Ed Young Blog

The Most Important Aspect of Leadership!

Ed Young — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:17:48 -0500

Take a Break!

Ed Young — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:51:48 -0500

The Best Medicine

Ed Young — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:27:42 -0500

Too often, we take ourselves too seriously and we don’t take God seriously enough. In fact, that’s one of the things that kept me from going into the ministry for a while. Too many pastors are so serious and boring and monotonous. I thought to myself, “I don’t want any of that!”

As I read God’s Word more, though, I realized that God wants us to laugh. And I'm so thankful to have friends in life and in ministry who aren't afraid to laugh along with me. My good friend Joel did this video with me a few years back as an opener to our C3 Conference...all for the sake of a good laugh!

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”
And Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 tells us, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven ... a time to laugh."

God being God could have decided that our prevailing attitude should be one of boredom and solemn-ness and seriousness. But he didn't! Throughout his Word, God has told us that one of the telltale signs that we know Jesus Christ is our outrageous, contagious joy. And a by product of joy is laughter. So it’s good to laugh!

When was the last time you just let lose and had a great laugh?

The Golden Hour for Joplin, MO

Ed Young — Wed, 25 May 2011 09:35:01 -0500

A few years ago, I had an opportunity to spend some time with the Miami/Dade Fire and Rescue team. And they were telling me about this thing called the “Golden Hour.” It’s that crucial time between an accident and when the victim gets help. Right now, the city of Joplin, Missouri is in the middle of their own golden hour.

At 5:41 pm CST on Sunday, May 22, the deadliest tornado to hit the USA in over 50 years touched down in that community. The death toll is still rising.

In a time of crisis, people rush to help. As Christians, we should be leading out to help, because it is the perfect picture of how God rescued us.

That’s the essence of the Bible; it’s the reason that Jesus came: to search and rescue. To help those who are lost and dying. To seek those who are facing the destruction of the tornadoes in life.

If you’re a follower of Christ, God has put a lifeline in your hands. He trusts you and me enough that he has put us in a position to help. It’s our choice to extend the love of Christ to victims facing a seemingly hopeless situation. It’s all about communicating the essence of the Church and extending the love of Christ by taking action…

Less than 24 hours after the tornado touched down in Joplin, a team from a nearby C3 Global church was on the ground. Right now, you have an opportunity to reach out as well to bring hope and the beginning of healing to that city.

For details on how you can help, visit our C3 Global Initiative.

Every amount helps. Every amount is needed. And every amount is a reflection of the love, mercy and hope that God has in store for the people of Joplin facing their own golden hour.

God of the Rescue

Ed Young — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:56:22 -0500

Our creative team debuted this powerful video at the Flavour Conference 2011. And through serveral ventures, including a silent auction during the conference that raised over $25,000, the Flavour Sisterhood is proud be helping the A21 Campaign in the fight against human trafficking!

From Vision to Reality

Ed Young — Mon, 02 May 2011 09:00:17 -0500

Vision. It’s a buzz word in leadership. It's the "what if?" question that drives us to create and communicate. The challenge is molding that buzz word into reality.

Cast. Cast. Cast.
No matter how effective you are as a leader, people will have a tendency to forget the vision over time. So your job is to remind them of it, continually. How? Cast. Cast. Cast.
    In other words: Say it, spray it, wheel it, deal it and make them feel it. But do not give them the opportunity to forget it.

Kill the Sacred Cow.
Few things can derail vision faster than the mentality of doing something simply because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Change is ok. In fact, it’s vital. That doesn’t mean you change the vision. But you can change the way the vision is carried out.
    Regularly look at what your organization does - events, departments, programs and even staff members. If something begins to drag people away from the vision God has given you, don’t be afraid to cut it.

Keep it Simple.
For some reason, complexity is mistaken for being “deep.” But truly, complexity is just muddiness. The most powerful message in the world, the Gospel, is incredibly simple and simply incredible. To keep the vision clear and out front:
Keep…
    It…
        Simple.
A God-given vision doesn’t need fluff added to it. Make sure you communicate in clear language what God has shown you. And you'll find yourself and your organization moving from "What if?" to "What is."

It's All About Life Change

Ed Young — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:14:31 -0500

This Easter weekend, Christians worldwide remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. And we celebrate the fact that the resurrection is our resource for a life of confidence and a life of change.

Over the next few days, many people will take the first step towards that kind of change and establish a relationship with Jesus Christ. And as we prepare for what is ahead, our hope is that they will continue with the next step that so many others have recently taken at Fellowship Church!

Our prayer is that people everywhere step up, step out and step into true life change!

I Hired a "Swagger Coach"!

Ed Young — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:15:18 -0500

Get Swaggerfied this weekend at Fellowship Church!

Chaotic Planning!

Ed Young — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:16:27 -0500

Hear all about God's "Swag-O-Meter"...check out this weekend's message!

Got Any Change?

Ed Young — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:59:10 -0500

When asked, most leaders would admit that they want to change something about their lives. But lasting, fulfilling change isn’t about having the most creative building or crafting the most inspiring message. It’s about understanding the process that is...

SURRENDER
To experience real change, understand that it starts outside of you. Change begins when you can admit, “I can’t change on my own, without God,” and when you finally hand the ball over and say, “God, change me.”
    Don’t plan a change in a program or process and then ask God to endorse it. Start with surrendering to him and following his lead toward the change he has in mind.

PROCESS
Change is a process. It’s change – conflict – growth. Anytime God implements something new in your leadership, you will face conflict.
    It’s not popular to talk about this. Positive thinking, feel good theology has replaced the biblical cycle of change, conflict and hard-won growth. But God will use whatever conflict you face to help the change he wants to happen. When you face conflict, focus on the growth on the other side, not the critics or naysayers along the way.

ASK
By its very nature, change requires an honest look at who we are, where we stand and where we want to go. So as you look at the changes you want to make, be willing to ask yourself the hard questions.

    Have I admitted that I can’t change without God?
    Do I trust God to lead me through the change?
    Am I willing to work through the conflict that change will bring?

As you ask and answer these questions, you will begin to move past the popular trends of superficial change; and you’ll move toward God’s desire for deep-down transformation for you and those you lead.