Welcome to the Bloggers Bookstudy
Monday, June 29, 2009 at 2:36AM 
Welcome to the launch of our online collaborative efforts to collectively review six books in the next nine weeks. Twelve bloggers, six books, one daily post. See the schedule of posts and blogs here and participate with your thoughts, comments and questions. I am excited to be a part of this great group of leaders and looking forward to the journey ... if you're interested in the Fall 09' Bloggers Bookstudy - send me an email here
View Schedule and Book List here
We begin the study with a look at Bill Hybels' Courageous Leadership
Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels - Chapters 1 & 2
This book has been a 30 year process for Bill Hybels who at age 50 finally felt ready to write a book for the most influential leader in the world: the local church leader. He is intentional about NOT writing leadership theories but sharing proven leadership practices of over 30 years of ministry.
CHAPTER 1 (pages 11-28)
The Stakes of Leadership After a visit to ground zero (ten days after 9/11), Hybels was blown away by the destruction he saw and by the thought of how "evil" could run so deep in someone to cause such horrific pain. Besides seeing the heroic efforts of firemen , red cross teams and others .... Hybels was most impressed with the untold media story of "ordinary christ followers like you and me who sat at restaurants, office buildings, temporary shelters 24/7 , addressing with courage and sensitivity the deep concerns of the soul... offering healing to truly wounded souls". He was reminded once again that The local church is truly the hope of the world.
The Beauty of the Church It was in the early seventies that a young Hybels in seminary was gripped by the vision of an Acts 2 church. A church (community of believers) that offered unbelievers a vision of life that was so beautiful it took their breath away. Bold , creative & so dynamic that it was irresistible .
The Power of the Church It is not the job of government , legislations or city officials to change a human heart , to heal a wounded soul , to turn hatred into love , to bring about repentance , forgiveness , reconciliation , peace... only one power exists on this sorry planet that can do that. It's the power of the love of Jesus Christ... and this radical message of His transforming love has been given to the church. This means that in a very real way , the future of the world rests in the hands of local congregations like yours and mine.
The Potential of the Church There is nothing like the local church when its working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. Whatever the capacity for human suffering , the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness.
The Vitality of the Church What do prevailing churches have in common ? Is it location, denomination , facility , great preaching? Without minimizing the importance of these things ... Hybels has seen that "what flourishing churches have in common is that they are led by people who posses and deploy the spiritual gift of leadership.... [ As seen in Acts 2 ] a band of brothers and sisters who were humbly and prayerfully providing the vision, the strategy, and the inspiration that enabled an entire congregation to bear fruit abundantly. Its not that the gift of leadership is more important than other gifts, its simply that people with the gift of leadership are uniquely equipped to come up with the strategies and structures that provide opportunities for other people to use their gifts most effectively.
Leadership History 101 Old Testament: Moses, David, Nehemiah, Esther etc.. New Testament: Peter , Paul etc... Recent Times: Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley etc... these were initial catalysts for change in the church. Romans 12:8 tells those of us who have been gifted with leadership that we had better sit up and take notice, that we better "lead with diligence". Why ? because the Church - upon which the eternal destiny of the world depends on will flourish or falter largely on the basis of how we lead.
The Bottom Line of this book is not leadership .... but that the church may reach its full potential as in Acts 2 ... which will only happen through its leaders.
CHAPTER 2 (pages 29-50)
A Leader's most Potent Weapon is Vision John Adams (1774) declaring a new nation: the USA , William Wilberforce (1833) pushing the bill to completely abolish slavery , The Wright Brothers (1903) the birth of air travel , Henry Ford (1900's) assembly of autos , Billy Graham (1940) bringing the gospel to the masses , Martin Luther King Jr. (1963) the dream of a world with no prejudice, hatred or racism.
--> What do all these leaders have in common? A compelling vision.
"Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained." Proverbs 29:18 "Vision is a picture of he future that produces passion" - Bill Hybels
Receiving the Vision - I was born for this!
First a leader sees the vision either through scripture, listening or experiencing God at work maybe through another leader. Without hesitation the leader is compelled and decides to give his/her life to it. (It may come as a one time "bang!" or overtime with more and more clarity)
Second , comes the feeling of the vision - the energy and passion that a leader will feel in his heart is important for it to be fully understood.
A leader's passion is contagious - Leaders are not the only ones energized by the passion of their vision. Followers thrive on it too. Leaders should never apologize for the strength of feeling that accompanies their God given vision.
Taking Responsibility - After seeing it and feeling it . A leader must own in! A Godly vision is a holy entrustment from god - to squander it is an unthinkable sin. Example: Acts 20:24 (Paul took vision as far as any leader can - to his death)
Maximizing a Leader's Receptivity - Receiving a vision form God is both spiritual and practical. It involves the quiet internal work of making your heart ready and also the energetic, external work of exploring and experimenting.
Communicate Vision by Embodying it
How does a leader BEST communicate vision ? by living it out!
Communicate Vision One-on-One
The second best way to communicate vision is one on one conversations. Like Jesus did , individual eye to eye conversation with a big ask: Will you leave everything and join me?"
Communicate Vision by Going Public
The last way to communicate vision is to share it with the public, the church , the team. The vision talk: It forces precise wording to their passion.
The WHO & WHEN matter
WHO: The appropriate person to give the vision talk matters: It is solely the responsibility of the point leader. The one who has embodied the vision from the beginning.
WHEN: The appropriate time for the talk is crucial . At the beginning of the ministry season , at the start of the run. (But continual vision is important to prevent vision leakage)
important note: When a leader is casting vision publicly the goal is to help people to know, understand, and remember the "main thing."
The Vision Payoffs
1.Vision will increase energy and move people into action (it puts the match to the fuel that most people carry around in their hearts and yearn to have ignited by a leader like you)
2.Vision increases ownership - effective vision casting will spark veteran "vision owners" to enthusiastically recommit and give their life to it.
3.Vision provides focus - a clear statement of what a church IS about offers clarity on what it IS NOT about. It minimizes distractions.
4. Vision smoothes leadership succession - a clear vision allows for a smooth passing of the leadership baton with maintained momentum & effectiveness.
Vision is the weapon that unleashes the power of the church.
Chapter 3 @ http://barbyward.com tomorrow
References (1)
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Response: Bloggers Bookstudy with Flamingo Road
Reader Comments (17)
1.What is the vision of your/our church ? Is it clear and compelling ?
2.Has God clearly revealed and fired you up about his vision for you/for us?
What is it ? How was it ?
3.Are you having a One on One today ? if not.. schedule it now :)
I like the statement from chapter 1, "Its potential is unlimited." Refering to the church. We were able to see this yesterday with our Beach Baptism. On a rainy day people showed up. God showed up in a big way.
Chapter 2, "Communicate Vision by Going Public", We went public yesterday and people in our church and our community saw the vision of FRC.
We did and will see vision payoff from what took place at the beach.
Thinking on chapter 1...he speaks of the destruction in NYC. Every weekend we are at ground zero as we do life with those who are hurting. As a leader in the church we have to take the initiative to minister to people. We must engage in vision conversations...can we speak to everyone? No, but we can speak to some. As leaders if we all take the initiative to speak vision to "some" we have the opportunity to speak vision to all.
Also...I feel that FRC has a clear and compelling vision. The question is can we, the church leaders, effectively communicate this vision with passion. Remember, vision leaks.
Great content by Hybels ... what a guru!
emailed ya bout fall study
Chris
I first picked up this book years ago, and really look forward to diving into it again with the group. The statement, "it forces precise wording to their passion." is a point I did not recall, but that is so true. "precise wording", forces us to think through our vision and how to best communicate it. Effective communication is clear and consistent.
Our vision is to have 50 campuses w/ 100k ppl right ?!
this ..... by partenring with people to reach their God potential !.... if there's anything that I'd tattoo in my heart .. its that !!
good summary from book ... excited to read others ...
J
Thinking about Chap 1 and The Power of the Church. He talks about how the only one on this "sorry planet" that can bring real change, healing forgiveness,etc is the Power of Jesus. We as Christ followers are his hands and through His church we can help bring Him and His love to others. I've experienced this at FRC myself and since have been blessed to see many AHAA moments and lives changed.
Chap 2 talks about A leader's passion being contagious. Our vision is BIG, and very CLEAR. Changing the world is what we are running after and that takes strong leaders. There have been times when we've all felt tired, I know I have, and then I read an email from P. Troy to his staff that lifts us up, energizes us, and gives us that get up and go for another million miles. Leading by example and encouraging the team is soooo important to the Vision.
"Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion" - Bill Hybels
I love this quote. Vision must equal passion. Like Pastor Troy says, if you can't get fired up about the vision then you need to go out and find a vision you can get fired up about.
I also like the way vision paints a picture in your mind. When you're passionate about the vision you follow you dream and fantasize about the future. You wonder what it will look like. Who will be impacted as a result of it? What the journey will be like for you and your team...
1.What is the vision of your/our church ? Is it clear and compelling ?
-50 Campuses, serving 100,000 peeps on a weekend, annual budget of $150,000,000.
-Yes.
2.Has God clearly revealed and fired you up about his vision for you/for us?
What is it ? How was it ?
-Yes, and it's still getting clearer / yes.
-It is to (wording may change) facilitate the kind of community among college students that leads them to reach their God potential.
-It's been a gradual process of me gravitating towards the things that connect with where my passion and gifting lies. In my life, if I have not been passionate about it or good at it, I've either moved or have been moved away from it. Learning to pay attention to where those intersections are is helping me to further shape the personal vision I'm chasing after.
3.Are you having a One on One today ? if not.. schedule it now :)
-I'll be having a 1-on-12 later on today with the Elevate leadership. Does that count?
I love it how Hybels states the bottom line ... how his heart for the church , the bride shines through his leadership ... it is so important for us not to loose sight of the GREAT COMMISSION , the GREAT VISION ... the capital 'V" vision if you may ...
looking forward to the chapter reviews...
J.A.
"The Potential of the Church - There is nothing like the local church when its working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. Whatever the capacity for human suffering , the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness."
I LOVE that quote. It is true now, here, and all over the planet. It's true in Iran and Honduras and Miami and my neighborhood. I really appreciate the love and respect for the Bride of Christ - the Church has its flaws, (and sometimes huge and tragic flaws) but it is where the hurting can get permanent help. Such a privilege to be a part of that, and to know that Christ's love for His Bride is unrelenting.
I'm fired up for the next installment!!
Love it! so many good points. But the one that jumped at me was: "Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion".
I'm a visual person. It helps to see or at least have a real good idea of it to understand and grasp it. Our Vision is clear, 50 100 150, Partnering with people to reach their God-potential. Were here to change the world, to make an impact.
Vision brought us to today, today we are seeing life change as a result of a passionate vision, but vision also dares us to dream of the life change that is still to come. Vision fires our passion, without passion vision is just a dream!
"only one power exists on this sorry planet that can do that. It's the power of the love of Jesus Christ... and this radical message of His transforming love has been given to the church." I love this!! Only Christ can heal the broken & we get to be used to love on those hurting. Being at FRC helps me see this put in action- with flaws and all. God's kingdom is established, his rule, when His church is obedient to Him; loving and acting on that love.
"Vision is the weapon that unleashes the power of the church." vision, vision, vision- reminds us why we do what we do. Lord, help me not take lightly what You call your church to be for those still lost. Great summary for ch1 & 2.
I often ask my teams... "Do I seem MAD?".... Don't mistake passion in execution for being MAD... it's Holy Discontent. I hate to see myself fall just short of what I know I am capable of... I want to be surrounded by people who seem to "Care" so much about something that it bothers them when it goes wrong:)
"Leaders should never apologize for the strength of feeling that accompanies their God given vision. "
Ditto to Marcy's words... "vision, vision, vision- reminds us why we do what we do. Lord, help me not take lightly what You call your church to be for those still lost."
'Til arriving at FRC, I understood "vision" to be what your eyeballs see or don't see. It's when PT began to teach on it and apply it that I learned it was SO much more. When it comes to FRC's vision, sometimes, it's been the only thing that's kept me running when I've wanted to give up. In those times, I've really understood the value of vision.
1.What is the vision of your/our church ? Is it clear and compelling ?
-FRC 50100150. Yes it is.
2.Has God clearly revealed and fired you up about his vision for you/for us?
What is it ? How was it ?
-for me, it becomes clearer every day. For us, YES!
-it's merging my love for the ad biz and my passion for FRC.
-very gradual, looking back at the stages of my life i can see now what God was doing (sooo awesome) and i can't wait to see what happens next.
3.Are you having a One on One today ? if not.. schedule it now :)
-already did
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