mirror or window?

What does it mean to be a leader? What does it mean to be a leader in a church community?

Grace Community is not growing. Growth is a sign of health. There's no magic pill to take to get healthy. It takes exercise, a good diet, good amounts of rest, and a good frame of mind. And you have to keep doing it.

Good leaders look in the mirror when assessing blame and look out the window when giving credit. Jim Collins (Good to Great) writes about leaders of successful corporations who, when they couldn't find anyone but themselves to give credit to, would resort to "blaming" luck or timing for what everyone else knew was the leader's wisdom and perseverance. Conversely, if we're not exercising or not eating well, we're not going to get any healthier if we blame it on being in the wrong neighborhood or not having enough volunteers. We have to look in the mirror and ask, "What am I doing wrong and what do I need to change?" And then we have to do it.

So I've challenged the leadership team (including me) to use this Advent season as a time for prayer and fasting. Our prayer question is "How am I hindering God's work in Grace Community and what does he want me to do differently?" Please pray for the leadership team as we take this time to listen to God. Pray that we'll hear God as we continue to serve him and the church community. And pray that we'll have the courage to do what he's directing.