David Ralph

Today was such a full day but a great one as I continue to part of the international team gathering at Willow Creek Community Church.  For most of the day we listened to Gordon McDonald who I would consider one of the best pastor to pastors.  All morning Gordon had us think about how the church must continue to change as the culture changes – in fact it must change at the same rate.   He used a quote that really made me think.  It went something like this, “if the rate of change inside any organization changes slower than the rate of change outside the organization, the end is in sight”.  It is not a change for change sakes but changes needed to communicate the non-changing life impacting message of Jesus to the community in which each local church finds itself in.

Gordon then moved us in a completely different direction.  He talked about how to be a leader that lasts for the long haul.  He walked us through the various questions that get asked through the various decades of our lives and I found myself thinking that I have asked all those questions during those different seasons of life.  He then asked us how we want to choose do live our lives giving us for options.  By being reactionaries who are pushed around by circumstances and the people in our lives.  By being conformist who just want to fit in and do what it takes to please the people in our world.  By compulsion meaning that we live to simply prove ourselves to someone who has wounded in the past.  Or we can live intentionally.  He then talked about growing our lives intentionally and what stands in the way of that and what facilitates that. We then moved on to the the whole area of spiritual leadership and what makes someone a true spiritual leader.  He closed the day describing the four character qualities or actions that help us become a true spiritual leader.  To say the least – by the end of the day – I found it humbling, thought provoking, challenging, encouraging and most of all helpful in continuing on the journey to be the best leader I can for the sake of all who call Lakeside there church home.  I am about to turn off my computer and get my journal out and think through some (much) of what I heard today – even though it will take many days (weeks) to process it all.  I am so thankful to be the leader of such a great church community like Lakeside.  They let me be real and open and honest and vulnerable and still let me lead with all my warts and failures.  That I am learning is one of the marks of a true church.  We let each other be real and we don’t judge – we just walk the journey together.  I know Lakeside is that kind of community.  That is all for today.  My journal is waiting.