GREG SIMAS

It’s been interesting to see how a culture shifts within a church over the course of a few years. When the Lord spoke to us clearly about Harvest House Church becoming Convergence House of Prayer I really did not know what to expect.

What I do know is that this is what we are supposed to be doing. The Lord has confirmed this many times over with the prophetic word and in the hearts of leadership.

Knowing the Lord has spoken creates a stake in the ground where we sense His pleasure and are confident in the direction we are going.

Not too many leaders have taken a church and successfully shifted it to a House of Prayer. I think we are on our way, but believe me, it keeps us on our knees trusting Him as we navigate a shifting culture.

In my quest to better understand how church cultures shift, I just finished reading, “Cracking Your Churches Culture Code” by Samuel Chand. The author helps define a churches culture and what actually happens as the culture changes. I highly recommend the book.

Chand reveals a natural process that unfolds as a culture changes. In order for a culture to successfully change it will move through five stages.

1. Entrepreneurial Stage – Discovery phase. This is when the Lord is opening the eyes of leadership and points them in a new direction. Leadership can now see what can be and that what the Lord is stirring in their hearts is actually possible. They begin moving forward, exploring what God is saying and experimenting with how it can actually  work.
2. Emerging Stage – Growth phase. Here the vision begins to grow in the hearts of a wider group. It’s important that leadership has solid credibility and can be trusted.  If these are not in place then the likelihood of a healthy transition is distant.
3. Established Stage – Stability phase. The direction is embraced and systems are being put in place. The course of action is met with a plan to move people from one step to another.
4. Eroding Stage – Survival phase. In every culture there is an eroding stage. I really don’t know why this is but nonetheless it is part of the flow. This is where the new culture is vulnerable.  It’s important at this stage to re-kindle the vision with fresh creativity that empower the core values.
5. Enterprising Stage – The re-firing stage. Here leaders must return to the Entrepreneurial stage to gain fresh vision and new ways to strengthen the culture. This needs to happen on a regular basis to maintain a growing and healthy culture.  New discoveries are experienced around the new cultures core values.

I realize that there is movement going on in every phase at Convergence. I sense overall we are somewhere in the Establishing phase.

I really don’t want to get caught up in the mire of structure, yet these “stages” help give me  a roadmap for the journey ahead.

I’d be interested in your input regarding this – 

When I embark on a 21 day fast I pray about what the Holy Spirit wants me to go after and sarcasm was not on the list.

I never thought in a million years that the Lord would highlight sarcasm in this fast. I admit that I was totally surprised by this yet I know when the Lord is speaking. So I submitted to the Lord and asked for both wisdom and revelation.

I love how the Holy Spirit teaches me and points out even the littlest details to make me a better leader. I believe this is one of them.

The items listed below I own as my growing conviction and don’t in any way want to put them on you the reader. Nonetheless, if the Lord uses what He is teaching me to reveal something to you, then be open.

Here are a few things I sense the Lord showing me in regards to sarcasm and leadership.

1. Sarcasm uses irony to criticize. It introduces an element of humor to make the criticism less aggressive, yet the criticism remains cloaked in the sarcasm. Not good.
2. The original meaning of sarcasm in the Greek means, “to tear the flesh, to speak bitterly.” This original meaning was a bit shocking to me.
3. Sarcasm can be dishonoring and flows against how we are to communicate with others found in Ephesians 4:15 which says that we are to “speak the truth in love.” It’s better to be straight-up with love then to tear-down with sarcasm.
4. Sarcasm is not a good leadership skill. It can cause both suspicion and disrespect in the heart of those whom are following the leader. If not checked, the whole team will wind up being sarcastic.
5. Sarcasm is hard to manage. We will make mistakes. In light of our American culture, which is very sarcastic, we need to swim upstream by releasing both appreciation and encouragement.
6. Sarcasm cheapens relationships by keeping people guessing about what is being said and leaves them to think, “what are they REALLY saying?” You cannot build a level of solid trust and respect with this approach.
7. Sarcasm belittles people. Sarcasm makes people feel little, talked down to and made fun of.
8. Leadership built on sarcasm is controlling. If we are not careful we will use sarcasm to dominate those whom we lead. For some, this is their style of leadership, which ultimately communicates the possibility of bitterness and insecurity in the heart.

Leading through honor builds up, gives life, confronts in love, appreciates, encourages and brings people around you. Leading through honor respects the dignity of others while intentionally growing them. It’s a far better way to lead.

I’d love to get your thoughts on this? 

It is much harder to live with regret then to live with excuses. Excuses can often disguise themselves as wisdom but in the end they are usually fear-based reasons for not fulfilling our purpose.

Even more dangerous is intentionally holding back from completely giving all to protect ourselves from feeling like a failure if things somehow don’t quite work out. Strange isn’t it, but true! This can happen in any area of life.

I first realized this when I was playing basketball for Bethany Bible College. I found myself intentionally not giving my all on the court so I would stay protected from feeling like a failure if I was not successful on it. I hid my fear behind my lack of effort.

I have seen this in many people (especially men) over the years. It’s not that they don’t participate, it’s that they don’t take part FULLY, leaving enough space to reason that something was not done successfully because their “all” was not given.

If we don’t break out of this mindset, we will have lived life giving less then 100%. Worse yet, we will have been unfaithful with the talents the Lord has entrusted to us. If we stay in this pattern we will ultimately look at the years we wasted and regret what could have been.

Here is a few simple things I have learned in making sure I don’t fall into this trap.

God is with you. And if God is with you who can be against you (Romans 8:31). Refuse to let YOU be against you. Put your all in ALL you do.