quiet time the last couple of days have dealt with leadership issues. here’s my take on the issue, Leaders Lead. first, a leader has followers. Maxwell says something like this, “look behind you. if no one is following you are not leading.”

second, leaders take responsibility. i love sports. specifically i love college football. as i have noticed over the years the great college coaches take responsibility. i have heard Bear Bryant, Vince Dooley, Bobby Bowden, and others after a bad game say, “i’ve or we’ve got to do a better job of coaching.” there was a guy at UGA that responded to a question one time with this, “i’m not on the field, i don’t do the blocking and tackling, what do you want me to do?” needless to say he didn’t last long. leaders don’t throw others under the bus. don’t make excuses.

third, leaders communicate. i think that a huge amount of problems on church staffs comes down to communication. you cannot communicate too much. the leader doesn’t have to be answering questions or open up discussion but s/he must communicate. when there are changes being made and there is no communication then fear and anxiety begins to fester. when that happens then people start to talk and speculate (gossip) among themselves. even bad news from the right source can and will heal a lot of wounds.

leaders make the tough decisions without making excuses. don’t apologize for making the tough call. if the decision is bathed in prayer. if the decision comes after godly counsel. if the decision will move the organization along…make the call. i was umpiring a baseball game several years ago. some of my good friends were playing. a ball was hit up the middle. my friend made an unbelievable play on the ball and tossed it to the second baseman who turned and made a great throw to first base for an apparent double play that ended a rally. my call was that the second baseman failed to touch the bag, not even in the neighborhood as is often the case in the upper leagues. i called the man at second safe. my friends got quiet irate, a couple even cursed me. there was a wall between us, but i made the tough call. if you are not willing to make the tough call then don’t get into a leadership position.

finally, there are a lot of things i could say, but Maxwell, Covey, and others probably say it better, so i’ll just leave you with this, a leader has integrity. reading a book on persuasion. i like it. he talks about saying and doing the right thing. i was offered a job one time. it was a sales job. the fifth chapter of the training was titled, “how to lie to get in the door.” that is the truth. didn’t take the job. this guy makes the point if you’ll lie to get in the door, you’ll lie about your product and it creates distrust. live with integrity pastor. you have the most important product in the world – Jesus – abundant life – eternal life – make sure someone doesn’t miss the way to heaven because you went through the wrong door.

i love movies. last nite was the Oscars, glad to see Sandra Bullock won for Blind Side, but generally the Oscars bore me. i used to watch every year. i would even stay up until the wee hours of the morning to see the end of the show. but the movie industry and the music industry have so many “aren’t we wonderful shows” it gets on my nerves.

there’s the Oscars, the SAG awards, the Golden Globes, the People’s Choice. how many times do they have to tell each other that they are great? the same is true for music. how many times in the last six months have we heard that Taylor Swift is wonderful and Kanye West is a jerk for not thinking so. it just gets old to me.

i know it is important to be recognized by your peers. i have an ego like anyone else (sometimes even bigger i suppose) but that is the point, my ego is big enough that i don’t have to have someone constantly telling me how great i am. not that i don’t want you to think i’m great. but i can look back with satisfaction over the last 20 years, (just completed five with West Ridge Church) and see the churches that have started and knowing that i played a small part is satisfaction enough. don’t need to speak at the world’s largest conference, don’t need a plaque or statue, i need the peace that i am doing what God called me to do and in my heart feel i’ve got His approval. the question i keep asking myself, “is Jesus enough?” or do i need a golden statue to prove it? that may be idolatry.

as Sally Field’s said several years ago, “you like me, you really like me!” shame it took a statue for her to know that.

i think it was Mark Twain that said, “the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.” (or was it Will Rogers?) any way…a very good gentleman passed away on January 31. his name was Jim Akins, Jim retired from the North American Mission Board, he served several local churches as an interim pastor, he was the Evangelism Director for the state Baptist Convention of California. since he moved to Atlanta, there have been several people who got our names confused. unfortunately for Jim, the elder, he came to an area in which i have lived for almost 60 years. i also worked for the denomination, so a lot of folks got our names confused…

and thus i got a call on Tuesday of this week…message said, “give me a call when you get an opportunity…” so i gave my friend a call…”it sure is good to hear your voice,” he said, “a mutual friend told me that she had heard that you had died.” he was very concerned. but on the other hand he said, “i kept seeing your new post on facebook and on your blog, i didn’t know whether you had someone else writing or not.” well i assured him that i was much alive and explained about the elder Jim that had also worked for the denomination and that he had passed recently.

Proverbs 22:1 says that a “good name is better than great riches.” the elder Jim Akins, was a great guy. i had the privilege of knowing him only over the last 10 years or so. the churches that he served, his family and friends will surely miss him. he is one that i know the second he walked in the gates was met by Jesus who said, “well done, good and faithful servant.”

thank you brother James for your concern and for confirming that i didn’t have any “ghost” writers. i think that the elder Jim would have appreciated that one.

over the course of the last 15 years that i have consulted with church planters i have seen some really beautiful prospectuses, prospecti, however you say more than one prospectus. they come on slick paper, have beautiful pictures, great demographics, they’re gonna reach their community, they’re going to disciple people. but, i have discovered often there is no strategy to get the job done.

so what is strategy: a set of goals, methods and action steps that will help you reach your goal. you say, “i’m going to reach the unchurched.” well then tell me what your goal is (measurable) what ideas and actions will you use to do that. everyone says they’re going to reach the unchurched, very few actually do, because most of us have no clue what the unchurched want or need to bring them to the gospel. don’t give me a slick brochure…give me a plan…measurable…realistic…how…what.

you say you want to disciple people. 1. what do you want them to know? 2. how will you deliver this information or behavior to them? 3. define life change. does life change mean they no longer kick the dog or begin to exhibit the fruit of the spirit?

a strategy is not a slick presentation it is dirty, hard work for someone that has done their research beyond a demographic report and pretty pictures. that is what i’m looking for from a church planter.

5 stages of change

1. awareness that maybe there needs to be a change.

2. acknowledge that they probably should change.

3. understand what needs to change and the alternatives.

4. agreeing to make the change and taking action steps toward change.

5. stick to it.

here’s the deal. i think a lot of churches are aware of items 1 – 3. agreeing and committing to change and then sticking to it. that is another story not only for congregations but for most pastors.

there was a term we used to use in counseling – homeostasis – the tendency of a system to maintain stability. in other words the devil you know is better than the unknown. we would rather be dysfunctional than change. to most churches, it is obvious that they are dying, the world knows it, the neighbors know it, the pastor knows it, the parishioners know it, but by golly we like what we are and no one is gonna change us.

well, yes they are. you know who it will be? it will be the wrecking crew that dismantles the church building to put up  another building or business when your church dies. saw on a church planters blog the other day about how quickly they have developed traditions. not a bad thing unless they become sacred cows that never can be tampered with or changed. Brian mentioned this in Sunday’s sermon. in 2nd Kings the king had to destroy the snake pole that Moses had used to heal and rally the people, but  it had become an idol.

the last two on the list is making the change and sticking to it. how many times have i talked with pastors that said, “we tried that ____ , and it didn’t work so we went back to our old ways.” it’s like a diet. your body changes when you change your habits. that’s the easy part. but do you realize the ridiculously high number of people that weigh more a year after they quit the diet. have you seen the winner of the “biggest loser” from a couple of seasons before, he is bigger than ever.

pastors can change, churches can change, but it takes time. won’t happen overnight. begin with the things you can change. get credibility. then change the next thing. etc. etc. but if you think you will go into Little Bethel Church and make it The Next Big Name Church, you’re probably headed for a lot of headaches and disappointment and will be circling your resume’ a lot over the years.

change can be positive or negative. it’s all in how you handle it.

reading a little book on persuasion…starts out pretty negative…inducing one or more people to willingly and knowingly do something for you that they hadn’t initially planned or even wanted to do…they resist you and have more power than you…which is why you need persuasion…

is that how you view persuasion? i had never thought of it in such negative connotation. i know the image of a used car salesman and salesmen that persuade you to buy something you don’t want or need.

i think in the church some evangelists are viewed in this manner. as slick salesmen selling a ticket to heaven for notches on their belts so that when they get to heaven they’ll be able to say “look how many i brought with me.”

i think sometimes church planters may get in this mode. not consciously but…when you are desparate for people…you may get in a persuasive mood that has more motives than the person’s best interest. now the good side of my reading…the writer says, “you must act ethically.” 

so, how you do evangelism makes a world of difference. engaging a lost person as a potential member as opposed to a potential friend is a world of difference. often they know the difference also. had a friend in Utah, the local head of a Mormon Stake called him, “we’ve been helping this elderly lady in our neighborhood. she’s from the south and she’s Southern Baptist. she has not converted and so we think you should take care of her since she is one of yours.”

what’s your goal? notch on the belt or relationship?

got together with 31 friends that have connected in one way or another through the West Ridge School of Church Planting. we piggy-backed on guys being in town for Velocity’10.

it was good to catch up with some of them. i had not seen them since they finished the class. one was a third generation church plant. one strategist guy from NY. one guy from TN. the rest were generally from the ATL.

Tony Morgan challenged the guys with a message about Influence. the Brian Bloye cast the vision for a church planting network of like-minded guys that are not connected currently. we are appreciative of and friends with guys from most of the major networks out there: ACTS29, ARC, NewThing, Vision360. but they all have distinctives that keeps WRC from totally committing. Brian has been challenged over the last couple of years by some friends to bring together some Baptist types and Non-denoms that do not fit the profile of the above mentioned networks and lead. he has accepted the challenge.

so what does a network offer: training, assessment, coaching, relationship, funding. i know that perked up some of you when i mentioned funding. although that is important, it’s not the major thing that most church planters think it is. when you get out on the field you’ll want a relationship with someone who is either where you are or been where you are believe me. but…we do not downplay the importance of money.

WRC has participated in the funding or launch of over 42 churches here in America. some waiting and preparing, should go well over 50 just in America. to say that church planting is a passion of WRC is an understatement. but we can’t keep doing it alone. if you’re a rich person out there or even someone with a little cash laying around…imagine what God could do with that money in planting new churches. and if you’re ready to give …call me, i can help you make that contribution to the right organization…

question today, what do i do first? spent the last several minutes thinking through strategy again. haven’t done it quite like this in a while. it never gets old to me.

now it is time to go walk a church planter through the process. that is even more fun. seeing the light come on for a guy. a plan takes a while to develop. give the dough some yeast, give it time, let it rise, the bread will rise and you get a whole loaf. (sorry i’m on a diet and i think about food a lot). but if you begin to do things out of their time, or jump ahead the loaf will fall.

take some time and have a well thought strategy – it ain’t just about throwing some equipment together, finding a band and having worship. if you do it right - it takes time. if you do it right – it takes planning. if you do it right – it takes people.

do it right – in the end the aroma is unbelievable.

although i think the government used that some time ago. West Ridge Church will soon hire a Chief Launch Officer that will begin to organize a Network of Church Plants and Church Planting Churches. the intent is that this will be a nationwide network of like-minded individuals that will focus on training and launching healthy church plants – coaching – funding – networking for future growth.

this Sunday evening Brian and Tony will give a little glimpse of the vision of the future of church planting from WRC. i’m excited for what can be accomplished when we all work together.

i know that we teach this in the c.p. training that we want our church plants to be church planting churches but so few get that. we get the same excuses that the traditional church gives – now is not the time – money is tight – we don’t have leadership – my people wouldn’t understand putting money in a church plant when we are still struggling – in the future.

here’s a hint church planter – you can plant other churches when you partner. Rick Warren says, “you will very likely not plant another church if you haven’t done it in your first three years.” when you partner with others you can do it. WRC network will offer you the opportunity to be in on the ground floor of planting churches around the country and you can buy in – lead in – and contribute to the strategy of church planting early in the life of your church plant.

i was in a meeting early this morning. looking through a list of church plants in the local baptist association. WRC has had a hand in the planting of 7 of those churches. for most of them we were the primary sponsor but all of them have other partners. there were a couple on the list that we and another mega-church partnered in. you don’t have to do it alone whether you are big or small.

so here’s the deal – if you want to attend Sunday evening you need to contact me (jima@westridge.com) by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb 17. be at WRC at 6 p.m. for dinner ($5) and hitch up for a great ride. see you Sunday, but not without a reservation, I hope.

when i first became a believer my pastor whom i trusted implicitly and still do after 40 years, did a sermon series on the occult. it fascinated me so i did a little further study. i know i’m gonna upset some people but here i go anyway.

i believe that horoscopes are one way that satan deceives us and leads us away from trust in God alone. we are explicitly warned in Deutoronomy and in other books not to trust in diviners, witches, the occult, etc. i wonder if the people who read their horoscopes are reading the bible and obeying it and getting as much entertainment from it as they do their horoscopes. scripture seems to indicate that when you are listening to psychics, diviners, or reading the stars that you are showing a lack of trust in God.

i see on facebook people posting about their horoscopes all the time. and of course they ask you on your profile what your sign is. my redeemed sign is grace at the cross of Jesus. after that i didn’t need nor do i need stars to tell me about my life.

it may be fun, but remember that scripture says, that satan roams the earth seeking those whom he may devour. just wondering is this one way that satan gets a foothold in someone’s life? in an old book published in the 1960’s (i think, may be earlier) “Things Satan Uses to Deceive.” horoscopes are near the top of the list.

i don’t know about you but i don’t need anything else vying for my attention away from God. the Cross, that’s my sign.