stop programs that are not fruitful. The things you do well – do them very well. When you consolidate this will enable you to put more quality into the meetings and events that you plan.
Practical Strategies
Make weekly Sunday attendance a unique value proposition. Question: What do today’s Millennials get by attending your live worship service that they can’t get online?
Stay in a perpetual “Beta-Mode”. The only way the church world can survive is by regularly reviewing what is working and what is not working. Change what needs to be changed.
Do not allow your discipleship strategy to just grow a big church. Discipleship is about growing BIG PEOPLE! Also realize that Millennials tend to look for quick solutions to an eternal concern. Discipleship must be deeply relational and taking people deep in spiritual truths. Your discipleship strategy consisting of going deep in order to grow tall is of more importance now than ever.
It has been said that we must travel on the inside first before we travel on the outside. Why? The journey of growth and success is first an internal one. The person you lead is yourself! Can we really lead effectively without self-discipline.
This podcast will examine national Israel’s inability to possess a promised land according to the Biblical narrative Numbers 33:1-49. In this narration we see that Israel became a nation of drifters for 40 years in the desert wilderness. No land to call home and they traveled on rocky land called the Negev – ”Rocky land.”
They could have made this trip within 2 weeks, yet it turned into 40 years. The real reason boils down to preparation. The nation was simply not ready to step into their future blessing.
How about yourself today? How is your self-discipline? “Plato once stated the first and best victory is to conquer the self.” Here are 5 actionable steps that anyone can take to become a person that is disciplined and ready.
Develop & Follow Your Priorities – Let’s face it – all leaders are pressed for time. However, successful leaders have a plan. If you can determine what is really a priority and then release everything else – It will be easier to follow through on what is important.
Make A Disciplined Lifestyle Your Goal – To be successful self-discipline cannot become a one-time event. It must become a life-style. Develop systems & routines for crucial areas of long-term growth and success goals.
Challenge Your Excuses – Can you name several excuses why you cannot be a self-disciplined person? If you can, then realize these have become barriers to your success. All excuses need to be challenged if your desire is to go to the next level.
Remove Rewards – Take away the rewards until the goals has been met. Mike Delany stated once that businesses need to differentiate between shirkers and workers. You do not reward both groups of people equally.
Stay Focused on Results – Anytime that you focus on the difficulty of work you are likely to become discouraged.
Dan Cathy of Chik-fil-A stated that if you get better, your customers will demand that you get bigger. The old adage is true – Get Good First!
If your actions challenge people to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are a transformational leader that is capable of changing a nation – for such a time as this!
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
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John Maxwell made famous the phrase, Become a ladder builder instead of a ladder climber. The concept of ladder climbing is not a concept that Millennials gravitate toward. There is too much association to climbing the corporate ladder. This association is brought on by the imagery of the organizational chart that resemble climbing a corporate infrastructure.
The modern challenge for churches is to recognize two key salient truths; (1) By 2030 the workforce will be comprised of 75% Millennials and (2) churches will be forced to move in the direction of Circles of Collaboration that evolve from hierarchical organizational systems. Circle-style of organization shows teams within teams with define leadership and specific outcomes. How do we do this? Here are 4 key thoughts.
Become a listening organization – listening is the best to reach millennials who want to be involved and be heard. Millennials want to devote themselves to a cause.
Create an environment of training and mentoring – Millennials are hungry; they want to learn. It is widely report that Millennials top two things that make an organization attractive are (1) Employer makes clear the pathway of career progression and (2) Excellent Training/Development programs.
Define the difference between Management and Leadership. Consider this.
Management = Systems
Leadership = Relationships
Don’t lead through systems. Systems are about processes, not people
Don’t manage through relationships. Relationships are about people, not processes
Skip level communication – Org charts are helpful for management, but they do not dictate how a leader relates and communicates.
If you require that all communication travel through tightly structured conduits that push bit size pieces of information up and down the ladder, you are missing one of the greatest strengths Millennials bring with them – there ability to generate ideas that are productive and useful to the organization. Get into the habit of disrespecting the Org Chart – rather op for collaborative circles of communication at the grass roots level.
When your value system is clear, it is not hard to make life decisions. A clear and concise value system brings an alignment to your living. The hypocrisy currently on display is why there is an agreement that good leadership is absent. When you live out good values, you elevate the value of others. Genuine care and concern demonstrated through collaboration groups is where Millennials and Gen-Z’s excel. These generations are going to redefine power and authority.
If you currently hold a leadership position or are a contributing Team Member here is a 4-fold challenge for you. (1) Know the values of your life (2) Consistently live out those values (3) Communicate your values (4) Get buy-in from those in your circle.
You cannot have a Team without the same values! Teamwork is what makes the Dream work! Let’s explore a winning value system that makes you valuable. Here are 10 winning values.
We Value People – We are valuable people that values other people. Are we “People Drive or Money Driven?”
Live Intentionally – It has been said that that most people simply accept their lives, they do not lead their life! John Maxwell’s book, Intentional Living is a great place to start in terms of taking charge of your life. Make a difference in your world.
Exceed Expectations – Go above and beyond what people anticipate. Have a servant’s heart. It is not possible to give your best tomorrow if you have not given your best today.
Personal Growth – Leadership is not grown in a day, but it is grown daily! Tomorrow’s beginning is today’s learning. Develop a personal growth plan. If you cannot articulate this plan in writing, you are only day-dreaming.
Positive Attitude – Here are 3 truths about attitude. (1) Attitude is the difference maker for any team or project (2) Attitude is a choice – stop blaming others and your circumstances (3) Attitudes need constant work
Consistency – Mediocre/average people are inconsistent. Consistency is what will compound your return on your time investment.
Equip People – Use your talents to help others. Before this can happen answer the question; What am I doing to grow myself? This naturally flows out to the question; What am I doing to intentionally help others?
Lead By Example – People do what people see. Do not become a tour guide to destinations you have never visited.
Be A Catalyst For Transformation – Transformational leadership influences how other s think, act and speak. As a leader and influencer, you must change first.
FAITH – BELIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE! Only God!
Ultimately this hit list of values is about flourishing not just existing. Human Flourishing has 5 facets that all add to you becoming a valuable person.
Faith – What is it that you believe to be true?
Relationships – Who are the influencers in your life and how are you influencing?
Vocation – Do you see your vocation as an extension of ministry or is it just a paycheck. How meaningful is your work?
Finances – Budgets, Benevolence, Future
Health – Take inventory of your health habits. There is a cost for your choices.
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
Generational Trend: Millennials follow relationship not authority!
Millennials no longer respond to power and authority in and of itself. The days of ”because I said so” and “do as I say, not as I do” are vanishing. Authoritative power does not connect – relationships do! Power as we have understood it is decaying. Power does not buy what it used to in the past. Being in charge is not what it used to be.
John Maxwell’s book “The 5 Levels of Leadership” was obviously ahead of its time. Maxwell relegates Position/Authority at the bottom of his list of five. Notice the following.
Millennials resist most traditional structures because they were raised in a learning environment that embraced collaboration!
Ask yourself this key question: How would I lead if I had no organizational authority?
Leadership is not being in charge, but rather caring for those under your charge – Simon Sinek
Hope is the antidote to fear. It gives us enough belief that good things can happen in the future. Hope can help us get through tough times and lead us to a more fulfilling life. Hope is much more than an emotion. It is actually a resourceful tool that is available and abundant. We just need to learn how to create and share it with others.
To obtain hope, you need momentum. It is helpful to name the core beliefs that undergirds on how to hope. Not just knowing the core beliefs but, how they work together is even more important. Rick Snyder first proposed the idea of hopes three-part process that carries us to a better future. These three parts are presented as a set of learnable skills. Let’s examine these.
GOALS
We all seek out and identify an idea of where we want to go and what we desire to accomplish, who we want to become – whether tomorrow or over a lifetime. Many life goals are vague and fleeting and soon forgotten. Other goals are actively sharpened and modified over time. Hope is built from the goals that matter the most to us – we keep coming back to them time and time again. These types of goals fill our mind with pictures of the future.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1.
Agency
The word agency is short-hand for our perceived ability to shape our lives day by day. As agents we know that we can make things happen or stop them from happening. We take the responsibility for moving forward toward our goals. In time we develop the necessary ability for the necessary motivation to stay the task. We build our capacity for persistence and long-term effort. Agency makes us the authors of our lives.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me – Philippians 4:13
Pathways
We seek out multiple pathways to our goals, pick the most important routes for our situation and monitor our progress over time. These are the plans that carry us forward. We remain in touch and aware of obstacles that can arise at any time. So, we remain curious and open to finding better paths to our desired future.
For now, see these elements as a continuous feedback loop. Each element can set the others into motion. Each interacts with the others in ways that can reinforce, modify, or diminish them. When each of these elements are strong, they form a cycle that enhances our hope. When even one element is weak hope diminishes until we intervene to strengthen the element that is undeveloped or failing.
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
Millennials are the most technologically savvy generation. This generation is truly Digital Natives. They are immersed in a world of wearable devises streaming music, videos, and online communities. After all, they created much of the technology that we now use daily. This generation is creating virtual reality apps, engineering AI, and redefining how we work and play.
This generation has lost the boundaries between online and offline. Both realities exist simultaneously. There offline presence is a byproduct of their online activity. They assume that your online presence matches your offline presence. To illustrate the seamless nature of online/offline worlds consider the following.
In 2018 NBS Stars Lebron James and Stephen Curry started a 4th professional league – NBA2K. This basketball game is not played on the hardwood, but rather on the Play Station. Players are drafted and signed to real teams that compete virtually. More than 1.6 million e-sport enthusiasts devote 10 per week or more to the basketball e-league.
As the church world laments and resists changes in technology, the NBA seems to find additional revenue streams. This begs the question, “Are sporting organizations more prophetic and optimistic than Christian leaders and churches?
The challenge for churches is to understand that technology is a language not a tool! Therefore, religious online services are not to be viewed as “add-on’s” but to allow them to become authentic communities. This generation is not interested in watching church services. They have and are leaving the church because it is being seen as irrelevant. A serious investment into authentic online expressions that allow the online/offline world to flow seamlessly.Isn’t interesting that Scriptures tells us to GO into all the world….! Technology allows the church to do this in new ways with Digital Natives that understand the rules of engagement in the social media world. For the church to embrace and use technology effectively we are going to need to change the paradigm of authority and move more toward collaboration. Pastor Windle of Australia stated Millennials do not want a “cool church” where modern productions are a thin veneer plastered over and old Baby-Boomer culture. They seek something they can relate to.”
Hope is like oxygen it is a requirement for living! You cannot live without HOPE! Author Dr. Shane Lopez writes; I have convincing evidence that hopeful thoughts and behavior propel us toward well-being and success; hope underlies purpose driven action. It shows up in everything from going to school to leading an organization and communities. It correlates positively with health and even longevity and it does not depend on the level of our income or IQ (Making Hope Happen p.11).
On June 6, 1966 President Kennedy spoke at Cape Town University in what has become known as the “Ripples of Hope” speech to the student body. In this speech he referenced currents of change through education could be a means to improve not only our lives, but those of everyone around us.
The simple truth is that…
Hope Matters
Hope is a choice
Hope can be learned
Hope can be shared with others
When was the first time you came to the realization the present and the future are connected through our behavior. Hope is an active skill set that takes us from where we are to where we desire to go. It simply is the realization that we can get from here to there. “Here” is the present and in some sense, it is the least desirable against our imagined future. “There” is the target of our longing. You are the one that is moving from the present to your future. We expect something from the future and also from ourselves.
In our minds, our beliefs firm up links between ourselves and the future, priming people for hope. We accomplish this by setting high expectations about the future (tempered by reality) and then acting on them.
The hopeful among us share core beliefs that set them apart from everyone else. There are 4 core beliefs that should be considered.
The first of these 4 core beliefs on looking for hope in our futures starts with
The Future Will Be Better Than The Present
This first belief comes natural to us. Gallup polls have consistently shown that people are believe they will become better in time. Regardless of age, people generally believe that tomorrow holds promise things will be better.
I Have The Power To Make It So
To declare that I have the power to make the future better than the present requires us to see ourselves as lead actors in our life story. Add to this faith in God and now you realize you are acting according to God’s designed purpose in your life. This way of thinking about the future differs from “wishful thinking” and the various “positive thinking guru’s.” Your actions in conjunction with Divine Designed capabilities is what rearranges your tomorrows.
There Are Many Paths To My Goals
There will always be obstacles in our life that force different choices and pathways to conquer obstacles between us our preferred future. We hold to the belief that obtaining some wins in life, we can see the link between between my actions and positive outcomes. The pathway forward is never a straight line and never a single line to our tomorrows,
No Path Is Free From Obstacles
Resourcefulness is the key! There are multiple strategies to move toward your goals. Resourcefulness suggests that if one pathway closes, another pathway can be cleared. As a result of resourcefulness, you gain momentum and staying power.
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!
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