A leak is a hole or other opening, usually unintended and therefore undesired, in a container or fluid-containing system, thru which the contents of the container escape. The entry of matter thru the leak is creatively called ‘leakage.’ Leakage of matter INTO a container or other system could be called ‘inleakage.’ Leakage of matter OUT of a container or other system could be called ‘outleakage.’ (Stop me any time here.)
The presence of a leak does not necessarily mean there is always actual leakage of matter. It just implies there COULD be leakage thru the opening. (O.K. Uncle.)
I don’t know how it is at YOUR house, but over the years, EVERYTHING at my houses has leaked. If it CAN leak, it HAS leaked.
We have four bicycles. All the tires leak air. I’ve pumped enough air into those tires to keep the Hindenberg up.
Not long ago I was driving to small group on a Wednesday night. One-half mile from my destination – flat tire. Major leakage.
There is a two hundred dollar coffee-maker in our kitchen. Um-huh; it leaks.
Every car we have owned over the years --- doesn’t matter if it was a Pontiac or a Ford or a Mercedes --- nor does it matter how many times they were taken in for repairs --- leakage big-time. Hydraulic leaks, brake line leaks, power steering leaks, gasket leaks, sun roof leaks, power steering leaks, oil leaks, radiator leaks, coolant leaks, transmission leaks – you name it. The only PLUS to these leaks is that you can tell what is what by the color of fluid on the floor of your garage. That said, our garage floor has been an artist’s palette of leakage. We now routinely place large pieces of refrigerator box-sized cardboard strategically on the floor underneath each leaking vehicle.
Then there are home faucet leaks, refrigerator leaks, shower leaks, pipe leaks, vacuum bag leaks, gas leaks, valve and fitting leaks, garden hose leaks, basement leaks – (I SAID, 'SOMEBODY PLEASE STOP ME!')
For that matter, it seems of late that I’m suffering from MEMORY leaks. I’d write more about that, but I can’t remember what I was going to say.
Leaks aren’t always bad; sometimes they are highly desired. Something else that leaks is ‘vision.’ That is a good leak. Andy Stanley says, “Vision doesn’t stick; it doesn’t have natural adhesive. Instead, vision leaks.’
I’ve repeated the vision for our church a hundred times. Then someone will ask a question that makes me think, ‘Hey! What happened? Didn’t they hear what we’ve been saying over and over?’
I had read that you can spot ‘leakage’ by listening for three things:
1. Prayer requests. What people pray for will tell you more than anything else whether they are locked into the vision of the church. When you are in a leadership meeting, are the only prayer requests for sick people? When I'm in such a meeting, I say, "Whoa, is anybody in this group burdened for an unchurched friend?” Yes, let's pray for physically sick people – but who is sick in SPIRIT that needs prayer too?
2. Stories of what is happening in people's lives. If there are stories to tell, then maybe the vision for life transformation has leaked. (How great it has been to watch the “DIFFERENT STORY … SAME GOD” transformation videos in our church the past four months.)
3. What people complain about. If people are complaining about the wrong stuff, then vision is leaking. When they complain about the music, or the parking, or that the church is too big, or there are too many people they don't know, I can respond, “I know. God is blessing us.” But it's a sign of vision leakage.
I am tempted to be frustrated with people who don't seem to understand the vision, but I have to ask myself some important questions. How do we keep the church's passion for ministry from deflating? What do we need to do to assure that we have a compelling vision as an organization, and what must we do to make sure it leaks? If the vision is not communicated in a compelling way, then the organization is going to be unfocused. Wherever focus is lacking, only random activity is left. That's when you wake up and find you don't like the organization you're leading. And I NEVER want that to happen.
So I’ve decided I’m actually OK with leakage. In fact, I highly encourage it.
And be blessed.
I don’t know how it is at YOUR house, but over the years, EVERYTHING at my houses has leaked. If it CAN leak, it HAS leaked.
We have four bicycles. All the tires leak air. I’ve pumped enough air into those tires to keep the Hindenberg up.
Not long ago I was driving to small group on a Wednesday night. One-half mile from my destination – flat tire. Major leakage.
There is a two hundred dollar coffee-maker in our kitchen. Um-huh; it leaks.
Every car we have owned over the years --- doesn’t matter if it was a Pontiac or a Ford or a Mercedes --- nor does it matter how many times they were taken in for repairs --- leakage big-time. Hydraulic leaks, brake line leaks, power steering leaks, gasket leaks, sun roof leaks, power steering leaks, oil leaks, radiator leaks, coolant leaks, transmission leaks – you name it. The only PLUS to these leaks is that you can tell what is what by the color of fluid on the floor of your garage. That said, our garage floor has been an artist’s palette of leakage. We now routinely place large pieces of refrigerator box-sized cardboard strategically on the floor underneath each leaking vehicle.
Then there are home faucet leaks, refrigerator leaks, shower leaks, pipe leaks, vacuum bag leaks, gas leaks, valve and fitting leaks, garden hose leaks, basement leaks – (I SAID, 'SOMEBODY PLEASE STOP ME!')
For that matter, it seems of late that I’m suffering from MEMORY leaks. I’d write more about that, but I can’t remember what I was going to say.
Leaks aren’t always bad; sometimes they are highly desired. Something else that leaks is ‘vision.’ That is a good leak. Andy Stanley says, “Vision doesn’t stick; it doesn’t have natural adhesive. Instead, vision leaks.’
I’ve repeated the vision for our church a hundred times. Then someone will ask a question that makes me think, ‘Hey! What happened? Didn’t they hear what we’ve been saying over and over?’
I had read that you can spot ‘leakage’ by listening for three things:
1. Prayer requests. What people pray for will tell you more than anything else whether they are locked into the vision of the church. When you are in a leadership meeting, are the only prayer requests for sick people? When I'm in such a meeting, I say, "Whoa, is anybody in this group burdened for an unchurched friend?” Yes, let's pray for physically sick people – but who is sick in SPIRIT that needs prayer too?
2. Stories of what is happening in people's lives. If there are stories to tell, then maybe the vision for life transformation has leaked. (How great it has been to watch the “DIFFERENT STORY … SAME GOD” transformation videos in our church the past four months.)
3. What people complain about. If people are complaining about the wrong stuff, then vision is leaking. When they complain about the music, or the parking, or that the church is too big, or there are too many people they don't know, I can respond, “I know. God is blessing us.” But it's a sign of vision leakage.
I am tempted to be frustrated with people who don't seem to understand the vision, but I have to ask myself some important questions. How do we keep the church's passion for ministry from deflating? What do we need to do to assure that we have a compelling vision as an organization, and what must we do to make sure it leaks? If the vision is not communicated in a compelling way, then the organization is going to be unfocused. Wherever focus is lacking, only random activity is left. That's when you wake up and find you don't like the organization you're leading. And I NEVER want that to happen.
So I’ve decided I’m actually OK with leakage. In fact, I highly encourage it.
And be blessed.
1 comment:
Thank you for being a leader with vision! This is a message that I especially liked that goes hand in hand with our vision for the church:
"It has been said that the reason the early church grew so fast in the first three centuries is that they out-thought, out-loved and out-served their contemporaries."
Let us keep this in mind. We are living in days when many people need the love of Jesus, so let us be that light for them and help show them the way.
Post a Comment