success takes time - Leadership Network

Transcription

FROM THE PRODUCER
Thanks so much for joining us today for our Leadership Network online
event on church leadership succession.
Succession is becoming a big issue in many churches.
In a very real sense, we’re all INTERIM pastors. At some point you will
not hold the current position you find yourself in at your church. It is
only temporary. And that means that there is a 100% chance that you or
your church will be a part of a succession or transition!
But how do we make these transitions go well?
We’ll learn from people today who have been through the process, or are
going through the process currently.
Some have gone magnificently well. Others have not gone well at all
But there is something that we can learn from all of them.
A couple of disclaimers as we get started today.
1. You may not agree with every speaker. In fact, some of our speakers
today do not agree with other speakers! That’s ok. Take what you can
learn on this subject and best apply it to your local church and ministry
situation. (And it’s even ok if you’re not on the same page with all the
speakers theologically... this isn’t a theology conference or event... it’s
one on church leadership transition and succession... and there’s something to learn from everyone!)
2. Most of the churches highlighted today are larger churches. Large
churches tend to draw the most attention and interest, and in many
ways, form many of the practices that churches of all size implement.
We believe most all of what you here today on the subject of succession
is scaleable. So look for principles and ideas that you can use in your
church, whatever the size.
Today’s event will last about four and a half hours.
We’d encourage you to use facebook and twitter and other social media
to help us out today. Your tweets and facebook messages will let people
know they can come here and join us for this valuable teaching. Just use
the hashtag #leadnet.
Thanks again for joining us today. If I can ever be of help to you or your
ministry, please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected].
Todd Rhoades
Leadership Network
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HOUR 1:00
4.
Dennis Gingerich
Significance after Succession
5.
Jay Passavant
Letting Out the Cluth on Succession
6.
Dick Alexander
In The Middle of Retirement
7.
Jerry Hutchins
If It’s Not Successful It’s Not Succession
8.
Francis Chan
Surrender!
9.
Jason Meyer
The Transition Is Not About You...It’s About The Gospel
10. William Vanderbloemen Trends
11. Gene Getz
The Applause of God Vs. The Applause of Man
HOUR 2:00
12. Jeff Jones
Success Takes Time
13. Gene Appel
From 0 to 60 in 90 Days!
14. Jonathan Alexander
Realtional Importance During Succession
15. John Ed Mathison
Friendship Is Key in a Successful Succession
16 Jonathan Falwell
Marching Forward As a Church
17. Scott Hodge
Use The Change in Your Pocket
18 Bryan Carter
Prepare For Succession
HOUR 3:00
19. Jason Gerdes
Jesus Has To Be Enough For You
20. Brady Boyd
Don’t Do This Alone
21. Jason Bolin
In Succession, Aim For Health
22. Robert A. Schuller
Learning From a Failed Succession
HOUR 4:00
23. Jonathan Stockstill
Four Things Your Should Consider Before You Take The Baton
24. Andre Butler
How Do You Follow Michael Jordan
25. Mike Erre
Celebrating The Five Yard Gain
26. Mike LaMonica
Allowing For Time And Space With Succession
27. Jim Garlow
The Fastest Don’t Always Win the Race
28. Max Lucado
Succession Can Work But It’s Up To You
SIGNIFICANCE AFTER
SUCCESSION
Here’s what it looks like on the other side of succession:
Dennis & Linda
Gingerich
Cape Christian
Cape Coral, FL
Married 38 years with 3
adult married children.
Grandparents of 2
with twins on the way.
Founding Pastor couple
at Cape Christian in
Cape Coral, FL. BatonPassing Legacy-Leaving
Leaders. Linda is a
Labor/Delivery Nurse and
teaches Parenting on
Purpose. Dennis loves to
inspire transformissional
living as a blogger,
mentors community
leaders, serves as a
police chaplain and
recharges through nature
photography.
1. The new guy (Wes Furlong) works out of his strengths and allows
Dennis to work out of his.
2. Wes has continued to carry on the church’s DNA
3. Dennis is able to use his relational capital in the church and
throughout the city as he serves. This opens doors for Wes’ vision
for church expansion.
4. Dennis is Wes’ ‘greatest cheerleader’
5. The heart of the leader is for the organization, not for himself.
Dennis has tried to be a level five leader.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Are you a level five leader? Do you care for your church more than
yourself?
www.capechristian.org
@dennisgingerich
4
LETTING OUT THE CLUTCH
ON SUCCESSION
Jay
Passavant
Passavant Leadership
Group, Pittsburg, PA
Dr. Jay Passavant has 38
years of experience in
leadership and pastoral
ministries. He received
his Bachelor of Science
degree from Washington
& Lee University, served
as Assistant Director of
Admissions and Dean of
Students for one year before being commissioned
as an officer in the United
States Marine Corps in
1970.
Many people think that succession is easier than it really is.
The reality: 70-80% of churches fail at their first attempt at
succession.
Jay’s biggest learning: His decision to pass the torch moved the
congregation from uncertainty of the future to anticipation of the
future. Once that decision was made and communicated, it set the
tone for a well-planned and exciting future for the church.
You should get started with praying and communicating at least 18
to 24 months before your succession date.
Jay and Carol (his wife of
42 years) launched North
Way Christian Community
along with eight other
couples in the North Hills
of Pittsburgh. That congregation now has grown
to an average weekend
attendance of over 4,000
people across four different locations.
PassavantLeadershipGroup.com
@PassavantLeader
Are you considering stepping out of the leadership of your church
in the next two years? What do you need to do to prepare your
leadership and church family for your departure?
5
IN THE MIDDLE OF
RETIREMENT
Dick announced last June that he would be retiring this June. It’s
been an interesting year.
Dick
Alexander
We don’t want our identity to be our job, but Christ. But it’s easy to
get caught up in being a pastor.
As you start to hand off responsibilities, you’ll sometimes feel
unneeded. You need to let go gracefully.
LifeSpring Christian
Church
Cincinatti, OH
Dick Alexander
has been the Lead
Pastor for LifeSpring
Christian Church in
Cincinnati, OH for
twenty seven years. He
spent seventeen years
in student ministry
and enjoys speaking
and writing on global
missions and church
leadership. In his free
time he likes to ski and
run.
Dick has been married
to the love of his life
Betty for the past 45
years and they have two
grown children.
www.lifespringchristian.org
@heavensoon
How will you plan on dealing with feelings of sadness? With
feelings of not being needed? Of not having a job to go to?
6
IF IT’S NOT SUCCESSFUL
IT’S NOT SUCCESSION
Here are some things that Jerry has learned during his recent
succession.
Jerry
Hutchins
Kingdom Now Ministries
Norcross, GA
Pastor Jerry F. Hutchins
is a native of Lithonia,
Georgia. In August 2011,
after serving the Timothy
Baptist Church for 24
years, Bishop Hutchins
identified and installed
his successor and was
elevated to the office
of Bishop. In January
2007, Bishop Hutchins
started a Bible Institute
in Stone Mountain,
Georgia to provide midweek Bible classes for the
members of Timothy who
lived in the metropolitan
Atlanta area. That Bible
Institute led to the
organization of a second
church, Kingdom Now,
which Bishop Hutchins
launched in November
2008.
www.kingdom-now.org
@bishophutchins
1. Don’t start the plan without your congregation being a part of
the plan. This is necessary for buy-in.
2. Communicate. The more you communicate, the less problems
you will have.
3. The merging of the families. Make sure that the successor and
the predecessor and their families get along well together.
4. A year seems to be a good amount of time to work together
before totally passing on the baton.
5. Put things in writing. Contracts and covenants cause people to
be more accountable.
6. If it’s not successful, it’s not succession.
Have you put the plans of your succession in writing? Do you have
a set timeline? Are people being held accountable?
7
SURRENDER!
Key is surrender!
Francis
Chan
Cornerstone Community
Church, Simi Valley, CA
Francis Chan is the
best-selling author
of books, Crazy Love,
Forgotten God, Erasing
Hell and the host of the
BASIC.series (Who is
God & We Are Church).
He has also written
the children’s books
Halfway Herbert, The
Big Red Tractor and
the Little Village and
Ronnie Wilson’s gift.
Francis is the founding
pastor of Cornerstone
Church in Simi Valley,
California, and is the
founder of Eternity
Bible College. He also
sits on the board of
directors of Children’s
Hunger Fund and World
Impact. Currently,
Francis is working to
start a church planting
movement in the inner
city of San Francisco
www.cornerstonesimi.com
Be honest with your fears. Ask God from courage for decision
disciples had to do this also.
Pray for God’s wisdom.
Use wisdom in addition to leading from His Spirit (Solomon in I
Kings 3)
James 1 If anyone lacks wisdom He will give it to us generously
Key question: Lord, what is best for your kingdom?
Weigh what will happen if you stay, versus what will happen if you
leave.
Ask the Holy Spirit to lead.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. How do you make decisions about big issues such as
succession/changes? What has worked well?
2. Have you ever witnessed someone trying to make a big decision
who is not honest about their fears? What happened?
8
THE TRANSITION IS NOT ABOUT
YOU...IT’S ABOUT THE GOSPEL
Jason has replaced Pastor John Piper at Bethlehem Baptist Church
in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Jason
Meyer
Bethlehem Baptist
Church, Minneapolis, MN
Jason is the Pastor for
Preaching & Vision
at Bethlehem Baptist
Church. He is both a
product of Bethlehem and
clearly reflective of its
“DNA” in his convictions
and activities. He has a
visible love for God, for
his Word, and for
shepherding people.
Jason also deeply loves
his family. Jason has
been married to his wife,
Cara, since 1999 and
they have four children.
Their two girls are Gracie
and Allie and their two
boys are Jonathan and
David. During the Spring
semester of 2010, Jason
taught at the Evangelical
Theological College of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while
he and Cara completed
the adoption of their two
sons from Ethiopia.
www.hopeinGod.com
@wepreachchrist
Five things to consider during your church’s transition:
1. Keep your eyes fixed on the Lord of the church. Transitions help
us not to keep our eyes on a human leader for too long.
2. Make God supreme in your transition. We tried to make our
transition not as much about finding a man as much as fulfilling
a mission. And we tried to make our transition not about human
personality but about God’s presence. There will never be a
continuity of personality or giftings in humans, but there can always
be continuity in God’s presence in the local body of believers.
3. We need to take human sin seriously. We knew we could get
this wrong. If the light was green, we would continue... if it became
yellow, we would slow down... and if it became red, we would stop.
4. We want to serve and love people. Our people felt loved and
served... it felt like a God thing... even through the congregational
vote. We wanted EVERYBODY to help discern if this was really a
‘God thing’.
5. We needed to believe the Gospel. God is for us. Ultimately,
transitions belong to God... but we need to believe in the Gospel.
Which of the five steps above are you most concerned about your
church wandering from as you consider a succession plan?
9
TRENDS
Succession is a coming crisis in the church.
William
Vanderbloemen
The most expensive mistake a church can ever make is a bad
transition from one senior leader to the next.
Vanderbloemen Search
Group, Houston, TX
1. Pastoral Identity - many pastor’s church responsibility is their
identity. Smart churches help pastors determine what their identity
will be after succession.
William Vanderbloemen is
the founder and CEO of
The Vanderbloemen Search
Group. He has been able
to combine over 15 years
of ministry experience as
a Senior Pastor with the
best practices of Executive
Search to provide churches
with a unique offering:
a deep understanding of
local church work with the
very best knowledge and
practices of professional
executive search. Prior
to his founding The
Vanderbloemen Search
Group, William studied
executive search under a
mentor with over 25 years
of executive search at the
highest level. His learning
taught him the very best
corporate practices,
including the search
strategies used by the firm
Russell Reynolds.
2. Financial Security - many pastors never feel like succession
is an option because of their current financial situation. Smart
churches are confronting this head on to ensure their current pastor
has a viable retirement plan that gives them options for the future.
www.vanderbloemen.com
@wvanderbloemen
There are two stumbling blocks many churches deal with in the area
of succession:
Churches need to learn their identity BEFORE they start the
succession process.
Smart churches are ready for transition even when they’re not
expecting it. Does your church have a plan for the sudden death of
your leader or for a moral crisis? An emergency succession plan to
manage short-term needs in unexpected situations.
The reality is: We are ALL interim pastors.
How can you find a new identity for your pastor before succession?
What can you do financially to help your outgoing pastor AND your
incoming pastor?
10
THE APPLAUSE OF GOD VS.
THE APPLAUSE OF MAN
Gene
Getz
Biola University
La Mirada, CA
Gene A. Getz (1932-):
A college and seminary
professor, writer, and
pastor who successfully
integrated the philosophy
of renewal into a local
church setting. He is
perhaps best known for
his 1974 text, Sharpening the Focus of the
Church, which looks at
the church through the
lenses of Scripture, history, and culture. A popular and prolific author,
many of his books focus
on developing
local church leaders and
Christian character. Getz
has significant influence
across evangelical
Christianity.
www.talbot.edu
As a church planting pastor, I had always been concerned about
succession. I’ve seen the horror stories, and churches that did not
make it through the process well.
I started by giving some of my staff the opportunity to speak when
I was away. As I did so, my eventual successor, Jeff Jones quickly
rose to the top.
I asked our elders and some staff members and asked who they
thought a good successor would be... nearly all said “Jeff Jones”.
So, we started a seven year succession process.
The elders then developed a plan to share with the church body.
I started to give Jeff more and more responsibilities. Jeff became
an elder, and took on more and more responsibilities.
About three and a half years into it, we found ourselves in a kind of
co-pastor situation with Jeff and myself. So, we shortened the plan
and made Jeff the Senior Pastor.
Lesson: Don’t wait until it’s too late to start preparing for
succession.
When I need the church more than the church needs me, I’ve
stepped over the line.
Don’t let the applause of people be more important than the
applause of God.
Are you tempted to listen more for the applause of men in your
ministry than the applause of God?
11
SUCCESS TAKES TIME
Jeff shares some things he learned during their church leader
succession
Jeff
Jones
Chase Oaks Church
Plano, TX
Jeff attended Southeastern
Bible College in Birmingham,
Alabama and was also very
active in ministry in his home
church in Huntsville as well
as his college church in
Birmingham. It was during
these college years that Jeff
met Christy, who a few years
later became his wife. In May
of 1993, Jeff graduated from
Dallas Theological Seminary.
In the fall of 1994, Gene Getz
(then senior pastor) invited Jeff
to come back to Fellowship
to work in adult education
and help launch the Center
for Church-Based Training,
an organization that helps
churches around the world
disciple believers and develop
leaders. In 2000, Gene
and the elders approached
Jeff about becoming Gene’s
successor when he planned
to retire. Jeff and Christy
accepted and the mentoring
process began.
www.chaseoakschurch.org
1. Start sooner rather than later. Succession takes time.
2. Some people will always tell the exiting pastor that he should
stay longer.
3. Some people will always tell the new pastor that he should have
come sooner.
4. The exiting leader, ideally, should be able to stay in the church
after the succession plan has been completed, given that:
a. he support the new leader
b. be committed to entertain any complaints
c. they can’t be in a role that casts a shadow (probably no
leadership role)
Because of a good plan and great implementation, the church has
been able to move forward quickly and successfully.
What is your relationship with the person who will take over for
you? (Or, what is your relationship with the person you’re taking
over from). Mutual respect and admiration, communicated well and
often, will be a great asset to your church during transition.
12
FROM 0 TO 60
IN 90 DAYS!
Gene
Appel
Eastside Christian
Church, Anaheim, CA
Gene Appel, senior
pastor of Eastside
Christian Church,
Anaheim, CA, began
his ministry as a 20
year old intern at
Eastside. After moving
on to pastor two of
the largest churches
in the nation—
Central Christian
Church, Las Vegas,
NV and Willow Creek
Community Church,
South Barrington,
IL—he returned in
2008 to lead Eastside
into it’s next dynamic
chapter. Since that time
Eastside has become
one of America’s fastest
growing churches and
relocated in November
of 2012 from Fullerton
to a new campus in
Anaheim.
@heavensoon
Gene Appel came to Eastside Christian Church in Orange County,
CA after being a teaching pastor at Willow Creek, following a longterm pastor of 17 years.
Gene’s predecessor left Eastside “positioned” for the future. There
were no messes, no moral failure... it was a unified, prayerful, debtfree church.
The transition happened (from start to finish) in a month and a half!
The former pastor ended well and passed the baton quickly.
His biggest surprise: The speed at which God has worked at
Eastside. You cannot underestimate the spiritual component in
successions.
Gene and Eastside have in place an ‘emergency succession
plan’ that will insure the future of the church in the event of his
imminent departure.
If you’re getting ready to pass the baton, how well have you
‘positioned’ your church for the future (and the future leader)?
13
RELATIONAL IMPORTANCE
DURING SUCCESSION
Jonathan
Alexander
Here’s what our five-year succession plan looked like:
Year one: Define the process
Year two: Look for the incoming guy
Year three: Serve alongside each other
Year four and five: Officially took the senior leadership role. My
predeccessor was in the wings ‘as needed’.
NorthShore Baptist
Kirkland, WA
I had been passed the baton by an amazing leader who had been
here 29 years.
Jonathan serves as
the Senior Pastor of
Northshore Baptist
Church in Kirkland, WA.
His life story includes
job descriptions such as:
recklessly abandoned
follower of the Risen
Christ, husband of Paige,
father of Jake, professional
coffee drinker, theological
dreamer, wanna-be
motocross star, expert
napper, Mac user,
and many more apt
descriptions. Jonathan
grew up in Texas,
graduated from Texas
A&M University, served in
the Army as an infantry
officer, and then went
to seminary to Dallas
Theological Seminary.
His passion is helping
ordinary people make an
extraordinary impact for
Jesus.
The relationship between the outgoing senior pastor and incoming
senior pastor is key:
www.nsb.org
@jwalexander71
1. Patience. If you’re the incoming guy, you have a be patient, and
honor the outgoing guy.
2. Humility. Both leaders HAVE to be humble.
“I love the church so much that I dare not love you to death”
3. Regular, heart-level conversations. We needed to not just
discussion leadership and transition, but also talk about emotions
and spiritual relationships.
You have to keep the relationships central.
As you enter into a succession plan, will you hold relationships high
in importance?
14
FRIENDSHIP IS KEY IN A
SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSION
John’s successor was hired a full year before he retired, after
pastoring his church for 36 years.
John Ed
Mathison
Frazer Memorial UMC
Montgomery, AL
Dr. John Ed Mathison retired
in June 2008, after 36 years
as senior minister of Frazer
Memorial United Methodist
Church in Montgomery,
Alabama.
John’s successor lasted just a year and a half.
Here are some learnings:
1. The best thing that can happen between the outgoing and
incoming pastor is this: they work hard at becoming good friends.
2. When a person retires, it’s ok to continue to be somewhat
engaged at your church, but only at the level that your successor
would desire.
3. After you retire, you should give advice... but ONLY when asked.
In July 2008, Dr. Mathison
and a board of directors
established the John Ed
Mathison Leadership
Ministries, which will
involve preaching, teaching,
conferences and seminars.
The purpose of the ministry is
to train pastors and lay persons
to be leaders impacting the
world for Jesus Christ and the
Kingdom of God.
He and his wife, Lynn, have
three daughters, Vicki,
Lauren, and Clay, and one
son, Si. They are also
the proud grandparents of
eight grandsons, and two
granddaughters.
www.johnedmathison.org
Are you cultivating a good relationship with your counterpart in
succession?
15
MARCHING FORWARD
AS A CHURCH
There was little discussion of succession at Thomas Road Baptist
Church.
Jonathan
Falwell
Thomas Road Baptist
church, Lynchburg, VA
Rev. Jonathan Falwell
is senior pastor of
Thomas Road Baptist
Church in Lynchburg,
Virginia. He has served
as senior pastor since
June of 2007. He was
called as pastor after his
father, Rev. Jerry Falwell
(founding pastor of
TRBC in 1956) passed
away in May of 2007.
Rev. Falwell has been in
full-time ministry since
1994. Rev. Falwell has
been married to Shari
since 1992 and has
four children; Jonathan
Jr. (born 1996), Jessica
(born 1997), Natalie and
Nicholas (twins born in
2000).
http://trbc.org
@jonathanfalwell
The sudden death of the church’s senior leader caused the
leadership of the church to rely heavily on God and to ask Him what
He wanted next for the church.
We had a duty and a responsibility to march forward as a church.
Our sufficiency is not in ourselves, but in Christ.
“Not I, but Christ.”
His biggest surprise the first year of the succession: Pressure.
God has called you to be you. He has given you a unique gifting.
Be sure to use those giftings as best you can.
“I can’t do it. But You can. So God... do it today.”
Are you confident in the role God has given you? Even your role as
a successor or a predecessor?
16
USE THE CHANGE
IN YOUR POCKET
Scott succeeded his father, Larry Hodge in 1994 after Larry died
suddenly from a heart attack.
Scott
Hodge
Orchard Community
Aurora, IL
Scott Hodge is an artist,
pastor, activist, and
storyteller. He serves as
the lead pastor of The
Orchard Community in
Aurora, Illinois and is
currently working on
his first book about art,
creativity, and
imagination. Scott loves
spending time exploring
the concrete jungles
of Chicago, New York
City, and Bangkok. He is
married and has three
children.
There were a handful of things that Larry did that helped the church
move forward after his death.
The one unique thing that Larry had possession of that no one else
did: a pocketful of change... longevity, trust and leadership.
And he wasn’t afraid to spend that change to move the church
forward.
A word of encouragement to pastors who are getting ready to move
on: Have you thought about the change you have in your pocket
right now?
There are probably some changes that need to take place in your
church right now... before you leave... staff changes, programming
changes, etc.
Jesus had only three years to instill the right things into his
disciples... use your time wisely.
What could be done by you right now (because of the change in
your pocket) that could give your successor a head start on where
God wants to take your church.
You have the possibility to leave a great legacy... but you have to
start TODAY.
iamscotthodge.com
@scotthodge
What change do you have in your pocket right now that would be
best spent on the next leader of your church?
17
PREPARE FOR
SUCCESSION
Whenever possible, current leader should affirm new
leader. (Transition from Moses to Joshua)
Bryan
Carter
Concord Church
Dallas, TX
Rev. Bryan L. Carter is the
Senior Pastor of Concord
Church in Dallas, TX. The
mission of their church is
“We Grow People.” Concord
builds all of its efforts around
helping people to grow to
their full potential in Christ.
He has served as pastor since
2003 and the church has tripled in size under his leadership. Concord serves 5,000
members each weekend, with
four Sunday services.
He is active in the city of
Dallas in numerous capacities including serving on the
board of Dallas Habitat for
Humanity, HIS Bridgebuilders and Mentoring Brother
to Brother. Additionally, he
hosts a national conference
on expository preaching annually. Rev. Carter holds a
BS in Secondary Education
(Science) from Oklahoma
State University.
www.concorddallas.org
@bryanlcarter
New leader & current leader should share similar
ministry DNA/ values
Church needs to learn how to make friends with succession
& transition
New leader needs to balance leadership/transitioning
along with being patient
- at first pastor in title, but not position
- Honor the past, and that gives credibility to move forward
Current leader should step to background & allow
new leader to gradually take leadership
1. How have churches you’ve been involved with handled
succession of leaders? Have you seen any of the ideas from Bryan
Carter being used?
2. If you are in leadership, are you preparing for succession? If so,
how? If not, should you?
18
JESUS HAS TO BE
ENOUGH FOR YOU
Jason
Gerdes
Revolution Church
Canton, GA
Jason serves as the Lead
Pastor of Revolution
Church in Canton, GA
located in the suburbs
of Atlanta. He took
over as Pastor when the
church was 5 years old
and has gone through
what he would describe
as a re-planting effort.
In just 3 short years,
God has extremely
blessed and now the
church is experiencing a
great season of growth.
He is married to his
wife Lindsey and has
2 children, Jackson
and Natalie. Jason is
involved with church
planting through the
Launch Network and
is passionate about
planting the gospel
and seeing it multiply
throughout the world.
www.therevolution.tv
@jasongerdes
Jason took over the helm of Revolution Church three years ago after
the moral failure of the founding pastor (who later started a new
church in the same city). The church was about four and half years
old when Jason became Lead Pastor.
Revolution had been built around the leader. The moral failure
really shocked the church, and sent the church into somewhat of a
tailspin. The church had lost about 300 people by the time Jason
came on the scene. Today (three years later) is growing and healthy.
Much of the church’s DNA remained after the moral failure. Some
people wanted the former pastor to remain. The church wanted to
hire someone who was like the former pastor... they were trying to
replace his personality and passion.
Jason was emotionally neutral, which was good for Revolution’s
transition.
During his first year, I had positional authority, but not relational
authority. I did not fire any staff during the first year... in fact, most
of the original staff remains.
Publicly, I had no moral authority with the people, so I stood on the
authority of the Bible.
In succession, you have to know the difference between wants and
needs. I told the church, this will either fail miserably, or God is
going to do greater things here than ever before. Thankfully, he’s
done the latter. I didn’t NEED Revolution Church to succeed, but I
wanted it to.
So goes the leader, so goes the church. Jesus has to be enough for
you.
Is Jesus enough for you in YOUR transition?
19
DON’T DO THIS
ALONE
Brady
Boyd
New Life Church
Colorado Springs, CO
Brady is married to his
college sweetheart,
Pam and is the dad
to greatkids named
Abram and Callie.
He has written two
books Fear No Evil
andmost recently Sons
& Daughters. He’s also
really serious about
caring for the people
of Colorado Springs
by opening numerous
Dream Centers. He
cheers for the Cowboys
while living in Broncos
Country, but loses his
voice most Saturdays in
the Fall after yelling for
the LSU Tigers. He likes
to hunt, fish, play golf
and spend lots of time
with his family.
www.newlifechurch.org
@pastorbrady
Nearly six years ago, Brady Boyd stepped into a nightmare...
following a nationally prominent pastor after a very public and very
humiliating public moral failure.
You’re writing a death warrant for yourself if you try to do succession
alone.
Three groups of people you’ll find when you step into a church in
this situation:
1. People that will trust you because you are their pastor. They will
be your greatest source of encouragement.
2. People who want to trust you, but they’ve been hurt by abusive
past leadership. They will trust you over time, but you have to earn
their trust.
3. People that have been hurt before by church leadership, and the
think it will always be the case. They will make your life miserable
because there’s nothing you can do to earn their trust. They will
probably eventually leave the church.
How Pastor Brady guards against what happened to his predecesor:
1. Spiritual fathers... you need to have spiritual fathers that can
speak into your life.
2. You need to ‘lean into your marriage’
3. Close brothers... who know you intimately and will correct when
needed
We only have as much spiritual authority as we are willing to submit
to.
Succession can be very lonely for the leader.
Do you have someone to walk through your succession process with
you?
20
IN SUCCESSION,
AIM FOR HEALTH
Jason took over Trinity Chapel after his father had a moral failure
four years ago.
Jason
Bolin
Jason Bolin has been
serving as Senior Pastor
since 2008.
After graduating Lee
University in 1999 with
a degree in Bible, Jason
returned to Trinity Chapel
where he began serving in
various full-time ministry
capacities including
Middle School Pastor,
Missions Pastor, and
Executive Pastor.
He and his wife Sarah
have been married since
January, 1999 and have
two children, Jay and
Caroline.
Pastor Jason and Sarah
are passionate about
sharing the message
of love, acceptance,
and forgiveness to our
community, nation, and
world.
www.trinitychapel.org
Our story is just as much about submission as it is about
succession. My father did the right thing, even though it was tough.
The restoration process has been long and hard for my family, but
on the other side, we’re finding joy.
Succession planning is good. Succession development is great.
Skill sets can be developed that will help with succession, and
that’s just as important as the implementation of the ‘plan’.
Rebuilding trust takes time. I had been in the church for 25 years.
I had a lot of history and a lot of relationships. I made the mistake
of thinking I had more relational collateral than I did. Love and
trust are not the same. Just because I was loved did not mean that
I had built their trust, especially after the moral failure.
We needed to rebuild the team. We were all hurt. We were all
broken.
I gave the growth plan to God. He was responsible for the increase.
I was responsible to be faithful. I just wanted the church to
healthy.
My biggest challenge was deciding whether to start with a new
vision or keeping the vision that was already there.
If you’re going through a rough succession... find someone who’s
already been through it. Aim for health in all you do.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you try to carry the weight of a
succession on your own strength. What part of your succession plan
do you need to turn over to God?
21
LEARNING FROM A
FAILED SUCCESSION
Robert A.
Schuller
Laguna Beach, CA
After receiving his Master
of Divinity from Fuller
Theological Seminary in
Pasadena, California, he
was ordained in 1980 as a
minister in the Reformed
Church of America.
Following his ordination,
Robert A. Schuller founded
Rancho Capistrano
Community Church at
the Crystal Cathedral’s
south campus in San Juan
Capistrano, California. On
this beautiful 170 acre
campus he developed a
Church, a School (Pre12) and a Retreat Center
with 65 suites. In 1985,
Rev. Schuller was given
a Doctorate Degree by
the National Hispanic
University for his charity
work in Mexico and in
2008 was awarded another
Doctorate Degree by
the California Graduate
School of Theology for his
extensive work in ministry.
robertschullerministries.com
@robertaschuller
Robert A. Schuller took over the leadership of the Crystal Cathedral
from his father in 2006. He was removed from that position in
2008.
The succession at the Crystal Cathedral was a succession for the
church and a succession for the TV ministry “The Hour of Power”.
His biggest learning: the former leadership must get out of the way
for the new leadership. He did not have the proper authority for the
position he held.
Succession is very difficult for ‘lions and tigers’ who have been
successful because they wouldn’t let go. Succession is counterintuitive to let go. It is extremely difficult.
Are you willing to give your future leader the proper authority for the
position?
22
FOUR THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER
BEFORE YOU TAKE THE BATON
Jonathan
Stockstill
Bethany Church
Baton Rouge, LA
Pastor Jonathan Stockstill officially became the
lead pastor of Bethany on
October 2, 2011, making
him the third-generation
Stockstill to act as senior
pastor for the ministry.
Pastor Jonathan followed
in his father’s footsteps
by becoming lead pastor
at 30 years old, the same
age Pastor Larry was
when he took over. Since
making the transition,
Pastor Jonathan has been
leading the church with
fresh vision, excitement,
passion, and creative
ideas to win Baton Rouge
and surrounding areas for
Christ. His heart to see
lives transformed by the
power of God and to see
people experience new
life in Christ is the bedrock of his vision for this
new chapter of Bethany’s
story. www.bethany.com
@jon_stockstill
Jonathan took over Bethany from his father, Larry Stockstill
in 2011. He shares four things that he’s learned through the
succession process.
1. Make sure that you have a clear word from God before you make
a decision succeed a long-term pastor.
2. Being a lead pastor is not just about management and vision...
you have to be able to preach. “Being a senior pastor is all about
preaching.”
3. Make sure that you have a vision for the ministry. If you don’t
have a vision, you will be paralyzed when you take the baton.
4. Not everyone will be excited that you’re there. Most people will
smile, not everyone will be happy. In fact, people will be suspicious
of whether or not you’ll be able to fill the shoes of your predecessor.
If you’re considering a position taking over for a long term pastor,
have you really gotten a clear word from God that this is where he
wants you?
23
HOW DO YOU FOLLOW
MICHAEL JORDAN
How do you follow a successful ministry leader? Here are three
suggestions:
Andre
Butler
Word of Faith
Southfield, MI
Pastor Andre’ Butler is
the Senior Pastor of Word
of Faith International
Christian Center; founded
by Keith A. Butler, in
Southfield, MI. Pastor Andre’ is the former
Pastor of Faith Christian
Center, in Smyrna, Georgia. His mission in life is
to equip others to experience the future that God
has for them.
1. You need to honor your predecessor. Think more highly of your
predecessor than you think of yourself. Respect what they’ve done
(even when you don’t agree with it).
2. Patience is vitally important. You’ll see things that you want to
change immediately. If you’re humble, you’ll wait. There are a lot
of things you don’t know initially... that will help you make better
decisions on what to change.
“Just because you’re pregnant with something doesn’t mean you’re
going to give birth tomorrow.”
3. Talk about the vision. Over and over. Talk repeatedly about what
you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
Pastor Andre’ is a
graduate from both Rhema Bible Training Center and Kennesaw State
University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management. He resides in
the metropolitan Detroit
area with his lovely wife,
Minister Tiffany, and their
three beautiful daughters
– Alexis Nichol, Angela
Marie, and April Mariah.
@wordoffaith
What do you think you know that you really don’t know?
24
CELEBRATING THE FIVE
YARD GAIN
Mike
Erre
First Evengelical Free
Church, Fullerton, CA
Mike Erre is the Senior
Pastor at First Evangelical
Free Church in Fullerton,
California. Prior to that, he
served at Mariners Church
(Irvine and Mission Viejo,
CA) and Rock Harbor
Church (Costa Mesa, CA)
in a variety of positions.
Mike is the author of
four books: The Jesus
of Suburbia, Why Guys
Need God, Death By
Church, and Why the Bible
Matters. He has served as
an adjunct professor at
Biola University and has
spoken at many different
colleges, conferences
and retreats throughout
the region. Mike and his
wife, Justina, have three
children: Nathan, Hannah
and Seth. Their family
resides in Yorba Linda,
California.
@mikeerre
www.evfreefullerton.com
Mike took over at First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, CA just
six months ago. He follows a successful transition from Dale Burke,
who followed long-term pastor Chuck Swindoll.
As you can imagine Chuck’s shadow still looms around the church.
Many of my friends thought I was crazy to take this position. But
I think there needs to be a group of men that will step forward and
love some of these older, legacy churches into the future.
Many people want the future of the church to look like its past. To
combat this, we’ve had to highlight the need for missional urgency.
If a church is always looking to its past, there is no current
compelling vision.
We celebrate five yard plays, not touch downs. We strive to honor
the past without being held captive to it.
Are you celebrating only touch downs?
25
ALLOWING FOR TIME AND
SPACE WITH SUCCESSION
Mike
LaMonica
This is an emotional process that a pastor has to go through. He
has to be convinced that you (the church) really cares about them.
You can’t lecture them. You have to lead them there.
It all starts with trust. And time and space.
One way or another... at some point... someone else is going to have
to lead this church. And we want to partner with you in this.
Willow Creek Community
Church, Barrington, IL
Mike has 37 years of
marketplace experience.He
is a retired Chief Actuary
of a large property/casualty
insurance company. He
has been an attender at
Willow Creek Community
Church since 1984. He
spent 13 years on Willow
Creek Board of Directors
and 3 years on the Elder
Board. He served as the
Elder Board chair during
the transition to policy
governance and serves
on the Willow Creek
Succession Planning
Committee. He is a
Consultant to church
pastors and elder boards
on policy governance and
succession planning He
also serves on the Advisory
Council for Willow Creek
Compassion and Justice
ministry. He and his wife
Patsy have four children
and four grandchildren.
www.willowcreek.org
@mons256
You can’t do anything with succession planning until the leader
where they own the fact that a succession plan needs to happen.
For Willow Creek... it was an eighteen month conversation.
What will success look like at Willow Creek? We need to keep our
DNA. Our DNA is bigger is our leadership at any given time.
Succession discussions don’t happen in five minutes. Are you
allowing your leader the time and space that he/she needs to
working through the emotional and spiritual preparation for
succession?
26
THE FASTEST DON’T
ALWAYS WIN THE RACE
Jim Garlow is the Pastor at Skyline Church, and took over
leadership in the church from John Maxwell seventeen years ago.
Jim
Garlow
Skyline Church
La Mesa, CA
Dr. Jim Garlow,
author, communicator,
commentator, historian,
cultural observer and
Senior Pastor of Skyline
Wesleyan Church in
San Diego, CA, is heard
daily on over 800 radio
outlets nationwide in his
one minute historical
commentary called “The
Garlow Perspective.”
Jim has appeared on
numerous national TV
shows on NBC, ABC,
CNN, Fox, MSNBC and
CNBC. He graduated
from Drew University
(Ph.D. in historical
theology), Princeton
Theological Seminary
(Master of Theology),
Asbury Theological
Seminary (Master of
Divinity), Southern
Nazarene University
(B.A. & M.A.), Oklahoma
Wesleyan University
www.skylinechurch.org
www.jimgarlow.com
John Maxwell would not allow people to drive a wedge between his
leadership and my leadership. His denomination told him that he
could expect to lose up to two-thirds of their congregation when
John left.
Jim thoughts on succession: don’t make the process longer than
it needs to be. Three to five years could very well be too long. 18
months is a better time frame. Most churches should be able to do
it in less time than that.
Succession is like a marathon. Even the fastest runners, when they
don’t pass the baton well, lose.
The race is often lost or won, not in the tenure of time, but in the
transition. The goal is to make the succession as seamless as
possible.
What is your goal in succession?
Are you merely running a fast race or working hard to pass the baton
well?
27
SUCCESSION CAN WORK...
BUT IT’S UP TO YOU!
Max
Lucado
Oak Hills Church
San Antonio, TX
Max Lucado grew up in
a small West Texas town,
son of an oil-field mechanic and a nurse, the
youngest of four children.
Although his parents were
devoted Christians and
very active in church, Max
took the all too familiar
path of the prodigal son,
drinking and partying
and chasing girls. But
his high school days over,
one summer night, after
a six-pack of beer with
a friend, Max turned a
real corner, the kind that
changes the trajectory of
one’s life. “I remember
saying that night, ‘there’s
got to be more to life than
this.’ He determined that
night, prompted, he says
in retrospect, by God, to
find meaning he could
build a life upon.
www.maxlucado.com
@maxlucado
As Oak Hills grew, Max decided that it would be good for the church
to have a ‘full time’ leader. He started the succession plan about
six years ago.
Max went to the church’s leadership with this plan: let’s hire a new
senior minister... one that would preach six months of the year, and
I’ll preach the other six months.
Randy Frazee joined the church as senior minister four and a half
years ago. Attendance and giving is up... the church is starting new
campuses and things are going well.
Max’s counsel to those considering a succession plan where they
will stay on at the church:
1. You HAVE to endorse the new guy. If there is ever even a hint
that you are not happy the new person is here, it will not be good
for the church.
2. You HAVE to relinquish control. Max moved his office offcampus for the first two years.
3. You NEED a ministry outlet. While you may think you are tired
and ready to move on, you will most probably need a ministry outlet
when you catch your breath.
4. Be SURE that this what God is wanting you to do. Be sure
you’re not just tired and need a good vacation.
Succession can work well if you really want it to, but you have to
take the above steps to insure its success.
If you’re considering passing the baton in the near future, are you
really sure that’s what God wants you to do? Are you sure you’re not
just tired and need a nice vacation or extended sabbatical?
28
Help Us Discover What’s Next!
Because of who we are and our unique mission, the Leadership Network team discovers what’s
next for the church through our relational network. We explore, learn and design programs based
on our conversations with church leaders.
Would you be willing to add to the conversation? Take 5 minutes and give us insight into your
church by answering these questions:
What are the challenges you face?
What are the opportunities you hope to leverage for the kingdom?
What are your strengths as a church?
Join the conversation by clicking here...
For Senior Pastors Only! Leadership Network’s Life Stage Leadership Community groups are
unique among our Leadership Community offerings. Each Life Stage Community group consists of
a relational peer network of senior or lead pastors that share similar ministry challenges and that
desire connections to others serving in similar ministry career stages. Our Life Stage groups
typically fill one year in advance of our meeting dates. Apply for an interview and to reserve a place
on our wait lists.
Upcoming Life Stage Groups include:
Senior Pastor 2 (serving churches in North America)
First Meeting: May 1-2, 2013 in Dallas, TX
The Senior Pastor 2 Leadership Community is designed for senior pastors age 45+, leading a
church of 2500+ attendance and experience serving in the lead pastor role for at least 10+ years.
These pastors are simultaneously building and strengthening their senior level leadership teams,
their churches, and their local and global communities.
More Information | Request Contact | Apply for an Interview
Next Generation Pastors 8 (serving churches in North America)
First Meeting: May 6-8, 2013 in Dallas, TX
Designed for senior pastors age 25-45, leading a church of 800+ attendance and experience
serving in the lead pastor role for at least 3+ years. These pastors are life-long learners desiring
mentoring from more seasoned senior pastors and senior executive level leaders as they work
through leadership challenges in the early stages of their ministry careers. This two-year experience
includes 4 meetings; each meeting spanning 2 days; consisting of intensive coaching and
mentoring by carefully selected Mentor Pastors, peer learning in small groups, Personal Leadership
Plans and relational connections that last a lifetime.
Global Connections
First Meeting: March 6-8, 2013 in Dallas, TX
The “father of modern management,” Peter Drucker, once said, “Any time an organization fails to
change at the rate of the world around it, that organization is doomed to failure.” What is your
global missions doing differently today in view of our changing world than it was doing ten years
ago...or 30 years ago? If you find yourself thinking about improving your global missions initiatives,
we invite you to join missional leaders from 8-10 other churches for this two year journey that is
designed to transform your church’s impact on the world.
More Information | Request Contact | Overview Back to top
What’s Next?
First Meeting: April 8-10, 2013 in Dallas, TX
We are looking for leaders that are actively thinking about the next chapter of their church’s ministry. Leaders realize that no matter how well things are going now or how strong their current ministry approaches are, they must constantly be thinking about the future. This new Leadership Community will involve interactive working sessions where you will be exposed to new ideas from the
Church and other sectors including business, science and the arts. You will build models of what
the future may look like and then rebuild them for your church based on the feedback from other
teams. You will develop measurable plans that will lead to real results for your church. In short,
your team will move from creative ideas to actionable implementation leading to powerful impact.
Since the ideas and plans that will be explored and developed will be central to the direction of your
church, we will require the involvement of a Lead/Senior Pastor and a minimum of four additional
senior level decision-makers at each gathering. Leadership Network “alumni” are pre-qualified for
this event but anyone is welcome and encouraged to request contact or apply for an interview.
Leadership Development
First Meeting: November 7-8, 2013 in Dallas, TX
Leadership Development is the #1 issue leaders mention when we ask them to list their most
urgent ministry challenges. Churches need leaders at all levels, new campus pastors, new small
group coaches, new ministry leaders serving in all areas of ministry, inside and outside the walls
of the church. In a collaborative learning environment with other large churches, we’ll take an indepth look at new ways of replicating, multiplying and developing leaders. We’ll learn from each
others models of leadership development and look at elements such an internships, developing
leaders for mission and creating a culture of reproduction. The Leadership Development Community will also address church culture and its impact on leadership develop. We will also look at
processes and structures to produce the leaders necessary to fulfill your vision. Ministry leaders,
together with Leadership Network’s team of facilitators and coaches, explore the various elements
of leadership development while working toward achieving bold, new goals in leader development.
Beyond Digital
First Meeting: October 21-23, 2013 in Dallas, TX
The Beyond Digital Leadership Community brings together innovative church leaders who place a
high strategic value on digital tools, tactics, and spaces for accomplishing their church’s mission.
These are churches that have made a significant investment in “going digital”, but also recognize
that having apps or an internet campus isn’t the extent of their digital reach. There is more to be
discovered, much more. Using the latest research, input, and models from digital strategists across
multiple sectors, the Beyond Digital Leadership Community will explore key questions, opportunities, and obstacles related to “all things digital”, leveraging the group’s combined resources, experience, and expertise to develop new models and strategies that will multiply the impact of churches
throughout the digital space. Church leaders will be challenged to bring their best technological
minds alongside their deepest pastoral hearts to maximize the strength of a balanced, creative
team. The result will be the deployment of the most innovative digital tools of our time for the accomplishment of the timeless mission of the Church.
More Information | Request Contact
Back to top
Generous Churches (EUROPE)
First Meeting: April 22-24, 2013 in Lisbon, Portugal
Designed to address the increasing need to build a culture of generosity in churches throughout
Europe, Leadership Network is partnering with Stewardship (UK), Christians Against Poverty (CAP)
and Gateway Church (TX) to facilitate the European Generous Churches Leadership Community.
Accelerate your efforts to develop a “culture of generosity” in your church through a series of highly
specialized, interactive gatherings, enhanced by relationships with fellow pace-setting churches.
Outcomes include an increase in financial stewardship and generosity among church members,
increased funding through donor support, and funding for mission initiatives.
More Information
Marriage Ministry
First Meeting: November 11-12, 2013 in Dallas, TX
Many of the challenges that your church is facing would be positively impacted if the marriages
and families in your church were healthy and strong. Today, perhaps more than ever, the church
needs to have a comprehensive strategy for supporting the marriages in the church and
community. This leadership community will expose your team to the best and most effective
models of marriage ministry in the church today and will challenge you to create a plan that will be
effective in your unique church environment.
Churches with Nonprofit / Charity Organizations
First Meeting: December 11-12, 2013 in Dallas, TX
In our ever-changing and increasingly challenging economy, churches are often looking for ways
to serve their communities through various not-for-profit ventures. Recognizing that this is an
emerging trend, Leadership Network is launching a two year Leadership Community for Churches
with Nonprofit /Charity Organizations. This community is designed for churches that have already
launched a nonprofit venture and are wanting to learn from others and collaborate in helping each
other maximize their efforts and effectiveness. What models exist, what are potential pitfalls, and
usable metrics? What does ‘great’ look like in a non-profit?
Back to top
Leadership Network Publications
Ideas to Imlementation to Impact
PRODIGAL
CHRISTIANITY
DAVID E. FITCH
GEOFF HOLSCLAW
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Publication
For ordering information, including sample chapters and current prices,
visit our online bookstore at leadnet.org/bookstore
Leadership Network
Innovation Series
Real Stories. Innovative Ideas. Transferrable Truths.
Exponential Series
learning from the stories of multiplying ministries
For ordering information, including sample chapters and current prices,
visit our online bookstore at leadnet.org/bookstore
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in a powerful mobile app to deliver an interactive reading experience that’s both substantial and flexible.
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experience is about 4 chapters long and is packed with extras including video, audio, weblinks, questions for personal and
team reflection and other visuals. It’s designed to be fast and flexible, giving you the options of engaging with the author and
other readers via Twitter, Facebook or conversations inside the content. You can download the Leadia app for free from the
App Store on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Once you have downloaded the Leadia app, you will be able to access all the
Leadia experiences for $2.99 each through in-app purchasing.
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Artist Development in Multisite
First Meeting: February 25-26, 2013 in Dallas, TX
If you are a full-time worship arts director or pastor in a multisite church, with oversight of the
weekend experience, worship and creative arts, Leadership Network is bringing together
innovative church leaders and creative professionals to help you develop a comprehensive
worship arts development model for your church.
Multisite JumpStart
First Meeting: March 18-19, 2013 in Dallas, TX
This unique InnovationLab gathering is designed for church teams planning your first multisite
location(s) and will focus on the practical how-to’s of location, leadership and structure. You will
have the opportunity to be exposed to some leading multisite parishioners and consultants as well
as other churches that are on the multisite launch pad. And you will walk out of the room with an
action plan for launching your first campus.
Generosity Ministry
First Meeting: April 11-12, 2013 in Dallas, TX
Leadership Network is happy to announce that it is launching an exciting new opportunity. It’s
called a Generosity Ministry InnovationLab and it is focused on helping churches create a culture
of generosity and stewardship. This InnovationLab will feature the results based collaboration
Leadership Network is known for and will help your team to shape a plan to create a culture of
giving and stewardship in your church. Churches that have participated in previous Generosity
InnovationLabs have seen dramatic results.
More Information | Request Contact | Apply for an Interview Back to top
Internships JumpStart
First Meeting: October 17-18, 2013 in Dallas, TX
As every generation of leadership matures and begins to see the possible end of its season of
influence, one question always seems to surface: “How do we raise up the next generation of
Church/Kingdom leadership?” Are you asking this question? No doubt there are many ways of
intentionally raising up the next generation of leadership, but one which continues to have some
traction as a subset of Leadership Development is Internship Programs. This Lab is
specifically for churches that have an established Intern Program and are looking for collaboration
and networking with other programs to increase effectiveness and stay on the cutting edge.
Request Contact | Apply for an Interview
Justice Ministry
First Meeting: August 27-28, 2013 in Dallas, TX
Ministries of mercy deal with the symptoms of people’s brokenness. Ministries of justice traffic in
the systems that create those symptoms. Mercy is rescuing people from the river. Justice walks
up stream to discover who is pushing them into the water. Most churches do a pretty decent job
of helping people “walk humbly with their God” and “love mercy”—two-thirds of Micah 6:8. But
precious few churches venture into areas of “doing justice” yet the church has been at her historic
best when she begins to do justice. In this InnovationLab we will explore the big issues facing the
world today and what your church can do to engage some of the big systemic problems facing your
neighborhood and the world today.
Senior Pastor/Executive Pastor
March 7, 2013 - Baltimore, MD
April 11, 2013 - Chicago, IL
In the Fall of 2012, Leadership Network partnered with Clear Creek Community Church in League City, TX
and Sun Valley Community Church in Gilbert, Arizona for our first two Senior Pastor/Executive Pastor One
Day Experiences. In 2013, there will be four more regional events across the United States, with the first
being in Joppa, MD on March 7, 2013 and the second in the Chicago, IL area on April 11. These Regional
events are a unique gathering designed specifically for Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor teams. At this
fast paced one day offering, participants will experience Leadership Network’s “Peer Protocol Process” by:
Having the opportunity to network with other leadership teams from similar sized churches; Learning from
experienced and effective Senior Pastor/Executive Pastor Teams; Addressing some of the challenges and
opportunities facing growing congregations and Exploring some creative ways of discovering the “What’s
Next” for your church.
back to top
Your Problem, Our Process
Late Fall, 2013 in Dallas, TX
Are you facing a problem in your church and coming up short on solutions? Or is an opportunity
staring you in the face that you are not sure how to attack? Your Problem, Our Process may be
just the answer for you and your team. This one day experience is designed for your church team
of three to explore and develop plan of action for those problems and opportunities. This one day
experience will take place late Fall 2013 and will be limited to six church teams.
Request Contact
Hispanic Pastors Roundtable
October 9, 2013 in Chicago, IL
At the Large Church Hispanic Pastors Roundtable in Chicago, leading Hispanic/Latino pastors of
English-dominant congregations will share their best practice ideas with other pacesetting leaders
from similar size churches. They’ll address challenges and opportunities facing growing congregations and explore creative ways to discover the “What’s Next” for their churches. Host location is
New Life Covenant Church in Chicago, where Pastor Wilfredo “Pastor Choco” de Jesus will give
us a walking tour of their Chicago Dream Center and share the story of their attendance growth of
150 to 6,000. This national event on October 9, 2013 is specifically designed for Hispanic/Latino
senior pastors that lead a church of 1,000 or more in attendance and minister to a predominantly
Hispanic/Latino congregation, especially second generation and beyond. This unique forum is not
a conference, but a limited seating forum -- a fast paced one-day experience of Leadership Network’s peer learning, encouragement, and peer support process. God is raising a new generation of
pastors, many younger, and many exploring new ways of reaching the next generation for Christ. If
you’d like to be part of that conversation, go to www.leadnet.org/hispanic.
Mark your calendars now for this year’s slate of Leadership Network’s online conferences. We’re happy to
announce our 2013 events:
Succession: Essential Learnings on Healthy
Church Leadership Transition
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
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BONUS MATERIAL
29
HOW TO INHERIT A MESS
Tommy’s succession did not go smoothly. In fact, he inherited a
mess involving a staff member and friend.
Tommy
Kyllonen
Crossover Church
Tampa, FL
Tommy founded the youth
ministry at Crossover in
1996 after graduating
from Southeastern University with a BA in pastoral studies and a concentration in youth ministry.
In 2006 he went back to
Southeastern University
and completed a master’s
level Church Leadership
Cohort. Starting in 1996,
with just four teens, he
and his wife developed a
first-of-its-kind Hip-Hop
Styled Youth Ministry
that over the span of six
years grew to hundreds,
far outpacing attendance
in the main Sunday worship. In January 2002,
Tommy became the lead
pastor at Crossover and a
new vision was birthed to
specifically reach those
influenced by Urban/HipHop Culture.
www.crossoverchurch.org
@urban813
Tommy’s encouragement (at least for the situation he found himself
in)... make the tough decision and the right decision quickly.
The right decision in cleaning up the inherited mess helped set
the tone for his transition with both his church and the church
leadership.
Before you take over a church, ask the frank question: “What
skeletons are there in the closet? What things will need immediate
decisions when I begin?”
30
SHOW YOURSELF
THE DOOR
We’re better if we head for the door before we’re shown the door.
Dick
Alexander
It’s difficult to see changes in ourselves as we age. Over time, we
can (and will) lose our edge.
Most of the time, we should probably move out of our rolls before
we think we need to.
LifeSpring Christian
Church
Cincinatti, OH
Dick Alexander
has been the Lead
Pastor for LifeSpring
Christian Church in
Cincinnati, OH for
twenty seven years. He
spent seventeen years
in student ministry
and enjoys speaking
and writing on global
missions and church
leadership. In his free
time he likes to ski and
run.
Dick has been married
to the love of his life
Betty for the past 45
years and they have two
grown children.
@heavensoon
How do you know when it’s time for you to leave? Would you rather
head for the door yourself, or be shown the door by someone else?
31
LIFE AFTER SUCCESSION:
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Dennis & Linda
Gingerich
Cape Christian
Cape Coral, FL
Married 38 years with 3
adult married children.
Grandparents of 2
with twins on the way.
Founding Pastor couple
at Cape Christian in
Cape Coral, FL. BatonPassing Legacy-Leaving
Leaders. Linda is a
Labor/Delivery Nurse and
teaches Parenting on
Purpose. Dennis loves to
inspire transformissional
living as a blogger,
mentors community
leaders, serves as a
police chaplain and
recharges through nature
photography.
The uniqueness of Dennis’ situation is that he transitioned out of
the lead pastor position and remained at the church (and on the
leadership team) as ‘founding pastor’.
Since the transition, the church has doubled in size.
Dennis wanted to insure continued RESOURCE: The Elephant in
the Boardroom
My realization: The chance of my major life investment (the church
I founded) to continue to move forward and create significant
spiritual fruit after I was gone was small.
I redefined success: My measure of success would be whether my
church would grow five years after I stepped down.
Legacy is only created when a person puts an organization in a
position to do well with out them.
So... I created a plan.
I picked my successor, and started the transition.
We created a written timeline that lasted five years.
We communicated honestly with each other, and the church. We
shared the vision.
We held a special service to pass the baton.
We needed to pay the price. We lost people. We had to adjust
roles.
We are having a blast.
www.capechristian.org
@dennisgingerich
Are you willing to pay the price to see that your church succession
goes really well?
32
IN SUCCESSION,
AIM FOR HEALTH
Justin took over Trinity Chapel after his father had a moral failure
four years ago.
Jason
Bolin
Trinity Chapel
Powder Springs, GA
After graduating Lee
University in 1999 with
a Bachelors degree
in Bible, Jason began
serving in various fulltime ministry capacities
including Middle School
Pastor, Missions Pastor,
and Executive Pastor.
He earned a Masters in
Organizational Leadership
from Regent University in
2008.
Jason is passionate about
teaching the truth and
wisdom of God’s word
and helping people apply
it in their daily lives. His
teachings offer hope and
speak to the current issues
that we all face. The vision
of Love, Acceptance, and
Forgiveness is the driving
force behind his sermons
as well as every ministry
within the church.
http://trinitychapel.org
@Jason_Bolin
Our story is just as much about submission as it is about
succession. My father did the right thing, even though it was tough.
The restoration process has been long and hard for my family, but
on the other side, we’re finding joy.
Succession planning is good. Succession development is great.
Skill sets can be developed that will help with succession, and
that’s just as important as the implementation of the ‘plan’.
Rebuilding trust takes time. I had been in the church for 25 years.
I had a lot of history and a lot of relationships. I made the mistake
of thinking I had more relational collateral than I did. Love and
trust are not the same. Just because I was loved did not mean that
I had built their trust, especially after the moral failure.
We needed to rebuild the team. We were all hurt. We were all
broken.
I gave the growth plan to God. He was responsible for the increase.
I was responsible to be faithful. I just wanted the church to
healthy.
My biggest challenge was deciding whether to start with a new
vision or keeping the vision that was already there.
If you’re going through a rough succession... find someone who’s
already been through it. Aim for health in all you do.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you try to carry the weight of a
succession on your own strength. What part of your succession plan
do you need to turn over to God?
33
PASSING IT ON
Laurie
Beshore
For 25 years, Laurie
Beshore has served as
the founding pastor of
Outreach Ministries
at Mariners Church in
Irvine, California. Its
mission is to mobilize
world changers who are
courageously shaping
culture while meeting real needs. Laurie
is the author of Love
Without Walls (Zondervan), which tells the
eye-opening and inspiring history of Outreach
Ministries at Mariners
Church.
Laurie lives in Corona
del Mar, California and
has been married for 34
years to Kenton Beshore,
her childhood sweetheart and senior pastor
of Mariners Church.
They have four sons,
a daughter-in-law, and
three grandchildren.
www.marinerschurch.org
It can be dangerous when a person’s identity becomes wrapped
up in the ministry they’ve built...or when a ministry is defined by a
person. This makes successful leadership transitions challenging or
nearly impossible.
Surrender - it’s God’s ministry. Often we have to release what’s in
our hands before He will open the next door.
Accept change - every leader will lead differently. We need to trust
the next generation and realize change is not criticism.
Manage the ripple effect - the organization needs to be shepherded
through this season as roles, expectations, relationships and
priorities shift.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep - give the new leader space and
freedom to lead.
Be as honest as possible - “I’m not sure” is ok
Over communicate - keeping the vision front and center is crucial
Get help - have a coach help you work through the transition
Don’t be afraid - hire with your successor in mind and keep an eye
on leaders who could take the ministry to the next level
1. How do you ensure that different ministries are moving in the
same direction during a transition?
2. Share an example of a time another leader led differently than
you and it was a positive experience in the long run.
34
PASSING THE
BATON
When passing the baton:
Aaron
Brockett
Traders Point Christian
Indianapolis, IN
Aaron Brockett is the
Lead Pastor of Traders
Point Christian Church
in Indianapolis, IN.
He and his wife Lindsay have been married
for 13 years and are
blessed with four great
kids, Conor, Campbell,
Kennedi, and Kadence.
Gain perspective - figure out who you are & what God has called
you to do. Don’t “believe your own press” but don’t be too down on
yourself either. James says “you are a mist”...It will go fast!
Humble yourself or be humbled. Pride and low self esteem
come from the same roots - too much of me in it. You don’t want
character to get too far behind gifting.
John Stott - “It is here at the foot of the cross that we shrink to our
one true size.”
Love Jesus more than the church, love your church more than your
position in the church. Some people hold too tightly to what God
calls them temporarily to do.
Love the mission more than your opportunity to
advance the mission.
If God is calling you to something, He will make you adequate.
When it is time to transition, do it in a healthy way that does not
hurt the name of God.
1. Pastors - would your leaders say that youare still their pastor?
Has God called you temporarily or for another “season”?
www.tpcc.org
@aaronbrockett
2. Can you say you love your church more than your position in the
church? Explain.
35
PASSING THE
BATON
The Mac Truck Plan - update regularly
Dave
Browning
If something happens to leader, identify:
Key decision maker or group.
What communications will go out, in what forms, to what people.
Christ The King
Burlington, WA
Dave Browning is
the founder of Christ
the King Community
Church, International,
a non-denominational
church with locations
in a number of states
and countries. Dave
is a visionary minimalist and the author of
Deliberate Simplicity;
How the Church Does
More By Doing Less.
Dave’s passion is to see
the church grow organically and exponentially
through relationships.
Dave is married to
Kristyn, and has three
children, Erika, Jenna
and Daron. He lives in
Burlington, Washington.
www.ctkonline.com
@bigdaverino
What kind of group will look for replacement.
1. Does your church have a succession plan? If not, what needs to
be done to create one?
2. Would you add anything to the Mac truck plan? If so, what?
36
VALUE DOES NOT
EQUAL SUCCESS
Key is surrender!
Neil
Cole
Neil Cole is an
experienced church
planter, author and pastor.
Aside from founding
the Awakening Chapels,
which are reaching young
postmodern people in
urban settings, he
is also a founder of
Church Multiplication
Associates (CMA) which
has helped to start
thousands of churches
in 50 states and 40+
nations in only 12 years.
Neil is also an
international speaker and
has authored Organic
Church, Cultivating a Life
For God, TruthQuest,
Search and Rescue,
Organic Leadership,
Church 3.0, Journeys to
Significance, and
co authored Church
Transfusion, with Phil
Helfer, Raising Leaders
for the Harvest, and
Beyond Church Planting
www.cmaresources.com
@neil_cole
Be honest with your fears. Ask God from courage for decision
disciples had to do this also.
Pray for God’s wisdom. Use wisdom in addition to leading from His
Spirit (Solomon in I Kings 3).
James 1 If anyone lacks wisdom He will give it to us generously
Key question: Lord, what is best for your kingdom?
Weigh what will happen if you stay, versus what will happen if you
leave.
Ask the Holy Spirit to lead.
1. How do you make decisions about big issues such as
succession/changes? What has worked well?
2. Have you ever witnessed someone trying to make a big decision
who is not honest about their fears? What happened?
37
TRANSITION IS A
COMMITMENT
Daniel
Fusco
Daniel Fusco grew up
in a spiritually nominal
family and had a radical
conversion in his final
semester at Rutgers
University. After playing
the electric and upright
bass professionally
for a number of years,
Daniel felt the call into
the pastoral ministry.
Daniel has planted
three churches, Calvary
Chapel New Brunswick,
NJ (2002), Calvary
North Bay in Mill Valley,
CA (2007) and Calvary San Francisco, CA
(2010). Daniel is now
the pastor of Crossroads
Community Church in
Vancouver, WA. He is
also the founder of the
Calvary Church Planting
Network, a ministry that
facilitates church planters. Daniel’s first book
“Ahead of the Curve”
www.danielfusco.com
@danielfusco
Transition is a commitment to the church. The people of the
church are more important than the founding pastor or the
incoming pastor.
Commitment to intergenerationality. Our culture values
youthfulness but God values people. Often younger pastors think
they need to change everything. We made commitment to value
oldest to youngest - intergenerationality.
Commitment to steady, orderly transition. Often transitions are
made quickly and founding pastor is told he can’t come back to the
church for a long time.
We want to see churches continue to be on cutting edge of what
God is doing in their communities.
1. Do the different generations in your church feel valued? Explain.
What can you do to help them feel more valued?
2. What would a steady, orderly transition look like in your church?
What do you need to do to make sure that occurs when the need
arises?
38
DON’T DAMN THE
PAST
Bless the Past! Celebrate & bless the past as you press into the
future.
Kevin
Harney
Shoreline Community
Corral De Tierra, CA
Rev. Dr. Kevin Harney
(B.A., Azusa Pacific
University; M.Div.,
Fuller Theological
Seminary; Doctorate
of Ministry, Western
Theological Seminary)
is the Lead Pastor of
Shoreline Community
Church in Monterey,
CA. He is the author of
many books including:
Leadership from the
Inside Out, Seismic
Shifts, Reckless Faith,
Organic Outreach
for Ordinary People,
Organic Outreach for
Churches, Organic
Outreach for Families,
as well as other books
and curriculum. He and
his wife Sherry have
written over seventy
small group study
guides
www.kevingharney.com
Current leaders: how did I bless the past? Is my staying no longer
blessing where we’ve been & where God is taking us, or slowing us
down?
If you are the new leader, look to the past & celebrate what God has
done through the years.
“If you damn their past, they’ll damn their future. If you bless their
past, they’ll bless your future.” (Harold Korver)
Bless the past and look what God does as He moves you into the
future.
1. Can you think of an example of a time where the past has been
“damned” and it turned out badly? What happened?
2. How can you celebrate the past in your congregation?
39
WALK OUT OR BE
CARRIED
My goal is to walk out of church & not be carried out.
Do that with an effective succession plan.
Dennis
Keating
Emmanuel Faith
Escondido, CA
Dennis Keating was born
in New York State into
a family of nine. At the
age of five, they moved to
California near the Pasadena area. He was raised
in a devout Catholic family,
and attended 12 years of
Catholic school.
An effective succession plan is not about picking your successor.
It’s part of an overall training plan for your life & everyone else on
your staff.
It will be a process that involves assessment, goal setting,
accountability, review.
If we do this on an ongoing basis, it will allow us to assess where we
want to go, and be prepared. This is better than having to address
issues in a negative setting (performance diminishing or not what
they should be due to lack of accountability)
Starts with lead pastor asking: who am I? What do I see God doing
in me now and preparing for the next phase of my ministry life?
What’s best for the church?
Dennis placed his personal
faith in Jesus Christ after
hearing the gospel at Forest Home Christian Conference Center in 1972. He
received his undergraduate
degree from San Diego
State University in accounting in 1975, and a
Master of Divinity from
Talbot Seminary in 1979.
Dennis married his wife,
Marsha, in 1979 and they
have three children.
1. How are you training your staff and/or leaders for the future?
www.efcc.org
2. What do you see God doing in you now? How might He be
preparing you for the next phase of your ministry life? Are you in
the position that is best for the church?
40
KEY QUESTIONS
Who are the key stakeholders? (elders, senior leadership, other
volunteers...)
Tammy
Kelley
Address key questions in area of succession:
Are we doing all this ourselves? Create search team? Partner with a
professional search team?
Intelligent Design
South Barrington, IL
What happens to current Sr. Pastor? Does he have a voice/help
choose? Have role in church after they resign/retire?
Tammy Kelley has served
on church staff teams
for more than 15 years.
Most recently, Tammy
served on the Leadership
Team of Willow Creek
Community Church,
South Barrington, IL
for seven years. Prior to
Willow, Tammy served
as Executive Pastor of
Ginghamsburg Church
in Ohio. Four years ago
Tammy founded Intelligent Design Incorporated,
a consulting organization
focused on providing
practical and customized
plans to maximize the
potential of churches,
nonprofit organizations,
and businesses. Intelligent Design helps organizations create sound
plans for growth with
careful consideration
to the unique values
of each organization.
How will this be communicated to general staff & congregation?
Be considerate about honoring exiting leader
www.vanderbloemen.com
Discuss these questions before you need to know, so you are not
starting from ground zero.
1. Who would the key stakeholders in your current organization be?
2. Have you discussed any of these questions within your
leadership team? If not, what do you need to do so that you are
not “starting from ground zero” if the need for new leadership
arises?
41
SUCCESSFULLY
MOVING ON
God impressed on my heart, “Don’t build this church around you/
your personality”.
Mac
Lake
The Launch Network
Dallas, GA
Mac Lake is the Chief
Launch Officer of The
Launch Network, a new
church planting network
based out of West Ridge
Church in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area. His
role is to get The Launch
Network up and running,
networking with churches
and planters to establish
healthy church starts
across the U.S. and the
world. His goal is to plant
1000 churches in the next
10 years. In 2004 after
having lunch with Greg
Surratt, Senior Pastor at
Seacoast Church, he joined
the Seacoast Staff to help
develop leaders for their
multi-site movement. He
emained there as the Leadership Development Pastor for nearly seven years
before accepting the call to
start The Launch Network.
www.maclakeonline.com.
@maclake
Five things I learned:
Don’t name your successor too early. Invest your time raising high
capacity leaders, but don’t name them as successors. When you
do, you may rob yourself of an opportunity if God sends another
leader that would fill the role in a better way.
Create an exit strategy that takes place quickly
Set successor up for success on your way out the door. Help them
plan something that will make them the “hero”
Don’t expect them to lead the way you lead
Champion your successor from a distance. Don’t allow yourself to
continue to be the leader
Take the thing that you’ve led, and put it in the hands of somebody
else who takes it to another level.
1. Is your church built around your/your lead pastor’s personality?
How is that good? How is that bad? Are there changes that need to
be made?
2. Are you raising high capacity leaders? How can you set them up
for success? If you are in the midst of leaving a church, how can
you set up the person who comes after you for success?
42
SUCCESSFULLY
MOVING ON
God impressed on my heart, “Don’t build this church around you/
your personality”.
Jorge
Molina
Christ Fellowship
Miami, FL
Jorge Molina was born
in El Salvador and grew
up during the civil war
there. He came to the
United States when he
was 12 years old and
graduated from Pensacola Christian High School.
Jorge graduated from
Liberty University with a
BS in Sociology in 1999.
Five things I learned:
Don’t name your successor too early. Invest your time raising high
capacity leaders, but don’t name them as successors. When you
do, you may rob yourself of an opportunity if God sends another
leader that would fill the role in a better way.
Create an exit strategy that takes place quickly
Set successor up for success on your way out the door. Help them
plan something that will make them the “hero”
Don’t expect them to lead the way you lead
Champion your successor from a distance. Don’t allow yourself to
continue to be the leader
Take the thing that you’ve led, and put it in the hands of somebody
else who takes it to another level.
1. Is your church built around your/your lead pastor’s personality?
How is that good? How is that bad? Are there changes that need to
be made?
http://cfmiami.org
@JorgeAMolina
2. Are you raising high capacity leaders? How can you set them up
for success? If you are in the midst of leaving a church, how can
you set up the person who comes after you for success?
43
CALLING OR
POSITION?
We don’t react same way to transitions. Strong emotions can make
transitions unhealthy.
Scott
Wilson
The Oaks Fellowship
Dallas, TX
Scott Wilson is the
Senior Pastor of The
Oaks Fellowship,
ministering to
approximately 3,000
people every week in
Dallas, TX. He is a
frequent conference
speaker, and provides
mentorship for hundreds
of pastors and church
leaders through
MinistryCoach.tv. Scott
is committed to raising
up the next generation of
leaders through The Oaks
School of Leadership,
preparing more than 100
students every year for
ministry with university
credits, and Life School,
educating 4200 students
from K to 12. Scott is
a loving husband and
proud father. Scott and
his wife, Jenni, have
three boys: Dillon,
www.theoaksonline.org
@scottwilson7
Your calling is not about a position
I Peter 2 - we are a chosen race, royal priesthood...Not called
to a certain office, or special reward. We are people of His own
possesion.
God has called you out & placed you strategically in a leadership
role to point those around you to Jesus
God closes & opens doors. What are ways of transitioning that
honor & please God?
Humility: Christ came to earth in humility. James says God opposes
proud but gives grace to humble.
Teachability: watch others, listen to advice, seek wisdom
Be grateful to God for allowing you to be used in His ministry, to
those who lead you for their guidance, and those who follow you for
their trust.
Gratefulness is outward expression of humility and teachability of
your heart.
1. Respond to the idea that gratefulness is an outward expression
of humility and teachability. Would those around you describe you
as grateful?
2. Do you think of your role more as a position or a calling?
Explain. Does something need to change?
44

success takes time - Leadership Network

Transcription

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