More than likely my own season of transition had a big impact on my experience with the book. Unfortunately, it’s a book I’ll probably not get to finishing.

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NB: I received a free copy of Rumors of God from Thomas Nelson through their BookSneeze program for the purpose of this review.

You can pick up your own copy at: Amazon or Christian Book Distributors. Both of these providers offer electronic version for your eReader.

I’ve served on quite a number of church leadership teams. Some were healthy, some not so much. Some were balanced, some not so much. While I was going through my job search process, some of the churches would use various temperament tools in the process of making the decision regarding whom to pursue.

I’ve used those types of tools myself in the past. Most of the churches were looking for a specific wiring of temperament. Many of those same churches spent very little time talking about Spiritual Gifts.

In building a team, there seems to be two main schools of thought. First, some churches are looking for teammates that are similarily wired. The idea is that on the chemistry front, the team will ‘click’ and inadvertent conflict and tension can be avoided. Makes sense.

The second school of thought, and not nearly as prominant, is to build a team that is balanced. Tom Rath and Barry Conchie have laid out a strong argument that balanced, well-rounded teams are the key to making a Great Leadership Team. The idea is presented in the context of Four Domains of Leadership Strength.

It starts with knowing your own strengths. It includes knowing the strengths of your team. It ends with suplementing your team, with staff or volunters that round out your team to create health.

My own five strengths are distributed as follows. I have two strengths (Responsibility and Belief) that fit in the Executing domain. Two more strengths (Connectedness and Relator) that fit in the Relationship Building domain. And my last strength (Learner) fits in the Strategic Thinking domain.

My weak domain: Influencing. While I can certainly speak in public, to groups both large and small, I do need to have people on the team that I can rely on to carry the vision and extend my reach.

Temperament and Strengths tools are great, I’ll continue to use them. I believe they are best used to know how to better lead and interact with the team members. Using the idea of the Four Domains of Laadership Strength may be a better way to narrow the selection of potential staff members.

We are in the process of looking for a new home. Looking at the floor plan and number of bedrooms is only part of the checklist. Paying attention to the surrounding neighborhood is something that also matters.

Paul recognizes the importance of our neighborhood, maybe not the geographical one, but definitely the relational neighborhood we choose to connect with. In 1 Cor. 15:33, he quotes a cultural proverb of his day, “Bad company corrupts good character.”

One of the lessons that parents try to teach their children is to hang out with ‘thr right crowd.’ Parents have learned through the years that there are some people who build you up and some who pull you down.

Buying a house is pretty important. It has economic impact on our future. Building the right relationships is imperative. It has character impact on our life!

In the last ten days, I’ve experienced three positive events that have produced high levels of stress. Last weekend, we had flown to Minneapolis and I proudly filled the roles of Father-of-the-Bride and pastor of the ceremony. Yeah, there were some unplanned pauses as I tried to hold back the emotion. Then, before we left Minneapolis, we spent a couple of days getting our other daughter set-up for her sophomore year at North Central University. More tears as we left her on the porch. Finally, yesterday I made the drive from Philly to Cambridge, leaving my wife and son behind for a month. I start a new job today.

So, how do you deal with stress?

I’ve learned I must be proactive while going through higher-than-normal stress times.

1. Big projects need to be broken down into smaller tasks. Be it a wedding or an international move, bite-sized tasks aren’t nearly as overwhelming as the the big project. My Remember the Milk account has been getting a workout lately.

2. I’ve got to be conscious of my physical state. Getting enough rest and eating properly are critical to helping maintain emotional balance in times of high stress.

3. Ensure that I don’t neglect the spiritual dimension. As stress levels go up, it is important that I maintain the routine and consistency of my devoted time with God. Time spent in prayer and reading His Word provides a sense of peace regardless of the chaos around me.

What are some of the ways you deal with stress?