It was a privilege to work with Dr. Paul Borden, author of Hit the Bullseye & Direct Hit, and Dr. John Kaiser, author of Winning on Purpose, while doing a Church Consultation. During one session, Paul reminded us, “People count what they value.”
A serious golfer records his strokes and works to improve. If you invest, you watch interest rates; know the trends of a company and the value of your portfolio. Annual Reports have pages of financial data to ensure the dollars are spent according to plan. A Gideon counts and celebrates the number of Bibles distributed by camp, by Province and those sent overseas. A Wycliffe translator knows the number of scripture portions translated, the number under development and the languages left to be translated. When news of a new portion of scripture translated arrives in Wycliffe headquarters, staff ring a bell and everyone meets in the chapel to sing, praise our Lord and celebrate the achievement.
A Servant Leader needs to know his people, like a shepherd knows his flock. Dr. Kevin Leman in, The Way of the Shepherd, says, “the first principle is to always know the condition of your flock. You have to make a point of knowing not just the status of the work but also the status of your people. You have to really care about your people.”
As a Christian Leader, what do you value and count? Is it the money in the bank or is it the renovations to your building? Count what really counts. At church, count the growth or shrinkage in Sunday attendance, count the number of Home Groups and those who attend. Monitor the age of your people and the variety of different cultures involved. Get to know and celebrate the number of individuals who pray to receive our Lord’s gift of salvation and the number of baptisms annually.
I’m with Paul Borden, if we value it, we’ll count it. Re-read your Annual Report. Are you counting what is important and of heavenly value or are you counting details that have little value in the light of eternity?
Leadership is monitoring what really counts.
Yours in Service,
Laurie D. Kennedy
Leadership Coach