3 Leadership Lessons from Frosty The Snowman

This time of year, our friend Frosty The Snowman makes his brief but effective appearance (sorry Frosty!). Sometimes there are leadership lessons to be learned from even the most unexpected people. Frosty is one of them. If you're familiar with the song telling the story of Frosty's life, there are lessons for leaders:

1. Figure out what makes you "go." For Frosty, it was the old silk hat. When the children placed the hat on Frosty's head, He came alive. If you're a leader, it's important to discover what gets your leadership juices flowing. What environments, circumstances, people raise your leadership performance? When are you at your best? Defining what cranks you up as a leader will help you lead well.

2. If you want to lead the people, be among the people. Again, some lyrics will help make the point: "And the children say he could laugh and play just the same as you and me." The people you lead need to know you're behind them. They need to see you in your natural element, not simply conducting meetings or leading a project. Sometimes your best leadership is done when you let your natural self come out. Let the people you lead see you relaxing, laughing, playing. It will build your credibility for the next time you have to dive into something deeper and more serious.

3. Lead to replace yourself. "Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day, So he said, "Let's run and we'll have some fun now before I melt away." Time is short. One day you will not be there. Lead in a way that prepares people for your departure. If you have all the ownership in something, it will crumble should you leave. Frosty knew he wouldn't be around for long once the sun came up. In your leadership context, who is one person that could step into your role if you left next week? If you don't have that person, work to develop someone. Your effectiveness will grow. So will the fruits of your leadership.

Tensions in leadership: Dry Seasons

There are often seasons of leadership that seem to produce little fruit. We are in the game grinding it out, fully investing in the mission and it seems like no one is listening, receiving, or growing. I've experienced seasons like this. Sometimes we are so engaged in what God is calling us to do that we have little time to stop and look around to see if anyone is there. We may ask, "Is anyone getting this?" The danger of our day is to move on to the next thing if we don't see immediate results. The next job, ministry, etc. is waiting just around the corner, and we're certain that the fruit of our work will be seen then. Don't focus on the fruit. Focus on your faithfulness. The fruit will come, or maybe has already come and you just don't see it yet. The mystery of God is that He produces fruit in His own way, and in His own time.

In God's eyes, what you perceive as a dry season may just be your most fruitful yet. By His grace, He will reward you.

Catalyst Notes - Andy Stanley

These are notes from Andy Stanley's opening session at Catalyst last week:

-The more successful you are, the less accessible you become.

-Two extremes of this: 1. Burn out by trying to be accessible to everyone 2. Use success as excuse to become more inaccessible than necessary

-Galatians 6:9-10; 6:1-2

-You can't shut it all out/you can't take it all on

-Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.

-Don't be fair, be engaged.

-Go deep rather than wide

-Go long-term rather than short-term

-Go time, not just money

-When you do for one, you end up doing for more than just one.

My next three books

1. Surprised by Grace by Tullian Tchividjian

2. Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers by Graham A. Cole.

3. Organic Leadership by Neil Cole

Why Volunteers Matter

Here's a great story of how volunteering makes a difference. Yesterday a man was baptized in our services who had not been a part of a church for pretty much his entire life. He came to Northridge on March 1st. The weather that day was terrible. He got out of his car and his umbrella was broken. One of our volunteers saw this and went out to the car with an umbrella to help him inside. Our volunteer showed him where he could get coffee and welcomed him like a brother (John 13:13-15). He said this made such an impression on him. He came back the next week and felt the same welcoming feeling. Now he's a part of the kingdom of God. I don't know who helped him inside that day, but they did much more than help him get out of the rain/snow. They ushered him into eternity with Jesus! There are NO unimportant jobs in the church. How much more commitment would we have if we realized that the next person we serve could enter the kingdom in part because of a kind word or helping hand. Volunteers matter!

NEXT Churches Conference Day One

I'm spending the next two days in Warner Robins at the NEXT Churches Conference. Here are a few summary points from today:

• We are losing churches. Exisiting churches are plateaued or actively declining.
• 3,500 to 4,000 churches die every year.
• NEXT Churches is an effort led by Ron Sylvia from this church in Ocala, Fl.
• You will not reach who you want to reach. You will reach WHO YOU ARE. ----good stuff.
• The larger a church grows, the fewer friends a pastor has.
• If you allow people to decide who meets with you, you're making a huge mistake.
• What are the "Turning Points" in your church's history?
• 1500 pastors leave the ministry every month. ----WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS TREND!
• Accountability is something given, not structured.
• If you have staff members that drain the vision, they probably should leave.
• Don't let people highjack the vision!
• I realized Twitter is still relatively unknown by a lot of leaders.
• I'm going to try to get Gary Lamb to Twitter back to me. (Is it stalking if you follow someone on Twitter who doesn't follow you?)
  
• Jeff Simmons, pastor of Church Central here in Milledgeville, has started blogging!
  

A Leadership Hero

So I finally uploaded from my cell phone this pic of me and John Maxwell at the Catalyst Conference. Some of you might not be very impressed. For me, it was a cool moment. John gave an inspring message to young leaders to intentionally add value to people everyday. Then he prayed for us (11,000 leaders). I saw him in the hall afterwards and he was gracious enough to stop.

Is serving a job or a ministry?

This is a great read on ministry in the church. I borrowed it so don't be too impressed. Here it is:

Some people have a JOB in the church, others involve themselves in a MINISTRY. What is the difference?If your concern is success, it is a JOB. If your concern is faithfulness, it is a ministry.An average church is filled with people doing a JOB. A great church is filled with people who are involved in MINISTRY.If you quit because no one ever praised you or thanked you, it was a job. If you stay with it even though no one notices, it is MINISTRY.If you will do it only as long as it doesn’t interfere with your activities, it is a JOB. If you are committed to staying with it even when it means letting go of other things, it is MINISTRY.If you quit because someone criticized you, it was a JOB. If you kept serving, it was a MINISTRY.If you are doing it well enough to get by, it is a JOB. If you are doing it to the best of your ability, it is a MINISTRY.If you are doing it because no one else will, it is a JOB. If you are doing it to serve the Lord, it is a MINISTRY.

Dudley Rutherford
Senior Pastor, Shepherd of the Hills Church, California