It was my final year of college. An important decision had to be made (a resignation). I thought through various options that were before me. I considered the implications that each option presented. I mulled over these things for several weeks as I struggled with making the decision.
Then I remembered that I should talk it over with my pastor and mentor. We sat in a restaurant with coffee mugs in hand as we had done many times. He asked me to share what’s on my mind.
After bringing out all my thoughts regarding the issue and the various options before me, he surprised me with a piercing statement. “Alexi, it seems you’ve already made up your mind.”
Wow! I didn’t realize it, but the decision was already finalized within me. Maybe I was just “bouncing” off a decision that I’d already made.
Now, I see this happening in others. And I hear myself repeating the same words I heard several decades ago. “It seems you’ve already made up your mind.”
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You are correct. You’re knowledgeable. There is no doubt about it. No one can deny it. But please, just keep it to yourself.
Add some compassion to your approach. Without compassion, you’ll just run over everyone with your greatness. Without compassion, knowledge is dangerous.
Have the patience to listen first. Let me talk. This way, you’ll hear my heart. Then, share wisdom and knowledge based on my interests and needs. Otherwise, you become irrelevant. And sorry to say, irrelevant knowledge is annoying.
Without compassion and a listening ear, just take your great knowledge and . . . keep it to yourself.
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Constantly raise up leaders
Why do some church plants fail? I don’t know. But I do know that I’ve had to constantly raise up leaders.
Even if you only have 10 people, see everyone as a leader. There is potential in everyone. Some may learn and progress quicker than others. But everyone can lead. Some may not measure up to the calibre of others but everyone can lead at their own level.
For every person you raise up as a leader, you will end up gaining at least another ten people. This is not some sort of magic, but a reality of leadership. When people are trained, and raised up to leadership at any level, they will begin to influence others and many more will be impacted.
I realize that my impact and potential is limited. But as I continue to develop leaders, my limited potential becomes limitless. The possibilities are endless. Leadership development is not an option, it is a necessity.
Read the entire series: Why do some church plants fail?- Trail of failures
- Persist in the process
- Stick to your values
- Continually share the Good News
- Seek out training
- Find fellowship
- Become a voracious reader
- Ask questions
- Leave a trail of influences
- Learn from criticism
- Learn from your mistakes
- Constantly raise up leaders
13. Be in it for the long run
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Delight can act as a filter. Throughout the day, our perceptions can be altered to fit our perspective of delight. Negatives are seen from a different view.
When we delight in the Law of the Lord, we delight in His ways. His perspectives become out delight. No longer are we looking for what pleases us. We look for His passion. His desires. His ways.
The other option is a perspective of defeat. Situations and people have a greater impact on us rather than God. What others think ends up with greater value than what God thinks.
But when we delight in the Law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night, our perspective changes. It changes from the negatives of this life to the delight of God’s ways!
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Learn from your mistakes
Why do some church plants fail? I don’t know. But I do know that I’ve had to learn from my mistakes.
Gathering people and forming them into a new community takes skill and maturity (and lots of grace from God). Such leadership skill takes time and a difficult road. Accept the fact that you’ll make some significant mistakes. These are inevitable, and necessary.
If you take these experiences in the proper perspective, you’ll certainly benefit. Take each failure and setback as a stepping stone to get you to the next level in your leadership.
Read the entire series: Why do some church plants fail?- Trail of failures
- Persist in the process
- Stick to your values
- Continually share the Good News
- Seek out training
- Find fellowship
- Become a voracious reader
- Ask questions
- Leave a trail of influences
- Learn from criticism
- Learn from your mistakes
- Constantly raise up leaders
13. Be in it for the long run
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Smart, hard working people make good money and put their families in a good financial position. But leaders create and run organizations and businesses and benefit many people by creating jobs and opportunities.
This dichotomy is quite unique because it reveals two different types of people. Both are good, honest, hard working citizens who are important to their families. Their families are important to them and they find it their priority to care for them.
But leaders stand out from the rest. Their focus is much broader than the rest. They’re capable of accomodating many types of people. Their broad mindedness allows them to accept people with a variety of flaws, attitudes, mindsets, habits, and personalities. Obviously! They’re leaders.
The greatest trait these people have is the ability to look beyond themselves and see a vision that is for reaching. They live out that vision with passion as they benefit a great number of people.
How about you? Will you step up and lead?
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Learn from criticism
Why do some church plants fail? I don’t know. But I do know that I’ve had to learn from criticism.
Criticism has always been unpleasant. But we’ve got to accept it as a part of life. Someone said that there is some truth in every word of criticism. Look for that grain of truth within the hurtful words you hear.
When you’re newly planting in a community, the pastors of churches that are already there my not respond favorably. In fact, some will misunderstand you and may be ruthless in their approach. Their words will hurt deeply, but you need to stand firm and be kind to such people.
God will use those experiences to build you up to be the person he wants you to be. But to become that person, it will take time and lots of pain.
Read the entire series: Why do some church plants fail?- Trail of failures
- Persist in the process
- Stick to your values
- Continually share the Good News
- Seek out training
- Find fellowship
- Become a voracious reader
- Ask questions
- Leave a trail of influences
- Learn from criticism
- Learn from your mistakes
- Constantly raise up leaders
13. Be in it for the long run
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Leave a trail of influences
Why do some church plants fail? I don’t know. But I do know that I’ve had to leave a trail of influences in our community.
We minister in a fairly small community of about 30,000 people. Once while traveling through town with my daughter, I was waving and saying hello to several people on the street. As the waving and hello’s continued, my daughter, in a frustrated tone, said to me “Daddy, you can’t possibly know all these people. You seem to be greeting just about everyone.” All I said to her was: “Sort of…”
No, we don’t know everyone in our town. But at various levels, we have been able to touch the lives of many people in our community. It’s difficult to give an exact number, but out of that, only a few have actually become followers of Jesus.
There are numerous stories of healing, and the miraculous intervention of God in the lives of people throughout our town. But for some reason, they are not ready for a commitment to Jesus. Maybe they’ll do that one day. But it’s their choice and it’s obvious that the day has not come.
All these people are a part of the trail of influences that we’ve been leaving behind. It’s all for the glory of God. But in the future, more of them will turn to Jesus.
Read the entire series: Why do some church plants fail?- Trail of failures
- Persist in the process
- Stick to your values
- Continually share the Good News
- Seek out training
- Find fellowship
- Become a voracious reader
- Ask questions
- Leave a trail of influences
- Learn from criticism
- Learn from your mistakes
- Constantly raise up leaders
13. Be in it for the long run
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Otherwise the conversation and emotions will get sidetracked. Then you’ll be headed in a direction that was never intended.
This human “venting” process is similar to the pressure cooker letting out steam. The steam is only a byproduct of the processing that’s going on inside. The boiling water processes the food inside. The boiling of the water inside the pressure cooker coupled with the nature of the vessel produces pressure. The steam that is under pressure is released through the opening on the top. Thus the pressure cooker is “venting” the steam.
Don’t give too much focus to the steam. The “venting” is only an external indication of a lot of internal processing going on. Allow it to do its work. The real product is on the inside. What you see on the outside is only steam.
Wait for the venting to subside. Don’t make any decisions or plans during the venting phase. Wait. Afterward, use the internal, processed product to make decisions.
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Ask questions
Why do some church plants fail? I don’t know. But I do know that I’ve had to ask questions of others.
It was in 1992 that we ventured out for our second church plant (in the first one, we were not the church planters but were on the planting team and helped with evangelism and small groups). Just out of seminary, I had a degree, but very little confidence.
At that time I enjoyed the privilege of phone conversations with a seasoned church planter who had successfully planted several churches by that time. Before the call, I would take out a notepad and make a long list of questions.
By the end of our conversation, I filled several pages of notes and scribbles. Those were fodder for me to tweak what I did. This habit has remained with me through the years. I continue to ask questions about outreach, leadership, preaching, and numerous other factors that are important for leadership.
Read the entire series: Why do some church plants fail?- Trail of failures
- Persist in the process
- Stick to your values
- Continually share the Good News
- Seek out training
- Find fellowship
- Become a voracious reader
- Ask questions
- Leave a trail of influences
- Learn from criticism
- Learn from your mistakes
- Constantly raise up leaders
13. Be in it for the long run
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Click here for more resources.
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