EdYoungBlog

3 Big Wednesdays

If you're in the 7th-12th grade; or maybe you have a student who is, remember what I said this weekend.

"Bring them to church!"

I can't wait to connect with them at 3 Big Wednesdays! Check it out...

Family Fun Fest '09

It's not just another big, church event. It's the event of the summer.

At Fellowship, we've always believed the family is something worth celebrating. That's why this weekend we're hosting the biggest event in recent memory - Family Fun Fest '09.

Maybe you have a family of four or forty. Maybe you’re an empty-nester or a newly married couple. Or maybe you consider your closest friends to be your family. Whatever the case, bring everyone you can with you. It's something you don't want to miss!

Spur Leadership Conference '09

Leadership conferences are everywhere you turn. But how many have you heard of that bring together in one venue a state governor, a general in the U.S. Army, the vice president of one of technology's leading companies and some of the most passionate young church leaders today? Not many!

But this year, my good friend Mac Richard is doing just that at the Spur Leadership Conference on October 1-2.

Last year I had the opportunity to speak at the 1st Spur Conference, and it was amazing to see the potential in the leaders who were there. This wasn't your typical church leadership gathering! And this year, Spur is taking it to a 'hole 'nutha level! Mac is hosting speakers that include: 

    Governor Rick Perry
    General Tommy Franks 
    Steve Price, a vice president at Dell
    Kem Meyer from Granger Community Church
    Steven Furtick of Elevation Church
    ...and so many more.

I'm excited to see and hear about what emerges from these two days of leadership and creativity. If you are in leadership in any realm, from the home to the church to the corporate world, this is an experience you do not want to miss!

The Toughest 10%

It’s one of the most difficult things for any leader to do. It’s not very popular, but it’s very necessary. It’s moving people out. And as leaders in the church, we cannot be shy about it.

Over the last ten years, Fellowship Church has tried to do just that. It’s a principle that Jack Welch calls differentiation. Basically, Mr. Welch says a healthy organization regularly moves out 10% of its staff. He says, “Winning leaders invest where the payback is the highest. They cut their losses everywhere else."

In other words, great leaders regularly take a look at the organization and evaluate those who should stay and those who need to be moved out.

This isn’t to say that you don’t appreciate the work and blessing that those people brought to the table. God brings people into your organization for a reason. But oftentimes, it’s only for a season. There are situations where it is necessary to move certain people out so that you, and they, can continue to grow.

At Fellowship, we have grown more over the last 20 years through subtraction than through addition. Think of a body. For a physical body to grow and maintain vibrancy, it must regularly eliminate certain things. In the body of Christ, and especially when it comes to staff, the same principle applies.

When you regularly move people out, the results are phenomenal! Those people then have the opportunity to become a blessing, to be used by God somewhere else. You see those left who step up to fill the voids; those who help your church reach the next level. You experience a vibrancy, freshness and newness that may not have been present before. You are forced to think strategically about your resources. And you ultimately experience growth through the change. I call this the spin cycle of success. Change – Conflict – Growth.

For any organization to maintain life, it must remain fluid. Otherwise, it becomes stagnate. And as the living body of Chirst, we must recognize this and not be afraid to follow the steps to maintain vitality and life.

As a leader, don't be afraid to evaluate who is around you. Don't be shy about moving people out. God will continue to work through you. He will continue to use you and your organization for his purposes. And you will experience blessings that may have been blockaded before!