second decade (3 of 3)

Even more lessons from my first 10 years of ministry that I'm taking with me into my second decade...

• Develop your team. Each person is responsible for their own personal growth and development, but it's on your shoulders as a leader to provide as many opportunities for that as possible. Pour into your team through planned and unplanned development times. You won't develop outwardly if you're not developing inwardly.

• Let your team know they have freedom to fail. As leaders, we need to be quick to recognize how often we ourselves fail; that makes it easier to accept the failures of our team members. While giving people the freedom to make mistakes, let them know you expect them to learn from their failures. Coach them so that next time around, they don't fail in the same way. Make new mistakes rather than repeating old ones.

• Don't hold things with a closed fist. It's all God's anyway, and He can give it to whomever He wishes. Hold people, finances, possessions, and ideas with an open hand, ready to give when prompted. We're called to be stewards, not owners.

• Maintain a teachable spirit. There are few things more distasteful in a leader than arrogance. Don't think you know it all, because you don't. Ask questions; listen intently; seek out opportunities to learn everyday. A humble leader is a learner.

• Burnout is real. Find ways to pull away from ministry work. Spend time with friends outside the ministry. Force yourself to unwind; take a physical, mental, and emotional break from your work. A burned-out leader no longer leads; she just maintains.

second decade (2 of 3)

Here are some more lessons from my first decade of ministry that will help me as I head into my second.

• Do what only you can do. There is so much work to be done, and in the early years you're forced to be involved in all of it as you get things off the ground. As soon as possible, though, start delegating. Determine those things that only you can or should do, and focus more of your time on doing those things. Delegate anything that doesn't fit into that. Spend your time and energy on that which makes you the strongest asset to your team.

• Give authority with responsibility. If you give someone a job, give them full authority to actually do it. Paint the picture of the end-result you're looking for, but give them the freedom to determine how they get there. Micro-management inhibits impact. Trust your team; they have strengths in areas you don't.

• Do it afraid. Don't wait until you have all the answers or feel fully confident before you step out and do what God's called you to do. Courageous leadership means making tough choices when you don't feel brave at all. Fear paralyzes, but courage shrugs its shoulders and takes a step anyway.

second decade (1 of 3)

I've been in Africa for almost ten years---ten years that seem like a lifetime. I arrived as a clueless 19-year old, with nothing more than a heart for the people of Africa and a suitcase filled with things I deemed important. I've learned a lot on this journey and know I will only continue to learn more. Here are some lessons from my first decade of ministry that I'm taking with me into my second.

• Get clarity on your vision, and stick to it. There will always be a ton of things you can do, but you need to focus on what you should do. Get clarity on the specifics God has called you to, and use that as the yardstick you measure every opportunity against. If you're presented with something that's a great idea, will impact a lot of people, and help meet a need, but doesn't line up with the vision God's given you, say no. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

• Everyone should know the vision. Your vision statement shouldn't be restricted to a plaque on the wall or a page on your website. It should drip out of you every time you open your mouth. It should come up every time you address your team, explain a decision, or talk strategy. Your team should hear the vision so often that they can--and do--easily share it with others. That means it needs to be concise; if you can't sum up your vision in one sentence, you need more clarity. Momentum in ministry only occurs when everyone's clear where you're headed.

• The right people make all the difference. Look for people who support the vision, are high in competence, are strong in character, and with whom you have chemistry. They need to be passionate about going in the same direction as you, otherwise they'll bring division. Your work is too important not to have people who are skilled at what they do; don't settle for those who are simply willing to serve. You also don't want someone who is extremely gifted but lacking in character; integrity matters highly. And while it's foolish to expect everyone to be best friends, it's vital that a staff member clicks with their supervisor and direct coworkers; the emotional taxing that occurs otherwise just isn't worth it. A strong team multiplies ministry effectiveness.

bare-handed

The story of creation is an incredible one. For so many reasons. But mostly---at least for me, anyway---because it shows so beautifully the unmatched worth we have in God's eyes.

God spoke everything into existence, which is a whole mind-blowing thing right there. "Let there be..." and there was. That is just incredible in a way I can't fully comprehend. And a reminder to me of how my words have the power to create or destroy. Yeah. IN-credible.

So there God was, balancing between time and eternity, forming galaxies, hippos, mountains, and clown fish with His words. But when He created mankind, He used His bare hands. He stooped down to make us great. Words would not suffice. He wanted us to bear His thumbprint.

"The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..."

I can just picture His monstrous hands playing with the dirt as He creatively and carefully decided how we should be put together. I've seen pictures of some pretty amazing sand sculptures, but I'd say that God's takes first prize.

He loved us enough to form us with His own hands. He wanted to hold us, rhythmically massage our hearts to kickstart their first beat, and be the first thing we saw when we opened our eyes. I'd venture a guess that our first case of goosebumps came from Him caressing our skin.

And then He breathed into us. Face to face, we inhaled our first breath as He exhaled into our nostrils. I cannot even fathom the worth, the wealth, of that breath of life. Woah.

God still wants to get down and dirty with me. When my life is a mess or it feels like I'm wallowing in the mire of my emotions and circumstances, it's easy to think God is far-removed from it all. But He's right here in the dirt next to me. It's nothing new to Him. He's been there, done that. And more than willing to do it again.

How can I doubt that God wants to be intimately involved in my life when He made me with His own bare hands?

four-minute friday: gun control

Go. "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." That trite answer to heart-wrenching situations like the one that just unfolded on a college campus in Illinois, is disturbing to me.

Something is going on with young people today, something no one really seems to understand---myself included. Something that drives them to take a gun and shoot their classmates. Something that makes them feel so hopeless, so aimless, so hurting, that they resort to violence.

Not violence for violence sake, I don't believe. Not just to be mean or cruel. But violence because, for some reason, it's the only thing they can think to do with all the hurt they carry inside.

It breaks my heart.

The gun issue needs to be addressed. Absolutely. But more than that, the hurting-youth issue needs to be addressed. We need to find some way to reach these kids, to let them know there is a hope. That even if they've hit bottom, they are not alone. That they are seen, known, loved.

How? I have no idea. But we need to do something. Any ideas?

It's true. Guns don't kill people. But hurting hearts do.

Done.