Part of the Tribes: A Group Blogging Project by Church Crunch based on the book Tribes by Seth Godin.
The Posture of a Leader
This is the bottom line of a leader of a tribe. If the leader doesn’t get the message across, then it’s the leader’s fault, not the fault of the listener. If the leader’s call to action doesn’t occur, then it’s the leader’s fault. In more of a ministry application: if your sermon is putting people to sleep, it’s your fault. If people feel unwelcomed in your church, then it’s your fault. If the community around you isn’t impacted by your church and feels as though your church is just taking up space, then it’s your fault. Let’s quit blaming our people for not making the best decision and train them instead. Let’s quit wondering why people are unmotivated and lead them by example. Let’s quit trying to figure out why you don’t have much influence and instead listen to your people.
Switching Trbes
Where are the people going to come from to join your tribe? It’s our normal inclination to attract people like us. It’s easy to do and it’s comfortable. But it’s the people on the fringe that will add to your tribe. It’s the marginalized people. It’s people on the outside. We need to interact with people not like us, not the popular ones, not the ones who already have an agenda. Often we have misunderstood who our neighbor is when God commands to love him and love our neighbor. Our neighbor is one who is on the fringe. You reach the marginalized and you will reach the masses. That’s what Jesus did.
Not Now, Not Yet
Do you have an idea that would take your organization to the next level? Do you have a vision that would completely change the way you do things for the better? Then your biggest enemy to making it happen isn’t the opposition or the road blocks you may face, but you telling yourself “not yet.” As John Maxwell says, “there are those leaders who have a great idea and they get ready, they aim, aim, aim aim…” At some point you have to pull the trigger before the target it long gone.
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I am saved by Christ and adopted by God. I am a husband, pastor, social entrepreneur, tech practitioner, and an orphan advocate. 
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“If the leader doesn’t get the message across, then it’s the leader’s fault, not the fault of the listener.”
I’ve given this statement quite a bit of though recently, and I’ve come to the conclusion it’s not accurate. Here’s why…
Lot’s of people don’t follow God, they don’t “get” His message. Is that God’s fault? I don’t think so. If some people don’t get God’s message and he is all-powerful, all-knowing, and he can do cool stuff like show up in a burning bush or talk through a donkey, then some people are not going to get my message.
Sometimes people simply refuse to believe the truth. Sometimes, people know the truth but they choose not to act on it because of fear, laziness, pride, etc.
Hey Paul! I absolutely agree with you! God isn’t limited by us! My point was not to limit God, but recognize the responsibility of the leader. Too often I hear of people blaming circumstances or the group of people they are trying to lead rather than it was their own pride, their own fears, or their own laziness that was the short coming. It’s sometimes tricky to take a secular book and apply it to ministry! I appreciate your comment! I love what you’re doing with OurChurch.com!
>>My point was not to limit God, but recognize the responsibility of the leader.
Hi Jason, I understand. I was just saying that using God as an example demonstrates that it's not _always_ the leader's fault (as Godin claims). Often leaders are too quick to blame their followers, but sometimes leaders are too hard on themselves, imo.
btw, something strange is going on with your comments. post says there are 3 but only yours is being displayed.
My question is why a person would look to a non-Christian like Godin for advice about running the church? The Bible is clear that the duty of the church is to preach the Word. The pastor's job is to train up the believers to do the work of the ministry. If the pastor is doing his study and teaching properly, then it is God's problem whether people respond. Jonathan Edwards was one of the most effective preachers in history not because of his own work, but because God used him. He used to write out his sermons and read them in a monotone on purpose. His reasoning was that he did not want to impact the work of God's spirit in any way. He saw himself as a vessel God would use, not as one who needed to to anything to the message to impact people. Historians tell us that even though he read in a monotone that his sermons were so powerful that people would get up and yell for him to stop preaching because the conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit was so great. One does not have to do anything other than honor God and He will take care of the rest. He doesn't need us to help Him accomplish His ends.
Hey Dave! I appreciate your comment and I absolutely agree with you with what you said! It is up to God whether or not people respond. That is the bottom line. However, God does use all people, Christian or not, to accomplish His ends and that is why there can be something to learn from all people.
In no way am I saying that God needs us. But as leaders, we are to lead by example and not merely in talk. As leaders we must have a heart to learn from anything that will teach us something. As leaders we are the ones to view secular thought through the Biblical lens.
I really appreciate your heart for the sovereignty of God and am encouraged!
hi jason! this is a great site you've built – i'm looking forward to reading updates.
hey Claire! it was great to see you on your blog as well! keep the updates coming!
u need to blog more.
yea i do. i'll get back on track soon…it would be an amusing statement if I said the same thing to you
Hmmm
—Sorry for the brevity and rampant spelling errors… This was obviously \”Sent from my iPhone\”.
Hmmm
—Sorry for the brevity and rampant spelling errors… This was obviously \”Sent from my iPhone\”.