I wanted to share with you guys about a new book that's about to hit your favorite bookstore's shelves or website. It's called Soulprint by Mark Batterson. Mark is the pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. Mark has already had best sellers like In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day & his most recent release, Primal. Mark is a leader & thinker that I believe more people should be paying attention to.
In Soulprint, Mark uses the life of David to illustrate how the defining moments of our lives shed light on our destiny. Mark's unique style breathes fresh insight into stories that many believers will have heard over and over in sermons & Bible studies. One of the most important insights that Mark brings out is that often our greatest advantages are hidden in what we perceive as our greatest disadvantages. It's in these areas that we learn the skills necessary & develop the character necessary to fulfill what God has for us, & in the process, God gains even more glory. After all, of all the people God could have used to kill a giant, He chose a shepherd, not a soldier.
Soulprint is a great read, & a quick read which is always a plus. Soulprint doesn't quite live up to some of Mark's other works, but then again, each book should be judged on its own & not necessarily to any other work. I would recommend Soulprint to anyone, & while you're ordering it, go ahead & add on one of Mark's other books because you'll want more after you've finished Soulprint.
In compliance with regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I must inform the reader that Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of Soulprint for review purposes.
The other day I had the chance to speak to some of our ministry volunteers in preparation for a major event in the life of our church. I wanted to pass along some of what I shared with them because the principle I shared with them applies to every ministry.
There Is No Such Thing As "Just" In God's Kingdom.
Every week there are awesome people who get to church early or stay late in order to serve. However, there are also days where those people think to themselves, "I'm just saying hello to people as they come in," "I'm just rocking this baby," or "I'm just trying to get through this kid's class without killing anybody." Most of us have those days. On those days we question whether what we're doing is really making a difference. Let me assure you that what you do matters. You may think you're just smiling and saying hello, but to that person who is giving God & the church one last chance, you're helping to create a warm, inviting environment that takes them a step closer to encountering God in the worship service. You may think you are just taking care of babies & toddler, but you're actually helping lay their spiritual foundations while serving their parents so that they can worship without squirmy kids crawling all over the place. What you do matters.
Imagine if you didn't do what you do. Imagine if there wasn't a friendly face to meet a newcomer & to get them the information they need. There's a good chance they would never get comfortable enough in your church to let down their guard long enough to experience God in worship. Imagine if you didn't provide a safe, secure place for children. Moms & dads would be more focused on if their kid is OK than on listening to God's word. The thing that you think you're just doing may be the very thing that allows someone to encounter God; it may be the one thing that makes their experience with church so positive that they decide they'll be back next week & maybe even bring another family with them.
There is no such thing as JUST.
I've been absent from the blog world for quite awhile. The last several weeks for me have been all about school work, ministry, & pneumonia...that's right pneumonia. Needless to say, it's been fun! Last night I wrapped up my 1st term of the fall semester & now have a little time to devote back to writing & sharing some of the stuff I'm picking up about life, ministry, & leadership. And fittingly, one of my favorite coaches has yet again provided me with great material.
I'm not ashamed to say I love Bill Belichikc. I've written about him before here & here in regard to what I saw as some arrogance that had crept into his decision making, but in the last couple of weeks the coach returned to his roots. Recently, Belichick & the Patriots traded away one of the best receivers ever in Randy Moss. Then last week the team brought Deion Branch, a former receiver, back to the team. On paper, this is not exactly what you would call an upgrade. Randy Moss is a hall of famer; Deion Branch virtually disappeared upon leaving New England. However, in his first game back & only 4 days after joining the team, Branch has a huge game yesterday. What's the point?
The point is that Bill Belichick is a great leader because he knows how to put people in just the right place so that not only are they successful but they help the entire team. Sometimes that means letting someone go because their time with the team is over, even though they are still talented; other times it means bringing in a guy that no one else wants & putting them in the just the right place so that the player and the team are better. He may be the best at doing that.
That's what separates good leaders from great leaders. Good leaders can utilize team members who bring a lot to the game, but great leaders see beyond the obvious talent & are able to see exactly how a player can be positioned so that the player & the team experiences great success. It's no accident that Belichick is considered a genius by many in the NFL. He knows exactly where he wants his team to go, & he understands how to position every member of that team so that everyone wins.
As a leader in your business or in your church, are you using people or positioning people? It's easy to use Randy Moss; he's a world class talent, but there are very few people on that level. Instead why not discover the talent that you already have, & then strategically position them for success, both their own and the team's?
The other night I got a Facebook message from a friend of mine who recently moved...to Wales. That's right, that Wales; the one across the pond in the U.K. He & his family have picked up & moved to the U.K. to do mission work with the teenagers & student ministry workers there in Wales for the next few years.
Well, to make a long story short, my friend & his family couldn't even get through customs on Saturday morning in London before they ran into some roadblocks. It turns out that there was an inadvertant mistake in their 3 year old daughter's paperwork for her visa. The British officials said she had to go home. So my friend put his wife & daughter back on an airplane to the States in order to straighten out this mix-up. First day on the ground & he has immediately been separated from his family; immediately the enemy attacks.
Well, I prayed for my friend. I know he is exactly where God has called him to be & I know God has something amazing in store for them & the Welsh people. Then I got up early on Monday morning to get started on the first day of a new semester of seminary work. As I worked, I picked up a book that I was supposed to read. I turned to the first assigned reading for the semester, & there it was staring me in the face in big bold letters: THE WELSH REVIVAL. Well, I stopped & prayed again because even if this was a coicidence, which I don't tend to believe in, it was a coincidence that reminded me that God is up to something in this world, & my friend is right in the middle of it.
So I'd ask that you pray for my friend Kevin Wilhite. Pray for him, his wife, Amanda, & their little girl, Hannah, as they are trying to sort this visa situation out. God is up to something in the place where a huge revival broke out over a 100 years ago. I pray that God would use Kevin's ministry to lead students to faith in Christ & to equip them to reach their land for His glory & Kingdom.
Today I just need to brag a little bit on my alma mater, Union University. U.S. News & World Report issued their annual assessment of colleges & universities, & yet again Union was ranked as one of the top universities at both the regional & national level. Union has historically been a strong school, but I have to applaud the leadership of Dr. David Dockery. His leadership has been instrumental in Union's rise to prominence. He has a vision for the university that is driven by his vision for God's Kingdom, not simply to have a successful university.
