3 C's of Hiring

We're currently looking to add an administrative assistant to the team. As we do, we look at three specific qualifications:

• Character. That's the first step in any hire, especially in a Christian organization. Now, character includes integrity, but is more than that. Character is the ability to meet the demands of reality. Does the person have the character to meet the real demands of the position.
• Chemistry. Does the person fit the team? Do they fit the environment? Are the in agreement with the vision and even more the values of the team?
• Competency. Can the person complete the tasks needed. Beyond that, do they have the competencies of a learn because the tasks to be completed five years from now will be radically different than those of today.

Style and Substance

I've been thinking about worship style and substance. It seems to me that there are a variety of worship styles--liturgical, contemporary, emerging, acoustic, electric, and urban. What I'm wandering is if we mistake the style for the substance. If we don't like the style, do we say that there's no substance there.

For a long time, I've been a proponent of identical services. Tomorrow, we'll have 9 AM and 11 AM. They'll be identical in style and substance. What I'm wandering is this--could they be different styles and have the same substance.

By substance, I mean more than just depth. Here's a definition of substance: that of which a thing consists; physical matter or material. By mistaking style for substance, I mean that we think a service has to have the same style or it cannot possess the same substance.

Here's the question: Could a church offer three services with different styles (say, acoustic, liturgical, and electric-guitar driven), but have the same substance in each--passion for worship, captured hearts, and the presence of God?

If the answer is no then critics are right to suggest that the DNA of the church is split into by the various styles because they have different substance.

If the answer is yes then the critics are wrong. The services could be very different styles and have the same substance--flowing from the DNA of a church bent on worship.

Just some thoughts.

Add Some SOAP to Your Devotions

Here's a four-step plan for your devotion time:

• Scripture. Develop a reading plan for the Scripture. If you don't have a plan you'll fly between the gospel, Proverbs, and Psalms. A plan gets you to all the Bible--in a year, two years, it doesn't matter.
• Observe. In a journal, write down what you observe happening in the Scripture you're reading. Who? What? Where? When? How? Why?
• Application. What is God saying to me through this passage?
• Personal Prayer. What do I need to say to God because of this passage?

Giant Easter Egg Hunt and Passion: Journey to the Cross

Over 500 kids officially registered and over 1,000 volunteers, kids, and parents participated in Des Moines' Greatest Easter Egg Hunt last Saturday! The weather was a little chilly, the ground, a little wet, but the hunt was a lot of fun.

Plus, we passed out hundreds of flyers about our Palm Sunday presentation: Passion--Journey to the Cross. This was such a different presentation from years past, but it was filled with the message of the cross. I loved it.

My thanks to Vanessa for organizing the Giant Easter Egg Hunt and TJ for leading up Passion. They and their workers all did a tremendous job. Thank you so much.

Passion: Journey to the Cross

We just got home from Passion practice. It's going to be great. If you're in DSM this Sunday at 9 AM or 11 AM, I want to invite you to come by. It's full of cool drama, great music, and the message of the power of the cross.

I hope to see you there.

We're Going to Nationals

As I mentioned last week, Grant (our 12 year old) entered the Iowa District Fine Arts Festival in the category of short sermon. You have to write and preach a sermon around a theme--and it can only be five minutes long.

Well, this was his first year and we were hoping for a Superior rating, but he wound up with a Superior with Invitation. That means he's invited to the National Fine Arts Festival in Charlotte, NC, starting August 3. We're so proud of him. He did a great job!

He scored 115 out of a possible 120 points. In fact, one judge gave him a perfect 40!

Grant's First Sermon

I heard Grant (my 12 year-old) practice his short sermon for Fine Arts Festival for the first time yesterday. I was impressed. He must get it form his mother--she made better grades than I did in homiletics back at Central Bible College.

It amazes me how well he memorizes stuff. I messed up in a Christmas play at White Oak General Baptist Church when I was 7 or 8, and have been afraid of memorizing ever since then. I was Joseph and forgot to ask if there was room in the inn--that, and wearing a ridiculous bathrobe ended by drama career.

When Will it End?

I need some global warming to invade Iowa! We were up to 63 degrees yesterday. I saw my grass for the first time since November. It was a great three hours. Then, last night the arctic freeze rolled in. Today, it's 22 degrees with a low tonight of 9.

I'm hoping and praying the snow will be gone in time for our Giant Easter Egg Hunt outreach March 15. I bet the pastel eggs would stand out in a blanket of white snow. I bet---I don't want to find out, though.

What Does a Leader Do?

What do leaders do? In what activities does a leader engage? What are the core competencies of a leader? In some recent reading, I came across the three primary functions of a leader:

1. Diagnose. This is a cognitive function--the leader knows where the organization is located in space, time, and spirit in relationship to the mission/vision. How far are we from the vision? How long until we reach the next point? What's keeping us back? Have we taken a detour? What is the speed with which we're moving? How are people's attitude/participation with the task? The leader is constantly evaluating and diagnosing to understand where the organization is on the space/time/spirit continuum.

2. Adapt. The key to great coaching is the half-time adjustment. The team planned to pound the ball inside, but the defense continues to sag in with a 2-3 zone. Nothing is going into the paint. Can the coach adapt the game plan to take advantage of the open outside shots? Will he manipulate his defense to create more transition baskets to open up the game. That's what the leader does--he constantly makes half-time adjustments with the resources at his disposal. The leader who makes the right adjustments comes out the winner at the end of the game. While diagnosis is a cognitive function, adaptations is an intuitive function. There's often a gut feeling of this is what we need to do next to knock down that barrier and get back on track.

3. Communicates. This is the process function. The leader communicates the adaptations to the team in a way that they 1) clearly understand and 2) are motivated to participate. For that to happen, he needs to understand the process of change in an organization, how much change he has in his pocket, and what motivates the key members of the organization.

In the end, these are the three primary tasks of leaders--whether they are leading a home, a church, team, or a business. It doesn't matter if you lead a company that makes computer processors or home loans, these are the three jobs of a leader. It doesn't matter if you're leading a fifth grade basketball team or the Kentucky Wildcats, these are the three responsibilities of a leader. This is the leader's job description.

Coaching Kids to Be Leaders

I've started a new book by one of my favorite leadership authors--Pat Williams, an executive with the Orlando Magi. This one is about Coaching Your Kids to Be Leaders. In it he give seven marks of leadership:

1. See a Vision

2. Be a Communicator

3. Build Good People Skills

4. Build Good Character

5. Build Confidence

6. Be Bold

7. Be a Servant

The book not only reveals these seven keys to leadership, but talks about how to mentor and motivate your kids to be leaders. With three kids (Grant-12, Corbin-7, and Morgan-4), I am excited to put the principles of the book into practice.