leadership

The Necessity of Adaptability

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Our world is constantly changing around us, from unpredictable weather systems to the reactions of people to one’s own emotions responding to our circumstances. A simple drive to the grocery store shows how we adapt constantly. We change lanes to avoid someone turning at a light, slow for slow-moving traffic in front of us, and end up taking a different route than planned because construction is blocking our preferred street. As leaders, we need to adapt to our circumstances all the time.

Assessment Skills

To adapt effectively, we need to recognize when a situation requires change. Adapting begins with recognizing that the current situation is not right or best. We need to learn to evaluate and assess so we recognize when a problem shows up.

In Exodus 18, Jethro comes to visit his son-in-law, Moses. He observes Moses meeting with the people to solve disputes and act as a judge.

Problem Solving

Once we recognize there is a problem, we need to clarify the problem and some possible solutions.

Jethro recognizes that this situation is wearing Moses out. He suggests a solution: Equip other godly men to serve as judges. Don’t carry it all yourself and expand your leadership.

Listening

When trying to solve a problem, too many leaders try to do it all themselves. Even when others try to suggest possible solutions, they often are ignored because the leader didn’t think of it himself. Adaptability invites the input of others and listening to their advice. Moses knew that the people needed someone to bring their disputes to. He was doing his job. But when he listened to the good advice of his father-in-law, he recognized there was another way to do things.

Exodus 18:24 says, “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.” When Moses considered Jethro’s advice, he quickly saw its value and implemented it.

Teamwork

As you try to solve a problem, consider who may help you with the solution.

Moses listened to the advice he was given and handed off the work to a number of other leaders. Not only did it make his life a little easier, it also spread the load to others and gave others an opportunity to step up and lead with him.

Bravery

Adaptable leaders are brave enough to risk a new way of doing things as they look for a possible solution. It may be that the first attempt, or a few, aren’t the right ones, but adaptable leaders try enough options to find the right solution.

Ask God to help you be an adaptable leader who recognizes problems quickly and can discern solutions effectively.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

The Benefits of a Charismatic Confident Leader

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A charismatic, confident, skilled leader can be a great asset to a church. In the last post, we talked about the dangers of a confident and charismatic leader who doesn’t know how to equip and lead others. This post points out how a charismatic leader can be a great help.

A highly skilled, charismatic leader attracts people.

The truth is, a charismatic leader will naturally attract more followers than someone who is skilled and competent but quiet. People can see the charismatic leader and get caught up in the enthusiasm and passion this type of leader brings. That means recruiting volunteers and team members may be easier than for other leaders.

A highly skilled leader with a charismatic personality can use that to make inroads into new places.

A leader like this can often gain access to new places because of their confident, exciting nature. They are not afraid to make new friends or to reach out to potential partners, and when they do, they often bring so much excitement and passion that others are quick to want to work with this leader.

A highly skilled and confident leader can instill confidence in his followers and organization.

When the average volunteer in a church sees this type of person in action, they may become more confident in themselves and may be willing to try new things or use skills they are just learning because they can see how this leader does it. If he allows people to get close to him, he can lead by example, and his excitement and enthusiasm will rub off on others.

A highly skilled leader who learns how to equip others can multiply his efforts.

Unfortunately, often a charismatic leader, no matter how skilled, tends to leave others behind. Rather than equipping others, he attempts to do it all himself. After all, “if you want it done right, do it yourself”, or even “even if you want it done quickly, do it yourself”. What happens is that others around him, even if they are watching him, are not taught how to do what the leader does. Yet if the leader chooses to, he can equip others in the skills he is so proficient at, so that he doesn’t have to do it all himself and finds others who begin to learn and improve in the skills he is sharing with them.

A highly skilled leader who trains others can set a course that benefits the organization or church even when he is gone.

One of the dangers I have noticed with highly skilled, charismatic leaders is that when they leave the organization, everything falls apart because they did it all themselves. Everything fell on them. But the same leader can leave an equipped army of volunteers and other leaders if they are willing to slow down and deliberately train others to do what needs doing. If you are a charismatic and highly skilled leader, recognize that God gave you those gifts, not just to do the work of the church, but to help others become trained and equipped to do the work of the church. Use your personality and abilities to leave an ongoing legacy when you are gone.

Charismatic, confident, highly skilled leaders can make a great difference in the church if they will deliberately equip and train others to lead and volunteer alongside them.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

The Dangers of a Charismatic Confident Leader

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A charismatic, confident, highly skilled leader can be a great asset or a great danger to a church. In the moment, it can be exhilarating to be part of an organization that is run by such a leader, but over time, problems can begin to surface.

A highly skilled leader can tend to forget the importance of equipping others.

Leaders love to do the work they do. They enjoy the various aspects of moving an organization towards the vision and goals that have been defined – often by themselves. In their desire to do a good job, they easily forget about training others to learn how to do what they do. And it feels like a waste of time to slow down and train others when you can just do it yourself. A leader usually has more they want to do than they have time for, so doing things they don’t want to do, like equipping others, falls onto the “not so important” list.

A highly skilled leader may portray a way of doing things that others think they can never imitate.

When a charismatic leader connects with people and leads them well, those without those gifts can tend to think they can never match up to that leader and how they lead. The leader may even portray their leadership as the one and only ideal way to do things. This means that anyone who does not have the same skills or even the same personality may come to the conclusion that they can never learn to do the same thing. Those watching may even give up on pursuing leadership at all because they cannot do it the way that this leader does it.

A highly skilled leader can make it all about themselves.

The temptation of a confident leader is to make it all about themselves. They may not mean to at first, but if people start following them and giving them accolades, the leader may begin to think they are really quite something. They may begin taking the spotlight on themselves, and being okay with that, rather than pointing them to God. When people come to church to hear the preacher and not to meet God, there is a problem. That leader needs to find a way to always keep pointing to Jesus and always give God the glory for any abilities he has.

A highly skilled leader can make others dependent on him.

A great leader recognizes that people can not depend on them but constantly and consistently works at building a team. No one should be dependent on one person. No one should depend on one counsellor or one pastor. If this happens, that person may be completely lost if that pastor moves on to a new church. A leader must develop a team and build up the larger body of Christ so that people will see they can depend on the larger church family and not just on the pastor. The pastor also needs to equip people to depend on God and not on individuals around them. Point them to Jesus. Give people skills that help them to depend on God.

If a leader functions like a boat in the water, leaving a wake behind it, leaders need to ask themselves what kind of wake they are leaving behind them. A highly skilled leader needs to recognize their responsibility to equip others to join in with the work that they are doing. Leaders need to learn how to develop a ministry that is not dependent on them and will succeed even if they are no longer around.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Look to the Bread of Life to Satisfy Your Hunger

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Every leader longs for others to recognize the value they bring to an organization or a task and to be appreciated for their contributions. A leader brings value because of their training and the skills they have developed. A leader brings their experience and creativity to solve problems and develop effective plans for the future. A Christian leader brings a heart that is sensitive to God’s leading and works out of the spiritual gifts God has blessed them with.

Leaders want to do a good job, so they generally put in many hours of work, often more than what they are compensated for. They are too invested in the project to stop until success is in sight. Some struggle to find a balance between their work and the rest of their lives.

Source: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock

Everyone, leaders included, has a tendency to see themselves as their job or their position. I am a pastor. I am a music director. I am a plumber. I am a teacher. I am a designer. It is common for us to find our identity in what we do or the role we fill. Our hunger for significance and purpose in life can easily cause us to be swallowed up by our role.

But what happens if our role no longer fulfills us, or we aren’t recognized for our contributions, or the job doesn’t end up being as fulfilling as we had hoped?

In John 6 we have the story of Jesus feeding 5000 men (possibly up to 20,000 with women and children included) with one boy’s lunch. It is a miraculous expansion of one lunch that fed thousands. There were even enough leftovers for each disciple to pick up a basket full. The next day the crowd comes to Jesus looking for more miracles.

Jesus uses the illustration of the multiplying of bread to introduce himself as the bread of life. He tells the crowd around him that he can give them bread to eat so they will never be hungry again. Jesus is not talking about physical bread but saying that their hunger inside will never be fully satisfied with any food or experience or pursuit of fulfillment apart from belief in Him.

Jesus talks about how the Father draws people to himself, how the Spirit gives life, and that by believing in him, in Jesus, people can find true fulfillment.

Leaders need to recognize that their fulfillment cannot be found in their work. Yes, enjoy your work, do it well, and celebrate how your leadership is contributing to the success of your organization or church, but recognize that your fulfillment in life must come from a close friendship with Jesus and dependence on Him for joy in life.

Remember that the people you lead may turn on you. Circumstances may impact your leadership in ways that are beyond your control. Projects that you planned and love may fail. If you find your fulfillment in your work, you are setting yourself up for personal failure, but if you find your fulfillment in Jesus and a relationship with him, you will never be let down.

Look to the bread of life for true satisfaction and to fill the hunger inside for peace and joy in life. Then lead out of that heart that is at peace with God, and as a result, at peace with your leadership, whether it succeeds or fails.

Look to Jesus for fulfillment in life and lead out of the peace of knowing you are right with him.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Joining God at Work

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We look for answers to big questions our whole life. Even when we are young adults start asking us, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As we come to the end of high school, we are faced with “what’s next?” Do we go off to college or university, or get a job, or start an apprenticeship? It’s not long before we need to decide if we want to marry and who.

One of the big questions of life for Christians is “What does God want me to do?”

An answer is found in John 5. Jesus healed a man, on a Sabbath, who had been sick for thirty-eight years. This gets him in trouble with the Jewish leaders, who accuse him of breaking Sabbath rules. Jesus replies by saying he is only doing what the Father is showing him to do.

John 5: 19 and 20 says: “So Jesus explained, ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing.” In John 5: 30 he continues, “I can do nothing on my own.”

If Jesus, the Son of God, only did what the Father does or shows him to do, and if he couldn’t do anything by himself, then who are we to think we can do our own thing? If we are followers of Jesus, then we should be doing the same things as Jesus, including getting our directions from the Father.

“What does God want me to do?”

This question, if we follow Jesus’ example, can by answered by watching where God is at work and joining Him in what He is doing.

In the story, Jesus healed a sick man, and it sounds like only one sick man among a crowd of sick people. Why? Is it possible that he could see that God was at work in this one person? Was there something about this man that convinced Jesus he was receptive to God’s healing if only given the opportunity? Somehow, Jesus knew that this man was part of what God wanted done there on that day.

If we want to follow the example of Jesus, we need to learn how to be attentive to what God is doing and what He is asking of us. This begins with prayer. It’s interesting to notice how often Jesus spent time alone in prayer with the Father. We need to pray. And we need to invite the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see what God is doing.

Jesus told us in John 14 that he was going to send us the Holy Spirit “who will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14: 26). We have the privilege of the Holy Spirit in us to guide us, to teach us, and to help us see where God is already working.

We need to ask for eyes to see receptive hearts and open doors of opportunity. We need to invite God to speak to us, and to help us hear his voice so we can respond in obedience.

Jesus assumes the Father will show him what to do. We need to join with Jesus in that same assumption and watch and listen with attentive eyes and ears so we can respond with willing hands and feet.

God does have a plan for this world, and He invites us as believers to join him in His work. If Jesus can do nothing on his own, we surely can’t either.

May you hear and see God at work and know how to follow Him obediently.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Discipleship Is Practical

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Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.
Matthew 28: 19, 20

Discipleship is one of the key responsibilities Jesus gave to the church. As the verse above says, Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples of others by teaching them everything that Jesus had commanded. Most discipleship is purely focused on teaching people spiritual truths: how to read and study the Bible, how to pray, how to hear God, and so on. These are incredibly important for every believer.

But I want to suggest that we need to recognize that discipleship is also very practical. Discipleship needs to include the practical aspects of serving and leading in a church. It might be as simple as helping volunteers plan how to set up for the next church potluck or teaching others how to run the sound board or set up the PowerPoint slides for Sunday’s service. It may include teaching musicians how to pick music, how to set up each of the instruments in the band, and how to do well at leading in music as well as leading in worship. Discipleship may include teaching a new chairman of the Elders board how to plan for and run a meeting. Even things like showing a new cleaning crew how to clean the church well is an aspect of discipleship. Don’t think you need to do all of these things as the pastor, but help those who know how to do these things to teach others.

I recently heard a volunteer complain that he was the only one who put away the chairs and tables after the potluck. Others saw him stacking chairs and hauling them away, but hardly anyone else stopped their conversation with friends to help clean up.

I understand and feel the frustration of a volunteer like that who sees a need and makes sure it is met. What needs to happen is practical discipleship. The volunteer who sees the need and knows what to do needs to learn how to recruit others to help, while respecting conversations that are happening. Sometimes it seems that doing things yourself is easier because you know what to do and where things go. It takes time to explain and show others how to do something, but unless you equip others, you will always be doing it by yourself, and what started out as a fun way to serve becomes a frustrating experience.

Here are some practical ways that the volunteer in the above story could disciple others. A first step may be to determine everything that needs to be done in this task, and the steps to make it happen. Sometimes these need to be in order and other times they do not, depending on the situation. A detailed sheet can be posted or handed out to new volunteers so they know exactly what is needed and how they can participate. For example, if a meal is planned, an appropriate number of volunteers can be recruited and shown the detailed to-do list. They can be clearly told what time to arrive so they will be ready for the event. The “discipler” who is used to setting up and taking down tables and chairs can still be there the first time or two to ensure that it is done right and that each new “disciple” knows how to do it.

Even if no recruits had been arranged beforehand, the experienced volunteer could have recruited a few people to help. Often, if people are asked and clearly told what is needed, they will respond. Unfortunately, those who know what to do often assume others do to, but that is not the case. People often need to be led, even in the simple case of putting away tables and chairs.

So practical discipleship includes recruiting people, preferably ahead of time, for a specific task. It involves having a clear understanding of what is needed, defined in a clearly written and posted list. And it involves the experienced one being available to guide the disciples until they know how to do it on their own.

Yes, discipleship must have a spiritual aspect and focus on growing as followers of Jesus, but practical discipleship is also highly important.

May God guide you as you disciple others in practical ways.

And please comment with suggestions of what has worked for you to do practical discipleship.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Wait Patiently for God to Break Through

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This morning, I was sitting in my big chair reading when I glanced to my left, taking in the snow-covered yard and the drab-looking trees on my lawn. Everything had that winter grey look, when something caught my eye. Off in the distance, I noticed two large spruce trees. They, too, were covered in snow like the trees in my yard, but they were emitting a warm orange glow. The sun was coming up! And it was already shining over my house and lighting up trees in the distance.

Maybe your life feels a little grey right now. Pastors, church leaders, maybe your ministry feels a little drab right now. You have made it through the highs of Christmas, both with the church and with your family, and now you are experiencing the post-Christmas letdown. Or maybe it’s even more than that. You have been feeling a little discouraged or disappointed for a while. You don’t see the excitement you have at other times. It seems as if God is not working like you wish he was.

It’s time to lift your eyes to the distance. Maybe you need to look around, behind you, beside you, and out to the horizon. God is breaking through. God is at work, though not always in the same powerful way in every situation. If it’s not right in front of you or in your immediate experience, look up and look out. Where is God working? According to Jesus, God is always at work. Maybe He is working in a ministry you haven’t been paying attention to. Is it possible you have been too busy to see where He is already breaking through?

A little later, as I glanced up again, I noticed that the trees in my yard were now also beginning to reflect that early morning orange glow of the rising sun as it was climbing up over my house. It’s hard to wait on God and to wait for Him to work in our ministries, but sometimes we need to persevere in our waiting for Him to come with His power in His time. Sometimes we need to wait on Him just a little longer until we see His glow reflected in the ministries that feel a little drab right now.

If God is seemingly not working in your ministries right now or stirring your church members’ hearts like you wish, continue to wait. As you wait, look out and around to see if God is working somewhere else and you need to join Him there. As you wait, wait on the Lord. Continue to trust Him, continue to talk with Him, and wait.

Psalm 27:14 encourages us: “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” The psalmist asks God for help but declares he will confidently wait on God. Just as we know the sun always rises and will break into the day every morning, we can live with the confidence that our God will always break through for us as we patiently wait for Him.

Wait patiently for God to break through and make His presence and power real and noticeable.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Train Yourself to Be Godly #9: Created to Work

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*Training yourself to be godly may include how you view your work.

The average person spends 90,000 hours (that’s around 10 years) over the course of their lifetime working.[i]

A 2023 survey of Canadians suggested 80% of workers were satisfied with their jobs. At the same time, another survey indicated 33% of workers plan to look for a new job next year. .

60% of workers feel burned out.[ii] 77% of workers reported experiencing work-related stress.[iii]

One statistic stated: Only about a quarter of employees worldwide are actively engaged in their work.[iv] Though many seem to find enjoyment in their work, it’s not uncommon to hear people saying they are “Working for the weekend” – or “Thank God it’s Friday”.

Even some of our jokes are funny because we generally live in a society that doesn’t like work.

My boss told me to have a good day, so I left and went to the beach.

My boss told me I’d missed too much work lately. I told him I hadn’t missed it much.

We often think of work as fulfilling duties regularly for wages or a salary. It’s about making money. Yet there is more to it. Work is also exerting strength or energy to do or perform something; it involves being creative, using skill, and producing something.

Work shows up very early in our Bible.

Often, the first thought about work is that it’s a result of the Fall, or a result of humanity’s sin and God’s judgment. Genesis 3:17-19 gives God’s judgment on Adam: “the ground is cursed because of you.” We see life becoming more difficult as a result of sin.

But this does not say that work is a result of the Fall. The judgment is not work. The judgment is difficult and sweaty work!

While we tend to think of work as a result of sin, it is actually part of the world before sin. God tells Adam in Genesis 2:15 that he has a role to play in this garden God made for him. He is to “Work it and take care of it” (NIV).

Even before that, in Genesis 1: 28 God gave the people he created a role to play in creation: “Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.’”

Work is not a result of sin but was the first responsibility and role for humans! Along with being fruitful and multiplying, people were to govern and reign. Work is part of that governing and reigning, doing what is good for the world around us.

Work is about contributing to the good of our world. We all need something meaningful to do with our lives. We all have ways of contributing to the good of our world – to “work” in some way.

God has blessed us all with various gifts and passions and skills. Many of us have learned other skills through formal education or experience. We have gained ways of working and contributing to the “governing and reigning,” the “ruling” over the world that God created humans to do.

Hopefully, you have a job that you are created for, that fits, that feels like you are being who God created you to be! If not, ask Him to guide you to where you fit better.

As we think of Spiritual Disciplines and Practices associated with work, there are a few that we will look at in the next blog, but here’s one: The Discipline of Serving.

Mark 10:45 says: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Discipline of Serving says, “I will choose to use whatever abilities and skills I have to work for the betterment of others, serving them. Not working for my own benefit alone, but also for theirs!”

We are created to work and have the opportunity to serve others in the process.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

[i] https://www.worldofwork.ca/by-the-number

[ii] Calm’s Voice of the Workplace Report

[iii] APA’s Work in America Survey

[iv] https://www.worldofwork.ca/by-the-numbers

Spiritual Training Series #2: The Spiritual Practice of Reading Scripture

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*Training yourself to be godly will include reading scripture.

Anne of Green Gables described the type of friend she longed to meet: “A bosom friend. A kindred spirit. I’ve dreamt of meeting her all my life.” We all desire a good friend, a bosom friend who understands us, wants to spend time with us, and shares our interests.

But did you know that you can become a friend of Jesus? Or that Jesus wants to call you his friend?

In John 15:14,15, Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.”

Jesus calls YOU a friend if you do what he commands.

This is not just for the disciples – Jesus is inviting you and me – as his present-day disciples, to become his friends!

Verse 15 declares there is a change of status for Jesus’ disciples – there are no longer slaves (or servants) but friends!

But there needs to be obedience on the part of the friends.

And for the friends to be obedient to those commands – they need to know what those commands are!

Yes, Jesus is Lord, but he invites us into friendship. Jesus invites us into friendship, not as ones who must do everything Jesus said – or God said – but as ones who know the heart of Jesus and want to do the things that honor and show respect to our Lord – and friend!

You are my friends if… If what? If you do what I command.

How do we know what Jesus (or the Father) has commanded? We need to read the Bible.

If you want to be a friend of Jesus you need to spend time in Scripture getting to know Jesus, reading it like a letter from a friend rather than a textbook.

This is about getting to know the heart of God, the heart of Jesus. It’s about getting to know him and love him and desire to please him so that it is not obedience out of obligation, but because of a desire to please the one you love!

If you want to train yourself to be godly, to become a friend of Jesus and be more like him, you will want to include a regimen of Scripture reading (memorization, meditation, study, etc.), which will help you to get to know Jesus better.

First, get your own Bible, and then make a plan for reading the Bible. There are various Bible Reading Plans available, including some that take you through the entire Bible in a year. Just search the internet and you can download or order from a variety of plans, but make sure you have a plan so you can train yourself to be godly!

Read the Bible regularly so you can learn what Jesus has commanded, can do what he has taught, and be his friend, and become more godly in the process.

We are to train ourselves to be godly. It begins with reading the Bible regularly.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Spiritual Training Series #1: Train Yourself to be Godly

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Imagine you just received a baby picture from friends who just had a baby. What if they sent you a picture every year? What if you are like me and don’t clean your fridge very often? As you put up the picture from year five, you notice the picture from the first announcement. And then you realize there has been very little change. The baby is still hardly any bigger and doesn’t seem to have developed much. Unfortunately, there are some children who do not mature the way we expect, who never crawl or walk or communicate. This makes us sad because a baby needs to grow.

As followers of Jesus, we need to grow, too.

1 Timothy 4:7 says “train yourself to be godly”.

Philippians 2:12 says “work out your salvation”.

We are to become more “godly” or Christ-like. We are to continue to grow and develop spiritually to become a better expression of the image of God as we were created to be, according to Genesis 1:27.

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he crated them.

Genesis 1:27

This is not just about our own hard work though. In Colossians 1:29, the Apostle Paul writes: “I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.” Yes we are to train ourselves and work out our salvation and struggle. We have a part to play in our spiritual development, but this is never something we do no our own. Like Paul we can depend on “Christ’s mighty power that works within me”.

We can and should do our part. It may be that we choose to practice some of the Spiritual Disciplines that Christians have practiced throughout history. This includes prayer, scripture reading, fasting, sabbath, generosity, and so on. As we practice these disciplines, we make an effort to do our part as we invite the Holy Spirit to do His work in us to make us a little more like Jesus.

Whatever training we want to instill in our lives, we do need to train ourselves to become godly. For this to be a priority in our lives, we need to intentionally prepare a training schedule or plan. When will you read the Bible, and what will you read? When will you pray, and what will you include in your prayer time? When will you choose to fast, and what kind of fast? How will you practice generosity, and so on?

Think back to the time when you first became a believer in Jesus. We could say you were a baby Christian. What would that picture have looked like if your heavenly Father had taken a picture and hung it on his fridge in heaven? What would a picture he took this year look like? As I look back 51 years, to the time He could have taken my “spiritual baby” picture,  I trust that my picture – the me that God sees – would give evidence of much spiritual growth and maturity. Maybe the picture would not just include me, but other people around me who have come to know Jesus or been impacted for Jesus by me.

I pray that you are intentionally pursuing Jesus and looking for ways to grow toward every fuller spiritual maturity.

Keep on looking up,

Andy Wiebe