Gary walked out of the meeting with his team discouraged. The team functions well, but team meetings are a drag. Most of these weekly team meetings are the same. Everyone leaves discouraged and often frustrated. Team meetings are a low point of the week for team members. Gary is frustrated as well. He cannot understand why. His team works together well. They accomplish tasks in a timely manner and with high standards. But coming out of team meetings, the valley of morale is obvious to even Gary.

Perhaps you can relate to Gary and his team members. Many organizations, for profit and non-profit alike, have similar responses to team meetings. There are several topics we could address for this. But for this post I want to look at a couple factors to assist in improving the participation and morale of team meetings, communication at home, or any volunteer organization you are involved with.

People will not learn if we cannot engage their higher order thought processes. There are proper ways to do this and leaders must be willing to step out and implement some of these. Learn to use leadership techniques that engage the higher order thought processes leading to healthy discussion. Then as a leader, you must be ready to accept and welcome the discussion.

Within the first sixty seconds of speaking to another person or group of people, your listener’s attention will drift from your speech at least twice. You are the same. When listening to someone else you will drift away briefly from what is being said. This drifting is not from outside distractions. Rather it is due to memory focus. As a speaker, teacher, or leader shares, our minds have a tendency to pick up on certain words or phrases and we begin thinking about an event or experience in our own personal lives. In most cases the listener will quickly pull himself back into the current discussion.

We should remember that learning builds upon learning. As we speak, the new material is being processed and attached to something similar in our listener’s memory bank. This is what creates the learning experience and causes new information to be added into our memory bank. Since it is happening to our listeners every time we speak, why not take advantage of this natural occurrence and use it to produce learning experiences that produce results.

In certain conferences I will pull a plastic circular disc out of a book bag. I never have to tell anyone what it is. They know it is a Frisbee disc. I can proceed to relate new information to what the conferees already know about a Frisbee. Within a few short minutes, the conferees tell me the truth of the lesson. They have attached the new material to something they already know. And the lesson sticks. The new information is now in their memory bank. Learning builds upon learning.

Learning to use statements and objects that employ the higher order thought processes can be vital to your team remembering and carrying out the details of the project ahead. Planning and using these type statements requires discipline on the speaker’s part. Like a question, if you issue a thought provoking statement, be certain to allow time for your listeners to process the information. These can be great discussion starters and can bring out great and creative ideas and enthusiasm from your team members. A good leader knows it is not only a good practice but vital in the learning process to not give all the answers, but to lead your people in discovering answers for themselves. Jesus used this type statement in various places including John 14: 2 and 4.

Drop a small stone in the water and what happens? That one small splash creates a ripple effect of concentric circles widening out from where the stone broke the surface of the water.

This past Sunday I spoke to our congregation about Living for the Ripple Effect. I want to share a small portion of that with you in this week’s blog. The ripple effect is the nature of leadership. It is the nature of influence, and it is what you and I as believers in Christ have been called to do.

As Saul, later the Apostle Paul, demonstrated in his life, we should be living to make ripples in the spiritual waters around us. No matter where you are, or in what circumstances you find yourself, you have an opportunity to make ripples in the spiritual waters around you. All it takes is to drop a pebble, a small stone, into the water and it will always leave a ripple effect.

In fact the more you exercise this practice, the stronger the ripple effect. Scripture from Acts chapter 9 tells us, “Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.”

This same man, Saul, who had only weeks before been persecuting people who believed in Christ, was now proclaiming Him to be the Messiah. And this verse (22) tells us the more Saul shared, the stronger his witness became. It is his spiritual strength this verse is speaking of. Saul had become “a voice to be heard.” His conviction of who Christ is and his compelling speech and actions was baffling the Jews who heard him speak.

Just as in physical exercise gives us strength to our bodies, likewise studying God’s word and spending time with God strengthens our spiritual being. The world today tells us to build bigger bank accounts, stronger financial portfolios, and to accumulate more “stuff.” God and His people on the other hands pursue people. Our stuff will not outlast this world.

The moment you die, your stuff will be owned by someone else. However, every human being has a soul that lives on forever in one of two places. You will either spend eternity (a very long time) with God in heaven, a place full of happiness and joy. A city that knows no suffering. Or you will spend forever in Hell referred to as a lake of ever burning fire, rendering constant pain and suffering.

As Christians, believers in Christ, it is our duty to make ripples for Christ for the many souls around us. Jesus Christ Himself began those ripples more than two thousand years ago to His Apostles. They in turn continued those ripples creating the earliest of the New testament churches in Jerusalem. Those followers in turn carried the spiritual ripples into the world, and they continued throughout the centuries until one of those ripples intersected your life. Your life was impacted by one of these ripples. It is now your turn. How will you make ripples for God this week? Into whose life has given you the opportunity to continue this ripple effect?

Once a stone is dropped into the water you can no longer see it. But the ripple effect carries on long after the stone has disappeared. You have one opportunity to make a splash. One splash makes many ripples. What will be seen after your life is over? What will be said of the ripples you leave behind?

Will you live this week and every week to create a ripple effect for God?

According to scientists, the bumblebee’s body is too heavy and its wing span too small. Aerodynamically, the bumblebee cannot fly. But the bumblebee doesn’t know this and it keeps flying.

When you do not know your limitations, you can go out and surprise yourself. In hindsight, you wonder if you had any limitations to begin with. The only limitations a person has are those that are self-imposed. Why let education, time, or the opinion of others put limitations on you.

God has created you for greatness and you should daily strive for that greatness. You have what it takes to succeed at the purpose you were created for. God planned that purpose before you were born and you can be certain He will see you through life to accomplish that purpose.

Too often today we settle for good. Yet, you were not created for good. You were created for greatness. I believe when we settle for good the only person we are pleasing is Satan. He knows as long as you settle for good, you will never strive for the greatness of which you were created.

When people tell you that you are not good enough, smart enough, strong enough, or wealthy enough, do not settle for good. Remember, the one who created you is perfect (good enough), All knowing (smart enough), Almighty (strong enough), created everything on earth (owns everything). He not only owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), He owns the hills and the taters under those hills.

You get the point, don’t you? God is all you need to succeed and fulfill your life purpose. Do not listen to the world. Pay attention to God and His word (The Holy Bible). Be like the bumblebee and fly even when others say it is impossible. With God, nothing is impossible.

To learn more about how you can find your way to fulfilling God’s planned purpose for your life contact George Yates and visit SonC.A.R.E. Ministries.

Leaders often ask what is a good size team to use in strategic planning and oversight of ministries. With the right number of people on a team you receive quality input from all, members will ask questions about topics, and better decisions will be made. When that number exceeds seven people on a team, individual discussion lessens and members tend to advocate more than they inquire.

The number of people to serve on a team may be more important than you realize. The success of a team can largely depend on the size of the team. Bigger is not always better. First, ask what are the objective and goals of this team? In most scenarios, regardless of the objectives, the number of members on a team will not need to exceed seven. The fact is most teams will function more effectively with five to seven members.

With too few members on the team, discussion may not be as diverse as needed, not allowing all avenues to be explored and perhaps overlooking the best possible decision. Another downside of not having enough members on your committee or team is members can be stretched too thin leading to burnout or at least ineffective preparation and implementation.

In larger team settings people rarely take the opportunity to probe for understanding and clarity but instead pile opinion on opinion, leading to misunderstanding and poor decision making. Larger teams may come up with two or three possibilities. The difficulty is these two or three get discussed to death, while the best possibility may never get voiced. The larger the group, the fewer people speak to offer thoughtful ideas. Instead, team members buy into consensus.

With the right number of members on your strategic planning team you will receive quality input from all members. Members will be more inquisitive and ask more probing questions into the subject matter providing more definite solutions toward the objective and goals.

When selecting the right people for your team, pray first and foremost. Then list those in your organization who meet the following requirements: 1) open minded, 2) forward thinking, 3) willing to speak his/her thoughts and concerns, 4) Willing to listen to everyone else’s, 5) not a yes man/woman (no rubber stampers). Build your team on people with these quality traits and let everyone know they have an equal voice and each one’s thoughts need to be heard by all. Decide if you realistically need 5,6,or 7 people on your team. This will give you the team that you need to fulfill your strategic planning needs and objectives.

For more information on this subject and Organizational Health contact George Yates and visit SonC.A.R.E. Ministries.

“The key ingredient for improvement and success is not knowledge or resources. The key ingredient is the health of the organizational environment.”[i]

Bryan Houser, was called to consult with a small non-profit organization named Helping Hands. Helping Hands was organized to assist people of all cultures, ages, and income levels in their region. However, it seemed they were only reaching one segment of the population and very few of those. The organization had hired and dismissed three leaders in the last six years. The board of directors for Helping Hands decided to call Bryan Houser when one board member had heard of Bryan’s experience with a similar organization.

Bryan had requested and studied the history and financial records for Helping Hands prior to his first meeting with the board of directors. In the first meeting Bryan listened as various board members recanted their version of the Helping Hands story. Some painted a wonderful portrait of the early days of the organization, only to have fallen in the last three to four years. While others focused on the recent troubled years of the organization.

According to board members, six years ago, they had hired Ron Settles, who came highly recommended with a doctorate degree and a successful track record. Well, actually, he had only been with one company but it was a success in its field of business. “Ron brought great leadership skills,” said one board member. A couple other board members nodded, but several grimaced, as if to say, “not really.” Twenty-two months into his time with Helping Hands, the company not only was not making progress, it had actually lost revenue and clientele – greater losses than the organization had ever experienced. The board dismissed Ron Settles from his duties and began the search for a new president to run the organization.

Three months later Larry ToDegrees was hired to fill the position. Larry had two Master’s degrees, in Business Management. The board members recanted how Mr. ToDegrees was very well educated, he was not a people person. “He very seldom came out of his office and was somewhat difficult to work with.” The organization continued its downhill roll. Larry ToDegrees was dismissed within ten months of his hire date.

The third man hired to run the organization was Billy Noseright. This candidate came with both education and experience. Mr. Noseright had a Master’s degree in Business and had been with five companies, similar in concept to Helping Hands. As president of Helping Hands, Billy Noseright attempted to install similar practices he had employed in some of his previous positions. The major difference was this was a non-profit organization that operated mainly with volunteers and a slim budget. “Mr. Noseright just did not know as much as he thought – at least about non-profits.” Quipped one of the board members.

Bryan Houser listened as various board members passionately spoke, sometimes on top of each other, about the organization. After forty-five minutes of conversation the chairman of the board looked to Bryan and said, “Well, you’ve heard quite a bit.” To which Bryan nodded once then tilted his head right to left in a slight upward fashion. “Yes, I have.” He stated.

“What are your first impressions, or your thoughts at this point?” Queried the chairman.

Bryan sat quietly for ten very long seconds with his eyes focused on the pad in front of him on which he had been taking notes. Raising his head slowly, Bryan panned the room making eye contact with each man individually before moving on to the next. Fixing his gaze momentarily on the chairman, Bryan stated, “I’ve studied your history before today, and I’ve talked to people in your community. What I have learned studying those materials and what you have shared today,” his gaze now begins to pan the room again. He continued, “I do not believe yours is a leadership issue so much as an organizational health issue. Could the reason your last three choices of leaders have not been successful be because you have not lined up the leader’s strengths with the health of the organization?”

Several of the men in the room looked perplexed. The chairman asked, “I’m not sure we understand.” Several men in the room nodded in agreement.

Bryan attempted to explain, “It sounds like you pride yourself on getting well educated men, some with successful experience, some not. Those requisites are fine, but if they do not line up with the health inside your organization, it is not likely to improve the health of the organization. Copying practices from one organization to another rarely works well. Helping Hands has seen declining trends for nearly ten years. You need not focus so much on education in a leader as you do someone with compassionate people skills and the desire to get in the trenches with your volunteers to rebuild a healthy organization.”

Most organizations, churches included, focus on intelligence rather than health of the organization. – A healthy organization will inevitably gain intelligence over time.

People in a healthy organization learn from one another. Healthy organizations learn to identify critical issues and recover quickly from mistakes. Healthy organizations cycle through issues and situations and rally around solutions much faster than their dysfunctional counterparts.[ii]

For more information on Organizational Health for your church or other organization, contact George Yates and visit SonC.A.R.E. Ministries.

[i] Patrick Lencioni, The Advantage, 2012,

[ii] Adapted from The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni, 2012

Within three months of accepting the pastor position of Living Hope church, Gerald called for outside help from his local denomination office. Upon accepting the call to pastor Living Hope, Gerald knew this church had been in decline for nearly twenty years. Seven of these years brought steep decline and the last three years the church was barely hanging on. I give Gerald credit for realizing, being a newcomer, from the outside, this was a task greater than he could accomplish on his own.

The first year for Gerald and Living Hope appeared to be a good year. The decline stopped, the church actually added five people. Though this was a small number, it was a victory against the long-term decline. Gerald and Robert, the denominational leader, had put together a team of five people to work through a process assisting the church to stave off decline and turn around into a growing, healthy body of believers. The team met monthly and formulated strategic plans for the perceived needs of this ailing congregation.

The team developed strategic plans for various aspects of ministry and operations of the church based on the findings of their study. At the end of the first year the team even put together a booklet to distribute to church members and held a meeting with the church body to describe the process they had undertaken and the plans developed.

The second year was established as the year of praying, training, and equipping the congregation in what it would take to implement the strategic plans. Pastor Gerald saw progress and was encouraged by some of the recommendations of the people of his congregation. Training sessions set on regular scheduled days were well attended – Sunday nights and Wednesday evenings. However, the Saturday training events were not well attended. Gerald dismissed it as the culture in which we live and proceeded with training and equipping as designed. While he did have a couple of pressurized meetings with one older couple in the church, Gerald believed overall the church was adapting nicely.

Just about the time Gerald was entering his third year with Living Hope, something happened. Things began to unravel. Gerald could not understand it. After all everything seemed to be going fine. Everyone, well almost everyone, was on board with the changes they were about to implement. The church had been working on these for two years now. Why all of a sudden were people balking? Not only balking, Gerald had just met with two men of the church where one of the men threatened Gerald with his job.

Gerald telephoned Robert requesting a meeting. The two men met for lunch at a nice restaurant with a quieter atmosphere than most. Gerald laid out the whole story to Robert all the way to the threat of losing his job. “I do not understand it.” Gerald stated, almost with a question mark at the end of his statement. They’re not following all of a sudden. What did I do wrong?

Robert, knowing the answer to his question asked, “How long have you been here?

“Three years. I’m starting my third year.” Replied Gerald.

“You have hit the third year wall.” Robert acknowledged. “The third year is your year of implementation. While you have been able to make small changes in these first two years, you are now attempting to change the culture of your church. People will go along with talk about changing the culture. But when making the change affects me personally, then I have a different resolve. Many pastors run into the third year wall, and many leave.

In the ensuing conversation, Robert encouraged Gerald to stay the course, while examining possible reasons for his congregation “digging in their heels.” One statement Robert made that stuck with Gerald was, “Your vision for the church and your administrative operations, along with your strategic plans for change, must be aligned within the current culture in order to build the desired culture.” Gerald asked for clarification.

Robert proceeded, “Aligning with the current culture inside the church will not produce results. It is a culture of status quo and comfort. However, aligning your strategies within the current culture will allow you to develop the desired culture. It is a slow process. Changing a culture requires three to five years. But you have to be willing to stay and work through that third year wall.”

The third year was certainly a tough year for Gerald. Now entering his sixth year with Living Hope church, Gerald can look back at the wisdom in the advice he received in that lunch conversation with Robert. In the most recent eighteen months the church has seen seventeen additions to the church and it is evident the culture of the church is changing, albeit slow, but definite.

For a church to achieve organizational health the pastor’s vision, administrative operations, and the overall strategic plan must be aligned together within the current culture to build the desired culture of the church. A key phrase in the previous statement is, “must be aligned together within the current culture,” not, must be aligned with the culture.

For more information on organizational health of a church contact George Yates and visit SonC.A.R.E. Ministries.

When Jim Edwards came to serve as pastor of Community Church he had visions of growing a great church. He planned to visit 10 households each week, eventually leading the church in doing similar. Rev. Jim had plans of training and encouraging his congregation in serving the community, especially the apartment complex and the 200 and 400 home neighborhoods surrounding the church. This was a dream job for Jim. He and wife Janie felt blessed for being called to serve at Community Church.

Sitting at his desk in the church office six months after arriving at Community Church, Pastor Jim realizes he is teaching and preaching right on target with his plans. However, he has not been able to make it into more than 3 homes any given week. He ponders, “What happened? How come I cannot make time to visit in homes?” Jim thought he would have time visiting in homes about 2 nights each week and on Saturdays. What happened to his nights? Then it hit him.

Rev. Jim began recounting his evening schedule. Monday nights he meets with the Finance team and the Personnel committee. Meeting with the finance team one Monday evening streamlining the financial structure of the church and the following Monday meeting with the Personnel committee working to update and re-write the church’s job descriptions and policy manual. Every Monday with the Personnel or the Finance Committee.

Tuesday evenings for Pastor Jim are spent with a special team assigned to update the by-laws of the church which have not been updated since the church’s founding in 1985. Wednesday nights Rev. Jim is right in the middle of the high energy student ministry, doing what he enjoys, interacting with others, equipping them with the truths of scripture.

By the time Thursday evening rolls around, Jim is ready for a break. Those tedious, meetings working on updating policies, by-laws, and financial strategies, this is not what Jim had looked forward to when signing on to lead Community Church. It is not what he signed on for, but Rev. Jim is one pastor who understands the need for addressing the critical issues of the church to bring about healthy organizational structure, realizing a healthy organizational structure produces a vibrant organization.

You see, the reason Rev. Jim is helping to streamline the finance structure of the church is that one year before Jim arrived the former treasurer had embezzled $150,000. Streamlining the structure of finances in the church is critical for clarity and better oversight.

One of Rev. Jim’s mentors taught Jim that a church’s by-laws are the only legal document any church has to rely on and churches (and other organizations) should review their by-laws regularly and keep them updated. Community Church’s by-laws, being over 30 years old, are very outdated and somewhat antiquated by legal standards. Recently, another church on the other side of town was taken to court on a moral issue and lost the case because their by-laws, last updated in 1997, failed to protect the church from today’s immorality . Updating the by-laws is critical, though it may not seem urgent.

Jim is not fond of the administrative aspect of pastoring a church. Yet he knows all three of these committee workings undertaken since he arrived at Community Church are critical to the ministry and the future of the church though they might not seem urgent. Hence the reason the former pastor did not review and update these documents and sectors of the church.

Jim has led the church to undertake these critical issues without diminishing the quality of ministry he had envisioned when arriving at Community. Jim may not be getting out weeknights but he is visiting in homes on Saturday mornings. He first began with one other Deacon. Now there are three teams of Deacons and the Pastor visiting in an average of 10 homes every Saturday.

As a Transitional Pastor and Church Health Strategist, I spend much of my time assisting churches in organizational health issues and practices. One of the practices I’ve found in healthy organizations (churches) is leaders who understand the importance of slowing down to deal with issues that are critical but do not seem urgent. The ministry need not be put on hold while addressing these critical issues, but you may need to re-organize and prioritize schedules.

For more information on this and other organizational health issues for effective ministry contact George Yates and visit SonC.A.R.E. Ministries.

The adrenaline bias – O.H. takes time. Leaders must slow down and deal with issues that are critical but do not seem urgent. – Patrick Lenconi, The Advantage

Moses was a leader chosen by God. In the book of Exodus we read of his experience leading, mainly leading the Israelite nation from captivity on a forty year journey in the wilderness before they would enter the Promised Land. A leader chosen by God to lead His people, yet a leader who needed development. Though God gave Moses this monumental task, God did not give him every facet of expert leadership ability. Instead God placed around Moses others with complementary personalities and leadership skills. Moses had Aaron and Mariam and later Joshua and others.

Exodus chapter eighteen tells us of one lesson in leadership for Moses from an unlikely source.

Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴  When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” ¹⁵  Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶  Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”

“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.” Exodus 18:5-6, 13-23 (HCSB)

Moses had the daunting task of leading God’s people, yet God did not give Moses all the ability, skill, and gifts needed to be the sole person responsible for leadership and administration. Neither did God extend the day for Moses to have enough time to solely take on the task. Moses needed to share the responsibility of leadership and trust God that all would be okay. Moses’ greatest need was not necessarily skill, but the need to recognize effective deployment of leadership and implementation of God’s plans. Moses was attempting to manage people and all their predicaments instead of leading the Israelite nation.

The same is true for you and me today. Whether you are pastor, teacher of a Sunday School class, a leader of any ministry group or organization outside the church, God has placed around you complementary personalities with complementary gifts and skills. Do not try to be Superman or the Lone Ranger because that is not who God created you to be.

In the daily hustle and bustle of life and the challenges confronting us, we sometimes miss “the important.” We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.

Charles Plumb, a US Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy territory. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now speaks throughout the land on lessons learned from that experience.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”

“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb. “I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!”

Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.” Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: A white hat, a bib in the back, and bell bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said good morning, how are you or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot, and he was just a sailor.” Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.

Now, Plumb asks his audience, “Who’s packing your parachute?”

Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory – he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety. His experience reminds us all to prepare ourselves to weather whatever storms lie ahead.

Be certain to take time to realize and recognize Who’s packing your parachute as you fly through this week’s life experiences. Don’t pass an opportunity to say a kind word, share a smile, do something nice for someone without expecting anything in return.

Marcy nods and begins, “As staff members and other leaders in the church ministries we need to be watching the road ahead in order to make needed adjustments before it’s too late. If we’re in the middle of Vacation Bible School and we know there is a big storm coming our way, we need to make adjustments, move inside. Likewise, if we have an event planned, yet our registration is low, we need to make adjustments. Too often I think when we see something like that we just back off, start cutting corners.”

Greg inquisitively interrupts Marcy and asks, “What do you mean? What kind of corner cutting takes place?”

Susan picks up the conversation, “We start cutting our food order.” Marcy jumps right back in, “And we cut the staffing for nursery. Things like that, always cutting back…”

Roger, with a quizzical look jumps in. “What’s wrong with that? I think that’s good. That’s being frugal. It’s good stewardship.”

“Is it?” questions Marcy. Then she expounds on her thoughts. “The first thing we do is start cutting back, when we should be praying. And before we pray asking God to bring us more people, we need to pray asking God’s forgiveness. Asking Him to show us where we have fallen or more likely where we have jumped ahead of Him, trying to do it our way. I just think we don’t give God the opportunity to work in maybe the final hours to produce that miracle.” Marcy pauses looking at Greg then over to Susan, hesitant to look at the others in the room, perhaps in fear that she may have offended them.

To her surprise Joe speaks first. “That’s pretty hard hitting Marcy. But you are exactly right. We say we love God and He has the power to do wonderful things even miracles, yet we do not give Him the opportunity. I’m guilty Marcy. Thank you for showing me that, or allowing God to speak through you to show me.”

Andy is chomping at the bit to get in the conversation. “Wow, Marcy, you are right. As you were speaking the Holy Spirit convicted me of doing that very thing two weeks ago when I cancelled the youth trip for this coming Saturday because of lack of participation. I didn’t give God a chance to work in any of those kids lives.” Silence pervades as conviction takes hold of hearts in the room.

After about fifteen seconds Greg states, “I think this would be a good time to stop and pray. I’ll lead…” Pastor Tim interrupts, “No, Greg I appreciate that, but I’ll lead in the prayer. I have allowed this to happen on my watch as Pastor. I am responsible…”Marcy tries to interrupt wanting to take the burden off Tim, but he refuses to yield the floor. Holding out his hand as to stop traffic, he says, “No Marcy, God convicted me too just then. He used you to convict us and we need to repent and ask for His guidance. Let’s pray.”

As everyone bows Pastor Tim and Andy both slip out of their chair and bow on their knees. Before Pastor Tim begins his prayer Joe joins them on his knees as well. Tim’s prayer:

“God Almighty, You are so powerful and righteous. We are so fallible and feeble. You have made known to us this hour of one of our acts of unrighteousness. Forgive us Lord as we look to you now with humble hearts and teary eyes. We have tried to do something in our own power thinking it would please you. On more than one occasion we have run ahead of you. Help us each one to learn from this today, to trust you more fully in everything. Not to cut until you say to cut. Not to back off until you say to back off. But instead to seek you and trust you that in all things you have the power to overcome what we see as stopping points. When in reality they may very well be your proving points. Forgive me for as Your leader, Your undershepherd, I have…”

Tim continues in his prayer. When He finishes and says Amen, he is ready to rise from his knees, but immediately from across the room Andy’s voice begins praying aloud. When Andy finishes, Joe voices a similar prayer of repentance and asking for guidance. The prayer then moves around the table. Every person in the room voices a similar prayer.

Greg closes the prayer time thanking God for His wonderful work in the moment. As the prayer time ends, some are weeping. Pastor Tim steps over to Marcy gives her a hug and thanks her for her obedience in sharing with the group. Then unexpectedly, he makes his way around the room hugging everyone individually, thanking them and asking for their forgiveness.

We all have areas of vulnerability. Successful leaders understand that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness as some would assume. Many leaders want to hide their vulnerabilities, living behind a facade. Researcher and author Brene Brown says, “Vulnerability is actually the courage to show up and be seen.” She goes on to say, “Vulnerability is the absolute heartbeat of innovation and creativity. There can be zero innovation without vulnerability.”[i] Great and successful leaders understand that revealing their vulnerabilities can bring out the strengths and creative genius in others. Revealing vulnerabilities as a leader also demonstrates you are human and will allow team members not to try to live above their own abilities and vulnerabilities. However, team members will be encouraged to reach to their potential skill and abilities.

If allowing Himself to be arrested, severely beaten, and hung on a cross isn’t demonstrating vulnerability, then our dictionaries have the wrong definition. God Himself through Jesus Christ demonstrated the ultimate vulnerability so you and I can have life eternal. Learn and practice vulnerability in your leadership circles.

This article is an excerpt from Turnaround Journey, chapter nine. Learn more and purchase your copy at soncare.net.

[i] From article at Forbes.com, The Best Leaders are Vulnerable, July 18, 2013