Learning and Leading in Ministry: Chapter Two

Keep Pouring in Energy

Learn to be indefatigable. 

 

A number of years ago, I came up with a brilliant plan to mobilize the church into evangelism and retention. Named the “Evangelism Commission,” it zeroed in on five critical areas of growth: Outreach, In-Reach, Follow-Up, Discipleship and Service. I subdivided each area into teams with specific jobs, and a coordinator supervised the ministry entire ministry. Upon implementation, it generated tremendous excitement and began working flawlessly…for about two months. It then took a decidedly southern direction. What happened? Awash in self-congratulations, I had backed away from it and turned my attention to other pressing needs. My coordinator encountered a personal slowdown due to a job situation, one departmental head moved away and two others found that their work schedules would not allow them to continue. Several other key people on different teams became discouraged and let their responsibilities go. My long-ago high school physics lesson was true: there really is no such thing as perpetual motion!

Organizations, businesses and projects that require leadership stagnate without a constant inflow of energy. You cannot let up. Think of an eight cylinder engine when it comes to providing leadership. When half your people are satisfied and pumped, the other half are coming back for more, and none of them are on the same timing cycle. And you are more than just a spark plug; you are the battery that makes the spark plugs spark! People feed off of the leader’s energy. When he or she fails to pump that energy in, all the air goes out.

Steve Pavlina, personal development expert, says “Educate yourself on what it will take to achieve your goal. And I mean really educate yourself to the point where you become an expert. Keep pouring knowledge into your head until you succeed—continuously. Don’t just read one book on the subject. Read 10. Then read 10 more. Then 10 more. Listen to audio programs. Talk to experts. Never let up on your self-education.” (Making A Quantum Leap, StevePavlina.com).

To launch a rocket from earth to reach outer space, the rocket must exert a sufficient amount of sustained force to overcome the earth’s gravity. If the rocket’s engines cut out prematurely, the craft will crash back to earth. Just as it requires a massive amount of sustained force to put a rocket into orbit, recognize that there are certain areas of your life where you may need a large force to knock you into a higher state. Small efforts over a long period of time may do absolutely nothing for you. You can read one time management book a year and be no better at your managing your time. When your plan calls for action, dedicate as much energy to getting it going as you have at your disposal. A beginning burst of energy followed by a fizzle and pop will worse than never starting at all. Start it up and keep it up.

Learning and Leading in Ministry: Chapter One

Leadership Goes Beyond Charisma

Learn to be Real 

He could charm a diamond out of a piece of coal. People flocked to his steady stream of expansive smiles, effusive compliments and engaging conversation. Unfortunately, he was well aware of his powers, and not long into his young career, he started playing his giftedness to the hilt. He believed that his charismatic personality exempted him from banalities like honor, preparation and hard work. Early on, his appealing ways got him by. The next phase, however, took him beyond the role of an innocuous charmer. He gradually slid into sinful, even shocking behavior, knowing that he could rely on his personality to cover everything up and keep going. When his wrongs came to light, he found out that the rollicking personality that once made people laugh and coo now infuriated them.

Charisma is like a picture frame: the fanciest frame in the world won’t make a picture beautiful if it does not quietly exude its own, inherent beauty. Conversely, a true work of art needs only the simplest frame to accent its aesthetic value. Sooner or later, anyone who relies on the frame of charisma to cut a swath of leadership through the challenges presented by life will fail. Those who do succeed often leave behind a work that falls apart with their deaths because their success was not founded upon enduring principles. True leaders understand that after the hilarity and the razzle dazzle fizzle out, people demand integrity and truth. That’s something you can’t laugh off or laugh through.

The Apostle Paul emphatically denounced leadership by charisma alone. He said, “My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Reportedly, he was unimpressive in person, and people despised the quality of his voice. He also warned against the day when people would prefer their teachers to do little more than entertain them and fail to teach strong doctrine. He knew that any work founded upon charisma and not upon the substance of doctrinal truth would not stand the tests of time. In modern times, the most extreme example of this is Jim Jones, the notorious cult leader who, on the strength of his domineering personality, led 914 people to commit mass suicide in 1978. “Perhaps the single most defining characteristic of a cult is a charismatic personality like Jones who becomes the group’s defining element and a locus for absolute power. Tellingly, the so-called “ Peoples Temple ,” ultimately became known as ‘Jonestown.’” (Rick Ross, 11-29-02 ).

Followers find it hard to resist the aphrodisiac of charismatic leadership. The leader, however, cannot blame followers for being too gullible. Ultimately, the leader’s own conscience has to serve as a police officer to keep his or her personality subordinated to integrity. Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required.” In leadership, you can’t help if you have charisma. That’s just you. You can help it if you rely on it instead of sound principles like planning, communication, responsibility and integrity. Don’t allow your good personality to become a license to manipulate or take advantage of people.

Learning and Leading in Ministry: Prologue

Most of us would guess that only grade school kids vigorously resist learning, but that guess would be way off the mark. Grown people, all around the world, oppose learning new things—some of them passionately so. They believe that they already know everything they need to know. They view every new idea or practice with intense suspicion, primarily because they think the purpose of the new is to destroy and/or replace the old. Ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, prejudice, bigotry, groupthink and inflexibility all describe various reasons why people resist learning. Church circles are especially noted for their unwillingness to learn and refusal to change. This may be true because tenets of faith are such emotionally charged and deeply held beliefs.

I am not suggesting that we should change everything, or that we should change for change’s sake alone. Some things can never change; they are absolutes. Bedrock articles of faith must remain securely locked in place. I am convinced, however, that we must continually view the world around us and review the world within us with an eye for improvement. Methodologies, practices, procedures and styles must not be considered as absolutes. They developed around personalities, cultures, trends, historical events and circumstances. All truth is held in earthen vessels. We must always seek better ways, more effective ways and more powerful ways to practice our faith. It is in this mindset that I believe learning is imperative for believers. Learning is not anti-scriptural. In fact, anyone who will study the Bible will note that it is replete with exhortations to learn and grow.

Learning from the Bible will increase our reverence for God. Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. Deuteronomy 4:10.

One purpose of affliction is that we will learn the mind of God. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Psalm 119:71.

We must learn quality as much as substance. Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17.

Judgment will motivate us to learn. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Isaiah 26:9.

There are things we must not learn. Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. Jeremiah 10:2.

Learning must be a deep experience. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matthew 9:13.

Learning must ultimately focus on Jesus. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29.

Learning is a major reason for coming to church. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 1 Corinthians 14:31.

Learning is an earmark of a wise man. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: Proverbs 1:5.

God gives us the ability to learn. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Daniel 1:17.

Only the world discourages spiritual learning. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. Acts 26:24.

The end of learning is not itself, but truth. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7.

Learning and Leading in Ministry: Introduction

(This begins a series of leadership articles that I am presently working on for a sequel to “Living and Leading in Ministry”.  I will post the ones I have finished each day, and the rest will follow as they are completed.  Like the first book, this will have thirty-one chapters.  Each chapter will feature something about leadership that needs to be learned…or unlearned.  I hope you enjoy them.)

Preface

We all know about Jesus and the twelve disciples, but imagine if we referred to Jesus and the twelve learners? Or, the twelve students? How about pupils? Ah-h-h…no. Not the same. Jesus and the twelve “disciples” has a ring to it that “learners”, “students” or “pupils” don’t have. The core definition of disciple is actually “one who learns.” Jesus knew that learning goes with leadership like sun goes with moon and leaves go with trees. He knew that leadership is dynamic rather than static and leaders who stop learning will lead their followers astray or lose them entirely.

Twenty-first century business gurus speak of the learning organization, “a group of people who are continually enhancing their capabilities to create what they want to create.” The old model led organizations to train workers for one-dimensional jobs—-duties that they performed until the day they retired. Plebes down the chain of command were informed on a “need to know” basis. Inflexible and bloated, corporate methodologies descended from sacrosanct penthouse boardrooms. Today, with change measured in nanoseconds, that old construct guarantees certain disaster…quick. New ideas do not wait for osmosis. In this volatile environment, learners must aggressively pursue new methods and technologies.

Age-old principles in scripture will always provide our underpinnings for today’s ministry, but their effectiveness depends on how well we use them. Unless we implement them through cutting edge techniques, relevant vocabulary and continual attention to present dynamics, we will get disappointing results. The best leaders are learners. Leaders need to learn. They need to learn how to learn; what to learn; when to learn; and what to unlearn. Greater energy, stronger convictions and better decisions will flow from the learning leader.