Time Management Changes - Part 2

It’s been a week or so since I last posted about time management changes I’m implementing in my life. I thought it was time to do a second post.

6. I’ve finally found my way, say goodbye to yesterday. Okay, so I may have been listening to a little too much of Bon Jovi’s “Lost Highway”…but it’s true. What worked for me a few years ago…or even months ago…isn’t working for me any longer. I am realizing that I can’t make every meeting, go to everyone’s house for dinner, “make an appearance” at every Journey Group, lend an ear to every person with a problem…and still be a husband and bring the Word of God on Sunday. I’m also learning that I can’t participate in every outside invitation that comes my way. The reality is that it has lost me a few “friends”, made some people mad, cost me a place at some of the “cool kids’ tables”…and caused one or two folks to walk away from Compass Point. I still work hard to meet with the members of my flock that truly need to meet with me…but they are having to learn to be a little patient and work around my schedule some. That may sound a little arrogant…but I remind them that they are only asking for one meeting…however there are fourteen others also asking for a meeting. Which of the fifteen “get-togethers” can be scheduled today…which can be worked in tomorrow…which can be delegated to someone else on staff…which don’t need to happen at all?

7. Using technology to help achieve GTD. As a person with ADD…the only time management process that has worked for me is GTD…or “Getting Things Done“. When I was a PC man…before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior…I had Outlook set up to accommodate the GTD model. When I switched to a Macbook…it wasn’t as easy. There are a BUNCH of Mac-based programs out there that are built around GTD…but in the end they were nothing more than glorified task lists. Then I found a program called Inbox for Mac. It is a wonderful little program that actually collects files from you Mac…let’s you set them up as action items…and then takes you through the entire GTD process. It syncs with iCal…chimes at you every 30 minutes to keep you focused…and has a pop-up screen to ask you if you are still on task when you stop working (a really cool ADD feature). Inbox isn’t for everyone…but it works in the “Wonderful World of Elrod”. I’ll go into a little more detail in the days to come on how I have mine set up with iCal and my Blackberry.

8. Spending more time with fewer and fewer people. I used to hear leaders of large churches say they have an inner circle and an outer circle. I never understood that…until recently. When you first start a church you spend a BUNCH of time trying to get people to engage in conversation and action with it. When a church starts to grow…everyone…and I do mean everyone…has an opinion…or their own vision of how things need to go. Every meeting becomes a complex discussion on the “Big Picture” direction and goals of the church. Not every meeting needs that…not every person on staff needs a voice in the vision…not every leader needs face-time with the senior pastor every time they think they need it. Over the last few months I’ve been limiting my exposure in meetings…who I actually meet with…who I take after-hour calls from…and who I listen to. It doesn’t mean that Compass Point doesn’t have some great leaders…it just means that not all of them are responsible for the “Big Picture” of Compass Point. I have two guys that have kind of worked their way into my “inner circle”. One is our Executive Pastor…Kyle Bridges…and the other is an Elder. They both have a clear picture about what is best for Compass Point as a whole and have unlimited say when it comes to my actions…and directions…as a leader. Their ideas and opinions are never driven by what they…or their family needs…but by a sense that God is calling them to help lead the entire flock of Compass Point…not just one specific demographic. I have some other wonderful staff guys and volunteer leaders…but they have been entrusted with specific areas…I value their opinion when it comes to those areas…and those areas alone.

9. Delegating, delegating and more delegating. This has been a hard one for me…because I’m a recovering control freak. In the early days of Compass Point…I was doing most of the work…so much of it was the way I wanted it. Now I have to delegate things off…point out the direction that we need to go…and trust the leaders and volunteers around me to get it done. The trusting part is tough for me…because I know no one is as driven about Compass Point as I am. However, they are driven by God for His kingdom…and I am having to learn to trust that. Kyle is having to beat me over the head almost on a weekly basis with the notion that I have to let go…and let the leaders of Compass Point lead. If they don’t lead…we pull them…and put someone else in who will lead. However, I can’t do it all…be involved with it all…have a hand in it all…or spout off my two cents about it all. Therefore…I am reluctantly delegating things off to others…like I said…I’m still recovering.

10. Letting balls drop. This is a hard one for me. However, when you delegate…you can’t run back in and rescue things if they go wrong. I have to let people fumble the ball sometimes…to let the ball drop. That is tough for me…and there are still events or things that affect the church as a whole that I will not let the ball drop. However, in smaller situations…ones that only affect a certain area or ministry…I’ve learned to let leaders occasionally drop the ball. The best leaders realize the mistake…pick the ball up…cradle it like they should…and don’t fumble the ball the same way again. The leaders that don’t pick up the ball…make the same mistake over and over…blame the fumbled ball on others…make excuses for mediocrity…don’t stay leaders at Compass Point very long!!!

Time Management Changes - Part 1

Over the last year God has been dealing with me in a big way about my need to be a better leader.  At 42-years-old I’ve probably read most of the leadership books out there…not to mention having attended a BUNCH of leadership conferences.  The problem with being 42-years-old is that you start letting a lot of leadership stuff slip and start relying on practices that have gotten you this far in life.  The issue with that…some of those practices are not healthy…they are just easy and convenient…but not productive.
One of the areas that God has really been slamming me with is time management.  The keys to time management is discipline and consistency…which normally do not go hand-in-hand with Attention Deficit Disorder.  I often tell people I do not suffer from ADD…I rather enjoy it.  All joking aside,  ADD has many plus sides for leaders…but one of the down sides is the ability to stay on task in meetings, normal work sessions and conversations.  This can lead to some pretty bad time management habits that can take its toll on me…and those around me.

It’s no secret that my time at Evolve and Unleash really kicked me in the butt…and forced me to re-examine what I am doing as a leader.  At my age…I never expected that to happen…but am glad it did.  I believe that my life, my marriage, my church…and especially my relationship with God are better for it.  During the recent butt-kicking I have had to make…and am still making…some changes to my time management practices.  I’d like to post about some of those over the next few days in hopes that God might allow it to speak to others,

1. Scheduling time off.  A church leader’s job is never done…there is always more work…endless work…as the calling of ministry never has a natural conclusion while you are alive.  I’m learning that some days you just have to realize the work is not finished…but still turn it off anyway…clock out and go home.  Taking a page from Maxwell…I’ve started scheduling “meetings” with God, my wife and my family…not to mention some “meetings” just for fun and relaxation.  They get added to my schedule first these days…and very rarely do they get canceled.  When someone asks to meet with me on a time when my personal “meetings” conflict…I just tell them I already have a meeting scheduled then.  It is not their business what meeting I have scheduled…so I don’t tell them if they ask me who I’m meeting with.  God, Denise and my personal stability is just as important as the other person’s issue…and their priorities are not my priorities when it comes to scheduling meetings.  Yes it pisses some people off…but better them be mad at me than God or Denise.

2. I‘m cutting way back on the Internet.  I believe that the ‘Net is quickly becoming today’s crack.  Blogs, podcasts, Twitter, MySpace, Google, YouTube, etc., etc, etc.  It never ends and there is always something pulling at you. I’ve dropped my blog feeds that I’m tracking down to twenty…ten I read daily…and ten I read once a week.  They are guys or sites that God is really using to speak to me right now.  They change on occasion…most are not the well-known guys…many aren’t even friends of mine that blog.  I almost never go to YouTube any longer and I dropped my Facebook account.  I only keep MySpace because of my involvement with local youth programs…but am seriously considering dropping that.  Twitter is something I do for fun…and block “followers” that nudge me when I only post to it once a day.  Twitter is the new “cool kids table” and has a shelf-life of about two years…I’ll be one of the first to switch tables…in fact that day is fairly close.

3. My blog is not my life.  I have met many really cool friends and mentors through my blog.  It has allowed me access to areas and people that I would have never have had otherwise.  I think God has called me to share things about my life as a church planter and pastor because I have no filters…and God seems to use that to speak into the lives of other church leaders (I have no clue why…but I am humbled and grateful for it).  However, my blog is not my life…just a small part of it.  I do not derive my self-esteem from it…I do not keep up with the stats…I could care less who it ticks off…and I do not see it as an open form of communication.  I am grateful for the readers…and the people that say they get things from reading it…but there will come a day when ChrisElrod.com is no more.  There have been weeks when it has become the “tail that wags the dog”…and like everything in my life that is not about God, family and calling…it is subject for the chopping block when it comes to time management.  As a result, I am cutting back some on the lengthy posts (though apparently not this post) and the number of times I post each week.  Only in rare cases will I post Friday through Sunday.

4. Games are mainly for children.  I love a good video game.  There are days when leading a NCAA football team to Xbox victory…or slaughtering a butt-load of enemy soldiers on the virtual battlefield…is a stress-reducing activity.  However, too much of it can produce way more stress.  I have cut back to almost never playing video games…they are like meth for me…I start out just playing one game…then three days later I’m still staring at the same screen…eyes bloodshot…clothes soiled and smelly…teeth rotting out…no bath…no food…just endless button and joy stick action.  It’s not healthy…it’s not productive…and pastoring isn’t so stressful that it warrants that.

5.  I said goodbye to soggy shoulders.  Church planting and pastoring has some pretty tough days.  Get over it…stop your whining…snotting…sniveling.  Too much time was being wasted each week by crying on someone else’s shoulder…or someone crying on my shoulder…about how tough leading a church was.  I came to realize that a BUNCH of time was being wasted on griping, complaining, whining, being ungrateful and just plain being a wussy.  I also came to realize that I pee standing up…that God gave me a pair and I better use them.  I still have “those days” where I’ll want to get advice from others about how to handle a difficult situation…but I don’t go whining to them.  I also have cut folks out of my life that only want to cry on my shoulder about how bad they have it.  Seriously…get past it.  We are church planters and pastoring…the coolest calling in ministry…the best job in the world you can do with your clothes on.  The time I wasted whining to some else…or have them whining to me…could have been better spent just dealing head-on with the issue.

The Look Of Leadership In The Face Of Defeat

Last night’s Super Bowl didn’t end like they normally do. The clock was down to one second and both teams thought the game was over. The coach’s handshakes had been given, the teams were talking to each, the Gatorade had been dumped, the press was on the field, etc. Then it happened…the referees started getting everyone back to their benches because there was still one more play to run. The Giants offense and Patriots defense took their place on the field. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was on his sidelines. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was….in the locker room. His team was on the field…and in the face of defeat he was hiding in the locker room like a childish little coward (sorry Bob, but it was true). No one is sure if it was anger, upset, disappointment or just the fact that he may have been a sore loser…but when his team needed him most…their leader(?)…Bill Belichick…was no where to be found (some speculate that he was in hiding secretly videotaping Coughlin’s final offensive call in preparation for next season’s match up).

As a pastor we have to lead everyday. It is easy to lead when everything is going well. When the attendance is growing, giving is increasing, your church’s star is on the rise in the community, baptisms are happening every week and God is blessing every day…leadership is a easy. However, when the whole world comes crashing down around you…that is when the true mark of leadership is found.

It’s easy to cast vision, recruit volunteers and develop leaders when you are winning…but it takes a true leader to stare into the face of defeat and still mount the charge anyway. People are sick of church leaders losers that bail at the first sign of trouble. They are looking for someone to follow when the chips are down…when the battle is tough…when defeat is a sure thing…yet the leader is still at the helm pushing forward. It is in those moments that people are inspired. motivated and transformed. It is also when God gets the greatest glory!!!

History has shown us that the greatest leaders motivated people to their greatest successes when it looked like all was lost. Whether is was General Douglas MacArthur’s “I shall return” when he was leaving the Philippines right before the Japanese invaded. Or naval commander John Paul Jones’ shouting “I have not yet begun to fight” when asked if he was ready to give up his ship. Or General Anthony McAuliffe’s reply of “nuts” to the Nazi’s invitation to surrender at Bastogne (my personal favorite). All of these men looked into the face of defeat…accepted their roles as leaders…and led their troops to victory. That is the mark of a great leader!!!

It’s Monday morning and the blogs are alive with posts from pastors talking about how great their services were yesterday. However…for some…it was a difficult day…a real battle. Defeat looks eminent…hardship is at hand…struggle is the only constant. It is in those moments that leaders are born. Don’t pull a “Belichick”…don’t run for the locker room. Stay in the game…lead…inspire…motivate…gain ground…do the unexpected…for victory could be just….one second away!!!

Gotta Be A “Ten Pirates Ships Coming” Kind Of Leader

There is an old joke that goes like this…

A young captain in the British Navy was taking his first ship and crew out to sea. An older more experienced captain gave him a piece of advice. “Never let the crew see that you are afraid,” said the old salty captain, “for if you do they will become afraid also and then things will not go well.”

A few days out to sea the lookout in the crow’s nest hollered, “Ahoy, two pirates ships coming this way!!!” The crew looked to the captain to see his reaction. Remembering what the older captain told him, he shouted to his cabin boy, “Bring me my red shirt!!!”. The captian put on the red shirt, grabbed his sword and began to fight the pirates - who had now come along side the ship. The crew seeing the captain’s bravery and lack of fear did likewise and within moments they had defeated the pirates.

The next day the lookout in the crow’s nest hollered, “Ahoy five pirate ships coming this way!!!’ Again the crew looked to the captain to see his reaction. Just as he had done the day before he shouted to his cabin boy, “Bring me my red shirt!!!” The captian put on the red shirt, grabbed his sword and began to fight the pirates who had now come along side the ship. The crew seeing the captain’s bravery and lack of fear did likewise and within moments they had defeated the pirates.

After the battle the first mate came to the captain and asked, “Captain why do you always call for your red shirt to wear just before a battle with pirates?” The young captain explained that he didn’t want his crew to be afraid if by any chance he was struck by a pirate’s sword during battle. “A red shirt covers the fact I may be bleeding so the crew won’t know, become afraid and stop fighting,” the cpatain told the first mate. “You have to continue leading without fear in any situation or those looking to you for leadership won’t follow,” exclaimed the captain.

The next day the lookout in the crow’s nest hollered, “Ahoy ten pirate ships coming this way!!!’ Again the crew looked to the captain to see his reaction. The young captain seeing the ten pirate ships bearing down on his ship shouted to his cabin boy, “Bring me my brown pants!!!”

As pastors and shepherds of our flocks we have to be a “ten pirate ships coming” kind of leader. The folks of Compass Point have seen me tired, they have seen me without passion, they have watched me “play hurt”. they have seen me confused, they have watched me drop the ball, they have heard me apologize…but they have never seen me afraid. My wife has. My accountability partners have. Other pastors that know me have. But the people I am called on by God to lead never have.

1 Timothy 1:7 tells us that we shouldn’t live a life of fear…but live a life of power. Fear in leaders breeds fear in the followers…and fear ultimately breeds defeat. There is a part in the movie “Men In Black” where Agent K is talking to Agent J about the fact that there is always some alien species about to destroy Earth. The only thing that keeps people from running around in mass panic and fear is because they just don’t know.

At Compass Point I am honest about many things. The one thing I am never honest or authentic about is…what scares me. When the flock looks to me they need to see a display of calm…or assurance…that this “scary thing” will pass…and that the direction and vision is correct. In essence when folks at church look to their pastor…they should see a rock of confidence…not a goo pile of fearful Jello!!!

Until God leads me otherwise…I will continue putting on my red shirt and brown pants everyday…and be a “Ten Pirate Ships Coming” kind of leader.

The Mythical Jesus

In today’s world there seems to be two kinds of Jesus Christs making the rounds. One is the Mythical Jesus…and one is the Biblical Jesus.

The Mythical Jesus came not to be a Savior…but some kind of ancient Mother Teresa…with a little Al Sharpton thrown in for good measure. He didn’t like the rich…or the Republicans…or war…or church…or corporate worship…or pretty people…or absolute Truth. He only came to hang out with prostitutes, homeless people, sick people, rebels and liberal people…and shunned everyone else. He staged protests against the Roman Empire, loved to pray in labyrinths and only read Scripture in the confines of a communal home environment with zero accountability. He questioned all that His Father stood for and only asked questions without ever giving answers…in order not to offend anyone. He was a pacifist that never got angry and practiced tolerance…except with those that disagreed with Him. He used a lot of big words to describe what He did…words that nobody else understood…but made Him look cool. He also spent a lot of time drinking beer and talking about all the stuff He was going to do different.

The Biblical Jesus…was none of the above!

Copyright Issues

Last spring the an Associated Press writer used a quote from my blog in an national story.  The first I knew about it was when I got a call from a radio station in Detroit for an interview due to the article making their local newspaper.  I wasn’t ticked about the quote being used without my knowledge…in fact I was honored.  However, it got me thinking about copyright laws and how they pertain to blog posts.  In the past I haven’t really sweated people taking a quote from this blog…posting it on theirs and then linking back to my original post.   However, in the last few months I’ve seen folks reprinting complete posts of mine…or series of posts…without a link back to this blog…or even crediting me with the original thought.  The watchdog groups have been especially bad about this.  So I got to checking with one of my lawyers from back in my comedy days…a guy that specializes in intellectual property (not that any “property” that I write is all that intellectual).  It seems that blog posts are considered intellectual property and are subject to basic copyright laws. On my new WordPress site I have a copyright info section in one of the tabbed pages and at the bottom of the sidebar.  It basically says:

Blog posts on ChrisElrod.com may not be reprinted, reproduced or redistributed in their entirety without written permission from Chris Elrod or Compass Point Church. Minimal use of specific quotes, sentences, phrases, media or written thoughts on ChrisElrod.com may used elsewhere online or in mass media with a link back to this blog or by specifically mentioning ChrisElrod.com in the reproduction, reprint or redistribution.

 I guess what I’m saying is that it’s cool to repost a quote or thought from my blog onto another blog or media resource…but please don’t recopy the entire thing.  I will occasionally let Next Wave or Relevant Christian do that…but they always ask for permission.  Also, if you quote something from me on your blog…or in an article…be sure to give some “link love” to ChrisElrod.com!!!

No More Squeezin’ The Charmin

Dick Wilson…the actor that played Mr. Whipple in the Charmin Toilet Tissue commercials…passed away today. His “please don’t squeeze the Charmin” line was voted as one of the most memorable commercial quotes of all time. I have no clue why I’m blogging this…maybe Mr. Whipple is just a little mental link to my childhood. Ah…my mid-life crisis kicking in again.

I Lost My Life For Jimmy Page

The entire Led Zeppelin catalog became available last night on iTunes. I have been a downloading freak for 24-hours and my wife is going to kill me!!!

Great Day Yesterday!!!

God truly moved and blessed at Compass Point yesterday. The place was packed, people loved on Wesley, the offering rocked for the second week in a row…and we had TWO PEOPLE ACCEPTED JESUS as their Lord and Savior!!! We’ve been doing a message series called MEAT…talking about what a mature follower of Christ looks like…and our folks have been really stepping up to the plate…investing in disconnected people’s llves in a BIG way! For the Compass Point people that read my blog…YOU ROCK…and God is using you in MIGHTY ways. Words cannot begin to express how much I love you!!!

The Saturn Project

My friend Travis Johnson - who is known as a pretty flaming “girly man” - turned me on to some great music from a Chicago band called The Saturn Project. Their music is kind of dark and moody…but something I’m really enjoying. Now that Travis’ music tastes are getting more “manly” maybe he can try working on his choices for computer bags!!!