Archive for the 'Leadership' Category
2 Decisions That Help Me as a Pastor Daily
I was asked a very interesting question the other day that really moved me to evaluate the answer. A pastor asked, “Ronnie, I look at your challenging schedule, and I want to ask: How are you doing this and keeping up with everything?” After thinking a moment, I told him there are two decisions I make daily that have helped me in every way.
The same things I told him, I share with you today. Please know before I continue, I am where I am and do what I do by the grace of God and the prayers of God’s people. Knowing this, here are the two decisions I make daily that help me continually.
Decision #1: I Never Compromise My Daily Time With God
It does not matter if my flight is early or my schedule has caused me to be out late the night before, I never compromise my daily time with God. For those who know me and have kept up with me through the years, I always give my mornings to God. While some of this can be challenging due to appointments and speaking engagements that occur in the mornings, I never compromise my daily time with God.
In my time with God, I focus on reading and meditating on God’s Word, and read through it at least once annually. I focus on a strong commitment to prayer, developing and changing my prayer list and priorities continually on my iPad. Toward the end of my time with God, I always journal a one-page prayer.
My time with God is the way I start my day. He is my priority, above all else. Whether it begins early, as it does usually, or a little later, it is always the way I begin my day.
God is my strength. His Spirit is the wind that lifts me up continually. As I wait before Him daily, He renews my strength.
Decision #2: I Do Not Compromise in Taking Care of My Body
Six days a week, I spend an hour in physical exercise, fitness, and training. Typically, I run four days a week. The other two days, I spend an hour with my trainer. He challenges me greatly, never taking it easy on me.
The advantage of developing a “jogging lifestyle” is that you can do that anywhere, at any time. Most hotels have treadmills if the weather is bad outside, but nothing refreshes the body and relieves the stress more than a run outside. Whether you are traveling or at home, running will help you. If you cannot run, walk. Develop a pattern in your life. It will help you.
When I am exercising alone, I listen to podcasts of sermons or on subjects that will help me fulfill my calling more effectively.
Pastor, it is Your Decision Daily
Daily, you decide what you will do with your time. This is not a matter of busyness, but a matter of priority.
Daily, I prioritize my time with God, never compromising it. And daily I choose to take care of myself physically. As a side note, on a typical morning, I spend at least 3-4 hours in my study preparing for my Sunday sermon, writing, and preparing for other speaking engagements.
You have to decide what will help you. May God lead you to work through all you have upon you as a pastor.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Pastors, Lead
A few years ago, I read an article that summarized almost 1,000 interviews with some of the nation’s top corporate leaders. The article declared that the #1 need a leader of a corporation needs to provide for everyone is clarity.
If a leader does not lead, he cannot provide clarity. If this is true for global business leaders, it is even truer for every pastor of a local church or one who is leading a Christian ministry or institution built on the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastors, Lead With Clarity
Ask yourself this question and be honest in answering it: Am I leading with clarity? Does everyone around me know where I am going and where I want him or her to go with me?
If you are really daring and desire a complete, honest assessment, ask the leaders in your church: Am I leading with clarity? If you have a staff team, ask them: Am I leading with clarity?
If any leader should be leading with clarity, it is a pastor. I did not say it would be easy, but as pastors, our mission is clear. Do not let the negative people of your church distract you or determine the agenda of your church.
Jesus is the Chief Shepherd of His Church and He is more than clear about what He wants us doing. He states in Matthew 28:19-20:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If it is not clear enough that we are to make disciples of all nations by going, baptizing, and teaching them, then perhaps this will help. Jesus gave His final marching orders to His followers right before He ascended to heaven. Acts 1:8 says:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
With clarity, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to make disciples and witness His gospel everywhere regionally, statewide, nationally, and internationally.
Pastor, get back on message! Readjust your life and leadership with clarity. Lead with clarity!
Pastors, Lead Strategically
Since you have been given this clear task of leadership as described above, lead strategically. You are on mission with God and your task is to move the church or ministry entrusted to you to be on mission with God. His mission to redeem the world!
Leading strategically toward accomplishing the grand task is given to us in Acts 1:8. If your church runs 25, 250, 2,500, or 25,000 on Sunday, lead your church to strategically advance the gospel globally. The influence of the web as well as television gives your people a global perspective they did not have ten years ago. Today, they are influenced by it whether they want to be or not.
Strategically lead your church to advance the gospel in your small community of 300, town of 3,000, region of 30,000, or city from 300,000 to 3 million people. Pastors must lead their churches to advance the gospel strategically or we are like a basketball team that prides ourselves on being good dribblers. You can have the greatest dribbling basketball team in the region, but if you do not put the ball through the net more than the other teams you play, you will lose continually.
Sadly, we have thousands of churches that are good at dribbling a lot of church stuff that does not matter! We cannot continually miss our goal: Making disciples of Jesus Christ by going, baptizing, and teaching.
This is our clear message, task, and mission. If we do nothing else well, we must do this well.
Pastors, Lead Boldly
As I have traveled this country and beyond, there is a fearfulness that is consuming pastors today. We fear failure. We fear criticism. We fear people. We fear Satan.
New Testament churches were led by pastors who led this missional advance boldly! They had their detractors just like we do. They had their critics just like we do. They had their contrary vocal adversaries just like we do. They faced Satan head-on just like we do. None of this has changed nor will ever change until Jesus comes again.
What has changed is that fewer pastors are leading their ministries today with boldness. This “play it safe” mentality is plaguing the Church with carnality and paralyzing the advancement of the Church.
Let me give an example. This past Monday, I released an article, America Needs Heroic Leadership in the Present, Leadership That Champions Religious Liberty Globally. If you haven’t read it already, please take the time now. When you come to the end of the article, ask yourself this personal question about your leadership: What am I doing about the brutalization, abuse, and murder of thousands of people that is happening globally in the name of religion?
Pastors, stand up this Sunday and the Sunday following, sounding the alarm, calling upon your people to take action with their leaders locally, statewide, and nationally, calling upon them to do something now about this global crisis. We must speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. We must stand up and do something now.
Perhaps you may be thinking, “Ronnie, what if my people get upset?” Let them! Lead boldly!
Pastors, LEAD! I am cheering you on!
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.