I have had something on my mind lately and I just can’t shake it. Why is it that some “leaders” in churches are unreceptive to critique and/or confrontation?

I’ve noticed that I have, at times, been labeled as “marching to the beat of my own drummer.” It’s really odd to me. Throughout the years, I have tried to be completely up front and honest about how I feel about various issues within the church and have offered my opinion of things often. If I have an issue with something that someone has said or done, I go straight to them (an amazing idea, I think…not that I came up with it…ehmmm, Matthew 18).

The problem is, oftentimes “leaders” aren’t receptive to hearing other ideas or being confronted about things that they have done. In one of my previous churches, I was told I had an “authority issue,” despite following everything they asked me to do. In another, point blank…I was forced to resign because I warned our “leader” of issues that I heard staff rambling about.

So what’s a man to do? I think it’s time for leaders to put their pride to the side and embrace critique and confrontation. When someone confronts me, it often tells me a few things:

1) They care about me. If they didn’t care about me, they would go to others before coming to me. They would talk about me behind my back. I have had a couple of cases that students came to me with their concerns over some small things. It was amazing! I knew they actually cared about me. It wasn’t an authority issue…it was an act from the heart.

2) I have to always evaluate what I do. There is ALWAYS room for improvement. Some of the best ideas will come from those around you.

3) I have tons of room to grow. I don’t have all of the best ideas and many of those around me know a lot more about some things than I do.

4) They are handling it biblically. There’s some great guidelines in Scripture. Maybe we should spend some time living it.

If you don’t have anyone around you sharpening you, your setting yourself up for failure. If you can’t listen to other’s critique, perhaps you’re already failing. Thoughts?

UPDATE: Wow…amazing blog about critiquing church environments by Tony Morgan that you can find here. I gotta admit…I critique like crazy in a church environment.

Isaiah has started his athletic and musical training. He likes his hip hop.

I’ve had a lot on my mind so far today, and I think that a lot of it can be summed up with physics, ants, and church.  Let’s put them together.

Newton’s first law of motion says that an object that is in motion tends to stay in motion, but an object that is at rest, tends to stay at rest.  Too many churches are at a state a rest, and here’s what gets me…most of them are having meetings or sitting around and talking about what needs to be done, and guess what?  NOTHING is getting done.  They are at a state of rest. 

For crying out loud, stop talking about ideas and solutions and get off your butts and do it.  Proverbs 6:6 says "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.  Learn from their ways and become wise!"  Ants don’t sit around waiting for instruction for decision making.   They simply do the work. 

It’s time for church leaders to get off their tailgates and move forward.  Most already know what God is wanting them to do.  Sadly…most are too scared to take the chance.  Just move.

from my wife, Patty. Here’s what she said the other day:

“Did you ever notice that the word “MEN” upside down and backwards is “NEW”…except the “E” is backwards?”

Man…I love that woman!

After watching the most recent episode of Rob & Big, I’ve decided that at some point this year I’m gonna break a Guinness World Record.  Now…I’ve got to try to decide which one.  Any ideas?

"Among the plastic saints of our times, Jesus has to do all the dying, and all we want to hear is another sermon about his dying."  A.W. Tozer

A little over a week ago, we took some of our college students to a conference in Myrtle Beach.  One of the elements that was incredible about the weekend was having Shane and Shane lead the worship for the event.  One line in one of their songs, really hit me hard: May the vision of You be the death of me.

It has made me think a lot about the topic of vision and here’s what I’ve realized.  A lot of people quote Proverbs 29:18 and talk about how people will die without vision, which I totally agree with.  Without a divine spark inside of us (vision), we will all die without reaching our maximum potential in God and end up separated from him.  However, when I think about what the message of the Bible, I realized that when we do have vision from God, we still die.  The difference is that when we have vision from God, the death that comes brings new life. Luke 9:24 tells me that "whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

Here’s what I’ve discovered in my life recently.  Whenever I get closer to God, my vision dies and a much bigger vision comes to mind.  Visions that are God sized.  God’s story is not one that ends with Christ dying on a cross.  That is simply the beginning of so much more.  A death of us.  Another birth of life.

If anyone actually reads this much anymore, stop chasing your vision.  Let the vision of God be the death of you. 

This has got to be the cutest family ever. Isaiah was sporting the baby tux.