Some will not want to follow

A valuable lesson in leadership--Some may not go where you want to lead them, but you still must lead them.

Putting a child to bed can be a testing of wills. But I know my son needs rest, or else he won't be any good for the next day. So I lead him firmly. "Son, get in the bed NOW." He says with a voice that understands that if he doesn't he knows what's coming next, "yes sir daddy," and climbs in to bed.

Wow that was easy. No. Raising a child to obey out of a desire to do it just because Daddy or Mommy said so takes time and patience.

Aren't we like children when it comes to following our Heavenly Father, or the authorities he puts over our lives? God knows what we need. He leads us gently but firmly, yet disciplines us when we stray. Good leaders do the same. Gasp! Discipline? You say? Yes. It's absent in most churches, perhaps that's why many struggle as they do.

But for a church to realize that its leaders mean well, and God gave them to lead that church, when the two enmesh and walk together and seek to do God's passion, then the church begins to grow up! It's morning again at our church. I love our people, God's doing some amazing things through them, and the lesson here to me is that I must lead. Our staff are impassioned, and empowered by the Spirit for a new work.

Tonight our youth worship service was amazing. We have began the process of team assigned leadership. Simple yet profound. Each team leader shared about their area of ministry, and students responded! We had more students respond tonight to serve on teams than we ever got from just announcements and personal invites! The worship rocked! I heard more comments about the band tonight than ever before. Hats off to them for raising the bar! Two newcomers even said to me, this is better than any other youth service we've been to! I'm glad to see the bar being raised. It will continue to do so. As our leadership fleshes out the vision for our student ministry, God's gonna move even more!