Catalyst Articles

Great team leaders will always see opportunities for them as opportunities for their team.  Many times they will use the resources given to them to celebrate, develop and care for their teams.  It is so powerful when leaders are with their teams until the last chair is stacked and the lights are turned out.

An identity that is rooted in anything other than our relationship with God the Father leads us away from vocation, as we are tempted to continually try to perform tasks and achieve goals in order to earn God’s approval. Rather than starting with a rooted identity and allowing vocation to flow out of that, we try to find identity in the work we do.

In today’s culture, it’s easy for people to desire to be known by what they have, rather than who they are. We’re taught from a young age that in order to be known, we must have the most and be the biggest.

Figure out who you want to be, not what you want to do. Who you are is more important than what you do or where you live. Spiritually, financially, family, emotionally, relationally.

Do we want to restore the credibility of the gospel in a culture that ‘s increasingly cynical toward our message? If so, Francis would tell us to turn our attention back to the early churches ministry of reconciliation, and make peacemaking at home and abroad a priority.

To be known paves the way for everything else. It’s the gravitational pull of belonging and proclaiming. It’s the prequel that finally helps us re-imagine everything else.

Here you go, the April edition of the Young Influencers List. You can see all the past editions here.

Studies show that, if people are connected in a meaningful way with their co-workers, their productivity is higher and retention is longer, even if they don’t feel particularly energized by their daily tasks. That said, one of the most important things we can do as leaders is create an environment where everyone feels connected in a meaningful way to the community.

As leaders, we have undoubtedly been in countless worship services, workshops, seminars and classrooms. However, the styles of communication that we encounter are often not as countless as our settings. We must be prayerful not only about our content, but also about our context and how each can best be reached.

We are at a crossroads of leadership in the US, and ultimately around the world. In fact, I believe we have a leadership crisis in our country. And based on the research we did in partnership with The Barna Group for the book, the survey and data would validate that assumption. We currently have a dearth of leadership in our country. In general, we trust our leaders less today than we have in the past. There is a lot at stake.

We find rest when we find our security in Jesus, not in our fame or success. Self-promotion is exhausting. Competition and comparison are a waste of energy. We should rejoice in the accomplishments of others rather than feeling intimidated by them.

I believe that calling is for each of us. Men and women. But it’s not an abstract job description that floats in the sky, waiting to land one the most unsuspecting head. It’s not a stay at home calling, corporate ladder calling, boardroom calling or a church staff calling. It’s a posture.