i's of leadership

I've been thinking once again about issues that face churches who desire to become externally focused and the leadership response to the issue .

issue 1. no outward focused vision...many churches are stuck and have no outward vision.
All vision is a leadership issue. With no outward focused vision people go in circles...no vision people perish kjv.

inspiration is the key leadership response
Inspiring, passionate leaders ...bring inspiration... bring life.

Inspiration is communicated primarily through a vibrant passionate life. Sharing outward focusedness using story, word pictures, and seeking to be an outward focused person is key.

People do what leaders do. Therefore being an outward focused person and being a practitioner is imperative. Leaders lead. Leaders are visionaries. Leaders are passionate. Leaders inspire.

Leaders who begin to focus outward often begin by committing to obey the Great Commission in a personal way. At some point leaders who lead outward have to decide to get out of the office and begin to go into the community.

One of my pastor friends began to go out and to consistently serve his neighborhood weekly. He'd take his computer to Starbucks and front $50 worth of coffee for the people who came in after his purchase and talk with the thankful patrons.

Other times he'd wash windows, clean toilets, bring small gifts to business owners. As he mingled with the people of his community He began to see with new eyes. His passion for *the lost also increased. When he spoke on weekends he began to share stories about the people he contacted and prayed for. Soon people began to buy into his outwardfocusedness and to show up for planned outreach skirmishes. His going, serving and sharing his heart with the people was the inspiration the people needed to shift their focus.

Leaders who seek to move people outward often help their people discover key life principles like:

• it's better to give than receive
• the great commission is not the great suggestion
  
• our mindset should be the same as Jesus. His mission was to seek and to save that which was lost. His mission statement. 'the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life away for others.'
  
• the missional life is primary living a life of servanthood, spending and giving our life away for others...

Smart leaders also create opportunities to help people to learn servanthood by doing.

inspiration is the leadership response
Inspiring, passionate leaders impart inspiration.

...Inspiration is the spark, the passion, that turns churches inside out. Leaders who are inspirational have a fire burning within their hearts. They model outwardness.

Why does the church exists? Is the question. To know God and to make him known. Is the answer. When we focus on anything less than the main thing, the main thing gets lost.

inspiration is the leadership quality that sparks and creates what could be...an outward focused church...when we lose sight of the great commission we lose sight of our great prophetic purpose in life. virgo...


*the lost
pc we don't use the term lost anymore...

lost means people who are away from God's presence...

a friend of mine lost his daughter at Target, time moved in slow motion, security was called, 10 minutes seemed like an eternity, suddenly he saw her hiding behind some clothes. He knelt down and called her name, she ran into his arms and was safe.

It turns out that she was going to hide and jump out at the right moment but became fearful when she saw all the commotion and remained in her hiding place. Once she saw her dad and heard her name her fears diminished and she ran into her fathers arms.

lost someone who is away from God's presence...Our role is to encourage and help restore the relationship