Context: Interview for a Church Elder
Date/Time: 7/9/08
Place: Christ's Community Church
Duration: 1.0 hour and 30 minutes
Descriptive Notes: Dr./Pastor Randy Wieland and Gina, the coordinator for a position we know as Serve Elder, were present to interview a candidate for an Elder position in the church. Randy led the conversation with a group of questions and allowed for participation from all at the table. I was able to explain my position to the candidate and she was OK with me participating. Some of the questions were as follows:
1. Tell us how your spiritual journey is going.
2. Tell us about your view of being a team player.
3. Share your ideas about being with, and investing in people.
4. A situational question about how to handle negative people and material that may be given that is anything but positive.
5. How are you after the difficult situations and conversations?
6. What is the mission of the church and how are you actively involved in the mission?
7. What concerns you most about your future role of an Elder?
8. Who do you feel you need to represent in your role of an Elder?
Reflective Notes: This situation reminded me of interviewing to find a good teacher or a team leader. During the meeting, Randy not only asked the questions, he also processed through the comments with the applicant and made certain that she heard his views on Eldership. Some vocabulary that Randy used also made connection to what we do in educating children. Our staff members do need to be called to the profession, they do need to be equipped to do the job, they need to be prepared for every day, they need to be able to discern and then make good decisions, and finally, they need to LOVE people. Other key words mentioned were Trust, Care, Thanks, and Celebrate. From this position, it seems that an Elder is like a teacher of sorts: helping others with their daily walks, keeping in touch with their "kids", and letting others know how they could help if needed.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Leadership - working with people and micromanaging
Email conversation from June 9, 08.
Time frame for communication back and forth, as well as reflection was approx. 1 hour and 20 minutes.
In light of me being close to finishing my leadership mentor program with Randy, I wanted to comment on the situation that I mentioned earlier on the loss and looking for our Youth Pastor(YP). During an email, Randy described the situation in which our YP decided to cancel all previously scheduled meetings with the high school kids as he transitioned out of his position. Dr. / Pastor Randy was not please with this as he has a background of working with youth and he was also working with our YP on a transition plan. As Randy put it, he was coaching our YP. Randy values his relationship with our YP, as well as the high school students and he knows that this transition is hard and an emotional time. Randy had to step up his game and continue to coach our YP in the development of the plan. Randy said that he didn't want to micromanage and I do understand his concern, but I am glad that he did so. His actions do tie directly to one of the posts I made in blackboard. Different situations require different leadership actions and styles. Unfortunately, there are times when a leader has to keep his or her hands in the pots.
Time frame for communication back and forth, as well as reflection was approx. 1 hour and 20 minutes.
In light of me being close to finishing my leadership mentor program with Randy, I wanted to comment on the situation that I mentioned earlier on the loss and looking for our Youth Pastor(YP). During an email, Randy described the situation in which our YP decided to cancel all previously scheduled meetings with the high school kids as he transitioned out of his position. Dr. / Pastor Randy was not please with this as he has a background of working with youth and he was also working with our YP on a transition plan. As Randy put it, he was coaching our YP. Randy values his relationship with our YP, as well as the high school students and he knows that this transition is hard and an emotional time. Randy had to step up his game and continue to coach our YP in the development of the plan. Randy said that he didn't want to micromanage and I do understand his concern, but I am glad that he did so. His actions do tie directly to one of the posts I made in blackboard. Different situations require different leadership actions and styles. Unfortunately, there are times when a leader has to keep his or her hands in the pots.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Response from PR on the Power Lab
No need to give much response here, other than it is easy to make a connection to what we do as educators and what Dr. / Pastor Randy is doing at Christ's Community Church. Enjoy the material below!
Approx time spent in email conversations = writing, reading, responding = 2 hours
Thanks Carter,
An interesting side note……
I was able to have numerous conversations with folks after the program. The guests I talked with were very affirming of our program. The interesting twist occurred when at some point in the conversation they “figured out” that my role here was larger than a crazy children’s program staff person. They would ask…..are you the pastor here? Somewhat incredulously. After I replied with a yes. They responded with a variation on “awesome, wow, that is really cool that you would do this for the kids’.
One staff person overheard two guests talking….these were non church types from the community…..”Did you know that the crazy professor guy is the lead pastor of this church?” “Really?? That is righteous!” (as in way cool …not as in he must be really holy) And then ……”imagine what church services hear must be like….we gotta come sometime!”
Truth be told it isn’t about getting folks into church…..it is about valuing kids. There is something about a lead pastor….or principal…..engaging in out of the box behavior for the sake of kids that communicated to parents “kids really matter here”. And frankly they do! Kids are not the future of the church, they are the present. I don’t want kids….or adults…to ever think that “someday when they grow up these kids could be assets to this church. The reality is that they are assets NOW and they need to be treated as such….even if it means donning a lab coat and dying ones hair!
Approx time spent in email conversations = writing, reading, responding = 2 hours
Thanks Carter,
An interesting side note……
I was able to have numerous conversations with folks after the program. The guests I talked with were very affirming of our program. The interesting twist occurred when at some point in the conversation they “figured out” that my role here was larger than a crazy children’s program staff person. They would ask…..are you the pastor here? Somewhat incredulously. After I replied with a yes. They responded with a variation on “awesome, wow, that is really cool that you would do this for the kids’.
One staff person overheard two guests talking….these were non church types from the community…..”Did you know that the crazy professor guy is the lead pastor of this church?” “Really?? That is righteous!” (as in way cool …not as in he must be really holy) And then ……”imagine what church services hear must be like….we gotta come sometime!”
Truth be told it isn’t about getting folks into church…..it is about valuing kids. There is something about a lead pastor….or principal…..engaging in out of the box behavior for the sake of kids that communicated to parents “kids really matter here”. And frankly they do! Kids are not the future of the church, they are the present. I don’t want kids….or adults…to ever think that “someday when they grow up these kids could be assets to this church. The reality is that they are assets NOW and they need to be treated as such….even if it means donning a lab coat and dying ones hair!
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