tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post112830196049691836..comments2024-02-23T17:09:12.957-05:00Comments on bethquick.com: Pastors and LeadershipBeth Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171030571583683180noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128919863009800992005-10-09T23:51:00.000-05:002005-10-09T23:51:00.000-05:00Lorna - thanks for the great compliment!Willie, ni...Lorna - thanks for the great compliment!<BR/><BR/>Willie, nice take on the shepherd image. <BR/><BR/>Jonathan - I have both the books you suggest, read them cover to cover my first year in ministry. I agree and highly recommend them as well!!Beth Quickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14171030571583683180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128821336016867622005-10-08T20:28:00.000-05:002005-10-08T20:28:00.000-05:00A leader is primarily someone who responds to a ca...A leader is primarily someone who responds to a call - we discern a need within the community of faith and we cannot live with that need going unmet. <BR/><BR/>Spending an afternoon with Len Sweet's "Summoned to Lead" can't hurt.<BR/><BR/>Re: the Sheherd image - don't soften this image too much. A good shepherd has to be something of a bad dude - vigilant, watchful, ready to fend off predators, raiders, and enemies armed only with sharp instincts and a crooked stick. Yet a shepherd must be clever and patient in rounding up and moving the sheep from place to place, discerning the needs of the sheep.Willie Deuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11793491583747419707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128730522289755722005-10-07T19:15:00.000-05:002005-10-07T19:15:00.000-05:00Beth, my own pastor engages in what I would call "...Beth, my own pastor engages in what I would call "leadership by bringing along." I actually first met him back when I was in college, when he was assistant pastor at our university/townie parish, and the clergyperson most in contact with the student members. I can't tell you how many women and men he inspired to go to seminary. He loves doing theology with anyone. He loves bringing interested people with him on pastoral visits. He shares worship leadership duties with the laity. He freely shares what he knows. And he very gently nudges people into discovering their own gifts for ministry in their everyday lives. (Which is one of the reasons I wound up in our synodical lay ministry program.)LutheranChikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02685566332651377907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128688500617693412005-10-07T07:35:00.000-05:002005-10-07T07:35:00.000-05:00Please don't let my post be the last! Let's hear ...Please don't let my post be the last! Let's hear from some more of you. This, in my opinion is one of the most important issues in the UMC.Revwillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04056129430564452912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128477423374733042005-10-04T20:57:00.000-05:002005-10-04T20:57:00.000-05:00Some random thoughts on leadershipJohn Maxwell say...Some random thoughts on leadership<BR/><BR/>John Maxwell says, "leadership is influence." I agree. Leaders have the ability to influence and motivate people to move in a particular direction, to go places they wouldn't have gone without a leader, do things they would not normally do. Leaders are people with a vision of how something can be better.Leaders take time to dream about what could be. Leaders see what others don't. Leaders challenge the status quo. Leaders lead themselves and then others.<BR/><BR/>Everyone can learn leadership skills. People like Warren, Hybels and others often have a gift of leadership, but everyone can learn the skills. I am a big picture person who is awful at details and follow through. Therefore I have brought people around me who love detail and follow through. They understand me and know what I can and cannot do. I am no good at all at administration or finances, but others in my church are and I let them do it.<BR/><BR/>I've already alluded to this; leaders are people who are very intentional about personal growth. They read books, listen to tapes and attend conferences on leadership. <BR/><BR/>Leaders have also learned and developed good people skills.<BR/><BR/>Leaders are people who care about others. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." J. Maxwell You see, first you have to get people to buy into you, then they will buy into your dream/vision.<BR/><BR/>Leaders are courageous people. They feel fear about doing things, but they do it anyway. They have decided that they don't need to survive. They make hard decisions.<BR/><BR/>Leaders are people who develop others to lead.<BR/><BR/>Leaders serve.<BR/><BR/>Leaders lift others.<BR/><BR/>For what it is worth, those are a few of my random thoughts of how I understand leadership.Revwillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04056129430564452912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128448284739363852005-10-04T12:51:00.000-05:002005-10-04T12:51:00.000-05:00I struggled mightily with my Administration & Fina...I struggled mightily with my Administration & Finance class during my last semester of seminary. In my opinion, the tack of the class was to pretend to encourage theologically framed conversations about adminstration while simultaneously preaching the pastor as CEO approach. We had Harvard Business Journal articles as assigned reading. It really turned me off. But I will be honest: I have rejected that approach to pastoral leadership without really constructing an alternative. The shepherd thing doesn't really work so well for me, either. Do we need a better metaphor? Or better practical guidelines? <BR/><BR/>Thanks for the great post, Beth. I popped by through the RevGalBlogPals ring.kwpersheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02313821985751564632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128394909262960902005-10-03T22:01:00.000-05:002005-10-03T22:01:00.000-05:00Romans 8:6-8 (NRSV) says, "We have gifts that diff...Romans 8:6-8 (NRSV) says, "We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; <B>the leader, in diligence</B>; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.<BR/><BR/>I think that pastoral leadership requires us to know which of the gifts that God has given to each of us, but not to neglect the others. What I have found (and I am sure you have found, also) is that in relationships people bring all kinds of expectations to the position. Some want a prophet, some a teacher, some a leader, some compassion. It has taken me a long time in this journey finding little pieces of myself here and there to claim. Questions that I continue to ask areā¦ What is my gift? Is my call shifting or changing? What area of the pastoral office has God challenged me to grow into? What gifts are those around me affirming?<BR/><BR/>The question that I have for God is, why do people like Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, and Adam Hamilton (all of which I have the utmost respect for) seem to have been given a basket of gifts and most of us are fortunate to see and claim one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128390277354315892005-10-03T20:44:00.000-05:002005-10-03T20:44:00.000-05:00This may be changing the subject a bit, but what y...This may be changing the subject a bit, but what you said about relating to a shepherd caught my eye.<BR/><BR/>I wrote a Christmas poem a few years ago titled "Shepherd or Wiseman" about who we are, and how is it that God comes to each of us.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, my inspiration for that was reading that shepherds were sorta "outcasts" in Jesus' time due to their inability to keep all the laws - after all they were like dairy farmers today - they had to work 24/7 to care for the sheep.<BR/><BR/>I'm not saying that a pastor has to be an outcast :-) but they certainly are "set out" and at times, I know they feel like they are on call 24/7.<BR/><BR/>Also when there is an ineffective pastor, a church can actually look like "sheep without a shepherd..." especially when there is not strong lay leadership either.<BR/><BR/>I take a business magazine called "Fast Company" and last month's issue was on "Leadership." When I took a "Christian Leadership" class at a local Bible School (not "V"BS!) we studied both Christian and secular leadership. <BR/><BR/>Sometimes ya just gotta be different!<BR/><BR/>BettyBetty Newmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16978244423670308650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128360557121381702005-10-03T12:29:00.000-05:002005-10-03T12:29:00.000-05:00Beth, As a lay person I think it might be easier t...Beth, As a lay person I think it might be easier to see what it takes to be a good pastoral leader. A while back we changed pastors our old pastor was looked upon by the district as someone who could lead a church that is facing problems so they reassigned him. The qualities I saw were accessibility (always ready to be there for you), hard working, enjoyable to be around truthful,a peacemaker( helping congregants to get along),loving,and encouraging of the ministries of the parishoners. I think these attributes bear fruit through a healthy and vibrant churchAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128359343927767722005-10-03T12:09:00.000-05:002005-10-03T12:09:00.000-05:00GREAT questions here by the way Beth. And I'm thin...GREAT questions here by the way Beth. And I'm thinking on them ... back soon I hope :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128359140518047802005-10-03T12:05:00.000-05:002005-10-03T12:05:00.000-05:00actually Beth I'd say you :) I just read your repl...actually Beth I'd say you :) I just read your reply on dear brother jacob's blog and you were lovingly brilliant<BR/><BR/>I bless you and your ministry to all of God's people, just as you have been called.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655521.post-1128322263852877542005-10-03T01:51:00.000-05:002005-10-03T01:51:00.000-05:00Here's my recommendations:1. Pastor: The Theology ...Here's my recommendations:<BR/><BR/>1. Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry by Will Willimon (coming at this from scripture, tradition, and experience- Willimon writes about what it means to be a pastor in its various roles)<BR/><BR/>2. Pastor: A Reader for Ordained Ministry edited by Will Willimon (compilation of saints and pastoral leaders throughout our history)<BR/><BR/>cheers,<BR/>jonathonJonathonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05754345540431565703noreply@blogger.com