Is it the job of a leader to motivate people?…

That’s a question I am chewing on at the moment and would be interested in your reflections.

If you’d asked me 5 years ago I would have said ‘absolutely’ – that it’s a primary task of leadership to be a driving force and to motivate people to carry out certain roles and tasks. The leader is to be the one who helps people find energy and enthusiasm for whatever it is that they are working towards. I’m not sure why I thought that. I guess I’d always found myself drawn to inspirational, motivational leaders – hence that was my concept of leadership.

Lately I’ve been wondering about the wisdom of seeing motivation as a function of leadership.

I wonder if as leaders we risk spending our time trying to get naturally unmotivated people to do things that they don’t actually want to do (even if they actually say they do). Is it my job as a leader to find the key in them to help them get moving, or is this actually a self defeating process in that people who are not intrinsically motivated will never actually self start if someone else is always turning their crank?

Do we actually create a dependent relationship and get in the way of people taking responsibility for their own success and failures?

For a long time I have felt that it is my job to get people moving and to be a primary source of their energy and inspiration, but more and more I am coming to believe that if people don’t want to do something (or if they need my energy to make it happen) then I’m better off leaving them alone to do nothing.

It requires way too much unnecessary energy to motivate the disinterested and the lazy.

I will work with anyone who is prepared to have a go, but I am starting to think its bad stewardship of time to try and motivate those who don’t want to do anything to take action.

Ironically in the past I have been able to motivate people well and easily, but I am starting to wonder if the end result of that is a project that relies on my energy and passion rather than on people’s own sense of calling and desire.

Ok… there’s some food for thought…

Fire up!

I was chatting with fellow misho Scott this morning about the ‘drop in’.

You know – where rather than calling a friend and asking if you can come by, or waiting for an invite, you just drop in at their home… and hang out. Have coffee – chat – watch the footy etc.

I listened to the ‘drop in’ cop a fair old hiding from the 92.9 FM morning crew a little while back, as something people no longer appreciate. The message they gave was ‘if you’re going to come by then at least ring and let me know – but under no circumstances should you just drop in!’

Is the ‘drop in’ going the way of the dinosaur?

Does it matter?

As Scott I discussed it this morning we were reflecting on what makes the drop in possible. Here are some thoughts.

1) Proximity – I am unlikely to drop in on you if you live in Mandurah! The chances of casually dropping in are much higher if we are in the same locale.

2) Familiarity – I was going to say the ‘length’ of the friendship, but its not really that. Its more to do with the shape the relationship takes and the degree of comfort people feel with each other.

3) Availability – I reckon this one is huge and is part of the reason the ‘drop in’ has been drop kicked. Most people are so damn busy that either they don’t have time to drop in or when they do you aren’t home anyway because you are also so busy.

4) Personality – (for want of a better term) I think some people aren’t really all that excited by either dropping in or having someone drop in, while others find the spontaneity of it all just makes their day.

Of course it is als0 probably true to suggest that the reason drop ins have diminished is because we no longer base community on proximity like we used to, we have few significant relationships and most of us are too busy to be able to live with that degree of spontaneity.

Ironically Danelle is a ‘drop in’ lover who will lob in on you fairly easily and equally will welcome you warmly if you ever drop in over here. Whereas I am much less likely to just drop in on you. I will usually have a reason for calling and wouldn’t want to feel like I am imposing on you. (And you sure as hell better have a reason if you come here too!)

Seriously… is this an issue we need to consider? Is it a symptom of stuff gone wrong in our society or is it just where we are at and is neither good nor bad?

As I reflect on our Upstream communities mob here in Brighton the ‘drop in’ has not been a big part of our DNA. Its has been moreso for the girls who are home during the day, but for the guys it would seem odd to have someone just stop by for a while. It wouldn’t be bad, but I imagine we’d all be wondering ‘what do you want?!’

September 6th should be an interesting day…

Don Carson, author of the now infamous Becoming Conversant with The Emerging Church will be in town and will be speaking in various places.

One of those gigs will be a conversation with myself and my friend/forge co-worker Geoff Westlake about the emerging church. The Baptist College will be hosting Carson as he addresses the topic of ‘the emerging church’ and Geoff and I will be there to provide some insights that might otherwise go astray.

I began reading his book again the other day, but didn’t find it super interesting. I will need to get up to speed on it by September, but so far it just isn’t grabbing me.

As I read the first half it actually seemed fairer than I had imagined, but maybe I haven’t come to the sticking points yet.

I imagine this will be an important conversation for us here in Perth. The conservative arm of the church listen carefully to Carson and co so I imagine without a right of reply we could come up looking a bit shonky.

Brian Harris the college principal has arranged for us to have breakfast with Don Carson before the meeting so that we can enter the room as ‘people’ rather than combatants, a posture I’m sure we would all rather establish.final destination 3 divx movie online

Our second intensive for the year is approaching fast and we’d love to have you there!

The Forge Mission Training Network is the unique provider of innovative and ground breaking training for those who are seeking to take an incarnational approach to mission in contemporary Australian society.

Forge intensives are times of inspirational story telling, radical creative dreaming and vigorous conversation as together we seek to re-imagine how the gospel can penetrate and transform our communities! If you are committed to a form of discipleship that leads people beyond consumerism and into a transformative missionary lifestyle then be sure to get along to the second intensive of the year

Date: July 14-17

Times:

Fri 7.30-9.30 (Open night with an offering taken)

Sat 10.00-4.00

Sun 1.00-9.00

Mon 10.00-5.00

(Based on what we have learnt over the last two years we have tried to make the intensive shorter & more accessible to full time workers, with only one day being held outside of the weekend time slot. You can even sleep in every day and still get there )

Costs:

Waged $150.00

Unwaged $100.00

Cost/Day $50.00

Cost/Session $10.00

Venue: The Outback Centre – 315 Bagot Rd Subiaco

Key Topics

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: In this intensive we will look at a range of topics including:

Christianity beyond Consumerism

Spirituality and Sexuality,

Presenters: It’s a great line up of people. At Forge we believe you can’t teach what you haven’t experienced, so all of our presenters must be people currently engaged in missionary practice in some way. This intensive will include sessions from Alan Hirsch, Deb Hirsch, Andrew Hamilton, Geoff Westlake, Jennifer Turner and Danelle Hamilton.

Hope to see you there!

For more info contact Kent at SU on 94435500 or Hamo on 0400044236

Today I had coffee with Steve Ingram and Peter Birt, Pastors from Parkerville Baptist Church, and two blokes I have an enormous amount of respect for.

Parkerville are one of the churches who have agreed to partner with us as sponsors over the coming financial year. They are also keen to experiment with a variety of modes of mission to reach different people and it is great to have their support and endorsement.

We have been very blessed to have a number of churches supporting us with hard cold cash, making it possible for us to do what we do.

This year my old home base (Scarborough Baptist) gave us a very significant gift that has helped us and in the coming financial year Parkerville Baps, East Fremantle Baps, Como Baps and Network Vineyard have all agreed to help us with financial support.

As well as these churches a number of individuals have supported us as they have sensed God leading them and it has been great to experience that affirmation.

Thanks to all who have joined us with us. It is great to share the journey!

I have only just discovered a series of 10 posts entitled a Theology of the Suburbs over at Theopraxis

.

I have read the first few and would recommend you check them out, if like us you live in the burbs with all its attendant joys and challenges. The first post is here.

Thanks Scott for some great challenging and thought provoking stuff!

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The apostle Paul is usually regarded as one of the sharpest and most articulate theologians who have ever lived. There is no doubt that when it comes to intellect, Paul is up there with the giants.

Its interesting though that Paul’s conversion experience was not at all based on reason or logic or study.

It was a dramatic undeniable encounter with Jesus that actually reshaped his theology and upended his life. (Ironically Paul then went on to convince and persuade others of the truth of what he had experienced.)

All that to say the best arguments in the world are not likely to bring people to authentic faith unless there is a definite encounter with God. Plenty of people can argue for a logical faith, but I don’t think anyone wants a purely rational faith. It’d be somewhat dull, if not altogether colourless.

I am for using reason in conjunction with faith as appropriate, but I wouldn’t want anyone to be a follower of Jesus purely because the numbers added up!

What do you make of it all?

There I was today, sitting on the sidewalk sipping my long mach and waiting for my friend to arrive when suddenly the music cranked up and a ‘dramatic production’ began about 40 meters up the street, just outside Cosmo Kebabs.

I had seen this group of people lurking around and wondered if maybe a drug deal was going down or if a fight wad about to start. This is my ‘office’ so I come here often (2-3 days a week) and have never seen street theatre before or any kind of buskers/entertainers. (You can see them just up the street in the pic below)

However as I watched the drama unfold I realised that it was a re-enactment of the crucifixion.

The girls from the cafe came out to watch and after they had mumbled ‘oh Christians’ they went back in. The guy at Sweetlips mocked, his mate laughed and others simply walked past non-plussed.

Following the 5 min theatre there was a 15 minute sermon, the actual content of which I couldn’t catch, but the gist I knew fairly well.

From there the people stood around for a while before the preacher began to roam the street looking for people to speak with. Silly me, sitting in my usual spot on the sidewalk. I was an easy target.

As he approached I looked down, but it didn’t deter him.

He began a conversation and asked what I thought of their presentation. Not up for ‘faking it’ I let him know I was fairly familiar with what he was on about. He told me he was with a mission team from a ‘base’ in East Perth and these people were in training to be missonaries.

He asked me how I felt it went.

I didn’t tell him. Instead I asked him how he felt it went.

‘Not so flash here.’ he said. ‘It works better in Nepal.’

And the question going thru my mind was?…

I dunno. Am I too sensitive or do street preachers feel like a relic of a bygone generation and a Christendom era, or should we still have these guys on the loose?

I am thinking of ringing them tomorrow to offer my reflections on the whole thing, as one whose job it is to train other in mission to the first world. Or maybe I should just look away…watch shaft in divx

Has anyone else read Tim Winton’s novel The Turning?

I read the title chapter again this afternoon. It really is one of the most raw, brutal and yet inspiring stories of the gospel I have ever come across. Winton is amazing!

If you haven’t read Winton’s stuff, especially that chapter(‘The Turning’) then do yourself a favour, grab the book and get into it. It is one of the most powerful and believable conversion stories I have read in a long time.

Goosebumps.

(Don’t read it if you are easily offended by ‘f words’, graphic sexual activity and abusive behaviour, but if you can handle the reality of life for many people then you will find it an amazing story)

Mark Sayers has some fantastic insights into what is going on in our world and how we are to live and make disciples in the midst of it all.

Mark is a key player in the Forge scene here in Oz and a bloke I have immense respect for.

Now he has a blog…

If you’re serious about discipleship in the emerging culture especially amongst youth and young adults, then you must read what Mark has to say.

Here’s a sample where Mark writes about the potential of ‘coolness’ to save the church:

“However there is a problem with churches and individuals attempting to become ‘cool’ as a missional strategy. When we try to become ‘cool’, we only make an attempt to re-dress the superficial to put on a new coat of paint. Sure it will probably mean our churches might attract a whole host of Christians who are looking for a ‘cooler’ expression of church, but we will fail to address some of the core reasons why Christianity is struggling to impact post-Christian culture.

One can’t help but wonder that behind the attempts to be ‘cool’, there is not really a desire for church growth and mission, but rather a deep rooted feeling many Christians have that we are social misfits.” free eraser movie download