Do We Really Need So Many Churches?

I've heard this question many times, and to be honest, I've even asked it a time or two. Do we really need so many churches, especially in areas that seem saturated with them?

It's a valid question. After all, do we also really need McDonald's restaurants every half-dozen blocks? Is it really necessary that a Walgreens sits, seemingly, on every other street corner? How many Wal-Marts, gas stations, Starbucks are enough?

Those businesses each use strategic research to determine the need of the market they want to enter before setting up shop. The smart business owner will only open if there is a profit to be made.

But, a church is nothing like a business. In fact, most churches don't have the resources to research the area they serve. So, when you have a dozen churches crammed into a small area, is that too many?

There are analysts who can probably break this down into much greater detail. And, sure, if all the churches in the area are doing the same things (singing the same songs, preaching the same messages, doing the same thing in the community) problems will arise in areas these churches are not impacting.

However, if these churches are doing different things, even slightly, together they will be impacting many different areas of their community. Taking this a step farther, no single church can cover all the needs of the people in their community, but multiple churches tackling different needs can cover a greater area.

Translation: Many churches are necessary in communities in order to effectively minister and share the Gospel to the entire community they serve.

Monday Ten

1. Father's Day weekend was a blast.

2. On Saturday, my family "daddy-napped" me, and took me to Branson Landing for lunch at Famous Dave's. Can't beat good BBQ.

3. We also had some ice cream next door at The Fudgery. Met a woman behind the counter who was very generous.

4. We wandered around Branson Landing for a couple of hours enjoying a beautiful Ozarks afternoon.

5. Father's Day kept the good stuff coming. My kids each made me homemade cards. Oddly, they all had a Star Wars theme to them...or in part of them.

6. My wife and kids then followed that up by giving me a t-shirt with the kids' hand prints on it.

7. And, they topped it off with homemade Oreo-pudding pie.

8. Today, I start my new diet and weight loss plan: Couch to 5K.

9. Last week was also great for golf. Monday at Highland Springs. Friday at Horton Smith. All as a work representative. Translation: FREE GOLF!!!

10. I brought my golf game to church on Sunday. As head parking lot greeter, our pastor joins me before the first service to wave at people coming onto the lot. I brought a driver and some junk golf balls to whack around. Lots of fun!

Respecting the Leader or the Position: Part 2

Respect is always a two-way street. Yesterday, I wrote about this from the leader's perspective. Today, I write from the follower's view.

Respect works in both ways. A follower respects a leader, and a leader respects the follower. In both cases, respect is earned through a lengthy relationship building process, and can be destroyed in a single moment.

For the employee, student, volunteer, etc., gaining the respect of those that lead is valuable, because it gives you leverage when interacting with your boss, teacher, pastor, team leader, etc. When you become trustworthy and dependable, you will gain access to your leader that few others will have opportunity to get.

But, respect, once gained, cannot be taken for granted or abused. Respect will fade away if the follower becomes consistently lazy in their efforts.

Here are some tips for those who follow:

• Do your best to respect the leader, and not just the position. Respect is mutually given and received.
• Don't let past bad experiences with other leaders cloud your ability to work for leaders around you today.
• If you do work for a jerk, you have two options: live though it or get out.
• Leaders highly respect followers who perform well, are dependable, and care for the organization's well being.

Do you have any other tips? Let me know.

Respecting the Leader or the Position: Part 1

Every one of us, from time to time, have had to deal with the issue of respect, whether as a leader or a follower. For the next couple of days, I'm going to tackle this idea, first from the leader's perspective, and tomorrow from the the follower's perspective.

All leaders know there is value in having the respect of the followers, whether it be a teaching, volunteer, political or employment setting. Gaining the respect of those we lead is a valuable asset, because respect makes leading easier and requires less convincing to get "buy in" from the followers.

Respect is similar to trust in that it has to be earned, and can be lost in an instant. One major misstep will distroy the respect and trust that followers have for their leader. As such, it must be protected and nourished.

One good way to view respect (and trust) is as if it is a bunch of coins in your pocket. As you earn the respect of those you lead, they are giving you coins. When you lose respect, you are giving back those coins. The catch in this is that it is much easier to lose those coins than it is to gain them. It takes much longer to gain respect than it does to lose respect.

With that in mind, here are a few tips for leaders to gain the respect (and keep it) of their followers:

• Constantly work to increase the respect your followers have for you. This isn't about manipulation. Instead, it's about becoming trustworthy and honorable. No one respects a scoundril, but they do look up to someone who is honorable.
• Work on becoming humble. Arrogance is the enemy of respect.
• Be quick to listen and slow to speak. That will prevent you from sticking your foot in your mouth, and by default, losing respect. This becomes especially important during stressful moments when we are most vulnerable to anger.
• Don't be a jerk! A jerk demands that people respect them, because of who they are, not what they do. In the end, followers will respect the position the leader holds (if the leader is lucky), but not the person. In volunteer situations, chances are higher that the follower will ditch the leader and find something else to give their energy to.
• For what it's worth, the person in a leadership role who demands that people respect him isn't really a leader.
• The best way to secure respect is two-fold: 1) Let followers know that their input is valued and respected. 2) The leader should be quick to admit a mistake and ask forgiveness if he wrongs someone he leads.

Those are just a few ideas for leaders. Do you have any more? Let me know.