Running technology is a constant activity anymore. Our computers update software automatically (yeah, right). Every now and then we have to turn our devices off and restart them because their brains get out sync. And then there are times we have to reboot everything with an upgraded operating system.

Leadership acts the same way. Sometimes we get into leadership ruts where it seems hard to do anything but the same thing, even when we know what we’re doing is not getting us where our church or ministry needs to be. Other times we’re hit by leadership jolts that throw us around and leave us feeling disoriented—or even downright nauseous. And then there are times we need to install a new operating system into our leadership.
 
The Kairos Discovery Lab is an opportunity for you to deliberately assess the state of your leadership in a supportive, spirit-infuse, highly engaged process. Discovery Lab will take you on a journey into your leadership that could change your life and ministry in just the way you need right now.
 
You’ll be part of a lab with other leader couples like you. People who are committed to their ministry leadership and ready to take it to the next level. The interview team will bath you in prayer and surround with support. You’ll leave knowing you are not alone.
 
I encourage you to put the next Discovery Lab on your calendar: February 18-22 at the COD Ranch in Tucson, AZ.
 
Right now, go to the Kairos website, download the Leader Self-Assessment, and get started on rebooting your leadership.
 
Father, I pray your courageous intentions upon these men and women who have accepted your leadership call in their lives. Fill them with your holy spirit for your glory and your kingdom’s good. Amen.

Have you read The Blessing: Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love (1993, 2011) by John Trent and Gary Smalley? The authors present the idea (or fact) that most people spend much of their lives seeking the blessing of acceptance but never receive it. I would be willing to bet that you feel like that a lot with your ministry. You work hard to do what you should do, to work well with your elders, and to minister graciously to your people but too often feel like in the end, it won’t really matter. You’re still going to get blamed or fired. I’ve sat with quite a few ministers (and their wives) who struggled through those bruising experiences.
 
We want to offer you a Discovery Lab experience of blessing, blessing that has the power to heal wounds, clarify the future and give you confidence for your journey ahead.  At Discovery Lab you’ll receive three intentional, meaningful blessings:

 
First is the blessing of touch. Not everyone is a “hugger,” but we all need time in touching distance with others. At Discovery Lab the blessing of touch comes in the form of PRAYER. One of the comments we hear most often from lab participants is, “I’ve never been PRAYED over so often and so specifically in my life.” We will PRAY over you over and over again at lab. Get it, PRAYER happens a lot! You are important! You are doing one of the most important works that the world can receive. We will PRAY over and with you in groups and individually, in public and in private, up close and at a distance. We want you to soak in the bath of PRAYER to heal your wounds and soothe your bruises. See how many times PRAYER occurs here? That’s like Discovery Lab!
 
Second is the blessing of insight. In our over communicated world more and more people feel under listened to. At Discovery Lab the interview team is made up of people who are setting aside their regular life to come LISTEN to you. Have you ever had anyone give five days of their life just to listen to you? Now imagine TEN people who have come JUST TO LISTEN TO YOU! Not only will they listen to you, they will reflect back to you the insights that come to them from God’s Holy Spirit. These insights are our gift to you to speed you on your way through life. You’ll receive these insights both verbally and in a written report following lab.
 
The third blessing is the blessing of community. You go through lab with a community of other participants and the lab interview team. For those five days you truly see that you are not alone. After lab, you become part of that network of over 125 other couples and individuals who have bonded through the lab experience. It might not quite be a secret handshake, but you share something that opens up your relationship world with people serving the kingdom all over the country.
 
I encourage you to put the next Discovery Lab on your calendar: February 18-22 at the COD Ranch near Tucson, AZ.
 
Right now, go to the Kairos Website, download the Leader Self-Assessment, and get ready to start receiving your blessings.
 
Father, we are all blessing seekers and you are the ultimate blessing giver. Let us open our arms to receive. Amen.

Part 1 of 3
 
How is your church developing its Shepherding Leadership?  Unlike established churches, new churches often have to spend very intentional time training and equipping leaders who are new to the role and calling of being shepherding leaders.  The reality is that these leaders may have no formal biblical training and very little life experience in leading others in Biblical Godliness. 

To intentionally develop these leaders, let's look at three areas over the next three months: Training, Coaching, and Mentoring.

Shepherding is about more than a bunch of meetings. It is a vital part of God’s design for the church. To train our shepherds is to take care of our congregation. But how do you train these leaders?

Training Shepherding Leaders
How much time do we take to train people in our congregations? We put about 90% of our time and energy into training church members, 9.9999% into our ministry leaders, and barely 0.0001% training our shepherding leadership or elders.
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Our membership gets training though small groups, Sunday morning gatherings, and one-on-one contact. Our ministry leaders might go to leader meetings and training programs. But what about those we are expecting to guide and lead us? They have been largely neglected. If we want them to lead our churches, shouldn’t we invest in their development?

Setting the Tone
When we equip shepherding leaders, we should be training them to create and maintain an atmosphere of love. Here are some questions for your elders to consider as they help set the tone for your church:

• Does your relationship with others reflect authentic love that is unconditional and responsive?
• When others attend your Sunday service, do they feel loved and accepted by the leadership or are they just seen as a number?
• When people enter into a small group do they feel the atmosphere of love and connectedness?
• Do your leaders prioritize being involved in the daily lives of their flock? Do they take church members and guests out to lunch? Do they know people’s hobbies? Have they been in their homes?

 
Dependent on Prayer
A shepherding team that prays together, stays together. Their prayer is specific and authentic and permeates every gathering, not just the beginning of a meeting. Their prayers reflect their desire for God to lead the church. Members of a church whose leadership is praying for them should know they are being prayed for. Does your church know if you’re praying or not?
 
In the Word
Are your shepherds spending regular time in God’s word? Free them to read the Bible in order to shape their own hearts first. Let God’s view of your church as his bride define you. Work out your group’s understanding of Jesus. Who do you see he was in the Old and New Testaments? Who is he now as he moves through your church? Who will he be when he comes back?

How are you doing with your StratOp? While some of you may be doing OK, I have a sneaking suspicion that for most of you, keeping your StratOp vital and renewed has not been a high priority. Let’s be honest about our realities as church leaders:

1. Church life has so many interruptions; people are our business—right?
2. Churches don’t have a hard bottom-line like a business has. Your paycheck as a leader is probably pretty secure, no matter what your control panel says.
3. And let’s admit it, most churches do not have a culture of execution. The default setting in most churches is maintenance.

 
This is a list of powerful demotivators. But remember, you invested a lot of time, effort and finances into your church’s StratOp. Wouldn’t it be a shame to lose the gain that StratOp can bring to your church?
 
One of the best practices of churches that successfully engage StratOp is the discipline of reflection and renewal. Reflection looks backward to what you have been working on during the past season. Renewal gets you planning the next season.
 
Right now, go to the Kairos website and download the StratOp Refresh and Renew worksheet. This 30-minute worksheet will get you ready for the new church season that begins Labor Day. (If you don't know what I'm talking about when I say StratOp, learn more here.)
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 Here’s how the worksheet is organized:

1. Identify your season. Churches have 3 major seasons:
   1. Fall (Labor Day to Christmas) is a major growth season as people settle into more consistent routines following summer. Fall is a time to have big day events, start new neighborhood outreach activities, and do some major growth campaigns.
   2. Spring (Christmas to Mother’s Day) is your second growth season. People are looking for new starts at New Year and Easter. The spring season is a great time for felt-need sermon series to attract newcomers.
   3. Summer (Mother’s Day to Labor Day). Ministry doesn’t stop during summer; but you do have to do ministry with a Reggae beat. Summer’s a great time to do memory creating events, strengthen relationships, and just try some crazy things to connect to a new group of people.
2. Reflect on the previous season using the 4 Helpful Lists tool from StratOp to gain perspective.
3. Plan your next season. A great question is “What will we be really glad we started working on today when we look back on it 4 months from now?” Make your next season’s plan, identify your deliverables, and put the important dates on your calendar.

 
Download your 30-minute StratOp Renew and Refresh worksheet under Strategy here.