08.19.09
Spiritual Leadership
I took the challenge of reading a Leadership book. The book I chose to read was Spiritual Leadership by J Oswald Sanders. This book is very helpful for anyone who is interested in leading. It gave practical insights on the leadership principles of Moses, Nehemiah, Paul, and others in Scripture. It can be used as a Small Group Study for your staff or volunteer teams. One of the things that I really enjoyed was the Rules for Life given by Archbishop Benson:
- Eagerly start the days’ main work
- Do not murmur at your busyness or the shortness of time, but buy up the time around you
- Never murmur when correspondence is brought in
- Never exaggerate duties by seeming to suffer under the load, but treat all responsibilities as liberty and gladness
- Never call attention to crowded work or trivial experiences
- Before confrontation or censure, obtain from God a real love for the one fault. Know the facts; be generous in your judgment. Otherwise. How ineffective, how unintelligible or perhaps provocative your well-intentioned censure may be
- Do not believe everything you hear; do not spread gossip
- Do not seek praise, gratitude, respect or regard for past service
- Avoid complaining when your advice or opinion is not consulted, or having been consulted, set aside
- Never allow yourself to be placed in favorable contrast with anyone
- Do not press conversation to your own needs and concerns
- Seek no favors, nor sympathies; do not ask for tenderness, but receive what comes
- Bear the blame; do not share or transfer it
- Give thanks when credit for your work or ideas is given to another
Another statement I resonated with was by Archbishop Mowll,
“The frontiers of the kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution.”
Great book and I would definitely recommend it to others! What is a Leadership book that you have read that you would recommend to other leaders?
04.14.09
New Book Release: Eyes Wide Open
Exciting news! Jud Wilhite, our Senior Pastor here at Central, wrote a new book entitled Eyes Wide Open and it is being released TODAY! This is a great read and I recommend it for anyone who is on the journey or who is seeking answers for their life. Here is an summary of what the book is about:
I had it all backwards. The main thing was not my love for God, but his love for me. And from that love I respond to God as one deeply flawed, yet loved. I’m not looking to prove my worth. I’m not searching for acceptance. I’m living out of the worth God already declares I have. I’m embracing his view of me and in the process discovering the person he created me to be. In Eyes Wide Open, Jud Wilhite invites you to discover the real you. Not the you who pretends to be perfect to satisfy everyone’s expectations. Not the you who always feels guilty before God. Not the you who secretly feels God forgives everyone else but only tolerates you. Not the you who looks in the mirror and sees a failure. The real you, loved and forgiven by God, living out of your identity in Christ. A travel guide through real spirituality from one incomplete person to another, Eyes Wide Open is a book of stories about following God in the messes of life, about broken pasts and our lifelong need for grace. It is a book about seeing ourselves and God with new eyes–eyes wide open to a God of love.
You will also want to check out a rare interview with Jud from his wife, Lori! Great job guys! After you read the book or need to purchase it online, please go here and don’t forget to leave a review. Let me know what resources have made an impact upon your life or ministry!
04.07.09
Looking for Resources??
Looking for Resources? Welcome to Pursuit, Central Christian Church’s publishing, media, and training ministry based in Las Vegas, NV. We have a passion to see the local church achieve its maximum Great Commission potential. We believe deeply that for churches to achieve this potential, they must develop a culture of uncensored grace and become radically aligned so that no time and resources are spent on anything but what matters.
More and more of Central’s resources are available through Pursuit, so bookmark our site and check back often. Let me know if you have other resources you would recommend!
10.16.08
“Peppermint-Filled Pinata”: Interview with Eric Michael Bryant
One of the great things about Social Networking and Blogging is being able to connect with so many cool friends around the world doing ministry. One of my new friends is Eric Michael Bryant. Eric oversees the leadership team at Mosaic in Los Angeles, a church known for its diversity and creativity. Eric is also the author of Peppermint-Filled Piñatas and one of the coauthors of The Uprising Experience, based on Erwin McManus’s book Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul. I had an opportunity to read his latest book entitled Peppermint-Filled Piñatas. I highly recommend this book for you personally and also for a Small Group Study. I asked Eric if he would do a brief Q/A with us and he was gracious enough to accept. Here’s what he had to say:
TRACEY: For those who may not be familiar with your story, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Eric: After growing up in Texas, I moved to Seattle to help plant a church where I stayed for 4 years. My wife Debbie and I then moved to Los Angeles where we have been at Mosaic for the past 10 years. As a bald white guy in a world of color, I have been discovering God’s love for all people – even those with whom I differ, disagree, or dislike. Debbie and I live in the middle of L.A. County with our two kids, Caleb and Trevi.
TRACEY: When did you decide to write Peppermint-Filled Piñatas and why?
ERIC: So many people were asking us about how we became such a diverse community at Mosaic, that I began writing this book as a response. As I began writing the book, I realized we are diverse in so many other ways beyond just ethnicity. We connect with people who are diverse socioeconomically, or in their understanding of God, or in their view of sexuality, and so on. In the end, the book became my attempt to help people who follow Jesus learn how to love, serve, and even reach those who are too often rejected or overlooked by the church.
TRACEY: How can people use this book as a Small Group Study?
ERIC: Churches who have used the books in their small groups have said they have been able to have really lively discussion which has led to very practical ways to engage our quickly-changing pluralistic and globalizing world. The small groups read through a chapter each week and use the small group questions at the end of the book to facilitate their discussion.
TRACEY: Any plans for another book in the future?
ERIC: I am always writing something at least for those wanting to discuss innovation and outreach at www.ericbryant.org! After completing my dissertation, I hope to have more books to offer people. Thanks for asking!
Thanks to Eric for taking the time to answer a few questions and giving us a little insight on Peppermint-Filled Piñatas. If you would like more information about his book, www.ericbryant.org
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