Leadership Thought: A Lesson in Witnessing I Learned from the Couple Below
 

Dear Friends,

Yesterday at Millers, a popular breakfast spot where my friends and I often go, I met a wonderful couple shown in the picture above. It was taken over 60 years ago, and today they are in their late 70’s and still walking with Jesus. 

As my friends and I were having breakfast, the man and his wife overheard our conversation and learned that we were Christians by our conversation. There's nothing like the Christian faith to provide opportunities for making new spiritual friendships. The couple came over to our table and introduced themselves, and for the next half hour, we openly talked about Jesus as we shared our various spiritual experiences. 

The man had been a paratrooper and had come to Christ during his military days at Fort Bragg.

I asked the man how he came to know the Lord, and he told me an unforgettable story. He was with four other paratroopers when a woman stopped them and wanted to know if they would like lunch.  She then proceeded to single out my friend, and placing her finger in his chest, she asked, "Can you read? " He said, "Yes, I'm a paratrooper, and I can do most anything!" 

She then handed him a tract and said, "Read this!" As he read it, the Holy Spirit took control, and right there he gave his life to Christ, and for the past 60 years, he and his wife (pictured above) have been faithful followers of Christ.

His conversion experience was certainly not the result of a normal textbook evangelistic presentation, but the Holy Spirit used this woman's unconventional witness to lead him to Christ, and his life was changed forever.

It is easy for us to miss those opportunities the Holy Spirit provides to us to witness to our faith. We convince ourselves that it is not the perfect situation to share our faith. Maybe we don't want to risk the embarrassment of rejection, or we don't want to look foolish, and so we avoid doing what we know God has called us to do.

I confess that this has happened to me, and I am a pastor, and this is something I am trained and expected to do.

I wonder if you and I would ever be bold enough to stop somebody who is with a group of friends and confront them by sticking a finger in their chest, asking if they could read, and then taking the time to share the gospel. That's not the conventional way that people come to faith, but there are countless amazing stories of just such miraculous ways that God has brought people to faith through such unusual evangelistic approaches.

I remember someone telling me we should never pray for opportunities to share our faith; for the opportunities are endless and all around us. Instead, we should pray for the boldness to take advantage of those opportunities, for as Jesus reminds us, "the fields are white unto harvest.”

Paul writes, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." ( Romans1:16). Let it never be said of us that we were ever ashamed of the Gospel.

Many years ago, I remember the late Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, sharing an unforgettable definition of evangelism. He said, "Witnessing is sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God." 

I find this statement liberating. Winning people to Christ has nothing to do with us or how wonderful our spiritual presentation might be. It's all of Him and none of me, for it has everything to do with the Holy Spirit.

We are to "Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our understanding, but in all  our ways we are to acknowledge Him, and He will direct our path."( Proverbs 3:5-6) 

When I look at the picture above of this exuberant couple dancing in the spirit, I realize it might never have existed had it not been for the faith of one sold-out follower of Jesus who was not ashamed or embarrassed to share the gospel. 

If we have placed our faith in Christ, we can rejoice and look forward to what awaits us beyond our earthly existence. But until then, we have a responsibility to share the Good News with others.

As the apostle Paul writes, “How can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14 NLT).

As we walk through our lives today, let us do so with a renewed desire to be His faithful witness, sharing our faith with all those around us. 

Yours faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Something Exciting Is Happening in a Church I Once Pastored

Dear Friends,

I recently completed an excellent book by Jason Tucker titled Speaking Their Language. The book is written by a pastor friend who now leads a church I once pastored in the 90's. It is a book about church revitalization. 

Jason has successfully led his church through dramatic change by redesigning church programs to attract the younger generations. Tower Hill Church, which is now one of the largest Presbyterian churches in the country, has focused its programming on reaching those in the Gen X and Gen Z demographics by 'speaking their language.'

Jason has pastored the church for the last 11 years, and while change has been slow but steady, the church now has two contemporary services and one traditional service, and for Christmas, they offered six worship services to accommodate the large number of worshippers.

Jason would tell you that the changes have not always been easy, especially in worship, where adjustments from a more traditional style of worship have often been difficult for some of the older generation.

Jason points out, "That research tells us that younger generations will avoid a church that primarily offers programs and ministries geared to another generation.

He points out that the church was shaped to reach the post-World War generation, and changes in 'how to do Church’ must be made if it is to remain relevant.

"This being said, I've never met an older church member who didn't long to see younger generations engage in the life of the Church. In fact, they absolutely crave it. The problem is when they dictate the terms."

Jason continues, "Every congregation is a generational relay and must prepare for an eventual passing of the baton of leadership to a successive generation. Our observation is that the leading reason churches are declining is because most are staffed, programmed, and envisioned to reach one generation."

Older generations often find such change difficult, and they wonder if there is a place for them in the church. He says, "The best thing we can do for older or more traditional generations is to empower them to reach and disciple younger generations. When they do, they grow deeper in their faith."

"What about nurturing the faith of older generations? What are we doing for them? We're exhorting them not to waste their lives. We're helping them grow by empowering them to perform a successful generational faith handoff as a first- order faith priority."

He concludes by telling one of my favorite stories told by John Piper at a conference in 2,000 where John exhorted his listeners not to waste their lives.

"I'll tell you what tragedy is. I'll read to you from Reader's Digest what a tragedy is. Bob and Penny took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast. Five years ago, when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise in their 30-foot trawler, play softball, and collect shells. That's a tragedy, and people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I get 40 minutes to plead with you: Don't buy in. With all my heart, I plead with you: Don't buy that dream. The American dream: a nice house, a nice car, a nice job, a nice family, a nice retirement, collecting shells as the last chapter before you stand before the creator of the universe to give an account of what you did. ‘Here it is. Lord- my shell collection! And I've got a nice swing and look at my boat!' Don't waste your life; don't waste it."

I sometimes worship at Tower Hill, and I can tell you something very exciting is happening in the midst of that fast-growing congregation. If you would like to know more about those changes, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Speaking Their Language

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thoughts: Some of My Best Friends, I’ve Met on Bended Knees.

Dear Friends,

In a few minutes, I will be heading to meet some of my friends at the church. For the past few months, I have been homebound and unable to drive because of my recent hip surgery. So, it’s been a while since I have been able to be with these dear friends. Since I am now able to drive, I will be joining them again at our church.

Who are these best friends? They are my partners in prayer.

Yes, some of the greatest friends I have, I’ve made on bended knee. There are few things that will forge a friendship  faster than praying with another brother or sister.

I am so blessed to meet for prayer with this group of brothers and sisters every Thursday morning,  and for the next hour  spending  time with them fellowshipping and praying together. 

Those of us who will shortly be together know that we will be doing one of the most important works of the church. They all understand the church moves forward fastest on bended knee, and that kingdom business is best accomplished when it’s done through prayer.

Just as we would always close our team's football practice with a team huddle, we too close our time together with a “holy” huddle.

We conclude our prayer time with a ‘holy hug.’ We gather together, forming the tightest circle possible, and with body against body and arms embracing one another, we close out our time with a final exhortation and a hearty Amen. What a feeling of unity we share as that final amen is sounded.

During these times of prayer, friendships are being forged that will last forever.

I believe the greatest barometer of a church’s health and effectiveness will be determined by the number of its people who are engaged in prayer.

Charles Spurgeon said, “The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. The prayer meeting is a ‘grace-o-meter,’ and from it we may judge the amount of divine working (being done) among a people. If God is in the church, then the church must pray. And if He is not there, one of the first tokens of His absence will be a slothfulness in prayer... You can tell how popular the church is by who comes on Sunday mornings. But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meetings.”

Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala,  p. 29.

It was S.D.  Gordon, who said, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”

If you would like to forge lasting friendships and see a spirit-filled and thriving church, then join a prayer group.

If you would like to witness a church on fire, then fall on your knees.

If you would like to see something exciting happen this Sunday, then before passing through the church doors, join the ranks of the prayer warriors and silently offer up the following silent prayer. “0 Lord, please lead me to someone whom I might be able to pray with today.”  And then, whether before or after the service, be on the lookout for that person or persons God wants you to for.  As you engage them in conversation, listen carefully for some spoken need they might express, and then, before you conclude your time together, ask them if you could pray for them. People will seldom refuse your offer, and they will never forget your prayer.

If every member came to church with this goal in mind, there would be a spiritual tsunami of encouragement sweeping through your congregation. People would no longer hurry out the doors to the parking lot following the close of worship. Instead, the church would be filled with the sweet fragrance of prayer wafting through the congregation.

There is nothing like praying with and for one another to build and foster community, so why not come to church prepared to offer one of the greatest gifts you could ever give someone, the holy gift of prayer?

I close with the words of Martin Luther, who said, "The need for prayer has never been greater than it is at this time, and it will be still greater from now on until the end of time."

Have a great day, and don't forget that you and I grow best on bended knee.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Why Can't You Christians Get Along?

Dear Friends, 

Christians don't always agree with one another, but they still must learn to love one another.

Paul and Peter had their practical and theological differences. 

Paul writes. "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. but when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy so that by their hypocrisy, even Barnabas was led astray.” (Galatians 1:11-13).

Paul has an issue with the actions of Peter, but they still remained brothers in the faith.

Peter writes about the importance of not letting differences divide us.

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Peter 1:22-23).

It really bothers me when I hear pastors criticize one another over minor theological points, or the way they lead their churches.

It is sad when people leave the church because they can't get along with one another, and they remain unwilling to work through their relational or theological differences.

In today's politically charged environment, personal friendships have been severed over differing political views. 

We live in a contentious time, and as believers we need to do everything we can to preserve the spirit of unity within the body. We must never allow our personal differences to fracture our friendships and our fellowship.

The greatest witness to the unbelieving world in that first century church was their unity of those believers, in spite of their many differences, they maintained an amazing spirit of unity, so amazing that those on the outside remarked, "See how they love one another."

Remember that old Christian song we used to sing, “They will know we are Christians by our Love, by our love; Yes, they will know we are Christians by our love." 

We need that kind of love today if we have any chance of convincing the unbelieving world that Christianity makes a difference in how we live and love.

There's an old Jewish legend that tells the story of the place where the temple in Jerusalem was built. 

There were two brothers who loved each other and who had adjoining farms. The farms yielded great crops of wheat. The difference between the two brothers was that one was a bachelor, without a wife and children. The other was married and had many children. 

At the harvest time, when the crops were in, the bachelor brother looked out over his lands, and he said to himself, "the harvest has been plentiful." Then he thought of his brother. "My brother has many mouths to feed.  My brother has more needs than I do." So, he bundled up his wheat and began to carry it to his brother's farm. 

Meanwhile, the other brother looked down across his lands and to himself, "My harvest has been plentiful."  And then his mind turned to his brother. He said, "My brother is a bachelor. My brother yearns for children, and he'll never see those children. My brother has nobody to comfort him in his sorrows and to help him in his hurts.

And so, his brother, too, bound up his wheat and made for his brother's farm. And at the place where these two brothers crossed paths, the Temple of God was built, for heaven was closest to earth at that spot.

Robert Southwell said, "Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live."

Good words for Christians to learn and live by in a contentious and unbelieving world who longs to  know, "Does the Christian faith really make a difference in the way one lives?"

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Take My Hand (A Devotional by Pastor Greg Laurie)

Dear Friends

In the 1800s in London, a little boy wanted to hear the great American evangelist D. L. Moody, who had come to town to preach. This little street urchin made his way across the entire city of London, risking his very life, with no food or proper shoes. After a long journey, he finally came to the great church where Moody was scheduled to speak.

 As he made his way up to the door, an old usher scowled at him and asked, “What are you doing, young man?”

The boy said, “I am going to go hear the great evangelist D. L. Moody.”

“Not looking like that! You are filthy. Go away!”

The little boy was crushed. He was sitting on the steps, crying, when a black carriage pulled up in front of the church. Out of it stepped a large man. He saw the sad little boy on the steps and asked, “Young man, what is wrong?”

The boy answered, “I came here to hear the great preacher D. L. Moody, but they won’t let me in the church.”

“Is that so?” the big man said. “You just put your hand in my hand, and I will see what I can do to help you.”

The little boy put his dirty little hand into the man’s big, clean hand. The man led him right down the middle aisle, past the usher who wouldn’t let him in, to the front row. The big guy sat him in a front-row seat. Then the man stepped up to the pulpit. That man was, of course, D. L. Moody. That young boy couldn’t get in on his own, but when he held Moody’s hand, he walked through the front door.

So, it is with us, because of Jesus. We are filthy in sin. In Psalm 51:5, David wrote, “For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me” (NLT).

Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all” (NLT). The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). Because of our sinfulness, we have no hope of entering Heaven on our own.

Our only hope is Jesus, who takes our dirty hand in His clean one and leads us to a front-row seat in God’s presence. As Paul puts it in the next two verses of Romans 3: “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (verses 24–25 NLT).

The frustrating reality for many people trying to establish themselves today is also the glorious reality of salvation: It all depends on who you know.

Leadership Thought: Leaders Need Encouragement for It Can Be Lonely at the Top

Dear Friends.

A while ago, I spoke with a couple of friends who asked what they could do to encourage their pastor.

We often assume that those at the top don't need encouragement, but pastors and others in leadership positions need and appreciate it every bit as much as anyone else.  Unfortunately, they don’t always receive it.

Leaders can often be caught in the crosshairs of criticism, becoming easy targets for angry people.

Several years ago, I was watching a PBS television presentation in which the curator of the Library of Congress revealed the contents found in the wallet of Abraham Lincoln on the night he was assassinated. 

Included among the items found in President Lincoln's wallet were a handkerchief, embroidered with the words A. Lincoln, a pen knife, a spectacle's case, a five dollar Confederate bill, and a torn newspaper clipping of an article of a speech given by John Bright, a historian, in which he had referred to Abraham Lincoln, as "one of the greatest men of all times."

Lincoln must have cherished those affirming words as he dealt with the hatred and criticism of those who opposed him and his leadership during the Civil War.

If anyone knew loneliness and needed encouragement, it was President Lincoln. If anyone needed someone to come alongside him with a handshake, a hug, or an encouraging word, it was the President. If anyone needed to know that there were people who loved him, cared about him, and deeply appreciated the sacrifice he was making as president amidst such tumultuous times, it was President Lincoln.

Yes, it can be lonely at the top, and Lincoln knew it, and so does every other person who holds a position of leadership. Leaders often pay a price for being at the top, and it's called loneliness. 

The Apostle Paul knew loneliness. He writes to Timothy, "Everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me" (Timothy, 1:15).

And who can forget the anguished cry of separation screamed out on the cross by our Savior: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

 A. W. Tozer has written, "Most of the world's great souls have been lonely," and as a Jewish proverb declares, "Loneliness, eats into the soul." Quotations for the Christian World, Edith Draper, p. 390. 

That said, what can we do about it? We can encourage those who are our leaders. We can write letters of encouragement in which we tell them that we are praying for them, as we are reminded to do in 1Timothy 2:2.

There are many ways to express our encouragement to those in leadership positions, and if we are intentional about encouraging them, the Spirit of God will show us how to do it. 

As my meeting with those friends drew to a close, I remembered a message told at a pastor's funeral. 

 After many glowing tributes were given by those in the congregation, one pastor stood up and said, "If only your pastor could have heard those encouraging words today, for if he had, he might still be alive, for your pastor died of a broken heart."

 And then the pastor concluded by saying, "More pastors die from broken hearts than swelled heads."

Is there a leader, you know, whose heart might be encouraged by your kind expression of appreciation?

It is said that encouragement is” oxygen to the soul,” and we can’t live very long without it.

I would encourage you to take some time today to dispense some oxygen to a leader you know who might desperately need it.

Yours in faith,

Tom

Leadership Thought: What Is the Right Way to Worship God?

Dear Friends

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals. Psalm 150:1-6

Your worship looks a little different from the Psalmist's description of his worship.

I remember the time when a couple of members of a Vineyard Fellowship joined us for worship. The Vineyard churches place a strong emphasis on freedom during their services. If you attended a Vineyard church, you might see several different forms and expressions of worship, and one of the forms you might see is people dancing during the service.

Now you might be comfortable with people raising their hands in worship, but dancing- that’s where I would draw the line.

One Sunday, I watched a couple dancing during our praise and worship time, dancing in front of their chairs. With their hands lifted high, they expressed the joy in their hearts. It was a different way of worshipping than I was accustomed to, but for them, their form of worship was a real and natural way of expressing their love for Jesus.

As I watched them, my mind drifted back to my first worship experience while on a mission trip to Haiti, where I witnessed the freedom and exuberance of the Haitian people as they worshipped God.

There is no formula for true worship, any more than there is one way to pray. Praying and worshipping are matters of the heart, and as such, they will be expressed in different ways by different people.

Let us never be like the man who sat next to a friend of mine in worship. During one of the praise songs, my friend asked the man if he minded him raising his hands during his singing.

“Yes, I do,” the man replied.  Now that might have been the last time my friend ever worshipped in that church, but he was gracious and respectful, and he honored the man’s wishes.

The word worship comes from a Greek word meaning to turn and kiss. When you turn to kiss your wife, you don’t follow a ten-step formula for kissing her; you just kiss her as your heart moves you to do. There is no set way or right procedure; you just let your feelings dictate your expression, and you don’t worry about how or where you do it.

There is no set way for worshipping God. Some might raise their hands, and some might keep them in their pockets. Some sit quietly, and some get up, waving worship flags as they dance throughout the sanctuary. Now, I don’t know if your church is quite ready for dancing and flag-waving, but for some churches, this is how people express their worship.

When David brought the ark of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David, he did so with great joy, and we read, “David danced before the Lord with all his might, and he was girded with a linen ephod” (short for boxer trunks). David danced as trumpets played and people shouted forth their praise. And we are told that when Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out and saw David dancing in his boxers as he leaped and danced before the Lord, “she despised him in her heart.” (2 Samuel 6:16)

Now, somewhere during that service, we too might have drawn the line, but David didn’t care. He was so excited, so filled with a heart of worship, that he didn’t worry about what people might say or think.

However, we worship, may it be an enthusiastic and uninhibited expression of our love for Jesus, always remembering with A.W. Tozer, who said, “worship means to feel in the heart.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: The Divine Domino Effect

Dear Friends,

Tom Harper oversees Biblical Leadership, a teaching ministry for those engaged in church work.  This is a wonderful teaching tool for those seeking to increase and develop their leadership abilities.

Tom’s message yesterday was very convicting, and I hope it will be for you as well.

Tom writes, In the summer of 2001, I embarked on my first-ever short-term mission trip. We went to Cuba, where my faith was stretched. God's character and his ways overwhelmed me.

A few months later, I decided to try to read the Bible all the way through. During this spiritual journey, our second child was born. Soon after, I tried my hand at teaching in church.

These events were like dominoes falling. Each clinked against the next like a schoolchild nudging his neighbor with a whisper "It's your turn."

I recently found a journal entry from 2004, right after I'd finished my three-year initial traipse through the Old Testament. It hits me squarely these decades later:

"As I'm beginning the New Testament, something just occurred to me. If I think there is so much wisdom, truth, knowledge and power in this Bible, if I believe it speaks to every area of life, if I believe it can cut to the heart of a man and save him, and if this book is the only one written by God himself—then why am I not studying it more deeply and seeking to become more intimately familiar with it, with all my heart and mind?"

I'm still hungry to learn and grow. Are you? No matter how many dominos have toppled in our wake, we have more to learn, new places to go.

Let's embrace the Word with full faith that it can change us. That it can strengthen us for whatever God has planned next.

In growth mode,

(See below to sign up for his free bi- weekly ministry resources).

Tom Harper
Founder, BiblicalLeadership.com

Leadership Thought: Wake up!!!! And Get Out of Bed!!!

Dear Friends.

One of my good friends, Dan Herrman, is a hospice chaplain, and periodically he is responsible for providing a reflection for those on his hospice team. Last week, he shared the message below that I am passing along to you as I thought it was an excellent Leadership Thought to share with each of you today. 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Tom

Reflection:   Wake Up!!!  And Get Out of Bed!!!  

Good morning!!!  I pray your day is off to a good start.

Last reflection I shared with you “Don’t Turn off the Movie!!!”

Today I share with you WAKE UP!!!  GET OUT OF BED!!!

And I mean that literally, and figuratively and metaphorically.

Yes.  WAKE UP AND GET OUT OF BED!!!!

I know what we do is not easy.  It’s not fun.  And sometimes we feel lousy, sometimes we are exhausted, sometimes we are sad and maybe even depressed.  If I didn’t have something worthwhile to do, something important to do, I think I might never get out of bed.  The good news is, we all have something very important to do.  As Chaplain Mario says, “It’s not what we got to do, but what we get to do”.

So how do we get going when we don’t feel like getting going.  We are all looking for the magic pill.  And here it is.

THANK YOU, GOD!  THANK YOU, LORD!  THANK YOU, LORD!

Try it.  It always works.  Repeat it several times.  What may come up first is the thought that you had the sense to say thank you.

Or try this.  Lord, I am not ok today.  Lord, I have no energy.  I can’t do it. PLEASE HELP ME!  Whoever told you that you are supposed to do life on your own, in your own power, was lying to you.  God’s great promise to each and every one of us is “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  He is always ready to help us.  And you know what, it gives Him great joy when we ask Him for help.  It’s not an imposition.  So wake up and get out of bed.  Be thankful for what you have, and for what you don’t have.  And never, ever forget to ask for help.

I pray today that you have joy as you navigate through today’s tasks and challenges.  I pray that you have the wisdom to realize that you can’t do life in your own power.  I pray that you remember that your God is always with you, always ready to help you.

AMEN AND AMEN!!!

Leadership Thought: It’s Time for Our Political Leaders to Start Leading

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I was amazed to watch a congressional hearing where politicians on both sides of the aisle spent most all their time tearing down one another. There was little effort to listen or try to understand one another's position.  It was the “I gotcha" game at its best.

The goal of each speaker was to attack his/her opponent, often by demeaning and embarrassing them. No one wanted to solve a problem or try to understand one another. No one wanted to listen to what their opponent had to say. The obvious goal of the discussion was for each person to win his argument by tearing down the other person.

Sadly, nothing is ever accomplished and there are never any winners in a game like that. Shame on our politicians for being what John Maxwell calls "low road' leaders.

In his new book High Road Leadership, John describes the need today for a different kind of leader, a "high road” leader 

"We desperately need high road leaders today who are more concerned about solving problems than winning  arguments.”......"No matter what the circumstances, if we want to be good leaders, we must come to the table, sit in the middle without choosing a side, listen to others, and work to bring people together..... If we can't work with people who disagree with you, you will never become the leader you could be."

How does one become a” high road” leader? John says, “By treating others better than they treat you, and with consistency and without judgmentalism… High road leaders don’t focus on the chasm between people, they focus on connection.”

Sounds a lot like the teaching of Jesus who taught his followers to heed His example by loving one another as He loved us- sacrificially, unconditionally, and through actions rather than just feelings.

And yes, Jesus instructed his followers “to love their enemies,  and to do good to those who hate them, and pray for those who mistreat them” (Luke 6:27-28).

Maybe our leaders need to open their bibles and take note of the words of the greatest ‘High Road’ leader who ever lived.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. "Hate has caused a lot of problems in the world but has not solved one yet." Maya Angelou.

Leadership Thought: Preachers and Their Five Thousand Dollar Sneakers

Dear Friends,

The other day l received an e-mail article from a good  friend. The headline intrigued me: “Preachers and their $5,000 sneakers: Why one man started an Instagram account showing churches’ wealth.”  

The article by Ben Kirby documents well known pastors whose names many would recognize (I choose not to mention them, but should you be interested, you can go to the link at the end of this message for the article). The story spoke of pastors wearing new designer suits in the $ 2,000’s, sporting $5,000 sneakers,  and $ 2,ooo crocodile belts. 

The writer simply asks, “How much is too much? Is it okay to get rich off of preaching about Jesus? Is it okay to be making twice as much as the medium income of your congregation?  Kirby  highlights a nationwide trend of pastors wearing oversized glasses, tight jeans and pricey kicks, who look  like they belonged at your local craft cocktail watering hole instead of church.”  

As one who does much of his clothes shopping at the Calico Cat and Monarch thrift stores, and who gladly welcomes his family’s hand me downs,  not because I am cheap, but because I never met a bargain that I didn’t like,  I was surprised by the lengths some well-known pastors would go to provide  statements of their status. 

My e-mail friend who sent me the article reminded me of the words of well-known evangelical speaker Tony Campolo who happened to be speaking at a church I was pastoring. I was excited to have him share the pulpit after having heard him at an outdoor Creation Festival in the early 90’s when his message on discipleship profoundly impacted my life. 

I  quickly discovered that inviting Tony to speak was a dangerous proposition; it doesn’t come without risk as  Tony is as unbridled as can be and you take your chances for you can never be sure who he is going to challenge, and yes, even offend. Tony has never been known to mince words when talking about the cost of discipleship.

Midway through the message, Tony asked. “If Jesus had been given $40,000 and was living in Haiti, would he have spent it on the purchase of  a new BMW? It was a penetrating question, designed to make some people extremely uncomfortable, and I am sure it did. I still remember wincing and slinking down behind the pulpit hoping to hide my eyes from the icy stares from some of our more wealthy church members. 

My friend remembered the message and reminded me of it, and the fact that I even invited him back for a second time a few years later.  I e-mailed these words back to him:  “Unfortunately, it is so true that there are well respected pastors who are milking their flocks……. Thanks for sending me the article and the reminder of Tony’s message. Don’t you ever go out and buy a new Beemer or a Mercedes!, that is, unless you want to be the subject in my next Leadership Thought.” 

The writer of Proverbs reminds us “Trust in your money and down you go! Trust in God and flourish as a tree!” No, the Bible is not suggesting it is wrong to have and enjoy wealth, but only that one needs to be careful how you use it, for wrongly used, it will destroy you. 

Pastor Rick Warren  writes in one of his recent  Pastors’ Newsletters, “Money shows what you love most, (and) shows you what your trust most……….. There is a direct connection between maturity and money. There is a direct connection between God’s blessing in your life and what you do with your cash. Don’t miss the connection. How you handle money determines how much God can bless your life.” The bible says, “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own” (Luke 16 :11-12)? 

I know I may have lost some friends among those of you who own and drive new and expensive cars but having been to Haiti several times on mission trips I don’t apologize for the challenge. It is easy to wear WWJD bracelets on our wrists; it’s another thing to be good stewards of worldly wealth.  

I don’t begrudge any one for the money they make or how they choose to spend it. However, let me provide one last suggestion: “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10). 

Read more at … https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/03/22/preachers-sneakers-instagram-wealth/

                                                Adapted from a previous Leadership Thought

Leadership Thought: Are You a Member of the Compliment Club?

Dear Friends,

If encouragement is oxygen to the soul, and we can’t live very long without it, and if the Bible frequently exhorts us to encourage one another, (1 Thess. 5:11 and Hebrews 10: 25), why is it that so few people take the time to offer it?

Encouragement is so easy to give. It takes little effort and only a few seconds to give, and yet a few timely words can make a person's day.

The other day, I was having lunch with a friend, and our waitress was especially helpful and attentive.

As she stopped by for the 3^rd time to ask us how we were doing, I thanked her for her continued attention, and I told her how impressed I was with her service.

I said, “In my book, you are the waitress of the year,” and with those words, her face lit up, and she replied, “Thank you, thank you, you will never know how much those words meant to me.”

Just a few short words, but those words helped make a server’s day.

It was Mother Teresa who said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless.”

I still hear those encouragement echoes from my mother, from coaches I’ve had, friends I’ve made, and nurses who recently tended to me while I was in the hospital.

“Great job,” “you can do it,” “I believe in you,” are words everyone longs to hear.

New Testament writer William Barclay states, “One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement. It is easy to laugh at men’s ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; It is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.” William Barkley, The Letter to the Hebrews.

Today I want to challenge you to be intentional. Be on the lookout for  opportunities to encourage someone.

Give positive feedback, let someone know how they helped you, smile, offer a compliment, send a card or write a letter, listen with not only your ears but your heart, express your care, follow up, hug someone, and notice when people encourage you and thank them.

Join the compliment club and you will not only bless others, but you yourself will be blessed for as we all know. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Leadership Wisdom from One of the World’s Greatest Leaders

Dear Friends,

During my hip surgery recovery, I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time revisiting several books I had previously read  on the subject of leadership, What I share are some of the notes  I had taken from  The Leader's Greatest Return, by John Maxwell, a book I first read in 2022. I am indebted to John for his leadership wisdom, and most all of what I've written derives  from notes I had taken from the first chapter or John's bestselling book.

My hope is that you will find some nuggets of wisdom that will assist you in becoming a more effective leader.

You may be saying, "Tom, you don't know me. I am not a leader," but nothing could be further from the truth, for everyone is a leader. If leadership could be summed up in one word, and I think it can, it  would be the word influence. You are either a good influence or a bad influence, and the kind of leader you are- a good leader of a bad leader will depend on the kind of influence you exercise. 

“What are the qualities one looks for in searching for a leader?  I suggest you develop your own list. In doing so you might write down words like attitude, relatability, integrity, creativity, personality, intelligence, determination.......Half the battle in finding a good leader is knowing what you are looking for.”

“Recognize that everyone you invite to be a part of your team will do one of two things- make you better or worse, for people decisions cannot be hidden.” 

“Dale Carnegie states ‘Men are developed in the same way gold is mined... Several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold, but you don't go into the mine looking for dirt, you go into the mine looking for gold.”

“Great leaders have the ability to make others greater by helping increase the vision they have of themselves.”

“When you believe in your people, they begin to believe in themselves. When people believe in you, they will try harder to please you. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘I'm a  success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.’" 

“People who believe in you will bring out the best in you”…When you think of high points in your life,  you often will think of some important person's  words of encouragement spoken to you during the course of your life, and those words were life changing. I personally will never forget the words of a former pastor friend Dick Armstrong who told me over the phone, "You are the man for the position," and those words instilled within me the  kind of confidence that assured me that I was capable of leading an inter racial inner city church in Philadelphia church in spite of having no previous experience in urban or inter racial ministry.

“Abraham Lincoln said 'I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me, and I didn't have the heart to let him down.’  It is true that people who believe in you bring out the best in you. Former politician Mark Sanborn said, “great leaders help people have a larger vision of themselves.”

“When hiring someone, there are four questions that are helpful to ask to determine if the person will be a good fit. “

“1. How did the culture at your last company empower or disempower you?

2. What are the character traits of the best boss you ever had?

3. Describe how you handle conflicts with one of your coworkers?

 4. What form of feedback do you expect to receive in this role and how often do you expect to receive it?”

“When you bring someone new onto your team, make sure they have clear expectations. Remind them that they are expected to keep growing, and that they must value other people, always take responsibility for their actions and never avoid tough conversations.”

“A former Delta Air executive, ‘ Says we hire for attitude, but we train for aptitude....... Good leaders want more for their people than they want for themselves. ……….Empathy is critical and combined with integrity, it drives trust and gives followers a sense that their interests are being looked after, and this creates positive energy. Followers who sense that a leader appreciates them are motivated to carry out their duties in a more committed way.’”

“It's important to know whether your workers enjoy work. Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, loves what he does so much that he says, ' I tap dance to work every day,' and Tommy Lasorda, former Los Angeles baseball  manager, when asked about his attitude, 'said the best day of my life is when I manage a winning game. The second-best day of my life is when I manage a losing game.'”

“Character is about managing your life so well that you can lead others well. The formation of your character produces predictability, dependability, and consistency, and these three qualities motivate people to place their confidence in you”. 

I hope some of the above leadership insights can assist you whether you are in formal or informal leadership positions or not.

And again ,I thank John Maxwell for his insights found in The Leaders Greatest Return

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom