I knew I liked this guy...

I enjoy Carl Trueman's writing, and reading an interview with him makes me like him all the more, as it it pretty much the answer I would give to the same question:

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

Tough one: I like to write, so journalism would have been a desirable path; but I also like to argue, so maybe a trial lawyer. If I had enough money to just do whatever I wanted, I think I would want to work as part of a Tour de France team, a park ranger in the mountains somewhere far away, or the owner of a traditional English public house, with open fire, horse brasses, fine ale, and a dart board. I could just stand behind the bar, pulling pints, and complaining, in good English fashion, about the weather, the cricket, and the fact that nothing tastes quite as good as it did when I was young.

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Learn to Affirm

A helpful post from Rick Warren on how to affirm the people you work with:

Make affirmation real. Your affirmation has to come from the heart to be effective. Your people can smell it a mile away when you’re faking it.

Make affirmation regular. Don’t be stingy with your affirmation. This isn’t something you do every now and then. It’s something you do as a consistent part of your relationship with those you lead.

Make affirmation recognizable. Be specific with your affirmation. Don’t just tell someone they’re a good person. Tell them why. Tell them a character trait you appreciate in them. Affirm them for something you saw them do that you liked.

Make affirmation written. A written note means you’ve taken the time to affirm. I used to send most of my encouraging notes through email, but one sentence in a handwritten note is better than three paragraphs in an email.

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Evangelical Liberalism

The Jan/Feb ejournal from 9Marks is out and well worth a read. As leaders we can tend to focus very much on the pragmatics of leadership. If you are a church leader this can be fatal, ending up in all kinds of gospel compromise. So take some time out to have a look at this, and be called back to the gospel.

Maxwell on Character

Tiger's story is a cautionary tale about character. All of the momentum you build through decades of hard work and dedication can be erased if you do not craft the character to support it. Character is forged daily through the decisions we make. It comes from within and cannot be purchased. Be diligent about working on your character so that you become a person worth following and someone worthy of harnessing the momentum of success.

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Leader or Manager?

And is there a difference?

Tony Morgan asks these questions:

# Are you a leader or manager? (How do you know?)
# Are you in a role that allows you to lead or manage according to your gifts?
# Do you know whether or not the people working for you are leaders or managers?
# Are they serving in roles that fit their giftedness?
# Have you defined what roles in your organization need leaders and which ones need managers?
# When one of those roles are open, are you trying to find the person who is best gifted to lead or manage?

Click here to read more and consider the difference it makes to church leadership.