Mike Walker

Leadership - Brady Boyd notes from Gateway Conference

As a leader you will have crisis

*side note - one of the largest challenges todays church faces is the belief by the world that getting saved will begin a disneyesque experience in your life and you will live happily ever after

1-crisis will test your leadership
Acts chapter 9 - saul - verse 26 - barnabus was the one who saw the potential in saul
Saul got saved and didn't have a disneyesque experience - as a church we have to fight the notion that once you get saved your life will be a disneyesque experience.....its a lie the world believes

Leadership that is not tested can not be trusted

Your first election comes from your church (they may choose you as their preacher), but until you pass the test they won't choose u as leader
*positions are man given while leadership is God given

Brady referenced the scandal that had happened with the predecessor at his church. He mentions that the younger generation wasn't too phased by it. The students and younger generation expects leaders to fail which is why they weren't affected by the haggard scandal

Crisis will confirm your faith-in a crisis you will quickly determine what your values are

You need to write down what your non negotiables are-you don't get to decide what ur core is during a crisis

Whatever you are willing to negotiate with the enemy you will lose

In james it reminds us that when we go through trials of any kind to pray for wisdom

Our opinions have never changed anyones life-truth changes peoples lives

Crisis will reveal God to the world by how we respond

There are 2 times the eyes of the world will be on you...1-when you are successful and 2-when you are in crisis

God trains you for the assignment he gives you

Acts 8:1-this is when God placed growth in the church

Persecution makes us better-the lessons you can learn are priceless

Every plan the enemy has against Gods children has backfired and will backfire

Jimmy Evans from Octane Conference

Here are my notes from one of the sessions with Jimmy Evans at Gateways Leadership Conference:

-Excellence deals in all 5 senses
-Materialism deals only in visual
-Society concentrates on outward appearances as opposed to inward
-Excellence is not legalism
-God is a good steward and He does not waste – what do we need to do so that God knows we will be good stewards with what he gives us?
-Its not what you can make happen....can you keep it happening?
-Excellence is an excellent billboard and witnessing tool
-Excellence is a teachable spirit – be teachable – excellence is always learning – its never enough until God has called me to do all I am called to do
-Excellence is the spirit of the servant
-Some people think excellence is too difficult – it’s actually easier to do it right – it’s easier to work at your marriage as opposed to not work at it
-If God brings more people to a mediocre church he is endorsing mediocrity
-In the process of establishing excellence you will lose some people....you will gain more and better people
-People want to know the secret to Hillsong success...one word....Work
-People will measure their view of God by us

Satellite Church

In my last 2 years at Fellowship Church one of the things added to my list was to help launch 4 satellite (distributed) campuses (3 of which opened within 3 months of each other).

I come across a lot of churches who want to expand their reach by opening satellite campuses. Whether or not it's for you really depends on your situation, but there are some definite perks to doing satellite church:
1 - If you are already a megachurch and looking to expand, you are talking about $15-20 million easy for a new building to seat 3500-4000 people. You can build a well outfitted (depending on your technology model) building for between $3-10 million. Beyond the costs of building there is also the cost of ownership after you build. Maintaining a building that seats 1500 is a lot easier than 4000 (and less expensive).
2 - It makes you more accessible to other communities that might not know about you, but also might not be inclined to make a drive to your main location. Think about this...a youth department that has a local set up near 8 high schools has more influence than if they just had direct impact on 3.
3 - It gives you opportunity to expand the leadership within your organization. The more you grow the more capable leaders you will need. Having a bunch of great leaders around is never a bad thing...as long as they are led well. A bunch of great leaders without good leadership above them ends up being groups of renegades.

I could keep going, but you get the point.

Over the next few weeks and months we will talking about what things you need to have on your checklist if you are thinking about launching satellite campuses.

Be back soon.

Senator Grassley Investigation Update

The deadline for the 6 ministries publicly named in the Grassley investigation was this week.

I had a conversation recently with a friend who I used to work with who is fairly worried about the investigation and how it will affect churches long term and whether or not it affected the whole seperation of church and state.

The issue has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do with privelege. By signing up as a 501c3 tax exempt organization it carries a lot of benefit. It also carries a large responsibility. The investigation is merely wanting to ensure that money people give to organizations are going to worth while ministry and not lavish lifestyles.

For those of you who dabble in stocks, when you choose to invest in a company you most likely want to know how they spend their money so as to know where your money is going. Would you invest in a company that spends frivolously? Of course not...

As a giver you should have that same desire....how is the money being spent? You can agree or disagree with it, but I think it's ok to ask. Everytime you say yes to one organization you say no to another. Knowing where your money is going is a big deal. There are organizations out there doing a GREAT job of making sure the money you give goes to what you think you are giving to.....I know others who do not.

The issue here is not religion or theology, it's merely tax laws and benefits and whether or not some of them are being abused. Our government set up laws for us to live by. They also set up some benefits for those involved in ministry. I personally don't have a problem with them checking to make sure that organizations are staying above board. We live in this society and we should honor the laws and governing folks above us.

If ministries want the privelege of maintaining 501c3 tax exempt status then don't be upset about disclosing the information. If you want to exist in a commercial society and have all the benefits of a lavish lifestyle, then don't worry about your tax exempt status. It was set up to aid organizations that are trying to do charitable work.....not make it a tax shelter for those who want to make a ton of money under a religious umbrella.

Here is a link for an article I came across that might shed some light on the investigation.

Great thoughts on email

I read the following post from Phil Cooke who had some great thoughts on email.

I recieve on average 55-70 emails a day (not including junkmail) and it is so easy for me to get caught up in quickly responding that I could eat up my entire day doing nothing but emailing. I forget sometimes, that while email is nice and handy you also need to completely think through what you type.

Take a minute and read this. It will help you both personally and professionally. If you don't have policies regarding email I would encourage you to put some in place. It can bite you real quick...

Wikinomics

I have been reading a book called Wikinomics. The book talks about a whole lot more than what I am going to write about. Below are some thoughts I have been jotting down as I am reading so I thought I would share.

"Net Generation" Leader - my thoughts on Wikinomics and how it relates to culture and leadership

Born 1977-1996
First Generation to grow up in a digital society – we are probably about 5 years from seeing the emergence of the leaders of this generation.

They grew up more in a digital culture than boomers or genexers did.

We grew up socializing in malls, burger joints, etc….this generation is connecting on the web.

Yesterdays web was a noun – todays web is a verb

University of Berkeley-based social scientist Danah Boyd research online social behaviours. She states that sites like Myspace and Facebook allow young people to reclaim private space. It’s like inviting someone in to your bedroom except that with Myspace you can invite them in 1000 at a time. They lack control at home and they don’t see home as private space.

Online offers safer solutions for teens. Malls and 7-11’s wont allow them in unless they are accompanied by parents.

Academic studies show a massive decline in interest and enthusiasm related to school work. Everything else is so much more engaging. We are still learning through reading and regurgitating.

A younger generation doesn’t trust advertising or media as much as they do peer-to-peer opinions and social networks.

Net Geners workplace needs – speed, freedom, openness, innovation, mobility, authenticity, and playfulness

They are on a quest for “newness”

It’s a new day…Leadership models are changing, marketing changes, delivery methods are changing…..we keep trying to “keep up with the cultural changes, but what we are really addressing are cultural symptoms. We end up a day late and a dollar short. We HAVE to innovate not only our delivery methods, but also our developmental methods. We are missing it right now as a church culture. We all have websites. Many of us have Myspace or Facebook pages, but we are failing in our attempts to be “relevant” to our culture because we have failed to understand the changes that have taken place. We are trying to lead and grow from an old model that has already begun failing us.

If the N-Generation doesn’t trust advertising or media then they probably don’t trust leadership…and they probably don’t trust the church.

It’s been interesting to watch the Grassley investigation unfold. There are those in the Christian Community who want to know why more Christians aren’t outraged and screaming out against it. Maybe, just maybe there is lack of trust in todays church. Maybe, deep down people aren’t crying out against the investigation because, while they want the allegations to be untrue, maybe they think they COULD be true.

As a side note, I have worked with Joyce Meyer on a couple of occasions and I will be shocked if anything comes out negative on her. My experience with her organization has been that they try to make sure everything is above the bar in all areas of their ministry. She really just wants to reach people. The others that were on the list and made public I do not have experience with so I will refrain from commenting on them.

We can become upset over this fact OR we can understand that this is where this generation is. This is how they think and feel. What we need to do is figure out how to connect with them. Take away all the smoke and mirrors and give them something authentic to look at. We all talk about being an authentic church, and while WE talk about it…what are the people outside our staff really saying? Do they see us as authentic or do they wonder if it’s all real?

Here is the thing about your brand….it’s not what you say it is….it’s what THEY say it is. What do the people walking in the door have to say about you? What do the people NOT walking in the door say about you?

Again, we are missing it. Once things go well we think we have it figured out. The toughest thing for any team to navigate is success. Success makes you forgive things that would otherwise be sins.

What we end up doing is that we think we have stumbled on to a magic formula and that anything we say or do will be successful. We quit paying attention to the thing that got us there in the first place. For many of us, we have forgotten about our customer. Yes, that’s right the customer. Every time someone comes in the church, tithes, engages with you online, etc… they are saying yes to you and no to someone/something else. We have forgotten our passion and why we got involved in the church in the first place.

What does all this mean in the grand scheme of things? I think I have more questions than answers, which is to say I don't know that I know right now, but it certainly provides some great things to think about....

Senator Grassley Investigation

I have waited a while to put any thoughts out there on this subject as I am really torn. Several folks have taken the stance that the Christian Community should be outraged by the investigation concerned that once the government gets involved they won't get out. Others, meanwhile, have remained silent...which I know has frustrated several people in the Christian community.

Having grown up in the church (my dad was a minister) I have been around churches and many non-profits. There are some really GREAT organizations that are doing it right. In fact, I know some of the organizations that are on the list and have had the privelege to do work with them. Some of them are operate very much above reproach. This doesn't mean they are perfect, but they do make every effort to stay away from what would be considered "gray" areas.

Unfortunately, just as there are those doing it right, there are also those who are taking advantage of the system and finding every loophole. They have the wrong people around them advising them and empowering them to take advantage of the system. It's because of these organizations that we could use some reform in the system.

It's not just the Grassley investigation, but there have been other non-profits in the news just here in Dallas about questionable financial practices in relation to donors.

Let me be clear, I don't have any issue with people making good money. I know several ministers who have made lots of money, own large houses, planes, etc...and I don't have a problem with it. God has given them business relationships outside the church and God has blessed them. Whether it be real estate, book sales, speaking, etc...they have done other things to make their money....AND...they are transparent about it. I applaude them.

There are also those taking crazy salaries, making extravagant purchases, homes, etc...and willing to be open with their books. Here's the thing, if a business is a publicly held company then as a person investing you would have every right to inquire as to how the money is being spent. I realize the church is not publicly held, but if ministers stand up and ask for money and do fund raising I feel like the people who are giving should have the right to know where the money is going. If you disagree with how the money is spent you would invest elsewhere and you also might give elsewhere. Again, I don't have a problem with the purchases as long as you are willing to also own up to them and let the people know what and who they are giving to.

It's been interesting to watch how the various ministries have responded as well. Some have had no problem with complying which tells me they probably don't have anything to hide. Some have blasted the Senator (these are the ones who could use PR help by the way). I heard a quote in a movie once that said "there is no use in difusing a bomb after it has already gone off"...while I am sure most of us would rather not have people looking through our books, at this point it might be best to just comply...especially if you don't have anything to hide. If you feel like you have to hide it, then maybe you shouldn't be doing it. It keeps you out of gray areas.

I doubt that the Senate will make an example of anyone unless there are some serious improprieties, but I do think there will be some reform.

I know there are those who think the government should not be stepping in, but at the same time IF, I repeat IF, there are things wrong, then whose job is it? The boards? So what do you do when the board is hand picked by the leader? While there needs to be seperation of church and state, the scriptures also tell us to abide by the law of our land.

It's all very tricky and it's a very interesting time in our country. I would hope that IF there is anything found in any of the ministries that are on the list that they would make the proper efforts to make things right. Until we know more I will be watching along with the rest of you.

Update

I know I have been absent for a while, but I have been pretty "heads down" finishing up a couple of projects.

Most recently I spent the weekend with TD and Serita Jakes providing the production for their "For Ladies Only" event. We supplied the sound, lights, and video support as well as production management and lighting design.

The event turned out great and looked killer both live and on camera.

To make sure the look was great I brought in Andy Dunning from Landru Design in Nashville. Andy and I have worked together for years. We are always able to walk in with understood expectations of what things are supposed to look like while making a great broadcast look and making it a good experience for the people in the room as well.

For audio I used Crossroads audio in Dallas. They are a Meyer house so I was able to stick with what I know works. Bill Barnett mixed FOH. I had never worked with him, but wow....I guess anyone who mixes in ear monitors for Stevie Wonder must be pretty ok at what he does. :-) He was spot on all weekend.

The event featured several great speakers including Bishop Jakes, Serita Jakes, and Joyce Meyer.

I will have pictures posted shortly.

International Worship Institute

Well it's been over a week since The Internation Worship Institute. What a great event!

A couple of high points for me were hearing Ross Parsley speak on leading like Jesus and Gateways worship team leading one of the morning worship sessions. I had never heard Ross speak but he gave some great stuff on Godly centered leadership that we could all benefit from hearing. Gateway, what can I say except wow....There is something about seeing a group of people lead worship from a life centered in authentic worship. Churches talk all the time about "authentic worship", but not everyone gets it. Thomas Miller is the exectutive pastor of Worship at Gateway and he just gets it.

In addition to being able to attend IWI also saw the launch of Creative Church Branding. The response so far has been exciting and I am looking forward to being to able to really reach out and help some churches.

I also spoke at a few sessions. 1 session was on technology in worship. I always love talking about the church world. I also spoke on Branding. Most organizations don't have a clear and accurate picture of who they really are. Most know who they like to think they are, but there is often a disconnect in who they think they are, who they want to be, and who they really are. Once you have a set identity and clearly defined goals and objectives it makes the target so much easier to hit by the entire staff. I have been going in to churches talking about branding and helping some of them discover their identity and then game plan a strategy to achieve their goals which has been a blast!

Gateway Church

It's been fun to check out different churches around the Dallas area. I have been travelling so much lately I haven't been in town much on the weekends so it was great to be able to just be a church attendee this weekend.

I had the privelege of attending Gateway Church in South Lake, Texas this weekend. I went to the 12:30pm service on Sunday thinking it would be a lower attended service as that has been my past experience. I was shocked to see that even though it was a later service it was packed.

I have been part of some great worship in recent weeks, but this had to be one of the best experiences. Not only was it very authentic, but the audience participation was some of the best I have seen in years. That not only says alot about their worship team, but speaks even more to the leadership in the church. You can tell authentic worship is a big deal to them. They were very transparent and really understood worship. The last really GREAT experience I had was with Rueben Morgan from Hillsong and it's been a while since I have seen worship like that.

I have heard people desiring an engaging worship experience in the church. There is not a recipe for success or something you read in a manual. There are many different ways to do it, but the bottom line is that it's all about the heart of those leading. It's tough to quantify what great worship is, but when you see it you know it....I saw it and experienced it this weekend.

Other really great worship experiences I have had so far have also been at The Potters House (TD Jakes) which really goes without saying...but I also I went to The Met Church in Keller, Texas a couple of weeks ago. They are church running around 2000-3000 a weekend I believe, but they are putting together an experience that rivals churches that are much larger. Rob Johnson is the worship pastor there....I had forgotten just how good he is at putting together a worship service. No detail was left undone and everything was done with high excellence.