Sharpening The Ax

I believe strongly in my need to be continually growing; it’s the only way to lead a health, growing church forward. Today was a day where I felt like I was sharpening my ax for the task ahead. We took 15 staff and volunteer leaders from Palm Valley to Nelson Searcy’s seminar on assimilation. Nelson, who’s been a good friend, and Bob Franquiz did a great job teaching through the assimilation (connecting) process they use in their churches. Here’s some thoughts from the day…

• I believe Nelson is one of the top “systems” guys in the church today. He flat out gets how to develop systems for growth.
• We’re already doing most of what was taught today, but there were a few ideas that peaked my interest, and will lead to some great discussions for our team.
• “People say ‘no’ to what confuses them”. Great statement from Nelson about clarity in next steps.
• “Your building is speaking: what is it saying?”
• “Don’t put the skinny guy at the refreshment table: people will assume the snacks aren’t that good” cracked me up.
• “If you don’t hold members accountable for what you asked them to sign, God will hold you accountable”

Had dinner tonight with Nelson and Bob, and I told them that I thought “they underpromised and overdelivered“! Seriously, if you’re a church leader not learning from Nelson, you’re missing out on a gold-mine of information. I’m thankful for opportunities to learn from other guys who are getting it done, and I feel like I learned a ton today.