Unfolding Neurons

Posts Tagged Leadership

At the focal point of history…

Jun 29

Posted by Darren in Deep Thoughts, God Stuff, Leadership | No Comments

I read an interesting article a couple weeks ago about a little known guy named Ron Wayne who is actually one of the founders of Apple Computers.   You can read the article for the details on his story but it was fascinating to read some of the comments from this guy who sold away his 10% Apple Stock back in 1976 for $800.  That same stock would be worth about $22 billion today.  Yeah, that’s what I thought, wow.  But notice what the guy has to say,  

  • “Well, I’m one of the founders of Apple Computer”
  • “I’m living off my Social Security and I do a modest trade in collectors’ stamps and coins”
  • “What can I say? You make a decision based on your understanding of the circumstances, and you live with it”
  • “We did get fairly chummy, had lunch together, dinner together and had conversations,” (about his relationship with Steve Jobs back then).
  • “What Jobs had in mind was that he and Woz [as Wozniak is sometimes called] should each have 45 percent and I would have 10 percent as mediator in any dispute that would come up,”
...This is a preview of At the focal point of history….
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#PAOCGENCONF2010 – Thoughts and Review

Jun 11

Posted by Darren in Deep Thoughts, God Stuff | This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series PAOC General Conference 2010 | 1 Comment

As promised here are some wrap-up thoughts (albeit I got this published a bit later than I originally intended!) on the 2010 PAOC General Conference that I had the privilege of attending this year.  I’m so grateful for the opportunity granted to me by my church family that made it possible for my wife and I to go – it was our first ever General Conference in the 14 years that I’ve been a PAOC Pastor.

Overall, there are really two “themes” that kind of impacted me the most in all the things I heard and experienced at this conference.  There was nothing really groundbreaking or life-changing for me but it was more of a reinforcement of the things I’ve learned in ministry and a reminder of the importance of them.

1. The importance of working together in relationship in the Kingdom

The message was loud and clear this conference – what we accomplish together is far greater than what we’d accomplish individually.  Whether that is on the denominational level (i.e. supporting national initiatives or missions internationally), or the local level (working with others in our cities) there was a renewed emphasis on keeping the relationship strong in everything we do.  

...This is a preview of #PAOCGENCONF2010 – Thoughts and Review.
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(798 words, estimated 3:12 mins reading time)

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#PAOCGENCONF2010 – Ed Stetzer

May 31

Posted by Darren in God Stuff | This entry is part 6 of 7 in the series PAOC General Conference 2010 | No Comments

Sorry for the delay in making these posts folks.  Here’s my notes from the final session at the 2010 PAOC General Conference.  Ed Stetzer was the speaker and I was really looking forward to hearing him speak because I’ve been a reader of his blog for quite a while.  Sometime this week I’ll write the final post in this series where I’ll sum up my thoughts and observations from my experience at this years General Conference.  Remember the notes below may or may not be verbatim.

The title of Ed’s message was, “Mobilizing all God’s people on Mission” (1 Peter 4:10-11)  

1. All have gifts…

  • Everyone should use it to serve others
  • we need to teach people that the gospel involves knowledge AND ACTION
  • church is more than a theatrical show it is a team sport
  • 1 Cor. 12:7 “7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
  • God gives gifts for the common good
  • we need to lead more differently so people can engage God’s mission more faithfully
  • what do we need to do to lead them on mission?
...This is a preview of #PAOCGENCONF2010 – Ed Stetzer.
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(393 words, 1 image, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)

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#PAOCGENCONF2010 – Wayne Cordeiro (Mini-Plenary)

May 24

Posted by Darren in God Stuff | This entry is part 5 of 7 in the series PAOC General Conference 2010 | No Comments

I attended the breakout session with my lead pastor (Marshall Eizenga) to hear Wayne Cordeiro again.  Wayne expanded further on what he had talked about the previous evening in the general session.  Really. Good. Stuff.   Here are the notes I took:

Whose cage are you tapping and who is pacing you right now?

  • you will never have wholeness in a church with broken relationships.
  • if staff or volunteers come into your office and they don’t make your heart leap ask why!
  • make sure relationships are good and healthy.
  • if you don’t have healthy relationships no program will work because everyone will sabotage it.
  • if you are a repenting man you will be a healthy man
  • healthy churches still have problems but they deal with them quickly.
  • Luke 1 when you have healthy relationships the Holy Spirit can move. And He doesn’t need you!
  • healing requires health – if you tolerate brokenness forget about the healing!
  • God’s word says without knowledge my people perish.
  • We always want to make sure what we do is biblical

How do we build relationships?  

  • we need the presence of God in order to have healthy relationships.
...This is a preview of #PAOCGENCONF2010 – Wayne Cordeiro (Mini-Plenary).
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(407 words, 1 image, estimated 1:38 mins reading time)

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#PAOCGENCONF2010 – Wayne Cordeiro

May 20

Posted by Darren in God Stuff | This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series PAOC General Conference 2010 | No Comments

Dr. Wayne Cordeiro is senior pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii.  I was really looking forward to hearing his message – and I was not disappointed!   Remember,  for the first few posts in this series I’m just posting the raw notes – in the last post of this series I will summarize my thoughts on everything I heard/experienced at the General Conference this year. Here are the notes I took from that night.
 

  • “There is something about vibrant Christians when they are brand new.”
  • 1500 ministers are leaving ministry every month.  What is being to replace those who leave?
  • the whole story of the Old Testament is passing the baton of faith contextually from one generation to the next.
  • remember God has chosen people and placed them in the times where they live.
  • races (relay) are won or lost in the passing of the baton.
  • when you are passing the baton – for a season you need to run together.
  • It just takes a moment to pass the baton but it takes 5 to 7 years to pass the heart of that baton
  • In the end we take the victory lap together
...This is a preview of #PAOCGENCONF2010 – Wayne Cordeiro.
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(369 words, 1 image, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

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Going Beyond

Feb 18

Posted by Darren in Deep Thoughts | No Comments

I was just reading about American Shaun White’s gold medal run on the halfpipe on Monday and there’s one thing that stands out to me about his performance:  after securing a gold medal with his first run he went all out in his second.

He didn’t have to.

He could’ve just walked down the pipe for his second run and still would’ve won.

He could’ve sat on his snowboard and whooped it down the course, and still would’ve got the gold.

His coach even suggested to him to take it easy on the second run. Sound advice, after all there’s no sense in risking any injury.

But Shaun decided to go beyond that.  Not only that, Shaun performed the most difficult trick ever invented for the pipe (even the name of the trick is intimidating – Tomahawk).

This got me thinking.  How often do we settle for a win and glory in the win and even celebrate the win in our own lives and then decide that’s all we need to do?

When we:  

  • get saved (a HUGE WIN) and stop growing.
  • go on a missions trip and help a bunch of people and then just show pictures when we get home.
...This is a preview of Going Beyond.
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(286 words, 1 image, estimated 1:09 mins reading time)

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Raising the Value of Volunteers

Feb 11

Posted by Darren in Deep Thoughts, Leadership | No Comments

One of the things I’ve chosen to work on as part of the staff at my church is raising the profile of volunteers and developing ways for people to find on-ramps to serving in our church.  Any person doing this will tell you that it’s not an easy task.  Still it’s one I relish in tackling because I love seeing people discover their “fit” and living in it.

Some time ago I came across an interview Tony Morgan conducted with Ritchie Miller, the senior pastor of Avalon Church in McDonough, Georgia.  Tony writes that,

Of all the churches I’ve worked with in the last number of months, Avalon has the highest percentage of people serving in volunteer roles.

A little bit later, Ritchie gave the stats that show this:  Their weekly attendance average for 2009 is 1,419 and of that attendance they have 602 active adult volunteers (which does not include the middle and high school volunteers). So of course, I wanted to read what Ritchie had to say about volunteers.  Here’s some takeaways from this interview as Ritchie discussed what he believes are the reasons for such a high volunteer rate (Ritchie’s points are italic – the rest are my thought’s):  

...This is a preview of Raising the Value of Volunteers.
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(772 words, estimated 3:05 mins reading time)

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A Powerful Leader’s Four…

Dec 7

Posted by Darren in Deep Thoughts, God Stuff | No Comments

Four Fingers

[credit: Looking Glass]

A great leader does four things and does four things well (by the way, I’m not saying this is all that a great leader does!).

Inspire

For some this comes naturally – the ability to inspire others by what is said but even more by what that leader does.  For other leaders it comes with HARD work (and I think I would fall in that category!!).  A great leader inspires people to do great things.  Of course, I happen to believe that for Christian leaders, what makes us inspiring is the work of  the Holy Spirit in our lives.  It is Jesus, who inspires us and through us inspires others.  When as a leader you are passionately following Jesus and His word then in turn there will be others inspired to do the same.

This reminds me of something else, as a leader, it matters who you follow.  Number two,

Invite

Great leaders don’t just share a vision, or promote a cause, or work in a vacuum.  They invite people to the journey.  They invite people to be a part of the movement.  They invite people to the cause.  They invite people to follow where the leader is heading.  They invite people to use their gifts, to use their abilities, to give of themselves.  Great leaders recognize that great things are never going to be accomplished by them alone.  

...This is a preview of A Powerful Leader’s Four….
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(680 words, 1 image, estimated 2:43 mins reading time)

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Sensitivity masking the real problem

Oct 23

Posted by Darren in Deep Thoughts | No Comments

In “Reflections of the Psalms” (chapter 2), C.S. Lewis writes:

Did we pretend to be ‘hurt’ in our sensitive and tender feelings (fine natures like ours are so vulnerable) when envy, ungratified vanity, or thwarted self-will was our real problem? Such tactics often succeed. The other parties give in. They give in not because they don’t know what is really wrong with us, but because they have long known it only too well, and that sleeping dog can be roused, that skeleton brought out of its cupboard, only at the cost of imperilling their whole relationship with us. It needs surgery which they know we will never face. And so we win; by cheating. But the unfairness is very deeply felt. Indeed what is commonly called ’sensitiveness’ is the most powerful engine of domestic tyranny, sometimes a lifelong tyranny. How we should deal with it in others I am not sure, but we should be merciless to its first appearances in ourselves.  

...This is a preview of Sensitivity masking the real problem.
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Catalyst Day Two wrapup – Andy Stanley

Oct 14

Posted by Darren in Deep Thoughts, God Stuff | This entry is part 8 of 9 in the series Catalyst 2009 | No Comments

The last speaker I want to share about from my Catalyst experience was Andy Stanley.  He was the first speaker for Catalyst and the one that wrapped things up.  Andy talked about cultivating a healthy staff culture.  Why?  Because,

Your church and your church culture should be the healthiest organizational culture in your city.

Here’s what Andy said it takes to creat a healthy staff:

Healthy people are attracted to healthy cultures.

Andy talked about the gap between what we expect of people and what they actually do and that ultimately we choose what goes in those gaps.  His emphasis was on the reality that our choice for those gaps will shape the culture of our organization.  The choices?  Assume the worst or believe the best.   Each of those choices have a powerful affect on the direction of organization culture.

According to Andy, there are two things that make it difficult for us to believe the best,  ”What I see” and “Who I am”.  If someone consistently brings poor quality stuff to the table then you will always assume the worst.  Also, what you have experienced in terms of personal hurt or betrayal will influence what you choose for the gap.  

...This is a preview of Catalyst Day Two wrapup – Andy Stanley.
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(698 words, estimated 2:48 mins reading time)

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