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This morning I headed down the road at 5:45 a.m. to meet my friend Dr. Rhoden for another trip on the Innovative Leadership Experience that he hosts each year. I took the trip last year and was asked to go again this year. My pleasure. I'm driving the van for the group of 8 students from VFCC; driving happens to be something I'm good at. My day didn't start so well though. I was supposed to meet Dr. Rhoden at Arlington A/G church, instead I went to the Alexandria A/G church. That put me 45 minutes behind schedule and though under normal circumstances we could have made it, today turned out to be construction on Conowingo dam that held us up and made us 15 minutes late arriving for the orientation luncheon. Ultimately it was my fault for being late, and I hated putting Doc in that position. He has forgiven me. So it was almost two hours in the car on the way down, four hours up to the college, and four hours back. That's a lot of driving. Tomorrow thankfully I have much less and only for myself to get out of the city and back to Pasadena for a Board meeting. Then back to DC for the night so I can rejoin the group first thing Friday a.m. The next couple days will be whirlwind types of days, but they will be rich with learning and experience. I look forward to sharing with you. When I'm on trips like this I don't always have access to my blog, but I try to twitter more, so you can check facebook or on the right hand side of this page for updates. --Ben
*** Note *** Before this was published we were approved. Last week I met with a coach of mine, and as we talked I mentioned the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt outreach. He told me how to advertise through local elementary schools, and the way it works in Washington County. I took that information and brought it back here, and now we are submitting the flier and proof that we're a 501c3 organization. When it is approved we'll give the schools (Belvedere and Arnold Elementary) fliers and they'll send them home with each child. I want to ask you to pray for favor on our behalf. You know how bureaucracies work, and the church-state tension. Pray that God will open this door as a way for us to serve our community. --Ben
In the last year we've had quite a round of changes. In 2009 we moved to what we affectionately called a "band without Ben". That meant that the worship team was entirely free standing without me. I didn't have to sing or play guitar. It was a goal we set and achieved. And I didn't realize how much of a change it was until this week. Over the last couple month some of our band members have left the church, and I've ended up back behind the guitar and mic. For several weeks we have been planning ahead for services, and when I found out I would be away this weekend we had another speaker on the schedule. It never occurred to me that I was back as the soul musician, and needed a plan for me. I had switched to a band without Ben mentality. Things change. So when Drew asked what the plan was for next week (thanks Drew) I had to figure it out quickly. I'm thankful that today we got some help from another church in the Baltimore area. I contacted my friend Pastor Wayne the music pastor at Eastern A/G and asked if he had anyone that could help. Sure enough he has a young woman in the church who leads worship and will be serving SRC this Sunday in my absence. I'm so thankful for the help of other believers. It just reminds me that the Church is bigger than us. --Ben
The final myth is that people can group themselves into the 20/80, and most damaging that the 20% begin to think of themselves as being better than the 80%. Bringing this back into the local church, I've heard people say, "Well at my church, ABC Church, 20% of the people do 80% of the work." This is may be a true statement for ABC Church, but it is not an extension of the Pareto Principle. It's this co-mingling that is most problematic. I think the bottom line is that when people, especially those with responsibilities, start counting themselves as the 20% that is doing all the work they have stopped focusing on the mission or goal and have begun focusing on themselves. Let me put it more bluntly naming yourself in the 20% is selfish and arrogant, and in the ministry of Christ will sideline you from ever truly bringing about the lion's share of results. You might still be part of the handful doing the work, but you'll not be a part that brings about results. If you can look with honesty and say that what you've done in participating toward moving the vision forward than nothing should be more humbling. It will lead to a grace-giving attitude wishing that more people could have been instruments for God to work through, but it will never look condescendingly at others and form groups of us and them, the haves and have-nots, the good ones and the useless ones. The longer I'm in this the more I realize that if I stack up everything I can do, it still won't be that big a pile. When God works through me then real things begin to happen. He takes my minimal offering and brings about a huge return. Not because of what I've done, but because of what he's done through me. Scripture echoes this: 2 Corinthians 12:10, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then am I strong." --Ben
The second myth of the Pareto Principle is that you can always predict the 20%. Since it has been applied in leadership and management circles the intended response is to invest in the 20% for your greatest return. Because the 20/80 principle is about returns it is something measured from the end, not from the beginning. That's not how I have heard it taught and applied. It is always presented in the realm of prediction: Example1: If you have 20 out of 100 sales people who will bring in 80% of your revenue then as a good manager you should spend time resourcing and promoting those 20. Example 2: If you have 100 people in your church then 20 people will likely do the work to move the vision of the church forward. So as a pastor invest time, resources, etc. in those 20%. Here's the problem. You can't always predict the producers; things are always changing and people are never static. So the producers right now might not be your top 20% next time around. Further, when the principle is applied too broadly it fails to take into account the value of the fifth. The fifth is the other 20% or return -- turned in by the 80% of producers. Constantly trying to invest in and resource the top producers is not a bad thing, that's good leadership in my opinion. But an application of the 20/80 principle that locks in on a prediction of 20% can set the leader up for missing real production and a diminished value of the fifth. --Ben
While the Pareto Principle is a sound measure in the general sense it can produce myths. I want to address some of these myths. The first myth: You can only count on the twenty percent. Somewhere people have bought into the notion that since 20% of the cause creates 80% of the result that the other 80% of the cause is therefore unreliable. In Leadership we learn to focus our attention and investment into the 20% because they are going to generate the bulk of the results. It's a reasonable notion. But I believe it is short sighted to say that only the 20% should get attention. As a leader we're responsible to lead all of our people not just our top performers. In any church the bulk of results may come from a few producers, but that doesn't besmirch the effort of the other 80%. If ten people go out and invite people to church and two have guests show up then the Pareto Principle holds true, but that doesn't negate the effort of the other eight people. My point, be careful leading only twenty percent of your people, you may be counting wrong. --Ben
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, says that 80% of the effect is the result of 20% of the cause. It was named for Vilfredo Pareto and Italian economist who, in 1906, realized that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the people. This rule has been applied to everything from economics to investing to management and leadership. It was John Maxwell's writings in the 1990's that first introduced me to the idea, and it is one of those mathematical laws that is easily applied in practical ways all over the place. When you give it thought and understanding it seems to jump out everywhere. In fact, Maxwell flipped the switch for churches to see the value of the Pareto Principle, and now years later I hear church-goers in multiple churches refer to it related to the church. I most often hear it stated, "twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work." The power of the Pareto Principle allows most of us to retreat into that statement as though it is true. I'd like to challenge that thinking today. Throughout the day today I will share a couple posts to explain what I think are a couple myths that the church believes about the Pareto Principle. --Ben
I think that there is a part of the formula of success that is connecting one's capacity with one's competence; one's potential with one's proficiency. For the Christ-like leader obedience is the biggest variable in making
the equation work. --Ben
Today after a six month layoff I'm heading out to Hagerstown to reconnect with Patrick Grach. Can't wait to hear what God is doing at Lifehouse East. And share what's happening at SRC. --Ben
Today I spent some time walking (at times driving) slowly through Severna Park. I have felt disconnected since I moved my office back into the house, and needed to get out and meet some people, smile and say hello. My main activity is prayer. I talk out loud to the Lord asking for redemption of those far from God, direction from His Spirit, and seeking a breakthrough for the church. I don't believe that we've accomplished what the Lord envisions for this church. We're still moving towards it. In other news, there is a new business in Severna Park called Corky's Smoke Shack. The parking lot was too crowded for me to stop, but I'm really wondering if it's the same Corky from the cafe. --Ben
It's been years since I have spent any time in a coffee house. Ever since my old friend Corky went out of business I have missed a place where there was enough space to meet people and connect in the community. Today I found Wrap & Brew a great, comfortable coffee house in Severna
Park. When I walked in the door I was warmly greeted and felt right
at home. It seems to have a real connection to locals hosting an open mic night
on Fridays after 7:00 p.m. They are also members of the Greater
Severna Park Chamber of Commerce. --Ben
About a year ago Teen Challenge of Baltimore was preparing to open and now they are helping addicts find wholeness, health and salvation. I'm proud of our partnership. I've been asked to teach, in rotation with other pastors from the
area, the classes for the men in the program. This morning I'm headed
into Bmore to pick up the curriculum. I'm excited to see the center. --Ben
Note: Posted from mobile. No spell check available.
Every other year the churches in the Eastern Section send pastors and delegates to a business meeting where elections are held and the District is able to highlight upcoming priorities. Today we elected Rev. Don Cox to serve another two year term as presbyter and ratified all the other positions. It was great to hear from the District leadership, and I felt the anointing of God on them as they shared the vision they're sensing from God. One thing that really stood out was a call to prayer for our entire District. In fact, they are asking every credentialed minister to come to a prayer meeting in Woodbridge, VA on Sunday May 2, 2010. It will be an unprecedented prayer meeting, and I think that you should come to. If I could show off one thing that our district does, one event that you could be part of to see and witness, it would be this prayer meeting, and to that end we'll be taking a van load to be part of it. I hope you'll mark your calendar and be part of it. --Ben
Today I visited some old friends. There is something nice about old friends. I find the older I get the more age my friendships get on them as well. It seems life moves faster and faster these days. In a couple weeks my oldest daughter will turn five. (Yikes!) It seems times flies between visits much faster than I even realize. As I sat with this couple catching up and trying to minister to them by listening to the challenges they're facing I realized that it had been years since I had sat with them in their home. Not sure that I'll be able to maintain the closeness of all my friendships. I guess that's part of adulthood. What ways have you found to keep friendships connected?--Ben
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