Nothing really specific to report at this point, but thought I'd touch base anyway...
1. I'm pleased with the way things are going at Northwest. Everyone seems to be on board with the direction we're going. It's pretty fun. We've had a little spike in weekend worship, but we've had several out-of-town guests...but a few visitors from the area, as well. The shift to two worship gathering times has felt good.
2. Dan continues to settle in as Worship Arts Pastor. He's a great guy and adds to the staff dynamic in a fun and healthy way. It's a stretch (and a very good one) for me to turn "control" over to him. It's a stretch not because of his competency but because I tend toward "control freak" end of the spectrum. I don't know that I've ever seen the dynamic between lead pastor and worship pastor that I would like to have...no offense to anyone else, I just haven't seen the synergy that I'm looking for. My nature is to step in and make corrections or calls during the worship time, but I've chosen to give that option to Dan. If I want to change something on the fly, then I need to pass it by him. I'm still the one who makes the call on the big picture, but I need to let the specifics go to him. So if he doesn't have people stand up when I want them to, that's his call, not mine. Instead of having a small stroke trying to get him to tell the people to stand, I just need to get a grip and then debrief with him in private...does that make sense? It may not sound like, but it's a huge adjustment for me (and I suspect for most lead pastors). But making the adjustment will be the difference between getting a new worship pastor ever few years or building a team that will take Northwest far into the future...and the difference between heart trouble in my 40's and living a long time!!
3. Joe and Kristen Zgoda left our home on Sunday afternoon. They are couple/person/group #23 to have passed through our home since we moved. Just recently have Heidi and I realized that it's been so many people. That's why we bought the house we did...so we could have people stay with us. It's been fun. It's also been tiring, especially with F3 on the way. It was a great visit with Joe and Kristen, who are some of the easiest people to have around.
So that's a brief recap...
Peace,
M@
Matt Furr
- Matt and Heidi
- Life's a journey of faith. These writings are my reflections on this journey as I put my faith in Jesus and learn to trust his leadership.
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2 comments:
It is very unprofessional to be blogging about your worship pastor. One feels sorry for your worship pastor when reading your blog. You go to him "in private" about your little hang-ups and post it on the internet. How "private" is it afterall? Get over yourself and conduct business appropriately!
I was actually going to just erase the above comment because anynymous stuff is simply cowardly and so that anyone else doesn't have to deal with reading such blather. However, I changed my mind and decided to take this an as opportunity to enter into a boarder conversation about my thoughts on life, church leadership, and faith...
1. The comments about my interaction with Dan, the worship arts pastor I work with, were about me, not Dan. As I re-read the blog posting, I affirm that control issues have to do with me, not the other person. I posted that I tend toward "control freak" and continue to allow God to put His finger on that area of my life. One of the situations that He's using to do this is my partnership in minsitry with my staff. So, again, it was a comment about me, not Dan...and I was very clear that it was not a statement about Dan's competency, which is extremely high.
2. There is a desire that I have to create a lasting and effective friendship/partnership with my core staff...of which Dan is a part. That means that I approach leadership situations in a fashion as to empower him to lead at peak effectiveness. It is within my "rights" as the Lead Pastor to call the shots during a worship gathering. What I tried to reveal in my blog posting, is that I'm working hard to not do that because it only undermines the relationship. I've seen lead pastors either disengage from relationship with their staff or to bull right over them. It's important to me that I do neither of them. I think I've found the theoretical place where this can happen, it's just a matter of doing it and growing in effectiveness together.
3. The above post referred to me as "unprofessional". For that I am thankful. My goal is not to be a good little professional clergy, but to be an authentic, growing, and passionate follower of Jesus who is using his skills to maximize his impact in the world. I seek to be appropriate (most of the time), but being labeled "professional" is not one of my highest goals.
I think that ministry leaders have long put a high price on being professional, which has the potential (though not always) of diluting one's ability to stir the pot, push on destructive thinking in oneself and others, and pulls a leader towards the trap of respectability. Professionalism is for the Lions Club and Rotary...I'm just not there.
So those are a few of my thoughts in response to the above posting...
M@
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