Bill Hybels -- Session 1 -- “5 Critical Questions for Leaders”

• When a leader gets better, everyone wins.
• QUESTION 1: What is your current leadership challenge level? Are you under-challenged? appropriately challenged? dangerously over-challenged?
• Where do you do your absolutely best work as a leader on this spectrum?
• Leadership is like a muscle. You have to stress it to grow it.
• First Application
• If you’re under-challenged, step it up. If you don’t challenge yourself enough, you’re in danger of atrophy.
• If you’re dangerously over-challenged, you’re in danger of a melt down. You need to find a way to delegate and scale back. You set a bad example for those you lead if you live in this area.
• When you are stressed, you get a lift. When you stay stressed, you’ll flatten out. If you stay in this level, you’ll crash and bottom out in the cellar.
• Second Application
• How do we get a handle on who is being overworked in an organization?
• What do under-challenged people in a department do? They leave.
• Third Application
• Do you think it possible for organizations to be under-challenged, appropriately challenged, or dangerously over-challenged?
• QUESTION 2: What is your plan on dealing with challenging people in your organization?
• If there was a 50% revenue drop, who would you get rid of?
• Line Exercise: Put all your people in order from the ones you would most hate to lose.
• Are the people at the end of the line, off-mission? under-performing? Am I just avoiding tough conversations because we are fully funded?
• Willow’s mission is totally dependent on the people we can attract and develop.
• Our future is also tied to dealing with people who are no longer fantastic.
• How much time are you going to give Fantastic Fred to spread his radioactive poison? I get answers from minutes to years. At Willow, this is 30 days.
• Your staff needs to know how long people can have a bad attitude.
• How do you handle under-performers? Or as the Bible says, no worthy their hire?
• Under-performers need our attention just as soon as it is identified. At Willow, this is 3 months.
• The single toughest challenging people issue I’ve had to deal with is when the growth of an organization requires somebody with a greater capacity to fill that role.
• Takeaway #1: If you don’t deal with challenging people in your organization, you discourage and de-motivate your best people. Fantastic people do not want to be dragged down by whiners and complainers.
• Takeaway #2: Challenging people are not happy people.
• QUESTION 3: Are you naming, facing and resolving the problems in your organization?
• Example: The problem of the feeding of the widows in Acts 6
• Nothing rocks forever. Everything has a season.
• Life-cycle of an idea: Accelerating, Booming, Decelerating, Tanking
• By identifying, we can solve these problems.
• QUESTION 4: When was the last time, you re-examined the core of what your organization is all about?
• Can you put the vision and mission of your organization on the front of a t-shirt?
• We all get fuzzy on what we do over time.
• Exercise: In five words, explain the central message of your product or service. In five words, what best describes the good news of Jesus Christ?
• Hybels answer for himself: Love, Evil, Rescue, Choice, Restoration
• God loved you the moment you started sucking air.
• When you’re clear about the core, there is no end to what God can do.
• QUESTION 5: Have you had your leadership bell rung lately? Has any leadership book or talk or crisis rocked your world lately?
• Most of us are hard-headed leadership types; we need our bells rung occasionally.
• If you’re sick enough of being stuck, you’d get on the solution-side of this problem and you’d take action.
• Quit making excuses and start making bold, new solutions.
• There is too much at stake in this world for leaders to walk around with a defeated mindset.
• Why couldn’t the next five years be your best five years?
• How you finish is how you will be remembered.

Upcoming One Life West Training Dates

June 26 -- One Life West will join the One Life East group

July 6 -- Training at Lighthouse @ 6 PM. Food served at 5:30.

July 17 -- Training at Lighthouse @ 4:30 PM. Food served following.

August 3 -- Training at Lighthouse @ 6 PM. Food served at 5:30.

Sunday Set List

This past Sunday's set list:

Friend of God by Phillips, Craig & Dean

Glorious Day by Casting Crowns

God with Us by Mercy Me

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

A Living Prayer by Alison Krauss

Sunday Set List

The set list from this past Sunday's worship service at Discovery:

Prelude: I Will Survive by Cake
Break Free by Hillsong United
My Soul Longs for You by Misty Edwards
Desert Song by Hillsong United
How He Loves by John Mark McMillan

Why I Didn't Preach Last Weekend

I didn't preach at DIscovery Church last weekend. I was at the theater (and no, I wasn't just skipping to watch a movie) but others led in worship and teaching. I've been asked a few times why and here's the reason:

Reason #1: We have talented teachers who need to be given the opportunity to grow and use their gifts.
At Discovery, we've been blessed with some incredibly talented teachers. Yesterday, one of those talented individuals, Janet Oberholtzer, got the opportunity to share about the purpose of and her passion for ministry to college-students. Each time she has preached, she has done a good job...and she's grown in that gifting. Later this summer, you'll have the opportunity to learn from Matt Breivogel, another young, gifted teacher in our midst. I look forward to teaching more at Discovery (and One Life) in the days ahead. However, some times it is good for me and for the body of Christ for others to have the opportunity to share what God is teaching them.

Reason #2: I was serving in KIDS ministry.
Our KIDS ministry rocks! The team does a great job each week in preparing quality lessons that teach and grow our kids. And our KIDS ministry is growing. Sunday, I got the opportunity to pour myself into the life of the kids for one morning. They got to know that their pastor loves them, cares about them, can be goofy, and wants them to love Jesus. All very important lessons in my book. Another exciting part of leading in our KIDS ministry was the chance to teach my incredible 7 year old. Dads, it is so cool to get to lead and love your kids and set great examples for other kids at church.

How to Think Missionally

The following post has been ripped almost word-for-word from the One Life playbook in preparation for the launch of One Life West. Thankful for the hard work and great teaching of Bret Nicholson.

What would you do if God spoke to you this weekend and told you to move to Yemen by this time next year? What steps would you take? What would you do once you arrived? When this question was asked in a recent training session, the lists were formed quickly.

Prior to leaving, many of us would study the culture. Yemen is really different than Evansville. We would study the language. We would learn how to connect with the Yemenis. We would pray. We would begin to arrange our financial situation to prepare for this new reality. The next 12 months would be filled with excitement and anticipation.

Once we arrived, we would begin to identify the

needs in the area. We would look for quick wins that would give some credibility to the more important messages and work that we would be sharing. We would look for individuals to partner with. We would begin to engage the Yemeni population in their cultural water

ing holes.

No matter where a missionary would go, they would go through a similar process. This process defines what it means to think missionally. Missional thinking approaches the environment with a mindset that God has placed you there to make a difference.

Here's the catch: God might not be calling to Yemen. He might not call you to Afghanistan, China, or Egypt. However, if he has not called you to someplace else, it means He has called you to where you are today. How can you begin to think missionally about how you reach your neighbors, your co-workers, and others that God has put within your sphere of influence.

Side note: David Platt noted this morning that North Yemen has 8 million people and only 20-30 are Christians. Maybe God is calling you to Yemen.

Second Look @ Sunday

Some quick take-aways from yesterday:

• Our set-up team is so dedicated. I wish there was a better way to celebrate them but here you go: Thanks Marty, Chet, Chase, Kirk & Jack! I appreciate all you do.
• Speaking of Chase: He did an awesome job on the lights yesterday.
• The band did a great job of leading us in worship. Love the hard work that they put in each week.
• Highlight of the day: Getting text messages all day long that said, "I'm in." At the end of the message yesterday, I challenged those who wanted to commit to following Jesus for the first time to text me that message. Literally all day I was getting messages. So sweet.
• Thankful for the team that God is bringing together at One Life West (Discovery). Awesome stuff.

Sunday Set List

What did Ascended play this morning at Discovery Church? Here's the Sunday Set List for May 22, 2011.

Prelude: The World I Know by Collective Soul

Worship Set:
Grace Like Rain by Todd Agnew
Mighty to Save by Hillsong United
We Will Worship You by Carlos Whittaker
Revelation Song by Kari Jobe

What's Next?

It is an exciting time in my life. For the past years, I have served as the pastor for Discovery Church. When we planted Discovery Church, we desired to be a church for people who did not like church. Further, we wanted to be a church that planted churches. In voting to merge into the One Life Network, we believe that we are going to be able to see the vision that God has given us fulfilled in new and exciting ways.

The big question I’ve been getting is: What’s next?

One step is to connect. As the automotive great Henry Ford said, “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” As we become One Life West, we need to get to know each. Build relationships across the church. We’ll be giving you some specific ways that you can connect with others and creating some opportunities for this to happen.

Another beginning step we will be taking is train. We want to make sure that everybody is on the same page. Doing life together in Christian community is sort of like running a three-legged race; progress only happens when we work together striving for the same goal. We will be having opportunities to sit down together and learn some important lessons. Further, as people get integrated into the areas that they feel called to serve, we will need to learn some processes so that there is consistency and excellence in all that we do.
Finally, I want to invite you to pray. It’s been said, “One should never initiate something that he cannot saturate with prayer.” Our heart from the beginning has been to see God move in a fresh and new way through the Tri-State area and specifically on the Westside. We are going to be encouraging you to pray. Starting next Monday, we will be re-launching the email blasts with specific ways to pray for the Westside. If you are interested in receiving those blasts, let us know so we can add you to the distribution list.

These are exciting times. I cannot wait to see what God has in store as we spend our one life in service to Him.

Discovery Church Votes to Merge into One Life Network

This past Sunday, April 17th, Discovery Church voted in a congregational meeting to merge into the One Life Network. Believing that we really can be better together, Discovery voted nearly unanimously (with 2 abstentions) to partner in the One Life Network.

Seeing the Future

I remember the first time I saw Rob Zemeckis' film "Back to the Future Part II." I was amazed by the vision of the future he painted. Honestly, what is not to love about hoverboards and flying cars. As I look back on the film there is one pressing problem: I don't have a hoverboard! In fact, I cannot even go to the store and buy a hoverboard. Zemeckis cast a vision for the future, but it did not happen.

So how can you know what the future looks like? Over the next few weeks, we're going to look to the future. We're going to start by looking at who God is and how He has worked in the past and we're going to talk about how we can hear God's direction. Join me on a journey, a journey of faith with an eye to the future.

Sunday Set List

Want to hear more of the music from this morning's service? Here you go.

Beautiful Sound by Newsboys

You are Worthy of My Praise by Passion

It is You by Newsboys

Thief by Third Day

Grace Like Rain by Todd Agnew

When Faith Becomes Sight

The past week has been a blur. Not just a little blurry, but really hazy (sort of like this). This past weekend I had the chance to spend Saturday afternoon with several friends from my youth. Unfortunately the circumstances that led us to reunite were not good: we gathered to spend time with a friend before he passed.

I remember being this relatively timid middle school student when my family visited the church for the first time. The youth group had just returned from a trip to Ohio to lead a VBS. They were fired up and filled with stories. As our family settled into the church, I slowly began to get involved with that youth group. From the very beginning, I looked up to the Harper boys. J.D. was a clear leader within the group. He could make anyone feel important, valued, included.

Along with his brother Chuck (who I still claim was influential in my survival of high school), J.D. was always in the center of the excitement.

As we gathered on Saturday, the stories flowed. The pictures came out and were shared (what were we thinking back then...and why did I not destroy all these photos?). We reminisced and reflected on the skits we learned, the trips we shared, the practical jokes that were pulled, and the scars that some of these left with us. It was such a great time of community and

friendship.

Sunday night I received a phone call telling me that J.D. had passed away that morning. I was floored, bewildered, in disbelief. How could things fall apart so quickly?

As I sat in the funeral home today listening to the minister share about J.D.'s life and faith, I was encouraged. J.D. never lost sight of the fact that this whole life is but a part of the greater story. I am thankful that in the midst of his battle with leukemia J.D. did not lose heart. His faith never wavered and now his faith has become his reality. As St. Augustine said, "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." I'm confident that J.D. is now experiencing the very things that he longed for.

I'll miss J.D. but am thankful for how he helped shape me. May my life have a similar impact on those around me.

Second Look @ Sunday

Some quick take-aways for me from yesterday:

• You have to get to AMC Stadium 16 pretty early to beat Marty Smith there. When I got there, he had already worked up enough of a sweat that he needed to take off his jacket (his hat).
• Thankful for Ascended. They worked hard and it clearly paid off.
• By the way guys, if you have a Twitter account, use it.
• Was surprised to see Lindy Weatherly join us. Anxious to hear her notes from the service.
• Big idea: God is always faithful and He is still in the redemption business.
• In what part of your life do you need to experience redemption?
• So sweet to see some of our people serving the residents of Riverwalk Communities. Here's the proof that I even participated.
• Had a great time at lunch hearing one of my high school friends share her heart for missions. It is amazing what God is doing in her life. Abso-freakin-lutely Amazing.
• Sad news came to me on Sunday night: another friend from the youth group I grew up (quite literally) in passed away Sunday morning. I got a chance to spend a few moments with him on Saturday evening. Not enough time in hindsight. He truly was semper fi (always faithful).
• Finally: looking forward to a great Super Bowl with two legendary teams. Now just have to determine the perfect venue to watch it at.
• 
  

Sunday Set List

Here's the set list that Ascended rocked this AM:

Prelude -- Shine by Collective Soul

I Am Free by Newsboys

Always by Generation Unleashed

Grace Like Rain by Todd Agnew

We Will Worship You by Carlos Whittaker

How He Loves by John Mark McMillan

Why I'm Excited (part 4)

I have already confessed to you that I am not a scientist. Here is another confession for you: I am not an economist (and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night either). I did take a basic macro economics course during my freshman year at the University of Evansville. One of the principles I learned in Dr. Blalock's classroom was economy of scale. The basic concept is that at a certain point it is easier and cheaper to produce a great quantity of a product.

As I think about the proposed merger between Discovery Church into the One Life Network, I am excited by this economic principle again. The One Life Network has been able to assemble a team of individuals that are really talented. To be able to free those individuals to use their gifts to bless individuals at more than one location or site is really exciting to me. To this point in Discovery's life, our media department has consisted of primarily two college student volunteers (thanks Eric and Ben). To think that we could partner these two gifted individuals with other incredible talents like the team at Fat Head Media or Rocket Plant Studios is so exciting. To think that we could partner our talented worship teams with other talented musicians is exciting. To think of being able to offer small groups around the region.

The beauty to me in this is that it reflects what the body of Christ should look like. There is nothing as beautiful as the body of Christ coming together, bringing their gifts, talents and abilities, to offer life, hope and truth to others.

To read the first three parts, click here: part 1, part 2, or part 3.

Why I'm Excited (part 3)

I got the opportunity to spend today in Nashville visiting with the Crosspoint Church team. First, it is an amazing team that God has assembled there. Second, the staff could not have been more generous in their time. Even though our appointment was just a lunch meeting with Pete Wilson, there were several staff members who spent time answering questions and offering us tours of their facilities (thanks to: Evie, Jarrod, Matt, Wendy, & Justin). As we were driving back from a great time of learning, we began to process all these new insights.

And then it hit me...

I am so thankful that I do not have to walk down the road of ministry by myself. I have been surrounded by great minds from the very beginning. One of the things that excites me about partnering with the One Life Network is the opportunity to learn from other like-minded and passion-driven individuals, some of who have been doing ministry for much longer than me.

John Maxwell has said, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." There is so much truth in that statement. To see the passion, the excitement, the insights that God has blessed these men with is encouraging and challenging. Let me share an example:

Mark just returned from spending three weeks overseas in a southeast Asian country where Christianity is far from the religion of choice. He shared with us the story of Elijah, a church planter, who serves a church of roughly 50. He sleeps in a bamboo car-port so that his lifestyle would not be a stumbling block for those outside the church. His church has taken in a half-dozen widows and cares for them. His passion and commitment to the church is inspiring and convicting.

The chance to partner together with these leaders on a regular basis, sharpening each other, is very exciting to me.

Thrown Under the Bus

Lindy Weatherly threw me under the bus on Sunday morning. Following the (rocking) prelude, there was awkward silence. It lasted just a few seconds, unless you knew that something was suppose to fill it. She said, "We're looking for Trey...." beep, beep.... Bus coming through. I quickly corrected the situation by throwing John Miles under the bus. "It's not me. It's video."

This morning as I was thinking through the service again, the Holy Spirit smoked me. Not just a gentle wrist slap; it was more of a full-on slap across the face (could have inspired a song like this). In the quiet of the morning, God clearly said to me, "The issue is not who was right. You do not have to always be right." (I hate it when God says things that my wife has already told me before.) He continued, "The issue is not being right; the issue is your pride. Your pride will not allow you to be wrong." (Now you see where the bright red marks across my face were there.)

As I sat and thought, I immediately thought of some of the verses from the Bible that speaks to the issue of pride:

"Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall." (Prov. 16:18)

"Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." (Prov. 11:2)

"Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor." (Prov 29:23)

So many of the nations that the prophets of the Old Testament speak out against are condemned for their pride. And I am no better. My pride can drive me to make decisions that glorify myself, my thinking, my knowledge or skill set...and it's not about me. I wasn't there when the earth was set on its axis. I was not there when the sun burst forth into light. I was not in the beginning. I was not before the beginning. I am not God.

So I confess and ask for forgiveness to God, to Lindy, to John. It's not about me and my desire to be right or proved correct. I should have not thrown you under the bus in an unintentional attempt to preserve my pride. And now the really hard part: making this a lifestyle change and not just a blog post.

Trusting God's Sovereignty

Kitten and I have been blessed with remarkable children. Each of our kids has helped remind me about certain elements of God's character. Alyssa (the 6 yr. old) taught me about trusting God's timing. We struggled under our own efforts to grow our family; God provided in his own time, in his own way. Morgan, our youngest, reminded me of God's faithfulness. He never leaves us, nor does he forget us.

Yesterday was our son's birthday. Addison Jay (AJ) would have turned 5. Unfortunately, AJ was not with us long. On Easter Sunday 2006, AJ went to the Father. His passing was unexpected and honestly sent us into a period of questions and pain.

God used AJ to teach me about His sovereignty. Sovereignty is a big, theological term used to describe the fact that God is in control and nothing happens apart from Him. On the surface, this leads to many more questions: Why would God allow something like this to happen? Why did God not intervene? What good could come from this?

The fact is that God did use, and continues to use, AJ's life to impact individuals. As Kitten and I learned to trust God, we found peace and comfort. God has used AJ's story to draw men and women to Him. God has used our son's passing to bring others to eternal life. God used my son to teach me to trust the Father who loves passionately. God used my first born son to teach me about His passion. If I, as flawed and screwed up as I am, could feel such pain, what did He feel when He willingly gave His only son for people like me?

While I still miss AJ, I am thankful for him too. Thankful for all he has taught me and how God has used, and will continue to use, his life.

Second Look @ Sunday

Another amazing week at Discovery Church. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Thanks to all the Discovery volunteers who came early to help make sure things went smoothly. Your consistent service is inspiring.
• Thanks to the One Life tech team that came to inspire our production team. Thanks to all the sound, light, and CG volunteers.
• Thanks to Second. Can't wait for you guys to come back. ;-)
• Thanks to Bret Nicholson for challenging us via video. If you missed the video, you can watch it here.
• Bret taught from John 4. Great story.
• "Jesus did not just want her as a convert; He wanted her to be a worshiper."
• So exciting to see new faces and familiar faces back at Discovery.
• Blessed beyond belief by a great family. Unfortunately, Morgan had to miss the big day due to a stomach bug. My mom stepped up big for us and watched her.
• Can't believe the Patriots lost (and the state of Indiana rejoices)!