6 Tips for Personal Growth

Church growth is almost always linked to the personal growth of its pastors, senior leaders and people. Some may argue with me by saying it is ALWAYS linked to the personal growth of those mentioned. OK, you win.

What I have discovered is that personal growth is an intentional act of the believer. God’s desire is to grow us, but we are the one’s who must take the initiative. Growth happens when we pay attention. It’s not about the answers, its always about the questions. That is why I agree with Leonard Ravenhill when he says, “A man only twenty-eight years old may die a hundred years old in wisdom. The richest garments of the soul are spun on the looms of prayer and dyed in the travail that fills up the sufferings of Christ.” Amazing insight as you might agree. As you step into the ultimate decade of your life, I would like to express some things that have helped me to grow personally.

1. Prayer. Being intentional is the order of the day. I have to admit that the past 3 years of my life, I have wanted God more than I ever have. I have needed God more than I have ever needed him. Nothing in my life would possible without God’s force in my life. I have cherished my prayer life. It is important to me.

2. Great books. I must admit that I have made a personal commitment to reading. I consider myself like Paul who cherished reading & writing. I receive many requests from people about my reading schedule, I do my best to pass on what I read, but I consider it very personal, just like music. At the start of every new year I purchase a black composition book for notes, thoughts, journal. When the year ends I stack them neatly in my home office.

3. Relationships. When I was young my mother gave me advice. She said, “Son, if you die with one true friend, you are a lucky man.” So as you can imagine, I have not needed much as friends go. However, I have discovered that relationships are the currency of the kingdom. I choose friends who will stretch me. Challenge me, make me uncomfortable in a positive way. I choose friends that enjoy who I am, and I can enjoy who they are. We don’t try to change each other.

4. Personal records. At the beginning of each year as ask God this question, “What personal records would you lead me to break for you this year?” I have tried to follow a pattern in my life that will glorify God in every area of my life. I believe that God is glorified through a life that is lived out for Him. Leaders who die the best are leaders who have lived the best for God. I have a desire to be an example to my wife, children, church & community. I am not called to lead all, but I am called to lead some.

5. Pain. I have learned that life hurts. At times it hurts badly. However, I am learning to control what kind of pain I experience. There is the pain of regret and there is pain that changes us. I would rather live in the realm of change. Change produces growth. Regret produces…well, you know.

6. Positivity. I am learning to work from the positive. Negativity can really drain a leader. There is always something to be negative about. So positivity is a choice. I truly believe that being optimistic is much more attractive to a hurting world, then to spend time telling people what’s wrong with it. I think people get that. Growth happens for me when I make the choice to be positive.

Keep rising.

2010 The Year of the Ultimate!

How will you spend the next ten years of your life? What is so significant about 2010 is that it is not only a new year, but it is a new decade! I cannot think of a better time to make a powerful shift. We at VOSD have declared that we are shifting towards the Ultimate in 2010! We are not building a living, but we are building a life! A life for ourselves, a life for our families, a life for our community! We want the world to stand and take notice.

1. We believe the Ultimate belongs to those who are willing to plant themselves. We stand upon Psalms 92:12-15. People of the Ultimate know how to be planted in the House of God. If we are going to build a life in these next 10 years we must decide where we will plant our seed. God has promised us that when we plant our seed/life in the church, we will flourish as a “Cedar in Lebanon”.

2. We believe that the Ultimate belongs to those who are willing to take the lead. Leaders set the tone for the entire organization! This is so important because people are looking for a winning team. However, they are looking for the win, before the team. It seems like people cannot tolerate another losing season. They want to get on a team that is winning. Leaders determine the win!

3. We believe that the Ultimate belongs to those who are willing to partner. 2010 belongs to those who recognize that relationships are the currency of the kingdom. We will rise to the levels of our relationships. What does your team look like in 2010?  Remember, when God is on your team, you have a guaranteed win! Start there. You won’t regret it.

4. We believe that the Ultimate will require greater faith! Ahh, faith. Without it we cannot please God. Without it, we cannot rise to the Ultimate. Whenever, the disciples hit a barrier in their relationship with God, they ask the most important question they could. They said, “Lord, increase our faith.” Often it is the question that move us to the next level and not the answers. Let’s start asking the right questions, not giving old answers.

Elevate. Keep Rising.

Happy New Year 2010

Happy New Year to all of my faithful readers not mention those who casually stroll by from time to time. I deeply appreciate you as well,  just not as much as my faithfuls, just kidding. I really do love you all. I hope you are going to spend 2010 Dreaming Big Dreams & Praying Big Prayers. 2009 is a closed chapter in our lives and 2010 is yet to be written with the pen of our lives. As we closed out our year @VOSD we declared 5 promises for 2010. Join us in claiming these promises.

1. 2010 will be a year of divine revelation. Our heart is to draw closer to God through Jesus Christ. Our prayer is to know him in a greater way.

2. 2010 will be a year of divine healing. We declare that those who are sick among us will walk in healing. We stand in faith that by His stripes we are healed.

3. 2010 will be a year of divine relationships. We declare that we will partner with those who share a common heart for our future in Christ. It is our time to team up with those who are moving forward in Christ.

4. 2010 will be a year of divine provision. We declare that we will experience supernatural provision as we remain faithful to God in our giving. This is the year to believe God for financial breakthrough.

5. 2010 will be a year of divine purpose. We declare that VOSD will walk in its God given purpose. We believe that where there is a destiny, there is a design to follow. Success leaves clues and declare that we will follow those clues.

Breaking Growth Barriers (Part 2)

As promised I will continue in the “Breaking Barriers Series”. Let’s talk a little about breaking the 800 barrier in your church. Here is a little background on our journey @VOSD. For the past 3 years, we have been in multiple services. We have run the board with bilingual to just english services. Finally we have seen enough growth in our Spanish church to send them out in the very near future. However, at our peak this year we ran 5 Sunday services, 54 journey groups & multiple ministries for people to get involved in. What you will find is that as you break the 400 mark, things begin to change in your midst. There is a demand. The challenge is, that unless that challenge is met, the growth will not be sustained. Here are some things we focused on @VOSD:

1. Increased image. We asked ourselves, “What message are we sending to our community?” In fact from the very beginning we have been slowly turning the tide of our image. This was Pastor Sonny’s decision, not mine. Here is what we want to communicate: “Church”. VOSD is a church. A church with a special heartbeat. A church with a special anointing. A church that is reaching a new generation. A church that values family. A church that is on the cutting edge of technology. A church that has resources.

2. Increased heart for people. Assimilation is a major key. There must be a plan in place. For a church to break this particular barrier, the plan for assimilation must be carried by the entire church! It cannot be just a small group of people crying from the corner for the rest of the church to do follow-up. It must be a church of follow-up! It must be a church with an increased heart for different types of people. Assimilation must be in the culture of the church. Cell groups are a great way to do this too.

3. Increased excellence. You will find that as a church begins to grow to these levels, it begins to compete with churches of similar size and scope in the city. People have a choice. We must assist them in making that choice. I cannot tell you how many letters & emails I have received from people who love me & my wife, our churches vision, but just cannot deal with the lack of quality in a certain area. Those people have not stood with us. However, our quality has increased immensely.

4. Increased leadership. Studies show that a church can grow with a bi-vocational pastor up to a certain point. I recently spoke to a friend of mine who pastors. He told me that in his first 7 years of pioneering his church, he worked a full-time job. However, it came to a point when he had to go full-time in the ministry. Barrier breaking requires more of a full-time commitment. We cannot expect to break open on a part time effort. The demands are too great. In order to break your barrier, it may be time to calculate whether you have enough leaders to do the job. How many are full-time, how many are part-time, how many are volunteers? we need them all and they deserve honor.

5. Increased communication. It has become easier than ever to communicate, but it is amazing how difficult it is to find out what is going on. The larger the church grows, the higher communication rises on the priority list. It is very difficult to mobilize a large church on short notice. Great communication will cause for a more mobile congregation. It will also increase the energy of the church.

6. Increased sense of mission. Many years ago, Pastor Sonny asked me a question. “Is there a difference between vision & mission?” I would say, absolutely. To me, the vision is non-negotiable, however the mission changes. Mission is within the vision & it is very important to keep people mobilized towards the mission. Goal setting, missional planning, barrier breaking all happen when people see a goal and reach it. Our task is to get in on what God wants to do. When you tap into God’s heartbeat for your city, you will feel the energy that is produced.

In 2010 What Motivates You?

I am quite sure that you are positioning your heart for the new year. And what a year it shall be. 2010 will be The Year of the Ultimate in your life. However, it would be extremely helpful to know what drives us as people. We all have a drive in what we do. If you are a reader of blogs or spend your time researching, you probably do it because you are hungry for things that will help you to grow. I give you credit, you are on the right track. And to be a reader of this particular blog…I give you extra credit. God knows you deserve it for reading this mess every week.

What motivates you as a leader or a person who is driven for the future? There are 3 types of motivators in our life.

1. Affiliation. These are people who place a strong emphasis on belonging to a group. In everything they do, they do it with a spirit to relate with others. They are not necessarily people pleasers, but making people happy is definitely important to them. They are great for the company. (Company people)

2. Influence. These are people who need status to get the job done. They seek power over whatever situation they are in. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a just a style that creates comfort for a particular leader. They like things their way. The name of the game is control.

3. Achievement. Achievers are performers. They like to finish a task. Getting across the goal line is what satisfies them. Tons of satisfaction flows to their hearts when things get done. (Can you tell that I am an achiever type?)

What motivates you? How do you  see yourself? Chances are the better we get to know what motivates us, the better we can measure results in 2010.

Keep Rising!

2010 is the Year of the Ultimate!

2009 was a crazy year. Not because God isn’t good, but because it was a year of constant adjustments. Let’s just say that it was a year where many people were on their toes. I recently read something by Dr. John Maxwell that deeply impacted my thoughts about this year. I totally understood what he meant, and I would love to pass it on to you with my own personal twist.

In 2009 people lived in 4 different seasons.

1. The Urgent. The urgent is a when the loud things come first. In 2009, what things in your life screamed for your attention the most? Chances are, we made those things first. However, God never commanded us to be our problems “First responders”. As a college freshman, we were assigned a book entitled, “The Tyranny of the Urgent”. This book basically outlined the benefits of planning and refusing to allow the most urgent things to dictate your life. Our job is to place our trust in God.

2. The Unpleasant. The unpleasant happens when we put the hard things first. It is amazing how often we become so determined to tackle the hardest things in our life. I personally believe that we need others on this journey. We are not called to tackle life’s greatest challenges alone. We need others & we are needed by others as well.

3. The Unfinished. The unfinished happens when last things are first. How much time did you spend on things that didn’t even matter? I mean seriously? How often do we spend too much energy on unfinished matters that were a waste of our time in the first place? Certainly, as a person of priority, we all have some unfinished tasks, however, what can we just pass on to others. Our job is to keep our priorities in order.

4. The Ultimate. The ultimate is when first things come first in our lives. I believe 2010 is going to be the year of the ultimate. However, we must look at the order of our lives. What is first? What is last? When God is first, everything else can be blessed. God does not bless disorder, confusion, fragmentation. God blesses obedience, order & priority. If 2009 was a year where your focus was off, make the adjustment and watch the ultimate happen in your life.

Happy New Year.