Set a GOAL for leadership multiplication

Greater Orlando Adventures in Leadership is a growth journey based on relational peer groups that focus on leadership multiplication.  Making disciples involves growing the next generation of leaders.  Leadership does not take place unless new leaders are equipped and empowered. It should be the GOAL of every church leader to give all of their leadership responsibilities away to apprentice leaders. Church multiplication is dependent upon leadership multiplication. If you don't have the leaders that you need to start new teams, groups, or churches, there is a clog in your leadership system. GOAL helps you to regain focus on your primary responsibility through a journey along four paths: personal leadership, interpersonal leadership, team leadership, and organizational leadership. Why not set your GOAL for 2011 to be a better leader?

Does an organic church need a website?

About two weeks ago, Bill and Wanda Tummons started an organic church just outside of Orlando in Wedgefield, Florida.  They were able to get a good-looking 3 page website for 0 dollars and absolutely no monthly cost.  It  took just a few hours to get content loaded and a couple of days to get the site up and running.  The website is now searchable on Google.  Check out the Wedgefield Community Church website at: http://www.wedgefieldcommunitychurch.org.

Since organic churches are primarily relational, do they need websites?  I would say yes, because a website is a great way to tell your friends about your organic church.  Sometimes it's hard to explain what you are doing or hard for people to remember when and where you are meeting.  So, why not just ask them to check you out on the web?  A website is a great place to share your values and beliefs while letting people get a feel of what your gatherings are like.  You can post a link to your Facebook page and send out Tweets with links back to your site just like any other church.  You can also link to or list other organic churches in your network.  If you could get a low-cost or free website for your organic church, why not let the www know that you exist?

Help me solve a mystery

What is Paul talking about in these seven verses.  What is the mystery?

1. Ephesians 1:9
   And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
   
2. Ephesians 3:3
   that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
   
3. Ephesians 3:4
   In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into themystery of Christ,
   
4. Ephesians 3:6
   This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
   
5. Ephesians 3:9
   and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
   
6. Ephesians 5:32
   This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
   
7. Ephesians 6:19
   Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,

The Jesus Model of Disciple Training

We hear a lot of criticism today about the Western ideal of discipleship.  We have poor discipleship models where the emphasis is on knowledge rather than living sent.  Instead of  following our modern models of discipleship, why don't we examine how Jesus did it and follow him?  Here is a great post from Felicity Dale: 

 How did Jesus train his disciples?

·       He shared the rough and tumble of everyday life with them (Luke 8:1-3)

·       He asked them questions to show them what they needed to learn (Matthew 16:13-20)

·       He answered their questions (eg Matthew 17:19-20)

·       He demonstrated the practical skills they needed to know (Luke 11:1-3)

·       He used teachable moments.  Consider, for example, the occasion in Matthew 20 when James and John persuaded their mother to approach Jesus about letting them sit next to him in his Kingdom.  Jesus used the opportunity to compare the world's style of leadership with his Kingdom way of leading. (You know how leadership is done in the world--rulers lord over those under them.  But with you it is to be different.  If you want to lead then become a servant and slave.)

·       He gave them assignments and had them report back, using their reports to bring fresh insight and teaching.  (Luke 10)

·       Jesus didn't give his disciples a body of knowledge, but the experience of living with him.

Sabbatical Ramblings

I have started a coaching relationship with Gary Reinecke.  Gary co-authored Developing Coaching Excellence with Bob Logan, the founder of CoachNet.  Although I've been actively coaching church planters and other ministry leaders for several years, I recently completed my coach certification through the Office of Leadership Development of the Florida Baptist Convention.   Gary is coaching me through the Leadership Effectiveness Process.  We had our first phone+CoachNet coaching session on Tuesday.  I am looking forward to getting to know Gary better, learning to be a better coach from his modeling and evaluating the the Leadership Effectiveness Process as a potential tool for leadership multiplication in organic churches.

I've just finished reading Marketing in the Age of Google by Vanessa Fox, a former Google employee who helped to develop Google Webmaster Central.  She advocates using search engines to  discover what people are thinking by using Google research tools.  This book has tons of helpful information for missiologists and church planters.

Currently, I am reading The On Purpose Person by Kevin McCarthy.   Kevin is one of the guys in my Dream Builders group.  The books is a parable about a guy who is searching for order and clarity in his life.  Kevin was talking and writing about on-purpose living before the concept was popularized by Rick Warren in his forever best-seller - The Purpose Driven Life.  Kevin has a huge dream that I hope to be able to share with you soon.

I am also reading the digital version of Web Analytics: An Hour a Day byAvinash Kaushik. Avinash is the analytics evangelist for Google.  I am a little disappointed in the lack of usefulness of this book.  Avinash says that he wrote it over 5 weekends while consuming Red Bull.  I believe him!  However 100% of the proceeds are going to charity, so that makes me feel a little better.  This is the my first read on the Nook that I got for my birthday.  I am enjoying my Nook so much that I may never buy another hard copy book.

One of my sabbatical goals is to spend more time with my family, especially with my wife.   I want to spend at least two hours of un-interrupted time with her each morning.   We are trying hard to do that, but it is not happening every day.  However, it is a worth-while goal.  We are deepening our relationships as a family and I've been able to spend extra time with Matthew before he starts college in the fall.

Organic church question: What do we do with the offering? Here's one example:

The Food Box - Touching Lives from Jonathan Blundell on Vimeo.

Read more about the parking lot church and her food box at http://www.greenchurch.info.

Church Web Coach

Last spring, Nielsen surveyed 25,000 Internet consumers from 50 countries to discover the most trusted sources of advertising.  What they found is that 90% of those surveyed trust recommendations from people that they know and 70% trust consumer opinions posted online. Interactive websites that allow friend recommendations and user comments are much more likely to create personal connections that result in real interaction.  

Last month, Facebook made available simple code that allows any website to incorporate Facebook "like" buttons that encourage friend recommendations of website content.  Now any website can incorporate Facebook-like features that encourage social interaction. For more info on how to create community through the web.  Check out the Church Web Coach at ChurchWebCoach.com.

Free technology seminar and lunch for church planters this Friday in Orlando

Tony Arango, a doctoral student at the NOBTS seminary hub in Orlando will be sharing what he has learned while working on his Technology for Church Planters project.  This is a free seminar with lunch provided by the Florida Baptist Convention.  Here are the details...

Friday, May 21, 2010 from 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
First Baptist Church-Orlando
3000 S. John Young Parkway, Orlando 32805
Student Annex (NOBTS) Room 112
Lunch Provided
more info at http://orlandochurchplanting.com

Live Sent / reSymbol Workshop with Jason Dukes and Doug Dees April 29 in Orlando

We are excited to partner with the Florida Baptist Convention to bring Jason Dukes and Doug Dees together in a single day workshop.  Here are the details...

LIVE SENT/reSYMBOL Workshop

North Park Baptist Church, 2047 Prospect Avenue, Orlando, FL

April 29, 2010   *   9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

*Cost: $20.00 (PER PERSON)

*The registration fee includes a copy of the books LIVE SENT: you are a letter and

reSymbol: A Guide to reThink, reDefine, and reLease the Church, on-site lunch and breaks.

Come and join us for a conversational workshop about living and communicating the mission of Jesus among our neighbors. Jason Dukes and Doug Dees will be sharing what they have learned about being the church.

Register online or by calling 800-226-8584, Ext. 3018  

The deadline for receiving registrations is Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

Orlando area organic church planters getting together this Thursday night at 7...

We call them house churches, simple churches, multi-housing churches, marketplace churches, but it does not matter where they meet or how they are structured.  So for now, we are going with "organic churches".  These are churches that are not defined by style, structure or location.  Their focus is discipling, evangelizing and multiplying.  If that hits you, then you should join us at Panera Bread on SR 434 at 436 (next to Wal Mart) this
Thursday (March 25, 2010) at 7 p.m.  We will meet to pray for one another, encourage one another and give ourselves away.

Panera Bread

 - www.panerabread.com
West Town Corners, 200 S State Road 434, Altamonte Springs - (407) 831-3741

Not letting the fear of heresy keep you from releasing leaders and multiplying churches

But when I saw that they were not maintaining a steady, straight course according to the Message, I spoke up to Peter in front of them all: "If you, a Jew, live like a non-Jew when you're not being observed by the watchdogs from Jerusalem, what right do you have to require non-Jews to conform to Jewish customs just to make a favorable impression on your old Jerusalem cronies?" (Galatians 2:13, The Message)

Paul used this real-life parable to demonstrate for the Galatians the actions that he was requiring of them.  When Paul encountered heresy, he dealt with it directly and immediately.  He took a great risk by appointing new believers to be elders of the Galatian churches as recorded in Acts 14:24. Knowing that he had to leave them so quickly, he certainly must have been concerned about doctrinal purity.  However, he did not allow that to keep church planting from taking place in the cities where he preached the gospel.  When he gave instructions to Timothy on selecting elders for the church at Ephesus, Paul encouraged him not to select recent converts to serve as elders, because they may "become conceited " (I Timothy 3:6 NIV).  In Galatia, however, Paul had no choice. He had to trust these men and the Holy Spirit.  Many pastors that I have talked to personally  have allowed the fear of what may happen keep them from developing new leaders and releasing them to live sent. Paul's strategy was to preach the gospel, teach disciples, release leaders, and correct heresy whenever it cropped up.  Paul dealt quickly and publicly with Peter when he led the Antioch disciples astray. He expected the Galatian elders to do the same in their churches.

Please don't let fear keep you from fulfilling your assignment.  Jesus will not reward servants who bury their talents out of fear.  Remember Jesus actually sent out Judas, knowing full well that he was a heretic.  I don't think he would fault you for doing it accidentally.  There have been many heretics since Judas and none of them have been able to wreck the movement that Jesus started.

Discovering Church Planting: Seminar for New Church Planters Feb 22

My friend, Hal Haller is a strengths consultant with the Gallup organization. Hal is leading one-day Discovering Church Planting seminars for the Florida Baptist Convention. These events are perfect for guys who are thinking about starting a new church but need more info. The first one is coming up Feb. 22nd. Here are the details from Hal...

Discovering Church Planting is one day event that helps prospective church planters understand and clarify their gifting, calling, and interest in church planting. They will learn from field-tested church planters as they share their insights and lessons from church planting. Each participant will engage and interact with the following:

Best Fit: My Calling and Wiring

This session will emphasize the importance of a person’s call to planting a church. How do I know God is calling me to start a church? Calling is what sustains a church planter through difficult times and gives him a vision for the future. Also, understanding how a person is wired (personality and strengths) is key to a person’s success in starting a new church or being a part of a church planting team.

Living Sent: God’s Mission of Making Disciples

This session will establish the foundational ethos of church planting. Starting churches is a part of fulfilling the mission of God. Starting churches is reaching lost people and developing them into committed followers of Jesus. Starting churches is a part of mobilizing and engaging every person to live sent in their sphere of influence. Starting churches is about disciple making.

Practical Tips: Nuts and Bolts of Starting a New Church

This session will talk about practical starting points for someone who is starting a new church. How do I intersect with lost people in the community I am to reach? How do I build community partnerships? How can I sustain myself financially? How will I involve my wife in this new church? How will I establish a group of people for the planting of this new church?

Coaching 101: What Every Church Planter Needs

This session focuses on the importance of having a coach/mentor/advisor. Where do I find a coach? What should a coaching session look like? What is the relationship between those being coached and those receiving coaching? What are the benefits of coaching?

Next Steps: Where do I go from here?

This is a breakout session with coaches/church planting strategists/denominational advisors to determine what the next steps might be for the person who is considering planting a church or a church that is considering supporting a new church.

When: Monday, Feb 22, 2010 from 10am – 3pm

Cost is $49 (Free for prospective church planters affiliated with Florida Baptist Convention)

Location: Reproducing Churches Training Facility, 2405 EF Griffin Road; Bartow, Florida 33830

Click here to register online.

Each registrant can purchase ‘Living Your Strengths’ and ‘Uniquely You Spiritual Gifts/Personality Profile’ ahead of time online ($25). Books are distributed at the seminar.