I was in Palm Springs recently when I had the opportunity to meet with Dave DeVries  of OC US Ministries.  Dave has been a church planter and today coaches church planters around the world.  He has extensive experience as a certificated coach so I asked Dave in this short video to give us some practical insights on coaching those we lead.  You can follow Dave on Twitter @davedv and check out his blog at www.missionalchallenge.com  Before you push play on the video make sure you get out a pen and paper so you can take notes!

Untitled from Maclake on Vimeo.

I was in Dallas recently visiting with the director of the Right Now Conference, Marc McCartney.  Marc’s father is Coach Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers.  In this video I ask Marc about the impact his father had on his life.

TAKE AWAYS

In yesterday’s post I shared some key leadership lessons I’ve learned in my seven years at Seacoast Church.  Here are a few more to add to that list.

• LESSON #4 – Dream Big and then Dream Bigger.  Before I came to Seacoast I felt like I had a big vision for how God wanted to use my life.  But being in this environment for this long has expanded my thinking far beyond what I ever imagined.  I will never forget the first Management team meeting I attended where Pastor Greg talked about his vision.  Everyone in the room acted like it was normal, but for me it was mind blowing and way beyond my comprehension.  In fact, it was “seemingly impossible”.  But I’ve watched God provide again and again in miraculous ways all because Greg and the Seacoast staff believe God for the impossible.  Every weekend at the end of every service, at all 13 campuses the Campus Pastor closes the service by reading Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  Greg and the staff at Seacoast believe this to the core and as a result have witnessed the reality of this promise on a regular basis.  
• LESSON #5 – Failure is a necessity for success.  When other churches come to learn from Seacoast it seems that we share more stories about what we’ve done wrong than what we’ve done right.  The willingness to try and fail has lead to a great deal of wisdom and positive outcomes.  I’ve learned that the strongest successes are built on a series of failures.  Failure processed correctly produces greater wisdom than easy success.  Don’t allow a fear of failure cause you to miss the opportunity to learn, grow and increase your understanding.  Unfortunately many leader are embarrassed and try to hide from or cover up failure rather than allowing the organization to learn from it. 
• LESSON #6 – Be willing to change.  Okay, Greg will correct me on this one because he says, “We don’t change anything at Seacoast, we only make adjustments.”  But the adjustments I’ve observed over the years are what has kept Seacoast relevant, growing and life giving.  Some of the changes work, some don’t…but remember failure is a necessity for success.   All of us here will admit that sometimes we change too much, too fast, too clumsy BUT we change in order to stay relevant and continually reach people with the Gospel.

Recommendation:  Don’t wait until you leave your organization to learn positive lessons from it.  Make your own list today!

Last week I announced that my family will be moving to Atlanta and starting a new journey as I take on the role of Chief Launch Officer of the Launch Network, a new church planting network.  While I’m very excited about this new season I must admit that leaving Seacoast Church is a very difficult thing to do.  Honestly, I feel as if I’m leaving one dream job for another dream job.  In my seven years at Seacoast I’ve had the privilege of working with an amazing, passionate group of people.  Over the next couple of days I want to share some of the key leadership lessons I’ve learned during my time at Seacoast.

• LESSON #1 - Champion God’s work in the lives of those around you.  I put this one first because that’s what Pastor Greg Surratt has done for me.  Time and time again he has expressed his belief and confidence in me.  Before going to Atlanta to interview for this new position, I sat down with him and shared what God had been doing in my heart.   I wanted to seek his blessing and fully disclose what I was thinking.  After I shared my “God story” he said, “I don’t want to see you go, but I always want to champion what God is doing in your life.”  He embraces people with great loyalty, yet holds them loosely.  In my time here I’ve watched numerous young talented pastors move on to go start their own church.  Each time they were championed, celebrated and supported.  It’s sad but sometimes leaders are actually threatened by the work God is doing in the lives of those around them.   I want to be a leader that looks for what God is doing in the lives of others and champion it rather than dampen it.
• LESSON #2 – Always, I mean ALWAYS be looking for Opportunity.  I’m a bit of a visionary always looking toward the future.  But I’ve mostly approached vision as innovating a new idea that solves a problem. At Seacoast I’ve learned to keep my eyes open for opportunities that enhance the vision. Combining someone elses idea, resource, need, problem or talent is sometimes the very thing that takes your organization to the next level.  In my years here I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched Pastor Greg or Pastor Geoff Surratt  walk into one of our Executive Team meetings with a new opportunity that they had discovered.  While many management teams seem to sit around and talk about the fires that need to be put out, our team always seems to be talking about the emerging opportunities that are in front of us.  I believe this is one of the key factors that contributes to Seacoast’s extra-ordinary growth. 
• LESSON #3 – Be Kingdom Minded.  From day one I discovered that Seacoast is about The Kingdom, not their kingdom.  Being a highly visible multi-site church creates a desire in others to learn from what God has done through this church.  We recieve phone calls every week from churches around the country.  The staff humbly and willingly makes themselves available sharing time, resources and learnings to help others in their journey.  Spiritual leaders understand that we are here to complete each other not compete with each other. 

Check back tomorrow for three more Leadership Lessons I’ve learned from Seacoast Church.

If things are feeling a little stale in your organization or your own leadership take some time to think through the questions below. Find one or two that get your mind stirred up and see what happens.

• What are our Top 3 opportunities?
• What are the Top 3 questions we need to be asking?
• Who are the Top 3 people we need to be learning from?
• What are our Top 3 priorities for the next 90 days?
• What are the Top 3 needs of our customers? 
• What are the Top 3 distinctives that make our organization unique compared to others in our industry?
• What are the Top 3 ways we can reduce expenses?
• What are the Top 3 ways we can increase income?
• What are the Top 3 things you can learn from your competition?
• What are the Top 3 values of your team?
• What are the Top 3 obstacles you are facing at this time?

This Weeks Leadership Challenge: Choose one or more of these questions, discuss them with your team and see what action steps emerge.

Let me ask you a question. What do you think of when you think of the disciple Peter?

• He tried to walk on water and sank
• Jesus asked him to pray for a few hours and he fell asleep
• He rebuked Jesus for talking about dying and Jesus told him, “Get behind me Satan”
• He wasn’t going to let Jesus wash his feet and Jesus said, “Whoa you don’t understand!”
• He impulsively chopped the ear off of the soldier who was arresting Jesus
• Or perhaps his biggest failure, he denied knowing Jesus not just once but three times

 There’s more written about Peter than any other disciple and it’s amusing that Scripture is not shy about recording his failures. But Peter didn’t let his failures stop him, he evidently knew how to fail successfully.
 
Don’t let your failures stop you.  Sometimes the difference between living a great life for God and living in mediocrity is how we handle our failures.

Through a God inspired moment in January (too long of a story to write about) Cindy and I sensed that God was up to something new in our lives.  We had no clue what it was but knew God was calling us to put ourselves in a fresh posture full surrender. 

Over the next few months God began to impress on my heart the following lesson:  Moving into the purpose for which God has designed me will include an ever increasing challenge that will be larger than what I am comfortable with and therefore will keep me always dependent upon Him.  So I knew God was getting ready to stretch me.

Back in February I read Tony Morgan’s post advertising the position of Chief Launch Officer for a new Church Planting Network that Brian Bloye at  Westridge  and a few other churches would be starting.  It sounded fascinating but I was very happy at Seacoast and wasn’t looking for a change, so I didn’t even consider applying.

Through a series of circumstances over the next couple of months it became evident that God may be leading me that direction.  So I sat down with Pastor Greg, told him what God had been doing and asked his blessing to investigate this opportunity. After he and Brian Bloye spoke on the phone I then went to Atlanta to meet with Brian and Tony to discuss this possibility.  It became evident in my heart that this was the new calling God had for my life. So I am very excited to announce that on July 19th I’ll be joining West Ridge Church in this effort to start the Launch Network, a church planting network of like-minded churches that understand the power of working together to accomplish a God sized vision.

So are you ready to be a part of a movement?  We want to hear from you. If you’re a church planter who is looking for a highly relational network of leaders you can learn and grow with, we want to hear your story.   If you’re a church that’s passionate about  planting healthy churches and investing in new movements of God, let’s talk. Or if you’re a business leader who is looking to invest in changing lives by planting churches overseas and expanding God’s Kingdom, I’d love to meet you.   To learn more about the Launch Network please fill out this brief form and we’ll get in touch with you.  Also you can check out Tony’s recent post that tells a little bit about West Ridge’s influence in church planting and other churches that will be a part of The Launch Network.

Seacoast is not an easy place to leave.  It’s a fresh, innovative, life-giving environment that allows you to operate in your areas of God given strengths and passion as a leader.  Pastor Greg is a humble, empowering leader who has supported me, challenged me, encouraged me and now, not surprisingly, graciously commissioning me to this new calling.  Over the next few days I will be posting some Leadership Lessons I’ve learned working at Seacoast Church.

Cindy and I will be making our move to Atlanta sometime during the week of July 12-16.  We would appreciate your prayers as we have a house to sell here in Charleston. 

(A really cool side note: Brian planted West Ridge Church on September 7, 1997, the same exact day I planted Carolina Forest Community Church in Myrtle Beach, SC.)

Leadership Development increases the number of influencers in your organization. 

• Well developed leaders take initiative.  We need more of that.
• Well developed leaders spread positive attitude .  We need more of that.
• Well developed leaders model the life and leadership of Christ.  We need more of that.
• Well developed leaders own the vision. We need more of that.
• Well developed leaders operate in their strengths.  We need more of that.
• Well developed leaders enlist and empower others.  We need more of that.
• We developed leaders reproduce themselves.  We need more of that.

More influencers equals more impact.  We need more of that.

How close are you to those you’re developing? 

It’s easy to look at those under our leadership development efforts as a project rather than a person.  Sometimes leaders feel like training or mentoring others is a burdensome responsibility rather than a privileged relationship. When this is the case the leader fails to fully engage himself in the development process. Development efforts are hurried, made a low priority or given half-hearted effort. But leadership development has its fullest impact when it’s highly relational. Don’t misunderstand, you can develop a leader without being relational, but it won’t have maximum impact.

Paul starts his second letter to Timothy by saying , “To Timothy, my dearly beloved son” (2 Timothy 1:2).  The words “beloved son” reveals the depth of their relationship. Paul wasn’t his father but the dynamics of their relationship made it feel that way. I’ll admit that getting close to those you train is dangerous. You can be easily hurt, let down or taken for granted. I had a professor in seminary who was very aloof. When I asked someone why, they told me that years earlier he had gotten close to a student he was mentoring and the student somehow betrayed him. So consciously or unconsciously he decided to keep a distance between himself and those he trained.

If you are training masses of people obviously you won’t be close to all of them, but each of us should have one or two people that we’re giving ourselves fully too. When you are engaged in leadership development on an emotional level it does several things…

• It gives your trainee a greater level of confidence. They know and sense that you believe in them. You’re not just saying words, but you’re conveying with your eyes and spirit that you believe they have what it takes to lead. Your confidence in them give them confidence in God’s work in their life.
• It gives you as the trainer greater credibility. Because you take the time to listen, relate and be vulnerable yourself, the level of trust grows exponentially.  As trust and credibility increase so does your influence in their life.
• It heightens their level of commitment.When Paul sent Timothy to the church in Philippi, he said, “I have sent unto you my beloved son Timothy because I don’t have anyone else who is like-minded as I am, who really has you at his heart” (Philippians 2:19-20).  Because Paul loved the people at Philippi deeply so did Timothy.

What are other benefits of emotionally engaged mentoring?

Cindy and I were in Palm Springs CA last week so I could speak at the Missionary Church Western District Annual Conference.  After the conference we took a couple of extra days to relax and enjoy the sites.   As we were hiking through the mountains we hit a spot that reminded me of the story of Jehu in 2 Kings 9-10.  So having my trusty Flip video camera with me I shot a little leadership moment video.  Jehu always reminds me to lead with a God-inspired urgency.  While he made his mistakes he was commended by God for getting the job done.  2 Kings 10:30 “The LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

Jehu from Maclake on Vimeo.