Willow Creek Day 1

Tracy is attending the Gifted To Lead Forum today at Willow Creek. I took her this morning so I could have the car if I needed it. I am spending the day working on my sermon for this Sunday as part of our Run the Race Series.

Wow! I don't think that I have fully come to terms with the size and magnitude of this place. Willow has always placed a high emphasis of making a kingdom impact in today's world. They are reaching people, and they are doing it in grand fashion. Even with the size, you are immediately welcomed and led in the right direction. I wonder just how many of our churches are doing the same thing?

This will be the second year in a row attending the Leadership Summit. This is the first at Willow. I will say it often - more people in Church leadership need to be attending this type of Leadership Conference (especially from the UMC in WPA).

Chicago Excursion

Tracy and I left this morning for Chicago, IL. We are going to the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Community Church. We are both excited about our time here. Last year, you may remember that we attended the Summit via Satellite at Orchard Hill. This year, we decided to come to the real deal.

Tomorrow, Tracy will be attending the Gifted To Lead Forum for Women. It is a one day interactive Forum with Nancy Beach and Nancy Ortberg. Tracy is so excited about the possibility of interacting with other women leaders. While she is at the Forum, I will be working on my sermon for this week for our Run the Race Series.

But - I guess the reason for writing tonight is to describe our experience at Gino's East. We asked some friends who have been to Chicago for some ideas on food, and this was their pick! The website says that Chicago is known for its pizza, and Gino's East is the reason why. Our opinion is that they are absolutely correct!!!!

First of all - you walk into this place and you know that you are in for something different. There is graffiti all over the place. They actually give you crayons to write on the walls. So of course, I left my mark.

But the highlight of the night was our deep dish sausage and cheese pizza. I wish flavors could be pasted to this site. No words other than to say it was some of the best pizza that I've had. I love thin crust pizza, but this ranks up there. It was cool.

So we are waiting until tomorrow to venture over to South Barrington. Until later . . .

Gifts that Differ

“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function.” Romans 12:4

There are moments in life when you know some things to be true. There are things that we have learned and they become part of our collective understanding of reality. Then there are times when we learn something, and it goes completely against everything that we come to know as truth.

There are also moments in life when you hear something again and it only reinforces ideas or concepts that you have previously accepted. Sometimes, by hearing something again, you hear it differently than you had the first time. You can gain new insights, new ways of thinking, and for that matter, a new energy for moving forward.

That’s how I felt after having attended a continuing education event last week. I am a firm believer in Leadership Development and so having an opportunity to attend the Willow Creek Association Leadership Summit gave me an opportunity to hear some new and exciting ideas as well as being reminded of some things that I had already come to accept. Further more, I was given new energy to move forward in innovative and exciting ways in ministry.

In addition to hearing from the likes of Bill Hybels of Willow Creek, Carley Fiorina who served as CEO of HP, and Colin Powell, we had a session with business consultant and best-selling author Marcus Buckingham. In Buckingham’s books, he gives new insights to maximizing strengths and understanding the crucial differences between management and leadership.

Buckingham’s discussion centered on his new book “Go Put Your Strengths to Work.” In our society today, most people think that we need to fix the characteristics that are our weakest. However, he argues that we need to build around our strengths and manage our weaknesses. This is counter-intuitive, but it makes a lot of sense.

Think about it. If you want to make a strong marriage, are you going to study good marriages or bad ones? If you want to know what makes people happy, are you going to build upon what makes them happy, or ask them what makes them sad? If you want to know what makes people healthy, are you going to study the well or the sick? He would argue obviously toward the characteristics that lead to strengths. I like that!

Buckingham concluded that afternoon by talking about 4 signs of strengths. First of all, we find success when we operate out of our strengths. There are things that happen more out of our instincts. We can see growth in our lives. Finally, when we operate out of our strengths, there are certain needs that are met; when we fulfill those needs, you feel effective. You can say, “I feel strong when I ______.” You fill in the blank.

Events such as the Leadership Summit are designed in many ways to make personal application. But, they are also designed for leaders to develop other leaders. Certainly there are personal applications, but there are so many that apply to those who sit in the pews. I am looking forward to reading Buckingham’s book. But I am also excited to think about how this applies to the church.

Everything that Buckingham argues is exactly what we find in the scriptures. Paul argues in the book of Romans that each of us has different strengths. In the church we call them Spiritual Gifts. There are some that are more suited to certain activities. Some are leaders, some are teachers, some are preachers, and some are prophets. However, not everyone has the same gift, nor should everyone be doing the same thing.

If we combine those two thoughts, it would follow that maybe what we should be doing is targeting our strengths, our spiritual gifts, and use them rather than complain when someone asks us to do something toward which we are just not gifted. We should be maximizing our spiritual gifts, and managing those things that are just not our strongest.

I know people who have the gift of hospitality. You feel welcomed by them anytime you are in their presence. I know people with the gift of compassion, their heart breaks any time that tragedy strikes. You know people who have the gift of generosity, they would give you the shirt off their back without a question.

Doing those things, and operating out of those strengths only make those persons stronger. They also make the body of Christ stronger. There are also studies that show that when we operate out of our giftedness in the church, we are less likely to burn out, give up, and ultimately throw up our hands in frustration. When we are passionate about what we do, great ministry can happen.

What Buckingham is preaching is something that I needed to hear. Some of his insights were new twists on things that I had already come to know, but some of what he argues just goes against conventional wisdom. However, this idea of operating out of our strengths is exactly the truth that I have come to believe. “We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” Romans 12:6

But I think you knew that.

Won’t you pray for your strengths? “Gracious and loving creator, I thank you that you have given me so many gifts. I am unique and wonderfully made. Use me, O God, for the work of the church that your name might be glorified. Strengthen me for your purpose and toward you will. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.”

This week, Hengust Robinson will be preaching at College Hill. I will be preaching at my home church of St. Paul’s in Allison Park, as part of the 40th Anniversary celebration that is happening over the next few months. They have invited former pastors, and those who have been called into ministry from the church to preach. I am excited about it – it was the place where I came to know that I had some Spiritual Gifts to share. I will miss being with you this week, but know that Hengust will be spectacular! Don’t miss it!

Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg

Day Two

What another great day at the Leadership Summit. I am so excited about Leadership Development, but my only regret is not taking some members of my congregation with me. I need to refocus sometimes and think about continuing education, or leadership development from a congregational level sometimes.

Friday we heard from Harvard Business School's Michael Porter on Strategy and Leadership. He was first of all, very learned. He is widely regarded at the leading authority on Strategic Planning. His primary focus for the day was to focus in our institutions where we can have most value. Social benefit per dollar = value. In order to do this we need to think strategically with goals. Strategy and goals can not be confused. I enjoyed this lecture.

Secondly, we heard from Colin Powell. Powell has always operated on a set of axioms that he uses. He shared some of these in a conversation with Hybels. It was really great. All I can say at this moment is that the United States lost a great chance at having him as our First African American President. I have a lot, and I can not stress that enough, a lot of respect for this man. What passion! What conviction!

Finally for the afternoon (we missed the last one due to an Ingomar Commitment) was John Ortberg. Wow, what an inspirational and powerful speaker. His conversation was on a Leader's Greatest Fear. Leaders have many fears, fear of failure, fear of mutiny, fear of criticism, but he talked about the greatest fear - the fear of something that can happen in all of us as leaders. Our greatest fear in our ministry is moving from our mission to what he called a shadow mission. Shadow missions are the ones in our lives that are not that different that our primary mission, but they are self serving and self-destructive. He reminded us that Jesus' shadow mission was to be the messiah without suffering, Lordship without the cross. Jesus faced this shadow mission with the devil in the desert, with Peter, in the Garden, and even on the cross as others called for him to save himself. Powerful stuff.

Well the drama continues at the Cox Household. Elisabeth got sick last night at the aforementioned Ingomar Function. Yes, my worst fear came true. She vomited buckets in public at the Heinz History Museum, right in front of a huge room of people who were eating. Yup, I felt like Gil in Parenthood. So I am home, and Tracy is off to hear Jimmy Carter and Bill Hybels again on the last day.

I can't wait till next year. I think that this should be one of the events that our Annual Conference should be promoting for leaders throughout our connection!!!

On a High

Today, I attended the first day of the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. It was awesome in so many ways. I believe very strongly in leadership development, and this is only a small part of my own growth.

Bill Hybels began the day with a talk about casting vision that you would be willing to die for in the church. It was a dynamic beginning. He talked about the new approaches to building vision that is based upon team ownership rather than the old model called the Sinai Model. Many old school pastors remember casting their own vision that they got from on high and then tried to sell it. Doesn't work that way anymore.

Next we heard a conversation between Hybels and the former CEO of HP, Carley Fiorina. This was an interesting engagement talking about character and authenticity. She said that leadership requires passion. Good stuff.

The next speaker, Rev. Floyd Flake was interrupted by this afternoon's storm. We were moved to the basement for the Tornado Warning. Good decision, but we missed the greater part of his opening. He was not as easy to follow.

Finally, the best part of the day was with Marcus Buckingham. if you ever get a chance to read some of his stuff, I would recommend it. He was engaging and dynamic. He was talking about putting our strengths to work in an atmosphere were we always seem to want to focus on our weaknesses. He was talking about Building around strengths and managing our weaknesses. Awesome.

I can't wait for tomorrow when we hear from Colin Powell, and Jon Ortberg among others.

Filling Up

I really try my best to attend continuing education events, or seminars. I do not feel that the expectation of continued learning is a burden in my professional career. I see it as a part of my overall growth personally and professionally.

There are some who find the concept beyond their "need" or responsibility in ministry. I find this attitude misguided. However, there is the other strain of professional that just finds it overwhelming to fit it into the weekly grind.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I will be attending the Leadership Summit at Orchard Hill Church in the North Hills. I am very excited. Mostly because this is exactly what I need right now, but also because this is the kind of seminar that really revives me.

That being said, I am falling into that previous category of those who find it hard to fit in. No doubt, I am going. But today, I am feeling the pressure of getting things done and prepared for this weekend.