Lead Team At CSF

This morning I met with a group that I meet with once a month. I met with the CSF Lead Team. This is a group of people that are volunteers at CSF who have committed their lives to the leadership, direction and protection of our great church. Their role is to give prayerful leadership to CSF and to me as the Lead Pastor. As you know, we are a Staff led and Lead Team governed Church. The Lead Team provides spiritual direction and protection for the church, while the staff is responsible for daily operations.

At CSF we practice a Team approach to ministry and our structures are streamlined to empower people for ministry. The Lead Team has been given the task of leading out in matters of larger vision and purpose of the church. The Lead Team is the group that oversees things like land and building purchases, oversee the business side of a growing church like ours, they assist me in overseeing our growing staff, they set my personal salary and give me direct accountability. Most importantly they have been given the spiritual task of making sure that CSF stays on mission and purpose in our community and world.

If you have never read about our Lead Team on the website here are the people that are on this incredible Lead Team.

Lead Team

* Bill Branigan (On Leave)

* Greg Crosby

* Kenny Hibbard

* Mark Little

* Andrew Montognese

Today we met and discussed some of the amazing things that God is doing at our church. We talked about the joint worship and baptism service that we are having with Champion Christian Center, a predominately African American church in our area.

We continue to pray about and lay out strategies for implementing the God given vision and purpose has given to our church. We have some really cool things that we will be sharing with the church in the next few weeks/months. As a matter of fact over 100 volunteer leaders at CSF will be here this weekend for our annual Leadership Gathering. This is the annual time where we lay out some specific directions for our the upcoming ministry year. Always a fun time!

Our new land purchase has been accepted for the rezoning process.....start praying for a smooth process.

Today's Bible Reading John Chapter 10

I love the leadership principle in verses 11-13. Jesus said that he is the Good Shepherd that is willing to give His life for His sheep. He is willing because He sees us as His own children. He compares it to the difference between a "hired-hand" who is at work watching the sheep only for the money and the shepherd who owns and loves the sheep. When a wolf comes to kill the sheep....the hired hand thinks.."This is not worth the money I am making, I am not risking my life for those dumb sheep!" The owner shepherd is willing to die to protect the sheep he loves.

As a leader at CSF......I agree with Jesus. I can tell when a staff member and a volunteer are "hired-guns" and when they actually have fallen in love with the vision and mission of this church. When hard times hit.....when personal sacrifice may be needed.....those who are sold out to the vision and mission keep moving forward. I love being with those types of people. I love the fact that Jesus compared Himself to that kind of shepherd. That is the kind of Leader/Pastor I strive to be.