Maybe these simple words can do just that.

I am – the discovery of God’s plan and purpose for my life

I think – the discretionary power to discern truth from fact

I know – the power to understand

I feel – the power to assess and control emotions

I wonder – the power of understanding God’s amazing ways

I see – the power of faith, imagination, and knowledge

I believe – the power of agreeing with God and His word

I can – the power to act and the skill to accomplish

I ought – the power of conviction and resolve

I will – the power of right choices

I serve – the power of giving self to the devoted cause of others

I am sure you can embellish this list.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated and solicited

Most teachers find it helpful and necessary to define their topic.  Empowering is defined as; to give power or authority, to authorize, to enable or permit.

I have been a leader, manager, teacher, or instructor most of my life.  My greatest satisfaction is sharing my life in order to improve or instruct others.  The greatest satisfaction of most teachers is when others take what they have been taught and inculcates it into their lives.

Empowering takes on many different looks and styles and people can be empowered through a variety of ways.  This includes a meaningful conversation, a story, a video, etc.

Empowerment occurs when others under our leadership are inspired to take a new course of action or be rejuvenated with new passion to continue their course or journey.  Empowerment also occurs when a new skill is learned or someone receives new or additional authority.  This type of empowerment provides the opportunity for young leaders the opportunity to expand their leadership capacity.

Here are a few ways that we can possibly empower others.

1.  Coach rather than teach

A few years ago the main strategy for mentoring and counseling others was to give them your best advice.  In the last few years we have come to realize there is a better method.  This new style of training has been reinforced from leaders in the coaching industry.  Effective coaches have taught us to coach others into discovering what’s inside of them, rather than to tell them what’s inside us. This method has proven to be both efficient and effective in empowering others.

2.  Give responsibility

Some might define this as delegation. I am using the word responsibility for those ready to be further developed in leadership but not prepared for permanent delegation.  In other words when we give young or undeveloped leaders temporary responsibility it sets them up for success and empowerment.

3.  Relinquish Leadership 

In the last few years I have searched for numerous opportunities to  relinquish leadership.  The growth of our organization has forced our team and myself to  relinquish leadership over several key areas.  The amazing thing is that most departments improved under the new leaders and the entire organization has became stronger.  This was a direct result of young leaders being empowered and released to use and expand their leadership abilities.

4. Be inspiring

All leaders need inspiration.  Even self-led leaders.  As the Senior Leader of our organization I am continually seeking and searching for relevant means and methods to inspire our team. I have found that when you are inspiring you are empowering!

These are just a few ways to empower others. I am sure you could add several great ideas to this list.

I would love to hear from you.

Your comments are solicited and appreciated.

I can actually say that we were missional when missional wasn’t cool.  The churches we have birthed over the last 25 years were primarily mission focused. However, I have enjoyed learning greater tools from Verge Network and from men like Alan Hirsch and Mike Breen.

Here is an excerpt from gotquestions.org. 

Essentially, the idea of being missional teaches that the church has a mission because Jesus had a mission.

What does it mean to be missional? “Missional” or “missional living” is a Christian term that in essence describes a missionary lifestyle. Being missional includes embracing the posture, the thinking, behaviors, and practices of a missionary in order to reach others with the message of the gospel. The term “missional” gained its popularity towards the end of the 20th century and is beginning to strongly influence the American church on a wide scale.

There is one mission which says that the “missional church is a community of God’s people that defines itself, and organizes its life around, its real purpose of being an agent of God’s mission to the world. In other words, the church’s true and authentic organizing principle is mission. When the church is in mission, it is the true church.”

Though many churches have mission statements or talk about the importance of having a mission, where missional churches differ is in their attitude toward the world. A missional church sees the mission as both its originating impulse and its organizing principle. It is patterned after what God has done in Jesus Christ, that is, to be missional means to be sent into the world; not to expect people to come to us. This idea differentiates a missional church from an “attractional” church.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/missional.html#ixzz2QpHCzjLq

Many churches in America and sometimes our church has made the terrible mistake of confusing the church as the mission of God rather than knowing the church has a mission from God.  In other words; God had a mission before He had a church and he created the church to fulfill His mission.

I recently shared these thoughts to our church.

1.  The acclamation of the Gospel is not the application of the Gospel

Many Christians live as though that hearing the Gospel is equal to living the Gospel. We have multiple passages of scripture where Jesus taught that the Gospel must be applied to our lives.  In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught that whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them is like the man who built his house on the rock.

2.  Believers do not only go to church they are the church

We have confused who and what the church is.  The church is not a building, entity, or an organization.  It is an organism. Most Christians I know are not living Christian lives, but they live their Christian lives through and at the church. Our mission is not merely to come to church. Our call is to go be the church to a dying lost world.  This is our mission and we are empowered by God to perform His word.

3.   Believers have gifts to share not only share in the gifts

Romans 12 depicts each of us an individual members in a corporate body.   Each member in the body has a function in the body and each part has a unique gift to impart to each other.  You and I are empowered by God to serve and to share our gifts.  Most of us rarely involve ourselves in missional work because we fail to realize that God has prepared and equipped us for the job.  Most of us have also never put ourselves in position for the Holy Spirit to use us radically and powerfully.  It’s time.  I encourage you to step out and find out.  The power will be released when the mission is performed!

4.  The church measures success by wrong gauge

I heard someone say that the church should measure itself by how many are going to minister and not how many are coming to worship.  Our perception is that we the church have a mission that’s optional. Is love your neighbor as yourself optional or a command?  Why do we believers always think someone else will do it?

Why do we fail to realize that it begins with me?

While I have always considered us missional in style we are learning the biblical way to build a missional community that is impacting our city and region.  This has been our vision plan from the first day we birthed LifeBridge.

I am anticipating a fresh wind of hope and mission all across America and around the world. I am very excited what the missional movement is bringing to the American church.

Would love to hear what you think.  Please leave a comment.

I believe accountability is God’s established way to stop one man from hurting and causing pain in his body.

One day I was sitting in a meeting with some of my leadership and I was feeling a lot of internal pressure. I was sick, tired, and really didn’t want to be discussing what we were talking about at the time. Something came up and I snapped. I acted foolishly and really hurt someone on my team that was so precious to myself, my family, and to God.

I remember sitting there realizing that I just really hurt someone. I couldn’t take back what I had done. Only thing I could do was try to heal, restore, and release that person from their pain that was caused by my stupidity.

Shortly after I began to see the destruction that I had allowed to happen to my heart. I was not the man who God had called me to be and had allowed the world to separate me from his love. All the while calling myself a Godly leader who was advancing the kingdom of God. What I realized was I was so sick and tired because I was trying to advance the Kingdom of Larry. It was failing fast and I was feeling the pressure.

I started talking with family and friends about what I was feeling. Out of this time I establish a three tier accountability format that eventually would be my saving grace. Above, Beside, and Beneath. Remember the word of God says…

Who They Are

These are the accountability tiers that helped me when it came to most issues in my own life.

Above

I had two people who I would regularly seek advice from. One was my boss at the time. He was the Executive Pastor at our church and is a very sharp guy. I literally went to him not just about work and ministry but also about family, money, hopes, and fears. The second was my old boss at my previous job. I would seek his advice about 4 times a year.

Beside

One of the people who I asked to speak directly into my life was one of my co-workers. He was the children pastor at the time and was simply one of the best men that I knew. We talked weekly about everything under the sun. The second was a close friend that was in youth ministry at a church across turn. When became a YP I asked about 10 youth pastors in my area to connect. He was the only one that responded. Over a short amount of time we became friends.

Under

I had two directors that volunteered for the youth ministry that I led. These two women worked with me on a daily basis’s. They were in the trenches with me during the times in my life when I didn’t know if I wanted to keep going. One of those women was my wife Emily. She probably had the greatest buy in of the group. The second lady is one of our closet friends.

What They Did

These six people were charged with being brutally, painfully, and lovingly honest with me. I asked them to look into my heart, track my actions, and investigate the intentions of my heart. I was terrified of being a closed off leader that would eventually hurt anymore people. Now I will not say that I agreed with everything they said, nor did I always do what they suggested. I will say that 99% of what they told me what right and saved me so many times.

What Changed

I can not tell you how my heart and eventually my actions begin to change when I allowed people to speak the word of God into my life. I was blown away by the love and care that I began to receive from not only the 6 that I had asked but from others around me. A lot more people began to buy into my life and the calling of my life. I no longer was a man on my own but begin to have people who truly believed in me and the God in me.

I beg you if you are a pastor or any kind of leader to please seek out people who can hold you accountable  Allow these people to speak hard yet beneficial things into your life. We can not as a generation sustain having broken leaders with closed off, wounded hearts leading us. We need healthy men and women called by God, accountable to hand-picked people to watch over our hearts. Choose today to seek Godly accountability, submit yourself to them, and watch God bless you in all that you do.

Do You Have Godly Accountability?

If So How Has It Helped You Become The Person Of God That You Are Today?

You can connect with Larry Williams on WordPress at http://larrywillunite.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LarryDWill.

If you are visiting a country for the first time there are additional things you may overlook due to a lack of experience.  You know the principle of OPE?  “OPE” means other people’s experience.  So maybe you can learn some short cuts from our experience.

My intention in this post is to provide you some helpful tips. When traveling one of the first priorities is to be sure and do some research. Some nations require a Visa and other nations require only a Passport and an additional matching identification.  Be sure and check the requirements for entrance into the country.

I will briefly mention the medical side of such a trip.  If your stay is more than a few days you may need inoculations.  You may also want to check with your doctor concerning any suggested preventative medications you may need. If you are new to any country it means you will be introduced to foods you have never eaten. Taking an antibiotic for possible infections is always a great idea.

Once you arrive at your destination you will immediately begin to experience the culture.  Most cultures have both seen and unseen cultural laws and even more cultural preferences.

Cultural Protocol is something you will face in practically              every country outside of your own.

Here are a few suggestions for preparing yourself for Cultural Protocol.

1. Perform a Google search of the country you will be visiting

A simple Google search will give you some vital information in preparing for your visit.  A quick scan of the website will provide things such as the climate.  You can also quickly discover types of transportation, main types of food, religions, etc.

2. Find the Oddities

Many third world cultures have strange oddities.  In India men rarely wear shorts.  In the Philippines women rarely wear shorts.  All countries are very different and unique.  Both of these countries have unspoken cultural laws that women outside the country should wear modest clothing.  These type things matter if you are doing secular or sacred work. So find the oddities before you show up for any and all type meetings.

A major oddity in world travel are the different electrical sources used.  Some countries use 220 or 240 voltage and in America we use 110.  Therefore a key issue is charging your iphone, ipad and other necessary gadgets.  Without these it is almost impossible to effectively perform business or sacred work.  You will need transformers to charge and operate all your American made products.  I recommend the Transformer Kit from Brookstone.  I also recommend from Brookstone a transformer with dual or triple USB ports.  This gives you the opportunity to charge phones, computers, and cameras simultaneously.

3.  Always wear humility  

I always try and avoid the stigma of the haughty American.  We truly come off more haughty than we realize.  We are also not so protocol ready because we experienced protocol drift in our nation over the last fifty years.  We are also heavily experiencing a new generation that is reshaping protocol in America.  I also enjoy most of this.

Wearing humility is always safe and carries lots of reward.  I arrived at a meeting in India this week and one of my teammates encouraged me to take the best seat.  My immediate response was not to presume that seat was reserved for me.  This turned out to be the best choice.  The seat was not reserved for me but for a different guest.  Walking in humility will assist us in making less protocol mistakes.

4.  Never make ignorance an excuse 

You truly do not have to make bad mistakes. Move slowly.  Skip presumption. Ask questions. I have found that asking questions is very effective and allows for fewer mistakes.  You can simply ask questions such as; is it appropriate for me to do this or that?  Another good question is; what is the best thing for me to do in this circumstance?

I have also discovered that sitting down with a friend from the region and being briefed is a good idea.  Simply put; get advice.  On a recent trip to India there were several cultural protocol mistakes I avoided simply by getting advice. If I had made my own choices most of them would have been wrong.

Nationals do not take “I’m sorry” as an appropriate apology.

I recently heard a horror story about poor protocol.  One of our Christian contemporaries recently visited a country and made a terrible protocol mistake.  The mistake offended the nationals and the word went viral through the streets of the city.  The result was what should have been a meeting with over 100,000 in attendance only resulted in 20,000 – 30,000. This was a poor protocol choice that could have been avoided.

In my next post I will give you travel tips and some practical suggestions once you have reached your destination.

I hope these tips have helped.

Your comments and solicited and appreciated.

“Demand” . . . a simple six-letter English word that describes one who chooses “to give an insistent or urgent request”. In economic terms, when a desirable good or service comes under increased “market demand”, the corresponding shortage of such goods and services necessitates an escalating price. But what happens when “consumer” demand hits an all-time high and the resource so desperately desired can be found through only one vendor at one physical location? . . . then certainly the price would be so staggering that all who desperately need and desire it would be shut-out and turned-away . . . unless there was One who is not in need of the very same resource yet capable of underwriting it’s entire cost.

This is the story of Easter . . . one “Vendor”, Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith . . . one location, the cross just outside Jerusalem . . . one resource needed by all mankind, restored relationship with a loving, holy, life-giving God . . . one purchase price, the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God . . . such is the story of grace, God’s candid yet compassionate grace.

It’s God’s grace that purchases what none other can earn or afford . . . and it is that same grace that brings a new candid “demand” . . . not a demand that affords one’s salvation from an eternity apart from Him . . . but rather a demand of gratitude flowing from lives who have been set free from a self-serving agenda . . . lives purposed with one and only one purpose, to bring glory to the God in heaven who restores all that was lost and never lets go. In the Apostle Paul’s own words,

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

This is David “JB” Miller asking if you are ready to to say “I’m all in” . . . “I’m not holding on or holding back” . . . ready to say “yes” to the glorious demands of . . .

. . . the candid cross?

In the last decade the church has made huge improvements in relevance and innovation in impacting people.  Still, some churches remain ingrained in old methods and lifeless traditions that bear little fruit and remain relatively antiquated.

We are living in times that in order to impact our world we must produce quality and relevance. A larger than normal attendance means a larger platform to impact people with the Gospel. We must take seriously the opportunity we have to change a persons life and their eternal destiny.  This opportunity affords the willingness to invest, takes risks, and be on top of our game. This is no easy accomplishment.  It is costly, time consuming, and requires commitment.

I wanted to share a few ideas that has helped us to enjoy successful Easter campaigns.

Here are a few pointers that have served us well.

1. Establish your budget

If you operate off percentages we normally spend 1% of our annual budget on Easter and Christmas.  Depending on the commitment level of your impact you may decide to invest more.

2. Begin planning early

We begin our Easter planning months in advance. The old adage is plan Easter on Christmas, and Christmas on Easter.

3. Define your target audience

We determine the target audience and this assists us to select our worship elements and preaching content.

4. Establish action steps with time slots

All team members have clearly defined roles and action steps.

5. Select branding

We brand the service and the marketing and advertising begins.

6. Project expectations

We inform our church weeks in advance as to the expectations and outcomes of the Easter weekend.  We set attendance goals and encourage everyone to get involved and take ownership of the expected outcome.

7. Use Social Media

In our high impact marketing campaigns such as Easter we use Facebook, Twitter, and video on our own Website

8. Use print material

We also use printed materials such as invitation cards and distribute them into the hands of our members weeks in advance.

9. Plan, plan, and plan some more

You know the old saying; preparation breeds confidence. Every department must be well informed, briefed, and prepared to bring our best effort.

10. Reward volunteers

Most years we normally prepare meals, snacks, and drinks for all volunteers. We have also given gift bags with small tokens of appreciation.

11.  Offer incentives to bring guests

We offer complimentary gifts to all guests usually in the form of a gift bag. The gift bag includes a unique gift and information about how to connect to our church.

12. Take risks in the service

Be willing to take a few risks.  But a little note of caution.  Resist making a risky idea the major impact in your service.  Risks are just that, risky and sometimes they fail to bring the anticipated impact. Some of our risks have worked great and others have failed miserably.

These points are basic for some and a new level for others.

Your comments are solicited and appreciated!

Every morning when I let Daisy out into the yard she runs and leaps out the door.  I marvel at her desire to run into life and leap into her day. Daisy wakes up everyday ready to give her life and energy to others.

I wonder what life would yield to us if we lived every day like Daisy!

Daisy is generous. Generous people energize me. I have noticed there are few truly generous people in life and personally I am learning to develop this trait.  Although I am considered generous in my circle.  I always feel I could give more.

We might think there are few generous people in the world because of a lack of resources.  However, generosity is never about how much you have, but about how you live.  In others words, generosity is not a moment or an event, but a lifestyle.

Winston Churchill wisely said; “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

Generosity is defined as a readiness or liberality in giving. Generosity means much more than giving wealth.  It includes being generous with our attitudes, emotions, thoughts, ideas, time, talents, and including our treasures.

Here are a few stats about America and generosity.

• The most generous (by percentage) are the least prosperous.

• The most wealthy give less than 2% of their income to charity.

Generosity does not come naturally for most of us.  Life says get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the can.  Some would even  consider generosity a supernatural way to live.

Generosity is not a moment or an event, but a lifestyle.

Here are a few thoughts on generosity.

1. Generosity is generated from a grateful spirit
   It is proven that whatever we are grateful for, we are generous toward.  In other words our greatest generosity is toward the people or things we are thankful for.  If we are grateful toward our car, we are generous to care for it.  If we are grateful for our mom and dad we are generous toward them. If we are grateful for our church we are generous toward our church. Proverbs 22:9…He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.
   
2. Generosity is never a guessing game
   Ever been to one of those lunches and you wondered who’s paying?  The poser always acts as if they are willing.  However, the truly generous makes it clear from the beginning.  The generous ones demand the tab immediately and take the mystery out of who is picking up the tab.  Generosity should not a guessing game but a blessing game.  The truly generous go there first.  Those living a life of generosity are very intentional.  They simply step up and lead the way.
3. Generosity is contagious
   Extravagant acts of generosity can amaze and startle the world.  When others see certain acts of generosity they are inspired to replicate. On several occasions our church has entered the realm of contagious giving.  This has occurred because someone would give extravagantly.  Maybe it would be the children or the poorest among us.  We have also seen the wealthy give extravagant gifts.

Generosity is no respecter of persons.  It inspires everyone to go higher, give sacrificially, and develop a lifestyle of giving. Developing generosity is about looking for people, places and things to share our time, talents, and resources.

Isaiah 32:8..But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.  Look at that. A generous man devises generous things.  This means that we are shrewd in discovering, planning, and sharing our wealth and energy with the world.

Let’s learn to develop a generous spirit.  Just think what a difference we can make!

I think we should consider these questions.

Is generosity normal for me?

Where do I need to develop generosity?

I would love for you to leave a comment and/or share stories of your own generosity.

Normally my drive includes mental preparation for a day filled with non-stop activity and usually a few surprises. Most us have face both challenges and opportunity every day.

As I enter the office the constant ringing of the phone is a sign that people need assistance, direction, and hope. It is a reminder that to whom much is given, much is required.

Those of us who have the privilege of being blessed may suffer from the other side of a coin called “responsibility.”

In our organization to say that multi-tasking is required is an understatement. Each staff member wears multiple hats. One minute we are planning the next event and the next we are praying for a person who has dropped by for food, clothing, or moral support.

Serving others on this level requires finesse, maturity, and an assurance that you were destined for such a life as this.

Some days; the joy and excitement of the unknown and the unexpected is exhilarating. Other days are filled with pain, loss, and misunderstanding. One thing is always on the fore front of our activity ~ that we are Making a Difference.

Our main asset is a caring heart. We’ve learned that we can do a lot of big things with a just a little.

Life has taught us; it is often the little things that make the biggest difference.

I have also learned we always have something to give. I hope you will never overlook the power of those things that cost you little or even nothing. Things such as time, a smile, a note, a prayer, a nod, a blog, and more.

I encourage you to take the little you have and begin to Make a Difference!

Your comments are solicited and appreciated.

Tell me how you have used the little you have to Make a Big Difference.

This message was originally posted at The Pastor’s Life Blog