by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 18, 2012 | regular
4. DELEGATING TASKS INSTEAD OF RESPONSIBILITY.
In my humble opinion, the most overused and overrated buzzword in ministry today is “excellence.” As a pastor of a thriving urban church, I am committed to excellence in my life and the life of Mars Hill.
Because of my commitment to excellence, I can become obsessed about every detail. I’ve noticed how I’ve made my expectations clear to our team and now they tend to obsess about every detail. However, it didn’t take long for the team to realize that their interpretation of excellence might not be the same as mine.
Consequently, the team began to bring every decision about every detail to me, their leader. They didn’t want to run the risk that they might not “get it right.” Over time, I found myself in a challenging predicament. I became overwhelmed because I had to touch everything. Furthermore, what’s frustrating is how I became responsible for generating every new idea.
“If you try to control things, that’s self-limiting,” said Michael Dell, chief executive officer of Dell. “The easiest way to think about this is that if all the decisions inside an organization had to roll up to the center of the company or to one person, it’s a massive bottleneck to progress.” (Check out the rest of the interview.)
In the end, I learned that sometimes values collide. My commitment to excellence wasn’t the problem. Control was the problem. My obsession with getting it right became a roadblock to progress. I discovered the need to empower the team with broad responsibilities to fulfill Mars Hill’s mission while still holding them accountable to the overall vision and values. I needed to let the team take risks…and sometimes fail.
What do you delegate?
What do you tend to hold on to?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 17, 2012 | regular
5. ASSUMING THINGS ARE EITHER BLACK OR WHITE.
According to Wikipedia, ”a grey area is a term for a border in-between two or more things that is unclearly defined, a border that is hard to define or even impossible to define, or a definition where the distinction border tends to move.”
Wow, that’s a mouthful isn’t it!
I often say when I’m preaching, “let me give you the Stowers translation:” A grey area is a subject or problem that people do not know how to deal with because there are no clear rules.
Yea, I like that definition!!!
For those involved ministry, experience has taught us that grey areas exist! Following rules is easier than the messiness of relationships. Following rules is easier than discerning God’s will. The policies or guidelines we establish should actually remove barriers and allow more freedom within our organizations.
Moreover, innovative organizations don’t value the rules over relationships, they don’t value rules over people, and they don’t value rules over the mission. As we seek to minister to God’s people, remember black and white are not the only colors in the box.
What do you do when you encounter a grey area?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 13, 2012 | regular
6. NOT FOLLOWING THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret the Word. Jesus told His disciples “when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
He reveals to our minds the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living. He is the ultimate guide, going before, leading the way, removing obstructions, opening the understanding, and making all things plain and clear. He leads in the way we should go in all spiritual things. Without such a guide, we would be apt to fall into error.
Sometimes when I’m facing a big decision, I try to acquire more information rather than seek God’s direction. Here’s a fundamental principle to ponder: When we stop listening to God, He stops talking to us. God stopped talking to Abraham for 13 years between the last verse of Genesis 16 and the first chapter of 17. Sometimes, God requires us to take a step, in faith, before he reveals his plan. Check out Joshua 3.
What happened in your life when you decided to yield to the Holy Spirit?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 12, 2012 | regular
7. DWELLING ON THE “WORST CASE” SCENARIO.
As one who recognizes the validity and importance of spiritual gifts, one of my dominate gifts is discernment.
It can be a positive gift when God’s in control of my life. However, when I try to take control, discernment can lead me towards sin. The sin I’m referring to is called worry or anxiety. I’ve wasted way too much time worrying about challenges or problems that never happened. It has been said that “85% of what we worry about never happens.” Man, with odds like these who can loose. Personally, this is an area of vulnerability. What’s yours?
Do you dwell on the “worst case scenario?”
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 11, 2012 | regular
8. WAITING UNTIL THERE IS A PROBLEM TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
As a pastor, I understand the importance of encouraging others. It empowers others to reach their fullest potential.
Furthermore, it motivates them to want to go the extra mile. Because I can fall victim to the tyranny of the urgent, sometimes I’m encouragement-challenged. Moreover, since I am results oriented, my tendency is to only speak up when expectations aren’t met. Experience has taught me that this can create a culture of fear. I need to discipline myself to encourage my staff, leaders, and members more. As Tom Peters has said, “Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes.”
Have you encouraged someone today?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 10, 2012 | regular
9. STAYING TOO BUSY.
I’ve too often made the mistake of assuming that since I’m busy I’m adding value.
It’s very possible to be constantly busy and be completely ineffective. By the way, email can be the biggest trap of all. If I wanted to, I could spend every hour of every day processing email and getting absolutely nothing accomplished.
It has been said, “never mistake motion for progress.” Throughout the day we must stop and ourselves, “is what I’m doing adding value to others or helping me reach my destiny?” If so, keep doing what you’re doing. If not…well, you know what to do.
How do you know when you’re too busy?
