BillSimmonsLive

My Planning Rhythms

Planning is a big deal. You've heard it…when you fail to plan…you plan to fail. I think this quote is very true when it comes to leading a church.

Effectively leading a church of any size requires planning. God is into planning so don't tell me that we are just being "led by the Spirit". Planning is the act of a Spirit-led leader. Besides, we call it the Plan of Salvation.

Over the next couple of weeks, I want to share my thoughts and principles regarding planning. Let me start by defining my planning rhythms.

Short-Term Planning represents the next 12-15 months – The church calendar has natural rhythms that come around every year. We always know there will be an Easter; Christmas, and summer mission trips. Sunday is coming every week. I've yet to be surprised when a Sunday arrived. This is why we should constantly prepare for the next 12-15 months. What messages series will we preach? What outreaches and mission trips will we achieve? What staff needs to be hired? How will we recognize and appreciate our volunteers? How will we serve the immediate needs of our local community? How much money will the next year cost and how do we plan to invite new people to join us as financial partners (tithers)?

Mid-Term Planning represents the next 2-5 years – When planning, we should anticipate the impact of what we are doing now, will have on where we want to go next. Where do you see God leading in the next 2-5 years? What have we been doing that we need to stop doing? What are we not doing that we should be? If we are going to go where God is leading, what needs to change? What staff, facilities, finances, infrastructure, (and so much more) do we need if we are to get to where we are going in the next 3-5 years?

Long-Term Planning represents the next 5-15 years – Decades fly by a lot faster than I used to give them credit for. This might be a sign of my aging but the truth is still a reality. The world is changing at lightning rates of speed. Will our church change at the rate needed to keep up with the unforeseen changes our world will experience in the next 10 years? God already knows the future and desires for us to be prepared for it. What vision is God giving you for the next 5-15 years? Who are you sharing this vision with? What plans need to be in place to put your church on track for this vision to become a reality? What obvious challenges will need to be addressed? How will you plan to address them? The elephant in the corner of the room will need to be addressed.

Long-Range Planning represents the next 15-30 years – My personal email address is carpe2morrow@aol.com. This play on words is a mix of Latin and English. Carpe means to seize. My desire is to Seize Tomorrow. I think too many churches are behind the curve. But to just catch up with current times is insufficient. The modern day church desperately needs to get ahead of the curve. We need to seize tomorrow. Planning this far out requires church leaders to dream. Dream audacious dreams. Plan according to your God-given dreams. Slow the train down and realize that God does do a sudden work but more often He takes His time. If you believe your church will be around in 15-30 years, what do you need to plan for? What will it be like?

Start planning now, the future is on its way!

How do you break down the way you plan? Do you need help defining or refining your plans? Have you ever thought of using a coach?

I’m MAD…Are You?

I wish more people were MAD. I wish more members of SpringWell were MAD. I wish more students, parents, and whole families were MAD. I think if we were all MAD, our community and world would be a better place.

Are you MAD? I'm committed to MAD. It's why I do what I do. The purpose of my life is to Make A Difference.

Do you want to Make a Difference? Awesome…I knew you did. Here are some immediate ways you can Make A Difference:

• Join us Saturday morning for Servolution Saturday
• Invite Friends and Family to the Easter Service
• Sign Up to serve at the Brook Glenn Elementary Spring Carnival

We could just talk about MAD…..or we could actually go MAD.

I'm ready….Are You?

SpringWell 2011 Ministry Plan

January 2011 was a landmark time at SpringWell. For the first time in our history we were able to distribute a ministry plan that describes our recent journey as a church; where we believe God is leading us; updates our strategy; and determines our needed budget. Scott shared this document on January 16^th and we distributed it at the end of service. We have also posted the plan our web site.

I encourage you to check out the SpringWell 2011 Ministry Plan.

Spread the word! God is up to something at SpringWell‼

Leadership Development

 

 

 

I am obsessed with a passion to expand the leadership capacity of those I influence.

God (and Scott) began to really challenge me last fall with the above thought. As I envision 2011, my goal is to intentionally equip and empower those around me. As a Leadership Coach and Church Health Consultant with Legacy Coaching, I am passionate about serving pastors and church leaders to help them lead more effectively.

At SpringWell, my focus is with our Staff; Elders; Management Team; Church Health Team; Growth Group Leaders; and Serving Team Leaders. I consider these teams to be the CORE of our church.

Beginning tomorrow morning, I will start a four week leadership intensive with our staff. We plan to take two mornings a week for the next four weeks to focus on foundational leadership principles. I will concentrate on four leadership categories with four lessons each. The categories will be: Inward Leadership; Outward Leadership; Church Health; and Expanding Leadership.

If you serve at SpringWell and would like to participate with the staff in our Leadership Development, please feel free to do so. I realize the time of the training may not work for you. But if you can work it out, join us. Just call the office at 864.268.2299 and speak with Elaine. Let her know you are coming so we can have materials ready for you. Below is chart of all the topics.

Time Slot	Tuesday 01/25/2011 Inward Leadership	Wednesday 02/02/2011 Outward Leadership	Wednesday 02/09/2011 Church Health	Wednesday 02/16/2011 Expanding Leadership
9:00-10:00   10:30-11:30	What is a Leader?   360 Degree Leader	How to develop authentic relationships   How to be a better communicator	Being the Church in a Post Modern World   Developing Processes and Systems	7 Habits of Highly Effective People   Time Management & Project Management
Time Slot	Thursday 01/27/2011 Inward Leadership	Thursday 02/03/2011 Outward Leadership	Thursday 02/10/2011 Church Health	Thursday 02/17/2011 Expanding Leadership
9:00-10:00   10:30-11:30	Leading with My Personality   Stress in Ministry	Building Teams   Handling Difficult People	Volunteer Recruiting and Assimilation   Dealing with Change and Transition	Coaching 101   Being an Armor Bearer

2011 SpringWell Mission Trips

 
We are very excited to announce the 2011 SpringWell Mission Trips.

o  Washington, DC - July 24-30, 2011

o  Dominican Republic - May 21-28, 2011

o  Dominican Republic - November 5-12, 2011

Join us for a Mission Trip Information Meeting on Sunday, February 6th from 12:00-1:00 PM.

Check out the links below for trip details.

Download Washington DC Trip Packet 2011

Download Dominican Republic Mission Trip Packet 2011

 

Housing the Homeless

SpringWell is once again housing homeless families who are need of emergency shelter and we need your help. Once a quarter we partner with GAIHN (Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network) and 12 other churches to meet the housing needs of families. Each church commits to serve the families 7 PM on Sunday evening through 7 AM the following Sunday. Each church is on a rotating schedule and houses the families once a quarter. SpringWell will host families beginning Sunday, January 16^th through Sunday, January 23^rd.

Here is what we provide:

• A safe and clean environment to gather as a family
• Classrooms are turned into bedrooms for the week
• Meals are provided (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)
• An entertainment area is set up for games and movies
• Host, Greeters, and Overnight Host to spend relation time with the families

To pull this off requires an army of volunteers. Karen Burks serves as our GAIHN Team Leader and organizes the weekly schedule.

As of this writing, we still need to fill 6 serving opportunities:

• We need 4 Greeters. Time slots available are Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30-7:00 PM. The Greeter opens the building and welcomes the families. The Greeter also hangs out with the families until the Host arrives.

   

• We need 1 Host. The time slot is Thursday from 7:00-9:00 PM. The Host hangs out with the families until the Overnight Host arrives.

 

• We need 1 Overnight Host. The timeslot is Saturday from 9:00 PM through 7:00 AM. The Overnight Host hangs out with the families, sleeps in a room of their own, and is available if needed.

Don't delay…Register here to serve in one these opportunities or contact Karen Burks for more information.

The Year of Prayer

2010 has been a year of prayer and fasting at SpringWell. We started the year with a 21 Day Fast and asked God to guide us as a Church. Why would we do that? Because we want to be a desperate Church. We want God to get all the honor for what He is doing. I am proud to be part of a church that doesn't just talk about prayer but actually prays. We had the fasting emphasis in February and continue to fast every Monday. We've had Sunday evening prayer gatherings during the summer and an all-night prayer event in October. Our Growth Groups gather weekly and pray together.

These intentional times of prayer have strengthened our church when we worshiped together each Sunday; when we went on mission together; when tough decisions were being made; and when lives were being changed through services like Celebrate Recovery.

You may be asking: What do I pray for? I'm glad you asked. Let me share with you 5 things Scott has asked our church to pray for regarding SpringWell:

1. Wisdom – We desire to be the best leaders we can be. It takes wisdom to leads God's people.
2. Souls – The lost and hurting in our community desperately need Jesus. Pray that SpringWell Draws Spiritually Thirsty People to Jesus.
3. Finances – The number one obstacle in our church is finances. Too few people tithe. We will not give up praying for a breakthrough.
4. Sin – We pray that those things in the darkness will be exposed by the Light. We start with ourselves asking God to show us our own hearts (Psalm 139:23).
5. Make us desperate people! – Pray that we live is such a way to demonstrate our dependence on God. We NEED Him! (Psalm 42:1)

Prayer has not only been an emphasis in 2010…it will be in 2011. In fact, we plan to turn up the volume. If we are going to be the people and Church that God wants us to be…we must bathe everything we do in prayer.

Will you be praying with us?

How has your life been impacted by prayer?

Mistakes I Make

Mistakes are a regular part of my life. I make them often. Don't you?

Yesterday, I had the chance to meet someone who is new to SpringWell. She wanted to ask me some questions regarding a few statements I made as I preached. I told her that we were not a perfect church. In fact, there are two mistakes we make on a regular basis.

1. Giving Grace
2. Being Transparent

If we are going to make a mistake when someone is struggling, we are going to make the mistake of giving grace. What do I mean? At SpringWell, we value relationships. This will always cause us to believe the best in people. Patience, unconditional love, and second chances will always trump judgment and religious piety. Grace certainly comes with accountability, but it also comes with the time people need to deal with their stuff.

Transparency is another mistake we often make. We are not afraid to talk about the elephant in the room. There is no value to hiding your head in the sand. When things are great…we will say they are great. When things are not going well…we will speak the truth in an effort to solve the problem and make things better. This often makes some people feel very uncomfortable. Being transparent creates trust in the long run. We must have honest transparent conversations if we expect to be effective.

At the end of the day, I honestly do not think these are truly mistakes. But if they are, they are mistakes I can live with.

How about you?

Join the Servolution

ARE YOU READY TO BE PART OF A SERVING REVOLUTION?

On Saturday, September 18^th we will unleash an army into Greer and Taylors to simply SERVE.

The army will arrive at SpringWell by 8:30 AM and will then head out into the community from 9:00 AM until Noon.

We will share God's love through simple acts of service. These opportunities to serve could include passing out water, cleaning up properties and schools, cleaning windshields, providing a free car wash, bagging groceries, pumping gas, providing coins for the laundry mat; and so much more.

In the coming weeks, we will provide online registration and much more information.

I am also in the process of recruiting a team to plan the day.

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE SERVOLUTION PLANNING TEAM?

Email me at bill.simmons@springwell.org and I will follow up.

Let it Rain! Let Him Reign!

Over the past several weeks, Scott and I have discussed prayer quite a bit. While on my trip to the Dominican Republic, I read Deuteronomy 28. I felt inspired to share with our staff how my prayers were challenged through these verses. I decided to create this video blog to share these thoughts with you as well. It is 18 minutes long but I hope you stick with me.

Why I am Fasting

I am hearing so many people from SpringWell talk about how our church-wide fast is affecting them.

Several have shared how they are being stretched by the discipline and encouraged by prayers being answered.

During the first week of our fast, I wrote down several things where I am praying for a breakthrough.

• Teddy (our son) to find a job - He lost his in the fall and like many have struggled replacing it.
• Conquered Addictions – I desire every personal impulsive choice I make be disciplined and for our church to reach as many as we can through Celebrate Recovery. We will be launching this ministry in the fall or early 2011.
• Financial Breakthrough for SpringWell – We are seeking God on behalf of those who are not tithing and asking Him to stretch their faith and give them consistency in giving. This would radically influence our effectiveness as a church to reach our community.
• Expand Legacy Coaching – I am asking God to open up doors locally for churches and pastors to partner with our Leadership Coaching and Church Health Consulting ministry. Local clients would help decrease my travel and expand our networking. This would also empower us to give more to the Kingdom.
• Greater Physical Discipline – I have personally struggled with my physical weight and health more over the last 2 years then I ever have. I am learning that I really need God's help to renew this discipline in my life.

If you were at SpringWell on Sunday, you certainly experienced how prayer and fasting produced an incredible sense of expectation during the service. God showed up in a big way. Lives were changed! We also received our biggest weekend offering in over a year.

You tell me….does prayer and fasting work?

This is just the beginning….get ready for your breakthrough!

Why are you fasting?

Internship Announcement

 
I am very excited to announce SpringWell Churchwill begin an Internship starting August 1, 2010.

 

This intentional leadership development program focuses on helping interns discover their own call as a church leader, acquire specific skills relating to ministry, and form habits that will carry them into a lifetime of ministry service.

 

Interns will have the opportunity to receive practical training through one of two different internship tracks: General and Specific. Our hope is to give our interns a 30,000 foot view of the church in the General Track or detailed training in the Specific ministry related Track.

 

Interns will be fully immersed in ministry alongside a staff pastor who leads a specific area. That staff pastor will serve as your immediate supervisor and coach. Mentorship in the areas of spiritual formation and leadership development will be provided by the Executive Pastor. Your involvement will span everything from service tasks that are critical to the running of the ministry, to significant leadership opportunities designed to stretch and grow you, and then everything else in-between. While your focus will likely be on a particular ministry area, you will need to see yourself as a team player who is able to serve wherever needed. 

 

If you sense God calling you to an adventure that requires huge faith, this might be just what you are looking for.

 

Interns will raise funds as a missionary to our community. You will receive training and personal coaching to help develop partners and raise funds.

 Download SpringWell Internship Application

The Daniel Fast

As we prepare for our church-wide 21-day fast, I wanted to share the basic guidelines for a Daniel Fast. This is based the experience of Daniel in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament.

SpringWell is fasting from February 1-21, 2010. Each person is asked to fast something of his or her choice. Some will be fasting food altogether, others will be fasting technology such as TV, texting, internet, or Facebook, while some will do different types of food fasts.

If you choose to do a Daniel Fast, the following will be helpful:

Foods You May Eat

• Whole Grains
  Brown Rice, Oats, Barley
• Beans
  Dried Beans, Pinto Beans, Split Peas, Lentils, Black Eyed Peas
• Fruits
  Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cantaloupe, Cherries, Cranberries, Oats, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Kiwi, Lemons, Limes, Mangoes, Nectarines, Papayas, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Plums, Prunes, Raisins, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangelos, Tangerines, Watermelon
• Vegatables
  Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chili Peppers, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Gingerroot, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Potatoes, Radishes, Rutabagas, Scallions, Spinach, Sprouts, Squashes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini. Veggie burgers are also an option if you're not allergic to soy.
• Liquids
  Spring Water, Distilled Water, 100% All-Natural Fruit Juices, 100% All Natural Vegetable Juices. You may also drink protein drinks.
• Others
  Seeds, Nuts, Sprouts

Foods To Avoid

• Meat
• White Rice
• Fried Foods
• Caffeine
• Carbonated Beverages
• Foods Containing Preservatives or Additives
• Refined Sugar
• Sugar Substitutes
• White Flour and All Products Using It
• Margarine, Shortening, High Fat Products

 

The Future of Spiritual Formation

I am so excited to announce that SpringWell Church is partnering with Monvee to be on the forefront of The Future of Spiritual Formation.

We will unveil this exciting web-based tool on Saturday during our CORE Leadership Retreat.

Monvee will assist those who desire to be a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ by developing a handcrafted personalized spiritual growth plan.

John Ortberg says, "Assembly line approaches to discipleship don't work, because everyone is uniquely wired. Monvee will help people own and design the way of life where they can experience maximum growth. People have a crying need to find a way to follow Jesus that is not mechanical or legalistic and that is concrete. Disciples of Jesus cannot be mass produced they have to be handcrafted."

One of our Core Values at SpringWell is Personal Growth. We believe every disciple of Jesus Christ must take personal responsibility for growing in character, emotional wholeness, and relational authenticity. This is why we feel providing such an innovative resource as Monvee meshes with who we are as a church. You are unique and God created you that way. Therefore, a cookie cutter approach to discipleship must be replaced with unique personalized plan, based on how you were created.

Monvee will be the perfect partner with our Growth Groups. Monvee will challenge you as an individual to take personal responsibility and Growth Groups will provide a relational environment for support, encouragement, and accountability. This is a powerful combination.

Monvee will be available to those not attending the retreat for a cost of $40.00. This will give you lifetime access to developing your personalized spiritual growth plan. You will be able to update your plan periodically based on the stages and seasons of your life.

You will hear much more in the coming weeks and months. We are thrilled to be ahead of the curve as we partner with the exciting innovation that is going to take the church and discipleship into a completely new level.

Dominican Republic Mission Trip Announcement

 I am so excited to announce SpringWell will be going to the Dominican Republic October 16-23, 2010 for our foreign mission trip.

We will be partnering with Missionaries Danny and Denise Stone who lovely lead Restoration Ranch. The Ranch is a residential home for abandoned or orphaned children.

We will serve this awesome ministry through a number of servant-evangelism projects. These include:

· Construction Projects

· Prayer Walking

· Children’s Ministry

· And much more

The trip will be open to all those 18 years old and up.

If you are interested in being a part of our team…. Download Dominican Republic Mission Trip Packet 2010

New Orleans Mission Trip Announcement

 
I am so excited to announce SpringWell will be going to New Orleans July 18-24, 2010 for our stateside summer mission trip.

We will be partnering with several ministries to impact the lives of those still devastated by the aftermath of Katrina.

We will serve this great city through a number of servant-evangelism projects. These include:

· Children’s Ministry

· Work a Day Camp

· Music Ministry

· Construction Projects

· And much more

We will be coming alongside Vintage Church (a church plant in the heart of New Orleans) and MissionLab as our primary partners.

The trip will be open to all those 12 years old and up.

If you are interested in being a part of our team….

Download New Orleans Mission Trip Packet 2010

Rest & Reflection

Our office has limited hours this week and next due to the holidays. I was also able to use the last of my vacation days for some extra rest and reflection. I normally use vacation time to disconnect and decompress. I try to avoid emails and phone calls related to ministry to recharge my personal batteries.

Instead of traveling this vacation, we are staying home for the holidays. I am spending these two weeks mixing personal pleasure and ministry preparation. This is a detour from my normal routine of total disconnection. I am excited about resting, reading, and reflecting at a slower pace.

I have learned true rest is not recovery from what we have been through; but preparation for the future.

Here are a few things I believe about the future:

In regards to SpringWell:

• God is up to something at SpringWell. You want to be there when it happens
• Whatever God is up to will require BIG faith!
• Empowering Leaders must be a front burner issue
• Unity around our vision and values cannot be compromised
• Prayer and Fasting will play a major role in tapping into the unexplainable

In regards to my family:

• This will be a year of healing from the pain of the last few years. (Our son's divorce took us through a grief like I've never known)
• Greenville will be cemented in our hearts as we establish this as our home for the long term future
• Renee and I will commit to sharing our marriage (along with its joys and struggles) with others to help them find grace, forgiveness, and health
• We will do everything we can to spoil our grandson, TJ!

In regards to Legacy Coaching:

• Coming along side Pastors and Church Leaders will remain our focus
• We will implement some new and creative ways to influence Church Health
• New doors for networking will open based on relationships (Because…it's all about relationships!)
• We will beat the drum that each church is unique and should focus on its own DNA without apology
• We will free pastors and churches from the frustration of imitating the models of other churches and leaders

Enough reflecting….I need to rest some more….thanks for reading.

What are your thoughts?

SpringWell Retreat

You do not want to miss SpringWell's CORE Leadership Retreat planned for January 22-23, 2010!

You can register here and save $15.00 per person. The current cost is only $60.00. The retreat is for ALL Volunteers and Leaders at SpringWell. However, ANYONE who seeks spiritual growth and is interested in developing a personalized plan is welcome to join us. Friday night will be a time of outstanding worship and a message from Scott. Saturday will include a live simulcast with John Ortberg and Dallas Willard along with a catered lunch. You also get your very own SpringWell T-shirt and registration to a new Web-based Spiritual Growth Tool. Don't forget…we are providing childcare at no cost when you request it during registration. Sign up today and spread the word!

Prayer: You’ve Been Acquitted…Pass It On

Prayer does not change God….Prayer changes us.

During week three of Prayer 101, we continued to investigate the Lord's Prayer as our model to follow.

We focused on Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Unforgiveness blocks the effectiveness of our prayers

We all stand in need of forgiveness of our sins and the Good News is WE ARE! Jesus paid the price for our sins and the debt has been cancelled. You've been acquitted.

Once forgiven, we are called to PASS IT ON!

If you have someone in your life with whom you are withholding forgiveness, don't allow this to block the effectiveness of your prayers.

We must use our freedom to free others. Self-centeredness causes short-sightedness. Reconciliation must be our ultimate goal.

I know this is easier said than done. Not everyone you are in conflict with wants to truly reconcile. I have experienced this recently in my life. I have struggled learning to forgive a person who will not take responsibility for their role in the situation. But despite this, Jesus teaches us to forgive over and over if needed. Though the relationship doesn't fully reconcile, your willingness to forgive, removes the blockades between you and God through prayer.

Is Unforgiveness blocking the effectiveness of your prayers?

Who are you harboring bitterness toward?

You are forgiven…Pass it on! Always make relationship the priority.

Take a listen to our Podcast for more about forgiveness and the power of prayer.

I would love to hear about the difference prayer is making in your life.

Prayer: Your Agenda or His?

Prayer does not change God….Prayer changes us.

During week two of Prayer 101, we continued to investigate the Lord's Prayer as our model to follow.

We looked at two phrases: You kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. AND Give us this day our daily bread.

When we pray, we must learn to pray according to God's agenda not ours.

It is very tempting, when we pray, to come to God with our list of things we want done. This is ineffective and frustrating.

Effective prayer is prayed according to God's agenda. His will and not ours.

What is the focus of your prayers? Is it His agenda or yours?

Are you asking God to make your will happen or His?

Are you seeking His provision or giving Him your list of wants?

Take a listen to our Podcast for more about praying God's agenda.

I would love to hear about the difference prayer is making in your life.

Do You Limp or Strut?

Yesterday, I wrote the following status on my Facebook: When hiring staff.....I'd much rather hire someone with a limp instead of a strut.

I received several comments and thought I would expound more on my blog.

I think the limp represents those who are broken and dependant. Jacob is a great example of this in Genesis 32:22-32. Jacob wrestled with God and walked away with a limp for the rest of his life. He was transformed through his struggle.

When I hire someone, I want those who have been through enough struggle they know they are dependent on God. Broken people are dependent on God. This is much different from those who act like a victim all the time. Brokenness and dependence produces humility.

Those with a strut are quite the opposite. They are self-reliant and have no need for others. They miss the point of team ministry and dependence on God. I often say, "I cannot teach someone who knows it all." The strut represents those who know it all.

To be honest, when I first started out in ministry….I walked with a strut. It took almost 10 years before I was willing to wrestle with God and walk away with a limp. Today, I would never trade my limp in for the strut. I embrace it. I value it. I respect it.

How about you? Do you limp or strut?

Fierce Conversations: Book Review

Fierce Conversations is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The reason is I can put what I have learned to use right away. Many books are inspiring but very few actually cause us to change our behaviors.

There are so many quotes I enjoyed; I would not know where to begin in sharing them with you. I will say this book challenged me in a huge way. I've never been one who enjoys idle conversations that stay focused on the surface. Fierce Conversations opened my eyes to how I can influence each conversation to be a meaningful one. As a result, I was inspired to share with our staff some lessons regarding Confrontational Conversations.

Below are some of the notes. If becoming a more effective leader is important to you, I highly recommend reading this book.

 

Staff Meeting Notes from June 9, 2009

 

How do you have a conversation where you need to confront an issue?

 

What does it mean to confront someone?

 

Fierce = robust, intense, strong, powerful, passionate, eager, unbridled

 

Four Purposes of a Fierce Conversation

 

1. Interrogate Reality
2. Provoke Learning
3. Tackle Tough Issues
4. Enrich Relationships

 

Why do we avoid such conversations?

 

Seven Components to Opening a Fierce Conversation:

 

1. Name The issue
2. Provide specific example that illustrate the behavior or situation you want to change
3. Describe your emotions about this issue
4. Clarify what is at stake
5. Indentify your contribution to the problem
6. Indicate your wish to resolve the issue
7. Invite a response

Core Values: Bonus

Over the last week or so, I've been sharing the core values that drive my ministry life. They are the hills I am willing to die on. These 7 values guide every decision I make as a church leader. Let's review:

 

• Authentic Relationships - People not programs and relationships not religion are built through biblical community.

  Acts 2:44-46; John 15:12

   

• Transformation - Life is a journey and best developed through biblical application and taking responsibility for personal growth. Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:22-25

 

• Reproduction - Church growth is the result of growing people…growing people. Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 4:11-13

   

• Team Ministry - Servanthood expressed through shared vision and values produces synergy. Philippians 2:4; Romans 12:5

 

• Cultural Relevance - Creativity and excellence in our forms and methods maximize effectiveness. 1 Chronicles 12:32;

1 Corinthians 9:22-23; Colossians 3:23-24

 

• Simplicity - Church is not meant to be complicated therefore we strive for balance as we live out everyday Christianity.

  Matthew 6:33

   

• Prayer - Private and corporate prayer is relied upon in every area of our lives and this church. Matthew 7:7-8;

  2 Chronicles 7:14

 

How about you? Have you gone through the journey of discovering your core values?

Core Values 7 of 7

 

Prayer - Private and corporate prayer is relied upon in every area of our lives and the church.

 

Ministry is too tough to be accomplished in my own power. This is why prayer is so important. Prayer is a humbling experience. It positions us to a place where we are dependent on God.

 

Prayer is birthed in relationship. It is an act of faith. When we engage in prayer, we are acknowledging our need for God to be involved in our lives.

 

It is my desire for everything I do to be bathed in prayer. It is only then I have confidence to move forward.

 

How about you? Is prayer a value in your life? Are you living out that value or just wishing you were? How has prayer given you confidence?

 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.        Matthew 7:7-8

 

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.    2 Chronicles 7:14

Core Values 6 of 7

 

Simplicity - Church is not meant to be complicated therefore; we strive for balance as we live out everyday Christianity.

 

The most radical thing in life is balance. We live in a world of extremes. The church has many times fallen into the same trap. This is why I crave simplicity in ministry.

 

As a church leader, I strive for simplicity and balance in all we do. The church has too often complicated things. We create programs to oversee programs and put committees together to develop rules for our rules. All of this is very exhausting.

 

Christianity is about radical balance. The Sermon on the Mount is full of examples. Jesus calls us to find ultimate balance in Him and through the Kingdom of God.

 

How about you? Does life seem complicated? Do you crave simplicity? What needs to be simplified in your life?

 

Here is the scripture I use as a foundation for this value:

 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.     Matthew 6:33