Wiggins or Cavendish? Sprinter or team leader? Which team role best derscribes you?

 

Thought cycling was boring? Yes, I did too, but read on

 

Cycling is all about the team, and within each cycling team are a number of different roles. In fact, all teams depend on each person fulfilling their role. Knowing our strengths can help us  function at our very best in whatever team we are in.

 

So, which role on the cycling team describes you best?

 

Team leader

The one best placed to win the overall race. They are in for the long haul, the ones the other riders support and work for, the figureheads. They have all round ability at the sprints, climbs and time trials. Very few are made for this role, but in the right hands it can mean the difference to team success or failure. Leadership ability, people skills and communication are key.

 

In teams these are often the people everyone wants to be.  The lead pastor. The CEO. Everyone knows their name. They are seen as the ‘gifted’ one. But it is not an easy job. You are exposed. The expectations and scrutiny are often very intense. Without your team around you, you are lost. 

 

Sprinter

The glory boys, going for stage victories. Mark Cavendish is the best among them at the moment. Sprinters are often nowhere to be seen for the whole race and then come out at the end and bang, it’s in the bag. They are the ultimate finishers.

 

 

 

In teams these are the guys there to the end. They are happy to stick with it even when others drop out because they sense the chance to finish first, and when they do it brings glory to the whole team and their cause.

 

Lead out man

The one who leads his sprinter to victory. He stays close to the front of the pack, piloting the sprinter through the smallest of gaps. In the last few hundred metres, he unleashes his own drive before launching his man toward the finish. 

 

In teams lead out men are the starters, the visionaries, the initiators. They see things and start them off, but are often too impatient (or too tired!) to stick around to see them finished. Whilst often not around at the end their ability to start projects and release others is invaluable.

 

Domestique

The ultimate team-worker. Domestiques bring water and food from team cars and shield teammates from opponents. They help teammates with mechanical disasters and may even sacrifice their bike. They keep the team fed and watered. Their role is the least glamorous yet one of the most important.

 

In teams they are the workers, those who get on with the job while the strategists and ‘leaders’, well, strategise and lead I guess. They are the unsung heroes of any team.

 

Lieutenant

An accomplished teamworker, the lieutenant is called upon during critical times. Her job is to stay with the team leader as long as possible, providing support ranging from the very bike she’s riding to a subtle psychological boost. On a hard climb she might lift the pace to shed others and keep her leader in front. At the 2012 Tour de France Chris Froome was famously Sir Bradley Wiggins’ right hand man, encouraging his man to push for victory.

 

 

In teams, lieutenants are absolutely key for the team leader. They often have a very different personality to the leader and are the one the leader can and should listen to, especially in a crisis.

 

Road captain

Often the most experienced rider, the ‘wise head’ of the team. He is the strategist. He’s been there and done it all and now passes advice on to the other riders. This might be tactical tips such as when to anticipate crosswinds.

 

In teams road captains are essential. They are the source of knowledge you won’t find in books. Listening to them may be the difference between success and failure. Without their wise advice even the best leaders can struggle.

 

Rouleur

This rider’s value is in her ability to set pace for hours with little help. For example, she is the one who controls breakaways by holding them in check, or keeping the pace high enough that no one can get away in the first place. 

 

In teams the rouleur is often the enthusiastic one who drives the team on. When the team are behind schedule, she will ensure they know what they need to do to catch up. Her eye is on the goal, the prize of finishing the race as well as possible.

 

 

So which role(s) best describes you? How can you maximise the impact you have in the team(s) you serve in?

 

Book Review: When Helping Hurts

3 billion people live on less than $2 a day. 11 million children under 5 die from preventable diseases each year. Suffering in this world is untold. The statistics numb us. In fact, you’d be disappointed if I didn’t start with them.

And yet poverty is also right on our doorstep, in our neighbourhood, in our schools, on our way to work. Whilst we are often numb to all of this, the Bible calls EVERY ONE of us to have a concern for the poor – not just a select, keen few (which probably includes you if you have clicked on this link).

This book is being hailed as the best book written on practically serving the poor. Uniquely combining scriptural truth, development principles and practical advice it is (despite the odd title) a must-read if you have any interest in the poorest in our society and a must read for those who long for their churches to minister effectively to the poor.

 

The authors start by outlining the biblical foundations for social concern. Jesus’ task was more than ‘dying on the cross to save us from our sins so that we can go to heaven’. True religion means caring for the neediest on society. The church is to model God’s new community. Personal piety must lead to acts that act justly and love mercy (p41). Jesus is the healer of every human heart, whether rich or poor.

 

"We need to re-grasp a gospel that is for the whole of life"

 

They then move to talk about people. Our material definition of poverty, they argue, is too narrow. Instead poverty is a brokenness that affects numerous relationships, including a person’s relationship with God, self, others and creation (p57-58). That brokenness shows itself in different ways – workaholism, material poverty, strained relationships, physical breakdown through stress etc.

Poverty alleviation is therefore a ministry of reconciliation, moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others and with the rest of creation. Helping people discover their dignity as created beings in the image of God, helping then to glorify God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work (p78).

 

“Poverty is rooted in broken relationships" (p62)

The authors also call on Western Christians to address their own ‘God complexes’ (p65). They say that we have a subtle sense of superiority that we believe we have achieved wealth through our own efforts and are anointed to decide what is best for poor people who we view as inferior to ourselves. We can reduce poor people to objects who need development done TO them, and to fulfil my need to feel significant. I find this very challenging.

 

"Until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do more harm than good" (p64)

The authors also emphasise that poverty is not just individual but embedded in our societal systems. As Caucasian evangelicals the system has served us well in general, so we are especially blind to the systemic causes of poverty and quick to blame the poor for their plight. Evangelicals tend to believe that systemic arguments for poverty amount to shifting blame for personal sin and excusing moral failure (p93)

Most encouragingly the authors affirm the unique role of the church as the only organisation that have a full-orbed view of the nature and causes of poverty. If we believe that a broken relationship with God underlies much of the brokenness of poverty, then material poverty alleviation MUST go hand in hand with verbal gospel proclamation.

 

"Never lose sight of the goal: reconciling relationships is the essence of poverty alleviation" (p130)

 

Another real highlight for me was the authors differentiating between relief, rehabilitation and development. Often we give relief when in fact we need to be engaged in development which is ‘the process of on-going change that moves all people towards who they were made to be’. Often we hand out relief quickly. It can leaves us feeling good about ourselves, is easier to do than development and is easier to raise donor funds for. Yet inappropriate relief fosters dependency and is relatively short term. Development on the other hand is often slow, gradual and costly.  

The book then moves to the key issue – the local church is uniquely placed to see broken people and systems restored into the image of God. The books gets intensely practical here, providing helpful steps as to how this can be done. The authors argue that starting with assets and not needs is key. Needs-based development assumes that the poor are dependent on outside human and financial resources which can exacerbate feelings of helplessness and inferiority. Therefor you will start by mapping assets of the local community, asking what sorts of services that are already being provided by organisations in the community in which we want to serve. You then map the assets and needs of materially poor in your area as well as discovering the resources that you have in your church community.

 

"Avoid paternalism. Do not do things for people that they can do for themselves"  (p115)

Finally the authors outline and discuss the most common options for churches: job preparedness ministry, financial education ministries and wealth accumulation ministries, along with other options.

Throughout the book the authors insist that poverty alleviation is not about hand-outs but that it must be highly relational. It’s not so much how we can fix poor people but how we can walk together, asking God to fix both of us. We need to aim for highly relational, process-focussed ministries not impersonal, product-focussed ministries.

This book has eye opening truths and insights on almost every page. It has given my church a foundation for our thinking in how we do community work. I urge you to read it as the most important and practically relevant book I have read on poverty and to call your church to move beyond good intentions to effective ministry for a hurting world.  

5 reasons why truth matters

Society has changed.

Truth used to matter.

It doesn’t now.

Moral relativism pervades our culture proclaiming that there is no universal absolute truth but that truth is relative according to differences in people and culture. I’m sure you know what I mean.

The problem is, deep down we all agree that some things are right, and some things are wrong. The 9/11 attacks. The rape of a child. The miscarriage of justice. And so on.

So what is the danger of a culture which rejects absolute truth? Here are just 5:

1)      It robs us of meaning as people

When people realise there is nothing that answers the deep questions in life, such as ‘Why am I here?’ and ‘What happens after death? they do one of two things:

They make up their own answers - that they are here to get all they can out of life. That life after death does exist but only as they imagine it.

Or they decide not to think about the question and distract themselves with entertainment their TV, iPod, mobile or DVD collection. Because I guess that when you lack evidence for your beliefs it is hard to dwell on it.

The reality is, most people manage to do both at the same time.

2)      It gives us no criteria for making moral decisions

The moral compass of a moral relativist has nowhere to point except to him/herself. A person that believes in objective truth approaches a moral dilemma and asks ‘what’s the right thing to do?’ A moral relativist asks ‘what’s going to make me feel good? After all, there is no truth.

3)      It deprives children of formation

When we encourage children to have self-esteem but don’t give them guidelines it is actually a form of cruelty because kids who don’t have a sense of what is right or wrong are sent out into a very scary world. Love without truth, much like truth without love, is a form of cruelty.

4)      It separates us from each other

In a society where no one agrees that anything is true we end up separated from one another. People need some higher thing to believe in to unify them as a society.

5)      It destroys faith

It reduces God from his right status as an absolute being to just a personal sentiment that can legitimately vary from one person to another.

People act as if God is different for each one of them; in reality people are creating their own personal deity according to their own taste much as you might craft a drink at Starbucks. This notion is incompatible with God as an absolute being. And so faith becomes irrelevant. If we’re just making it up then it doesn’t really matter.

But what about tolerance?

Some people will say ‘well, isn’t moral relativism what allows us to be tolerant’?

But in fact tolerance goes away in a morally relativistic world.

Mussolini, the Italian founding Fascist Dictator said:

“Everything I have said and done is these last years is relativism…from the fact that all ideologies are of equal value, that all ideologies are mere fictions, the modern relativist infers that everybody has the right to create for himself his own ideology…there is nothing more relativistic than fascism”.

Ah, such tolerance. So often presented as a virtue. And yet there is nothing more dangerous in our society. This is a huge deception and is taking millions of people to an eternity separated from God.

Jesus said:

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me".

 

Do you believe this? If this is true, there can be no other truth. God’s truth is revealed to us through his Word, the Bible.

 

Truth matters.

 

If it doesn’t, we might as well give up and go home now. Let’s fight for truth in a culture where truth holds little or no value at all.

Do you agree? Does this ring true to you? Let me know your thoughts.

This post is based on a seminar at HTB Leadership Conference 2012 by Patrick Lencioni

Don’t like, share or retweet this post

 

‘Lovely photo of the kids, stick it on Facebook’

‘Great quote – I’ll tweet it straight away’

‘Profound message this Sunday, I’d better share it with my friends who all need to hear it’

 

Social media has changed our lives. I am constantly coming across profound quotes, amazing insights and interesting ideas on Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere. And I find myself wanting to immediately share what I have heard or read with my friends.

But wait. Is there a danger to this? I’d like to suggest 3:

1.       Amazing truth becomes mundane

When I have read my 50^th 140 character insight or 10^th blog post of the day I have been flooded with words and ideas. Even a few years ago I might come across one or two books or articles a week that might impact my life. Max.

 

And yet now great truths and beautiful things have become, well, normal. I skim over them. I glance at potentially life-changing lessons, evaluate them for a nano-second, and move on to the next thing.

 

It’s constant. And it’s dangerous. Because we are meant to stop and think, ponder and give thanks for amazing truths, not miss them because we are so saturated with great wisdom.

2.       I compare myself to others

‘I couldn’t write something like that’ or ‘I don’t read as widely as them’ can easily follow me reading an impressive tweet or blog post. I might begin to categorise the author as someone worth listening to or not.

Someone to follow or to unfollow.

To like or dislike.

Someone to idolise even, or to denigrate as having little to say to me.

 

So in another way I potentially miss something that I really do need to listen to and learn.

3.       I am too quick to share what I need to think about

We all see this don’t we?

- The live blogs from conferences.
- Linking to that great sermon on selfishness I’ve just heard because I hope my mate Dave sees it and he needs could do with a lesson on selfish.
- Checking how many people have read my latest post or favourite my recent tweet.

Our culture is one which instantly shares any experience, photo or thought to our watching followers and friends. The danger is, we consider everything we receive needs to be shared with others, whether it is a photo of your kid’s first sit on the potty or a great quote from a talk you’ve just heard.

 

But what if that truth, or that moment, is one that you decide to savour just for yourself?

What if God wants to speak to YOU about YOUR selfishness and not Dave’s?

 

So let me challenge you.

Do you fall into any of these traps?

This week take something you would otherwise share with others and just keep it to yourself. Ask God to speak to YOU. And enjoy it.

Oh, and please don’t like, share or retweet this post….unless you think someone else might find it helpful that is…

 

" . ... whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8

 

 

 

3 reasons why you shouldn't teach children to be GOOD

‘He’s the devil himself’ said the mum leaning across my desk, gesturing to her 3 year old son across the room.

I take a deep breath. Just another day at work in my paediatric clinic.

Later on I get home to my family. ‘Have you been a good girl’ my friend asks my 4 year old daughter? ‘No’ she replies assertively.  

The desire to bring up a ‘good’ child in our society is huge; we feel pressure from ourselves but also from those who observe us at the school gate, at church and at toddler groups.

But maybe we need to stop and ask what drives our desire to have ‘good children’?

Of course we want to bring up well-adjusted children who contribute positively to the world. We want them to enjoy life and for life to work well for them.

So what are the problems with wanting a ‘good child’? Here are 3 of many:

 

 

1) We can forget they are just children

What passes for naughty behaviour can sometimes be childish immaturity. We need to distinguish when a child is being defiant and when he is being childish and simply needs someone to teach him a better way of doing something.

2) We risk creating mini-legalists

Legalistic children look great on the outside – they obey the rules and seem to do well in life, but they can have little understanding of how God thinks of them. This is subtle but potentially more damaging than overt violence or delinquency.

 

The Bible tells us that there is no-one good except God and that in and of ourselves we cannot please him in any way. Jesus met a rich man who called him ‘good teacher’. Jesus replied “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone”. This rich man was actually pretty good. He had kept all the 10 commandments. And yet it wasn’t enough; he wasn’t ready to give up on his own resources, his own attempts at goodness and truly follow God.

As a child and then a teenager I could still hear a voice in my head saying ‘be good John’ and me thinking ‘I can’t, I just keep failing’. Realising that God accepts me and loves me in my badness changed my life.

3) It reveals our insecurities

In church settings there’s a pressure to have children who are good, who are seen to obey when the parent speaks. When my child whacks another one in the face it can be so embarrassing.  First I’m angry at my child. “How dare they”! But then I wonder what others will think – “he can’t control his child, he’s weak as a parent, what’s he teaching them at home”? It’s humiliating. It’s even worse when they’ve been wrongly accused. “My child! She’d never do that”, I think. I take it so personally.

The thing is, if I care more about what people think of me that what God thinks of me, it reveals that deep down I am not secure in God.

Here are 3 possible solutions to these problems:

1) Focus on the inside not the outside

Life isn’t about having externally good children, but about addressing their inner motives. Rather than saying ‘be good’, encourage your children to do good, for example “be kind”. We can praise them for things that they do rather than criticise them for who they are.

2) Ensure your identity and security is in God

Know that God’s opinion counts more than other people’s. Whilst important for me, my children need to know that what God thinks of me is more important than anything else; they will catch it from me. When your child is doing something wrong, look at your reactions. Ask, what is in my heart? What’s my motive for wanting him to be good? Is it selfishness? Is it lack of security? And then ask God to make you secure in Him so you don't need to fear what others think.

 

3) Model repentance to your child

Too often we tell our children to respect us, to obey us, and to grow up. But our children need to see that we get things wrong too and that we need God’s help. We need to be ready to say, even to them, “I’ve made a mistake, I’m sorry”. We can sympathise with them when they make bad choices. We can show them that even in their badness, we, and by extension, God, love them just the same.

Lead your children, especially when they aren’t being ‘good’, to Jesus, and rely on Him, the only one who is good.