“There is no success without sacrifice!”

So you want to be a leader huh? Yeah, yeah, so many people are dyinggggggggggggggg to be appointed to some leadership role but then they are the first to flake out when a minimal assignment has been given to them and then they get mad when they never seem to move from a to b. What price are you willing to pay to be a more effective leader? Have you ever thought about that?

Many leaders are so busy pursuing their vision and rallying people to help with their vision that they give very little thought to the fact that one day they are going to have to pay and in some cases, dearly for the privilege to lead others. Sorry ‘bout that but leadership ALWAYS requires sacrifice. Actually, this is true, leader or not, no one achieves success without sacrifice. So do you want to reconsider being a leader?No I am not making this up. No I am not a disgruntled, negative woman in ministry. I just like to keep it real. If you know me personally, you know that’s me. So getting back to that sacrifice thing…you can read about it in the Word.

Time after time, leaders had to make sacrifices to be the leaders God created them to be. “They” say, the greater the calling, the greater the sacrifice required. So let me share some of the sacrifices our fellow co-laborers had to give up to go up…

Noah…have you ever been asked by God to give up everyone you knew (except for seven family members) and every place you ever loved to be the leader God called you to be? No…me either! But this poor guy had to do just that because God wanted him to START THE WORLD OVER FROM SCRATCH. Uh, had that been me, I would had said “no really, thanks for the confidence in me but I can’t do that!!!”

Abraham…you know the guy whose descendants would number more than the sands in the ocean and the stars in the sky, the one God blessed to be a blessing, this guy had to leave his family and home in Ur to go to a land he’d never seen. Heb 11:8 states he went “not knowing where he was going” and after he got there he was never really able to “establish” himself as he lived in tents all of his life. How does that sound to you? Leave security, comfort, family behind for something I DON’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT! 

Nehemiah…so he gave up his cushy job in the palace of a King to travel several hundred miles to a broken-down city in the boondocks and when he got there faced opposition and death threats. How about one more person…

Paul…the greatest of Jesus’ apostles gave up his secure life as a “Pharisee of Pharisees” to become an itinerant worker who got paid in persecution, whippings, stoning, shipwrecks and if that is not all, executed for his leadership for the cause of Christ!

There are many more I could recount but I think you get the picture right about now, leadership always has a cost! For some it may be that you just can’t get to watch 24 when it starts or you have to get up a little earlier because now you have to be at all services instead of just the 1 pm!!  For others the cost will be much higher, more painful…but this is the question for all of us and it is the same, are you willing to pay the price for leadership?

If you are not, bow out now but know that you will never ever fulfill God’s purpose for your life. If you are brace yourself, it will cost you something but the rewards will be laid out in heaven and most of all, how many of us want to hear “well done, my good and faithful servant.” I think that would be worth it all!!

Most people I assume have heard of the Pareto Principle. The concept states that the top 20% of yoru priorities give you an 80% return. Many leaders agree that the 80/20 principle works well on many things but few apply this principle to people. Recently I got into a discussion about all this with some pastors. As we discussed “the way of Floridians” and their laxness towards committment to their God, their church, etc, I mentioned this principle and think I should share it with all of you as well.Peter, like Jesus practiced the 80/20 prinicple with people. Some of you may be shocked or even offended that such a principle could/should be applied to people but think about it, Jesus was our example of this. When you study how Jesus spent time with people, you realize that He didn’t invest an equal amount in everyone. Although he spent a lot of time with the crowds. He spent the vast majority of His time with 12 men–the disciples to whom He was about to pass His legacy too! And if you look even closer, you notice that of the group of 12, there were a select few with whom Jesus invested more time than the others–Peter, James, and John. They would later become the founding fathers of the first Christian movement. Jesus loved everyone, but He only invested His time in the people who would lead others and invest in them!

Obviously, when we read about Peter it seems that Jesus’ example of investing in people impacted him greatly. It seems that way because Peter seemes to position people where they would most effectively carry out the mission that they were all on…Jesus’ redemptive mission for the world. This is something that I myself have tried to practice (although I haven’t been great at it) but have found that people get offended. People need to realize (and you may be one of those “people”) that all leaders but especially those with higher amounts of responsibility can’t “hang” with everyone, all the time…just for “fun”. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun. I love to hang. But I don’t necessarily see myself doing that with everyone. I’m selective and its because I have to be! If not, I would most certainly be burned out. Not only do I not go to everything I’m invited to, I don’t hang out with everyone who has invited me to hang out. I want to spend my time with people who:

1. I know value the work I am doing and want to contribute to it be it my church or my women’s organization.

2. Can handle me in all of my realness. Truth is not many can. And its work to have to “be on” 24 hours a day. I am always Liz but some people want to keep me as Dr., or Pastor, etc. all the time. Sometimes I am the one that needs the hug. The encouragement, get it?

3. I see super potential in and want to be that person for them that helps them along the journey. And I’ve found that sometimes you offer this to people and they don’t see the value in it and don’t take advantage of it. That’s ok because then you have to keep it moving because someone else is waiting for this opportunity!

Why is this so important…because as leaders it’s our job to put the right people in the right places. We are coaches and we have to discern who could be the key players and position them where their gifts will best advance the team toward victory.

So here are ways that you can discern who you should be investing in by evaluating people by these criteria:

1. Influence-do your potential leaders already have some level of influence? Otherwise, they will have trouble leading others to carry out tasks. Ex: Peter and other apostles required the seven men appointed to feed the widows come from the community suggesting they were already well known and had some level of influence.

2. Relationship-this one is a big one with me. We put so many people in leadership who are SORELY lacking in people skills and then we wonder why everyone comes to us about THEM. Ask yourself does your potential leader relate well with others. Do people for the most part consider them positive and friendly? The people with the most potential will be relationally strong. Ex: Peter also required those men feeding the widows to be “brethren” imply that they had good relationships with the majority of the people they were supposed to serve.

There are other things you should look for in people you will invest time into like credibility, spirituality, and attitude. I challenge you as women and as leaders, to carefully select the people you invest time in. Sometimes we spend our time around people that neither lift us up personally nor the cause which we have dedicated our lives. Now tell me, is that the wisest use of our time?

In a week, the Christian world will be entering one of the busiest seasons of the calendar year. Churches everywhere are going crazy because next Sunday we begin Holy Week. While for the most part I am not condemning any church for focusing on the “production” of events that will occur on Holy Week, I do want us to take a moment to think about the real buzz of Holy Week. The main reason its so important, the keys of the major events during that week that even after 2000 years, still has the power to change lives.

The real buzz, the main reason any Christian should be super excited about next week is THE CROSS. It’s at the cross that lives are changed. It’s at the cross that the hopeless find hope. It’s at the cross where the sick find healing, where the wounded find wholeness, where the curses are reversed, where people change kingdoms and where their lives are never the same. It’s the cross.

Many of us have seen the various images of the cross, but the beauty of crosses around the world and even the old rugged cross depicted in countless paintings hold no power. Yes life changes at the cross but not merely because of the cross but because of the blood that flowed on that cross for you and me.

With all the commerialism of Easter, we ourselves have to be reminded of the power of the blood of Jesus, the one He shed on one dark Friday, which we call Good Friday. No I know you may know all this, but I just want to remind you. That the blood of Jesus, the blood Christians put their sickness under, their finances under, their children under, still has power and still speaks.

No matter your struggle, no matter your strength, if you need aid, there is a weapon you can use! When Jesus came from heaven to our turf, the demons celebrated because they thought they could finally destroy Jesus on the cross. But if the demons had read the fourth chapter of Genesis they would have seen that when Cain slew Abel, even though the body died, the blood kept talking! [pause for a Hallelujah right here!]

The same knife that Cain used to kill Abel foreshadows the knife of judgment that was raised against the innocent Jesus, who died and shed His blood for our sins. To Cain, God said, “I have heard the voice of thy brother’s blood”. And it’s all the more true of the perfect, powerful blood of Jesus! We should get our praise on during Holy Week not because of the Easter “Bunny” or the Eggspectacular churches are doing, but because the demons failed totally at Calvary, and lost their deed to our souls at Golgotha. The demons are now STILL TO THIS DAY and FOREVERMORE powerless over our souls, because of the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Without a doubt, the blood of Jesus Christ is the most precious gift our heavenly Father has given to His church. Yet so few Christians understand its value and virtue.  Christians often sing about the power of the blood. Indeed, the anthem of the Pentecostal church is, “There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.” But most believers seldom understand much less claim the power of that blood.

Here are some of the benefits of Jesus’ blood:
1. We receive the forgiveness of our sins through His Blood (Matthew 26:28).
2. We are completely washed of our sins (Revelation 1:5).
3. We are redeemed (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14).
4. We are justified - released from the guilt of sin (Romans 5:9).
5. We are brought near to God through Christ’s Blood (Ephesians 2:13).
6. We have peace with God (Colossians 1:20).
7. We are cleansed in our consciences (Hebrews 9:14).
8. We are made holy and set apart for God (Hebrews 13:12).
9. Through the Blood of Christ we can come before God’s Throne with boldness
(Hebrews 10:19).
10. We can have ongoing cleansing from sin (I John 1:7).
11. Through the Blood, we overcome the enemy (Revelation 12:11).
That’s the real buzz of Holy Week. Tell a friend!

I was reading Oprah’s recent magazine with Michelle Obama on the cover the other day. I’m an inquirying mind and I like to know things just for the heck of it. I wanted to know Mrs. Obama’s take on being in the White House but I ended up absorbing something else. In the “What I Now For Sure” section Oprah said “authentic power. It happens when purpose aligns with personality to serve the greater good.” That stuck to me. Not because it was incredibly profound but because its understated truth.

One of the things I’ve been an advocate about is understanding who you are, what makes you tick, what your hot buttons are, what your values are…you get the picture. Many leaders just don’t take the time to do that and then they wonder why people who have been working with them think they aren’t so great. Although not all of us are destined for the greatness of fame, we are all destined for the greatness of impacting people in our circles of influence. I think when we align our purpose with our personality, we actually do serve the greater good and do it greatly.

When I was doing my MA and Ed.D. I had to go through extensive testing for personality and it was those tests plus reading books like Shattered Dreams, Emotionally Healthy Church, etc. that I became more and more comfortable in my skin. I don’t try to be anyone else. I don’t feel the need to be liked by everyone because I know that the need to be liked can extremely warp my leadership ability…yet many leaders still function in a role that they are not really healthy enough to have.

Why is that? Because most pastors, most churches just don’t know enough or in some cases care enough to expose their leaders to tests that can tell them not only what their strengths are, what their personality is, etc.

That’s just my take. When you are comfortable with who you are, know the areas where you need to improve (because there is always something) and are not afraid of feedback, that’s the beginning of personality aligning to purpose.

I took this one just now, Personal DNA and came out as a

You are a Dynamic Architect. You are an Architect

·  Your preference for concrete, visually pleasing things, combined with your confidence and your respect for order make you an ARCHITECT.

·  You are logical and detail-oriented, which allows you to get things done efficiently.

·  You are quite sure of yourself, so that you tend to know the best ways of doing things.

·  Your eye for aesthetic beauty and style indicates that you know a lot about design.

·  Having a routine and sticking to it is important to you; you find comfort in tradition and familiarity.

·  Self-reliance is something in which you take great pride—you are confident and down to earth.

·  You have a basic faith in yourself in many areas of your life, allowing you to be self-assured when facing challenges.

·  You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.

·  Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you.

If you want to be different:

·  Try moving beyond the things that you find comfortable—open yourself up to a broader range of experiences.

·  Question how much you know about things by imagining different possibilities.

how you relate to others

You are Dynamic

·  As someone who is DYNAMIC, you do not have a hard time meeting new people, and you have a bunch of close friends.

·  You are not overly concerned with what others may think about you, which leaves you free to be thoroughly involved in the world around you.

·  There are those who find being around people exhausting—but not you! Interacting with others, whether at a party or in conversation, gives you energy.

·  You have a strong sense of what the world is like and how it should be.

·  You have enormous respect for those who have earned their success, and have little patience for those who try to bend the rules or ride on the coattails of others’ hard work.

·  Believing in the importance of integrity and hard work doesn’t stop you from believing that people will do the right thing—you know that people are good at heart.

·  You sometimes have trouble understanding why others feel the way they do, but it doesn’t stop you from having faith and trust in those around you.

·  Part of what makes engaging with people so interesting for you is that you occasionally learn something new about yourself or about a problem you’re having when discussing things with others.

·  Your strong worldview leads you to believe that people shouldn’t rely on their emotions so much when making decisions.

If you want to be different:

·  Taking some time to explore others’ perspectives could make spending time with people even more compelling than it already is.

·  Making an effort to see the complexities of situations might open your eyes to alternative perspectives of how the world works.

·  Those who are as outgoing as you are often need to remind themselves that time alone can be just as fulfilling—take some time for yourself and you might find that there are many things in your inner world that are just as compelling as the world outside your window.

 

This is another test taken by some of the pastors on our church staff

Pastor Liz 

There is a  test available only online, professionally designed and researched, profiling instrument designed to assist you to find your ministry style in relation to the fivefold ministry of Ephesians 4 under what is known as APEST.

APEST was developed by Alan Hirsch and stands for the following:

APEST Descriptions

APOSTLES extend the gospel. As the “sent ones,” they ensure that the faith is transmitted from one context to another and from one generation to the next. They are always thinking about the future, bridging barriers, establishing the church in new contexts, developing leaders, networking trans-locally. Yes, if you focus solely on initiating new ideas and rapid expansion, you can leave people and organizations wounded. The shepherding and teaching functions are needed to ensure people are cared for rather than simply used.

PROPHETS know God’s will. They are particularly attuned to God and his truth for today. They bring correction and challenge the dominant assumptions we inherit from the culture. They insist that the community obey what God has commanded. They question the status quo. Without the other types of leaders in place, prophets can become belligerent activists or, paradoxically, disengage from the imperfection of reality and become other-worldly.

EVANGELISTS recruit. These infectious communicators of the gospel message recruit others to the cause. They call for a personal response to God’s redemption in Christ, and also draw believers to engage the wider mission, growing the church. Evangelists can be so focused on reaching those outside the church that maturing and strengthening those inside is neglected.

SHEPHERDS nurture and protect. Caregivers of the community, they focus on the protection and spiritual maturity of God’s flock, cultivating a loving and spiritually mature network of relationships, making and developing disciples. Shepherds can value stability to the detriment of the mission. They may also foster an unhealthy dependence between the church and themselves.

TEACHERS understand and explain. Communicators of God’s truth and wisdom, they help others remain biblically grounded to better discern God’s will, guiding others toward wisdom, helping the community remain faithful to Christ’s word, and constructing a transferable doctrine. Without the input of the other functions, teachers can fall into dogmatism or dry intellectualism. They may fail to see the personal or missional aspects of the church’s ministry.

To take the test go here.

I usually send my CEFL members a Monday Mentoring Tip and I figured I should share that with the people who come across my blog. To get this email every Monday, join CEFL’s free online community here.

Today’s tip: Stay Confident!
Why? Because leaders distinguish themselves during tough time!

Psalm 27:13-14 states “I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness in the exuberant earth.  Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit.  I’ll say it again: Stay with God.” (The Message).

“Yet I am confident that I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.  Wait patiently for the Lord.  Be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (New Living Translation).

So here we are in March (Women’s History Month if you didn’t know) and maybe what you hoped for on Jan 1st hasn’t materialized, maybe your hope is fainting, your dreaming has stopped, your momemtum slowed. It’s normal to go through a stage like that but this is key for you leading lady…you must stay confident in the knowledge that GOD will show up and show off, maybe not in the way you expected but perfectly in the way He planned best for your life.

Yes, maybe you are going THROUGH some tough times but that is where leaders distinguish what they are really made of and who they really are. You’ve been called for a purpose and some have calls that are tougher than others but we all wage war in tough times.

Our world is filled with terror and instability. The threat of nuclear war, terrorism, global warming, political uncertainty, and a shaky economy are just a few of the obstacles we face. To whom can we turn to confidently guide us during these unstable times? We can have confidence in the Lord described in David’s
beautiful psalm. Whether you are going through a ministry issue, family or ANYTHING, stay confident that YOU WILL see the goodness of OUR LORD. With that confidence, you can lead your family, your ministry team, and co-workers even in these times!  Don’t you give up, given in or bow down!
Stay confident!

It was only a matter of time before the economy hit seminaries. As a former Higher Education professional, I’ve always known that faith-based schools struggle to attract, recruit and retain students.  This story shares just how hard its become for some schools, so hard in fact, that many are closing their doors all together.

HT: Ed Stetzer on FB