theotherjc Building Local Church, Leading Well in Life

The Book ’19’ Has Arrived

So this week the delivery of my book ’19′ arrived. I am very excited, as well as a little overwhelmed too, holding a book which I have written. It’s been some journey since a passing conversation three years ago to now having the book in my hands. I am amazed that I have actually managed to focus long enough to make it happen.
Obviously, I am biased, I love it. The feel. The design. The content. The resource it can be in growing leaders but especially young leaders. I wrote it with them in mind. Bite size chunks so it would be a book which would actually be read. I know what I was like at 19, I only read a book because I had to, for Uni course work, and even then in was a struggle. I am encouraged too by the comments from leaders and friends in my world who are telling me how helpful they think this book can be too. Check out the endorsements at The 19 Project website.
Now comes the final 2 days before it’s official release date on Friday. If you are thinking about getting a copy then why not get it now, at the discounted pre-order rate of just £9.99 (£11.99 RRP). Don’t miss out. We all love a good deal!! You can purchase from The 19 Project website.
As I have shared on numerous occasions, my heart with both the book and the website has always been to create a useable resource. For use individually or with a group of leaders you may be investing in. In addition it is to build a hub of resource and then eventually add in other stuff like live Q&A’s, interviews, leadership connection, additional training resources, plus devotionals and maybe even an online conference some time in the future.
Together we can raise the next generation of young leaders. From providing opportunities for those first tentative steps, to helping them become influencers in the future. One thing is for sure, there is a great need for them to still be leading in local Church and across all spheres of life in 25+ years time.
Help shape the future of The 19 Project too. Sign up on the site for FREE, check out the resource and complete the survey you will receive. Everyones input is much appreciated and can help ensure that what people are asking for, being challenged by and really need, is what we are producing.
One chapter of this journey with ’19’ has turned the page into the next one. Thank you for being a part of the journey so far. Here’s to the next part of the adventure.
theotherjc Building Local Church

Build Church: Know Your Comfort Zone

Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace [Matthew 28:29 Message]

There’s a lot of talk about getting out of your comfort zone and I get that. We fill our days with so much stuff which in reality is of no eternal purpose, both individually in our Christian life and corporately as the body of Christ. We are very comfortable in our faith.

A better focus might be to know our comfort zone. To learn the unforced rhythms of grace Jesus wants to walk and work with us in. To find our best fit. To discover our unique calling and to then ride this wave with all of our effort and determination.

Anyone who know me well enough should know that after Jesus, other than my family, there are two main things which have my heart – raising the next generation of leaders and building local church. I am on the journey of discovery still, even after so many years that to be fruitful for God in both of these will no doubt involve the following…

To get into my zone I first have to get out of my comfort.

I have to give the Holy Spirit permission to convict me to move me.

Once I am in the zone, only I am the one responsible for putting the right kind of effort in to it.

To bear the best kind of fruit, the God-given destiny kind of fruit, my life has to be about more than just the fruit of my own labours.

I am not there yet. Let’s be honest, there have been good days and not so good days. I have frustrations. Yet the only person getting in the way of me building anything of eternal significance with my life is me. So best get over myself, repent, remind myself that my preferences are for laying down and just get on doing what it is I feel God is asking me to do.

theotherjc Leading Well in Life

Lead Well: Think Things Through

For three days this week I was at a Conference in Peterborough with some of the Xcel Leaders. The topic this time was mission and evangelism. In reality the topic of conversation is not important. Instead, it’s the principle of what we were doing which is more important.

If we want to lead well in life we have to be willing to give time to thinking things through.  And to do so the following 3 step process we were encouraged to use may help.

1. REALITY: Whatever the focus of thinking, how are things right now? What’s working, not working? Be honest. One good thing to do is give yourself a score between 1-5 (where 5 = good).

2. POSSIBILITY: Take some time to think about all the possible ideas. What could you do? This provides a great opportunity to dream, create and innovate, alongside the seemingly obvious stuff too.

3. ACTION: From all the possibilities choose no more than 3 which you could work on. Attach milestones to each one, dates for accomplishment and metrics to measure success.

This process for helping our thinking process could be used for just about any issue. In the end it creates some focus for our energies which have the potential to bring about the much needed turnaround or transformation.

What do you think? How could you make this work for you?

theotherjc Challenge, Character, Goals, Leadership, Responsibility

My Leadership for 2015

I count it an absolute privilege to get to do what I do. I thank God for entrusting me to a role and allowing me to put to use all that He has gifted me with.

My prayer therefore has to be something like this, ‘Help me Jesus to do this leadership thing right’.

Bearing all this in mind my leadership focus for 2015 is quite simple…

I want to be a leader who serves others better.

I have talked about this before. Too often I can get caught up in the doing and being of leadership. All that stuff is important and needs to be done but not at the expense of others, people, connection, reaching out, helping, caring, listening, opening my world and serving.

What will be your leadership focus for 2015?

theotherjc Challenge, Character, Concepts, Developing Leaders, Leadership, Leadership Tests, Thoughts, Wisdom

Check Out the Old Posts

Just being honest here – I think I am a true blogging geek. Been checking the stats at the half way point of October and I am really enjoying the fact that some of the old posts are being read. Probably started happening because of the ‘search’ widget I put in my sidebar.

Top 5 ‘Old Posts’ that have been checked out the most in the past 7 days:

5. Getting the Right Consistency
4. Bad Choices, Wrong Decisions and a Lack of Wisdom
3. A Change of Season
2. The Purpose Test: Questions
1. Why People Come & Stay at a Church

If I’m honest, I think they are full of great stuff. Leave me some comments – thanks.