MIM Ezine, April 30, 2008

-- Login Leadership: Open Source Leadership Development: Part II, by Tom Hanover.

-- Book Review: "The Tender Scar: Life After the Death of a Spouse,"by Richard Mabry, reviewed by Tom Hanover.

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In his last column Tom Hanover and Paul Risler looked at how in 1998 Netscape released the source code for Navigator, its web browser for the internet. Here’s a quick refresher on the significance of that endeavor.

As developers noticed the requirements from commercial sponsors increase, the Mozilla project was created to keep the software simple and accessible. Out of this grew the Mozilla Foundation and the Mozilla Corporation that is more known for its web browser: Mozilla Firefox, and its email software: Mozilla Thunderbird.

One of the unique contributions of the Mozilla project was to continue open source code. Open source means that the developers released their code to other software programmers so that a wide range of volunteers could experiment with it and create new improvements. Projects were returned to the Mozilla engineers for their consideration and adoption.

Consequently, Firefox has grown to about 15% of the market and is beginning to rival Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. It is free to download and easy to use. (I use it myself.)

Rev. Paul Risler uses a similar concept in ministry leadership that he has coined: open source leadership. In a similar approach to Mozilla’s software developers, Risler puts his vision out to the staff and members of the congregation and invites their input.

Paul Risler is Senior Pastor at Central Avenue United Methodist Church in Athens, Ohio, where the average attendance has grown from an average attendance of 158 in 1997 when Paul arrived to more than 220 today. During the school year attendance often breaks 300 when the students of Ohio University are in town.

When asked about how he applies his open source approach to leadership development, Risler noted three principles. One, others know more than he does. He does not need to protect an image as the smartest person. If so, eventually others will leave until he is the smartest one left.

Currently, Risler’s church is working on a commercial to play in the local movie theaters about Central Ave UMC. While he has some key values in how the message is communicated, he has opened the door for others with skills and experience in writing and producing such a project. It is emerging to be a far more effective tool than he had originally imagined.

Secondly, Risler notes that it is the leader’s responsibility to be relentless on the questions instead of the answers. If the leader has all the answers, no one else is needed. However, when the leader persistently pursues the questions past the easy answers, the leader will discover a wealth of experience and perspective that will go deeper and broader than the leader could do alone.

Thirdly, Risler observes that leadership today is not about disbursing information, but in cultivating relationships. Consequently, it is not in knowing what, but who. The effective leader will network endlessly to meet people, especially people who share some aspect of the vision for ministry.

Consequently, when Risler is asked about how he develops other leaders, it has more to do with the networking than attending classes or mastering some body of knowledge. Risler asks the questions:

Risler believes a leader develops more quickly when they focus on growing their strengths as opposed to patching up weaknesses. This approach assumes that God plants strengths and gifts in a person for a reason. Discovery of those strengths and gifts will often increase one’s clarity in discerning their call and mission.

Therefore, Risler looks more for coachability and teachability than any particular mix of gifts and strengths. Is the leader willing to be honest about his/her limitations? Will she/he participate as a team player? As God exists in community and God works through community, the effective leader in the 21^st century will operate comfortably in partnerships and teams.

What would be fatal to a potential leader? Risler observes two factors: lack of self-awareness and lack of people skills. A person who is unaware of how their behavior affects others or how others misunderstand one’s choices will have a difficult time choosing patterns of effective leadership. Often, this person is frustrated because they do not understand why they are not successful in leadership. People can grow in their self-awareness. It often requires significant work in counseling, therapy, and self-observation.

Potential leaders who lack people skills have to work to develop communication skills, listening skills, and healthy patterns that sustain long-term relationships. This ranges from learning initiate conversations by making small talk with people to earning trust and respect by demonstrating integrity and reliability in behavior.

Risler sometimes describes his tactics of leadership development as strategic hanging out. He displays a natural curiosity about the person as he learns about their gifts and passions for ministry. Because this kind of relationship can be time consuming, Risler has a fairly fluid circle of people that he is mentoring. Once, he feels he has contributed what he can to the person’s growth, he passes them off to another leader who has other experiences and opportunities to share. The personal friendships will continue, but he looks for others who can help grow leadership, too. Risler believes is not about his leadership, but what leadership he can develop in others.

Risler believes in failure. He teaches people to fail well. If a leader never faces failure, he/she is not risking enough. The difference between failing well and failing poorly is if failure causes the leader to assess and reassess, then the leader will learn and grow from the experience. If failure causes a leader to back off of the vision and the mission, then it is not a profitable experience.

Next column will reveal how Risler uses this “open source” approach to preaching and worship planning.

Tom Hanover is Advertising and Promo Director of MIM ezine. He has served in a variety of pastoral leadership roles for over 30 years, the last seven as a District Superintendent supervising the ministries of more than 100 pastors and churches in southwest Ohio. He has a BA (cum laude) from Taylor University, the MDiv and DMin degrees from United Theological Seminary in Dayton. You can contact Tom at hanover@foothillsdistrict.org

Be sure to stop by DBMIM's blog this month. Guest blogger, Dr. Richard Mabry, author of The Tender Scar, shares insight on ministering to those who are grieving. http://www.ministryinmotionnet.blogspot.com/

If you have been following international news you may have heard a story that received very little coverage in the United States media about a regional court in Smolensk, Russia, dissolving a United Methodist Church there.

Unfortunately, I have not been involved with the United Methodist Church in Smolensk for a number of years. In fact, my involvement was before an official church was started.

However, what I would like to do is share with you a little story about why this church and others like the Smolensk United Methodist Church are important.

My involvement with Smolensk, Russia, was in 1996 when I was asked to be part of the leadership team to put together and take high school students from across the southern half of New Jersey to a “peace camp.”

This camp was in Smolensk, Russia where our American youth group met with an equal number of Russian youth and learned about the similarities and differences about our cultures.

This was an amazing experience for me. Basically, I got to do youth ministry in Russia; the country no one ever expected to have opportunities to do youth ministry in. Yet there I was in a very historic area of Russia where the Russians held off the Nazis for a month before they began their trip toward Moscow during World War II. It was a town that had historical monuments that were older than the country that I lived in. It was a town where we were welcomed very graciously even though we were considered enemies, at least at one point in time.

This country…this province…this town caught my heart. At the camp one of the other leaders, Victor Franco, introduced me to an artist he had met previously in Smolensk. The artist’s name was Yuri and during our time at camp the three of us formed a very close friendship.

During the week at camp I got to know one of the Russian camp leaders named Yuri. Yuri was a young father and a very talented painter and had a true heart for God. One day I was blessed with a side trip to Yuri’s art studio. I had heard much about his special art form. Yuri’s art is unique… it is impressionistic and the media he used was wooden 9 ¼ inch plates. Yuri had told me earlier that when we went to his studio he had a plate that he wanted to give me. When we arrived, I was truly amazed at seeing his artwork. One of the plates that caught my eye right away I soon found out was the plate he had picked out to give me.

What caught my eye about this plate were the impressions of the people. The art in this plate was much darker than his others. I could tell that this was a plate with a story. Yuri sat down with me and began to share how this plate was the story of his exploration of faith. He pointed out the Cathedral and made sure I realized that this was the true center of the plate. It touched into all four corners of the plate if you divided it. Yuri explained that even during communism the Cathedral was always there. There was always a symbol in town and a knowledge that God walked among the people.

What Yuri told me really touched me. He then started to point to the people. Yuri explained that today we are free to attend worship whenever we want. We can go and be part of the services at any of the churches or Cathedrals in town, but the sadness is still there. We know we are free to worship, he explained, yet there is still something missing. We have freedom of worship, but we still do not have the joy that should come through the opportunities of worship. Then at some point in telling me this story he admitted that he knew things would be different. It had to, he said, because he saw a difference in us and this was a difference that he wanted in his life.

Our trip to Yuri’s studio was toward the end of our time in Smolensk. A couple days later we traveled to Moscow. We were blessed by Yuri taking some time away from Smolensk to go with us on our tour of Moscow During these few days, I truly realized how important it was for our denomination to continue its work in Russia. How important it was for us to share Jesus, not just in words, but in actions and in out relationships with the people there.

R. Scott Miller is the Director of Christian Education and Youth at Milford First United Methodist Church in the suburbs of Cincinnati, OH. In his 18 years of youth ministry, Scott has written and developed much of the youth programming used in his churches. Scott has a B.A. in Radio/TV and Journalism from Morehead State University and an M.A. from Asbury Theological Seminary. Scott is the author of7 Things Christians Don't Do and What To Do Insteadby Abingdon Press.

For more information about the United Methodist Church of Smolensk check out the following links:

Richard Mabry enjoyed 40 years of marriage with his wife, Cynthia, when a sudden stroke disrupted their life together. Now, several years later, Mabry is able to reflect on his journey after her death and offer helpful insights to others.

Mabry also has more than 35 years of medical experience, both as a private practitioner and a professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He has authored several medical textbooks, and has been an active leader and teacher in his home church.

The Tender Scar opens a window through which the reader can observe Mabry’s thoughts and feelings as a widowed husband as well as learn from his reflections as a Christian and a doctor. From the beginning of this journey back in 1999, Mabry recorded much of his journey in emails, letters, and journal entries. Each chapter begins with an excerpt of from these recordings. Then Mabry comments on his experiences and what he has learned from each of these stages. Each chapter concludes with a personal prayer.

Mabry reflects on practical topics such as where to find support, when to dispose of your loved one’s belongings, when to stop wearing the wedding ring, how to face the holidays, and more. The advice is sensible and useful while graciously encouraging each person to work at their own pace and style.

Mabry’s personal faith is reflected throughout the book. Some fall into the trap of believing true Christians should not experience such grief so deeply. Mabry invites us into his experience of grief and hope.

The chapters are short and easy reading. For those who are currently going through or have gone through this journey of losing a spouse, this book will bring assurance and encouragement.

It is also an excellent resource for pastors and other ministry leaders who care about people going through these challenges.

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DBMIM- April 30, 2008