Dr. Meredith Griffin | The Flourishing Life™
Deeper Roots. Remarkable Results.
One piece of advice that should be heard and heeded by every new leader is not to lose the awe of idealism. The weight of leadership can press the awe of out a leadership assignment. We need to encourage new leaders to fight to resist this end. What is the awe of idealism? It is an attribute that is vital to ministry longevity and success. [Read more…] about Why Church Leaders Are Losing the Awe of Idealism
We’ve all seen it, a motorist stranded on the side of the road or a car abandoned on the highway with a white cloth dangling from the windshield. Someone has been stranded. Their vehicle has malfunctioned and left them stranded somewhere between where they began and their ultimate destination. Inevitably we wonder what became of them, did they make it safely to help? Inevitably, we whisper a word of thanks that it was not us as we motor toward our destination. A similar scene plays out daily in the lives of pastors and leaders of ministries.
[Read more…] about 3 Ways to Prevent Becoming Stranded as a Ministry Leader
As a child there was one vegetable that I hated eating more than any other; that vegetable was rutabagas. Whenever I saw those orange, mashed vegetables on my dinner plate I knew that it was going to be a long night.
The only thing that made a longer night than rutabagas was liver and onions. Anyway, whenever these items made their way to the dinner table of my youth I would push them around on my plate and hope they would go away. I would eat everything else on the plate first, taking my time and saving the worst for last. What I discovered is that no amount of pushing away or putting off until later ever made these distasteful things taste better. [Read more…] about Make the Difficult Decisions Quickly
There are many who aspire to be leaders, and the reasons for such aspirations are many and varied. I subscribe to the notion that leadership is about service first, and being a servant isn’t always easy. So if you want to be a leader because you believe it to be the path to glitz, glamour, and glory, keep this story in mind.
Our church sadly said goodbye to one of its founding families this weekend. While the departure was sudden, we cannot say that it was unexpected. There had been signs of discomfort for some time. As a leader this sadness was compounded by the amount of personal time spent with this family, and the personal relationship we perceived that we had. In the end, our relationship afforded us the privilege of being notified of their departure five minutes before service began on their last Sunday as members.
Know, that as we announced the departure of this family from our ministry, we celebrated their work among, connection to, and time with us as members. We assured them, and the congregation, that while they would no longer be members of our local fellowship they were absolutely still a part of our family and our relationships were secure. These things, for us and all Christians, should be non-negotiable.
As a leader, if you were to allow your mind to wander, you may ask what you did wrong? You may wonder if you should ever give as much of yourself to another individual, couple, or family again? You may question your abilities or calling as a leader? I would encourage you not to give in to the temptation. This is the hard side of leadership.
We are called, as servant leaders, to give ourselves freely and willingly without expecting that we will receive anything in return. Service is our reward. We sow into the lives of others, recognizing that we may never see the harvest. We get our delight in knowing that we have done all that we could to make sure that the fallow ground had been broken, the rows were hoed straightly, the soil was properly nourished, and the correct seeds were planted. We are stewards. We don’t own people. We are given an opportunity, for a time, to speak into their lives the life that God intends for them to live for his glory. Sometimes we may get to see the fruit. Sometimes we only get dirty. To God be the glory!