A Blog by Jason Salamun

One thing that would benefit us all is to discover what we’re good at and what we’re not.  From there, we can find out what types of jobs fit us, what kind of team to surround ourselves with, and become more effective overall.

Too often, people see their weaknesses and spend their time developing them to the point of mediocrity. This is often done at the expense of our strengths.  The truth is, it’s your strengths that have to most room for growth.

The StrengthsFinder assessment by the Gallup’s organization is a helpful tool that allows you to discover your strengths and show you where to focus your personal development.

I recently took the assessment and the results revealed my top 5 are Activator, Belief, Relator, Ideation, & Maximizer (descriptions below).  They weren’t surprising and they reinforced what I’ve always known my sweet spot was.

Activator
People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.

Driven by your talents, you may influence some of your friends to make things happen quickly. Sometimes you create enthusiasm in others by championing a particular project, rule, process, activity, or idea. Because of your strengths, you are comfortable telling others stories about your personal habits, qualities, experiences, or background. Your forthcoming nature probably enables others to share their thoughts and feelings with you. By nature, you now and then boost some people’s spirits by bringing up a key point they shared with you. Perhaps you sense that certain individuals feel a bit more special when you listen to them and spotlight something they said. It’s very likely that you generate enthusiasm so people become as eager as you are to transform an idea into something tangible. You are energized, not paralyzed, by opportunities and possibilities. Instinctively, you may show your approval of an individual by referring to some interesting points the person made during a conversation or presentation. Sometimes you convince people you value them by paying particularly close attention when they speak.

Belief
People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

Driven by your talents, you feel better about yourself when you are honest and forthright with people. Telling untruths and omitting important facts violates your personal code of ethics. By nature, you might place particular value on the purpose and meaning you draw from your core values. Perhaps you aim to provide for your family’s physical, educational, emotional, or social needs. This partially explains why you work hard to ensure that their quality of life is as good as it can be. Instinctively, you are naturally compelled to admit the truth. If someone asked you or told you to intentionally mislead someone, you would reply, “I cannot and I will not do that!” Because of your strengths, you want your life to really matter. You are determined to contribute to the well-being of individuals and the human family. You sense you can be an influence for good in the world. Chances are good that you are cheerful and upbeat when people accept the fact that you feel strongly about matters that could alter the quality of your life.

Relator
People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Because of your strengths, you embrace life more fully when you are surrounded by people whose personal aims or professional ambitions are clearly defined. Instinctively, you might be particularly willing to accept all individuals regardless of their appearance, education, social class, native language, religious preference, or political persuasion. Perhaps this explains why your circle of friends or acquaintances is diverse and interesting. Maybe your openness encourages individuals to seek your counsel. By nature, you realize life is good after you have shared your knowledge and skills with novice players, students, teammates, or associates. You probably are most gratified by individuals who want to improve personally or professionally. Driven by your talents, you fill your mind with new ideas by asking questions, reading, studying, observing, or listening. Normally, you accumulate facts, data, stories, examples, or background information from the people you meet. Determining what they want to accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years generally satisfies your curiosity. These insights also allow you to understand why individuals behave they way they do in different situations. It’s very likely that you sometimes congratulate yourself for being a good counselor. Certain people may keep coming back to you for words of wisdom. Others might seek your recommendations about how to handle problems or take advantage of opportunities.

Ideation
People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Chances are good that you may be delighted when you can generate new and innovative ideas for doing certain tasks or projects. Perhaps you lose enthusiasm or become bored when you are forced to follow standard operating procedures. Periodically you wonder if you are in the right job or course of study when your creativity is stifled. Maybe you are frustrated by people who conclude that your inventive suggestions are forms of criticism or insubordination — that is, refusal to submit to authority. It’s very likely that you contribute many innovative ideas to the group during brainstorming sessions. You tend to be highly imaginative when proposals are fully heard and any criticism is reserved for a later time. Driven by your talents, you enjoy being well-read. Not surprisingly, you can introduce more questions, suggestions, solutions, or innovative ideas into group conversations than most participants can. Instinctively, you bring new thoughts to most discussions and meetings. Your reputation for innovative thinking explains why you are recruited by groups. You derive satisfaction from mental activity. You recognize when you are especially creative. Because of your strengths, you probably consider yourself an idea person. Your job, studies, or life in general are more exciting when people ask you to generate novel assignments, activities, or campaigns.

Maximizer
People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Instinctively, you might give yourself credit for being keenly aware of certain people’s moods, motives, thoughts, or behaviors. Because of your strengths, you may recognize your ability to involve different sorts of individuals in your life. Some people might recall that you were the first person to welcome them with open arms, an open heart, or an open mind. Chances are good that you frequently notice what makes each person unique or special. Armed with these insights, you probably inspire many individuals to move into action. You realize life is more fulfilling for people who choose tasks and are given assignments that closely match their talents. You often notice the different moods, need for information, or preferred forms of recognition for the people in your life. It’s very likely that you sometimes improve your results or add to your list of accomplishments by consciously using your talents. Perhaps you are more efficient or effective when you practice doing better what you naturally do well. By nature, you may choose to partner with individuals who recognize what you do well and acknowledge areas in which you excel. Perhaps you appreciate their willingness to provide you with opportunities to practice using your natural abilities. To some degree, you accept the need to build upon your raw talents to create true strengths.

Have you ever taken it the StrengthsFinder assessment?

If so, what were your top 5?

It’s often said that the family is the basic unit of society.

Did you know it’s also the basic unit of the church?

It’s true.

Every family is a congregation and parents are the pastors.

In fact, to lead a church, one must be able lead their family well.

I don’t know about you, but as a parent, that’s quite the responsibility.

The question is, how well are we shepherding (pastoring) our family?

We parents have the tremendous opportunity to shape our families.

We can be an internally-focused family that seeks the well-being of us…

Or we can be an externally-focused family that seeks the well-being of others.

Which best describes your family?

If we’re honest, most of us tend to be the first.

Every family has issues from time to time.

Okay, some more than others.

But if you want to improve the story of your family, consider improving the stories of others…together.

You’ll be amazed at what it does for your family.

Your problems won’t disappear, but your family will grow.

According to the United Way, families who serve together experience the following benefits:

• Awareness of social issues and a new perspective on the world
• A way to pass on family values to the children
• Discovery and development of knowledge, skills, and talents
• Quality time for the family to spend together
• Increase in interpersonal communication and the problem-solving abilities of family members
• A habit of service that will be passed on to the next generation

Communities are best formed around a common cause.

So are missional families.

Missional families are also driven by the gospel.

When the gospel has so entrenched the heart of your family, you can’t help but be good news to this world.

For my family, our mission was to begin a church who joined God in his mission in the world.

But we won’t be a missional church unless the the families are missional families made up of missional people.

Likewise, the church known as your family won’t be missional unless you are.

You, the parent, need to lead the way.

Show your family a better story.

Invite your family into a better story.

As a whole, this generation of children care more about social injustices than any other in recent history.

What a prime opportunity!

Discover where their passions are and roll with it.

Do something.

Why?

Because God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…

If God loved the world that much, so should we.

All while loving one another.

All because of Jesus.

Imagine if this was what your family was like.

Here’s a simplified overview of the biblical model of church leadership as best as I can see it.

Jesus is the Head of the Church. The Senior Pastor so to speak. (Ephesians 5:23)

The scriptures are the ultimate authority because Jesus is the ultimate authority. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)

His agenda trumps the church’s…always. (Colossians 1:18)

In scripture, the church is not a business or even a non-profit organization.

The church is a family of believers who love God and people. (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Timothy 3:15)

The church is the very embodiment of Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:15)

The entire church are priests. (1 Peter 2:9)

Ministers of the gospel. (Ephesians 4:12)

Storytellers of the gospel. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

With their words and lives. (Matthew 5:16)

From the church body, a team of leaders are called to lead. (1 Thessalonians 5:12)

Key word: called. (Hebrews 13:17)

They are the elders/overseers/leaders of the church. (1 Peter 5:1-2)

They are all equal. (Acts 14:23)

But there is a leader of leaders. (Acts 15:22)

A first among equals.

Often their primary role is teaching and preaching. (1 Timothy 5:17)

Not just anyone can or should be an elder.

There are biblical qualifications. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

And biblical responsibilities. (Titus 1:9; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

In short, elders lead the church by following Jesus. (1 Peter 5:3-4)

And equip God’s people for works of service. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Taking on various forms and functions. (Ephesians 4:11)

There are other leaders called deacons. (Philippians 1:1)

Their role is serving by leading ministries. (1 Timothy 3:13)

They have biblical qualifications and responsibilities too. (1 Timothy 3:8-12)

The structure of a biblical church is marked by humility, service, cooperation, accountability, prayer, love, and gospel community. (Romans 8:9-18)

Followers of Jesus are to be in community and have a role in it. (Romans 12:4-8)

We usually call them members, owners, or partners. (Ephesians 2:19)

They aren’t to be spectators.

Here’s the deal:

They don’t just have a part, they are a part. (Ephesians 5:30)

If a healthy church is following Jesus they are joining him in the renewal of all things. (Revelation 21:5)

Together. (Acts 2:42-46)

Momentum grows. (Acts 2:47)

So do the people. (Acts 4:33)

And Jesus is made much of along the way. (John 12:32)

May your church (and mine) be a biblical, healthy, loving church.

Centered on the gospel; expressed in community; on a mission from God. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)

A shining city on a hill. (Matthew 5:14)

An unstoppable force. (Matthew 16:18)

Remembering Jesus is the hero and under him we are all equal. (Hebrews 12:2; Romans 3:23; James 2:1)

To the glory of God and for the good of our cities. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Jeremiah 29:7)

What do micro-breweries, indie artists, and church plants have in common?

They are the little guys.

For as long as I can remember I’ve always rooted for the little guy.

Rocky and Drago

It began when I read “The Little Engine That Could” in first grade which preached determination and perseverance against all odds. As a child of the 80’s, I was a huge fan of the Rocky movies and recall the profound effect it had on me when the underdog American hero Rocky Balboa defeated the unstoppable, cyborg-Russian Ivan Drago. I remember hearing the PG version of the David and Goliath story in church which further cemented my affinity for the little guy.

It seems it’s the little guy that’s on the verge of what’s next; who’s the catalyst for change; who’s always pushing the envelope and challenging the status quo. They are the outlaws, the mavericks, and renegades.  Ordinary people who aren’t content with ordinary lives. Pioneers driven by dreams and fueled with hope. Their passion is unmatched.

Perhaps it’s good to always be “the little guy” at something. To feel the odds stacked against you; to need help from another; to resist complacency.

Even when the micro-brewer has a large distribution, the indie-artist has a top 20 hit, or the new church grows in influence, it’s wise to continually put ourselves in position to be the little guy. We should always be striving for something that’s too big for us. As C.S. Lewis said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”

I guess the reason I root for the little guy is because I am the little guy.

May it always be so.

A handful of random thoughts on church planting and leadership.

There’s a healthy way to start and lead a church without losing your soul.

Jesus has left footprints to guide us and our responsibility as leaders is to see them and follow him.

Your calling to lead a church will never, ever, ever trump God’s requirements to lead a church.

Rather than starting a church at the expense of your family, include them.

He has called you not because you’re so great, but because he is.

You must be faithful in a world full of fads.

You must boldly pursue him in a world that doesn’t.

The idea of a super-spiritual lone ranger pastor from whom all things flow is unbiblical and unhealthy.

The church is the body of Christ made up of many parts, not a giant robot with you behind the controls.

Funny how I had more answers 3 years ago than I do today.

Like many would-be church planters, I was a bit arrogant and knew it all.

Then I started a church and soon new questions arose that I didn’t even know existed.

We church planters read and learn from the same circle of people.

We live in an age of cookie-cutter churches and copycat church planters.

We  look like our favorite churches and talk like our favorite leaders.

We’re not original, we’re posers.

We need to get over our man-crushes on celebrity leaders.

It’s pathetic and needs to stop.

Be a man, not a puppy dog.

Babies aren’t born adults and neither are churches.

Seeds don’t turn into trees overnight and neither do churches.

In a culture that values the speed of the microwave it’s hard to appreciate the the slow bake of an oven.

Yet, which method makes a tastier turkey?

Something to think about.

Ultimately, it’s about the gospel.

The gospel always produces community.

The gospel always compels us to mission.

The gospel always leads to Jesus.

Why is it flight attendants stress the importance of putting an oxygen mask on first before assisting other passengers during an emergency situation?

Because you can’t be a hero when you’re dead.

Oxygen gives you the capacity to help others. Without it, you die, as well as the potential lives you could have saved. Putting the mask on is not selfish, it’s wise.

The same principle is true for leaders.

As I work to get back in shape I ‘m seeing how much it impacts my capacity to lead. I have more energy, mental clarity, discipline, and drive.  I just plain feel better.

As a result, I’m more motivated than ever to do what I need to do.

You might be bright.

You might be talented.

You might be passionate.

You might be focused.

You might know it all.

But if you don’t take care of yourself, your capacity will dwindle and you’ll likely leave untapped potential on the table.

The oxygen mask just might be the difference between one life saved or twenty lives saved. It might be the gap between good and great. It might be the key to lead you from where you are to where you want to be.

At Project Church we value authenticity.  We give one another permission to not pretend to be any more or any less than we really are.

As a leader I know that if we’re going to create a community of openness and honesty then it begins with me. Pastors aren’t professional Christians, we’re proof that a perfect God calls and uses imperfect people for his purposes.

I have weaknesses just as much as anyone.  Allow me to share a couple:

Authenticity doesn’t come easy for me
I have a tendency to put on the face that people want to see. I want to give others freedom to be real but don’t often give myself that same freedom.  This is why it’s good that I’m part of a church that keeps it real because they challenge me to do the same.  They help me in my recovery from hypocrisy.

I’m fiercely independent
We live in a culture that values independence but I’m learning that it’s overrated.  Early on in my life I felt that the only person I could depend on is myself.  Getting married really helped me to discover the beauty in harmony as you intertwine your life with another.  Being in a church as shown me how much more effective people are when they latch on to something bigger than themselves.  My community helps me learn to depend on others and see that life’s about more than what I can accomplish alone.

Authentic community helps protect me from my natural inclination to be a lone-ranger Christian.  We’re so much better together than we are apart.  God was on to something when he built the church.  Go figure.  We aren’t meant to do life alone.  We’re meant to journey through life together and help each other live the lives we’re meant to live.

These two values (authenticity and community) aren’t born out of the strenghs of the leader (me). They are rooted in scripture, provide guardrails for our church, and guide me out of my weakness.

Read a fascinating article from Gary Hamel in the Wall Street Journal about a talk he gave at a recent Willow Creek Leadership Summit regarding the Church.

Here are some noteworthy quotes that made me cheer.  Some of which many of us have been saying for quite some time:

My hypothesis: the problem with organized religion isn’t that it’s too religious, but that it’s too organized.

Absolutely agree. What is to be a movement has often been institutionalized. This doesn’t mean there’s no leadership- but it does mean that there’s a danger in stuffing what should be set free in a box.

…church attendance may be lagging, but nine out of ten Americans still claim to have faith in a spiritual being—a number hasn’t changed much over the past two decades.

This is not a new statistic. It’s curious, and sad, that the church is the last place those who are interested in faith would go to discover more about spiritual matters. I am hopeful for the future as many new and renewed churches are seeking to change that story. I’m happy to say that Project Church is one of them.

Over the centuries, religion has become institutionalized, and in the process encrusted with elaborate hierarchies, top-heavy bureaucracies, highly specialized roles and reflexive routines. (Kinda like your company, but only more so). Religion won’t regain its relevance until church leaders chip off these calcified layers, rediscover their sense of mission, and set themselves free to reinvent “church” for a new age.

Don’t miss the key words here: rediscover and reinvent. I’m reminded of the quote by H. Richard Niebuhr, “The great Christian revolutions come not by the discovery of something that was not known before. They happen when somebody takes radically something that was always there.”

I truly believe that the Church isn’t going to thrive because of anything new, hip, or innovative as much as we will by returning to our roots as found in the scriptures as a community on mission driven by the gospel of Jesus.

Read the article in its entirety

Picture a little girl who wanted to fly.

She inflated a big red balloon with helium, shut her eyes, and her imagination told her she was flying.

She loved it.

Her grip on the balloon grew tighter until, POP!, the balloon burst.

The girl opened her eyes and saw her feet on the ground.

She cried because she wasn’t flying any more.

Little did she know, she never was.

The same is true for you and I.

Only the red balloon is our ego.

May we open our eyes before it pops.

I love Conan O’Brien.

I even named my cat after him.

He used to do this skit called, “In the Year 2000.”

Where he’d peer into the future.

Funny stuff.

This is my attempt to look into the not-so-distant future.

At shifts I see looming or arriving in churches.

They are coupled together but they don’t all hold pinky fingers.

I’d be curious to see which shifts you dig and which ones you don’t.

What you see as either/or and what you see as and/both.

Read carefully and leave a reply.

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Churches starting churches.

Churches launching campuses.

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Pastors leading from out front.

Pastor leading from up top.

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The development of leaders.

The replacement of a leader.

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The Bible opened on top of the collected works of Seth Godin, John Piper, and Rob Bell.

The Bible laying beside collected works of Seth Godin, John Piper, and Rob Bell.

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The peer-to-peer networking of the church.

The power-grabbing consolidation of the church.

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Discipleship as a first-step, next-step, grow-as-you-go, journey towards Jesus.

Discipleship as an online program, just-take-this-class, activity about Jesus.

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Iron-sharpening-iron community.

Anonymous-staying-anonymous community.

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Churches sending Christians.

Christians consuming churches.

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Becoming the church Jesus had in mind.

Becoming clones of the church you’re favorite leader had in mind.

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Orthodox in theology, open in methodology.

Open in theology, open in methodology.

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Jesus as the end.

Jesus as the means to an end.

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Shaping culture.

Shaped by culture.

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Preachers and teachers communicating with their family.

Preachers and teachers communicating with hologram technology to an audience.

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Courage in the face of rejection and persecution.

Compromise in the face of rejection and persecution.

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I could list more, but that’s plenty for now.

Let’s talk.

What do you like/dislike?

Do you agree/disagree?

What would you add?