Leadership

Book Review: Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders

February 23, 2016 By Daniel Im

Spiritual Leadership , with an emphasis on the word spiritual, is definitely an accurate description for J. Oswald Sanders’ book. He covers popular leadership principles, such as, time management and the importance of developing our talents, but the majority of his points and illustrations are all in reference to spiritual leadership.

Sanders introduces each chapter with a scriptural reference, by which he uses to ground his ideas within the chapter, but much of his explanation is rooted in his wealth of experience and/or the experience of other notable figures, such as Charles Spurgeon, A.B. Simpson, A.W. Tozer, and J. Hudson Taylor. Sanders believes that all Christians are leaders and that we should all develop our leadership potential.

Central to this book is the belief that God is the one who calls forth leaders in the church and then subsequently anoints them.

Spiritual leadership is a matter of being chosen, rather than choosing. Spiritual leadership is all about being last, rather than first. A spiritual leader is one that imitates Christ Jesus–the greatest spiritual leader of all. As important as it is for a leader to listen, lead, articulate, and inspire well, what takes precedence over any method or skill is one’s connection to the vine–Jesus Christ.

Prophets of a Future Not Our Own – Oscar Romero

February 16, 2016 By Daniel Im

Here is an amazing poem attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero. Enjoy!

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.

The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,

it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction

of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.

Nothing we do is complete,

which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection,

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.

No set of goals and objectives include everything.

This is what we are about.

Multiplication is Impossible Without Intentionality

January 30, 2016 By Daniel Im

*My post here was originally published on Nov 10, 2015 in Christianity Today.

Wikipedia - Calvin Teo — Wikipedia – Calvin Teo

Growing up in Vancouver, there were a lot of 7-Elevens around. In fact, one of my favorite things to do as a child was to buy a Slurpee, nachos with cheese, and some chewy coke bottle candies. Ah, the memories. So when my Sunday school teacher offered to buy my friends and I nachos and cheese, in exchange for not making his life miserable, you could’ve probably guessed my response. I was like a child with a halo around his head. Who knew bribing a child could be so effective!

The funny thing about 7-Elevens, and other convenient stores like them, is that they have a strategy for multiplication. They don’t just haphazardly place stores wherever there’s cheap rent, nor do they wait for entrepreneurial leaders to show up at their door step. They are intentional. Incredibly intentional. They do their research on the best location for future stores. They develop leaders because they know that the success of their stores rises and falls on leadership. Intentionality is everything.

The same is true for church planting.

Intentionality Matters in Church Planting

When we conducted the largest and most thorough research project ever done on church planting, we discovered that intentionality was everything. You can download the U.S. and Canadian version of the report at www.newchurches.com.

We discovered that:

Church plants who were intentional with evangelism had more unchurched people in their congregation
Church plants who were intentional at having a highly public presence had a larger worship attendance
Church plants who were intentional at starting at least one daughter church within their first 3 and 5 years saw a consistent increase in attendance
Church plants who prioritized leadership development saw more people make a decision for Christ

And the list goes on and on. The fact is, intentionality matters.

Why You Should Read Multiple Books at the Same Time

January 23, 2016 By Daniel Im

Flickr - missusdoubleyou — Flickr – missusdoubleyou

I’ve discovered that if I’m not reading, I’m not learning. And if I’m not learning, I’m not growing. And if I’m not growing, I have no right to be leading.

Reading and learning are the gasoline to my car. I’ve discovered that, the more I’m reading and learning, the further I can go in life and the better that I can come up with ideas and strategies to implement and execute them.

I love the following quotes about reading:

Some books are to be tested, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested – Francis Bacon

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body – Richard Steele

A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read – Mark Twain

He that loves reading has everything within his reach – William Godwin

The one technique to reading that I’ve discovered is to never read just one book at a time.

The greatest innovations in history have often resulted when two seemingly disparate ideas, from different disciplines, are brought together. That’s why I’m always challenging myself to read from different disciplines, all at the same time.

The one technique to reading that I’ve discovered is to never read just one book at a time.

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With my current responsibilities in directing LifeWay’s initiative to resource church planters, multisite churches, and multipliers at NewChurches.com, in addition to consulting denominations and networks, writing books, preaching regularly, and leading a software development initiative to transform the way churches and denominations assess, train, and coach, I have a lot on my plate. That’s why I need to keep my mind sharp by reading, learning, and growing.

Here’s what I’m currently working on:

3 Ways Tesla Affects Your Church Metrics

January 5, 2016 By Daniel Im

*My post here was originally published on Oct 13, 2015 in Christianity Today.

When you think of Tesla, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

For most people, it’s electric cars, but what if I were to tell you that this was not going to be their greatest legacy? Yes, they did vastly expand the driving range of an electric vehicle from 73 miles (117 km) to 200 miles (320 km) on a single charge. Yes, they did reimagine the electric car and the way that it is powered. Yes, they did open up the black box on their technology patents so that other car manufacturers can benefit from and improve on their technology. However, since electric vehicles only account for one percent of the market, unless more people begin to buy electric vehicles, Tesla’s impact will be small, if not negligible. In addition, with the recent report that revealed Tesla loses more than $4000 on every Model S car that they sell, the future is looking dim for them.

Although Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, may want his company to be remembered for electric vehicle technology, he might actually be inadvertantly writing his legacy elsewhere. Even more than their advancement in battery technology, I believe that the greatest impact that Tesla will make in the automobile industry is from their dashboards. After all, while only one percent of customers might buy an electric car, one hundred percent of vehicles have dashboards. Have you ever seen the dashboard on a Tesla? It feels like a thing of the future. Not only have they gotten rid of all the manual dials and gauges and made them digital, but they have also reimagined what a dashboard could be. I wouldn’t be surprised if other car manufacturers quickly follow suit.

Here are three ways that Tesla has reimagined the dashboard:

1. From static to dynamic. Most cars still have manual gauges to change the temperature, measure the RPM, or change the radio station. In the Tesla dashboard, everything is digital and dynamic.

2. From single-function to multi-function. If you look at the dashboard in a common vehicle, you’ll have single-function gauges. In the Tesla, you have the ability to display anything you would like on your dashboard. For example, you could measure the energy consumption on your car, while adjusting your car’s height suspension, and follow your GPS all at the same time. Your dashboards are digital screens.

Leadership

Intentionality Matters in Church Planting

I’ve discovered that if I’m not reading, I’m not learning. And if I’m not learning, I’m not growing. And if I’m not growing, I have no right to be leading.

The one technique to reading that I’ve discovered is to never read just one book at a time.

Here are three ways that Tesla has reimagined the dashboard:

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