musings on life and leadership by randy and joleen willis.

Shortly after arriving in Clearfield two years ago, we wrote about our First Fourth with Ethan. Well, yesterday was our first Fourth as a family of four.

With the holiday landing on Sunday, the day began in worship at our respective churches. After naps (and after I attended a viewing for a funeral on Monday), we cooked kabobs on the grill (for the first time) and had a nice evening together (in spite of running out of propane in the middle of our cookout!).

We had sparklers, but because we had our hands full with two kids, we didn’t take any photos. But here are a couple photos we did take on the Fourth …

Ihave been chewing on the question, what is preaching, for a while. Is preaching simply teaching people about the Bible or giving an inspirational message, or is it more than that?

This isn’t an exhaustive discussion on the nature of preaching, of course, but I’ve been thinking about preaching as communicating, proclaiming (i.e., good news), teaching, farming (breaking up, planting seeds, watering, etc.), leading, vision-casting, and even battling (i.e., spiritual warfare).

I preach using sermon series and I’ve always tended to think/plan in terms of two major categories: (1) church/mission and (2) spiritual growth/formation. But as I understand it, Adam Hamilton uses five types of sermon series that he works through over time …

1. Fishing series, to attract/connect with unchurched people
2. Discipleship series, to help people grow spiritually
3. Pastoral Care series, to provide biblical counseling
4. Equipping series, to offer ministry development/training
5. Strengthening series, to focus on vision

Preaching is important because God’s Word is crucial in the life of the church!

I love the quote in my recent post, Favorite Tweets 1.0 …

The only reason to give a speech is to change the world. (Nick Morgan)

I was also challenged by the quote by A.W. Tozer …

Any sermon that is not birthed in prayer is not a message from God no matter how learned the preacher.

I think of the prophet Jeremiah who felt as if God’s message was a fire in his bones, or the prophet Ezekiel who spoke to a valley of dry bones that came back to life again!

What if every preacher had that sense of urgency? (Ah, I think I need to add “urgency” to my Desperate Preachers Prayer Guide.) What would happen if changing the world and awakening lost/lukewarm souls was the purpose of every sermon and the goal of every preacher?

That’s what John Wesley, who said the following, longed for …

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergy[persons] or lay[persons]; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.

If you’re a preacher, (in addition to prayer and reading God’s Word) how do you gain/maintain a sense of urgency in preaching?

Joleen and I are both on track to be ordained Elders in The United Methodist Church on June 11, 2011 (a little over 11 months from now). It’s been a long journey, but we’re now in the final year, the home stretch.

Here are the requirements we must complete in the final year …

1. Application for Clergy Membership
2. Three personal reference forms
3. District Superintendent recommendation form
4. Medical exam form
5. Written responses to theological questions in the Book of Discipline.
6. Design and record worship service based on Joel 2.23-32
7. Ordination Project
8. Meet bi-monthly with mentor
9. Meet quarterly with regional learning covenant group (others in the process)
10. Overnight retreat (September 2010)
11. General Board of Global Ministries seminar (January 2011)
12. Board of Ordained Ministry interviews (March 2011)
13. Training Day on “Church Finances” (March 2011)
14. Overnight retreat with Bishop (May 2011)
15. Approval at Clergy Session of the Susquehanna Annual Conference (June 2011)

The changes that were made to the process heading into the final year ended the requirement of Covenant Groups (made up of people from our congregations; it’s being replaced by the regional learning covenant groups, made up of others who are going through the process with us). However, our covenant groups, which have been meeting together, have chosen to continue meeting for the next year, anyway, as we complete our reading/study of Simple Church, by Thom Rainer. (Needless to say, it’s been a positive experience!)

The bulk of the work must be completed in the next 5.5 months (by January 13, 2011). After submitting our work, we will be interviewed by four teams of people on the Board of Ordained Ministry in early March. The four teams will address different areas: Theology (on our responses to the questions in the Book of Discipline), Ordination Project (on a 15-minute multimedia presentation of our project and a 2-3 page spiritual reflection paper), Life Issues (on the medical/reference forms and one question from the Book of Discipline), and Worship & Preaching (on the recording of a worship service based on assigned text).

It’s going to be a busy year. It’s going to be an especially busy 4.5 months (after vacation later this month). If we successfully complete all of these steps, we will ordained at the next annual conference of the newly-formed Susquehanna Conference, June 11, 2011!

For more on our journey, see previous posts: Our Journey Toward Ordination and Becoming Provisional Elders.

The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, had a legendary work ethic, travelling thousands of miles by horseback, preaching thousands of sermons over the course of his long life, and starting a global movement, in the process.

Wesley was very disciplined. In fact, it’s no surprise that the UMC’s official book is called the “Book of Discipline.” Included in this book is a series of questions Wesley asked of candidates for ordination, including this one …

Will you observe the following directions?

(a) Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never trifle away time; neither spend any more time at any one place than is strictly necessary.

(b) Be punctual. Do everything exactly at the time.

Recently, I read Michael McKinney’s post, distilling some lessons for leaders from Leaders in Gear by Rhett Laubach. One of the lessons especially struck me, and fits here. McKinney writes …

The Threshold Thread concept states that all high achievers have developed the ability to push their capabilities further than the average person. Their threshold for hard work is higher. Their patience threshold is longer. Their commitment threshold is stronger. Will Smith has been quoted as saying that the true secret to his success is an insane work ethic. He uses running as an example. If you were on a treadmill beside him he knows one thing for certain—you will get off first.

I love that. “If you were on a treadmill beside him he knows one thing for certain—you will get off first.” That’s determination (I recently wrote about Developing the Discipline of Determination).

A few months ago, Thom Rainer wrote about Pastors and Time, noting some research that revealed differences in how effective pastors and ineffective pastors use time. Through research, they discovered differences in how much sleep pastors of effective and ineffective churches got, how much time they spent with family, in sermon preparation, etc. The point is that our use of time matters, and our use of time is largely dependent on our work ethic.

One of the questions I’ve wrestled with while writing this post, though, is, how do you have a strong work ethic without becoming a workaholic. I think the answer lies in having a strong work ethic for life, not just for work. We become workaholics when we work hard at work only, but we’re healthier when we value and spend time with our families, by having a strong work ethic at home.

“Work hard at whatever you do.” (Ecclesiastes 9.10, CEV)

This is another revision of my preaching prayer guide (see Desperate Preachers 1.0 and 2.0). It undergoes revisions every week.

Since the last post, I’ve gone from phrases to keywords, which gives more freedom. So, for what it’s worth here’s the latest desperate preacher’s prayer guide …

Lord, prepare me to communicate your message to change the world! Thanks!

Lord, prepare me …
Surrender. Yield. Humble. Available. All. Desperate. Clean hands. Pure heart. Armor. In tune. Fill me. Consume me.

To communicate your message …
Conduit. Connector. Courage. Truth-teller. Obedient. Biblical. Clear. Focused. Concise. Passionate. Fire.

To change the world!
Penetrate hearts. Plant seeds. Stir up. Break up. Tear down. Build up. Draw out. Produce fruit. Awaken. Revive. Renew. Transform.

Thanks!
Thank you for what you are doing and for what you will do!

Three months ago, I wrote that I started using Twitter (click here for my Twitter stream). I also wrote about Twitter Web Apps shortly after that (which probably needs updating).

Over the last few months, I’ve marked a number of tweets as “favorites.” Periodically, I’ll blog some of my favorite favorites—statements that inspire and challenge me—starting with these (copied-and-pasted here in their original format) …

A Twitter stream featuring quotes from my favorite devotional writer, Oswald Chambers …

Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led.

Never allow a feeling that was awakened in you on the mountaintop to evaporate.

I tend to favorite a lot of Mike Slaughter’s tweets …

1st key 2 revitalize dying church: Preach evry Sun. abt how a church looks that takes biblical model of the church seriously.

2nd key 2 revitalize a church: Ask in ech mtg, “How is what we r doing not only getting people 2 know the word, but to do it?”

3rd key 2 revitalize a church: ask self-if neighborhood person walked n2 back of church on Sun, would this attract him/her 2 Jesus?

4th key way 2 revitalize a church: Teach people not only 2 invite others 2 worship, but also 2 invite them 2 participate in ministry

If someone unfamiliar w/ ur church examined ur budget, what would he/she conclude about ur church’s priorities?

Leaders, at heart of every decision u make 4 ur church is a choice between courage and compliance. How r u doing?

Renewals and reformation are never born out of timidity.

Some favorites from Rick Warren …

Never fear criticism.Fear conformity,which stunts the soul. U cant have everyone’s approval &God’s anointing at same time.

God sometimes removes a person from your life for your protection. Don’t run after them.

And Rick Warren’s RWToolbox …

“You pay God a great compliment by asking great things of Him.” Teresa of Avila

ATSAlumni posts a lot of inspirational/challenging quotes. Some of my favorites include …

Jesus does not want us to work for Him. He wants us to let Him do His work through us.-C.G. Trumbull

The Church that does not evangelize will fossilize.-Oswald J. Smith

Preachers with cold hearts will never warm and awaken the consciences of their hearers.-Bruce Milne

The greatness of man’s power is his surrender. It is not who you are, or what you are, but whether God controls you.-Henrietta C Mear

UNTAMEDbook is a book by Alan Hirsch. Here are a couple quotes from the book …

“You simply cannot be a disciple without being a missionary – a sent one.”

Prayer is rebellion against the status quo. “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”

One from Stephen Covey …

So many competing priorities. Learn to say “no” or you will burn out. Having a burning “yes” will allow you to say NO to the unimportant.

One of my favorite leadership writers is John Maxwell. Here are a couple of his tweets …

The greatest gap in life is the one between knowing & doing. -Dick Biggs

Effective communication is 20% what you know & 80% how you feel about what you know. -Jim Rohn

One Twitter stream posts unpublished quotes from A. W. Tozer …

It will cost you everything to follow the Lord. And it will cost you even more to be His man [or woman] for this hour.

Many Christians are satisfied with their destination but they neglect the journey.

Any sermon that is not birthed in prayer is not a message from God no matter how learned the preacher.

Silence is often the most eloquent answer to our critics.

In an effort to get the work of the Lord done we often lose contact with the Lord of work.

God is never satisfied with anything less than all.

From Ed Stetzer …

“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” ~Spurgeon.

Leonard Sweet …

For Wesley, internal combustion (“heart strangely warmed”) led to external combustion (“world is my parish”)

Life is not a do-it-yourself project.

Max Lucado …

Blessed are those who acknowledge that there is only one God and have quit applying for his position.

Tom Tumblin from Asbury Theological Seminary …

Which shall we be: leaders who evoke (draw out) or provoke (stir up)? Jesus was both invitational and confrontational. Lord, teach me both.

Tim Sanders …

The only reason to give a speech is to change the world – Nick Morgan

Janice Neely …

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. Mother Teresa

These are a lot of my favorites. You can read the full list of my favorites here.

Ater church today, we were able to take a few photos before Ethan and Sarah crashed following their Sunday morning routine of Sunday school, worship … and Mommy and Daddy’s early morning, last-minute prep. No easy task!

In October 2009, I wrote in on our first full day together as a family of four that we had struggled to get Ethan to be in a photo with Mommy or Daddy *with* Sarah. That hasn’t changed a whole lot in the eight months since then, and today was no different.

We were able to get a photo of Joleen with the kids on Mother’s Day, but it wasn’t easy. Today wasn’t any easier (granted, Ethan wasn’t feeling well and Sarah’s patience ran out very quickly).

But here’s what we got. Of course, it might help to take photos at any other time than right after church!

Grateful to be the daddy of Ethan and Sarah!

In 2008, I wrote a couple posts on task management (see Task Management and Task Management 2.0). My previous posts focused on specific systems, but even after checking out different systems, I keep coming back to my own. I’ll keep looking, for ideas, if nothing else, but here I want to focus on “time management.”

Interestingly, I have now been a student of leadership for (exactly) 20 years now, going back to when John Maxwell did a seminar for my denomination called, “Six Keys to Church Growth.” Point number two was “Leadership.” But even before I was a student of leadership, I was interested in time management, or at least, managing my time more effectively (when I started using a Franklin Day Planner in college).

Twenty-one years later, time management is still a tremendous challenge, and an area that I want to grow in!

In recent days, I’ve been thinking about some areas in which I need to further develop and/or improve. Here’s what I wrote in my journal this morning …

1. Pray. If I’m going to use time well, especially doing the things God calls me to do in ministry and leadership, then I must have God’s guidance and blessing!
2. Master List. I think my current practice of updating my master list weekly works pretty well. I might try to update the list at the end of the week instead of first thing Monday, which might help me to hit the ground running at the beginning of the week. I’ll give it a shot.
3. Schedule Tasks. I sometimes plan what days I will work on specific tasks/agenda items, but I’d like to do this better.
4. Estimate Time for Tasks. I do this occasionally, but I’m not very good at it. I always underestimate the amount of time tasks will take. Need to work on this!
5. Focusing on the Most Important Tasks. Rick Warren often says that we have enough time to do what God calls us to do. Either we’re trying to do more than we should be doing or we’re not doing them right. It’s a constant challenge doing those things that are important, not just urgent (especially if they’re not even that important)! Knowing my call and having a clear sense of vision, as well as understanding the real leadership/ministry needs in the church, are critical here, as well.
6. Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry. Long time challenge. Still haven’t figured it out. But I’m convinced it’s an important discipline!

Question: How do you manage time? What do you do well? Where do you need to grow?

Today, clergy and lay members from more than 950 churches throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania gathered in Williamsport at the Williamsport Arts Center to form a new conference, the Susquehanna Conference, a Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church. It was the culmination of years of prayer, discernment, and planning.

Joleen and I left home around 6:30 a.m. and reached the Williamsport Arts Center about an hour and a half later, in time for registration and opening worship, which started at 9:30 a.m. After an hour of worship, we dealt with several action items related to the formation of the new conference.

The business portion of the day took nearly two hours. After lunch, the day concluded with an ordination service, which began at 2:30 p.m. and concluded between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.

The Scripture focus in the years leading up to today’s uniting conference has been Isaiah 43, particularly 43.19 — “For I am about to do something new.” (Ironically, if I remember correctly, Isaiah 43 was also Bishop’s Middleton Scripture text for the sermon she preached at her installation in 2004.)

It was an historic day, a day of celebrating what God is doing in our midst!

By the way, Susquehanna is the name of a major river that runs throughout much of the conference, including here in Clearfield. In fact, when Rev. W. Lee Spottswood writes about the river and its importance in the community around 1860, he was referring to the Susquehanna River.

One of my favorite moments from the day was the band playing the music to “Sweet Home Alabama” but singing “Sweet home, Susquehanna … where the river is so blue.”

If you were there, please add your thoughts on the day and/or your favorite moments.

We spent 8 full days in Korea in February 2008 when we picked up Ethan and 4 full days in October 2009 when we picked up Sarah. We wrote a number of posts while we were there both times, which has helped us remember more than we would have remembered otherwise.

It was an especially memorable time because it was such an intense time. In the months following our first trip, in particular, I think I had daily flashbacks of being in Korea. The flashbacks were so vivid that it felt like I was there. As we get further away from our trips to Korea, the flashbacks have gotten less frequent and less intense (although we still have them).

Here are a few of the more vivid memories of our time in Korea …

• Visiting both kids’ foster homes. When we visited Ethan’s foster home and Sarah’s foster home, each time we met a baby we had come to know through photos and reports, but it was obvious they did not know us. We also remember when we showed up to get Ethan the day after we met him that he smiled as soon as he saw us (apparently, remembering us from the day before), but that didn’t last long …
• Goodbyes with the foster families. We’ll never forget the goodbyes at the elevator at the SWS offices. Each time, we went into the elevator with the child we were receiving (or taking away, as it must have felt like for the babies) and watching tearful foster parents give their last goodbyes.
• The Takeaways. There were a few differences between Ethan’s Takeaways and Sarah’s Takeaway, but both were pretty brutal (in fact, the word “brutal” kept going through my mind with Ethan; we were much more prepared for Sarah). It’s hard to tell what kind of mark those experiences left on the kids, but they certainly left their mark on us!
• Holy Flames Methodist Church. We enjoyed connecting with people at Holy Flames. At the end of the main worship service, we were asked to stand at the exit so that people could greet us on the way out of the sanctuary. Being greeted by so many Koreans bowing to us in their traditional greeting was a memorable experience.
• Small Group. We had been looking forward to meeting with a church small group while we were in Korea, until we learned that we would be picking up Ethan a couple of hours before small group. As it turned out, it was a tremendous experience, once we’re glad we didn’t miss!
• A man at Incheon Airport. We often wondered what Koreans thought about us with a Korean baby, whether they viewed it positively or negatively. In 2008, Chung Suk Kim, senior pastor of Kwanglim Methodist Church, perhaps the largest Methodist Church in the world, expressed gratitude to us for adopting a Korean baby. But our last memory from Korea was going through customs at the airport in Korea on our way out of the country. Joleen and the baby (Sarah) were at the counter and I was waiting in line. An older Korean man was behind me and asked if we were adopting a Korean baby. When I told him that we were, he patted me on the back and said, “Thank you!”

But, as I’ve said before, WE are the lucky ones!