Welcome to Leadership: Your Monkey Butt is Showing!

I have a friend who has recently taken on a volunteer leadership role at church and sadly after barely over a month on the job has been facing a harsh and brutal spirit of criticism from a few people. They are playing the "take-our-ball-and-go-home" game. And with some editing for anonymity I thought I would share it on my blog for all of those of us in ministry and/or in leadership that need encouragement in times of criticism.

Recently I attended a conference where one of the speakers said something that I needed to be reminded of. The thought was good and true. It resonated with my soul at that moment so much that I wrote it down and sent out a Tweet immediately. You may or may not have seen it so I wanted to share it with you now.

"Leadership is a commitment to be misunderstood."
It is true but yet it is one of those truths that even when you believe it, it is not necessarily a comfort. But what you can take comfort in is that God has given you a vision and if it is His vision then you can stick to it and rest in that alone...

...I am saying even if you are frustrated, misunderstood, and on and on, just don't give up. Remain above reproach and then the detractors have nothing valid to say. They will either come around and get on board or they won't but leadership is not about making everyone happy and giving into every opinion.

The speaker went on to say a couple of other things too:
On Criticism--if it's true = respond and change
--if it's not true = don't stoop to consider it

He also quoted this African proverb:
The higher the monkey climbs up a tree,
the more people that can see his (hiney).

I am not sure what that means but I think it means in leadership people are gonna take aim at your backside, or they can see your flaws or weaknesses. Something along those lines. I think that is just to remind us that sometimes people only take time to see the negative and those people will always be detractors unless they change their perspective. [Especially if they are not climbing with you, as a leader you need people climbing with you, but also realize some will only go so high. If your vision calls you to climb higher, others will always be left behind.]

Psalm 42:5 "Why are you downcast, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance."

II Timothy 1:13 "Hold fast the form of sound words, which you have heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."

So all that to say, welcome to leadership.
Hope in God, and HOLD FAST.

Michael

Advent Conspiracy

I heard about this movement from Donald Miller this past weekend at LeadNow and then today in a completely unrelated experience involving social media networking I was lead to this video that reveals the heart and vision of Advent Conspiracy. Go check it out and see if your family, small group, church or even business would like to get behind it.



[RT: RonEdmonson]

Senior Adult Hip Hop Choir

Senior Adult Choir Hip Hop

JOY: Java-Others-You

This video asks (and answers) the question "What if St.Arbucks marketed itself like the church?"



[I forget where i originally ran across this so I just want to give credit where credit is due, wherever and to whomever that may be. It wasn't me just so you know.]

But this leads me to a question about my local body that I would like to pose to you. Just yesterday we had a lady FLIPPING out because someone took a cup of coffee into the church auditorium/sanctuary. Now someone called the office today and wants us to put signs up banning drinks from the church service. What would you tell this person and how would you handle this situation?

I want to go to Heaven...

This line has been around for awhile at least...but it reoccurred recently while listening to the new disc by The Streets 'Everything is Borrowed.' The song title is 'Heaven for the Weather' and the whole line is:
"I wanna go to heaven for the weather, hell for the company"

Now there are all kinds of folks with similar sentiments to this lyric.  What do you think is the missional response to someone that feels this way. To be honest I am a Christian and I feel this way sometimes in that I would much rather be around unchurched people than "church people". I would rather be around the irreligious than the religious.

Missionally speaking we are called to represent the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. How do we do it in such away that draws people towards it rather than drives them away?