Not sure where this week has gone, other than into the paper I had to write for my Developing Lay Leaders intensive weekend class I took two months ago. The paper was due on Monday, but I had to ask for an extension as the project demanded more attention than I probably should have given. Nevertheless, I turned the thing in on Wednesday and was pretty happy with it as it's different from your typical seven-page seminary paper.
The assignment was to serve as a vehicle for future pastor-types to put down on paper their thoughts on how to develop people and their leadership within the church. Between my twelve years with The Navigators and the past year's work as an intern at Memorial, I came up with a few things to say that I had never really written on before. Here's an excerpt:
"The challenge of leadership goes beyond leaders just missing the 'forest' of the big picture for the 'trees' of the details (or vice versa); the real problem is missing both due to a lack of 'synthesis emphasis' in understanding, training, and practicing what biblical leadership is.
Leaders (and as a result, those they lead) often suffer from a disconnect between calling and design; between vision and mission; between the strategic and the tactical; and between follow-up and feedback. The result is inevitably frustration and fruitlessness for God’s Kingdom.
What is needed is not a new calling or vision (which are often the enemies of the existing calling and vision); nor do we need more mission(s) or giftedness to accomplish the work we already have to do. What is needed is a bias for developing leaders in the Church who can lead with an emphasis of synthesis in their leadership of others."
Though taking longer than I anticipated (largely because of the graphic design I packaged it in for my purposes at Memorial), I enjoyed writing again on a topic I've had some practical experience in (pure theology papers are hit and miss for me in terms of pleasure). Of course, the big thing missing from the paper are all the stories that would serve to illustrate my points, but I guess I'll save those for the book...or something.
In application of what I wrote (just in time), I'm off this weekend to teach Memorial's fourth and final Adullam leader retreat of Cycle A. Have a good weekend.