I am in South Africa with a team of teacher/facilitators from our ministry, teaching “Five Principles of Unity” in churches there. Look here for our schedule and how you can be praying for us. Here is some of what we are teaching:
…fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. Hebrews 3:1
The Principle of Focus: My focus should be on Christ.
Picture a buzzard and a hummingbird flying side by side over a desert. The buzzard looks down and sees nothing but dead carcasses. The hummingbird looks down on the same desert floor and sees nothing but desert flowers. Why is that? It is because that is what they are each looking for.
If you come to your church’s gathered worship looking for problems in people, you will never be disappointed. As long as there are people, there will be problems, because people are flawed. It doesn’t take a Spiritual gift of discernment to find people’s flaws.
But if you come to your church’s gathered worship looking for Jesus, He will meet you there every time. Bad preaching won’t prevent it. Bad music won’t prevent it. Bad people won’t prevent it. If you are really looking for Jesus, you will find Him.
This is an especially important leadership principle, because as a leader, you do establish the focus of your congregation. It doesn’t even matter whether you’re a good leader or a bad leader. It is just the way we are as people. We look where our leaders are looking. Leaders establish focus. That’s always been an interesting phenomenon to me. No matter what kind of leader you are, no matter your style nor your effectiveness, people will tend to focus where you focus.
From the perspective of a church consultant, that means that I can spend a few hours visiting with a congregation and noting their apparent focus and immediately learn something about their leadership’s focus.
So, as you gather with your congregation this next time, where will your focus be? To what (or to Whom) are you teaching them to look? Remember, whether you are a professional minister or a lay leader, you establish the focus of your congregation. Establish it well, my friends!
© Blake Coffee
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