Lead Well

A few weeks ago, I started to build our Evangel Egg Hunt website.  I’m not a web developer by any means, but I know enough to get around.  As I was putting the finishing touches on the site, I realized there was a problem.  The menus didn’t work like they were supposed too!  It wasn’t a big deal, but it made the site look amateurish. I googled and asked around.  The first person I asked  wasn’t able to solve the problem, but pointed me in the right direction.  Energized, I spent 5 hours of my day off with my family trying to solve the problem, I was no further along than when I started.  I was stuck and had to ask for help.  In a matter of a few short hours the site was fixed. My story is a common one.  Change the names and the project, and we can all find ourselves there.  I call it being a Lone Ranger. It’s insisting on doing it on your own.  Lone Rangers take every task head on.  They are confident and competent.  They have been well trained and have a proven track record.  Th

The great thing about leaders is that they are always pushing the status quo. A great leader is never satisfied with the way things are and push to make them better.  Many leaders have a dream.  Whether it was planted in their hearts at a young age or discovered later in life, leaders have a desire to go places and take others with them. Unfortunately, our lives are not easy.  If we could accomplish our dreams as fast as we could pop a bag of popcorn then it wouldn't be a dream.  Dreams take time.  They take growth. They take persistence.  They take endurance.  Dreams bring about fear, joy, sadness, relief, frustration, and victory.  Ask someone who has achieved their dream, and they'll tell you the hardest parts and the most joy-filled.  They will tell you of seasons that brought pain, but ultimately made them better for it. I imagine if we were able to sit down with Joseph at the end of his life, he would tell us of all the bad things, but also the good things.  What h

It's the beginning of the year, and now that we're back from all the holly and eggnog of Christmas, we begin to look toward the new year.  Invariably, the national conversation has turned toward New Year's resolutions.  That term either brings great pride or equally great vitriol.  So many of us make these resolutions, and by the time Valentine's Day rolls around, they've long been forgotten. We don't have to live this way.  No matter who you are or what you do it is possible to set goals and keep them.  You just have to know how to do them effectively. There are several reasons we don't actually meet our goals.  Here are just a few: They are unattainable/unrealistic They take too long to accomplish They don't take enough time to really set in They're based on emotion They're are too many to focus on one. I'm sure you can think of many other reasons, but my point is we're pretty bad at getting them done.  May I make a sugge

I'm always reading, and this year, I read more than I've ever read.  I tried to mix several different subjects on leadership, discipleship, church growth, and even a baby book. So, without further ado, here is the list. Ready, Set, Grow   Developing the Leader Within You Developing the Leaders Around You   Spiritual Maturity  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  Love and Respect   Good to Great  Breakout Churches   No Perfect People Allowed   Three Big Questions for Frantic Families   Deep and Wide  A Tale of Three Kings   You Lost Me   Children's Ministry Leadership   Lead small  Volunteers that Stick  The Circle Maker   All In   Jesus is   David and Goliath  I Blew It  Stretch   The Bible   Baby Wise I'll be posting my 2015 reading list in a couple of weeks.  What books have you read recently that were interesting?

Goal-setting. It seems like such a simple concept, but how many of us do it regularly and/or successfully? Our bosses talk about sales goals and making our quota. Our teachers in high school and college talk about it like we already have them laid out, and TV is always talking about our financial goals before we call their company. For some, goal-setting is second nature, for others they know it should be done. and still others, it’s a foreign concept. So whether you’ve been setting goals all your life or you have no idea how, here are five easy steps for you to set goals and actually meet them. Your goal must be specific and must be measurable. When I ran my half marathon, I had to set a clear goal. It wasn’t enough for me to say, “I’m going to go running to get into shape.” I had to say, “I’m going to run a 13.1 mile race by finishing and not coming in last.” When we set goals, it is far too easy to be vague. For instance, “I’m going to lose weight.” Once I set th

I recently had some time on my hands and got to watch one of my favorite movies, Patton.  It's the story of 4 star General George Patton and his exploits during World War 2. Written by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North, it's based on the biography,  Patton: Ordeal and Triumph  by Ladislas Farago and Omar Bradley's memoir  A Soldier's Story.   If you know anything about Patton, you know that he was a great leader.  He had many faults that got him into trouble frequently, but no one can argue with his numerous victories including his most heroic at the Battle of the Bulge .  So here are 10 things we can learn from General Patton. Honor your men . Patton was quick to give out recognition and even medals for valor.  He made it clear frequently his appreciation for their sacrifice and heroism. Keep an eye the big picture . Leaders can see all the moving parts and how they fit together. However, many leaders make the mistake of watching just the big picture or

This Christmas is an excellent time to invite someone to church.  But if you're like me, you don't go into every situation thinking about inviting someone.  However in normal conversation, people they will give you clues that they are receptive to invite.  Once we learn to recognize them, we will have much greater success and may even change someone's life. When people say any of these three things, that's your cue to invite them to church. I like to call them the "Three Nots" Not prepared for it.  Murphy's law says that anything that can go wrong will go wrong and that just seems more apparent in the Christmas season.  The church provides a wonderful place for support and encouragement during these times.  So when someone says they just weren't prepared, that's a great chance to invite them to church. Not going well.  During the Holidays we all want things to go perfectly.  Whether it's something trivial like a cold or serious like the