The 411 is my private newsletter for select Senior Pastors, which I send around the first of each month.
It’s typically 4 Links, 1 Quote, and 1 Freebie. If you want on that list, go here and complete your details. I only open this up several times a year.
But here are the highlights for the first quarter for my Church Leader Insider Readers:
My challenge is that I am too curious for my own good. There are too many good things to point you to and not enough time to explore all the rabbit holes that could be useful for pastors.
So, you are going to get 5 Links, 1 Quote, and 1 Very Special Freebie
1
CONFRONT early
Billy Oppenheimer writes a Sunday Six newsletter. A few weeks ago, he led with this:
“The Human Struggle In One Word
If he ever sensed even a slight bit of discord among the cast and crew of his TV series “Seinfeld,” Jerry Seinfeld said, “I was fearless in rooting it out and solving it.” If anyone seemed to be having a problem, “I walk right up to them and go, ‘Is there a problem? Let’s talk about this.’ Because I don’t like discord. I don’t like it. I cannot stand it.” Asked where he learned this proactive approach to conflict resolution, Seinfeld said, “I don’t know…I just feel like if break the human struggle down to one word,” Jerry Seinfeld says, “it’s CONFRONT. And so, I approach everything that way.”
I see many dysfunctional church cultures because the LEADER won’t catch a problem early and ask: “Is there a problem? Let’s talk about it.”
Color me guilty here. I should have confronted early when I saw discord.
See the rest of that newsletter here.
2
God put the wiggle in children from the Wall Street Journal (Gift article)
The article is an opinion from a Catholic reporter who sees the beauty of hearing the cry of children in their church.
I know there are some traditions that have theological understandings that line up with that understanding as well, where there are limited children experiences during a worship service so they will attend with their parents. I can see their point of view, though I can see the opposite as well.
One of the things I observe in my client churches is the extensive excess of children and youth. I also see the challenge of staffing all those programs. But it is good to hear babies cry in church.
(Note: I work in the extended session for kids 4-10 in our church during ‘the preaching’ once a month. I can see it both ways.)
Also, for more research on why this is very important for evangelicals – see this report from Grey Matters just released on how important kids and youth ministry really is for faith development. See The Spiritual Journey- How Evangelicals Come to Faith.
3
Gold from Bobb Biehl
This was in his Wisdom newsletter. This is a straight lift from it:
“The role of an organization is to maximize the strength of the individual
and make the individual’s weakness irrelevant.”
—Dr. Peter F. Drucker
This is a profound quote which is actually a solid leadership philosophy.
Many leaders ask, “Are we getting our money’s worth out of this team member?”
This is the wrong question.
The question should be, “How do we maximize this person’s unique strength?”
Go hit the link above to subscribe to Bobb’s insights.
4
People are Happy about their finances. Well, most of them....
I find many pastors have a downbeat attitude towards congregant’s view of their finances. They assume congregants to be struggling.
But recent surveys like this: Americans are Actually Pretty Happy with their Finances! Show that the pessimism is unwarranted.
And I can’t go a week without a pastor stating: “It’s disappointing that young people can’t afford to buy a house.” But 63% of renters say they are fine with renting instead of owning.
I think this is a great year for Generosity Initiatives. We see records broken every week at Generis. I don’t do that work, but if you need someone, let me help make an introduction.
5
The Big Pew report made a splash, not a stink
There were a slew of news stories related to the January Pew Report on “The Nones.” I haven’t digested them all yet.
But here are some of the stories and the link to the full 100-page report:
And the actual Pew Report here.
In shorthand – Nones aren’t necessarily non-Christian or nonbelievers. They just don’t identify their identity with a religious tradition.
1 Quote
"If you want a recipe for unhappiness, spend your time accumulating a lot of money and let your health and relationships deteriorate." James Clear
I see that all the time in leaders who have stepped down from their primary leadership roles. Business, nonprofit, and church.
1 Very Special Freebie and a Bonus
The new Generis Podcast - “Next Sunday” just launched
Frank Bealer and Jim Sheppard share in Episode 1 - The Biggest Mistakes Pastors Make with Gen Z: It’s not just about avocado toast. Join us as we dissect how to truly engage with this pivotal generation.
Find it here:
And the new FREE Booklet -
It’s finally here: 33 Basis Statements on Senior Pastor Succession: Healthy Endings to New Beginnings
If you are U.S. based and want a free copy, email Linda.Stanley@generis.com with your mailing address.
It’s less than a hundred pages and half pictures, so you can read it in less than 30 minutes to grasp the concepts.
How to use the book:
To think about your future, your church’s future, and how to lead in the process.
Buy copies after reading to share with your leadership team to think productively about this process that all must go through at some point.
To have something to put your coffee on.
Email Linda today and if you want bulk copies, just email her as well. She can get you the pricing.
Let me know if I can serve you.
Let us not grow weary in doing good this week,
Dave