Who Am I?

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Church Leadership Center A Riddle: Until I am measured I am not known, Yet you miss me so much When I have flown. Who am I? (For the answer, scroll down to the end of the article.) It’s the week of transition. Christmas is past. The New Year is ahead. For many, this is a time of reflection and evaluation; a good time for asking a self-assessment question, such as, “Who am I?”   Some ask the “Who am I?” question out of despair. For example, Petula Clark’s 1966 rendition of “Who Am I?” said, “I'm chasing rainbows in the rain. All the dreams that I believe in let me down.” To hear the song, click here. In contrast, others deal with “Who Am I?” from the perspective of hope and assurance. A group called “Casting Crowns” sings, “You’ve told me who I am, I am yours.” To catch this video, click here. For those who are followers of Jesus, the question is also asked and answered in a belief statement of faith known as the Heidelberg Catechism (Q&A 32). There the answer to “Who Am I?” is: “ …by faith I am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for eternity.” Whether you are wrestling with the question of your own identity or wanting to be of help to others who are looking for support with self-assessment and direction, there are resources available. One such tool is a guided learning experience called “Purposeful Living” by Rev. Ken Eriks. “Purposeful Living” helps participants answer questions about themselves like:  - Who has God created and shaped me to be?  - Why am I here?  - What is God preparing me to be and do?  - How do I understand my personal calling as a follower of Jesus Christ? “Purposeful Living” comes in a Congregational Leaders Edition and also with a Facilitator’s Guide. This resource is available free and can be downloaded by clicking here. The “Purposeful Living” experience takes about ten hours, making it perfect for a retreat or class that is be conducted over several sessions. It is one sure way to begin identifying emerging leaders. For leaders in your congregation, Church Leadership Center provides training for lay leaders and lay pastors. Our approach to leadership development includes assessment, personalized training plans, classes, and mentoring so that participants are able to minister effectively in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. New courses begin in January in New Testament, Sacraments and Liturgy. Reply to this email for course information. If you are able, please lend us a hand financially. We are aware that you may already support a number of significant ministry organizations. It is because of this evidenced commitment that we ask you to also consider making a $100 contribution to Church Leadership Center. This year’s monetary gifts will be applied to improving our web sites, which are critical parts of CLC’s individualized approach. With your permission, we would love to list you on one of the web pages as a “Friend of Church Leadership Center.” Upon receiving your gift, we’ll send you a link to the page. Thank you in advance for investing in the development of church leaders. Your reply to this email will bless us. Please check one of the following options: ___ I would like to contribute $100, or ___ I would like to make a contribution of $_________. We will be happy to send you an invoice. Please provide your name, address, and zip code. Gifts are tax deductible under IRS code section 501 (c) (3). Wishing you God’s richest blessing during this Christmas season and in the New Year. The answer to the riddle is: “Time."

Lend a Hand… Give an Assist… Be Blessed

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From: Burt Braunius <burt@braunius.org>;
To: Burt <burt@braunius.org>;
Subject: Lend a Hand… Give an Assist… Be Blessed
Sent: Mon, Dec 23, 2013 9:59:56 AM

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Church Leadership Center   We are thankful to have you as a friend of Church Leadership Center! As you are aware, CLC is privileged to equip lay leaders and pastoral candidates for greater effectiveness in the churches that they currently serve, as well as in planting new churches. CLC uniquely trains leaders according to their calling and gifts… one leader at a time. Leaders are being developed through personalized training plans, contextualized courses, and one-on-one mentoring. As leaders grow, their churches become more effective in advancing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ: “When a leader gets better, everyone wins” (Bill Hybels).   One of our pastoral candidates, Ted Polleys (Charlevoix, Michigan), recently wrote, “I will be commissioned in January! Thank you for all of your help. This truly has been an incredible experience. The CP [Commissioned Pastor] program has been a perfect fit for me, and I am so excited to see what God has in store. Thanks again for all your work with me and with such an amazing program.”   We are aware that you may already support a number of significant ministry organizations. It is because of this evidenced commitment that we ask you to also consider making a $100 contribution to Church Leadership Center. This year’s monetary gifts will be applied to improving our web sites, which are critical parts of CLC’s individualized approach. With your permission, we would love to list you on one of the web pages as a “Friend of Church Leadership Center.” Upon receiving your gift, we’ll send you a link to the page.   Thank you in advance for investing in the development of church leaders.   Your reply to this email will bless us. Please check one of the following options: ___ I would like to contribute $100, or ___ I would like to make a contribution of $_________.   We will be happy to send you an invoice. Please provide your name, address, and zip code. Gifts are tax deductible under IRS code section 501 (c) (3).   Wishing you God’s richest blessing during this Christmas season and in the New Year. Church Leadership Center was developed in response to the need for improving the training of lay leaders and lay pastors. We provide leadership development through assessment, personalized training plans, classes, and mentoring so that participants are able to minister effectively in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here.   Copyright © 2013 Church Leadership Center, All rights reserved. This email is being sent to persons who are on the email leadership contact list of Burt Braunius (burt@braunius.org). Because correspondence has been received from and/or sent to you in the past or because of a common organizational affiliation; your permission to make occasional email contact is appreciated. You may unsubscribe at any time. Our mailing address is: Church Leadership Center 4500 60th Street 616-616-698-7071 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

From Strength to Strength

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Church Leadership Center Leaders "go from strength to strength” (Psalm 84:7). That is, through God’s grace and supportive mentors and friends, leaders grow stronger and stronger.* Usually, if we are on a long walk or run, we go from strength to weakness. We start the hike fresh and in good order. But, if the path is rough and the sun is hot; we stop, take a swig of bottled water, and then continue on our weary way. However, Christian leaders obtain fresh supplies of grace. They are as vigorous after years of toilsome travel and struggle as when they first set out. They may not be quite as dynamic as they once were, but they are much stronger in all that constitutes real power. They may travel more slowly, but they also travel more surely. While a leader may at times feel weak and weary, old and cold, God’s promise is clear, as is the evidence of strength in other senior leaders. “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Anxious individuals may sit down and trouble themselves about the future. With a sigh they may say, "We go from affliction to affliction." There are, indeed, difficult times. But the bigger picture is that Christian leaders characteristically go from strength to strength. They will never find a batch or bundle of affliction that is not bound up in sufficient grace. God gives the fullness of strength with the burden allotted to the full-grown shoulders of those who are called to lead. And, for younger leaders, this strength often comes through the support of senior leaders who are their mentors. The strength of one brings strength to the other… strength to strength. One image of individuals who are going from strength to strength is seen here. It was taken at the recent Christmas banquet of Iglesia Alas de Aguila (Eagles Wings Church). All are involved with Church Leadership Center as pastors, mentors, mentees, course facilitators, classis representatives, or Commissioned Pastor candidates. Since the church opened its doors in 2009, 81 people have given their lives to Jesus Christ and 23 people have been baptized. The group meets in Lee Street Christian Reformed Church (Wyoming, Michigan). Lee Street pastor Kent Rottman (center) is mentor to Israel Alvarado (second from right), church planter and Commissioned Pastor candidate. Others pictured: Jim Heneveld, Vern Sterk, Hugo Vasquez. Not pictured is Jim Lankheet (Beechwood Church lead pastor and Hispanic church plant movement leader). Church Leadership Center was developed in response to the need for improving the training of lay leaders and lay pastors. We provide leadership development through assessment, personalized training plans, classes, and mentoring so that participants are able to minister effectively in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. New courses begin in January in New Testament, Sacraments and Liturgy. Reply to this email for course information. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email. *Text is based upon Charles H. Spurgeon's Morning Meditation of December 14.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

Church Leadership Center Leaders are men and women on the go… Zoomers.  Sometimes they go “zoom, zoom, zoom.” Other times you will see them “zooming.” A Mazda commercial says, “Zoom, zoom, zoom. All children know it. Some adults remember it. One car company refuses to outgrow it. Zoom, zoom, zoom.” See the video for yourself by clicking here. Leaders are always itching to zoom forward. Mostly, they do. Sometimes, they can’t. At times, they slip backwards. And there are times when they are going in circles. But, a major part of leadership is the drive to move a group forward in accomplishing its mission. Our definition of a leader is that she or he is a person who takes responsibility for moving a group of people forward in accomplishing their mission. Zoom, zoom, zoom. Ask yourself the question, How am I doing in moving things forward?/Moving self?/Moving family?/Moving work responsibilities? There is another dimension to “Zoom.” It’s called “Zooming.” Leaders increase their effectiveness by “zooming”… zooming in and zooming out. Leaders “zoom in, and get a close look at select details—perhaps too close to make sense of them. Zoom out, and see the big picture—but perhaps miss some subtleties and nuances.”* We could also refer to this as getting both micro and macro views. When faced with a challenge, there are times for detailed, intimate analysis. There are also times for stepping back and looking at the big picture. Michaela O’Donnell Long writes about how she and her husband, Dan, work at their projects. "The task of zooming in happens when one or both of us turn on our blinders to the outside world and dives deeply into the details of a particular project or relationship.  For Dan this happens most often in the editing bay, or on set with a project. For me, I zoom in when I’m writing a paper for school, or in a meeting with a client. In contrast, sometimes we need to zoom out. Zooming out happens when it’s best for one or both of us to take a bird’s eye view on a situation. For Dan, this happens when he helps pinpoint a company’s narrative arc, relating the presenting moments to a larger set of information. For me, it happens when I work to strategize new projects, or set goals for the upcoming year.”** Ask the question, How am I doing at "mucking around" in the details of this situation? And, What would this look like if I viewed it from a distance or through the eyes of a non-invested participant? Church Leadership Center works with “zoomers.” CLC was developed in response to the need for improving the training of lay leaders and lay pastors, leaders on the go. We provide leadership development through assessment, personalized training plans, classes, and mentoring so that participants are able to minister effectively in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. New courses begin in January in New Testament, Sacraments and Liturgy. Reply to this email for course information. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email. *Harvard Business Review, March 2011. “Managing Yourself: Zoom In, Zoom Out.” **Field Notes Magazine, December 5, 2013. “Zooming In and Zooming Out

Anticipation, Anticipation...

Church Leadership Center The words of the Carly Simon song are “Anticipation, anticipation is makin’ me late, is keepin’ me waitin’.” The lyrics were written while she was waiting for a date with Cat Stevens. Anticipation was released in 1971. It was also used as the sound track for a Heinz ketchup commercial in 1979. For the original release, click here, and here for the commercial about slow ketchup. On Sunday, we were reminded that this is the season of anticipation and preparation. Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent. In the church calendar, Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas, as well as preparation for the second coming of Christ. Advent has anticipation associated with it that cannot be equated with that of any earthly experience (or song). The anticipation of Advent has run throughout the history of redemption, from the promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:15 (“the Seed of the woman”) to the promise of his second coming in Revelation 22:20 (“Yes, I am coming soon.”) During this season of Advent, we anticipate the coming of Christ.  The Common Lectionary suggests Scripture readings for each of the four Sundays of Advent to guide our preparation. You are welcome to join me in reading these during the coming days and weeks.  -First Sunday: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44.  -Second Sunday: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12.  -Third Sunday: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 148:5-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11.  -Fourth Sunday: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25. Leadership development has its own kind of anticipation and preparation. It looks, with hope and expectation, for the emergence of leaders who are being called and equipped to be used by God for advancing the Kingdom. The challenge, as one writer puts it, is that “Most training equips pastors for one hour on Sunday morning but ignores the other forty-plus hours of the week that demand such things as leadership gifts and abilities, people skills, and strategic thinking and doing” (Malphurs, Aubrey. Advanced Strategic Planning: A New Model For Church and Ministry Leaders). Church Leadership Center was developed in response to the need for improving the training lay leaders and lay pastors. CLC provides leadership development through assessment, personalized training plans, classes, and mentoring so that participants are able to minister effectively in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. New courses begin in January in New Testament, Sacraments and Liturgy. Reply to this email for course information. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email.