DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion (DBMIM) Ezine, April 01, 2008

-- Scott's Rambling's: The Reconstruction of a Youth Worker: Where is That ?@# ! Extension Cord????" by Scott Miller.

-- Book Review: "Leading Turnaround Teams," by Gene Wood and Daniel Harkavy, reviewed by Tom Hanover.

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In 1998 Netscape released the source code for Navigator, its web browser for the internet. 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, Tom, 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 attendance has grown from an average 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.

Risler practices Open Source Leadership in his preaching, worship planning, program and ministry development, and his leadership development.

He quotes Dallas Willard: “Your kingdom is the range of your effective will.” Risler notes that if one is focused on God’s Kingdom, then one’s range does not matter. Only the range of God’s will count. Therefore, proprietary ownership and intellectual rights are meaningless. And the benefits of engaging the gifts and experiences of many others are unlimited.

Risler goes on to explain that we describe God as Trinity: Creator, Redeemer, and Comforter. God is understood in relationship. Whenever we study the scriptures about the Trinitarian personalities of God, each person is pointing to another. Each voice gives witness to the whole.

Consequently, Risler believes ministry is more effective when it is led and practiced in relationship. He focuses his energy on developing teams of leaders who are encouraged and equipped to lead ministry. According to Risler, it is worth the extra effort.

The other day I was on my day off doing what I considered important work in my basement when the church secretary called and told me someone was looking for a book of mine that I hadn’t seen in years but needed it asap because this person was leaving town.

Of course I was annoyed… a bit angry… said a few choice words to the secretary about why this kind of stuff always happens on my day off. Then I began to realize that it is easy to forget that being a pastor (even a youth pastor) is a position both of leadership and of servant hood. Sometimes I do things that no one even recognizes. Often times I am doing things I absolutely do not like doing. But always I should be serving Christ in everything that I do.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

While serving in my third year of ministry at First United Methodist Church of Toms River, NJ, I wandered through the building and found my way to the Fellowship Hall. In the Hall were a group of ladies from outside of the church setting up for a meeting. I always was entertained by the name of this group. They were called the Modern Muses.

One of them asked me for something. Then someone else asked me for something else. Then a third woman asked for an extension cord. After looking all over the building I told her I could not find one. She began to get a bit irritated and said, “you’re the custodian… you should know where to find an extension cord.” I smiled and looked at her and said, “ma’am, you are right. If I were the custodian I would know where an extension cord was kept. But I am one of the pastors and I just do not have a clue where he keeps them.”

Over the years I have worked with many different types of pastors. There are many who truly exemplify the servant’s heart, but many do not. I know some who absolutely refuse to return phone calls. There are others who complain constantly about the things the church needs of them. Then there are others who will never do anything past what the have to do unless it is something that they are recognized for.

Whether you are a youth minister or a senior pastor of a Mega-Church, leadership has to start with a servant’s heart. If it does not then there is no difference between Corporate America and us.

Ok… now I better get searching for that extension cord before someone else asks for it!

Feel free to contact Scott to agree, disagree, or just pick his brain about youth ministry you can contact him at: rscottmiller1@aol.com Scott would love to hear from you!

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 17 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 of 7 Things Christians Don't Do and What To Do Instead by Abingdon Press.

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Author of Why Didn’t You Warn Me? How to Deal with Challenging Group Members

MIM: I’ve really enjoyed reading your book, Why Didn’t You Warn Me? How to Deal with Challenging Group Members. Tell us how you came to write this book.

PAT: Much of the material in this book began as a chapter in my first book, Small Group Bible Studies: How to Lead Them (Standard Publishing, 1999). That chapter was the most popular in the book, so when the book went out of print, I began photocopying that chapter and a couple of others for my book table when I would speak at conferences. This one was always the best seller. Then back in 2006, I got a call from Mike Mack, who had always been a champion of my book, and especially the “Why Didn’t You Warn Me?” chapter. He had just become an editor at Standard and was working on a four-book series of Small Group Help! Guides. He wanted Why Didn’t You Warn Me? as the fourth book in the series and told me I had two months to get it to him!

PAT: It sure is! Especially that year. The deadline coincided with my son’s college graduation, which was to be followed a couple of months later by his wedding. I actually had less than two months to complete the book because of my prior commitments. Fortunately, God knew about my crazy schedule. I had edited and expanded the book a year or so earlier. I had toyed with the idea of self-publishing it, but just couldn’t bring myself to take on all the business details that would entail. So it was sitting there, mocking me, for at least a year before Mike called. But it was almost ready to go. I just needed to put it in the series format. It was exciting to see how God had it all planned out!

Pat: I’m not sure we ever become experts in this, but I’ve been involved with small groups for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve seen it all and have either dealt well with most challenges or learned from my mistakes.

My first small group experiences were as a baby Christian in a singles ministry that operated primarily though small groups. The lay leaders in that group were some of the best I’ve ever seen in terms of managing challenges and bringing even the most difficult people to maturity. I absorbed all I could in those years, and then took those skills into other ministries. I’ve led just about every kind of group except for a men’s group. I started and managed a mom’s ministry in our church for a few years. More recently, I’ve worked with a lot of women who were profoundly abused as children and now have a variety of more serious mental and emotional health issues. I have a heart for the wounded and they seem to gravitate to me. I believe they can grow, mature, and heal when given the proper environment—and so they do.

DreamBuilders invites our readers to talk back to Pat Sikora by commenting on any of the following questions.

Have you ever had difficulty with a challenging group member? If so, how did you handle it?

Pat said that success is loving someone to wholeness. Do you agree or disagree. Why or why not?

Ministry in Motion has launched a new blog for readers just like you at http://ministryinmotionnet.blogspot.com/. It is a place to ask questions, exchange ideas, and encourage other ministry leaders in our growing network.

by Gene Wood and Daniel Harkavy (ChurchSmart Resources, 2004, 222 pages, ISBN 1-889638-46-3)

This book is really a sequel to Leading Turnaround Churches, first published in 2001. While this work builds on many of the principles of the first book, you are not required to read the first book to benefit from the insights of the second.

Gene Wood is senior pastor of Grace Church in Glendora, California, and author of Leading Turnaround Churches. Daniel Harkavy is founder and president of Ministry Coaching International. Harkavy also founded Building Champions, a coaching and consulting firm for business leaders.

This book interfaces Wood’s experience as a pastor and denominational leader with Harkavy’s experience of coaching leadership in the business world and the ministry. The collaboration provides a rich perspective on ministry leadership with very practical tools and direction.

Some of the material may seem elementary to someone who has studied leadership for an extended time. On the other hand, it is quite valuable to someone who may be starting in ministry. Their work includes very practical step-by-step guidance. In addition, there is sound advice on the issues of developing vision, hiring staff, and recruiting board members.

I found two concepts well worth the price of the book: HPOD and ON time. I have used other terms to describe my own discoveries, but Wood and Haravy have capsulated what was still developing in my own mind.

HPOD stands for High Payoff Disciplines and is contrasted with LPOD – Low Payoff Disciplines. Every ministry leader makes thousands of decisions every day on how to invest his/her time. How well we make those choices – often on the fly – determines how effective our leadership is invested in the ministry. Wood and Harkavy have a tool in their book for tracking how a leader spends his/her time. By reviewing each 15 minute increment of time usage, a leader can assess whether the use of time had a high payoff or a low payoff in light of the vision and goals of the ministry. By delegating or discontinuing low payoff usage of one’s time, the leader can maximize their investment in more rewarding work.

Wood and Harkavy share several examples of how this has radically changed the effectiveness and enthusiasm of several leaders who were feeling burned out and frustrated by the many diverse demands of ministry leadership. This technique would be especially helpful for those for who are constantly challenged by time management. Their illustrations offer insights for creating a healthy balance for one’s life as well as drawing appropriate boundaries.

The second concept I found helpful was the use of ON time. ON is not an acronym, but it contrasts with OFF time (time away from ministry), IN time (time spent with day to day details), and GROWTH time (time invested in leading your ministry). ON time is that time set aside for your personal and professional growth. ON time is spent on reading, working on one’s strategic plan, teaching plan, or coaching plan. ON time is spent on learning, which is scheduled so that you can spend significant blocks of time without the interruptions of the telephone or walk-ins.

Wood and Harkavy have a number of tips and suggestions for creating space in one’s calendar for ON time. It is well worth the investment of the book to learn this discipline.

Wood and Harkavy are easy to read with a number of stories and examples to illustrate their insights. While it is written from the perspective of congregational church experience, their experience is beneficial to a wide variety of ministry settings.

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DBMIM Ezine April 01, 2008