Wayne Hedlund

Author: Wayne Hedlund

  • Walmart Community Church

    walmart-churchThe local church could stand to learn something from the late Sam Walton. It’s almost too simple to remember. Actually, it probably is too simple to remember, or Sam wouldn’t have felt the need to remind his employees regularly. 

    If Sam were pastoring today, I can envisioning him giving this speech all over again to his members.

    “Now, I want you to raise your right hand – and remember what we say at Wal-Mart, that a promise we make is a promise we keep – and I want you to repeat after me: From this day forward, I solemnly promise and declare that every time a customer comes within ten feet of me, I will smile, look him in the eye, and greet him. So help me Sam.”
    Sam Walton – to over 100,000 Walmart associates via TV Satellite link-up. Mid 1980’s.

    I’ve heard of churches who have instituted this very idea. They call it ‘The 10 foot rule”. I think it’s a great idea. Tell all your members, and remind them every Sunday at the end of the service in some unobtrusive way (like, “and hey, don’t forget the 10 foot rule!”) that they should, at the very least, smile at everyone they pass or see at the church, in the sanctuary, parking lot, etc.

    Seem a little childish? Not. Many people don’t really know how to smile. In fact, check out my confession in my post, ‘Teach Yourself to Smile‘.


    Quote from page 115 of Built to Last by Jim Collins

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Nancy Ortberg on Valuing Everyone Around You

    Last year I had the distinct privilege of interviewing author, teacher and leader, Nancy Ortberg on several topics. I’ve already posted my interview entitled, “Nancy Ortberg & Finding Great Leaders in the Church.” In this interview, Nancy talks with me about valuing the people around you, especially those who might often go unnoticed. Enjoy.

    To learn more about Nancy’s book or order it through my
    Amazon Affiliates Bookstore, click this link.

  • The Drive for Progress

    drive-for-changeAre you a visionary person? Is your church a visionary church?

    According to author, Jim Collins in his widely acclaimed book, ‘Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies‘, if you don’t have a drive to constantly improve, you are probably not a visionary leader. 

    Harsh, but very possibly true. In this day and age, if we aren’t willing and able to self evaluate on a regular basis, we’ll be left behind. Here’s what Jim says on page 84:

    In a visionary company, the drive to go further, to do better, to create new possibilities needs no external justification. Through the drive for progress, a highly visionary company displays a powerful mix of self-confidence combined with self-criticism. Self-confidence allows a visionary company to set audacious goals and make bold and daring moves, sometimes flying in the face of industry conventional wisdom or strategic prudence; it simply never occurs to a highly visionary company that it can’d beat the odds, achieve great things, and becomes something truly extraordinary. Self-criticism, on the other hand, pushes for self-induced change and improvements before the outside world imposes the need for change and improvement; a visionary company thereby becomes its own harshest critic. As such, the drive for progress pushes from within for continual change and forward movement in everything that is not part of the core ideology.

    When is the last time you gave a good solid look at your Sunday morning experience, the worship, perhaps even your Sunday message? (Check out my services page if you’d like some help on that!) I dare/challenge you, this week, to write down just ONE area that you know needs to be evaluated, discussed and challenged to improve in your church. Please, please, pick something critical and important. The top four recommendations I would pick for you would be (1)worship, (2)message, (3)preschool ministry, (4)guest experience.

    photo credit: marsmet546 via photopin cc

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • What to Read

     Following are some more great links and articles I’ve found browsing my blog roll. I hope you find one or two helpful and encouraging. To see a list of all posts in the ‘What to Read’ category, click this link.

    what-to-read-613Bill Hybels – Who Can Leaders Learn From by wcavideo
    In this six minute excerpt from the Willowcreek Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels challenges us to expand our influence base to those we might question or outright disagree with.

    6 Essential Components of a Small Group Launch by Mark Howell
    There are six essential components of a successful small group launch.  This is a transferable concept whether you’re using a church-wide campaign, a small group connection or the semester approach.  Every launching strategy depends on these same components. Read More.

    5 Bits of Fatherly Advice for Youth Pastors by Tony Morgan
    I have four kids — three of them have been engaged in student ministry. I’ve worked at three great churches — all of them have incredible student ministries because of their focus on reaching young families. I’ve worked with many churches across the country — some with solid student ministries, and some that weren’t so solid. What does all that experience mean? It means I’m now one of the old guys. And, since I’m officially one of the old guys, I think I’m qualified to give a little fatherly advice to youth pastors. Read More.

    Copyright and the Local Church by Wayne Hedlund
    Sadly, many churches and ministries are guilty of plagiarism and/or copyright infringement. What’s worse is that many of them either know it or suspect it, but don’t do anything about it. This doesn’t just apply to things on the internet. It applies to everything from worship songs, lyrics, movie clips, YouTube video’s, images, and more. Read More.

    My VIP Experience at Elevation Church :: First Impressions Matter by Tim Schraeder
    First impressions matter. Oftentimes in the programming and planning of church services we can quickly neglect an important aspect of our worship gatherings: how we welcome first-time visitors. As I travel around and visit churches, one thing I love to do is play the part of a ‘secret shopper’ and experience how a first-time guest is welcomed at a church. I thought I had seen and heard all of the tricks and styles of welcoming visitors to churches, but my recent visit to Elevation Church in Charlotte changed my perception. They literally treat their first-time visitors like VIPs. Read More.

    Clean Bathrooms by Seth Godin
    The facilities at DisneyWorld are clean. It’s not a profit center, of course. They don’t make them clean because they’re going to charge you to use them. They make them clean because if they didn’t, you’d have a reason not to come.  Read More.

    If Systems Are So Great, Why Don’t They Work For Me? by Kenneth Vogt
    Everyone is looking for the shortest path from where they are to where they want to be.  A proven method for success is to model those who have already achieved the very thing you would like to achieve.  After all, they know the way, they know the pitfalls, and they know the sweet, sweet taste of success.  Read More.

    Moving Past Church Hurts means Having A Different Conversation by Lisa Whittle
    If I had a dollar for every person who told me they were hurt by the church, I’d be writing this post on a much newer MAC.  This we know: imperfect people reside in corporate worship spaces. And since they do, imperfect things go down inside them.  Read More.

    6 Times When It’s A Good Idea to Change Your Church’s Mission Statement by Will Mancini
    Classic wisdom taught us that our mission or purpose statements are timeless. In many ways that’s true and its a helpful teaching concept. And in an ideal world, it works. But in reality, there are times when a leader should change or renew or recreate the sense of mission. So don’t let the classic wisdom freeze you and prevent a significant opportunity to create fresh meaning and new progress for God’s people under your care today. When should you rewrite your mission?  Read More.

    Trust and Competence: Leaders Must have Both to Succeed by Maurilio Amorim 
    Some people you trust with your life. Some people you know will get the job done. These are two essential qualities that every leader looks for in building their organization. But unless you find both trust and competence in those whom you lead, you don’t have a dynamic team who can grow your business, church, or not-for-profit. As a matter of fact, without trust and competence, the only thing you have is a mess in your hands.  Read More.

    photo credit: goXunuReviews via photopin cc

  • Don’t Expect What You Don’t Inspect

    expect-inspectIf you truly want to be a leader, delegate. However, if you’re going to delegate, perhaps the worst thing you can do is make assumptions, especially if the person you are delegating to is someone you haven’t worked with regularly over time.

    Often, we assume that since a person has great character, is competent and passionate about your project that you can simply hand them the reins and expect to see amazing results. Many times, that just isn’t the case.

    There are many reasons why someone may not produce the results you expect. Here are just a few:

    • You haven’t clearly communicated your expectations.
      example: You ask a secretary to let the elders know the meeting will start 1/2 hour early tomorrow night. She waits until the next morning and finally shoots them all an email mid-morning. Because some elders never saw the email, they ended up being late. You didn’t clarify that you need her to call them or their spouses today to ensure they all know about the change for tomorrow.
    • You haven’t clearly communicated your values.
      example: You ask a couple to host a luncheon for new members this Sunday. You clearly communicated your expectations, but assumed they understood your values. The luncheon went fine, but the quality of the food and the excellence of the event was way below your standards. You didn’t clarify that details and excellence were important to you.
    • You haven’t clearly communicated why it’s important.
      example: You ask a volunteer to update a section of the website that’s designed to communicate a special event online. The volunteer finishes the website, but you notice the content has an ‘insider’ orientation with a lot of churchy lingo. You had just put an ad in the paper about the event hoping to drive a lot of unchurched people to that page of the website. You didn’t communicate what this task was for and why it was important. Had you done so, the volunteer may have been more sensitive to how it was worded.
    • You haven’t given them the resources they need (time, money, people, etc.) to properly accomplish the task.
      example: You ask a young adult to be in charge of a children’s fun night at the church. When you drop off your own children at the event you discover that there are no decorations at the event, only two volunteers, and not very many kids. As you began to probe your leader, you discover that she only had a week and a half to pull the event together, she didn’t know many of the people in the church so didn’t know who to ask to volunteer and she had no understanding that money was available to purchase decorations. More importantly, she didn’t understand that she could have connected with the church secretary to help promote the event. She was greatly under-resourced right from the beginning, but didn’t necessarily have to be.
    • You assume everyone you delegate to will know what and how to communicate to you when there are problems.
      example: You ask an elder to run the morning service a week the pastor will be away. Last minute, the worship leader turns up sick and unable to lead worship. He tries to recruit someone else to fill-in who you would have known should not have been asked to do so. You’re assumption was that the elder would notify you if there was a problem. The fact is, more often than not, people tend to try to figure things out themselves rather than connect with their direct report, especially if they feel an obligation to truly lead the event to relieve you from the responsibility of it.

    I could go on.

    Please note the pronoun at the beginning of each of the above points (you). The fact is, when things don’t go as planned, most of the time there is nobody to blame but yourself. Years ago one of my mentors shared the following axiom with me that I have always remembered. I often find myself quoting it to myself when I discover someone hasn’t followed through the way I had hoped. Here’s that axiom:

    Don’t expect what you don’t inspect.

    This is especially important (1) when you’re working with people you aren’t used to working with OR (2) if the task/project you’ve assigned them is something they have never done before.

    In both of those cases, you need to regularly inspect their progress and work. Not micromanage. Inspect. Get regular updates. Ask detailed questions about various aspects of the task/project. Ask them to repeat back to you what you’re expecting, what you’re hoping for, and why it’s important. Ensure they know to tell you the moment a problem arises or they have a need.

    Whatever you do, don’t make assumptions. They aren’t fair to you or your leaders.

    What have you recently delegated that you should ‘inspect’ today?

  • Mark Batterson on Reaching the Younger Generation

    What a great joy it was for me to spend a few minutes with Mark Batterson earlier this year. Mark is perhaps most notably well-known for his book, The Circle Maker, an excellent and timely book on the topic of prayer. He is also the Lead Pastor of an exciting, thriving church in Washington D.C. 

    In this 13 minute interview, Mark shares three (note – he says 2 but you’ll discover it’s really 3) pointers on how the body of Christ can more effectively reach the younger generations. Enjoy.

     

  • What to Read

    Rick Warren, Mental Health & Embracing Brokenness by Kevin Hendricks 
    Last weekend Saddleback mega-pastor Rick Warren shared the terrible news that his 27-year-old son, Matthew Warren, committed suicide. Matthew had a history of depression and had long struggled with suicidal thoughts. Our hearts go out to Rick and Kay Warren, their family and their friends.  Read More.

    Seven Things Pastors Wives Wished They Had Been Told Before Becoming Pastors Wives by Thom Rainer
    I am especially grateful to have the opportunity to hear from pastors’ wives since much of my focus is on pastors. Our recent, informal survey simply asked the open-ended question: “What do you wish you had been told before you became a minister’s wife?”  Thank you to the pastors’ wives who were willing to give us such great feedback. And thanks to Chris Adams for doing the survey and to Amy Jordan for assembling the data. Read More.

    Four Types of Staff Members by Perry Noble
    Perry Noble shares four different attitudes a staff member (or ministry leader/volunteer) can adopt and how it will impact your ministry. Read More.

    Why You Need to Delegate More by Ali Luke 
    Do you live by the motto, “If you want a job done well, do it yourself?” And do you feel stressed out, rushed, or anxious a lot of the time? Read More.

    Enchantment – Enchanting Volunteers by Wayne Hedlund 
    I recently heard about a gentleman who left his church (after many years) because he had nothing important to do there. While he was telling his story, he included the fact that the church he was currently involved in almost immediately got him involved in ministry and he is active, excited, and doing a lot more than he ever imagined he would. He’s also considering full time ministry as a result.  Read More.

    The Leader I Don’t Want To Be by Chad Veach
    There are a lot of leaders I really want to be like (Brian Houston, Tony Dungy, Rev Run, etc) … and there are a lot of leaders I really DON’T want to be like! Here are a few… Read More.

  • Where Should Volunteers Park?

     This article was originally posted on Transforming Leader in February of 2012. Enjoy!

    parking-church-volunteersA while back I attended a church and, like everyone, parked in the church parking lot. I arrived a few minutes early, but the parking lot was already half full. As I was walking in, I made a harmless comment to another attendee about some rust on a minivan we were walking by in the parking lot. The attendee informed me that the van belonged to one of the children’s ministry volunteer leaders. I smiled and we finished the short conversation without incident.

    However, internally I couldn’t help but ask the question, “Is this the right place for this van to be parked?” I remembered a conversation with one of the church leaders a few weeks ago about their desire to be a ‘guest friendly’ church. This van was parked in a prime ‘guest’ spot. It was in the closest parking place to one of the main entry doors.

    As a general rule, the “Guest Friendly” church will make the path from the car to the front door as short as possible for guests.

    Where should church volunteers (and leaders) park?
    Answer: far from the main entrances to your church. This maximizes your volunteer’s service to your local church – for both guests and attendees. Check out these few thoughts on why I believe this should be your general policy:

    • It strengthens a ‘Guest Friendly’ culture.
      I’ve talked about being a ‘guest friendly’ church before. You can check out that series right here. Parking far from the main entrance opens up space for your guests to park that are much closer to the front doors.
    • It communicates honor to others.
      Your volunteers have ‘volunteered’ to partner with you. They show up on Sunday’s to serve. Hopefully, their goal is to help your leadership team provide the best possible environment for church attendees and guests to experience Christ’s transforming love. When others see the deference of your volunteers and leaders in something as simple as parking, it speaks of honor, servant-hood  and humility.
    • It reminds volunteers to serve others.
      It can be easy for regular volunteers to forget ‘why’ they show up each Sunday. The act of parking far from the entrance and making the extra long trek to the church doors is a weekly reminder that they are not here for themselves, but for others.
    • It fosters an “Outsiders Looking Out” perspective.
      You’ll have to go back and read my post entitled, “Guest Friendly Perspective” to understand the language here. Suffice it to say, it’s part of an intentional culture shift on the part of your leadership team. I’ve heard it said that volunteers should get the best spaces in the parking lot in order to honor them for their service to the church. I believe that perspective is inappropriate. We will honor everybody (guests, attendees, and volunteers) by making sure volunteers and leaders do their very best to fulfill their roles with excellence. Let’s DEFINITELY honor our volunteers – but in other ways.
    A Brief Example.
    The next time you are travelling into town, check out the local businesses that are specifically serving guests (or customers). For example, gas stations, stores, the post office, and local restaurants. Where do the ’employees’ park? Why do you think they park there? I suspect the same applies to the local church!
     
    Where do your church volunteers and leaders park?
     

  • Opinion Leadership in the Church

    Seth Godin - Famous Opinion Leader
    Seth Godin – Famous Opinion Leader

    This past year I noticed something fascinating about my personal influence with others. I have a reputation among my friends & colleagues for being very efficient and productive. When I stumbled across a new tool for managing tasks, projects & people I naturally shared my find with those around me. I sent a few emails, wrote a couple of posts and engaged in some personal conversations about it.

    None of that is fascinating. 

    What is interesting to me has been people’s response. A lot of people have already incorporated this tool into their own lives, and have also become evangelists for it.

    Today I was doing some research and stumbled across a term called “Opinion Leadership“. An opinion leader has a much stronger chance to influence those around him than others, because people hold his opinion in high regard for some reason, in this case because of my expertise in productivity.

    It begs the question, “Who are the opinion leaders at your church?”

    Understand, an opinion leader is not the same thing as a leader. It’s possible they have influence because of a competence, but it’s just as possible their influence is related to their outstanding character, history in the church, position in the community and more. In fact, it may be that a positional leader in the church has little true influence with the congregation compared to an opinion leader.

    The opinion leader is most certainly someone to invest time getting to know. He or she will play a big role in encouraging or discouraging whatever new initiative you are attempting to roll out to the congregation. One of the most strategic activities you can do is to identify your opinion leaders and include them in your new initiative, in some way, early on. The more likely that they grab hold of your vision, the more likely others will adopt it as well.

    What are you doing to strengthen your relationship with the opinion leaders at your church?

    photo credit: jurvetson via photopin cc

  • What to Read About Preaching

    Following are some great posts and articles on the topic of preaching and public speaking. Enjoy!

    leaders_are_readersHow to Make Your Sermon Series Worth Talking About by Tony Morgan
    Someone probably attended one of your services this weekend because a friend invited them. Invitations are a big deal; therefore, the conversations that precede these invitations are also a big deal. What intentional steps are taken by your creative team to help generate conversations worth talking about? Read More.

    Sermon Series Planning Process by Phil Bowdle
    One of the most common things church creative teams do is take a sermon series or service from idea to execution. Throughout the years, I’ve been surprised to see that most churches do not have an intentional system and process in place for sermon series planning.  Read More.

    Um, Uh, and You Know: Killer Fillers in Public Speaking by Thom Rainer 
    I wish I could say I didn’t do it. I have spoken in a few thousand venues as a public speaker. You would think I could avoid them. I’m better than I used to be, but you are still likely to hear them when I speak.  Read More.

    How to, Umm, Eliminate Bad Speaking Habits, Like, You Know by Brandon Hilgemann
    When I took my first public speaking class in college, I was excited. I wanted to be a preacher. Public speaking was going to be my thing. I thought, “This class will be cake! I get to work on my skills and get an easy A.”  When it came time for me to give my first talk, I stood up confidently and killed it! The best presentation ever. The class was speechless. When I sat down, the professor said the worst thing anyone can say after a presentation, “Any feedback class?”  Read More.

    Preach Better Sermons Cliff Notes 2013 by Chris Zeiglar
    Looking to get some advice on how to improve your sermons? Chris Zeigler from BASIC College Ministries has graciously agreed to share his notes from the recent “Preach Better Sermons“ online conference. This year’s notes feature advice from Steven Furtick, Lou Giglio, Donald Miller, Dave Ramsey, Mark Batterson, Andy Stanley and more. Read More.

    Preach Better Sermons Cliff Notes 2012 by Wayne Hedlund
    For anyone who missed the workshop on how to ‘Preach Better Sermons’. I watched it and decided to take notes for you (with help from my friends at Elim Gospel Church). This year’s notes feature advice from Perry Noble, Andy Stanley, Jud Wilhite, Jeff Foxworthy, Dan Cathy, Charles Stanley, and more. 
    Read More.

    When You Don’t Communicate by Ron Edmondson
    Recently I was talking with a staff member of a larger church. She consistently fears the stability of her job. She never knows what her pastor is thinking. She’s considering looking for a new position, not because she doesn’t like her work, but because she isn’t sure about the future of her work. She claims that living with uncertainty is the standard when working on this church staff. Read More.

    The 3 Levels of Public Speaking by Geoffrey Webb
    A great public speaker isn’t necessarily a great leader, but every exceptional leader I know is an exceptional public speaker. It makes sense, since you can only influence people to the extent that you can connect with them. Read More.

    Communicating For A Change by Wayne Hedlund
    I’ve listened to a lot of public speakers. Unfortunately, many tend to operate under the assumption that they are ‘good’ speakers when, really, well, they aren’t. Don’t worry. I won’t name names (that way I can ensure my name stays off the list too). I think we can often come to the conclusion that we know how to preach, or teach, because people listen to us – and maybe even nod their heads at times. Read More.

    Image compliments of Stuart Miles on freedigitalphotos.net.