Leadership is all about failing – if you don’t dare to fail, you don’t dare to lead!

If you haven’t failed enough, you haven’t learned enough! One of the main characteristics of the leadership in my life and ministry has been that I have failed in many ways and with many things.

In our nation and in our churches we have many people that are well trained and well educated, but have not become involved in ministry. At the same time I as leader need to have the goal that they will be involved in the mission of God (Missio Dei)! We have to turn spectators into participators. The characteristic of a growing, vibrant and healthy church is not the program, the plans, popularity, nor position; but rather the people. Not the quantity but the quality. They are the ultimate barometer of how well we have carried out the ministry of the church.

If we want to be effective in ministry and to see the church grow and be built up then we have to be working at enabling people. If we want more people to be involved in ministry we have to find better ways to enable people.

One of the main enabling barriers

The enabling of people is the crucial point. At the same time, as I said before, we have many people who are well trained and well educated; yet they are not active in ministry and the mission of God! There are many reasons why they are not involved and I will not attempt to address all of these. Yet, one of the main reasons why people do not use their God-given gifts and qualities (and I am 100% sure of that!) is their fear of failure.

In a society where so much value is put towards performance we do not dare to fail. This creates a climate where leadership is quenched and new initiatives are not encouraged. The fact is that we actually encourage a defensive approach to leadership which in essence is not leadership at all. Isn’t leadership going where none has gone before; making trails where we no trails have been established… walking and guiding by compass rather then by a map?!

Leadership = insecurity = possible failure!

Leadership implies possible failure, it implies insecurity, and it implies having to learn while doing. “Theology on the run” and “leadership on the run” would be some of my slogans. In a nation (Sweden) where we look for consensus in all areas of life and also in leadership there is a danger that we quench the leadership gifts of our people and the Church as a whole. We are so embedded in a save, secure social system and way of doing things that we hardly allow anyone to break out of the box through entrepreneurial leadership styles; rather we call people who do authoritarian and insensitive. My view on leadership is based on a team approach, yet, we have to realize that God so often uses individuals to bring out new perspectives and new ways of application of old truths which transform the way a team used to think. And those new ways usually bring us where we have never been before… which implies possible failure.

Honestly, I rather fail and fail and fail again to be finally to learn a new way than to remain on secure grounds not learning anything new and working for status quo.

Check the following link on FAMOUS FAILURES and place yourself in good company as you dare to embrace the possibility to fail as you expand your borders and move out of your own and your cultures’ comfort zone!

That’s the Way I see it!

John

Dagens Nyheter puts Li Changqing the 2008 Golden Pen of Freedom price winner behind bars…

Dagens Nyheter puts Li Changqing, a Chinese journalist, who went to prison for reporting on a health threat before Chinese authorities announced it, who had been awarded the 2008 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers behind bars. Papers from all over the world as well as in Sweden (here, here, here, here and here) took the opportunity to high-light this occasion and to use it to expose the censorship and suffering that many undergo in China because of their opinions and writings.

Ironically the same accusations against freedom of press which are made against the Chinese regime are practiced by so-called ambassadors of freedom, namely Dagens Nyheter. (The largest daily paper in Sweden which prouds itself to be one of the forerunners of freedom of Press!) DN puts Li Changqing behind invisible bars as they silence him and remove from his statement that which doesn’t fit them.

This is typically an occasion of so called freedom of speech and writing which I addressed the other day in a blog called “Is freedom of speech in Sweden a farce?”

In the blog I wrote: “The rights of freedom of speech and press are practiced as long as we conform to that which is the norm, as long as we are politically correct, our voices will be heard through the spoken and written word. If we don’t conform we are silenced, ignored or attacked.”

In the case of Li Changqing DN says that they published the whole text of his address. THIS IS NOT TRUE, The Christian Daily Dagen identified this as a problem! DN removed the text where Li Changqing shares about his dark hours and how Jesus Christ turned his life around.

He said: “In 1992, my life had also welcomed a great event when I, extremely weak and dark in my spiritual world, became a Christian due to the compassion of Jesus Christ. He restored my conscience, allowing me to walk in the light. He rectified the relationship between my world and my spirit and with an insight coming from above helped me traverse obstacle after bewildering obstacle for a more penetrating view of the world. Hence, I am convinced that only the truth can save us! Only with the truth can we surpass narrow partisan doctrines and break through ideological barriers”.

It is obvious that DN thinks this is not politically correct or not within their perception of what they want to endorse or allow their readers to read! Wow! That’s called outright censorship!

For the whole text in English of Li Changqing’s address click here.

Unfortunately I get only confirmed in my views on press and media in our nation. This shows again how we in a small country can be really small in mind! Let the Truth be heard on the streets!

That’s the Way I see it!

John

Salvation through Christ Alone? Debating the uniqueness of Christ in Multi-Faith Britain!

The Church of England, what a challenge! I am happy that we some years ago have been able to burry the Swedish State church… now all churches are “free-churches”. Because of the fact that we (England and Sweden) both had “State churches” we find many similarities between us. It is therefore that I with interest follow what is happening in England. I know of the different theological stands in the Church of England and I am wondering how long these differences can be contained within one and the same church body.

With that in mind I want to call to your attention yet another challenge that is to be faced by this diverse church body. This coming July during their General Synod Paul Eddy, a lay theological student from Winchester who wants to become a priest is asking the all deciding question to the church body: “Is there Salvation through Christ alone?”

Through a “Private Member’s Motion” he has secured the signatures necessary to force the General Synod to deal with his motion. The contend of it might be shown to be dynamite within the Synod it reads: ‘That this Synod request the House of Bishops to report to the Synod on their understanding of the uniqueness of Christ in Britain’s multi-faith society, and offer examples and commendations of good practice in sharing the gospel of salvation through Christ alone with people of other faiths and of none.’

It is all about the Gospel itself and the specific question concerns the evangelization of Muslims. In the end, the outcome of this debate may, more than anything else, determine the future of the Church of England.

The motion has been condemned by many in the church and the Daily Mail [London] reports that liberal bishops attempted to discourage members from signing the motion. Nevertheless, the motion is now set and the General Synod will vote on whether the Church of England should evangelize Muslims.

The Daily Mail writes:

[Mr. Eddy] said that the active recruitment of non-believers and adherents of other faiths had always been a Biblical injunction on Christians, commanded by Christ himself.

But he claimed that many bishops were downplaying the missionary role of the Church and official documents often glossed over the requirement to convert Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs or followers of other religions.

He warned that the central role of Christianity in Britain was being eroded, and by ‘allowing the rise of another religion in our country, all that Britain stands for is up for grabs.’

Mr. Eddy’s motion has found support among at least some bishops, including the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali. Bishop Nazir-Ali, born in Pakistan, is the only Asian-born bishop in the Church of England. In response to Mr. Eddy’s motion, the Bishop argued that the Church of England has failed in its responsibility to “welcome people of other faiths.” He suggested that the church had “gone too far” in responding to the sensitivities of British Muslims.

He also said, “Our nation is rooted in the Christian faith and that is the basis of welcoming people of other faiths. You cannot have an honest conversation on the basis of fudge.”

For more news read> and the BBC

Today it is Britain, what will we face tomorrow in many of our churches in Sweden? The signs of the times say it all…

That’s the Way I see it!

John