This morning Stephen Proctor and I were chatting over breakfast about Passion Conferences (among many other things) and one thing came out that we were both so attracted to:

As leaders, we’re attracted to the boldness by which they pursue their vision

God has given them a vision and they are unapologetic about achieving that goal. They could probably make more money if they started “Passion for Singles” or “Passion for Adults” or “Passion for High School Students”…but they haven’t. Those people are welcome to attend, but their audience is and always has been college students. And they don’t apologize that a Passion event might not connect with you if you’re not a college student.

How often to we allow the people in our congregation to determine what we do? Why is that we, as leaders in the church, are so drawn to people who are bold about what they are going to do (and what they are NOT going to do)?

It’s vision and the boldness to support that vision. Everyone wants to follow a leader who is passionate about where they are going – and not willing to waiver to public opinion.

Give me a leader who is boldly following God and His vision and I’ll follow them anywhere. Give me a leader who bows to public opinion and I’ll be out of there pretty quick. We don’t have time to mess around.

P.s. I also need someone to put me in my place and tell me that my great idea doesn’t serve the vision of the church…gently of course.

I love to read. I read a lot. Something happens when you sit down to read someone else’s ideas and synthesize that with your own ideas and your own experiences.

I wrote a tweet last week about reading Sherlock Holmes on my Kindle. I got a few responses from that and thought it might be interesting to share what else is on my Kindle right now (which I absolutely love – my backpack got 5 pounds lighter overnight).

Less Clutter, Less Noise by Kem Meyer*
Sherlock Holmes, the complete collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle*
Visual Faith: Art, Theology and Worship by William Dyrness*
Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully Engaged Members by Searcy & Henson
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
High-Tech Worship? by Quentin Schultze
Art and the Bible: Two Essays by Francis Schaeffer
Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes your Faith by Shane Hipps
Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival by Norman Ollestad
Tribes by Seth Godin
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

*denotes a book I’m currently reading.

Lots of wisdom up there.
What are you reading and how is it helping you grow?

(This is a continution of the 5 principles I want all my leaders to know. See HERE for the first two principles.)

As I look towards launching a new campus, opening a new building and starting a service on Thursday night, I’m being challenged to train new leaders. Here are the remaining principles I want them to know before we ever talk equipment or technology.
(more…)

As I look towards launching a new campus, opening a new building and starting a service on Thursday night, I’m being challenged to train new leaders. Here are 5 principles I want them to know before we ever talk equipment or technology.
(more…)

Fresh on the heels of my last post about the importance of excellence, I want to consider some of the downsides of chasing perfection. Here’s what happens when perfection becomes the end and not the means.
(more…)