Last week my wife gave birth to a beautiful son.  His name is Sean Thomas.  I can’t explain how much I love this boy.  The concept of being a daddy of a boy is overwhelming…however, that is not what THIS post is about.

Sean Thomas is our third child and over this past week I have noticed a trend in my parenting style.  Let’s just say that I tend to forget things.  Not important things like buckle his car seat or feed him.  Stuff like taking an extra diaper with me when I go off, burp him after he eats, keep him bundled in his lil swaddle at night.

Why the forgetfulness you may ask?  Because, as I said this is our third child…I have been there, done that.  I know what to do, right?  With my first daughter I was paranoid about everything.  Every detail was examined and researched.  I am pretty sure I got Google thrust into greatness with all my searching.  With my second child there wasn’t nearly the panic but still the attention was still given to detail.  However, I find that now…since I am an old pro and all I don’t need to sweat the details nearly so much.  So my precious son cries with a wet diaper, spits up on his mattress and basically looks at me like an idiot because I have been there, done that.

How much do we do this in our ministries.  We rely on our experience, we rely on our training because we have been here before we know what we are supposed to do right?  So, we don’t pay attention to the details.  We don’t look at what is simply what we perceive it to be based on our past experiences.

We need to stay diligent in our approach to ministry.  Don’t overlook the small stuff , the small stuff is the difference between excellence and diaper rash.

If it is in the first camp, I immediately go into P&P mode. That is Prayer and Planning. I pray for wisdom and then I assume God will grant me that wisdom and I begin to tweek, adjust or bulldoze whatever is needed.

If it is in the second camp, I make a note and seek council from others to see if it is something that is due my attention and energy.

If it is the third I try to take that criticism captive and throw it away. I say try because I won’t pretend that I haven’t let stupid people with poor motives wreck a good day, week or even month. However, we have to learn to compartmentalize these criticisms and deal with them accordingly.

There is nothing wrong with messing up. However, it is leadership negligence to ignore or fail to learn from it. .

Number 1 – Logo design

Design is a hobby of mine.  It feeds my creativity and I just like doing it.  I am not saying I am any good at it but i like doing it.  When I got to Pointe North I inherited the name Alive Youth Ministries.  I wasn’t a huge fan but not wanting to change too much I stuck with the name.  Actually it was @live Youth Ministries…that was TOO much so we went to Alive.  One of the things I went straight to was developing a logo for the youth ministry.  The first draft was cool but not very iconic or transferable.

Eventually we went with what we have now that I think is pretty cool and works with the name and is easily identifiable and transferable.

So what is the BIG deal…well everyone who sees the Alive logo, knows what it is.  They know what it represents.  They know who we are.  It is a crucial marketing tool.  When you see the red Target you know what it is.  When you see the Apple, you know what it represents.  When you see the EKG/Circle, you know that is ALIVE.

Nothing spiritual but really helpful in getting a small town to know who you are.

As important as the right system is the right staff, it is just as important.  I am a youth pastor of 300 students and over 40 volunteers.  Due to our financial situation as a church the only paid staff I have is an amazing ministry assistant.  The rest of my “staff” are volunteers.

My staff:

Audra Rheaume – Worship Leader

Bobby Webster – Youth Leader

Alicia Medeiros – Service Coordinator

Cathy Oliver – Small Groups Director

Keeley Stephens – HS Advisor / Pulpit teacher

Rusty Metts – MS Advisor

RJ Grubbs/Andy Macauley – Tech Directors

Beekur – Recreation Director

And I am currently recruiting a Campus Director to oversee my campus ministries and an Outreach Director to insure we are serving and reaching our community.

Hybels says that lack of leadership should be a sin.  Leaders we have to do more than simply talk and inspire we must structure our organizations to reach not simply students but entire communities.  I am begging God for wisdom, creativity and insight to stretch us as an organization.  How are your systems/staffing set up?  What have been some victories/struggles you have faced?  Let me know.

This is one that will probably be on my mistakes of 2009 because I still haven’t developed a process.  Last year if a student accepted Christ there was no process in place to guide students into GROWING in Jesus.  Now, discipleship is something that seems to be going the way of the dodo but my Bible says that it is a requirement.  We are not to make converts but to make disciples.  We preach the Word from the pulpit and encourage students to read the Bible but don’t do anything to help them along in the journey.  Small Groups are even built assuming some basic biblical knowledge.  So, we had over 50 students accept Christ, get baptized and then said “your on your own”.  Then dare to be frustrated because they are still so immature spiritually.

God forgive us.