Dave Ferguson's take on Leadership Summit

Over the last several years I have had the privilege of getting to know Bill Hybels on a more personal basis.  We are in a small group of pastors that gathers 4-5 times a year to spend time with each other for encouragement and to challenge one another.  I am have a tremendous amount of respect for Bil as a leader, pastor and a follower of Jesus.

The following are some of the highlights of Bill’s opening talk at the 2009 Leadership Summit:

• I want to share some lessons with you that I am learning in this new reality.
• I’m not sure we are going to experience the old normal anytime soon…if ever. The normal we all knew and loved has left the building.
• In the middle of this new reality we hear the whispers of God saying, ‘this is why I gave you this leadership gift…for times like these.“

PHILOSOPHICAL LESSON
In a single week the stock market lost 20% of it’s total value within a week.  As a result of that hundreds and thousands of people began to lose their jobs.  In the middle of that we made a critical decision that we will be an Acts 2 church for today.  We still believe that the church is the hope of the world and we will be the dispensers of that hope.  We are the church and we will still be the church!

FINANCIAL LESSON
When you head into a financial downturn you see the financial forecast going down and the financial needs going up.

• Advice from Jack Welch:  “Cash is king!”  Cash simply gives you the time needed to make the important decisions you need.
• At Willow they have 25% of the total annual budget in cash reserves.
• Follow these “golden rules” if staff reductions are necessary:
  
  • Give as much as advance notice as possible.
    
  • Be clear about the cause for the reductions.
    
  • Be as generous as possible.
• Suggested budget disbursement:  50% or less of total budget is for staffing; 10% is for Spirit-led initiatives; 15% is for debt reduction and 25% for ministry expenses.
• People will still be extremely generous if the cause is compelling.

PEOPLE LESSON
I have been learning a lot of lessons in regards to the people who work with me and for Willow:

• Ask yourself, “Are we hiring fully yielded, rightly gifted, fired up people for the mission who want to see God do great things.”
• Ask:  How many “key” seats do we have in our organization?  And then ask how many of our “key” people are filled by a fully yielded, rightly gifted fired up person?
  
• Recommended book, How the Mighty Have Fallen by Jim Collins

PERSONAL LESSON
This lesson started with a conversation with a friend where we both admitted to each other, “I’m a little worried about you.”  It remind me of a dangerous time when I wrote in my journal 20 years ago these words, “The pace at which I’m doing the work of God is destroying the work of God in me.”  We must reinvent replenishment strategies for the new reality.  The best thing you bring to your church or organization is a “filled up” person.  You need it and they need it.

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