Last month I posted about my invitation to our staff to evaluate my performance as a leader.  You can read that post HERE.  I promised to do a follow up post with their input.  This will actually be more than one post, because of length.

To get started, here are some general observations about this process:

1. I received more positives than negatives, but it is true that you reflect far more on the criticisms than you do the praise.  Still, I asked for this and appreciated  all the feedback, including those I didn’t like reading at first.
2. After all the evaluations were received, I hosted lunch for the staff where I asked for clarification on some of the comments, gave my observations, and stated the action plans I intend to implement going forward as a result of this process.  I probably learned more from this meeting than I did from the paper evaluations, so I learned it is a “must do” step in the process.
3. The top two things I learned is that communication eliminates a lot of perceived problems and that personalities play a large role in determining what a person expects from leadership.  (This will be a future blog post by itself.)
4. Our staff is very diverse, more than I probably realized, and I’m not sure I’ve always adapted my leadership style to different people.  I have always done and taught this as a parenting trait, but never consciously did it as a leader.  I wonder if this is true for other areas of our life as well.  Different people expect different things from people. (This is another blog post to come.)
5. I allowed all the feedback to be anonymous, but some signed their name anyway and in our follow up meeting, some identified specific comments as their own.  I compiled all the comments into one document though, so for the most part I have no idea who said what either because they didn’t tell me or I don’t remember.
6. The meeting seemed to be productive for all of us, not just me, and I think we all learned some things about each other, again not just about me.
7. I would like to do this again in a year or so and see what has changed.
8. I encouraged the staff to consider doing this with the volunteers and/or staff who report to them.  I did something similar to this about 6 months ago by surveying key leaders in our church asking them the question, “What would you do if you were in my shoes leading this organization?”  I got great feedback to that question also.
9. You may want to do something like this in your organization.

Tomorrow I will start posting feedback.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Exodus 20:8 NIV

The Sabbath was a big deal to the Jewish people. It meant no work, absolutely none. It involved everyone. Rest was demanded; you had no choice. It was a statement of faith. If you loved God, you observed and honored the Sabbath.

What’s changed? Has the word of God gone dull? Absolutely not! The word of God is active, living, never changing! So where do we fit into this fourth commandment today? We are to keep the Sabbath Holy!

Sabbath means to rest. First of all, this means we are to rest. We have somehow determined in this society that it is wrong to rest. We need to join a committee, plan an activity, sign the kids up for ball (soccer, basketball and baseball– all at the same time), be reading the latest novel at all times, fix gourmet meals, compete for the yard-of-the-month club, advance a career, and be lean, trim men or women of God. Whew, that made me tired just typing it!

In all the madness is God able to get your attention? Take some time off, my friend! You deserve a break. Give yourself a rest. Take a Sabbath for yourself. Slow down! Take time to enjoy life! Take a long walk on a long pier! Watch the world go by for a while! Be still and know that He is God!

Remember that every day is God’s. If you are one of His children, your life is in His hands. He is taking you to where there is no more time, but for now your time is His. If you want to fully follow His will (and why would you not?), you will need to take time to rest. God’s creation example to us is to rest. God didn’t need the rest, but it was an opportunity for Him to, by example, reflect on all He had made. We need that time to renew ourselves, as well as our relationship to Him.

And keep the Sabbath (your time of rest) Holy. God is Holy, so be Holy in all you do! What is wrong to do on Sunday is wrong the rest of the week. Don’t have two standards. Be the same on Monday that you are on the Sabbath. Keep your time of rest holy! Whatever you do to unwind, do it to the glory of God. Let others see the reflection on your face and know that you have spent time with the Father. Your time of rest will renew your strength and keep your heart pure.

Finally, look forward to the Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4). One day Jesus is returning to redeem God’s people from this world of sin and disappointment. He will wipe away our tears and clothe us with eternal joy. We will enter our Sabbath rest.  It means the final rest, the one for which we have waited, the one where we share our inheritance with Jesus!

Now that is what I call rest! Are you ready

Daniel Doss, the amazing worship leader who helped launch Grace Community Church, announced to the church this week that he is leaving to help plant another church.  Daniel has one of the most gifted voices I have ever heard and could easily find a position anywhere, including staying at Grace, but he is excited to be pursuing the dream of planting again (it does get in your blood) with a high school friend in Northern Indiana.  Daniel is our first full-time staff member to leave and we are surely going to miss his and Emily’s energy and passion for what we are doing at Grace.

I have some random thoughts about losing Daniel as a staff member:

• Daniel has prepared us well for his absence.  He has assembled an incredible team of “worshipping artists” (his term) and they are ready to continue the excellence Daniel began.
• We were proactive in this situation.  Knowing Daniel’s talent level and his continued passion for Kingdom-building, we knew we could lose Daniel someday if God presented him another opportunity to do this again.  Two years ago we hired another worship leader, equally talented, but with different skills, to co-lead with Daniel.  Michael has been and is ready to lead the deal.  It was sometimes difficult explaining why we had two highly talented leaders in the area of worship, but now we are thankful for the risk we took in making that happen.
• I told Daniel when he first told me he was sensing a call to this new plant that I am a forward thinking person.  I truly believe a vision must be about more than a personality, so we will continue to the vision Daniel helped us launch.  Michael Higdon is talented and for all practical purposes assumed leadership of Sunday mornings several months ago. He previously led worship for over 20,000 per weekend at Fellowship Church in Dallas, so he is well equipped to continue the excellence Grace is known for in worship.
• Daniel is leaving on good terms with the church, his worship team, and even Emily’s family who live in Clarksville.   We are sad to lose them, but can rejoice with them in this new venture.  I hope every staff exit we have in the years to come can happen this smoothly.
• Daniel and Emily Doss will always be a part of Grace Community Church.  I’m fully convinced they will still be connected to us in some way years from now.  They are family to us as a staff and to the church.  Our paths will continue to cross in the years to come.

Daniel and Emily, Cheryl and I love you both.  We admire your hearts, your passion for life, ministry and others, and your faith in taking risks.  Thanks for the difference you have made in our life.

(PS.  I’m hoping Daniel and Emily won’t mind that I grabbed one of their pictures.  I found it on Google images.  They are quite popular there!)

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name. Exodus 20:7 NIV

What’s in a name? Did you ever ask your parents why they called you what they did? My middle name is that of my great grandfather’s. It is a rather unusual name, so when I was in school, I never wanted anyone to know it. I would give them my initial, but I tried hard to keep the name hidden. Today, I am proud of the name Aubrey! It was the name of a good Christian man by all accounts. He was well known for His good deeds and His dedication to God. I never knew him, but I will strive to leave behind the positive reputation he left. I am honored to carry on his name.

What do you think of when you hear the name Benedict Arnold? Does traitor come to mind?   What about Mother Teresa? Do you think humility? Martin Luther King? Does equality for all fit? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? Billy Graham? What is in a name? A name has meaning, and we apply worth to a person many times based on a name.

God? What do you think of when you hear that name? Jesus? Holy Spirit? I am not even going to insult you by suggesting that you would ever think of using God’s name in a dirty joke or an expletive phrase. If you are a follower of Christ, you surely have more respect for Him than that. But, what importance do you give to His name?

Do you revere His name? Does it bother you for others to insult Him? Are you getting to know more about Him each day? Do you tremble at His word and the realization that the name that is above every name took the time to care for you? If I said the name JESUS would it light a smile on your face?

Are you starting to understand that His name is to be revered, respected, honored, loved and obeyed? When God gave the third commandment, He knew people would hit a hand with a hammer or watch their team win the Super Bowl and express their dissatisfaction by yelling, God _______. His heart hurts at their lack of respect, but God is just as concerned about you and me, the so-called faithful Christian. Are we ascribing to His name the honor it is due?

He is God! He is the designer, creator, sustainer, and planner of the universe! He is greater than all we can ever hope and imagine. He is worthy. Let’s grant His NAME, His powerful, wonderful, ever-lasting name, the proper place in our hearts and minds!