The Three Leadership Mistakes We’ve All Made

Celebration Church launched in 1998 and I have to say that it has been an awesome ride. God has been so good and it has been deeply rewarding to watch the church grow from a launch team of just 7 people to over 12,000 in weekend attendance. 

While we have experienced some great milestones, there have also been some very difficult times and we’ve faced some tremendous challenges. I have made a lot of mistakes as a leader, but by God’s grace I’ve learned some really good lessons from them. In leading our church through these first ten years, these are the top three mistakes I’ve made. I hope God will use these lessons as a source of encouragement and inspiration to you in your own areas of leadership. 
 

Mistake #1: Allowing Ministry “Business” to Affect My Personal Time with God

This mistake is a killer for pastors. Right now, there is a lot of emphasis on “how to” leadership and that is very important. Pastors today can very easily get tons of leadership resources, “how to” church books, ministry philosophies, creative ideas, and these are all good things, but it is possible to fall out of balance in this area. There were seasons when I devoted so much of my time trying to develop the ministry and reading leadership books that I didn’t spend enough time with The Leader of the Church, Jesus. I was spending a lot of time in meetings, and brainstorming sessions as the church was growing so fast and I was just trying to keep up and survive. I was always looking for the next good idea for a message series instead of just seeking God and waiting for Him to burn something on my heart. The most important thing I have learned over the years is that my personal time with God is non-negotiable for my health as a leader. We are all blogging and twittering, but are we praying and fasting and seeking God?
 

Mistake #2: Not Being Me

I have heard that your 30’s are the years where a strong foundation for your life is being established. They are crucial years for defining who you are, what your personal style is, and what God has specifically called you to do. Since turning 40, I believe this to be true. During my time at Celebration Church, my ministry style, gifting, and unique calling have become increasingly defined. As recently as last year I still felt pressure to preach a certain way, lead in a certain style, and do ministry in ways that just were not authentically “me.” The root of this was the fear of man and it took me nearly 10 years to realize that this was limiting my life. There will be a lot more trials in my next ten years, but at least I am finally comfortable in who I am. I can preach and lead from a place of authenticity and total dependence on Christ. I don’t worry about what others think, or if my message was the best. I just need to bring Stovall to the table and be myself. That is what glorifies God best and that is how I will continue to grow and be used by God.

 

Mistake #3: Over Committing

Momentum is a double edged sword. When you have it, everything seems to be growing and working. Even your mistakes don’t seem so bad. But the dangerous side of momentum can be the tendency to think you can keep endlessly pulling from the energy it lends without suffering real consequences. One huge momentum killer is calendar overload. When the church calendar is overloaded, the soul of the church (staff, leaders, and volunteers) starts to fatigue, killing the spiritual momentum. We learned the hard way that the best strategy for sustaining positive momentum is to simplify the calendar and stick to activities that reinforce our mission. When you say yes to one thing, you are in fact saying no to something else, so keep the main thing the main thing. Reach people, make disciples, and serve your community. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is how to say “no” and keep from over committing myself or the church.