The Ecclesia Network

a missional church network

J.R. Briggs

by

Leadership in Question

For People’s Lives to Change We Must Change Our Questions

J.R. Briggs

Who do you know who asks great questions?

What do they do to cultivate those good questions?

What is it about the power of a question?

Have you ever wondered why we don’t ask thoughtful and significant questions in our culture more often?

Is it that we don’t know how? Are we too impatient, prideful, uninterested, or unaware? Or are we fearful – afraid of what we might find out about others – or ourselves?

What might it say about a leader who doesn’t ask questions?

What might questions provide in leadership roles that answers simply cannot?

What if the current paradigm of leader-as-expert was replaced with the paradigm of leader-as-lead-questioner?

. . .

The late organizational guru Peter Drucker said, “The leader of the past may have been the person who knew how to tell, but certainly the leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask.” With the heavy use of the internet and the pervasive presence of smartphones and other devices, availability of information is, quite literally, at our fingertips. With our advancing technology – now even with A.I. – we don’t even need our fingers. With a voice command, we are capable of retrieving information faster and more easily than at any time in human history. With the ubiquity of Google, do we really need leaders who need to know all the right answers? And if we are looking for better answers, should we not start by asking better questions?

In its least common denominator, leadership is about trust and connection. It’s ultimately not about charisma, education, or brilliance. It’s not about gravitas or title or prestige. In this cultural moment, with too much information, fraught with cynicism and too little trust and connection, we don’t need smarter or more eloquent or more efficient leaders; instead, we need wiser, deeper, more engaged leaders.

Wisdom is developed and depth is cultivated not by knowing all the answers, but by cultivating humility to learn, insatiable curiosity to observe, patience to listen, compassion to see and hear others, and the courage to wonder. Few things create the foundation of connection and relationship more than humility. Wisdom is gained in the quality and the frequency of the questions we ask of ourselves, of God, and others. Wise leaders ask questions. I’m convinced that what the world so desperately needs right now are leaders who ask the right questions at the right time to the right people for the right reason. The challenge and invitation for us as leaders in our current age is this: can we see the importance and significance of asking honest, compassionate, incisive, courageous questions of God, ourselves, and others?

Questions are a gift we offer to others. When people ask you questions – and truly care to know you and your story, it’s a gift – a valuable gift – isn’t it? Asking great questions gives hope, opens up new possibilities, adds value, cultivates opportunities for deeper connection, and provides meaning to others and ourselves. Like a surgeon uses a scalpel to make an incision on a patient in the operating room to provide healing, leaders can deftly use questions like a scalpel on people’s hearts.  I’ve found that the greatest questions asked are personal – so personal that they draw blood, not to hurt or cause damage, but to bring healing.

. . .

The Greek philosopher Socrates (469 to 399 BC) is considered one of the founders of Western philosophy. His method of question-asking, the Socratic method, placed a high value on inquiry-based dialogue that led to learning. He used questions to draw out conclusions from others that could not have occurred through mere answers. Socrates died at the age of 71 because people,  specifically three men, Anytus, Meletus, and Lycon, viewed him as a threat. He stood trial and was found guilty, ultimately forced to drink poisonous hemlock. Why? Because he asked questions. People believed that Socrates’ questions, not his answers, poisoned the minds of the youth of Athens.

Socrates often used two metaphors to describe the role of questions. The first was a horsefly, intended to sting people to get their attention – and to get them moving. The second was that of a midwife. Socrates’ mode of inquiry-based dialogue, a method that draws ideas and perspectives out of someone, is called the maieutic (may–oo-dek) method. Maieutic comes from the Greek word which means midwife. Socrates’ mother was a midwife. He, too, believed that through his questions, he was a midwife, drawing out new life with others. The best questions are so powerful they either sting or bring new life –  and sometimes both.

. . .

In our Christian faith, Jesus is identified as many things: savior, Lord, redeemer, rescuer, master teacher – even leader. And many in our culture are quick to revere him as the Answer Man. Even our bumper stickers claim Jesus is the answer to all of our questions. But few, if any, see Him as the Man of Questions. As Christians, we study Jesus’ miracles, stories, parables, teachings, healings, and interactions with others. But how many of us have devoted significant time to exploring Jesus’ questions? There is rich learning to be had by exploring the questions Jesus asked, as well as the way He asked them and the impact those questions had on His listeners.

If we are to follow Jesus and lead others to follow Him as well, wouldn’t it be wise to learn to emulate His question-asking posture? Answers, most certainly, continue to play an important role in our world. We need answers. But Jesus – the savior of the world – was full of questions. Consider some of the questions He asked: Which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Why are you so afraid? What do you want me to do for you? Do you want to get well? But what about you? Who do you say that I am? What are you looking for? Do you love me?

There is hardly a page in the Gospels where Jesus wasn’t asking at least one question. The Gospels record that Jesus asked over 300 questions. It also records that He was asked over 180 questions – yet He only directly answered 5. Roughly 1% of the time Jesus answered a question directed toward him. And yet he was quick to ask hundreds of questions of others.

May we be the kinds of humble and wise leaders who ask questions – questions the way Jesus asked them – for when we do our lives will change, as will the lives of those we interact with.

by

What The Shuck?

Important Lessons From a Minor League Baseball Team

In 2015, the Biloxi Shuckers, the AA minor league baseball team of the Milwaukee Brewers, were forced to participate in an unprecedented experience.

A beautiful new baseball stadium was under construction in their Mississippi city, but construction crews weren’t able to complete the project until late spring. As a result, the team was forced to participate in a 54-game road trip to start their season. To add a little perspective, many professional baseball players complain when they are in the midst of a grueling eight or nine-game road trip.

For two months, the Shuckers traveled 2,800 miles through the south, hitting just about every town except Biloxi. They slept in countless hotel rooms, schlepping their luggage from hotel to bus to stadium and back to bus. Teammates gave each other makeshift haircuts in the clubhouse. The bus made nightly pit stops at out-of-the-way gas stations for a bathroom break at 3 a.m. (The life of a minor league baseball player might not be as glamorous as we imagined.)

What does a minor league baseball team with an unprecedented extended road trip have to teach us about the state of the Church in North America?

What does a minor league baseball team with an unprecedented extended road trip have to teach us about the state of the Church in North America? Many church leaders feel that we’re in a new era: we, too, no longer enjoy the benefits of a home-field advantage. In this cultural moment, we are always the away team, no longer privy to the comforts and luxuries enjoyed by previous generations of Christians.

The implication of this reality is that we have a decision to make regarding our posture. We can either deny we’re the away team or complain about our new reality. Or admitting that while things won’t be the same as before, we can be creative and think like Shuckers. In other words, we can engage in the “resident alien” posture that Peter wrote about in one of his letters.  

If we take this posture, it will require us to think like bilingual missionaries in our particular contexts – and to teach our people to do the same. We understand both the reality of the world and the invitation of the kingdom. Culture, of course, is what people do—the rhythms, values, patterns, symbols, taboos, priorities, and characteristics of the way a particular people group operates. Our missionary posture is to celebrate and affirm the good elements and speak into and call out the bad elements— and those bad elements always involve idols, which speak both to our hearts as individuals and to our cultural norms.

While we certainly are in a new era of Church like we’ve never experienced before in North America, we need space to grieve. But we also need to commit to a faith-filled, humble, courageous, and contextually intelligent posture of engagement. In some ways, we need to take on the posture of Daniel and his faithful friends who were living, leading, and serving in a foreign land.

The current reality is not a position or situation we would have chosen or preferred. But even still, there is an invitation to press into the purposes of God through creative mission, if we have the eyes to see it.

by

6 Ways to Frustrate Young Leaders

by J.R. Briggs

I was a few years into planting our church when I shared boldly and with strong conviction about an issue on my heart at an elder meeting. After I finished, I could tell that one elder wasn’t too happy; he asked to stick around after our meeting concluded.

“How old are you?” he asked, clearly with an agenda in mind. 

“I’m 29.” I winced, bracing myself for what he might say next.  

He squinted his eyes, wagged his finger, and said, “I’ve been doing ministry longer than you’re alive. So, listen to me for a minute…” I was taken aback and felt so belittled by the comment that I don’t remember what he said (but I can assure you how he shared lasted more than a minute).

On the drive home that night, I felt embarrassed and frustrated by the experience; I vowed never to ask the condescending question of a younger leader, “How old are you?” – and follow it up with a condescending lecture. 

. . .

I have a driving passion to listen to, encourage, and invest in young and emerging leaders. And I especially want to ensure that no young leader feels as frustrated and lonely as I felt in numerous situations. As I’ve worked in leadership development over the years, I often ask emerging leaders what are the things that frustrate them in their leadership contexts, either in what they are experiencing or where they want to experience something, but aren’t allowed to do so.  

If we want to frustrate young leaders, here are the ways I’ve learned to do it successfully:  

[1] Delegate responsibilities, but refrain from empowering them to lead.  

Many leaders erroneously believe that leadership development is the art of delegating tasks. But delegating is not the same thing as empowering. Delegation is about giving others tasks; empowering others is about giving people authority and permission.

Delegation says, “Get this done exactly the way I want it done.” But empowerment gives others authority and permission that says, “Here is the vision and the mission of what we’re about. You are capable and responsible. I believe in you. Take this and lead in such a way that best advances the vision and moves the mission forward.” This means others will most likely do it differently than you do. But remember: we are not trying to create clones, we are trying to develop and empower leaders.

Years ago I led the college and young adult ministry at a large church in Colorado. I remember sitting in a pastoral staff meeting when the executive pastor said to me, “We want to communicate to the young people in your ministry that they are the future of this church.” I told him that while he meant well, that mindset was a problem. He was confused.

“They are not the future of the church.” I said, “They are the present. And if we want to serve them well, then we need to start thinking this way. They’ll grow and develop more if we do.” When we over-emphasize the tasks needed to get done, we can easily under-emphasize whole-person equipping for formation. The ultimate, long-term goal is not to just get things done; it’s to empower and unleash people into their giftings.

[2] Assume that you know everything that young leaders need to know.

Certainly, there are some skills that need to be developed, perspectives that need to be gained, and character that needs to be formed in others in order for them to be healthy and effective leaders, regardless of their age. But many seasoned leaders take the mistake of assuming too much and trying to read younger leaders’ minds.

Some common faulty assumptions made are: 

  • I am going to teach this young leader everything they need to learn about leadership.
  • Growth and formation are only one direction.
  • Emerging leaders are too young and inexperienced to handle “real” ministry responsibilities.
  • Each generation does leadership development the same way.
  • Growth and development can only happen in official and formal settings.
  • Telling is the same thing as training.

One of the greatest ways experienced leaders can keep from making faulty assumptions (and we know what happens when we assume) is to stop trying to read leaders’ minds and simply ask questions. Two of my favorite questions to keep us from stepping into the assumption trap is to ask: Where do you want to be more involved? And where do you want me to get out of your way? If emerging leaders are willing to give honest answers to these questions, it’s amazing what can be learned and discerned in these conversations.

[3] Offer complete freedom and autonomy without guidance and accountability.

Trust is essential for young leaders to grow and develop, but too much freedom without guidance can be demoralizing and disorienting. Simply sending leaders off to “figure it out on their own” is not a purposeful strategy for development.

I know one leader who described his leadership development process as “I throw them into the deep end of the pool and they’ll eventually figure out how to swim.” I asked him what happens to those who don’t figure out how to swim. “Well,” he said, “they don’t make it.” That doesn’t sound like a thoughtful strategy; that sounds like a good plan to help young leaders fail. Young leaders need freedom and autonomy, but they still need – and often long for – loving and constructive direction, structure, feedback, and guidance.

[4] Micromanage others.

While most emerging leaders I’ve spent time with have expressed that while they want direction, feedback, and structure, they certainly don’t want to be micromanaged either. (In fact, name any leader who actually likes to be micromanaged.) Leaders often micromanage others because of fear, lack of trust, or their own control issues. They often worry that the job won’t get done (at least not the way they want it).

Few things aggravate, demoralize, and crush morale more than when leaders control the environment so much that others can’t do anything without the leader’s permission or approval. Not only are they failing to develop leaders, they are actually diminishing the opportunity for leaders to grow in the future.

[5] Lead only in the style you’re used to leading in.

There are some time-tested truths and principles in leadership development. But there are also generational shifts that experienced leaders need to be aware of – and more importantly, make efforts to adapt to.

The old approach of leadership was to be the sage on the stage; the new approach is to be a guide on the side. The old approach believed we need a strong leader; don’t show us your failures, mistakes, and wounds. But the new approach says we need an authentic leader we can trust; show us your failures, mistakes, and wounds so we can learn from you.

Just as listening to music has shifted from 8-tracks to cassette tapes (all things younger leaders have little to no experience with!) to CDs to streaming services, we need to change the format of how we listen to the music of leadership development in changing times. Leaders must learn to adapt and change to meet emerging leaders where they are. This requires letting go of some control and being willing to be humble to listen to the way emerging leaders think, act, and feel.

[6] Expect perfection.

Few things cause anxiety to rise in the life of an emerging leader more than creating a culture and expectation that failure is unacceptable. Learning from failure is one of the greatest learning tools in the life of a leader, young or old. Failure is a terrible thing to waste. Bridgewater hedge fund manager and investor Ray Dalio articulated this well when he said, “Create a culture where it is acceptable to fail, but unacceptable not to learn from it.”

Certainly, we don’t want to over-protect young leaders from experiencing failure – that’s where the true learning comes when we reflect on failure appropriately – but we also don’t want to create an unsafe environment when they do fail. If failing in a learning environment is not safe, young leaders will be tempted to hide their mistakes, experience shame, and refuse to reflect and process valuable lessons to be learned through these experiences.  As poet Archibald MacLeish wrote, “There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience.”

Much of what we are called to do in developing younger leaders is to live in the midst of the healthy tension: to give freedom, but not too much of it; to delegate tasks, without neglecting whole-person development by empowering and equipping; and not protecting them from failure, but cultivating an environment where they can learn valuable lessons when they fail. We need wisdom, humility, sensitivity, courage, and compassion to effectively engage in leadership development.

Let’s refrain from frustrating young, emerging leaders and instead empower them to lead. As Liz Wiseman said, the essential role of a leader is not to create followers; it’s to be a leader multiplier.

Want a practical way to encourage your Young Leaders? Check out the Emerging Leaders Cohort!

by

Becoming a Distributed Church: Why It’s Worth the Shift

If the government restricted your church from gathering each Sunday, what would your church look like? 

If your church was unable to gather in groups larger than 50, or even 10, what would your church look like? And how would it shape the way you think about your church in how it joins God’s mission? 

Over the past several years I’ve posed these hypothetical questions to numerous groups of church leaders. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, these questions are no longer hypothetical; they are our new reality, whether we like it or not. 

As we’ve already felt – and will continue to feel for quite some time – the myriad effects of the coronavirus, the Church is in unprecedented times. How shall we respond? Despite the difficulties, uncertainties, and setbacks this has brought (and will continue to bring) to our global village, there are many reasons for hope as we think about what localized distributed expressions and extensions of the Church could look like.  

But this will necessitate an un-learning and relearning, which will require large doses of wisdom, courage, and compassion. American futurist Alvin Toffler said,  “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”And so, it is with courage that we must lean into these unprecedented times by being prepared and ready, while also remaining full of hope and expectancy for the Spirit to work. And it is our calling to follow that Spirit. 

Read More

by

The Spiritual Discipline of Remembering

A few months ago I was leading a small group and explained the theme of the book of Deuteronomy. If one could summarize the entire book into just one word it would be: remember. Before entering the Promised Land, Moses wanted to remind the people of Israel of God’s faithfulness and His command that they remind faithful to this Faithful God. God’s lovingkindness was clearly seen all throughout Israel’s story; before a new chapter was about to be written, Moses wanted to make sure the people did not forget God and His call in His people.

This idea of remembering God’s faithfulness in each season has been – and continues to be – crucial for God’s people because we are quite forgetful people. We forget important formative moments in our lives and in the stories of our churches. As I reflect back on the past year in our network, I have certainly learned new lessons; but what has been most significant has come by way of reminders of what I already know (but, on occasion, had somehow forgotten). Three particular reminders stick out to me from the past year.

Reminder #1: Ministry is difficult. We’ve walked with leaders, pastors and elder teams through some difficult situations this year. Sometimes ministry hardships are unfathomable. There are moments I’ve shaken my head and thought, “You can’t make up this stuff!” The Evil One is real and he can be quite strategic at times. There’s not a single pastor I’ve ever met whose pastored for more a few years who hasn’t told me being a pastor is hard. Yes, as if I needed the reminder, ministry is difficult. Excruciatingly difficult.

Reminder #2: If we try to take the ministry journey by ourselves, it can be toxic and harrowing lonely. We know, of course, community is important. We preach series on it in our churches. We write this as one of the core values on our websites. It’s so important we just can’t get away from it. It’s crucial not just to churches, but also for pastors and leaders, too. In October, as I led a few sessions at this year’s Genesis Church Planter Training Week in McCall, Idaho, I reflected upon the friendships that were first forged with other planters a dozen years ago at Ecclesia’s first-ever Genesis week in Richmond, VA. And I have told numerous potential Ecclesia member churches and pastors, “I shiver to think where I would be today without these friendships and relationships in my life.”

Reminder #3: Perseverance and steadfastness is way forward. Although ministry is hard – and it can feel deeply lonely at times – I was reminded it’s also worth the effort. But the effort comes not through flash-in-the-pan gimmicks or instant success changes. It’s about the faithful plodding, week in and week out. Faithfulness is not about quick and easy jumps to the top. It’s a marathon – and what is needed is a gutsy resoluteness to not give up. It is the long-view perspective is keeps me us all in ministry.

These reminders are not brilliant lessons; they are what we already know, but often forget.

Ministry is hard. It’s can’t be taken alone. It’s a marathon that involves perseverance and steadfastness to the cause of Christ. These are nothing fancy, nothing sexy. But it is the call of Jesus on our lives and in our ministries. Which makes me all the more grateful for our network, which values, affirms and reminds me of these important truths often.

by

The Surprising Findings About Bible Engagement and What Pastors Can Do About It

Recently I had a phone meeting with Paul Caminiti who serves on staff with the Institute for Bible Reading (instituteforbiblereading.org). Formerly, he served as the Bible Publisher for Zondervan and the Vice President of Bible Engagement at Biblica (formerly known as the International Bible Society). Paul shared with me the research that he and his team had discussed: the average America (religious or irreligious) household owns four Bibles – and yet, over 700 people give up Bible reading for good every single day.

The research also found three main reasons people give up Bible reading: (1) People read the Bible in fragments. (2) People read the Bible out of context (3) People read the Bible in isolation.

What are pastors to do with the disconnect between Americans’ Bible ownership and the lack of Bible engagement? Well, Paul and his team are encouraging people to read the Bible in three ways (as a foil to the findings in the research): (1) Encourage people to read the complete story of God (2) Challenge people to understand the Bible in context (3) Work to have people read the Bible in community.

In our conversation, Paul shares three “mantras” with others in an effort encourage further Scripture engagement:  

  • Fluency is more important than literacy

  • Read real

  • Implication is more important than application.

On the surface, the research and mantras may sound simplistic, yet I find it to be incredibly helpful as I think about people in our church. But I’m left with questions: Where have I (maybe without knowing it) encouraged people to read their Bibles, but not challenged them to engage with it? Am I preaching only out of my “favorite texts” or heavy on the New Testament passages? Where might I be able to provide more context, background and understanding of what was going on in the time of the Biblical story that might help shed light on understanding and impact on my own life?

More questions come to me: Where could we encourage people to read, discuss and live out Scripture together with others, rather than simply prescribing a “personal daily quiet time” approach to Scriptural engagement? Where and how might I encourage people to be fluent with the Bible (like being fluent in Spanish) rather than simply know facts (like just knowing Spanish vocabulary words)? Where can I encourage people to “read real” by asking the tough, hard, complex and uncomfortable questions about the text rather than just moving on and ignoring the questions themselves? Can I challenge people to search for what implications this story/passage has on our personal and communal lives rather than just giving them a few application points at the end of the teaching?

On a ridiculously practical side of things, we’ve taught people in our church (whether they’re seminary graduates or they’ve never owned a Bible) to ask five questions every time they read a Bible passage.

  • What’s going on in the passage itself?
  • What comforts or encourages me in the passage?  
  • What makes me uncomfortable or confronts me, frustrates me or upsets me in the passage?
  • What does this reveal about the nature of God or the character of Jesus?
  • What will I do with what I just read within the next seven days?

Certainly, there are other questions that could be asked when engaging with Scripture. But try these on for size in your congregation and see if people are engaging the Scriptures more deeply, broadly, frequently and authentically.