Michael's Notes - Thoughts On Worship, Leadership & Fitness

What are you dreaming?

We often dream about the future, well at least I do. I guess it has to do with my personality. Ask my assistant and she will tell you I don’t sit behind my desk for any long length of time. I have to get up and move, move on to the next thing or just get up and see what is going on.  The same is true with life in general; I am always dreaming about what is next.

 

It is okay to dream and in fact God let’s us in on stories of some great dreamers in His story the Bible.

 

One prayer that has been stuck in my head the last few weeks is: God let my dreams (desires) be Your dreams (desires.) Does God see what I am dreaming about today or the tomorrows and say: ‘that’s not quite what I want Michael’ or can He say ‘yes that’s it, that’s where I want you to go.’ In 2 Chronicles chapter 6 we find this statement from God about David, a dreamer: ‘…you have done well to have this desire.’ Now that is a pretty cool statement. In the story of my life will God be able to write a few words and include that statement. I sure hope so.

 

So what should we be dreaming about?

 

Here is a statement I heard many years ago: ‘finding God’s will for you life is not a place you arrive to, but the act of searching continually for His will.’ In the context of what I have written today that means that it is okay to dream, but I must search God’s heart and dream His dreams.

 

Isn’t it funny how God can take something that we have done over and over again and change it to help us refocus on His desires. Just recently He has been using the short prayer I mentioned earlier along with the words from the song Hosanna by Brooke Fraser:

 

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause

As I walk from earth into eternity

               

That’s what I want to dream, that’s what I want to be: everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause…whatever that may be…so I keep dreaming.

Reasons Your Followers and Team Leaders are Quitting

In any organization that depends heavily on volunteer workers the great task of the leader is to recruit these volunteers and then motivate them to stay on the team. It often seems that for everyone I find to fill a role on a team, there are one or more ready to jump ship to another team or just stop volunteering.

 

Just recently I had the opportunity to attend a local church’s staff retreat where my pastor and my boss was speaking. The topic he was given to speak on was ‘motivating volunteers.’ During his talk he listed these four reasons people give as the reason they quit our teams:

 

• I don’t make a difference
• I get bored
• I don’t see a chance for personal growth
• I get very little chance to demonstrate creativity and/or initiative

 

As leaders how can we be proactive in making sure these questions do not become a reality in our teams? How about:

 

• Help them clearly understand what they are volunteering for
• Present them with clear expectations of their volunteer role
• Give them opportunity to be active in the decision making process for their role
• Communicate often your appreciation that they are on your team
• Ask often how you can support them in their role.
• Help them see how their role fits into the bigger picture of the organization and how without them fulfilling their role. the team would not function properly.
• Hold them accountable to their commitment.

 

When a team and its volunteers are functioning in a ministry/church role there are some other important points to communicate to the volunteers.

       

• You are not a volunteer but someone called by God to fill a position of ministry.
• When you say ‘yes’ to participating in this ministry your accountability is not just to the team leader but to God.
• Every position in a church/ministry has the same value, therefore your position is important.

 

Finally, there will be persons who say yes to a volunteer/ministry position who cannot fulfill the requirements or expectations. Then it becomes the responsibility of the leader to help the person leave graciously, even support them in finding a way to serve the organization in a role more appropriate for their gifts and talents.

Related Posts

Changing an organization from the inside out?

Called to Serve = Called to Prepare

Leaders Communicating Down-Line

Does the Team You Lead Perform?

A Comparison God and You

There is a great glimpse of worship found in the book of Isaiah Chapter 6 verses 1 – 8.  The passage is an example of a conversation of worship where God is seen and then the worshipper responds. 

 

In worship services today we use songs and scriptures to see a picture of God. When we look close at His attributes and then look to ourselves for comparison there really is none. Or the comparison is so far at opposite ends of the spectrum that it is hard to compare.  That is exactly the response of the writer of Isaiah 6; he sees a vision of the Lord, Majestic and holy, and then cries out ‘woe is me.’

 

In the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis I found the following statement:

 

In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that – and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison – you do not know God at all. 

 

It is hard to imagine that God who is immeasurable invites us to be a part of His family.

 

It is hard to imagine that God, who is holy, invites us to stand in His presence and worship.

 

He made it so by a gift of love…His Son.

Preparing for Worship, reading God’s Word

One of the things I was looking forward to at Catalyst Conference 09 was the opportunity to hear Francis Chan speak.  I have been a big fan of his since reading his book Crazy Love.  This book sneaks up on you, slaps you in the face with a challenge to be a New Testament Christian.

 

So what did Francis Chan challenge us with: the Bible. You see he had been asked to lead a service of worship and communion for 13,000 people at Catalyst. As a part of the service he asked everyone just to listen, not follow along but listen to him as he read Romans Chapter 5. It was very moving to sit in the silence of 13,000 and hear God speak through His word.

 

This Sunday at my place of worship we too will celebrate communion. And in preparation for that service I am re-reading Romans 5 and 6.

• While we were helpless…Christ died for the ungodly.
• While we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son
• If we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection.
• …the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Take a few minutes before this day fades away, sit in silence and read Romans chapters 5 and 6. What great promises…what a great reality.

Catalyst 09: two amazing videos

This was my first year to attend the Catalyst conference and hopefully it will not be my last. The two days were packed with challenging presentations given by some of today's successful leaders from both business, religious and non-profit organizations.  I will have more to say about these presentations in future posts.

Today I want to give you links to two events that took place at Catalyst 09. These events are polar opposites and evoke totally opposite responses.

The first video is of Professor Splash as he sets a new world record for diving into 12 inches of water.

Professor Splash Breaks World Record! 

The second video is even more impressive as we all got to witness Jimmy Wambua a student at Moody Bible College from Kenya meeting for the first time the person who was his Compassion sponsor.

Catalyst Compassion Moment

Roderick Award of Courage

I am privileged to serve on the committee that will choose the 2009 Roderick Award of Courage. This award will be presented on March 5, 2010.

 

The Roderick Award of Courage is named for the valiant Civil War horse that was killed in battle while galloping to his owner’s side despite carrying three gunshots in its leg.

 

In 2008 Madeline “Maddie” Grayson Adams saved her choking grandmother’s life by performing the Heimlich maneuver. For this act of bravery and courage “Maddie” was awarded the 2009 Roderick Award of Courage. You can view more stories about this act of bravery at www.roderickplace.com/award.

 

The nominations for this year’s Roderick Award are now open. The committee is looking for a resident of or someone who works in Williamson County Tennessee who has displayed an extraordinary act of courage. Nominations should be made on or before October 31, 2009.

 

General criteria for nominees:

• Nominee can be living or deceased
• Nominee must live or work in Williamson County
• Nominee can be eligible for a single act of heroism or lifelong achievement
• Act of heroism could have occurred outside Williamson County, i.e., military service
• Nominee can be an individual or small group
• Act of heroism must have taken place after January 1, 2008
• There will no limits based on age, color, creed or religion
• Nominee does not need to be human; it could be a pet
• Self nominations are permitted.

 

Further information on the Roderick Award of Courage can be found at www.roderickplace.com/award.

 

The committee for this award needs your help; please consider nominating a person whom you feel has demonstrated courage.

 

Links:

Roderick Award of Courage on-line nomination form

Roderick Award of Courage printable nomination form

Williamson County Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Online Magazine.

Reaching an Un-reached People Group

Yesterday at ClearView I had the opportunity to explain to our people why our pastor was out of town.  The reason: he is in Mali West Africa on a Missions Exploration trip, investigating how ClearView can make an impact for Christ on an un-reached people group. The definition of an un-reached people group is a village that has never heard the message of Jesus Christ. It is almost hard to believe that in this age of technology and ease of travel that there are groups who have never heard, but that is the still the case.  It is our desire as a congregation to be an instrument that helps reach these people for Christ. We understand this could be a long process but we are willing to make that investment.

 

Just this morning we received the first update from the group that our pastor is traveling with. Here is that update:

 

Yesterday the first to members of the TN team visited a Jula village.  They were welcomed to visit and had the opportunity to share two stories with the chief and others.  After sharing the DPM story, they were able to share the panorama story of C2CR.  The chief stopped them in the middle to ask a very important question, "How many sons did Abraham have?" "What were their names?"  He was checking to see if we were talking about the same Abraham as they know who fathered Ishmael.  They were allowed to finish the story explaining about Father's design and plan for each of our lives.  Even though those who heard were not receptive, they each had the opportunity to here the Truth.  Men were sent, they have heard, but they did not receive.  Ask Father to remove the scales from their eyes of the Jula that they may see and repent.  Ask that His words may never leave their minds and that as they dwell on what they have heard, they will receive.   

 

The rest of the Tennessee team finally arrived at 6:30am.  They four men are exhausted.  We will be dividing up into two teams, loading vehicles and heading out at 10am.  Please pry for these 4 who just arrived especially that they will quickly be refreshed and adjusted to the time and climate.  The other two men arrived two days ago and are ready to go.  Ask Father to go ahead and behind us to hem us in with His protection as we travel and for each of us to have a keen, sensitive spirit of discernment to know His voice and to recognize the man of peace in each village we enter.  Ask for openness among the people to hear and receive Father's Words.  We will be visiting and staying the night in each in the villages of the following people: Bolon, Dafin, Senufo Syenara, Gana.  Pray that each of these pastors will have an acute awareness of Father's presence and instruction concerning who His choice is for their individual congregation to work among.

 

We echo the prayers of this missionary from Mali as we pray for our pastor and the others pastors who are with him.

Changing an organization from the inside out?

I have had the great opportunity to witness an attitude change for an entire organization, and it all started with some caring teenagers who:

 

• Saw need for change
• Volunteered to invest time for change
• Sought out help
• Studied other organizations for insight
• Helped evaluate present situation
• Asked their leadership to communicate established ‘core values’
• Realized that if change were to happen it had to begin with them
• Spent time deciding what leadership characteristics they had to model
• Begin to set in motion a plan for change
• Implemented change that was based on ‘servant leadership’ and ‘leading by example.’

 

Here are some core facts that helped them get ‘change’ started:

 

• They cared about the organization
• They wanted to make the organization the best it could be
• They were willing to invest time
• They wanted to see results
• They wanted to set a foundation for future success.

 

What can we learn?

• Leadership often comes from the workforce
• Leaders need to be open to ideas of those they lead
• Bottom up leadership ideas need to be encouraged
• If you have made a commitment to an organization, strive to make it the best it can be
• If you are committed to the organization, be willing to accept change

 

The group of students that initiated the change mentioned above are members of the Centennial High School Marching Band Leadership Team. When they started there was no team, just students who cared. They have made a tremendous impact on the organization in one year and I can’t wait to see what legacy they will get to witness when they come back as alumni.

Related Posts:

Leading Through Crisis

Leaders Communicating Down-Line

Does the Team You Lead Perform

Preparing for Worship: getting beyond the logistics

Every worship leader is faced with a reoccurring blank piece of paper because Sundays come once a week. It is waiting to be filled with an outline of a worship service that will include various items depending on the personality of the local congregation.

I write this post on a Saturday morning meaning the blank piece of paper with tomorrow’s date at the top has been filled between its margins with an outline, and the items that fill the page have been detailed, arranged and rehearsed. We have done all that we can do. The question is: ‘what will the people recognize when they enter the designated place of worship tomorrow?’

In a statement from a sermon in the late 1950’s A.W. Tozer implied he had been asking the same question when he wrote the following:

“Visit some churches, and when you sit down, you are conscious of a Presence. You go into other churches, and when you sit down, you are conscious of the beauty of the music or the stained glass windows, the sonorous tones of the minister, and all the rest, but you are not conscious of the Presence of God necessarily.”

Where we meet you will not find stained glass, but basketball goals; and not beautiful architecture but cement block walls. However the caution for us who plan is that anything we put on stage or plan to use in a service is put there only to help us recognize the very presence of God.

So how do we guard against the items (elements) placed on the blank piece of paper becoming the focus and not God?

•    Ask the question just printed often.
•    Pray that God will take our planning and execution to bring Glory to Him
•    Pray for wisdom and insight to remove anything that could be a distraction
•    Pray: God help me forget about trying to make everything ‘right,’ and forget about being the producer. Instead give me the freedom of mind to worship

Related Posts

Preparing for Worship: A Saturday night to-do list

Preparing for Worship: Am I Too Comfortable

Worship, does it matter what other people think?

Advice for a Young Worship Leader: smile

I can remember as if it were yesterday, when it was actually over thirty years ago. As a high school student my local church asked me to lead worship for the services. I can’t remember if I was given this chance because they recognized some talent or I was their only choice. (It was a very small church.)

 

We were having dinner with some family friends and without fanfare or introduction the lady made a comment about my leading: ‘you need to smile when you lead. Worshiping the Lord is something to smile about.’

 

Today, thirty years later, I am a worship leader at a local church and almost every week I am reminded by that memory the importance of communicating not just through words and melody but with our body language.

 

I know there are songs that don’t call for a smile, but your face and body expression still need to communicate.

 

I am amazed at how many people can make great music and communicate effectively through the words and melody and yet stand motionless without a smile while they sing. Honestly, this is the wrong person to have on stage leading. Being a worship leader means communicating and great communication must include pleasant body language that states I believe what I am singing about and I believe in the God I am singing about.

 

Smiling while singing did not come easy for me, it is something I had to practice. Yes I practiced this. I wanted to make sure that how I presented myself on stage did not hinder someone else from worshipping.

 

Is it time we look at the people who lead or help us lead worship each week? Don’t we need to see how they are communicating? It is more, much more than making beautiful music.