Greg Peters Live

Years and years ago, when I couldn’t have been but about 10 or 12 years old, I had a very interesting driving experience. There was a littel snow and ice on the ground in Deleware and I was out with my aunt. All I really  remember is being in a neighborhood and us being stuck on a little patch of ice. Somehow I ended up in the driver’s seat of her little white Sunbird and she and perhaps a good samaritan pushed us to an “unstuck”position. Never having driven in my entire life, I wasn’t wuite sure what to do with the fact that I was now driving in the snow. I am not sure if it was her yelling, or my own panic, but rather than hit the brake I just slammed the car in park. While it didn’t sound to good, it did accomplish the purpose, the car came to an abrupt stop.

While at our recent staff and elder retreat the speaker used the phrase, “park your heart before the Lord”. Life can get so busy…blah, blah, blah…. you could finish that paragraph yourself. Let me just jump to the point – make sure you are taking the time to recalibrate and be certain to park your heart before the Lord.

I want to lead us to be a church that has this as a part of our DNA, but it will never rise past the culture of our individual leaders. As a leader, what has your time with God looked like over the last 2 weeks?

I played several different sports as a kid but I was most dedicated to and involved in baseball.  I loved baseball and played it for probably 6 years. One my favorite baseball adventures was the opportunity I had to attend the University of Deleware Summer baseball camp.  One thing the camp did was reinforce the basics. One of the fundamentals taught over and over to every ball player is how to feild a ball. How a ball is played is all dependant on where the ball is hit – if you are a former little leaguer perhaps you will recall the instructions. If the baseball is hit in the infield, attack the ball, charge it, don’t let it play you, you play it, etc. If the ball is hit to you in the outfield the first thing you do is take a step back. It is always easier to run in on a fly ball than to run back on a fly ball. Interestingly enough, balls in the infield are played exactly opposite as those that are hit in the outfield.

I have shared my rememberance of baseball fundamentals for a reason. How we field a ball is similar to how we should field problems. Problems are hit into our lives on a daily basis.  What a person must do is determine whether a problem has been hit into the infield or the outfield. Some problems are in the infield and need to be charged, played on in an aggressive manner. Some problems are in the outfield, we need to take a step back and get a better understanding of how the problem is going to fly.

I think sometimes we are aggressive in attacking problems when we should really take a step back and at other times we take a step back when we should be attacking the problem. This is an area that I struggle with – I think we all do. One of the biggest challenges of leadership is trying to determine what type of a problem has been hit your way.

Just remember, if it has been hit in the infield take a step forward. If it has been hit in the outfield take a step back.

Everybody has their critics – that is true of you and that is true of me. I read something recently that has caused me a good bit of thinking, I don’t remember where I read it but here is the quote, “Wise people let their critics become their coaches”. Now if you are like me, my first thoughts were about picking apart that quote and disproving it at several levels. After all who wants to think of their critics in a positive light. But the more I have thought about it the more the quote makes sense, at least at the big picture level. Why would you agree or disagree with the quote?

For probably 2 years now I have wanted to do a sermon series entitled, TGIM – Thank God it’s Monday! I just have not had peace about the series or the timing of it and the Lord has just led me in different directions along the way – but this is a series in waiting. These wouold be good texts Ephesians 6:5-8 and Colossians 3:22-25.

I personally think that if you are not the best employee in your department you ought to be asking yourself why not! Not because your reputation rides on it, but more importantly the reputation of Christ is at stake! You don’t need to be a workaholic but you need to make yourself irreplacable and invaluable.

Tim Stevens, had a post recently that had some great tips on how to serve strong in the workplace and how to be the employee that your boss needs you to be. To read Tim’s great post click here.

Today was one of those days that I was reminded of all the talented people that the Lord has placed around me. If the congregation could really see it from my viewpoint they would see that I am not as talented as some think I might be. If they could see the amazing leaders around me they would have an ah..ha moment and discover much of the reason for our success. But something encourages me far greater than the leadership around me and that is the friendship that runs ahead of the leadership. The Lord has blessed me with leaders around me that are such incredible friends. They careand they show it – as a leader what more could you ask for when the talent is deep but the friendship is deeper!!

Sometimes in ministry we get overly focused on bigger. Nothing is wrong with bigger, in fact, I think bigger honors God. Not that small churches don’t honor God, but if you can grow and God has put you in a place to grow, then when you do grow that obviously honors Him. In other words, the more people we reach, the better. The bigger we are the more life change we are able to actualize. I do see value in numbers because ultimately numbers equals souls.  Empty seats never get saved!  With all my heart I want to reach as many people for Christ as possible. While I am all for bigger, I do think better is better. Let me explain – If we keep getting better, better at first impressions, better at campus beautification, better at loving babies, better childrens ministry, better at empowering students, better at preaching the Word, better at the excellence in our tech team, better at the quality of worship, better at the way we fellowship, better at the way we build stronger believers, better at our outreach events, etc, etc, etc. If we keep getting better – bigger will take care of itself!!!  If we determine to be better then the community will dictate bigger. By the way, better is normally not working harder it is just working smarter. If somebody is not interested in better then there is a bigger problem – pun intended.

If you are leading or serving in ministry, ask yourself, “what one thing could I do just a little bit better?”.

A favorite quote of mine is – excellence honors God and God honors excellence.

May we get better for His glory!!!

Just a few observations and lessons from the BP blunder

• When you screw up you better figure out a way to communicate clearly and quickly
• When you blow your communication you better apologize quickly
• If the President of the US says you should be fired it is probably a bad day
• Big rewards are accompanied with big risks
• If you are taking big risks don’t act like you are not
• Better surround yourself with the right people and the best people because there will be a day when you really need them
• No matter how you try to make your wrong right some people will not let you live it down
• When your company has a major problem it will affect the companies that are closest to you
• There will be a day when you are no longer the top story but it sure doesn’t feel like it now
• Anybody can lead when the profit is flowing
• It takes a real leader to lead when the oil is spilling
• You better spend whatever it takes to make a wrong right

I don’t have a tough decision to make today but the next time I do I would like to remember a recent post by Perry Noble:

I would almost be willing to bet my last Bible that Nehemiah wasn’t the first person to identify the problem…and I would dare say he wasn’t the first person to try to do something about it.  BUT…the ONE THING that set him apart as the guy who did the “impossible” was that he was completely willing to make a decision that was unpopular with some for the good of so many others!

You can read Perry’s entire post click here

May the Lord give you courage to face the next tough decision in your life!!

On many occasions you have heard me brag on our Elders. I have never felt so supported and helped in all my days of ministry.  Our Elders are not perfect but they have such a heart for the Lord and His people.  Our Elder team recently invited two new men to be a part of our team.  The two guys are Rick Kidder and Steve Biederman.  Rick, Steve and their wives are an active part of this ministry and have demonstrated many characteristics that are fitting to their new role. Already, both men have made a tremendous impact!

The New Testament defines eldership as follows: elders lead the church, teach and/or preach the Word, protect the church from false teaching, exhort and encourage believers, see that the sick and needy are cared for and prayed for, and  they provide oversight and accountability.  In biblical terminology, elders shepherd, oversee, lead and care for the local church.

Just this morning I spent 2 hours with our elders and once again walked away so encouraged. What really thrills me is how the Lord has sent us men with unique gifts and talents that are matched so perfectly with our current opportunities, needs and challenges. Currently some of the areas that we are focusing on are systems, organization and administration – each of these things is being viewed through the lense of our mission. It is the responsibility of our elder team for us to see that the mission stays in its prioritized position and is supported by the best structure – structure that increases our mission and does not impede our mission.

As the lead pastor at Parkview, I have the privilege of being out front and as a result I also get much of the credit for what good takes place. Allow me to take a moment and just further reinforce the fact that the overwhelming majority of good that happens is the result of the great leaders and staff God has placed around me.

I know that the Lord has some phenomenal things in store for Parkview. By God’s grace and as a result of His power, we are about to see incredible growth take place in our church. 2010 and 2011 are going to be unlike any other years we have ever seen. The expansion of our facility is going to give us the space we need to bring life change to countless more people in our community. In advance of all that is about to happen, to God be the Glory!

Click here to read a good article on ministry burnout.