Some Weeks

Ever feel like this? There are some weeks...

(That's gotta hurt!)

Today's NorkenziE-Note

Aloha Everybody!

Alisa and I are still suffering here in Honolulu. We called back home... is it true that there's been snow on the valley floor this weekend? Unbelievable! I wish I was there to see that... um, yeah... Okay.

Today is quite the day here at the Leadership Practicum. I was up with Pastor Wayne at 6am to run a couple of miles. We've had devotions, breakfast, a session on New Hope's ministry structures and people systems. It's been so great! (Thanks again for sending us here!)

Tonight at 5pm we'll attend the first of New Hope's 5 weekend services. We'll also attend the last one tomorrow to see how things can/do change over the weekend. There are debriefs and ministry tours throughout the next 24 hours. The hearts of these people are what's most encouraging. They love the Lord, they love each other and they've extended that same love to us in the Practicum. We feel like o'hana (family).

You can watch the 5pm worship service (which is 8pm in Eugene/Springfield) by going here: http://www.enewhope.org/ Click "Online Church" and follow the directions for the streaming video. Maybe I'll jump up on stage and wave hello to you! (Maybe not!) There's also a 7pm service (10pm) if you're a night owl. If you do watch we'll be going to church together, separately! Shoot me an email and let me know what you thought.

Finally, I'm really excited about the next two weeks at Norkenzie. We're bringing in Louie Giglio in for a two week series called "Indescribable" via video. I've wanted to share this teaching with the church family for two years now... so I'm glad the time has come. The teaching is based out of Psalm 19:1:

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands

I believe that your faith will be strengthened and your heart in awe of our great God! I've seen the Order of Worship and really wish (really!) that I was going to be there with you. I will in heart!

God bless you church family!
Neil

Gems From The Leadership Practicum This Morning

My greatest ministry will be seen in the next generation. It takes a second to pass the baton of ministry... it takes 10 years to pass on the heart of that ministry. Pass the baton to the next generation at the height of your stride and keep running with them!

"The true test of a servant is how you respond when you are treated like one." (Mother Theresa quote)

If you are hanging around people who discourage you - fire them!

On the importance of solitude: "We are made to lead out of rest." Solitude is not the same as isolation. When you've neglected solitude you'll want to isolate yourself from people. Solitude is planned time alone with God.

On the importance of devotions: In ministry you need to have answers before the questions are asked. In a race if you drink when you're thirsty, it's too late! You're already dehydrated. Leadership is not developed in a day but it is developed daily. (Loved that!)

"If I could I would turn your eyeballs inside out so that you could see people, not as they are physically, but how they are spiritually." If we were to eat once a week, snacking between meals, how healthy would we be? We would be emaciated. The same is true spiritually speaking. Pastors need to be dietitians... we need to look at people as doctors. We could feed them continually or we could teach them to feed themselves.

The best time to do devotions is when you're at your best. Are you a morning person? Are you a night owl? Do devos when you're at your best!

People are not tired of the Gospel. They are tired of tired presentations of the Gospel... and from people who are not practicing what they are preaching.

There are major messages in the minor prophets!

You will be a poor leader next month because you were a poor student this morning.

You've got to get the church out of the church in order for it to be the church.

Good Works (in the community) promote Good Will that opens hearts to the Good News.

Pain Unexpected

We're up at 3am. The plan to get to sleep by 9pm didn't work, of course. It's amazing how many 'last minute' things there are to do - especially after the children are finally asleep. 11:45pm isn't bad... or is it!?

The hardest part of leaving 7 children ages 12 and under is tucking them into bed last night with THEIR knowing that they won't see you in the morning. Excruciating! Tears... (whew!) Thinking about it now, I'm surprised that none of them pleaded for us to stay home, which is a good thing because we probably would have said, "Okay!"

Our good friends who are moving in to our home for the week (who does that?! An amazing blessing!) will be here at 4:30am. We're picking up a brother in the church at 4:45am, dragging him to the airport to drop us off so that we don't have to pay for parking. Eugene to Seattle. Seattle to Honolulu. This doesn't happen everyday...

The French Press is done which means my entry is 'fini!'

Devos on the plane today.

Blessings...

Wow!

Great Quote: 5

"Passion for the mission is the greatest ingredient for the leader."

- Lyle Schaller

Listening For His Voice

Chip turned me toward John's Blog... so good! If you are mulling over the importance of Daily Devos, read this post! I needed to hear this today.

Thanks Chip!
Neil

Feed Yourself!

Well today was fun for me. I preached in a t-shirt and jeans which was a first for me (on a Sunday morning, anyway). I also wore a blazer that I haven't worn in 10 years, I figure. It was a throwback to my church up in Seattle.


The blazer hid the message on my shirt until the 'superman' moment when I revealed it. I had some admit that trying to read the shirt was driving them crazy...

"Pastor... I'm just not being fed here..."


I don't have any sour experiences over this, although the comment I am finding is COMMON to preachers. It was simply time to teach on daily devotions again and this was too good to pass up!

The back of the shirt wasn't seen, obviously... but it's good too!

"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD,
"when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

Springing Bright Sunday

So I'm springing 'Bright Sunday' on the church family tomorrow. Unbelievably I had never heard of this until this past week. Here's some info I found:

-----------------------------------------
For Centuries in Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant countries, the week following Easter Sunday, including 'Bright Sunday' (the Sunday after Easter), was observed by the faithful as 'days of joy and laughter' with parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

The custom was rooted in the musings of early church theologians that God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. "Risus pachalis - the Easter Laugh," the early church called it. In the early days of Christianity, all of Easter Week was one continuous feast... a week of intense happiness and spiritual joy.

Easter Week celebrations went on for centuries until they faded away in the last century in increased secularized societies. Easter Monday is still observed as a holiday in 125 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and the state of North Carolina.
-------------------------------------------

If the Resurrection doesn't fill us with joy and laughter... intense happiness and spiritual joy... then why are we doing this? Of course it does! How awesome an idea, regardless of its origins.

Great Question

My daughter sends me an email today with this picture embedded. How great is that!?

Easter's Coming!

WHY Jesus?

See you Sunday morning!

Tabella's Turned to Christ!

In my hometown there was this certain club... now it's a church! That's about the coolest thing... here's the Seattle P-I article!

God's moving in this world!

Idiot's Guide To Project Management

TWELVE GOLDEN RULES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUCCESS

1. Gain consensus on project outcomes
2. Build the best team you can
3. Develop a comprehensive viable plan and keep it up-to-date
4. Determine how much stuff is needed to get things done
5. Have a realistic schedule
6. Don't try to do more than can be done
7. Remember that people count
8. Gain the formal and on-going support of the leadership (stakeholders)
9. Be willing to change
10. Keep others informed of what you're up to
11. Be willing to try new things
12. Become a leader

Great Quote

A vision without a task is but a dream; a task without a vision is drudgery; a vision and a task is the hope of the world.

- From a church in Sussex, England, c. 1730 A.D.

Picking A Fight

I enthusiastically led out when the Elders called Norkenzie to a 'Season of Prayer' - January until Resurrection Sunday in March. It is absolutely the right thing! But...

As amazing as it is, it also feels like we've picked a fight with Satan. Not that Lucifer himself is taking swings, but however the spirit-realm works, the dark side is striving against us.

It's weird. I am at the same time encouraged and whooped. I am jazzed and tired. Excited about the future and tentative about it too. Actually, if feels like spiritual warfare.

The opposition is always there, if I think about it. Maybe it's the 'Season of Prayer' that heightens my sensitivity to it.

"Greater is He who is in me than he who is the world." (1 John 4:4)

Catalyst 2007

We are done with Day One of Catalyst and my mind is full. I have a dozen things I could write about, principles I've learned or great insights I've received... but I'm tired.

God doesn't sleep or grow tired. I sure do!

There's always tomorrow. Oh wait! There's tomorrow! Up at 5:45am and done pretty late. There's always the day after tomorrow... or next week.

It's good to be here. I do miss my family and am praying for each one.

Peace to you...

Leadership at FirstB

Last night I was able to take in the "Summer Leadership Series" with Wayne Cordeiro. Here are my notes... it was very good!

“When the Music Fades”
Dealing with Discontent
Wayne Cordeiro – July 18, 2007

6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7

Just as you received Christ at first... remember those days?

As leaders we all have moments of discontent.

At first our “Sense of Privilege” canister is at 100% full. We are grateful; thankful. Over time there is an “erosion of privilege” in serving. As your sense of privilege in serving Christ declines, the “Capacity for Discontent” canister increases. Things that you expect to happen in the church don’t. Discontent.

What we must do to enjoy life is to push the levels of discontent down. There are unhealthy ways to lessen our levels of, or feelings of, discontent.
• Grumbling and complaining to others decreases the feeling of discontent, temporarily.
• Get mad; fight; bail. These are not socially acceptable for the Christian, so we grumble.

And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

1 Corinthians 10:10

Grumbling masks our discontent and opens a door to the devil. He wants to get a foothold in the life of the church and he often does through grumbling.

ILLUSTRATION: The Great Wall of China
4000 miles of impenetrable wall to keep the Mongols out.
The Mongols got in. HOW? They bribed one of the gatekeepers.

As a leader you must learn to manage discontent in ministry. Discontent will happen to you. Betrayals happen. People will hurt you. By the way, the “Capacity for Discontent” canister is a sealed canister. Nobody can pour discontent into your life. You increase of decrease the levels.

There are REAL problems in ministry and there are PERCEIVED problems in ministry. You cannot emotionally tell the difference between real and perceived problems.

Another thing we do is stuff our discontent underground. Two levels: offense; bitterness. Discontent stuffed will cause an offense and if continued to be stuffed will allow bitterness to grow in your life.

We also have a “Capacity for Joy” canister.

Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10

To decrease discontent the healthy way is to increase our joy. We do this by keeping our sense of privilege in serving the Lord. We also need to do these three things:

1. Pray – thinking deeply about things in the Presence of God. We need to respect His principles and respect His Presence at all times.

2. Daily Devotions – the Word of God will guide us, leading us to joy as we walk in obedience to the Lord.

3. Find a Mentor – somebody that you’ve given permission to to speak into your life. The “higher” you go in leadership the more you need accountability. You need someone who loves Jesus and loves you – in that order! Somebody who can serve as a “lightning rod” and will ground your negative processing. This person will help you process unto resolution.

A danger in complaining to a friend or spouse is that they will shoulder your offense.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

Psalm 51:10-13

“Restore unto to me the joy…”
The devil has no authority to steal your salvation (it’s wrapped up securely in the blood of Christ). He has no authority to steal your marriage. He has no authority to steal your ministry. So what the devil does it go after the JOY of your salvation, marriage or ministry. If he can strip you of the joy, you’ll forfeit it on your own because you DO have the authority to bail if you so choose.

When discontent rises, remember when you first came to Christ and privilege it was to serve Him AND pray Psalm 51:10-13.