Audacity for the Right Reasons

As I witness the transformations taking place in our churches I've noticed a common pattern. The pastors of these churches have stepped up to a higher level of leadership. They've become more focused, full of vision and bolder. You might say they've become "audacious". They are willing to go out on limbs like never before. Their churches are changing because their people are going out on those limbs with them.

Because of fear some people never go out on a limb. Their fear is understandable. There have been more than just a few limbs that have broken while the leader was standing out there all alone. Falling out of a tree hurts. On the other hand there are many instances when the limb has proven to be strong enough to bear the weight. It takes faith to crawl out on a limb, even when you are convinced it's the limb God is calling you to dance on. There is no guarantee the limb will hold. Faith, then, is the hallmark of the audacious.

But some would disagree. They would say that ego is the hallmark of the audacious. In some instances this may be true. We've all witnessed audacious people who's boldness stems from an overdose of narcissism, or even stupidity.

There is an audacity which is courage. On the negative side there is a courage marked by impudence and temerity.

There is a short paragraph in The Radical Leap that distinguishes between the two, "The difference comes down to love versus ego. Love-inspired audacity is courageous and bold and filled with valor. It's the kind of audacity that's required to change the world for the better. Ego-inspired audacity is just a pain in the a**. In other words, some people are audacious just for the purpose of drawing attention to themselves; they're not concerned about anything other than their image."

As Jesus followers we are called to be audacious out of love for Christ and His Gospel. The Spirit of Christ leads us to be daring and courageous so that people's lives will be changed, the church will grow and the Kingdom will advance. Audacious leaders are finding success in church transformation because of their inspiring and courageous love, along with the daring leaps that are expressions of that love.

On the other hand, there is a type of church leader that pushes hard for church growth and change, because they want to be a success in the eyes of others. They strive for bragging rights. Seldom does such motivation lead to lasting church transformation or growth. We can all be prey to this temptation, and we should guard against it.

Temptation to be audacious out of wrong motives will dog leaders, but that is no reason NOT to nudge the audacious quotient up the scale in our leadership styles. Leadership by definition means getting out in front of the pack. In itself, that can be daunting for some pastors. Yet, when motivated by deep love, for people, for Jesus, for the Kingdom, we will find the courage to make some audacious moves. So, get out there and bust some Holy Spirit inspired moves for the Kingdom! Even if your feet get a little tangled up in the effort, you will make Jesus smile!

Adaptive Stance Towards the World

I'm reading The Monkey and the Fish by Dave Gibbons. I usually don't do this, but I just have to pass along a quote from his book. Sorry, it's a long one:

"In my journeys, what's becoming clear to me is that the more adaptive we are to the Holy Spirit and to diverse people groups and settings, the more we reflect who Jesus is and impact this new flat world.

Author Thomas Fiedman has become a bit of a prophetic voice in this regard in the area of culture, politics, and business. In his seminal book, The World Is Flat, he describes some of the forces at work that are creating the groundwork and necessity for a third-culture movement in the church: 'Two aspects of culture have struck me as particularly relevant in the flat world. One is how outward your culture is: To what degree is it open to foreign influences and ideas? How well does it "glocalize" (a term that combines the necessity of both local and global initiatives--it's not a choice)? The other, more intangible, is how inward your culture is.'

In other words, organizations with cultures that intentionally or unintentionally maintain an inward focus--a culture of exclusivity and a leariness of and even suspicion toward differences and change--are in real trouble in this twenty-first-century global village of ours. Conversely, the more an organization's culture naturally glocalizes--the more easily our local cultures can absorb and embrace foreign ideas and best practices and meld those with the best of traditions and values--the greater the boon we will enjoy in the new world."

Gibbons goes on to say that the task of the church today is to live as third-culture people. He defines "third-culture" as the mindset and will to love, learn, and serve in any culture, even in the midst of pain and discomfort. It's what God did for us in Jesus when He stepped into our rebellious milieu to love us and rescue us. In turn the Father sends us into the world, just as He sent His Son. We do this best when we accomplish it in a third-culture, adaptive manner. Missionaries "get" what Gibbons is saying. We can learn from them, because increasingly every church will need to be missionary in ministering to today's world.