MIM EZINE, JANUARY 17, 2006

CONTENTS

– Login Leadership:  True Stewardship, Part III

– Book Review:   Living Worship: A Biblical Guide to Making Worship Real in Your Life

– Classified Ads

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Login Leadership:  True Stewardship, Part III

By Tom Hanover

Stewardship relates to three books most of us carry:  a checkbook, a date book, and an address book.  Two months ago I wrote about the stewardship of money.  You can find it in the MIM ezine archives for Nov 15, 2005 .  Last month I wrote about the stewardship of time, which you can find in the MIM ezine archives for Dec 17, 2005 .  

Stewardship impacts not only the way we use our money and our time, but also the way we care for our relationships.  John Maxwell notes, “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.”  (Leadership 101, p. 29)  Effective leadership requires followers.  If a leader cannot build healthy, sustainable relationships, the leader will be ineffective.  No one will follow.

James Kouzes and Barry Posner have collaborated on several publications, most recently a book entitled, Credibility (Jossey-Bass 2003).  While the book is listed among the business/management titles of the bookstore, its message is applicable to all persons in leadership.

The first line of the book reads,  “Leadership is a reciprocal relationship between those who choose to lead and those who decide to follow.”  (p. 1)  It is all about relationships.

While leaders of large groups of movements cannot establish close relationships with every individual in the group, the relationships a leader nurtures with other key leaders models and sets the tone for those leaders in their relationships with others.  Consequently, a leader less gifted in vision may be more effective than a leader challenged in building healthy personal relationships.

Let me name three key factors in building healthy, sustainable relationships:  credibility, communication, and concentration.  Credibility relates to trust.  When a leader is viewed as untrustworthy, the leader loses his/her ability to provide direction.  That is why few Christian leaders who fall from respected positions of leadership find their way back to responsible leadership.  They may experience grace and forgiveness, but few will trust them with significant leadership again.

Trust is developed when followers believe the leader has their best interests at heart.  If leaders perceive that the leader is more interested in something else, their support will diminish and decrease.

A church was struggling with their finances and needed to “massage” the budget once again.  The senior pastor’s plan to resolve the issues included deep cuts in the wages and salaries of the entire staff with the exception of his own.  His salary included a modest increase.  His leadership ended with that proposal.  His appointment ended several months later.  

Trust is also related to reliability.  George met with his pastor every Tuesday morning for coffee and prayer.  One Tuesday morning the pastor did not show at the usual time.  There was no call and no message.  George could have chosen to become angry that she had stood him up.  But George knew how reliable and consistent she was.  He sensed that whatever it was, it was something critically important.

And it was.  Later in the day she called to let George know one of the members of the church called with an emergency in the middle of the night.  When it was a decent time to call George, the pastor was not able to use her cell phone.  George understood because the pastor was reliable.  The missed appointment enhanced George’s perceptions of her credibility.

Obviously, healthy relationships depend upon open communication.  Because George and his pastor communicated regularly and frequently, he was able to anticipate her responses in a critical situation.

One dear saint in the church worked to get me fired.  I didn’t realize it until it was all over and a couple of the key leaders filled me in on the details.  She was unhappy about something I had done.  She actively pursued several key leaders to air her grievances and to press for dismissal.

Quite coincidentally, many of those same key leaders and I were working through a process proscribed by our judicatory leadership to build healthy lines of communication.  We did not see its benefit, until this dear lady started her campaign.  The issues were addressed and the church did not miss a step.  A couple of years later this dear saint donated sufficient funds to install a new elevator in the church … the day after I left.

In my current role when I am called to intervene due to conflict, I ask how often and how regular the key leaders have been meeting with their pastor(s) and staff.  Usually I get blank stares.  Lack of communication will never resolve key issues and problems.  Communication builds trust, credibility, and healthy relationships.

By concentration I mean attentiveness and focus.  An effective leader is attentive to the dreams, aspirations, and hopes of the followers.  The leader knows the people and sees their potential.  How does this happen?  Time.

A couple of key church leaders were talking to me about their pastor.  They liked him and admired his ability to organize and create energy in new ministries.  But he had misjudged the congregation in a couple of critical, high profile moments.  The damage to the pastor’s credibility shocked the key leaders and the pastor. 

The leaders commented to me:  “He doesn’t know his people.”  He had not taken the time to listen to their hopes and dreams.  He actually knew little beyond names and faces.  In some settings a pastor would increase pastoral visitation in the home.  In other settings the ministry leader would schedule more time for breakfasts, lunches, or coffees with key leaders.  There is no substitute for time, time invested in listening, paying attention to what is going on in the individual lives of one’s leadership team. 

On Dec 12, 1944, General George Patton drove 40 miles toward the Ardennes to visit the 8^th Tank Battalion under the command of Major Albin Irsyk.  At that time, the 8^th Tank Battalion was not under General Patton’s command.  But Patton could see in the developments that soon became the Battle of the Bulge that Major Irsyk would be put under his command.  Patton spent a whole day talking to every cluster of soldiers at every tank.  He had a question, a compliment, a wisecrack, or a word of encouragement.  By the end of the day he not only had assessed the readiness of the battalion, but he had won their admiration and loyalty.

Leadership is all about relationships.  A leader who builds and nurtures healthy and sustainable relationships will enhance and increase his/her effectiveness.

Tom Hanover has served in a variety of pastoral leadership roles for over 30 years, the last four 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 . Contact Tom at thanover@pastors-study.com

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Book Review – Living Worship: A Biblical Guide to Making Worship Real in Your Life

By John Randall Dennis, Bethany House, 2004,  0764229281, 138 pages

Reviewed by Teena Stewart

The true meaning of worship has become obscured over time.  In recent years we have come to view it as a church setting that may incorporate music, praise, and prayer.  Worship is much more than this. Songwriter, producer, worship leader. speaker and writer John Randall Dennis brings clarity to what it means to truly worship. He draws on the original Hebrew meaning of the word, shachah, which means to prostrate in honor to God; to humble oneself in reverence.”  Through out the book he shows us how to truly experience this type of true worship.

Worship is a spiritual act that does not depend on setting or circumstances.  We must approach God with the right attitude.  If we do not enjoy the Holy Spirit in private or public worship then we are either coming with the wrong attitude, one of a haughty spirit, or  we are suffering from a lack of belief.

Just as the apostle Paul indicated, true worship involves sacrificing our wills and giving ourselves in service to Him. It does not have to take place in a religious setting.  It should be a daily occurrence, in the work place, at home, 24/7.  God  is looking for us and is drawn to sincere worshippers.  Dennis shows us that no matter what our circumstances, we should still be able to sincerely worship.

The book includes examples of worship which include Job, Isaiah, David, Jehosophat and others as well  as how to live worship and suggestions for what acts of worship might look like.

Dennis cautions that churches should not get hung up worship wars.  People can worship in contemporary services and liturgical settings.  It’s more about how individuals approach Him.  God wants us to truly seek him and our willingness to give ourselves in service to Him, is what true worship is all about.

This book is an excellent source for individuals who wish to gain a better understanding of worship and for leaders who wish to teach congregational members what it means to truly worship.

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