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Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’
Leaving and Leading (Part 1 – The Introduction
Monday, September 12th, 2011
So today starts the series I’m calling Leaving and Leading. I thought I’d start with where I am today, and then work backwards. After a week or so of transition, I feel like today is my first official day working. The transition period is so crazy. I have found myself wondering aimlessly through the building looking for the bathroom… my office… or even a familiar face.
So after a week of wondering, here’s the first email that I sent. It’s a great starting point in that it explains a little of my role and the task at hand.
Here it is:
Yesterday afternoon, I found myself sitting back and truly thanking God for all the great things that he has done for me over the last week. I want to start by thanking Fellowship for a great welcome. Last weekend was amazing and my family feels so loved. We have managed to unpack most of the boxes…at least all the essentials are safely put away in their new place. We are excited to be back in Ohio and call Chagrin Falls our home.
Although my first official day in the office was September 1, I did get to spend a couple “unofficial” days getting to know the staff and discovering what an amazing team we have here at Fellowship. I really am encouraged to be moving into a position that will oversee such a growing ministry.
If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years in ministry, it’s that during a time of transition, communication is king. If you’ll hang in there for just a few lines more- I want to give you a quick overview of (1) Who I am, (2) What’s my job, and (3) What this means for you.
1. Who I am
My wife, Aime, and I have been in ministry for over 14 years. Most recently we served in Indianapolis, Indiana where I worked with families as the Pastor if Children’s Ministries for the past five years. I have a Bible degree from Cedarville University and a Marriage and Family Therapy degree from Liberty University. We have five children, 4 daughters and 1 son, ranges in ages from 11-15 months. We are proud members of the Buckeye Nation (although I never attended OSU…yet)
2. What’s my job
My title is Pastor of Community and Family Formation. As the PCFF I’m charged to develop a holistic approach to our ministries for children and teens, intertwined with Community Groups, new programs for parents and adults, worship, missions and service.
My title is Pastor of Community and Family Formation. As the PCFF I have the privilege of developing a holistic approach to our ministries from children all the way through adults. This includes guiding our Community Groups as they engage in the Word, Inner Life and Missional Living. I will also oversee classes for adults. I am excited to intertwine our children, teens and adult ministries to help us all move forward on our spiritual journey. Whether you are single, married, have children or grandchildren we all can agree that helping our families develop good spiritual habits is a good thing.
3. What this means
This means that along with working very closely with both the Children’s and Student ministries to develop a family approach to ministry, I will also oversee Community Groups.
Here at Fellowship we believe firmly that community is the bedrock of the Christian faith. It’s all about a relationships. God calls us into a relationship with Him. Christ came to us and died so that this relationship could be re-established. We walk in relationship with Him through the power of His Holy Spirit, AND if this isn’t enough, God has called us to go on this journey…in community. We put it like this: As maturing worshippers of Christ we are to be cultivating the Inner Life, living Missionally, and growing in our understanding and knowledge of the Word of God. Community groups are crucial here at Fellowship in that we believe that these components will only produce a well-rounded believer when it is rooted in Community.
Thank you all again for the opportunity you have given me to serve Fellowship in this capacity. Please know that I’m here for you if you have any questions, concerns, or just need a listening ear on this journey. Feel free to contact me or just stop by. I’d love to grab a cup of coffee and talk.
Owned by God,
Joe McGinnis
Pastor of Community and Family Formation
Fellowship Bible Church
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Lesson Learned
Thursday, August 4th, 2011
As I enter these final few days of my ministry here in Indy, I can’t help but to sit back and think about all that I’ve learned over the past five years. If you know me at all, you know that I’m always trying to learn and grow. This is an easy “pick-me-up” for a guy who makes a lot of mistakes. So today I thought I’d list my top 5 lessons that I’ve learned in ministry over the last five years. Many of these I knew… but now I believe them.
#5 You can expect a lot more from your leaders than you might first think
#4 Students can be your #1 resource in Children’s Ministry
#3 Delegation and surrounding yourself with people who are smarter that you go hand in hand.
#2 Spiritual health and family time are closely connected.
#1 PEOPE ARE THE WAY THEY ARE FOR A REASON!
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Keep on Keepin On (Part 6 of 8)
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011
The sixth action that will keep you going when you’re ready to quit is to keep moving the vision forward. No one is motivated simply by the desire “keeping it going” every week. What are you moving? Is it just keeping the wheels turning or are you actually moving the vision forward? Daniel Pink notes that people are less motivated by money than by purpose. As a leader we need to understand that we will never rise higher than our ability to lead people. Casting and re-casting vision is a huge component in leading people. One step in casting this vision in such a way as to move it down the court is to show your team that they are needed.
It has been said that the job of a great leader is to work him or herself out of a job. In doing this, the leader creates passion and motivation for those he’s investing in. Not every leader is willing and excited to invest in those around them. They believe that they need to be the only one to carry the vision forward. Let’s look at a few reasons leaders don’t develop other leaders around them:
1. They are insecure
2. They are egocentric
3. They spend too much time with followers
4. They don’t recognize the intrinsic value in leadership development
5. They have had bad experiences in the past
Whatever the reason, not developing those around you can quickly lead to burnout and frustration. So how can we develop those round us? Check this out, it’s a pattern that we’ve all heard and yet somehow we either forget or ignore:
The Process of Multiplying Leadership:
- I do the job myself.
- I do the job with you and you watch me.
- You do the job and I watch you.
- You do the job yourself.
Do you have a plan for leadership development? If a leader doesn’t plan on this development, it usually is neglected. It is up to you as the leader to create an environment to grow leaders. Develop a plan for leadership development. What doe this look like? Here is a brief layout you can follow.
Staff development
1) Skills training – What skills do each individuals need?
2) Reading list
3) Leadership retreats needed
Personal development
1) Skills training – What skills do I need?
2) Reading list
*Check out www.whowillyouempower.com for some great Summit Kits that can help you greatly in developing leadership.
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The Art of Working with People – getting to know your team
Monday, April 11th, 2011
This is a great little tool I picked up somewhere along the way. It’s a “Staff favorites” survey. This is great for newly formed teams. It’ll help you, the leaders; get to know your staff. Just click to download the PDF survey.
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