Mark Hunnicutt

Leadership: Rate Your Relational Effort

On a scale of one to ten how would you rate your relational effort? By relational effort I mean the effort you've expended this week intentionally getting to know people outside your comfort zone. Caring for them, casting vision and showing them why their time and talents are best used for God's purpose.

Relational effort is one of my life values and it is one of the easiest to neglect. I'm commanded to equip saints for the work of the ministry. (Eph. 4) At ground level I
can't lead those I don't know. So, the key to effective God centered leadership is cultivating relationships with new people.

I know it sounds elementary but think about it. It's easy to use the same three or four people its hard to begin new relationships. I tend to naturally choose the easy. The question I need to ask myself is what "new" people I'm cultivating relationships with? Sure it's messy and hard but anything "God sized" is, right?

I don't make many guarantees but I promise that increasing your "intentional relational rate" will increase your leadership. Start today by taking the initiative by getting to know people outside your intimate, immediate circle. Love them and lead them to partner with you to bring glory to God and growth to His Kingdom.

Sounding Off On Subordinate Leadership

One of the dangers of being a subordinate follower is getting ahead of our leader's new vision.  When is it ok to publicly share a potential idea?  When do you start to discuss the journey in front of people not yet given the directions?   

 

• Timing is important.  Know where you are in the communication chain and let the vision get to you. Only then share with the people in which you have influence.
  
• Truth is critical.  Understand the difference between thinking and truth.  Ideas are just thoughts.  These thought may never be implemented.  “Might be” and “will be” are not the same so listen for truth. 
  
• Testimony is inspiring.  Relay how the vision is going to fuel your ministry.  Talk about how “we” are moving forward.  Don't talk about how “they” made another decision and I guess “we'll” live with it. 

Our leaders spend countless hours in prayer and contemplation before we get wind of change.  Let their vision settle in your spirit, give insight and observation but when the decision is made to move, march forward.  Be careful though not to verbally get ahead of your leader's vision. 

Is It Time For A Talk?

When is the last time you had the tough conversation.  You know the one that you should have had a couple of months ago but you decided to wait it out.  It’s not any better is it?  You know the leadership talk?  I’m blogging about the special speech that if not spoken to the special person there will be no change.  No one else is going to say it; you are going to have to.  Pray up, remove log from your own eye, open your mouth and lead with your lips.  Don’t wait; God has revealed something to you that needs to be spoken.  Your motive is love, right?  It’s time for a talk. 

Ministry Morphs

Ministry morphs.  It doesn’t stay the same.  Purposes stay the same because they were established by the Word but programs, plans and people change. 

 

I love questions.  A question is neither offensive or defensive it is just a question.  When we attach questions to purpose they can really help us evaluate our obedience to God’s biblical commands.  The following cycle of questions can really bring clarity to the change necessary for morphing ministries to accomplish God's purposes. 

 

·         What for?  What are we making this ministry change for?

 

·         What if?  What would happen if we made the change?

 

·         Why not?  Why wouldn’t we make the change?

 

·         What?  What is happening now that the change has been made?

 

·         What next?  What needs to be changed next? 

 

The cycle then starts over….

 

The only constant in ministry is Christ and change.  Allow these questions to help you obey Christ and bring clarity to change. 

Living Life In HD

10 But you Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is.... 2 Timothy 3:10

 

Paul lived life in HD!  There was no doubt what role the scriptures played in his life.  Timothy knew what he taught and how he lived.  Timothy knew what Paul’s purpose in life was.  If I asked the Timothy’s in my life the following questions.  What was the last lesson I taught you? What was the last example you learned from my lifestyle and actions? What is the purpose of my life?  What would their answers be?  Would their answers be consistent?   Would their answers be without hesitation and reservation?

 

How would the Timothy's in your life respond to these questions?   

Thermostats Versus Thermometers

I love fall. The temperature drops and everybody starts talking about the transition from summer. Climate always seems to be a topic of conversation no matter what the season. Thermometers read the temperature and thermostats set the temp.

Ministry seasons are constantly changing and people love to talk about the ministry climate. Leaders create environments they don't just have conversations about them. The people around you either tell you the temp or help you set the temp. Both are important but surrounding yourself with thermostats will catalyst climate change keeping you out of cold, conversational, evaulation meetings.

2008 Multi-site Exposed Breakout Insights

The Leadership Pipeline:  Mac Lake

Jesus’ 7 Leadership Practices

Confidence – God has gifted them and given them for to you to accomplish His purpose.  We must demonstrate this confidence when praying and approaching potential leaders.

Connection – The disciples were Jesus’ friends.  We have to make equipping leaders highly relational.

Content – Jesus constantly gave them content.  Give leaders stuff to study that will stretch them.

Coaching – He coached them.  Walk along side leaders and encourage them to grow.

Challenge – Jesus would stretch their faith.  Help leaders set goals and dream.

Cluster Learning – Jesus got leaders together and let them learn from each other.  Gather leaders from the same demographic and let them talk.

Conference – Jesus took them to groups gathering to learn.  Host or go to training conferences with your leaders.

Mac takes this paradigm and strains leadership actions through it.  He discovered the best way to do this was through apprenticships and web based learning.  People can then go at their own pace in every place. 

How to Recruit Team Members

….“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” - Jesus

How do you fuel big vision with volunteers?  This question has been asked through the ages.  The answer is always found in the context of God’s plan and prayer.  Every person that has a pulse in your church is designed to serve in a significant way.  That is God’s plan.  Prayer will begin the process of preparation and connecting them to God’s plan and your God given vision. 

What not to do…

• Don’t do sign ups
• Don’t make a public cry

What to do…

• Know your positions
• Create covenants (Neh. 9:38)
• List potential workers
• Recruit to created positions
• Follow up
• Apprentice

The recruiting and equipping process is one of the toughest in ministry.  It is also one of the most rewarding.  Grab a legal pad and map out a God sized structure and sketch some covenants.  Start praying and prepare to grow God’s Kingdom in ways that can only be accomplished with multiple workers. 

The Crazy Ones Challenge the Process

I'm going to date myself. Way back in '01 I attended a conference called, "Catalyst."  If you've never been, you need to put it on your life list because it is an amazing experience.  One of my takeaways was the 5 Practices of a Leader session lead by Andy Stanley.  Andy dissected a book by, James M. Kouzes entitled, The Leadership Challenge: How to get extraordinary thing done in organizations.  The five practices are...

• Challenge the process
• Inspire a shared vision
• Enable others to act
• Model the way
• Encourage the heart

Watching the following video on Tim Stevens blog really fired me up about challenging processes.  I was reminded that the crazy ones challenge the process.  They recognize that you're either growing or dying.  They ask, "why" about everything.  Those crazy ones hate the status quo.  They embrace change as necessary.  They take people where they have never gone before.  Those crazy ones need to be reminded it's not pride but the way God wired leaders.  When was the last time someone called you crazy?