Category: Leadership

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Ownership

I met with a friend for breakfast this week and we talked a lot about work and business. I love hearing about what is happening in different work places and how people are leading in the business world.

As we talked, the topic came up of employees not thinking like the owner thinks. Their views and opinions are different from the person that writes the checks and pays the bills. At times it can be frustrating for the owner, because he is trying to run a business and make a profit and the employee is more concerned about his paycheck and how many hours he has to work.

The employee does not typically make decisions based on what is best for the company. They usually don’t see the bigger picture, especially when difficult decisions need to be made. Many employees think about what is in it for me. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but those employees are not usually on the same page as the owner. That makes it more difficult to get things done in a way that leads to growth and profitability.

As I thought about this, I started to relate this ownership thinking idea to the church and God. Many people do not think like owners when it comes to church. The mentality is what is in it for me, how can the church help me? Is the church meeting my needs and making me comfortable. That may be OK for someone that is seeking God, hurting or needing recovery of some sorts. However, after awhile that should begin to change. The thinking needs to switch to that of an owner. Seeing the bigger picture of why the church exists, and that is to help all people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, no matter where they are at on that journey.

That means sacrificing some of my own wants for the betterment of the church. Embracing changes that will help to reach more people and help people get connected. An owner thinks how can we be more efficient, more effective, and do things with excellence. An owner is willing to make hard choices, because it will further the vision of the church or business.

I have to ask myself, am I thinking like an owner or an employee or member? My friend said that employees that think like owners are rare and very valuable. They make better decisions, give better service, make more sacrifices and are more loyal than those who do not.

The Bible talks about our thoughts not being Gods thoughts. Most people don’t think the way God thinks. This is reflected in how we pray, how we spend our money, how we treat our spouse, kids and co-workers. As we begin to think like Jesus, we begin to change our behaviors, see people in a different way, we see the world in a different way. With this different perspective God can use us in a broader way. When we think like He thinks we begin to do what He would do.

Do you think like an owner in your workplace? In your Church? In your conversations with God?

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More pictures from Go 08

Here are several projects that happened in the Uhrichsville area on Sunday August 3rd:









This is the project in Sugarcreek, staining a pavilion for the Village.




This is a project in the Baltic area. Cleaning up the property and working on the house.





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What a Day!

This was an amazing week. Go ’08 at NewPointe Community Church wrapped up with a Community Impact day today. During the month of July we had a food drive with a goal of 1,500 boxes of food. We counted 12 items to fill a box. Things like canned goods, cereal, peanut butter, pasta and other nonperishable items. Two weeks ago our count was around 450 boxes, and last week our count was 1,008. I was a little sceptical that we could reach our goal. I remember praying about it and telling God that He would have to do an amazing work to reach that goal. Well God and the people of NewPointe came through. Our final count, which includes outdated items that went to a fifth food pantry and monetary donations, is 1,720. Can you say Wow! God is Good.

We also had around 600 people sign up to participate in this Sunday’s Community Impact day last Sunday. That put us at around 1,000 people to get connected into a project. It was a busy week and we had some amazing volunteers help put it together. We ordered 1,200 yellow shirts and all of them are gone. Can you believe that over 1,200 people went out into the community to serve? I was blown away by the spirit of the people that attend NewPointe.

I ran into a couple that just moved to our area from Nigeria (Africa). They had been to NewPointe two times and wanted to serve. They came to the church and got some cookies and delivered them to a local nursing home for the employees. They told me that they really enjoy the church and wanted to be a part of this day of serving. How cool is that. We had many such stories of people that have been coming for a short period of time, but wanted to help be the church.

Another lady that is in a wheel chair wanted to help serve, so she made over 20 silk flower arraignments that we delivered to homeowners of projects, elderly and people that had been hospitalized or had cancer. Way to go Sharon, you really made a difference.

I talked to one lady that was babysitting her grandchildren so that the parents could go serve on projects, Way to go Marlene, you made a difference. We had a group of ladies that prepared meals for 12 families, way to go Laura, Susanna and Joy you made a difference. We delivered cookies to the employees of all the local hospitals, nursing homes, fire stations, police stations and group homes. That is really untypical.

We helped get Dover’s Crater stadium ready for the football season and helped the Holmes County Fair grounds get ready for the Fair. We had teams at the Dover schools, New Phila schools, Tusky Valley schools, West Holmes High school and Strasburg High School. We had a team help get the new Clay Museum in Uhrichsville ready to open and a team at Schoenbrunn Memorial Park getting it spruced up.

We also had a Health Fair and Haircuts for kids at the Church. We had over 30 kids get haircuts and numerous people got health screenings. Thanks to all the medical volunteers and hair stylists that made that happen.

I want to thank all the team leaders that took on projects and pulled this all together.

I can’t wait to here stories and see all the pictures and video. I will be posting pictures on my blog this week. You can also look for pictures on our website.

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Really Big

The last few weeks have been very exciting. I work at NewPointe Community Church and we have been planning a community Impact day for this Sunday August 3, 2008. A couple of weeks ago, I was not sure we would reach our goal of 1,500 boxes of food for the food drive, and I was not sure how many people would participate in the community impact day. Well it looks like we are very close to our goal of 1,500 boxes. We had money donated as well, that will add to our box total. We also have around 1,000 people participating on Sunday. I hope to have a more accurate number next week. We have over 50 community projects in places like Millersburg, Coshocton, Newcomerstown, Mineral city, Bolivar, Strasburg, Dover, New Philadelphia, Dennison, Uhrichsville, Gnadenhutten, Sugarcreek, Baltic and Dundee.

Someone at work kept telling me all week this is really big (thanks Barbara). I totally agree, because I think this will touch people in ways we will never know. The old saying of people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care is very true. When people know the church cares about them, maybe they will want to hear what we have to say. Maybe they will want to check out this church that is giving to the community. Maybe their lives will be changed forever.

I stand amazed at how God has brought this all together. I believe He has a plan in all of this, and I am so excited to be a part of it. I have heard so many positive comments and I also want to thank the many people that are leading these work teams and that have given so generously to the food drive and to community impact day. It is amazing what a group of people can do if they work together. God is Good!

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Single Parents

Being a single parent has to be a very difficult thing. Unfortunately many people are finding themselves in this reality. I am not a single parent and don’t pretend to understand the challenges they face. My heart does go out to them as they try their best to raise their kids.

On Sunday August 3rd NewPointe Community Church is offering a free oil change to single parents. This is a small way to say we care and want to help. To participate they must call the church office with information about their vehicle. That number is 330-602-5600. We will then give them a voucher good at one of 5 locations on Sunday August 3rd from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. They will get their car serviced, inspected and washed.

We are also offering free health screenings and free haircuts to children 13 and under that same day. The health screenings and haircuts are open to anyone. The church will be open that Sunday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. We will also be washing cars outside.

People attending will get free snacks and coffee. We are also handing out toothbrushes and floss. Some of the health screenings include, blood pressure checks, glucose screening, Cholesterol screenings, body mole exams, height, weight and body fat, simple hearing and vision tests and eye glass repairs.

We are hoping people in the community come and take advantage of these offers. We want to bless our community and let individuals and families know that we care about them. This is not a typical thing for a church to do. We believe by giving to our community we are showing God’s love and concern for all people.

Please help spread the word about what is happening on August 3rd at NewPointe.

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Community Impact

One thing that I am passionate about is outreach. Reaching out to the people and organizations in our community and in our country and around the world. As a church we can make a difference. My passion to serve the hurting, broken and less fortunate people in our world has been growing. Every day I talk to people that are hurting or struggling in some way. I have seen first hand the poor living conditions of people in our own community. I have talked to people that are unsure where their next meal is coming from. I have seen the destruction of a hurricane and walked the streets of garbage city in Egypt.

I believe God is moving in our community and He wants to use the local church to turn our community on its ear. To do that we all need to play our part. It starts by using the gifts and abilities God has given you to serve people. When we reach out in love to our neighbors, they may not understand it, but a seed is planted. They become curious about a church that gives so freely and really cares about the needs of ordinary people. Those acts of kindness draw people to God. It gives them hope and encouragement and can be the beginning of transforming their lives. It begins to build a relationship of trust that can lead to future open doors and opportunities.

Too often we sit on our hands and stay in our own little world. We don’t want to take the time it takes to really make a difference. What if we all served other people passionately and without conditions? What if we stepped out of our comfort zones on a regular basis? What would happen if that became our culture and we constantly were looking for ways to help and serve others? What if we sent hundreds of people on mission trips to the Middle East and to help with disasters in our country? What if we all gave ten percent of our income? What if we all did just one act of kindness this week?

I want to be a part of a movement like that. An unleashing of the local church that is so untypical, that is has ripple effects that will last for years.

On Sunday August 3rd we are doing a community impact day. On that day we will not have church services, but we will go out and be the church to our community. Groups, families and individuals will gather in locations of up to 20-30 miles from our church and serve people, schools, non-profit organizations and cities. These acts of service will generate a buzz around those communities and draw attention to God. That is the ultimate goal, to glorify God, to show people that His ways are not our ways. That Christians are not typical or ordinary but extraordinary and untypical.

I hope that all those that call NewPointe their home church will get involved and make a difference. This isn’t just about one day of serving, its about changing our communities and changing lives. It’s about being a church that shines so bright, it can’t be ignored.

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Leadership Thought

I try to do a lot of reading, but it goes in spurts. Currently I am heading into a spurt as I am starting to read three new books. One is on leadership, and I came across this quote in chapter two: “Hunger itself is one of the biggest facets of leadership.” That is from the book Launching A Leadership Revolution, by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward.

That simple quote really made me think. What am I hungry for? What gives me energy to start something, the stamina to persist in it and the will to finish an endeavor? I am in the middle of a huge challenge in my work place. This quote has helped me to step back and look at where I am and why I am doing what I am doing.

A hungry person will search persistently for food. I was on a diet recently and found myself hungry at times. When I was hungry, all I could think about was food. When was my next meal and what was I going to eat. A hungry leader will keep pushing forward no matter what stands in the way. A hungry leader is constantly thinking about what is next, what will happen if we do this or go there or try that?

A bigger question to me is what is feeding your hunger? Is it your ego? Is it your ambition? Or maybe it is your purpose in life, understanding why you are here and what role you are playing in this world.

Hungry leaders are driven to change the status quo. They cannot just maintain things, they feel compelled to grow themselves and their organizations. If you have lost your hunger, maybe you don’t have the right thing feeding it. Finding your bigger purpose in life can make you hungry again. The hungrier you are the bigger your vision gets and the more influence you carry.

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An Untypical Look

On Wednesday night we kicked off a new series called Untypical for the month of July. At NewPointe Community Church we have a service on the first Wednesday of every month. It is a great time of worship, prayer, reflection, learning and sharing the Lord’s Supper. Last night we took an untypical look back, ahead, inward and upward.

The night started with incredible music and Danny Bunnelle talked about looking back. He used the song “What a Good God You’ve Been to Me” and talked about how faithful God is. Even in the darkest of times God is faithful and helps us through those times.

Then Kevin West talked about looking ahead and threw out the statement that “Greatness is in your future.” He challenged us to strive for greatness and use it for God’s glory. To see the world the way God sees it and to respond the way God would respond to the world around us.

John Bunn spoke next about Looking inward. He talked about setting aside time to be with God, to take an inventory of where we are with God and finally to pray. John shared his heart for NewPointe to be untypical and to really impact and change our community.

I spoke last about Looking up. Looking up is about having an encounter with God. A moment when God comes down and meets with us. I shared my story of surrendering to God and praying the dangerous prayer of Yes, Lord use me, which led me on a two year journey to full time ministry. In Exodus Moses took the people out of camp to meet with God at Mt. Sinai. The spiritual truth I shared from that is this: Often times, life-altering encounters with God require us to leave the routine, the comfortable and the familiar. Only when we take those dangerous steps do we encounter God and transform our lives.

We ending by worshiping God through communion. We also kicked off our food drive for Go ’08. Our goal is to fill 1,500 boxes with 10-15 food items and deliver those boxes to four area food pantries. this is not a typical thing for a church to do, but I don’t want to be a typical church. My desire is for our church to so impact the communities around us that they can’t imagine life without NewPointe. That may sound arrogant, but I believe that the local church is the hope of the world and the church is God’s plan to change the world. To do that we need to GO out into the world and impact people up close.

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Outward Focused Church

Whose lives are different because of your church? I asked myself that question today, and I could think of dozens of individuals, families and organizations that have been touched by my church. It is so exciting to be a part of a church that is thinking about how to reach out and really make a difference in peoples lives. Not just talking about it, but putting it into action.

We are in the middle of something called the BIG GIVE, where we gave out grants of $400.00 to small groups to do community outreach projects. Over 60 small groups participated and well over $30,000 was handed out. Some groups helped families in need pay bills, others helped local organizations like the homeless shelter and Harbor House with improvements and food. Others did home improvement projects for families and individuals and still others handed out gas cards to people in need. There are many other projects as well, each touching people in different ways.

We also are working with local organizations to do home improvements for elderly, disabled and handicapped people in our communities. These projects are ongoing throughout the year,and we hope to complete over 20 such projects this year.

In July, we are doing a food drive for four local food pantries. Our goal is to fill 1,500 boxes with food and bless those pantries, by filling their shelves for a month. We will end that with a serving Sunday in which we will serve our local communities instead of having a church service. Hundreds of people will go out and serve that morning, instead of sitting in church.

Later this year we are hoping to do a coat and shoes drive to supply needy families and children with coats and shoes.

That is just a taste of what has been and will be happening at NewPointe Community Church. I know there are many people that call NewPointe their home church that do random acts of kindness on a regular basis. I hope this becomes the DNA of NewPointe attendees, too serve others and impact people up close. I have heard many stories of people reaching out and helping people. Calling someone that is going through a hard time and offering to pray for them or bring a meal. Giving someone a gift anonymously. Writing a note of encouragement. Helping a neighbor with outside clean up. Helping people move. Volunteering to help local non profit groups. Visiting elderly in nursing homes and hospitals.

The local church should be the most generous, outward focused organization around. The local church is what should bring hope to the communities it is in. The local church should be the first place people think of when it comes to helping people in need. The local church should be actively working with other community organizations to make a difference and help them reach their goals. The local church should be reaching out to the business community to partner with them and serve them. Local churches should be working together to help those in need.

I am seeing some evidence of these things happening. 8-10 local churches have come together to run a food pantry for the Dover/New Philadelphia area. Local churches are working together on projects like Habitat for Humanity and to raise awareness for foster care and adoption.

Jesus said that we should be salt and light. Salt preserves and enhances and light helps people to see clearly. Is the church doing that? Are we adding value to our community? Are we helping people to see God clearly? Are we being real and relevant to the world around us? Do we really care about lost people? Hurting people? Poor people?