Relative Truths

Ok, so I mentioned on Tuesday about reading on vacation.  Yesterday I talked about Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley.  Another book I read last week was Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands by Nancy Ortberg.  It was a really great read on leadership.

She mentions in the book that people are like rubber bands: if you stretch them too far, they break; if you don’t stretch them enough, they don’t actually perform the task they are designed to do.  She then gives great examples of stretching, empowering, and equipping leadership.

One thing she noted was about growing other leaders.  She mentioned that 3 things are vital for reproducing leaders on your staff.  You need to give them: Challenges, Responsibilities, and a Relationship.  So, it’s not enough to just challenge them if they have no actual authority.  And, you aren’t doing them any good if you don’t have a relationship where you can pour into them and encourage them.

I have been blessed to have some great staff at Connection Church.  Currently, I have a great worship leader, Dustin, and children’s coordinator AnnaKate.  Dustin is a rock star and AnnaKate is going to be amazing in ministry for a long time.  I feel really blessed to work with them and to take them with me to Suwanee.  I look forward to the new staff I will have there as well with Leah, Candy, Deborah, Don, and others.

My prayer as a pastor is that I will lead with integrity, humility, and a Christ-like attitude.  For my staff and volunteers, I want them to be the best “rubber bands” they can be.  So, with challenges, responsibilities, and a relationship, I pray that I will “stretch” them appropriately to help them live out the calling God has placed in their lives.  The truth is, I have had leaders that have stretched me with challenges, responsibilities, and relationships.  I wouldn’t be who I am without that.  Would you?

Ok,so yesterday I blogged about reading a few books on my vacation. I wanted to write about them the next two days. The first book I read was Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley. I’ve read several of his books (I still think Communicating for a Change is Teheran best book on preaching I have ever read, should be required in seminary), and I have heard a lot about this book. It was a last minute get when I realized the library had a copy. So glad that they did.

Basically, the Andy makes the point that every path is designed to lead somewhere. Whatever path you are on will lead you where it was designed to go. It kind of reminded me when I started driving down to Atlanta. Dad always told me to take the signs for Greenville on the way home, that way I’d always be on I-85 North and I could get home.

So, tangent over, back to the book. As I get ready to start at a new church with a very different setting and integrating my folks from Connection Church, the idea of the path really hit me. Not so much with the church. I don’t know the path that Suwanee First is on yet. I don’t know their story yet. However, what hit me is what path I am on I my life. What paths do I choose? Do I choose a path of study that brings me closer to God and strengthens my walk with Christ, or am I choosing paths that chip away at my integrity?

The truth is, I am about to be the pastor to two churches coming together. They need and deserve a pastor that is faithful to God’s calling and dedicated to walking in a way that honors Him. So, I am really looking at my path and praying that God will keep me on the straight path to true life and leadership. Probably more on that to come…