This is the kind of stuff that helps us hear our call to something bigger than ourselves. My burden for the broken, both here and abroad, is growing quickly.
What role do you play in the healing of this world?
-Shane
Shane Sanchez
This video is from the Catalyst conference that took place earlier this month in Atlanta, GA. If you haven't already seen this, prepare to be moved:
Shane Sanchez
Change is good.
As you can see, things have changed around here a little bit. I have to mix things up every so often. Monotony is a stifle to leadership. We should constantly strive to be creating, changing, and developing everything we do.
Often change is hard, but that can be a good thing. Think about growing pains, the only way to become stronger and physically move into the next stage of life is to experience discomfort. We have to sometimes feel a little uncomfortable in order to progress and grow.
God is always the same, but He is a catalyst of change. Look at creation, season's change, animals go extinct, landmass shifts, shorelines move, everything changes.
When God is at the root of change, the results are more beautiful than we could have ever imagined.
Think back to seasons aforemetioned:
With spring comes wildflowers and peaceful breezes, with summer comes white sandy beaches and a gleaming sun, with fall comes turning leaves and cooler wind, and with winter comes snow covered ground.
Even though we each have our preference, it is impossible to deny the beauty that each change of season brings.
Sometimes change is exactly what you need to step into the plans of God. What has God been asking you to change? Remember, the beauty comes after the transformation.
Another Revamp,
Shane
Shane Sanchez
I know this video is about a year old, but I saw it on my friend's (Ryan O.) facebook page and wanted to share it...
Doesn't unity sound incredible?
-Shane
Shane Sanchez
Sorry there hasn't been much action around here since Monday.
I'm in a redecorating faze.
I want to change up the look of this blog. I really like it right now but it needs a facelift.
It's taking a little time but I am working with a great web guru (@godztek) and things should be coming together really quick.
I'll still be blogging tomorrow, but my plan is to have everything looking fresh by next week.
Sit tight, the construction will be done soon.
Constantly Revamping,
Shane
Shane Sanchez
Are people your first priority?
If one of your closest friends was killed unjustly would you give up your time to mourn in order to meet the needs of others?
I know this sounds kind of extreme, but as I read through Matthew I was challenged by the example of Christ:
"When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was.When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick." Matthew 14:13-14 (The Message)
Upon being told about the brutal death of John the baptist Christ sought retreat, but he never lost sight of His purpose.
How many of us, as leaders, miss this principle? Whether it's a bad day, an argument with a loved one, built up anger, a death in the family, etc. The initial response for most individuals is to retreat and unplug from everything. We want to totally disconnect and just have time to mourn, reflect, or calm down. In moments like these the last thing we want to do is deal with the needs of other people.
We need to look at the example Christ gave. This one passage of scripture should challenge every leader who believes they are called to a purpose. Even in one of the most emotional times of Christ life, when all He wanted to do was get away, he took the time to live out His purpose. He never lost sight of His vision and took the time to show compassion.
What if we lived our lives like this? Christ never missed an opportunity. His priority was always others first. Even in a time of mourning, he was "interrupted", and still had pity on the broken.
The next time you let your bad day affect the way you do ministry, focus on the example of Christ. Their are times to deal with the tough occasions of life, but in those times we must never lose sight of our calling. We have to constantly be aware of the needs of others and meet those needs at all times.
My prayer is to continuously be "overcome with pity" for the brokenhearted of this world.
-Shane
Shane Sanchez
My boss said something the other day that made a lot of sense. He was discussing the principle of consent vs. commitment and it hit me; we, as leaders, don't ask enough of those around us.
Now I know what you are thinking, "Are you kidding me, I'm concerned about asking the people around me to do too much". Hear me out though. I'm not talking about the quantity of what we ask, but instead the quality.
My boss described consent vs. commitment as this:
Asking a person's consent would be: "Will you throw out the trash for me?"
Asking a person's commitment would be: "From now on, every time you see this trash full, will you throw it?"
Do you see the difference between simply asking someone to handle a task and asking someone to commit to a task?
The concept seems simple but I know a lot of us struggle with asking for commitment. We have a team of individuals around our ministry that take care of task week in and week out, yet we still wind up doing a lot on our own. Some day's we have nothing to worry about because someone was instructed to take care of the task, but the next we find ourselves distracted from our work in order to take care of other responsibilities. That is why it's so important to learn to ask for commitment. You must gain full commitment from your team. You cannot be afraid to ask someone to commit long term, to a task, or a cause. Their commitment will open up more opportunity for you to focus on developing your ministry based on the vision God has given you.
It's not always easy to gain commitment from your volunteers, but when you find someone who will commit to the cause, grab onto them and don't let go. Constantly thank your committed team members and show them that their hard work is recognized. Even the leaders who "take out the trash every week" play a crucial part in the ministry. After all, they are the ones who allow you to fully focus on your sermon, small group lesson, creative meeting, network, etc.
Be a leader who is devoted to seeking commitment rather than consent.
-Shane
Shane Sanchez
Catalyst is the most innovative and dynamic conferences in the church today.
I wish I could be there, but I can tell you I am pumped to watch the backstage events and anything else that is going to come from this conference. Something great comes out of this conference every year and I can't wait to watch it progress this week.
If you are a church leader: what are you looking forward to from Catalyst 09?; whether you are there or not.
Also, what conferences have you/do you plan on attending in the future?
-Shane
Shane Sanchez
What are you doing to equip future leaders?
I think sometimes we can get so focused on what we want to accomplish, that we completely forget what we are called to do.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV)
This is our true calling. Yeah we are called to ministry, if you aren't pursuing excellence you would be doing something wrong, and of course we want to see people accept Christ, but it goes beyond all this. We are all called to make disciples. This isn't a commission just for youth pastors and small group leaders, We are all commissioned to pour into the lives of those around us.
So, wherever you stand today. Whatever you are doing: pastoring, banking, teaching, fixing computers, etc., make an effort to invest in the people God has placed in your life. Take them to lunch, call them regularly, show them what it means to live a Revelation 21:5 kind of "new" life.
Christ died for a chance to have a relationship with each of us. Is it too much to sacrifice $5 and an hour at Starbucks, for a chance at relationship with someone else?
Shane Sanchez
When is the last time you worshipped God?
Now some of your reading this would answer: "Well, yesterday in church, we sang songs and we worshipped."
I believe you did worship Him, but did you truly worship all of Him?
What about the Holy Spirit?
When is the last time you entertained His presence. When is the last time you asked for the Spirit to wrap you up and be the comforter that Christ promised.
Last night during the music part of our service, something hit me. Something pushed me to worship differently than I ever have. Something was tugging me, something wanted me to acknowledge It's presence. I know now that this wasn't simply a something it was God. It was His Spirit. The Holy Spirit gripped me last night and wouldn't let go.
For the first time last night, I understand what Jesus meant when He said:
"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7, NIV)
It is for our good. The Holy Spirit is sheer power. He is a completely unique part of the Trinity but is entirely as important as the other parts. He is the power to heal the sick, comfort the broken, and strengthen the weak. He is POWER!
I believe that this is something Christians need to hear. We have ignored the Spirit for so long. He has been ignored for far too long and I believe He wants to break out. If we want to change the World we will engage the Spirit of God. If we want our lives to be different, we will believe Christ when he said "It is for your good that I am going away, Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you..."
I encourage you to worship God. The Triune God. Worship The Father, The Son, and The Spirit. Don't forget the obvious. The spirit lives in you. He is the one that has come to us. He is the one who is on the inside of our heart working to pound His way out into our everyday lives.
Worship The Spirit,
Shane
PS: An incredible read on this topic is "Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect Of The Holy Spirit" by Francis Chan Buy it on Amazon here: http://tinyurl.com/myg8f5
Shane Sanchez
This is a video of Pastor Josh Harris (Senior Pastor Covenant Life Church, Author) that I pulled from his blog. In the video he illustrates the issue of self control in one of the most relevant ways I have seen so far. This definitely opened my eyes and challenged me to pray for help in this area and any other area I may miss.
This is so perfect for where we are today. I don't care if you are a church leader, school teacher, student, or business mogul, if you are in relationship with God there is a pretty good chance you get distracted by technology.
What are other activities that surpass our self control?
-Shane
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