I’m sorry, I was wrong…
The upside of the participative model of leadership…
Recently, I approved certain information to be communicated to a large group of people that was prematurely and wrongly communicated. This decision on my part caused serious heartburn* and disruption for many people on our team. Not only that, I didn’t have consensus on the information that was communicated which created even more complexities.
I was wrong. Not intentionally (I didn’t know what I didn’t know), but wrong nonetheless. I also needed to work on consensus with this team of people, which seemed nearly impossible at this point.
So, I gathered the team together (about 15-20 people). I apologized and asked them to forgive me. They were quick to do so.
Then we talked about how to deal with the unresolved issue. I assured them that I had no preconceived outcomes, but I did have an idea that I would save until the end… assuming we couldn’t establish consensus.
After about 10 minutes of back and forth conversation, something seemed to break loose in the room. It’s was like God-breathed into the space. The ideas and suggestions began to flow; each building on the other. It was a wonderful expression of open-handed and minded people who care deeply for the greater good.
By the end of our meeting, the ideas, suggestions, strategies, and ultimate agreement from the people on this team were more than I had in mind and much better than I would have ever imagined or expected, given the circumstances.
I was blown away by their grace and forgiveness coupled with the way they genuinely engaged the issue at hand and dynamically contributed as if there were never a problem. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
The outcome of that meeting will help catalyze a potential inter-generational movement that will bring kingdom in beautiful ways.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Eph. 3:20-21
Thanks everyone!
*I want to acknowledge Steve Basden for bringing the word “heartburn” into my vocabulary.
Thank you…
Notice the bridge at the bottom of the picture to gain perspective
The last eight days have precariously felt like one prolonged trust fall from perhaps the tallest bridge in the world… and it’s literally been a breath-taking, death-defying and life-giving process to see so many people find and release God’s fullest expression on their Kingdom journey.
I want to extend a larger-than-life thank you to all of our Adventures staff (in the office and at training), coaches, squad coordinators, squad leaders, trainers, speakers, serve team, and partners for being so over-the-top, contagiously selfless, and open-handed with your support for the World Race and these racers.
Thank you for trusting well.
I appreciate the words of Solomon, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.”
So, what do you say, let’s do Kingdom… together.
Mostly personal…
“I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.” – Bob Goff
Paul and Nancy decked out for prom. Nancy was the prom queen.
I am so proud of my daughter-in-law Jamaica (7+ months prego) who graduated from Loyola Marymount University – Loyola Law School Class of 2012 on Sunday, July 20th. What a tremendous achievement. She will bring kingdom-minded justice to places and spaces overlooked by the majority.
Ann was able to fly from G-ville to LA to attend the graduation ceremony. She was amazingly surprised to see Mark and Jamie and our 2 (so far) grandbabies at Brad and Jamaica’s after the graduation (Landon & Ava).
It’s summertime! That means go time around Adventures. We’ll mobilize thousands over the next few months to take the Kingdom around the world. This week we trained almost 200 World Racers. Simply indescribable to see/hear/feel/experience the beautiful and tangible presence of a loving God gently and thoroughly invade my life and the lives of these racers.
Ann and I are taking a week in June to visit the Northwest (instead of the Caribbean) for a few days of rest and then a visit with the grandbabies.
In July, Joy and her boyfriend Angel are coming to Charlotte. Yippee! We’ve never met Angel, but Joy says he’s red-hot for God. Can’t wait to meet him. He’s headed to the Mediterranean with Destino-Cru on July 10th for a month. And, it goes without saying that it’s always a party to have Joy around.
I’m in the middle of pulling off a caper that just might instigate an entire generation in pretty cool ways.
I’ll be speaking at Watershed on July 8th… Blessed Are The Eclectic.
“Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.”
–Author Unknown
Good night.
Well packaged autocratic leadership
I believed with everything inside of me that he cared deeply for my family and me. He was like the “father” I either always wanted or never had. The pastor of a fast-growing church, he garnered a level of respect that was impressive. I can’t deny that I was completely flattered when he pursued me and then, leaning on his spiritual authority, invited me to be the executive pastor of his church. I justified that the only “right” response was to accept his offer.
For almost three years I had a front row seat for one of the most well packaged autocratic leadership demonstrations I have ever seen. This guy was externally winsome with an uncanny sense of logic and a compelling way of communicating scripture. He had confidence, command of the English language, and enough contextualization to avoid most critics. After reading through a book my wife left “laying around”, it opened my eyes enough to see that we needed to leave that church/friends/community/job. And, so, burned out, worn out, and unsure of a future in ministry, we left! It felt like a Houdini escape of sorts, insubordinate and rebellious. After all, I was purposefully leaving my “spiritual covering” and entering unchartered spiritual territory.
Time, a steady dose of the Word, solid Bible teaching, and a few good men discipled me and restored my soul to a place of health, trust and dependence.
“I’ve written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they’re no match for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ’s anointing, no less! You don’t need any of their so-called teaching. Christ’s anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught.” 1 John 2:27
Even now, my heart breaks for so many tender-hearted people who desire strong, Godly leadership but, like me, find themselves in a co-dependent relationship holding onto a false sense of loyalty. It’s not always discernible either. Sometimes, the subtle lust for authority is cloaked in a meaningful purpose.
Many see leadership like a pyramid with the people on the bottom serving those on top. But what if that thinking is wrong? What if leadership is not about authority – but instead is about living our lives for others? What if choosing to serve others is actually the only pathway to Jesus-like leadership?
If that were the case, it would certainly change everything… wouldn’t it?
Or would we still be easily fooled?
Blessed are the eclectic…
Blessed are…
The unusual, the searching, and those who don’t want pat answers.
Those who march to the beat of their own drum.
The awkward.
The frazzled, overwhelmed, self-conscious, unemployed, or tired in their work.
The softies, whose hearts ache for those in need.
The young, the gray-haired, the no-haired, the pink-haired, and every shade in-between.
Those who loathe religion, yet long for spiritual connection.
The traditional and non-traditional families.
The lonely, the isolated, and the disenfranchised.
The doubters and questioners, those who don’t have it all figured out.
The artists, musicians, dancers, poets, creators, and brainstormers finding their way in a banking city.
Those of every skin tone. Inked and un-inked, pierced, and unpierced.
Those who live in every neighborhood, borough, and region of this queen city we call home.
We’re southern and northern; western and eastern. We are not homogenous. We are diverse, variegated & beautifully eclectic. For those who long to be part of a community that embraces the stunning contrasts of Charlotte, join us for BLESSED ARE THE ECLECTIC – a summer series at Watershed for all those who never really connected to God, or for those who long to connect more deeply but never really felt like they fit into the “box” of who the church wanted them to be.
That’s MY church!
Psst… I’ll be speaking on Sunday, July 8th.
Epoch 2013 Missions Gala
“I kept thinking about how blessed I was to be a part of something that so many people had rallied around and something that God had His hand in in such a mighty way. Then on top of that, I was surrounded in the Fox Theater by hundreds of other amazing ministries and non-profits that God was using around the world! Incredible!” – Jon
Nothing sounds more contradictory than a black-tie missions gala. But Epoch 2011 pulled it off masterfully. It was an amazing experience. Here’s what happened in a nutshell:
We asked God for 250 nominations. We received 438 nominations from 25 countries and 38 states and awarded $50,000 in grants to deserving missionaries and ministries around the world.
Our partners included organizations such as Plywood People, 316 Networks, Awana Lifeline, Men’s Warehouse, Cross and Crown, Tangerine Travel, Moody Publishers, and many others.
It was a night to remember — for the presenters, attendees, and award winners. In tuxedos and formal gowns, we celebrated the cause of missions and awarded those who have labored hard to build God’s kingdom. Winners included Shaun King of Twitchange, Brett Durbin of Trash Mountain, and Andrea Baker of Word Made Flesh, plus many others (see all the nominees and award winners here).
The response was staggering. Over 100 blogs and websites picked up the story and ran with it. Here’s what some of them said about Epoch:
“I was honored to attend their inaugural event in Atlanta, and while I don’t know what I was picturing, what they delivered blew away any expectations I may have had.” —Alece
“I think that an event like this is long overdue.” —Justin Miller, People’s Choice Winner
“Yes, maybe this is just a taste. A taste of whatever comes after, of what we were made for and long for. A taste of life as it should be.” —Jeff Goins
And here are a couple anonymous ones from a survey we took:
“The fact that a missions organization was setting themselves aside and recognizing other ministries…you are an example to us all.”
“The recognition of the fantastic work that so many are doing throughout the world. I learned so much about what is going on in the community and appreciate the fact that your organization has decided to give to those who give so much.”
In order to preserve the special feel of this event, we’ve decided to make Epoch something we do every other year. We’ve already booked the fabulous Fox Theater for October 2013 and I’m excited for what Epoch will look like and hope to see you there.
To get a glimpse of what the inaugural event looked like, watch this video.
Death is a catalyst
Death is a catalyst.
Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. John 12:24
Death is a catalyst.
Apple’s profit of $13.1 billion in the first quarter of 2012 was equal to their revenue in the last quarter of 2010 (via techcrunch). Jobs died in Q4 2011.
Death is a catalyst.
More people decided to follow Jesus in the 3 months after his death than in the 3 years of his public ministry (@jarrettstevens).
Death is a catalyst.
Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ… The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20
Death is a catalyst.
Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. Gal 5:24
What do you need to kill?
Death is a catalyst.
