Can't We just all get along?

Why can't churches get along? Meaning... why can't churches stop reinventing the wheel and instead partner up to determine best practices, joint efforts, etc...? Some churches are now partnering together to plant new churches, providing resources and people to establish new successful church plants. Every church does something, at least something, well. What if more churches would partner together to develop media, sermon ideas, connection best practices, training, and more?

I believe someone recently said it best. Most pastors let their ego get in the way. They want to conquer the world on their own, doing it bigger and better than ever before. Or, less entrepreneurial pastors just want to maintain the status que, rather than seeking new approaches, new tools, and new resources.

It is about time that churches put their egos aside and benefit from one another. Imagine if all churches partnered together to increase the Kingdom together, instead of individual organizations trying to solve all the same problems.

Vision or Action - or both?

Can we really push a vision to our people while driving action? What - you ask... How dare you say that leaders could push a vision without some type of action to follow it up. Well - for those of you who think this post is too far out there, take a look around. How many of us sit in meetings, whether in business or ministry, and hear great visions but find ourselves six months later, or maybe 12 months later, in the same exact spot with no change whatsoever?

Now do I have your ear? I bet I do... because most of us have or are there every single day.

So - as leaders. Do me a favor. Stop casting vision with no action. Stop trying to drive change through only emotions. Cast the vision, but then live and die to the action steps that must get you there.

Vision and Action must coincide and live harmoneously together! If not, vision without actions is "dead" and actions without vision is a "waste of time".

Do both please.

Too Many Things to Do Anything

Have you ever found yourself in the following place?

"I have and am doing everything I can as the leader, or have thought of. I have this going on and that plan in action and this vision cast and yet - nothing. No change, no growth, no movement. What am I missing?"

Are you there? You know, if you have ever led anything you would probably answer yes. Many of us have been and are probably today.

It is interesting, the more I lead, the more I am finding that sometimes, and more often than not, movement/progress/growth, whatever you want to call it, happens when there are not "too many things happening" and when everyone is focused on one task, one challenge, one momentum booster, one something that INSPIRES.

I wonder if we need to step back as leaders to focus on that one thing, after FINDING that one thing that INSPIRES. Then, for much longer than we generally give it thought, drive that one thing with all we have. Longer than 4 week, or 4 months, or maybe 40 months in some cases. Change and Movement takes time.

The Holiday Season and Business Leadership

I have the amazing opportunity to sit in the top executives from none other than the Gap. Can you imagine my embarassment as I had to sit in a meeting where we discussed the influx of "merry christmas vs. happy holidays" emails and their impact on our ability to service our normal customers? So called Christians are emailing their thoughts and "disgust" about Gap not saying Merry Christmas, inundating our email boxes with garbage, causing frustration on the part of both the customer service consultatns and the management.

So -what did so-called Christians accomplish by vocalizing their disappointment with Happy Holidays? Exactly the opposite of what Christ has called us to do. I had top executives look at me, as they know I am a Christian, as if to say "what are your people doing?". And I just want to say to any of the emailers out there trying to "add Christ back to Christmas"... you failed miserably in this case.

You turned people away from the love of Christ and annoyed them with your insensitive, inpersonal, annoying emails.

Lets think about this for one second. Do Christians run the Gap? I dont think its the majority. So - why in the world would they want to say "Merry Christmas" any more than they would want to say "Happy Hannukah"? If you want to have debates with people, then have it with one another, where you might expect a Christian to remember Christ during the holidays. But stop expecting those who have not experienced yet the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to act as if they have. Our job - love on them, be a light, show them something they dont normally get during Christmas -maybe patience, kindness, goodness, self-control.

Or, as many "Christians" have done, inundate secular work groups with silly emails, cuasing more workload for already stressed out workers. Im sure that will get them to convert, come to church, and repent for saying "Merry Winter" or "Happy Holidays".

Lets just say... "Merry Happy Chrisma, Rama, Hanna, Quanaka"