From "In My View" by Pastor Pete, published in church newsletter.
In my view a well developed friendship requires that we spend time in three different places, let me explain.
In the diagram you will notice that there are three places, “Your Place”, “My Place” and “Our Place”.
Most attenders of this church only know each other in the “Our Place” of the CMP building. For your relationship to move from acquaintance to friendship I believe that you need to make sure to spend some time at “My Place”, perhaps by inviting someone for lunch, and also some time at “Your Place” by being invited into someone else’s places.
Why is this important? Because when we spend time with people in different “places” we discover much more about the other person and they discover more about us.
I want to encourage and challenge you to spend some time thinking about who you could invite into your own space, somewhere outside of this building, and be willing to respond positively to invitations from others to enter their space. As we do this we move from acquaintance to friendship and in the process we become the body of God that he has called us to be.
I make decisions fast, my wife takes more time ... I've come to the conclusion that she is for the most part a better decision maker.I spend a lot of time considering our future financial state, my wife just deals with it day to day ... I've come to the conclusion that I'm better at looking after our financial situation.I'm more rational, my wife more emotional ... I've come to the conclusion that both are necessary.I love to start new things and take risks, my wife is more conservative ... I've come to the conclusion we make a good partnership.Some people say marriage is a 50/50 thing, I say its a 100/100 arrangement where we both seek to give to the other 100% of who we are.Some people say marriage is an old fashion thing, I say its the second best thing I ever did. (Best thing was deciding to be a follower of Jesus.)Some people say we need to be independent, I say we need more interdependence.Some people say life is what you make it, I say life is a precious gift given by God for which we should be profoundly grateful.Some people say God is a crutch, I agree, but then a cripple needs a crutch and I'm not ashamed of my profound need for God.
Some people shake their heads in dispair, others turn their heads in shame, and some people put their heads together to make a difference. Check out http://www.makepovertyhistory.org to see how some people are seeking to really make a dent in the awful toll of poverty in the world.
Tom Peters in the foreward of his book Re-Imagine says "People ... in enterprise, in government ... are by and large well intentioned. They'd like to get things done. To be of service to others. But they're thwarted ... at every step of the way ... by absurd organisational barriers ... and by the egos of petty tyrants (be they corporate middle managers, or army colonels, or school superintendents."Wow! What a rant and a rave. It would be laughably emotive if it weren't so true.As a leader I have to continually ask myself this question. "How am I getting in the way of my people getting the task done?"Leadership is not just about getting new things started, it's also about getting rid of every barrier, small or large, that gets in the way of our people doing a fantastic job.So today in a review meeting with one of my staff, one of my questions will be, "What do I need to do or stop doing to ensure you can do your job fantastically?"
Here's an example of how logic can be flawed.Imagine one person is chasing another person. The chasing person is twice as quick as the person being chased. How long does it take for the chasing person to catch the chased person?Answer: Never!Logic: If the chasing person is 10 metres behind the chased person, then when the chasing person has run 10 metres the chased person has run 5 metres and so still 5 metres ahead. When the chasing person has run the next 5 metres, the chased person has run 2.5 metres and so is still 2.5 metres ahead. When the chasing person has run the next 2.5 metres the chased person has run 1.25 metres and so is still 1.25 metres ahead. Continue this logically and the chasing person can never catch the chased person.So be careful next time you make a decision based on a logical arguement!
Here is a big question. It is an oldie but a goodie."What would I try if I knew I could not fail?"Answer this and it might just change your life!
My last blog on questions reminded me that I've passed many an exam or written many a speech just by asking the old familar questions of ... Who? What? When? How? Why?Here's an experiment to try:In your next conversation see how many questions you can ask. Then take time afterwards to reflect on how the conversation was different from the ones that you talk alot in.
Questions are powerful. Just listening to a Philosophy lecture on Plato's Republic and how Socrates was so influential precisely because he asked questions, particularly questions without a 'correct' answer that is implied.Just started reading "Zap the Gaps" by K Blanchard & others, and he talks about not going to the solution too quickly, that is to spend time trying to ascertain the real root of the problem, and this implies the need to ask questions.Some of the questions I'm mulling over at present are ..."What if there isn't a God?" and the followup is ... "What other explanations for what is here, is there?""Am I guilty or am I just guilty of guilt?" (This comes from Francis Schaeffer and I'll explain it one day.)"How do I change my habits?""Is what I'm doing worth it?""Why?" (This is one of my favourite questions.)
For the last 15 years I've read alot of stuff on leadership. Recently I reread a classic called "The One Minute Manager" and have decided to do something different.Instead of continuing to read new stuff I'm going to concentrate on applying the old stuff.My goals are this ...(1) Reread "The One Minute Manager" ten times. (It's only a small book)(2) Work through the book with one of my team and apply the lessons as we go.I'm discovering more and more that the problem is not innovative new ideas, its simply applying what we already know.
In my view belonging to a vibrant small group is one of the most important things you can do with your time. If you are serious about growing as a passionate, vibrant and holy disciple of Jesus then you need to be in a good small group.
Here are seven things that are best done in a small group. (1) Making friends. (2) Learning to pray. (3) Using your spiritual gifts. (4) Putting into practice what the bible teaches. (5) Learning to love fellow followers of Jesus. (6) Discovering your spiritual gifts. (7) Feeling welcome and loved.
There are groups meeting on Monday and Tuesdays so why not check them out this week. Or if you would like to start a new group then I’d love to help you start a new group.
Pastor Pete
In spiritual matters, kids take their cues from Dadby David Murrow
You've heard it said that fathers are the spiritual leaders of the home. Now there's a study to prove it.
Researchers from Switzerland examined whether parents' religious habits were transmitted to their offspring. They studied different variables, but one critical factor towered above the rest: the practices of the father determine whether children grow up attending church or not. And here's the shocker: the habits of the mother have almost no influence over their kids' future devotion.
Consider these findings:
When Mom is a regular churchgoer but Dad attends infrequently, just 3 percent of their kids go on to become regular churchgoers.
When Mom is regular but Dad never attends, just 2 percent become regular attenders.
Now, let's flip the chart. What if Dad is faithful?
When both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 33 percent of kids grow up to attend regularly.
When Dad is regular but Mom only goes once in a while, the figure jumps to 38 percent.
Here's the real bombshell: when Dad is faithful but Mom never attends, 44 percent of the kids end up as regular church attenders!
Bottom line: in spiritual matters, kids take their cues from Dad. If Papa doesn't go to church, chances are very slim that his children will become regular worshippers. If the kids see religion as "Mom's thing" they are more likely to become disenchanted. But if Dad leads by example, children are twenty-two times more likely to become lifelong churchgoers.
In my view a well developed friendship requires that we spend time in three different places, let me explain.
