Positioned for Greatness: "Do You Have A Plan For Intentional Growth?"

Recently I was challenged with this question. Do you have a intentional plan for growth? Not do you read books here and there or do you occasionally go to a learning conference or get mentoring, but do you have a systematic plan for growth. My answer was, no I don't. I thought I have been doing pretty good until I was asked this question. Through a recent coaching session, I was challenged to plan for growth in 2009.

Success is not accidental, it is intentional. You are not just out on a Sunday afternoon drive hoping you get where you want to go. You have to have

a plan. In fact if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. I don't know about you but I want to see continual progress towards my Destiny. Proverbs tells us that a man plans his way but the Lord gives success. You must first have a plan and then God will give your plans success.

Here are truths about personal growth.

1. Personal growth is necessary to spiritual growth.
2. Personal growth requires a plan.
3. Personal growth proceeds Church Growth.

If I am going to lead a Church to the next level, I must first go there. The truth is that if our Church is not growing, then I am not growing as a leader. John Maxwell's law of the lid states that if a leader stops growing so does the organization under him. My goal is that 2009 will be the greatest year of growth ever. Let's get started.
Growth requires balancing the wisdom of God with the knowledge of the ages. Jesus said that the children of this world are much wiser than the children of light. we must not only know the bible but we need to know the wisdom of the ages and then filter the wisdom of our times through God's wisdom found in the word.
For this exercise, you will need a notebook, a pen, and a calender.

4 Ways to Look At The Calender

1. Annually

A. vacation - This is when you abandon the everyday routine of life.

* When you are desperate for a vacation, it is too late.
* You can do this in a couple of long weekends, a block of time (week or two depending on your occupation).
* In ministry you may want to take a long weekend at the end of April and then your vacation later in the year.
* Once you put it on the calender, avoid the temptation to change it.

B. My Conferences

* This is a big conference that you have to budget for.
* Great time to take your staff, invest in them, learn and grow together.
* make it a goal to attend two a year.
* Schedule it as far in advance as possible.

2. Monthly

There are two things you need to schedule every month. These are monthly checkpoints.

A. Monthly Mentoring

* Schedule a 1 to 2 hour lunch (offer to buy lunch) with a Pastor within driving distance (or a Mentor in the field of your expertise) who is where you want to go or is ahead of you.

* Schedule this 3 months ahead at a time, do 2 to 3 a year.

* Join a monthly coaching network, I just finished a Church planting network that was awesome.

* You can also do this by phone.

Note: Schedule this as far ahead as you can, and be prepared with questions. You don't want to waste their time or yours.

B. Monthly Review

This is when you schedule a time with yourself and you review your calender, notes.

* Ask what am I doing right? What am I doing wrong? What do I need to stop doing?
* This is for review and reflection, I call it checkpoints along the way.
* A great time to do this is a couple of hours before your mentoring appointment, then you will know what questions to ask.

3. Weekly

A. Sabbath (day off)

* Plan this a year in advance.
* This is one of God's big ten. God rested after 6 days of labor.
* Your sabbath may be a long lunch with your spouse, a midday nap, sleeping in.

Rest Physically

Reflect spiritually through meditation.

* The purpose of this is to recharge you physically and spiritually.
* You can also reflect on your personal growth, goals.

B. Reading

* Theology, leadership, Best Practices, Philosophy, History.
* Set a goal to read one book weekly or monthly.
* Never leave home without a book.
* One person said, the only difference between now and five years from now will be the books you read and the people you meet.

Leaders are learners.

I am challenging myself to broaden my reading by reading more of a variety.

4. Daily Investments

A. God's word daily

B. Daily communion through prayer

C. Fitness (daily)

D. Invest in your spouse

E. Invest in your children

F. Invest in a unsaved person.

Prayer" God make me the person I need to be to lead at the next level. As a Pastor my prayer is Lord make me the person I need to be to lead a Church twice my size.

Blessings,
Craig