5 goals every person should have

Every January, millions and millions of people, both young and old, male and female, and believers and nonbelievers, create New Year resolutions. As you know, this is a popular and traditional trend that people use to modify their behavior to improve their life. 

Though I appreciate the term “New Year Resolutions”, it’s just a more fun and cavalier way of setting goals. As we all prepare for 2019, I’d like to share 5 goals I believe every person should have as we march into the new year:

1. FAITH GOAL: As a pastor, I must have faith goals. We are people of faith, therefore, we should have faith goals. Perhaps you need to plan to read the Bible more, study the Bible more, attend Sunday worship more often, pray longer and stronger, and/or share your faith with more people and invite them to worship.
2. FAMILY GOAL: I have a young family, and I’m told quite often that the days will be long, but the years will be short. As we receive this wisdom, we must proceed accordingly, maximizing our time with our family. That means constantly dating and loving your spouse. It also means ensuring we are our child’s #1 fan. Our family is our first ministry, and we must steward it properly. 
3. FINANCE GOAL: In 1994, the late Barry White released the song, “Practice What You Preach”, and this should be a song of conviction for all of us. Our financial stewardship is critical as leaders, parents, and believers. We should all set financial goals so money is more of a blessing and less of a burden. 
4. FITNESS GOAL: As we lead our biological family and spiritual family, we should reflect the importance of health and wellness. Our consumption of “fun and fried foods” should be in moderation. Drinking more water and working out 2-3 times per week should be the expectation. Set a fitness goal so you can operate at optimal levels for yourself, your family, and your church family. After all, your body is a temple, and you only get one!
5. FUN GOAL: I am a bi-vocational pastor and it requires me to work long hours and make sacrifices than many people don’t know about. We all work hard and make necessary sacrifices for a multitude of reasons. To avoid burning out, we deserve a break. You deserve to enjoy life and have fun. Plan a vacation. Plan many and mini-vacations. If finances are temporarily tight, plan a staycation, eat a good meal. Go bowling. Go dancing. Play pool. Enjoy live music. Go to a comedy show, but whatever you do, schedule dedicated time away from working so you can enjoy living and laughing with loved ones. 

Our lives should be enjoyed not endured. It is our responsibility to set goals that are challenging, safe, and have our best interests at heart. So, consider these 5 goals and let’s move forward in 2019 together!

 

 

 

The Real MVP: Mission, Vision, Purpose

On September 1, 2013, we launched Arrow Church. We began Sunday public worship services at the Marcus Theater in Chicago Heights, IL. We did not have any denominational support.  We were not established by a church planting organization. We are not beneficiaries from a trust fund, nor did we have a secret rich guy funding our church planting efforts..we were simply a group of friends wanting to point people towards Christ and His community..and from that passion statement, came the name Arrow!

After three years of being a portable church (tearing down and setting up), God remembered our sacrifices and honored our gifts by allowing us to purchase a building in Lynwood, IL to facilitate our worship services, meetings, and community gatherings.

Now, Arrow is five years old. Biblically and numerically, five means grace! We have been graced during our first five years of existence, but we must pray and plan for the next 5 years of ministry.

All month long, we have been sharing our new core values that will power us forward:

1. LOVED PEOPLE LOVE PEOPLE: many people believe that “hurt people hurt people”, and if this is true, than the converse is also true! “Loved people love people” can also be true, because John 15:12 commands us to love each other as we have been loved.
2. FOUND PEOPLE FIND PEOPLE: one of the coolest iPhone apps is the “Find My iPhone” app. It helps you locate your valuable Apple devices in case they are stolen or lost. In the same manner, believers are to find and connect with those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus. In John 1:43, Jesus found Phillip, and in verse 45, Phillip finds Nathanael. Phillip was found by Jesus, so he felt compelled to find Nathanael. We have been found, and we must go find others and connect them with Jesus. 
3. SAVED PEOPLE SERVE PEOPLE: but who really has time to serve? Or energy? Or the training? Isn’t serving like working? We believe serving requires humility more than anything else! In Luke 4:38, Jesus left the synagogue after a long day of ministry, and went to Simon’s house to do more ministry. Jesus didn’t take a nap! Jesus didn’t take a break for lunch! Instead, Jesus went to Simon’s house because his mother-in-law was very sick. Jesus healed her in verse 39 and she immediately got up and decided to make Jesus something to eat. Why? Jesus saved her from  her illness so she decided to serve Him. Jesus has saved us, so it is our privilege to serve Him!
4. BLESSED PEOPLE BLESS PEOPLE: most of us are blessed to have more than enough! We eat well, drive well, and dress well. We are blessed to be a blessing. God blesses us with job and resources to provide for ourselves, our family, and the work of the church. In Malachi 3:10, God invites us to “test” Him and see if He will not prove Himself faithful. We tithe because we love God, not because we owe God. We tithe because it helps precent selfish hoarding and materialism. We tithe because the church is a spiritual institution but has earthly economic responsibilities. We tithe because, with God, we will always have enough!

As we continue to pray and plan, we are excited for God’s best for our lives individually and as a church family. We give God all the glory..after all, He is the Real MVP!

Faith to Start

How do you start a nonprofit? How do you start a business? How do you start writing your book? How do you start a church? How do you start a community development organization? How do you start a mentoring group?

I am often asked these and many other questions, and my answer is always the same: you must have “faith to start”. You need more than ambition. You need more than creativity. You need more than a cool concept. You need more than a well thought out strategy. You need more than a team of advisors. You need more than identifying your target market. You need more than start-up capital. You need “faith to start”.

And when you start, start small! Starting small is not an insult, or anything to scoff at. The Lord loves to see something small begin! 

Zechariah 4:10 says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,..” Our God rejoices when something small begins..and that’s good news!

So how do we begin? How do we start? How do we launch? How do we build? How? 

First, START AFTER THE LORD SPEAKS! In 1 Kings chapter 20, King Ahab is about to go into war against King Ben-Hadad, but first a prophet approaches King Ahab. The Lord speaks through the prophet and tells the king that he will go to war and will be given victory over the vast army (1 Kings 20:13). Before you start your dream, or your assignment, make sure it is the Lord affirming and confirming your assignment, just like in our text. 

Next, START ASKING THE LORD QUESTIONS FOR CLARITY! Going to war (or starting a new venture or going to college) is a big deal. A HUGE deal. So King Ahab begins to ask the prophet some questions about who will help him win the battle, to which the prophet answers all of his questions, on behalf of the Lord. Most of us have questions we want to ask God, or at least we should, but when you do ask God questions, be sure it’s for your clarity, not questioning God’s authority..remember God is sovereign! 

Lastly, START TO DO WHAT THE LORD SAYS! King Ahab knows the Lord is sending young men to assist him in battle (1 Kings 20:14), but he still has one question. And it’s a BIG question. In 1 Kings 20:14, King Ahab asks, “And who will start the battle?” which is a reasonable if not necessary question. And on behalf of the Lord, the prophet responds briefly and boldly to his question with two simple words, “you will”. 

YOU WILL do what God has instructed and empowered and blessed you to do, when you have the faith to start. And if you don’t remember anything I’ve shared, remember this, “Starting small is better than not starting at all”…so, do you have the “faith to start”? The Lord rejoices to see the work begin..

Take less, give more

“A gentle reminder that your success in life is based on your ability to give not your ability to take.” -@ToddAkins

The Loss in Labor Day

The weekend is fast approaching and for some, it will be a three-day weekend due to Labor Day.

Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday in September, is a time for friends and families to make plans, get together, have fun, and hang out.

For Chicagoans, Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer and the start of school. For holiday shoppers, stores have discounts, door busters, and special promotions to lure the consumers into their stores, but the holiday is so much more than a reason to shop.

Labor Day is a recognized day to celebrate the individual worker and the benefits gained by partnering strategically. It’s a day to remember those that marched and decided to strike rather than work for anything less than a livable wage. Labor Day reminds us when capitalism was challenged, unfair work conditions were changed, and our society was transformed.

So in our celebrating and shopping sprees that we may partake in this weekend, let’s not forget how child labor laws were changed and how the eight-hour work day was established to prevent us from working 10 and 12 hour days.

Labor Day is only a loss, when we fail to remember those who came and served before us.

We don’t get Labor Day off, someone earned it for us..

If Serving is Beneath You, Leadership is Beyond You

“If serving is beneath you, leadership is beyond you.” -@ldrcollective

In many of our organizations, we struggle with the concept of servant-leadership. Though it may sound like an oxymoron, it is actually a pillar for many of our teams and organizations.

The reality is: we cannot afford to hire everyone who is talented, gifted, and equipped with a formal education. We cannot afford to assign stipends to everyone for their tangible and non-tangible contributions that assist us in achieving organizational goals.

Most businesses desire a lean staff, and nonprofits in particular strive to maintain payroll to 35%-40% of organizational funding, while maximizing programs.

So why do we struggle with servant-leadership?

Generally speaking, our society believes that leadership means standing on a platform, sitting on a board of directors, making critical decisions, or having a business card with your name on it.

Leadership is actually any contribution that supports the passion, mission, and vision of an organization. In this regard, a school custodian is just as important as the school principal. Leadership is about contribution, not position. So the question is: do you contribute?

Let’s stop chasing power and begin chasing responsibility, because if serving is beneath you, leadership is beyond you.

“The greatest among you will be your servant.”- Matthew 23:11 NIV

Take a risk

Leaders take risks.