Empowering your Team

I read this in the Harvard Business Review:

“The time has come for chief executive officers to transform themselves into chief enabling officers who enable, encourage, and enthuse employees."

As organizations downsize, they’re decentralizing their structures and allowing the team to make decisions from the ground up.  The CEO becomes a player-coach bringing out leadership qualities of the team."

Even Jesus said that His followers would accomplish greater works than He accomplished.  That’s because He trained and empowered His team to effectively change the world.

By investing in 12, then 300, then thousands, and eventually millions,  His followers continue to make an impact.

So how can you multiply your effectiveness?  Not by doing it all yourself, but by building the strength and leadership of your team.

Leading Through Crisis

How does a leader lead during times of crisis?

Normally a good leader provides big picture, future direction type leadership.

But in a crisis, a leader is called upon to lead the organization through the crisis.

When the building is on fire, you don't call a committee meeting to vote on what to do.

You yell “fire”, take direct action, give commands to get people to safety, and save lives.

In a crisis, a leader will take more direct management control of the situation.  Obviously getting input from board and staff, but providing more directions and decisions than in normal situations.

1st Century leader, Paul, said:

I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

~Wayne

Healthy Leaders

In order for an organization to be healthy, it’s leaders need to be healthy

1. Healthy leaders are lifelong learners.  You’re never too old or too experienced to learn new stuff.
2. Healthy leaders are committed to serve and pour themselves into others.
3. Healthy leaders have a dynamic view of life and ministry and a Biblical set of values and mission.
4. Healthy leaders have times of renewal.  They develop their walk with God and get away alone to hear from the Lord.
5. Healthy leaders have a balanced life perspective that helps shape their organizational leadership skills.

Paul told Ephesians leaders that God is able through His mighty power at work in you to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

How's your team? Guidelines from the world of sports

Good teams have diversity and talent: They recognize and use all of their varied abilities.

Enthusiasm and fun: They know how to keep it enjoyable.

Good teams show creativity and open-mindedness: Don’t get locked into a game plan, but adjust creatively.

Good teams have unified goals and clear rules: Great teams have defined goals.  Everyone knows their assignments.

Good teams show quick resolution of conflict: disagreements should not be left to smolder, but resolved quickly.

Good teams backup and support and need depth to win and have a good bench. 

Good teams have a willingness to take risks and know it’s sometimes better NOT to play it safe, but go out on a limb.

Jesus pulled together a widely diverse set of personalities and molded them into a powerfully effective team that changed the world.

Think Team!

Peter Drucker says, “The most effective leaders never say “I”.  They think team.  They understand their job is to make the team function.  They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit.  This is what creates trust and get the job done.”

I like this concept.  Philippians 2 says:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.  Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 

This kind of selfless thinking goes a long way in effective leadership and creates a climate of mutual success and accomplishment.

Great Leaders Listen

What are the traits of the most admired senior executives?  According to a survey by Next Level Leadership:

1     They listen.  They know part of the job of leader is to get people to talk.

2     They’re present.  Most admired leaders give 100% attention in meetings.  They’re not distracted by email or text messages. 

3     They prepare.  They accomplish more because they prepare.  They publish their agendas.  They expect others to be prepared as well.

4     They’re open.  They seek to uncover problems and get them resolved. 

5     They challenge.  They don’t intimidate. They ask open-ended questions. 

Jesus did that a lot.  He listened intently.  He gave even women and kids total attention.   He was so open to people they told him everything.  And he questioned and challenged those around him.

That’s why Jesus is one of the most admired leaders in the history of the world.

Traits of Admired Leaders--They Listen.

What are the traits of the most admired senior executives?  According to a survey by Next Level Leadership:

1     They listen.  They know part of the job of leader is to get people to talk.

2     They’re present.  Most admired leaders give 100% attention in meetings.  They’re not distracted by email or text messages. 

3     They prepare.  They accomplish more because they prepare.  They publish their agendas.  They expect others to be prepared as well.

4     They’re open.  They seek to uncover problems and get them resolved. 

5     They challenge.  They don’t intimidate. They ask open-ended questions. 

Jesus did that a lot.  He listened intently.  He gave even women and kids total attention.   He was so open to people they told him everything.  And he questioned and challenged those around him.

That’s why Jesus is one of the most admired leaders in the history of the world.

Stay in your Strength Zone

Andy Stanley has written a book describing the Next Generation Leader.

If you’re a Next Generation Leader: recognize you have limited strengths.

You don’t need to be an expert in everything.  Don’t spend time on projects outside your strength.

Narrow your focus to increase your influence. Discover your zone and stay there.

Delegate everything else.   Really, the less you do, the more you’ll accomplish.

Paul, the 1st Century apostle described this principle this way.

When I am weak, then I’m strong.  God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness.

When I realize that I can’t do it all, I rely on the resources of others.  It’s not a one man show.  And when I realize I can’t do it all, I rely the more on God’s strength.

The Leader as Shepherd

When we were in Israel touring Jerusalem, our guide made an interesting comment: “The great leaders in Israel’s history have been shepherds.”

I’ve been thinking on those words ever since. Great leaders are shepherds.

King David was the “shepherd king.” He wrote a Psalm calling the Lord his shepherd.

What do shepherds do? Shepherds provide and guide, protect and correct.

Jesus referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. A good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.

Our guide made another observation: in America, shepherds drive the sheep from behind. In the Middle East, shepherds lead their flocks from out front, because sheep know the shepherds voice and follow him.

Good leaders guide and provide, protect and correct. Good leaders sacrifice for their people. And good leaders lead by being in front of their team. And the team recognizes the leader and follows.

Power Isn't Power Until You Give it Away

Recent elections in the U.K were very interesting—especially as the leader of the Conservative Party and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats tried to reach a power-sharing agreement.

Power sharing is increasingly common in the world of business and politics.  But how do you bring two opposing viewpoints to a position of power-sharing?

Jack Welch head of GE talked about the GRPI model.

G: Goals: what goals do we have in common?

R: Roles: what role each of us can play?

P: Plans: how will we coordinate our work? How will decisions be made?

I: Interpersonal Norms: what ground rules do we need to build trust?

First century Christ-follower Paul encouraged young Timothy saying God has given us a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.

The best way to gain power is to share power—to give it away.

Formula for Success

I was at a stop light this week and a bumper sticker caught my eye, it said, “Do justly, live kindly, walk humbly with your God.”

Some of you would recognize the source as the old prophet, Micah. It’s a wonderful formula for success in life and relationships.

Here’s my paraphrase: Do justly. Always do the right thing. Live kindly. Do the right thing in an attitude of kindness. Walk humbly with your God. If you’re humble before God, you will display a natural humility to those around you.

How about that for a good leadership principle? And it’s about 2,500 years old. 

Changing your Strategy

As a leader you need to be flexible. 

Walt Shill of Accenture says, “Strategy, as we knew it, is dead.”

Corporate leadership is finding that flexibility and accelerated decision making are more important than predicting the future.

Companies have long planned for changing circumstances. What’s new is the heavy dose of opportunism.

Review the budget every month rather than quarterly to react faster to change.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says, “Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come.”

Work with your team under God’s direction to create good plans. But daily seek God’s direction for dealing with the daily needs and opportunities.

~Wayne

Start Small

Think Smart, Start Small

I love this quote: If you're going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

Cross country skiing looks fun.  But I wouldn’t start out by skiing across China!

So if you’re taking on a new challenge, start small. I often say, “Crawl before you walk, walk before you run, run before you fly.”

My nephew had a dream to hike the Appalachian Trail.  He’d never done mountain hiking before.

So he started in Maine and hiked to Georgia. But he started in October and walked through some of the worst winter conditions in history.  More projects fail from lack of planning and counting the cost.

Jesus said that if you plan to build a tower or go to war, first sit down and estimate the cost. And if you take up cross country skiing, pick a small country to start.

Keep Our Eyes on the Goal

Are you in the season of strategic planning.  I’ve got a great phrase for you from First Century planner, Paul of Tarsus.

He said this, "I've got my eye on the goal where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus.  I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.  So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us."

I love that. Keeping our eyes on the goal.

Get off and running with the plan. Don’t look back.

Keep goal focused to achieve all that God has for you.

Who says the Bible is impractical?

I’m living this advice in our strategic direction.

“So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us."

Philippians 3:14,15  (The Message)

Leadership isn't telling people what to do.

 Jana Eggers, CEO of clothing company Spreadshirt, says,  “Most people think good leadership is about making the right decisions -- but in a big organization, that's hardly ever true,” she says, “Once a company expands beyond a handful of people, the boss's real job is to look at the big picture while others make the day-to-day decisions.” 

That’s right, your job as a leader is to inspire your team to make good decisions every day. I want to hire and develop a team that doesn’t need a lot of hand-holding. So what are you doing to inspire your team to take initiative and work with an inspired attitude? What are you doing to build into the lives of others?

Jesus took a ragtag group of diverse personalities and developed them into a team that turned the world upside down.  He told them that they would do even greater works than He did in His earthly ministry. That’s good leadership! 

Blue Ocean Strategy

What’s Your Strategy?

Many in industry are working harder than ever to achieve the same results they did five years ago. They’re operating in what would be called a “RED OCEAN” philosophy.( It’s a book by Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.)

Red Ocean Strategy means you:  Compete in existing market space, beat the competition, exploit existing demand.

“If the business model isn’t working, try harder.”

Blue Ocean Strategy means: Create uncontested market space, make the competition irrelevant, create and capture new demand.

“We simply need to have fun as an industry again.”

God’s word says this: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your energy as unto the Lord. Jesus said you don’t put new wine in old wineskins. That’s real Biblical Blue Ocean thinking.

Face the Challenge

Face the Challenge

I read this quote in FastCompany magazine: "A problem may look hopelessly complex. But there's a game plan that can yield movement on even the toughest issues. And it starts with locating a bright spot -- a ray of hope."

It’s true. The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.  A problem or project may seem insurmountable or overwhelming. But the important thing is to start. Just do the first thing, whatever that is.

The book of Proverbs tells us: Don’t despise small beginnings.

So if you’re facing a huge challenge, take the first step. A small first step is better than the grandest concept not implemented.











It may be a small step for you, but a giant leap for the challenge before you.

Crisis Reveals Character

I know a man who lacks confidence in his leadership skill. He continually claims that he’s not a good leader and shouldn’t be the number one guy.

However, recently he experienced a crisis in his business. He wisely gathered his team, collaborated on a solution, and created a project management plan to deal with the situation. He then assigned team members to implement the plan in their areas.

He kept his cool. He used his team. And most of all, he trusted God’s guidance and sovereignty in wisely handling the situation.

He didn’t develop character in the crisis. The emergency revealed his true character.

Character is not built on the gridiron or the stage. Character is built in the workout room or rehearsal hall.

Unhurried Time with God

A malady in today’s corporate and even Christian leadership is we’re more concerned about outward appearance then we are about character.

A friend in business told me, “the more public and outward my ministry, the more important my private and inward character”.

The more leadership responsibilities I am given, the more I need to be led by God.

The busier my schedule, the more desperately I need unhurried time with God. The more people’s lives I touch, the more in touch I need to be with Christ.

Jesus Himself in his public ministry took time from the crowds withdrew to a quiet place and found strength in solitude and silence. He encouraged His followers to do the same.

Blink!

The book BLINK! proposes that for the experienced, discerning mind, first impressions are almost always the right impression.

Some call it “trusting your gut”. Others call it “instinct”, I call it “Holy Spirit-directed intuition”. God’s Spirit testifies with our spirit about what is truthful and right.

I like how the followers of Jesus in the First Century did it. The apostles were wrestling with a decision and praying for direction. Finally, Luke writes, “It seemed right to the Holy Spirit and us….”

The Holy Spirit’s guidance and our best experienced wisdom. James instructs, “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God and He will give it.”

God's Design for you

A pastor friend gave me this acrostic for our God-given design:
D is our DESIRES: God created us in such a way that He can motivate our desires in our service to Him.
E is for EXPERIENCE: God uses our cumulative life experiences to prepare us for His next assignment.
S is for SKILLS: God wired our DNA is such a way that our natural skills create unique opportunities for service.
I is for INDIVIDUAL: We are unique. Our God made personality can move us into individual service opportunities.
G is for GIFTS: Besides our God-given skills, He endows us with certain spiritual gifts such as compassion, hospitality, leadership and encouragement.
N is for NICHE: There are needs and opportunities that God has specifically given for your own individual design.
God has a desire for you and for your life. Isn`t that exciting! Let`s see how God uses His unique design in you to serve Him.

Drink coffee. Do stupid things faster with more energy.

I’m an avid coffee drinker…and I love this quote:
Drink coffee. Do stupid things faster with more energy.

If you’ve ever had the coffee jitters, you can relate. Sometimes I run across people that are so hyper, I want to say: “Next time, pick the decaf.”

All humor aside, haste does often make waste. I’ve often done things way too fast, only to have to do it over, which takes four times as long as doing it right the first time. I need to learn to slow down, think it through and do it right.

One philosopher said: Don’t be afraid to go slowly. Only be afraid of standing still.

Paul of Tarsus said this to the people of Rome:“God’s purpose is not hit or miss, dependent on what we do or don’t do. But a sure thing determined by His decision flowing steadily from His initiative.”

Keeping The Big Picture

One of the deadly sins of leadership is getting lost in day-to-day details and losing the big picture. You can’t both manage operations and effectively plan strategy for the future.

Line level employees should be spending 80% of their time managing day-to-day and maybe 20% looking forward. However, as a leader advances in his leadership role, he or she should be maybe 20% day-to-day and 80% planning, strategizing, dealing with the overall mission and vision.
So step back and look at the big picture.

Allow your team to take ownership of the details. They’ll enjoy the new trust you show them. And you’ll be freed to do what you’re supposed to do as CEO. And your team will feel better about day-to-day stuff knowing their leader is thinking about where we’re going.

Paul of Tarsus said: “Forgetting about what lies behind, and pressing towards the mark of God’s high calling.”

And remember, don’t spend your time staring at the dashboard instruments checking the fuel, the speed, the oil pressure and the water temperature. Look up and enjoy the ride.

The only thing we have to fear is fear.

 
Fear: the Big De-motivator
Fear is not a good motivator.  Maybe it can work in the short run, but it’s not effective long-term.

Trust is a much more effective motivator, but building trust can be a long process.  It takes truth-telling and transparency.  It requires love, compassion, and communication.
Love is a much stronger motivator.  In fact, the Bible says that perfect love casts out fear. 
Well, in my history, I’ve worked in both environments.  One CEO struck terror in his team.  You just knew that when he requested a meeting, you were in for a verbal beating.  We lived in mortal terror of the board.

I’ve also worked in an environment of love and trust with a boss who cared for his people and trusted them to do the job. A staff person will do almost anything for that kind of a leader and board when they set the overall direction and trust the staff to carry it out effectively.
~Wayne
 

The Greatest Management Skill: People Skills

It’s no secret that the greatest leadership skill is people skills.

Leadership is about influencing people. And you can’t influence people if you don’t know how to connect and relate.

I’ve learned that leadership is not about title and position. Leaders know that people go along with people they get along with.

The early church grew because the outside world observed the love that followers of Jesus had for one another.

Jesus brought His leadership to the highest level when He said: Love others as you love yourself.

Paul of Tarsus said it this way: As Gods chosen people, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

John, the Apostle of love said: Don’t just say you love people, really love them. And, prove it by your actions.

If that’s true in your life, it will show to those you seek to influence.

Baby Boomers and Generation Y

Did you know, effective 2010, Generation Y now outnumber Baby Boomers. Ninety six percent are part of an online social network.

It took traditional radio 38 years and TV 13 years to reach 50 million users, but iPhone applications hit 1 billion in only 9 months.

Gen Y operates much differently from Gen X.

Gen Y wants to be more supervised through feedback and review. They thrive on goals.

In a changing workplace, do you as a leader understand the more youthful worker?

You may have to change your leadership style in order to relate to a Gen Y worker?
A wise leader adapts his leadership style to fit the situation and the worker.

First Century leader Paul said he became all things to all men that he might win them.

If we’re to successfully engage the next generation, we may have to adapt to their work and learning style.

The New Normal

The New Normal

A major ad executive put it this way, "People are going to emerge from the recession completely changed."

A recent survey showed 32% of respondents said they're spending less across the board. These consumers expect this cutback to be their "new normal”.

People have tightened their belts. That’s not all bad. The secret to contentment in life is not to get more but to desire less. Tightening our personal, corporate, ministry or government belts might be a good thing.
God’s word says: Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Proverbs says: “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

and

“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall.”

So maybe we become richer by focusing on the inward character qualities rather than the outward accoutrements of success. Maybe your business, your ministry, your family will be better by having less.

Wayne

A New Way to Live

Jesus gave eight principles of happiness each so simple, yet so profound.

These guidelines run counter to what our culture teaches about happiness.

Culture teaches the rich and famous are happy.
Jesus teaches the poor in spirit are truly blessed.

Culture teaches the free-spirited are most happy.
Jesus says those who grieve over losses are most comfortable.

Culture holds that the powerful are the ones who win.
Jesus says the meek and gentle win everything.

The world sells conspicuous consumption.
Jesus warns of spiritual junk food.

The world says people deserve what’s coming to them.
Jesus says those who experience His mercy will show mercy to others.

The world presents a buffet of sleaze.
Jesus said those who’s inside world is pure will see God.

The world promotes competition.
Jesus says His followers promote peace in all relationships.

What a wonderful world it would be if we lived that way.

A New Beginning

God says in Isaiah, “I am about to do a new thing, don’t you see it?”

Change is not neat and predictable. Change is messy. Change is challenging and uncomfortable. 7 out of 10 change efforts fail to achieve their intended results.

The ability of leaders to be adaptable is vital to change.

The good leader is adaptable and can navigate change successfully. Leaders drive change through being personally adaptable and exhibiting the right change behavior.

The manager must personally adapt, and confidently communicate a strategy for change to team members.

Good leaders delay implementation until there's a common vision among key team makers. They create dialogue and debate to foster buy-in.

Change leaders build a network of leadership for change. They spend time in meetings, listening and addressing concerns.

Word From Wayne on Christmas

I attended a wonderful Christmas concert recently. The words of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus took on new meaning for me. The angels spoke of good news of great joy for all people. Jesus came to bring us joy. Yet, it’s a quality of often lacking among many Christians.

Lately I’ve been visiting with a lot of believers. I’ve been disappointed that so many are bitter, a little angry, fearful and despairing. This should not be!

During advent we highlight Love, Hope, Joy, Peace. As we experience God’s Love demonstrated through Jesus, we have Hope since Jesus is the giver of abundant life and eternal life. As we hope in Him, we have Peace: Peace with God and the Peace of God.

Peace is the inward quality of a person who trusts God. Joy is the outward manifestation of our relationship with God. Of all people, Christians have the least reason to be bitter, angry, fearful and despairing. And we have every reason to be filled with Love, Hope Joy, and Peace.

My life verse is Psalm 16:11: “You have shown me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of Joy. At your right hand are pleasures forever.”

Jesus invited us: “Ask and you will receive, that your Joy might be full.”
Paul said: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And then for emphasis, he added: “I say it again: Rejoice.”

And Christians in the 1st century had it much worse than most of us today.

So, this Christmas, spread the tidings of great joy which is for all people. Spread “Joy to the world—the Lord has come!”

As a follower of Jesus, let this season be a time when you radiate Joy to a hurting, hate-filled, fearful, despairing world. And take that spirit through the year. What a contrast to the rest of the world if followers of Jesus were to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit: JOY.

May you experience the love, joy, hope and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ as you celebrate His birth.

Leading Change

I've observed two mistakes for organizations in transition.

One--the organization is so ingrained in the past , it's ineffective to the current generation. The other, leadership is so neglectful of tradition, they miss building on what's gone before.

A successful corporate leader told a small group recently: "We drink water from wells dug by those who went before us." There are benefits of standing on the shoulders of those who preceeded us. However, it`s very hard to get any work done in that position.

Seriously, we need to build on the past but not live in the past. I like the old motto from Youth For Christ years ago: "Anchored to the Rock; Geared to the times."

Wayne Gretsky was asked what made him a great hockey player. His response: "I don't skate to where the puck is. I skate to where the puck is going to be." May God help us with the foresight to move forward in that way.

Mentoring Your Team

One of our challenges as leaders is the Spiritual Formation of our people.
 
Those in leadership aren't just responsible for the work output of our people.  God places vs. over our team so we can help them grow professionally, personally, emotionally and spiritually. 
 
That doesn't mean we preach all the time or put Bible verses all over the building.  But it does mean that we model a life of integrity and kindness; that we mentor them for greater effectiveness and nurture them to be better employees, family members, friends and citizens.
 
You can shape lives not just in terms of work productivity but also personal effectiveness and even spiritual maturity.
 
Paul said to his team:  Follow my example, as I follow Christ's example.
 
~Wayne
 
 

Unforced Rhythm of Grace

Steve Smith, of The Potters Inn in Colorado says: "Busy-ness is the only sin that the church celebrates with gusto.”

Most of us wear our busy-ness as a badge of pride. We brag about our full schedules, our Gold status with the airlines, and our hundreds of emails.

But in the Psalms , God reminds us to Be still and know that He is God.

In the Chinese language, when you write the two characters for Heart + Annihilation together, the character means=Busy-ness. Busy-ness produces annihilation of the core of our being.

Try taking the night off. Enjoy a weekend without email. Take that much deserved vacation.

Jesus reminds us to learn the unforced rhythm of grace.

A one year milestone

A Word From Wayne

It’s been one year since I began as president of HCJB Global. Here’s what I’ve learned as I look back on the past year:

I’ve learned to totally depend on God. No way could I do this job without God’s enablement. Each day I pray for the mental capacity, the spiritual resources and the physical endurance for the task. God has been faithful in leading us through challenging times with minimum of harm.

I’ve learned God uses everything in our lives to prepare us to serve Him. My times at Northwestern, Mission America, Bethel, Moody, even NRB prepared me for this present assignment.

I’ve learned that it’s not about money. Even with the financial challenges, God has allowed us to move forward in amazing ways.

I’ve learned it’s not about owning stuff. We don’t have to own things to be effective for God.

I’ve learned it’s not about our strategic plan. God has brought us ministry unimaginable opportunities we could never have planned. God will direct our steps if we take time to listen to Him.

I’ve learned the future is more important than the past. We appreciate the miracles over the years. But God has wonderful things in our future. Like good drivers, we look at the windshield more than the rear view mirror.

I’ve learned relationships are more important than tasks. Having been task-driven most of my life, I realize what we accomplish is based on our relationship with Christ and our partnership with one another.

I’ve learned the value of good counsel. I’m surrounded by a team that provides good counsel and great advice for the challenges and decisions that impact HCJB Global.
I’ve learned the value of pacing and rest. The job keeps coming at you. There’ll always be articles to write, calls to return and emails to read. But we need to work at God’s pace and build margins of renewal, rest, recreation and relationships in our life.

I’ve learned Jesus used His voice and His hands. We declare and demonstrate God’s love through media and healthcare—the voice and hands of Jesus to our needy world.
I’ve learned it’s all about introducing people to Jesus. Our bottom line is transformed lives. As we invite people from every culture around the world to follow Him we obey His command.

Another Lesson for Leaders

One of the challenges for a leader is NOT to spend the majority of time solving problems, but rather modeling LIFE as Christ intended it and to cast the vision for where we need to be going together.

Too many of us are lost in the size of our task, or the lack of resources and insufficient wisdom to accomplish the assigned work. We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus if we are to maintain our own balance and joy…and to encourage our people to do the same.

Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life.”

Eugene Peterson’s comments on John 14:6: “Most Christians are experts on THE TRUTH; most are dropouts in THE WAY and so most miss out on THE LIFE.”

Sharpen the Ax

Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, contains the story of two woodsmen.

One woodsman was a long, strong, strapping youth with big biceps and huge confidence.

The other was a weathered, wisened old man worn down by years of hard labor.

The young woodsman chopped aggressively all day long, hardly stopping to rest or eat.

The older man worked at a slower pace taking frequent rest breaks between trees.

At the end of the work day, the older man had cut twice as many trees as the younger.

Amazed and puzzled, the younger man asked how he could work so hard while the older man took frequent rests … and yet cut twice the number of trees.

The older man replied, “While I rested under the shade, I sharpened my ax.”

Are you furiously working away wearing yourself out, but using a dull ax? Maybe you need to take a break and sharpen the ax.

~Wayne

Less Driven

I think I’m becoming less driven. After a lifetime of people-pleasing driven-ness, I’m learning the important of balance, pacing and priorities.

It’s impossible to return every telephone call, read every magazine, respond to every e-mail, do Twitter, Facebook and Blogger.

You can’t serve on every board and attend every event you’re invited to.

I had a friend who went on an eight-week short-term mission trip. For two months she was out of range of cell phone and e-mail. She came back home to 3,000 e-mails. She did a “select all,” then hit “delete.”

In the weeks ahead, she didn’t hear from one singer person who complained she had not read or replied to their e-mails.

Be realistic is planning your schedule. Breathe between appointments. Not everything has to be done—at least not everything has to be done today.

Build a margin between appointments. Double the anticipated time for a project. It reduces your stress and allows you to make good on your commitments.

And, as Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. All these other things will be added as well.”

Life with Wayne and Jesus

I was raised in a really good Christian home on our family farm. We went to a great country church where the gospel was preached and we were given frequent invitations to accept God’s gift of salvation. Really, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know God loved me and Jesus died for my sins so I could live with Him in heaven forever.

I’ve always loved radio. Radio was a big part of our life on the farm—in the house, in the barn. We didn’t have radios on the tractor, but I produced hundreds of radio shows on the seat of the tractor while I mowed or plowed.

As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be on the radio. I set up a little “radio operation” in my room and made my friends play radio.

I was a good little church boy. People would pat me on the head and say I should be a preacher. But I didn’t want to be a preacher. I wanted to be a disc jockey. In fact, I think my desire to be a radio announcer was what kept me from really getting serious about giving my life completely to God. I thought if you were completely dedicated to God, you’d have to be a pastor or a missionary.

So I held back. I was one kind of boy at home and at church. I was a different kind of guy at school. If my parents knew the language I was using and the jokes I was telling, they would have been seriously disappointed. But I wanted to be popular, and I wanted to run with the gang, so I lived a double life. Not that I got into smoking, drinking and sex. Not at all. But my life was a contradiction of church and school.

That all changed the summer before my junior year in high school. Several kids from our church youth group were coming back on a bus from Bible camp. We were yucking it up along the way until my cousin Bev started to cry. Now Bev was also a good church kid. Everybody thought Bev was OK. But through her tears, Bev confessed that she didn’t know if her sins were forgiven, and she didn’t know if she would go to heaven.

Well, once Bev prayed and received Jesus, God spoke to me. It wasn’t an audible voice, but God’s Spirit was saying something deep inside me. The deep impression from God on my heart was that there were thousands of good church kids like Bev who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. And God placed a call on my life to make the good news plain to good church people who needed Jesus.

Remember, I thought if you were really dedicated to follow the Lord, you’d have to become a pastor or missionary. So, here I go! I instantly changed my priorities and declared my intention to be a pastor. That following year we had a huge revival among the youth in our community. Our entire youth group was energized to share the gospel. We had special youth meetings. We organized prayer groups in our high school. Many of my friends came to Jesus as Savior, and several went into professional ministry as a result of that year.

So after graduation from high school, I went to a Christian university in South Carolina to study to be a pastor. It was 1,400 miles from our farm to South Carolina. My dad later said he thought he’d never get over my going so far away from home to attend school. But I was determined to get the best possible ministry training I could get.

When I came home for summer vacation after that first year in college, I discovered my mom had terminal cancer. She was 44 years old with five kids, including my 4-year-old sister. I immediately transferred to the University of Minnesota so I could be closer to home. In May of my sophomore year my mom died. It was a terribly difficult time for all the family. I’m still numb even now as I try to remember.

When I resumed my studies the next fall, I took an elective class in radio-television production. It was a lifelong fascination for me, and the class got me hooked. There was one guy in the class who had spent the summer working for a radio station in Montana. I asked him, “How do you get a job in radio?” He said, “You just go in and apply.”

That afternoon I drove to KTIS AM-FM in downtown Minneapolis. I asked to see the manager. The manager came out—Paul Ramseyer. He looked at me, a kid fresh off the farm with no radio experience. I’m sure he wondered what I was doing there. But they must have been desperate. A couple days later Paul called and offered me a job. They needed some poor guy to work from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays—plus Wednesday nights.

I took the job—for a whopping $1.50 an hour! They trained me “on the job,” and in two weeks I was running the station alone on weekends—reading news, playing records, monitoring the transmitter, recording programs. I was having a blast. I quickly warmed to the job and must have shown an aptitude because soon I was producing programs and filling in on the morning drive. Let me say, one could never step into a job like that today. Standards are much higher!

The following year I married Norma. She worked full time as a nurse while I worked 30 hours a week while finishing my bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota. The following fall I enrolled in seminary. The radio job was a great way to work my way through school—seminary classes in the morning, then off to the radio station to do the afternoon shift until 6 p.m.

Our seminary required students to spend their summers doing internships in area churches. Norma and I were assigned to a small church plant in North Dakota. Reluctantly, I took a summer leave of my radio job to serve as interim pastor of three country churches.

The summer flew by. I did visitation, youth ministry, preaching and Bible camps. We were always busy, but the job was never done. As I returned from the plains of North Dakota to the metropolitan Twin Cities, I went back to the radio station. I turned on the control board, opened the microphone and spun the music.

But Norma saw the lights in my eyes and the beginning of a problem. She wanted to be married to a preacher. I had just concluded a lackluster summer as a country pastor. It was the appeal of a major radio station that brought back my passion for ministry.

There was strong pressure at seminary to be a pastor. The denomination needed pastors. Why would you go to seminary if you weren’t going to be a pastor? Being a pastor is the best way to serve God. Anything less is inferior service. Besides, I had made a promise to God—that I would invest my life making the gospel plain to good church people who needed Jesus.

I was having this inner battle between what I wanted to do and what I thought God was requiring of me. So one night in our apartment, I had this “face-in-the-carpet experience.” On my knees, literally on my face before God, I said, “Lord, I’m tired of this conflict. I am willing to do whatever it is you want me to do, even to be a pastor in Wheatfield, S.D. I just want to be in your will and experience your peace about it.”

It seems now almost instantaneous, but I don’t recall the timing of it. But after that moment of total surrender of my life to the Lord, I experienced a sense of peace about serving God in Christian media. It was as if God had been waiting for me to declare my willingness to do anything and go anywhere to serve Him before He would release me to do what I was passionate about.

With total confidence of God’s will and God’s blessing, I told my seminary colleagues that after graduation I wasn’t going to be a pastor. Instead, I was going to stay full time in Christian radio. That was 40 years ago. God has given me this marvelous career doing what I was dreaming of doing as an 8-year-old boy. The hundreds of hours of radio I did on the tractor were now converted into production ministry, reaching hundreds of thousands of people with the good news.

Shortly after this transition from seminary to radio, I was discussing the two options with a friend. “You reach more people in one day on the radio than most pastors reach in their lifetime,” she said. It was later that I realized God was true to His calling to me on that church bus when I was 16 years old. Most people who listen to Christian radio are good church people. But statistics show that one out of three who listen have not made a conscious decision to follow Jesus. So God called me and placed me in Christian communication to make the gospel plain to good church people who need Jesus.

And now, after more than 30 years of radio work in Minneapolis followed by five years in Chicago, God has opened this opportunity to not only reach lost people in the U.S., but to reach unreached people in the farthest, most unreachable parts of the globe through radio. I never could have imagined where that still voice that spoke a life goal to me as a 16-year-old farm kid would all eventually lead.

Here’s what I tell young people whenever I have a chance.

Don’t hold back on committing your life totally to God for fear of what He might ask you to do. God is not just waiting for you to surrender to Him so He can put you in some miserable, unbearable place. He is waiting for you to place your life in His hands so you can be the person He created you to be.

He’s not interested in putting square pegs in round holes. He has created you with certain interests, passions, gifts and abilities so you can serve Him with effectiveness and enjoyment. He’s created you with a certain DNA and will allow that DNA of passions, interests and talents to be used for your fulfillment and His glory.

The psalmist said, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

So for starters:

· Receive God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life which He bought for you on the cross and the empty tomb.

· Then follow Jesus with all you’ve got. Love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

· Then watch God work in you and through you as you love Him and follow Him. I can say from experience—it works!

Eur-Asia Conferene

HCJB GLOBAL EUROPEAN CONFERENCE

One of the privileges of serving with HCJB Global is the opportunity to see and hear first hand what God is doing in extraordinary ways in strategic circumstances. My recent time at the European Conference brought together dedicated servants from 13 countries who are using media, health care and leadership development to advance the cause of Jesus and His Kingdom.

I can't possibly remember or relate all that was presented. However, for your encouragement and perspective, I wanted to share some of the highlights which I noted in my journal.

North Africa
We are installing portable studios and training local believers to develop their own radio projects in areas that are less than 1% Evangelical. A young man is producing programs on his computer. His brother finds Christian ites on his brother's computer and reports it to the father who works for the government. The young Christian man is kicked out of his family. He is no longer the son. He says that if he had been the daughter, he would not be alive. He was asked if we should scramble his voice on the radio programs. "No, you don't have to scramble my voice. I've been there."

Who of you willing to follow Christ for the sake of family, land, home?

Our shortwave and direct satellite are providing access to the Gospel where there are big barriers to proclamation of the Gospel. In the Gulf region, amidst a population of 30 Million, there are 300-1000 believers. Yet our media ministries are reaching 45,000 households.

Central Asia
In Slovoka there are 5 Million people. In Czech Republic, 10 Million. These countries are some of the most atheistic countries in Eur-Asia. Only 1 out of 500 are Evangelical. Yet, today there is a brand new Christian FM station broadcasting the Good News. And the founders have a vision to add one station per year in that region.

A new Mission Center operating out of a church in Central Asia is producing radio programs on a community FM station and using the Center to reach disenchanted youth in the city on the verge of dysfunction.

Even in the parts of Europe that were formerly major sending countries, providing ministry and missions to the farthest reaches of the world, are now some of the largest mission fields. Places like Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, England, France, most with less than 2% evangelical now could be considered "unreached". Yet creative strategists are using Internet, podcasts, and short edgy spots on commercial radio stations to speak to their post-Christian culture.

In Sweden, a creative, youthful think tank is producing a virtual "Second Life" environment where Millenials from aroud the world can gather in this virtual community to connect with HCJB Global. We're looking at the future here.

The Asia-Paific region has 3.5 Billion people--60% of the world population. 80% of the unreached people of the world live in the Asia-Pacific. Shortwave continues to be an effective means of reaching the vast expanses of China, India, Bangladesh. Culturally relevant programs addressing social issues and current events prepared in those countries in 20 languages are helping people through the challenges of day-to-day living. The mobile phone industry is focused on developing these highly populated global regions with mobile devices that will in the future enable our media to reach some of the most unreached regions of the world with the Message.

There are great and unexpected opportunities in parts of the world with little access and big obstacles. Opportunities can't be planned and we must be strategic and flexible as God opens the doors. In the words of Henry Blackaby "God wants us to invest right where He sends us. Wherever God sends you, find what God wants you to do in that place."

Make New Friends--Keep the Old

I've observed two key mistakes when organizations are in transition. On one hand, the organization is so deeply ingrained in past history, it is ineffective in speaking to the current generation. On the other, new leadership is so neglectful or even disresepectfull of tradition, they miss the opportunity to build on the benefits of what's gone before.

A successful corporate leader, who's business gives millions of dollars in community charity said this to a small group of us recently: "We drink water from wells that we dug by others." More frequently we hear about the benefits of standing on the shoulders of those who preceeded us. (Very hard to get any work done in that position, however.)

Seriously, we need to have balance in looking back and looking forward. We need to build on the past but not live in the past. I like the old motto from Youth For Christ years ago: "Anchored to the Rock; Geared to the times."

In the weeks since I last wrote to you, I've been involved in 2 very different but very important group meetings. The first was the week-long "Forever Family". This event gathered almost 200 retired staff and missionaries with long, faithful service to HCJB Global. I was thrilled and impressed with their energy, passion and openness to continue to serve. We heard stories, some brought laughter, others brought tears, of how God has used our team in effectively serving Jesus over these 78 years.

A week later, I heard the report from our Emerging Media Task Force. This group of forward thinking men and women have been meeting and exploring opportunities to share the Good News on the new technologies God is bringing into view. It's the same Message, but distributed in new ways using Internet, Podcasting, SMS, blogging, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and smart phone mobile technology. The amazing thing is that the regions experiencing the fastest development of technology are the very unreached parts of the world that HCJB Global is called to reach!

So while we honor the past, and we "seize the day", we also need to focus forward, using the tools and creativity God has provided. Now that the techs have done their work in exploring and recommending the techno-tools available, we now need to engage our best creative minds to explore and recommend the compelling content we need to place on those new delivery systems. Stay tuned for that!

Hockey great Wayne Gretsky was asked what made him a great hockey player. His response: "I don't skate to where the puck is. I skate to where the puck is going to be." May God enable us with the foresight to move to where the new media and the new consumer is going to be.

By the way, as a demonstration of connecting old with new, photos and MP3 files of the "Forever Family" event have been uploaded on the HCJB Global hub. You can access them for your own enjoyment. And I even used my little "flip" camera and placed a very amatuerish video montage on YouTube. You can do a searh on YouTube using my name in the search. (Even this old radio guy is trying to learn new media.)

Smile

Joy is one of the most powerful means of reflecting God’s love. So if your soul is happy, let your face show it. A smile is a great way to show love and acceptance. Businesses that serve the public should require employees to smile. According to the Monday Morning Memo from Wizard of Ads:

“Smiling even makes tasks look easy and enjoyable. Smiling counters feelings of anxiety and intimidation in others and instills a sense of calm. A genuine smile is detectible and instills trust. Smiling also makes you look more attractive.”

Joy is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit—the 2nd one listed right after love. Joy must be pretty important.

Paul said: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: Rejoice.” Joy must be pretty important.”

The Psalmist said: Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.

Proverbs teaches that “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”

Even sad, plagued Job said: “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”

Christians should be characterized by joy. We have every reason to be joyful. The eternal issues are settled. Our sins are forgiven. And Christ-followers are even encouraged to rejoice in the midst of trials.

A smile translates in any language. A smile is the ultimate cross-cultural communication tool.

So as you serve the Lord this week, SMILE.

The Resurrection Power in You

Jesus lived a great life. So did a lot of other great religious leaders.

Jesus died a martyr’s death. So did many others who laid down their lives.

Jesus rose boldly and bodily from the grave. No one has ever done that!

And that’s the great message we have to proclaim. In the 1st Century, the distinctive message of the early church was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. That was the message that got people’s attention. And interesting that no one disputed the fact. His resurrection was an undisputed fact proven by repeated appearances to His contemporaries. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is one of the best documented facts in history.

In the 21st Century, the resurrection is still our distinctive message. You can point to the tombs of most every religious leader in history. But Jesus tomb is empty. No bones about it!

What does the resurrection of Jesus mean to you today? Romans 8:11 teaches that “The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.” Can you believe it? While we marvel at God’s power in raising His Son from the dead, you need to know that same power lives in you. So if you think discouragement, defeat, fear, weakness, you need to realize that the same power that raised Jesus now resided in you to empower you to live the Jesus life.

The resurrection is more than a well-documented historical fact. The resurrection power resides inside you today! So let the power of the resurrection empower your message. Let it strengthen your ministry. Let it impassion your person.

The Lord is risen indeed! The power of the risen Lord lives in you indeed!