Seeker Small Groups

Innovative Leaders

Craig Groeschel, senior pastor at LifeChurch.tv in Edmund, Oklahoma was one of the key note speakers at the National Outreach Conference last week. I'd encourage you to check out their church website at www.lifechurch.tv to get a glimpse of what this innovative church is doing. In his talk, Craig talked about three qualities of innovative leaders, which I think fits all of you that are launching and leading seeker small groups. Here are the three qualities and the questions that arise from these qualities:

1. Innovative (Christ-following) leaders care deeply about people that are far from Jesus. (Question: Who is God calling you to reach that no one is reaching?)

2. Innovative leaders break some rules. (Question: What is God calling you to attempt to do that hasn't been done before?)

3. Innovative leaders offend some Pharisees. (Question: What new thing that God is calling you to do today, that will be hated today by some, and accepted by most tomorrow?)

Craig used a passage in Mark 2 when a group of four men lowered the paralytic man through the roof of a house to bring their friend to Jesus. Think about it. They were innovative leaders just like you bringing their friends to Jesus. Good food for thought! - Mary

Conference Call with Garry Poole 10/16

On Tuesday, October 16 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, I will be hosting a conference call with Garry Poole for those of you who would like to ask him questions or share challenges in launching or leading your seeker small group.  Periodically, we will be having calls like this, to network with one another and find support (and answers to tough questions about leading) in this important work of outreach.  Let me know as soon as possible via e-mail (mary@schallerfamily.net) or call me (650-380-2396), if you’d like to join us for this call.  Someone else’s question may give you an answer that you didn’t even know you needed yet! - Mary

Lead Where You Are

This year's Willow Creek Leadership Summit (held August 9 thru 11 in cities throughout the world in more than 200 locations via satellite) had a theme entitled "Lead Where You Are." I think somehow we think we need to go some place else to lead. And yet, in one of the talks at the conference, Bill Hybels in an interview with Carly Fiorina, the ex-president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, highlights these truths: What you are is a gift FROM God, and what you do is a gift TO God. I would add that where you are is not an accident. God has planted you in the exact place He wants to use you to help build His Kingdom. When we realize that our relationships, workplace, and neighborhood are no accident, but opportunities to lead right there, we can look with a different lens at our everyday, normal lives. This applies well to the concept of starting a seeker small group with your existing friends and aquaintances.

The last session of the conference discussed inspirational leadership. Bill Hybels asked the question, "Whose job is to keep you inspired?" I think somehow we think it is someone else's job than our own. He quoted 1 Samuel 30:6, in which it reads in the Message version, "David strengthened himself with trust in his GOD." It's OUR job to be inspired through our relationship with God. I forget that so many times! I want someone else to inspire me rather than taking on that responsibility. He gave us ten ways to stay inspired as leaders. Here they are:

1. Stay crystal clear about your calling
2. Make sure you leverage your spiritual gifts
3. Make sure the players on your team inspire one another
4. Read books that inspire you
5. Rub shoulders with exceptionally inspiring people
6. Participate in events that are exceptionally inspiring
7. Pay attention to the physical disciplines to stay healthy
8. Pay attention to your work environment
9. Have an exciting recreational activity outside of work
10. Practice daily spiritual disciplines that keep your faith fresh

I thought these were great! After the conference I practiced number 9 by taking a week and a half off doing a variety of fun things with guests that were visiting from out of town. Now, I am back to doing the work that I feel God calling me to do, which is to support and encourage all of you. I hope these insights are helpful? - Mary