The Importance of Mentoring

I was doing some reading and prep work this afternoon and came across a really good article on the importance of mentoring.  I am trying to continually move my Youth Group towards more and more mentoring.  This article only reinforced the need to do so more aggressively and quickly.  Let me share a few quotes that I found particularly powerful.  All citations come from “Shepherd is a Verb: The role of relational mentoring in communicating truth” by Jeff Meyers.  The article appears in a book entitled A New Kind of Apologist which was edited by Sean McDowell with a copyright date of 2016.  Here goes:

-“Growth happens when we walk with one another in our struggles.”  He was pointing out the need to be involved in the lives of those we lead.  I hate this saying but “we need to do life together.”  The teenagers we lead need to be around us.  Teaching lessons in a formal, classroom/church setting is great but ultimately teens will learn more about living for Christ by watching us attempt to do it in real life then they will be simply hearing a bunch of lessons about it.

“While mentoring is a common strategy in business, it has the potential to transform the church too.  The Barna Research Group found that twentysomethings who stay in church were twice as likely to have a close personal friendship with an adult inside the church. Those who had an adult mentor at church, aside from the pastor, were almost three times as likely to stay as those who did not.”  Wow!  Getting involved in the lives of the members of our Youth Group is a powerful, transformational agent.

“Academic training piles up kindling; personal life-on-life influence lights the match. Apologetics training is invaluable for this generation, but transformation takes place when that truth is experienced in relationship.”

I am still formulating exactly what the Youth Group I lead will look like this fall.  However, rest assured that it will involve a heavier emphasis on mentoring.  I know of many coaches and leaders who take their teams to dinner, go on events and outings together and find ways to spend time with those they lead.  I guarantee those players and teens who are involved won't remember every lesson taught on the field or in the classroom but they will remember vividly the time spent off the field with the coach/leader.  Whether you Lead, Coach or Teach find a way to get more involved with those you have the privilege to be involved with.

Paul Lundy

Where is Your Hope?

Where do you get your hope from?  What is your source of joy and strength?  If it is found in anything short of Jesus Christ you are in big trouble!  We are just a few days from Palm Sunday.  This historic event is recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 21:1-17, Mark 11:1-18, Luke 19:28-48 and John 12:12-16).  Jesus arrives in Jerusalem on a colt that was secured by His disciples.  The people of Jerusalem lined the streets and sang out "Hosanna."  They believed that Jesus had entered Jerusalem to release them from the bondage of the Roman Empire.  They had placed their hope in Jesus establishing an earthly, physical Kingdom.  To the contrary Jesus had entered Jerusalem to die for all man's sins and become the Savior of the World.  His Kingdom was to be a spiritual kingdom.

The people who lined the streets celebrating Jesus quickly realized they had placed their hope in the wrong thing.  The physical over the spiritual.  What about us?  Do we ever place our hope in the wrong thing?  I say "Yes" and it can happen so easily and the results can be so disastrous. 

Here are some things that people put their hope in:

1.) Riches/Finances.  Anyone who follows the stock market or who has ever managed a household or business budget has come to realize that sometimes money is up.   Sometimes money is down.  Putting our hope in our financial resources is a recipe for disaster.

2.)  Health.  We have hope when us and our loved ones are healthy and we have despair when illness strikes its ugly head.  I struggle particularly with this false hope.  Health comes and goes, it fluctuates and hoping in our health will leave us on an emotional roller coaster.

3.) Position/Power.  Many times we get hopeful when we have a new promotion or additional power at work in or in other civic positions.  We put our hope in the fact that things are going well and we are becoming more powerful.  This is a terrible way to live.  Position and Power come and go.  They are nothing to put our hope in.

4.)  Abilities.  We put our hope in our abilities.  We feel hopeful when we can bring our "A game."  Hoping in our fading abilities is silly.

5.)  Children and Their Successes.  This could certainly be an entire post but sum it up to say that hoping in our children can lead to all kinds of disaster and despair in our lives.

6.) Political Party.  Since I have been born (1982) I have seen 20 years of Republicans and 16 years of Democrats.  Some good, some bad but clearly politics holds no hope for this sin sick world.  Whether you favor D's or R's or even I's please understand that placing hope in politicians is a losing proposition.

So then where do we put our hope?  We put it squarely in Christ and His finished work on Calvary.  Christ will never fail us.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  He is our rock and anchor.  Worthy of our trust and hope.

This Easter I encourage you to examine where your hope lies.  Is it in things of this world or in the unfailing Savior of the World.  Is your hope in the physical or Spiritual? 

The incredibly cool thing is that when we do put our hope in Jesus Christ all the other things naturally fall into place.  Placing our hope in Jesus gives us peace to accept what comes our way financially.  It gives us courage to face an uncertain future in terms of health or jobs or the political landscape.  Hope in Jesus leads to comfort and peace.  Hope in the things of this world lead to despair, discouragement and depression.

May you be filled with HOPE this EASTER!

Live 2 Lead 2017 Notes

Executive Summary

Live to Lead

November 9^th, 2017

Notes taken by Paul Lundy

On Thursday, November 9th (a little late posting, I know) I had the privilege to attend the 2017 Live to Lead event.  The event was actually held much earlier nationally but due to several factors our local group hosted their event on November 9th.  Below is a summary of the notes I took from the event.  Should be a very quick and easy read but the speakers were excellent and I hope each one below could share something that will help you in your leadership journey.

John Maxwell

“If you aren’t changing, you aren’t growing.”

‘If you are still happy with what you were doing 5 years ago you have real problems.”

Common denominator of leaders – Leaders see more than others see and they see it before others see it.

“See more More and More Before

1.)     How to increase more More and more Before

a.)    Understand it’s out there if you chase it

b.)    Think Abundance

c.)     Creativity says there is always an answer

d.)    Flexibility says there is more than one answer

2.)    Nobody wants to buy less and less

3.)    People buy into something bigger than them

4.)    Develop a Process to find more more and more before

a.)Test

b.) Fail

c.) Learn

d.) Improve

e.) Re-enter

                1.) If you never improve and re-enter you may appear tenacious, but likely you are just stupid.

I don’t care how good you are right now, you can get better.

5.)    Ask questions to help you know more more and more before

6.)    Intentionally grow everyday

7.)    Invest time with people and places that will inspire you.

Average people want you to stay average.

Dave Ramsey

Serve others well and you will make money

Managers Count Stuff

An organization with no entreprenuers is “government.”

Organizations are never limited by their opportunities, they are limited by their leadership.

You are the problem in your organization but you are also the solution in your organization

All the attributes of leadership are attainable.

The quirky brilliance of an organizations founder can only take the organization so far.

When you are a leader you must have power, but rarely use it.

Bosses push, leaders pull

To be a true leader you must be a servant.

Cheryl Bachelder

Are people better off because of your leadership?

3 Key’s to Popeyes (Chicken Restaurant) Turnaround

1.)    Declare a Daring Destination

2.)    Choose to Serve

3.)    Deliver Results

Do you love those you lead?

Love, not as a feeling, but as an action.

There are no great leaders without results

How to become a Dare to Serve Leader

1.)    Courage – Are you courageously leading your team to a place beyond their wildest dreams?

2.)    Humility

How well do you know your followers?

Do you demonstrate your love for your followers?

Your leadership should deliver standing ovations.

Serving in a Full-Time Capacity

Some times there is an alignment of opportunities that almost defies explanation.  It's that eerie feeling hits you and you know something supernatural has just occurred.  For me one of those circumstances aligning, blow your roof off type moments happened yesterday.  Some may say it was a coincidence, but I believe in God and His sovereignty over the affairs of man.  I don't believe in coincidence and I don't think things "just happen."  I had one of those moments yesterday and I can't wait to share it today.

Here is what happened.  Several weeks ago (Mid-December) I wrote a series of Sunday School Lessons about "Gaining God's Favor."  I was prepared to deliver the fifth and final lesson yesterday (January 7th).  One of the key elements I learned about in my study on Gaining God's Favor is alignment with what God is doing.  For example: God used Nehemiah to restore the physical protection of Jerusalem as the exiles were returning.  In the same way God used Ezra to restore the spiritual foundations of the nation of Israel following exile.  Their lives aligned with a need that God wanted taken care of.  The challenge to my Teen Sunday School Class was "Are you willing to consider Full-Time Christian Service for your life?" 

I had that lesson prepared weeks prior to yesterday.  Then two events of note took place prior to church yesterday morning.  One was that I was up early and my boys and wife all slept in.  Those two things almost never, ever simultaneously occur.  Another event worth noting was that since the first two things happened I was able to read my devotional book BEFORE heading into church.  Another event that almost never happens as I usually do most of my reading in the early afternoon or after everyone else has gone to bed.  Because I was able to have devotions in the morning I was able to read the following devotion prior to teaching the lesson on "Full-Time Christian Service."

Amazingly, here is what Author (and Congressman) Jim Ryun, in his book The Courage to Run had to say on January 7th (the 7th entry of his devotional book): One Eye on Eternity (some excerpts) "It has often been said that men and women who truly do great things in this life have kept one eye on eternity.  When I consider the lives of committed Christians... I see a common thread. To a person, their focus was on Christ and eternity while fulfilling their time on Earth."  WOW! WOW! WOW! God truly wanted me to see and be able to teach on the value of living our lives full time for Christ.  Congressman Ryun goes on to say that some of the greatest accomplishments for Christ have come from people who were "counted fools at one time or another, but they were willing to lay down this world's fame and wealth to achieve truly great things. They had one eye on eternity."

I was able to weave that day's devotional into my Sunday School lesson and challenge our teens to consider Full-Time Christian Service as their career choice.  Let me challenge you to consider the same.  I read an interesting quote from one of my former basketball players, Seth Parris, recently.  He made the statement in a tweet "Funny how many seminary students feel "called" to the big cities and never a small country church #christians." I have often thought the same thing when I hear Christian college students claim that they are being "called" to teach in public schools (where the pay is typically 2-3 times higher than christian schools).  Not to demean anyone who is serving in a well-paying position in a large city church or teaching in a well paying public school, but God does call people to lower paying, less prestigious posts all the time.  How many of these people are missing out on God's true calling in favor of a fatter paycheck and more opportunities for them personally.

The teens in my Sunday School were asked what types of jobs can be considered "full-time ministry positions?"  Most only came up with Pastor, Youth Pastor or Teacher.  I challenged them to think a little more creatively and pretty soon we realized that almost any profession can be done for God in a Full-Time Ministry setting.  The church and its related ministries need doctors, lawyers, teachers, coaches, nurses, accountants, computer and tech people, etc., etc., etc.  My group of High School students quickly realized that everything can be done for Christ that can be done in a secular setting.

Next we considered the reasons that many Christians don't consider Full Time Ministry positions as careers.  The answers basically boiled down to 1.) Earn Less Money 2.) Fear of the Unknown (like being called to be a missionary somewhere like Africa, or even worse places like New Jersey or Alabama) 3.) Less Prestige Personally or 4.) Less opportunity for advancement.

If you have read this far please take just another moment to consider my final thought.  Are any of those reasons valid?  When you stand (and then fall down before Christ someday) are you really willing to say to Him that you worked in a secular field simply because you wanted more money and a more prestige?  Are you willing to think that you won't be terribly ashamed of how you selfishly spent your life living for your pleasures and security?  I am asking you to spend some time in prayer today, and tomorrow and for at least a few days and strongly consider whether or not you may be a candidate for Full-Time Christian Ministry.  Whatever experiences, qualifications, skills and degrees you possess can be used to further the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  Are you willing to pray and seek God in this area? 

Maybe you will still be led to serve Christ in a secular setting.  I am so glad for those of you who are able to serve in that arena.  We need you there shining Christ's light into the darkness.  However, I believe that many are called to Ministry that are not answering the call.  Parents, are you willing to let your sons and daughter attend a Christian or Bible College?  Are you willing to support them if they decide to go into Full Time Ministry?  Remember you will stand before God someday.  I hope that when you and I do we are able to answer the question "Did my career make a difference for Christ?"