I was blown away by how engaging it could be to watch a screen.
Andy Stanley, the Pastor of North Point Church in Atlanta, started the day of with a great talk to set the tone and theme, which was 'Choices'. In the middle of his talk his highlighted three questions that, he suggests, every leader should ask themselves. These questions have haunted like a embarrassing memory ever since.
Here they are:1) What would my replacement do?
2) What would a great leader do?
3) What story do I want to tell?
What Would My Replacement Do?
The first is question is startleing. What would my replacement do? I don't even want to think about a replacement.
I know that if the board of Campusfire decided to hire someone else in my place, that any good leader would come in and highlight a few things that MUST be done that have been ignored and put to the side. That new leader will be able to see the ministry with out my emotional attachment to traditions and the habits of doing things a certain way.
What would your replacement do differently in your youth ministry?
What things do you know need to happen or change? These are things that, for one reason or another, you have put off to the side.
What Would A Great Leader Do?
The second question makes a massive assumption. That is, you can be a great leader. I was a bit skeptical when he first mentioned this question but as i thought it about it I remember saying to myself "If so and so was in charge, they would have the guts to ...." or "If steve jobs was in charge of campusfire he would ..."
What would a great leader do in your shoes? What would a great leader dream or imagine for your ministry? What would a great leader make a priority? What gutsy decision would a great leader make that you have been shying away from?
What Story Do I Want To Tell?
The Third Question is the necessary to hold the first two in balance. What Story do I want to tell? In the 'for profit' world this question challenges us to put people before profits and to do business with integrity.
For those of us in the 'non-profit' world, it still applies. Ten years from now what story will be told about you? When you die what will be remembered? This question challenges us to hold our family, friendships, health and personal devotional life in context. You might be able to make your organization great but what will it cost you? Family? Integrity? Health?
This does each of us a great service, it helps us set goals. It establishes a balance between the quantitative and short term goals set by our board and peers and the long term dreams and visions we have for our lives.
I have enjoyed this exercise but I am extremely intimidated by the answers that have come out of each question.
Let me know how the journey of answering these three questions goes for you.
A Prayer
Im praying that Jesus, the one who is writing a greater story than all of us, will give us vision and dreams for our part in his awesome story. Im praying that the Holy Spirit would empower each of us to be great leaders and to give us all the gifts and fruit we need to do the things he has asked of us. Im asking the Father to teach us to lead like him. Amen.
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