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Too Much Leadership?

5/26/2016

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It is a question I have been personally wrestling with over the past year. "Leadership" has been the church buzzword for some time now. But as a ministry leader, what does leadership look like, exactly? And is there such a thing as too much leadership? What I mean by that last question is this: Is it possible that I over immerse myself in “all things leadership” that I actually become a less effective leader? Between all the leadership books, all the leadership conferences, all the leadership blogs, and all the leadership podcasts, am I actually hurting my leadership by overcomplicating what leadership is? As someone who regularly provides said content I know questioning if there is too much leadership content out there is a hypocritical thing to do. But before you take my advice and give up on another leadership blog, read on.

Here is what I would like to propose: As a leader you most likely already know what needs to be done to be great in the areas of your life that need attention. The answer usually isn't a new revelation. It isn’t likely to be another book, another conference, another blog, or another podcast. I am willing to gather that you, much like me, already have a good understanding of what needs to be done. But there are three things that stand in your way: discipline, consistency, and time. 

I recently heard Pastor Craig Groeschel on a podcast say, "Successful people do consistently what average people do occasionally."

That rocked my world and spoke to my core. What tends to separate great leaders from the rest is simply doing what they know to do consistently and over a long period of time. There are rarely ever quick fixes and overnight successes. Instead, great leaders have learned to implement what they already know and do it over a long period of time.

Do you like making lists? I do. Here is some homework: Look at your schedule and habits and identify the things you need to keep doing on a more consistent basis and list them out. Ask yourself the question, “What have I stopped doing that I need to stick with?” 

Here is my advice. Settle in, stop looking for the “secret sauce” to leadership and do what you already know to do. Don't quit. Keep going. 


“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” - Galatians 6:9

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Roman Archer serves as the Executive Pastor of Next Level Church. Pastor Roman oversees the general administration of the church and is constantly looking for new ways to improve the systems, processes, and ministries within the church. Additionally, he oversees all of NLC's location pastors, pastoring them and developing them into better leaders. Roman and his wife, Michelle, along with their two girls Ellie and Sophie, live in Berwick, ME. 
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How to Succeed at Anything

5/20/2016

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I sat across the table eating my lunch and discussing with someone about their life and how I desired to see them in church more when they said to me, "I know I need to get closer to God."

I looked up from my biscuits and gravy and said, "Okay, how are you going to do that?" I knew I had asked a question they hadn't pondered because they just stared at me with a blank expression. I asked them how often they were praying and reading the Bible. What days did they plan to do this? What time during the day? For how long? Had they made a commitment to be in church every Sunday and get involved in a group during the week?

I believe most people know "what" it is they need to do. The problem that so many people have is that often their goals don't get accomplished even though they know what they are. And I believe that there are two extremely important things that are necessary in order for an individual, company, or church to succeed in anything.

1. Resolve.

You must not simply have a desire to accomplish a goal but you must be resolute in doing whatever it is you have to do in order to see your goal accomplished. Too many of us say things like, “Someday I’ll get around to...” or “I need to...”. You must erase words such as “someday” and “I will” from your vocabulary and resolve to accomplish your goal starting right now.

2. A Theory of How.

​I believe that the key to getting anything done is setting small goals along the way to the ultimate goal. “Little wins” I like to call them. It is imperative that you put a time scale on the wins on the way to the big win. It isn’t enough for you to say, “I need to grow my business, or my ministry, or church.” You need to sit down and examine each area that needs growth and come up with a bunch of little wins that are measurable and will ultimately lead you to your big win.

For example, at the end of 2015 I said to myself, “I want to be a better husband.” So I sat down with a calendar and a notebook and I wrote out the things I needed to do in order to accomplish that goal. What days during the year I would take my wife on a date, what days we would take a vacation together, when I would buy her gifts and flowers. You know what else I said at the end of 2015? “I need to get in better shape.” However I did not develop a theory of how, and consequently I have worked out a total of 2 times so far this year. What’s the difference? The difference is that for one I had the resolve and figured out how I was going to accomplish the goal, and for the other I simply said, “Someday I need to”.

These are two very practical steps which, if understood and implemented, will be the deciding factors on whether or not you succeed. If you want to succeed at anything you must resolve to do it and develop your theory of how.

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Pablo Lopez serves as the location pastor for Next Level Church in Concord, New Hampshire. NLC Concord launched in March 2015 and since then has seen 70 people accept Christ as their savior and 27 people decide to go public in their faith through baptism. When he's not discipling those at his location, Pablo enjoys writing, reading, and hiking. Pablo, his wife Diana, and their 3-year-old daughter Lily live in Bow, NH.
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Highlights from Leadership Advance

5/13/2016

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This past Wednesday, May 11, Next Level Church hosted a “Leadership Advance” event for all 400+ volunteers from all seven locations. The purpose of this event was to give NLC’s lead pastor, Pastor Josh, a platform to speak leadership principles, wisdom, and encouragement to those who serve and sacrifice each weekend through serving on guest services, band, tech, or NLC Kids teams. Here are the major points and quotes from Leadership Advance:

Leadership Lessons from the Story of Nehemiah:
  1. Leaders need to be broken over the “why”.
    - NLC exists to reach people who are far from God. Our target is reaching people who do not go to church, or who wouldn’t normally go to church.
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    We will focus on doing a few things well rather than many things mediocre.
  2. Leaders need to be determined to do something.
    - We can’t just be broken that people are going to hell, we have to do something
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    “The ‘what’ gives the ‘why’ meaning, and the ‘why’ gives the ‘what’ substance."
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    The why never burns out.
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    As we grow, we must shrink down.
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    We have to be just as broken over the unchurched as we ever have.
  3. Leaders are willing to work when others are sleeping.
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    If you’re a leader, you have to be running out in front, not running behind.
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    As leaders, we must be committed to our role.
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    Your spiritual enemy wants you to believe that you’re not as important in your role as those who seem “above” you.
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    “Every single person matters.”
  4. Leaders must expect resistance.
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    When you’re leading well, expect predictable resistance.
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    “It’s only through resistance that mountain tops are reached.”
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    “People don’t get criticized for doing a small work, but for a great work.”
  5. Leaders stay on the wall.
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    Leaders won’t back down.
    - “Everybody gets better when their leader gets better.”
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