Ten Learnings from the Leadership Summit

There were so many great take-aways and things I am going to need to process/implement/chew on/wrestle with/think about, but here are ten of my learnings from the 2008 Leadership Summit:

1. “What happens if we invite people into our churches and they never change?” - Then you’ll be like Jesus. Jesus invited Judas in to his inner-circle and he never changed. (John Burke)

2. Sometimes you do everything for God…and die. Happiness is not the key. (Craig Groeschel)

3. Successful ministries have a “laser focus.” More ministries don’t make your church better. Better ministries make your church better. (Craig Groeschel)

4. Reach out and love across EVERY barrier. (John Burke, Effrem Smith, Bill Hybels)

5. “Jesus didn’t come to make us safe. He came to make us brave.” (Gary Haugen)

6. When non-believers ask hard questions (i.e. “What’s your church’s stance on gays?”), there are deeper questions being posed. (John Burke)

7. Pray this: “Bring it on, God.” (Catherine Rohr)

8. Sacrifice privacy for accountability. (Catherine Rohr)

9. “When Jesus returns, that is when true justice comes…but until then, it’s just us.” (Efrem Smith)

10. Don’t allow yourself to become a full time pastor (or church employee) and a part-time Christ-follower. (Craig Groeschel)

Lead Where You Are

This weekend, we start a two-week series titled, Lead Where You Are. I’m very excited, because we’ve never devoted an entire series to the topic of leadership. Over the next two weeks, our Teaching Pastor will be addressing this topic - focusing on self-leadership and leading by influence.

Regardless of where we are in our lives, we were all created to be influencers (not a real word, but it’ll do) - people who make a difference. This series will be a great learning experience - no matter where you are.

This serves as a great precursor to The Leadership Summit. Presented by the Willow Creek Association, our church will be one of the more than 140 satellite sites across North America. This is the premier church leadership event - every year, I am so blown away. I always walk away with a ton of new learnings and insights. The Summit helps to re-envision me for another year of ministry. If you are in any sort of ministry at a church or para-church organization, you don’t want to miss this event!

The Green Room

Yesterday, along with 28 members of our Arts team (mostly volunteers), I attended The Green Room - a gathering for artists that serve in the local church. Presented by The Willow Creek Association, this regional one-day Arts event was an incredible asset to me and our team. We learned much, and I know all of us came away with at least one learning (though it’d be hard to find anyone who only had one - there were many learnings). Nancy Beach, VP of the Arts for the WCA, led the event and did an excellent job in casting vision about what the core values of an arts ministry should be. (If you’re interested in the use of arts in the local church, check out An Hour on Sunday.)

Here’s a two of my thoughts following the event:

1. We need more in our “toolbox.” Our weekend services can’t just rely on music and teaching. We need to broaden our use of the arts. (Which has led me to question how to spark movements in areas like dance and drama within our church.)

2. Evaluation, evaluation, evaluation. We need to grow in this area. We need to raise our level of thoughtful discussion following the execution of our weekend services.

On the drive home, two of our volunteers rode with me. Our discussion centered around learnings and thoughts of the event. It was a great discussion. They shared with me what they learned and also what they thought I and those who lead alongside me could do to better utilize their gifts and service. It was an invaluable conversation. My major take-away from the drive was this: I never want to become a leader who stops listening. I want those who serve under me to always feel as though they have someone who is for them, someone who is accessible and wants to see them become better at what they do. Because, when volunteers in the local church get better, the church gets better. And better churches are a big win - a big one.

Meada at RISD

Just before the holidays last year, John Maeda (Associate Director of Research at the MIT Media Lab, author of The Laws of Simplicity) was named as the new president of RISD. I came across this interview on AIGA’s website.

I just love what Maeda says when asked about how he, an artist, will fit in to the “administration” role of a president at such a prestigious institution. Meada responds:

“I think my MO has always been to find design and art even in the most inane tasks. If “administration design” was a field to invent, or even ‘administration art,’ then I am up for the challenge. The number one request I heard from RISD students was, ‘If I am at the most creative school in the world, then I should see that reflected in the administration—no, demand it.’ Innovation can play a role in any situation, I believe.”

What a smart guy. Watch his RISD video here, it’s equally as intriguing as the interview.