Eric De Souza: Teams

Showing posts with label Teams. Show all posts

Breaking The "I" Barrier - A Lesson in Humility

I once shared with our team about our responsibility in cultivating a humble heart. Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. Humility is essential and it is the key if we want to stay usable and if we want to reflect God. Here it is a little bit of what we discussed.

We are not individuals on a team trying to succeed in our area of expertise. Rather we are a part of a team trying to see how we can serve our team with our area of expertise so that the team can succeed. The world does things a certain way but we are Christians and we do things differently.We live in the world but we are not of the world (John 17:15-16)

Self Promotion vs. Humility

God favours humility and will take you much higher than your self promotion ever can. Don’t be scared that if you are humble you will lose out! God sees and He will lift you up - when the time is right! (James 4:10)

Remember God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5)

Tips to stay on track:

1. Watch your attitude
Does it need attention and self promotion? Is it seeking the kingdom first? - Think Matthew 6:33. Check your attitude towards your team and your church, is it focused on the big picture and serving the vision? Do you even know what the vision is?

2. Know why you do what you do
Why do you serve on team?, Why do you come to church?
Do you even know God? Do you have a relationship with Him?

3. Stay humble
Stay humble by watching what comes out of our mouth.
Stay humble by watching what you ponder on in your heart.

4. Follow the Son's example - Serve!
"...Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28)

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Building Great Team Members

You cannot build a strong organisation without a strong team. You cannot build a strong team without building the individuals within the team. Ask the individual team members the following:

1. What their main challenge is (Problem).

2. What they need in order to perform (Need).

3. What their passion is (Passion).

4. What you can provide (Solution).

The chart above has helped me to quickly assess where a team member is at. You might find it overly simplistic, but I like simple. I believe simple can help us leaders to unclutter, to see clearly beyond the mess and focus on the results we are looking for.

Let's look into the four categories;

Problem - When you detect a problem (e.g. poor performance) within a team you've got to act immediately. You just cannot afford to ignore the issue and expect it to go away. It won't! The longer you take the more the problem will grow and spread among the team. So write the main problem on this part of the chart.

Need - Is the problem caused by a particular need (e.g. training). Assess the need by asking direct questions (e.g. what do you think your primary need is?). Also assess past performance to detect the need.

Passion - Do you know what your team member is passionate about? This part of the chart should be revealing something to you. Is the person in the right role? Perhaps his dreams are different to what he is doing at the moment. People will flourish when they start doing what they love. After discussing the topic add your team member's passion to this part of the chart.

Solution - This is your chance to write down a solution in order to move your team member forward. Take this opportunity to describe what is required from you and your team member in order to achieve results. Be concise and clear - I've found that too much information tends to get people confused.

The chart above can also be used in interviews, appraisals, coaching and informal meetings. If you want to zero in on a problem, focus, think, develop and provide clear solutions with clear instructions, why not give the above development chart a try and let me know if it worked for you too.

Keep it simple!

Your Destiny Is Within Your Reach

Your destiny is within your reach. You are not a waste of space. You were born for times like these (Acts 17:26). It’s your turn to make history. What legacy will you leave behind? Opportunities are about what he is preparing you for. But how do you recognise whether you are moving towards your destiny? Here are a few thoughts:

1) You recognise that you exist to serve your generation

(Acts 13:36, 17:26)

You are in the right place at the right time. God placed you here. Your existence was planned by God before the foundation of the world. Your parents might not have planned you but God did. You were conceived in the mind of God long before you were conceived by your parents (Ephesians 1:4). God placed you here to serve. Service is not optional. You were saved to serve.(Ephesians 2:10). God made a way for us to serve your generation through his church. Are you giving it all you can? (Colossians 3:23, Ecclesiastes 9:10)

2) You recognise that you already have what you need

(Ephesians 3:20)

Check out Judges 15:15, Exodus 4:2 and 1 Samuel 17:50. What did Sampson, Moses and David had in common? They used what they had. If you use what you have God will become what you need. Thank God for Ephesians 3:20. What do you have in your hands? A house (why not use it to connect with people in you world), a car (are you using it to carry people?), an informal environment in church on Sundays that makes it easy for you to connect with people, a cup of coffee (why not offer someone a cuppa?). What do you have right now that you can use for God’s glory?(1 Corinthians 10:31). You already have what God wants you to have to cause a great impact for the kingdom.

3) You recognise that your destiny is within your reach

(2 kings 7, 1 Samuel 14)

In 2 kings 7 we read of two lepers that saved a whole nation. In 1 Samuel 14 yet another two men saved a whole nation. Their destiny were within their reach. Here is the thing, your destiny is also within your reach. You already have the right people and right resources in your world. Are you investing in your relationships? Do you value your church? Are you being a good steward? God will use the ones close to you as he did with the lepers and Jonathan.

Ask God to show you the resources he has already given you, for your destiny is within your reach.

Creating A Microcosm

Microcosm = a small place, society or situation which has the same characteristics as something much larger.

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

Matthew 11:12

Culture architecture can be hard work. One thing is to inherit a well established organisation where the culture within it has been tested and proved successful. But taking outsiders on this journey can definitely be time consuming. Take our church for instance, D7 is a baby church where most people come from an unchurched background, add to that addictions, deteriorating lifestyles, abuse, traumas etc and you have a nice challenge before you. Thank God for Hebrews 13:6!

That's why in our church we've had to create everything in a small scale. Our core team is going to dictate the culture for the rest of the church. In the way that the first 20 people in our church act, interact, give etc, will translate in the way that the next 50, 100, 10000 will also behave. So I insist that it is the primary task of my core team to set the culture for the rest of the church. We have to get this right from the very beginning as there is way too much at stake. We'll have to model and in order to accomplish this we have to create a microcosm.

We are here to build a church; the closest thing people in modern society will get from Jesus. So we dress for where we are going not for where we are. We are dreaming big dreams. We’ve often looked bigger than we were, out of place, and “overdressed”. But eventually we will not look awkward anymore. You see, we will either dress down to fit in or dress up for where we are heading. For example we've had to apply reverse engineering concepts to what we do, we've had to start with the end in mind and that means that we are now prepared to accommodate more people than we currently have. The answers and the way we do things should be uniform. Different scenarios, one vision, one way!

The limit is our capacity.

The D7 Welcome Home Experience - Be Genuine

"Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."

Dale Carnegie

Welcoming people by name is a small thing, but it counts. In our church we understand that people want to be recognised and celebrated in some way. They want to belong and they want to be made to feel that they do count for something.

The concept we follow at D7 to represent this next level connection is fairly simple: "connect, discover, respond". Three elements that will contribute to the D7 Experience, a simple yet powerful model for meaningful interactions and quality relationships.

Connect. This is when you meet people for the first time, you learn their names and you show them that they really matter by focusing on them.

Discover. This is when you hear their life stories and ask relevant questions, you learn about their individual situation, preferences and needs.

Respond. Although many of us find it easier to connect with people and learn about their life still many of us don't act on what we learn. This is the stage where you take immediate action based on what you learn. That can be something as practical as food or help moving home or it can also be the fact that you need to go home and pray for wisdom on what to do. The main point here is to do something.

Genuine connection is never a problem when you truly love people. Is your church giving your new guests those memorable welcomes?

The Broken World and a Glorious Bride

You should read this.

3:16 Quotes

I have found that most Christians can happily quote John 3:16, but they can't quote 1 John 3:16.

Just a thought...

Culture Architecture

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again."
John 3:16-17 (The Message)

Firstly allow me to define three keywords:

The world is the kingdoms and costumes of the age we live in, an architect is a person responsible for achieving a particular plan or aim and culture is a lot of things that have been passed on, it is what people pick up on immediately, thought it may be imperceptible to regulars.

For our sake and the sake of the next generation we need to make sure we pass things that are worth passing on. That’s why at D7 our team nights are so important, here we will not only learn leadership principles and be empowered but you will also know what we are all about. This is extremely important in order to keep yourself and others connected. Culture is the glue that holds our church together.

Now, let's establish two things:

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."
Colossians 1:15-16 (The Message)

1) God cannot be seen.

"The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence."
Ephesians 1:23 (The Message)

In this day and age how do people see Jesus? He is invisible!

2) Jesus cannot be seen.

Here is where culture architecture comes in.

You see God by seeing Jesus (but Jesus is also invisible). So you see Jesus by seeing His Body – The Church. The church is His body filled with Him.

The questions we need to ask is:

1) How does the culture of our church represent the culture around us?
Is it relevant? Are we being present? Is it Innovative? Are we contributing in creative ways in order to bring positive and meaningful change?
2) How does an unbeliever see our church?

The culture exists no matter what! Do something to contribute and architect culture. Each single one of us sets the atmosphere and the culture of our environment. Owing the culture will help us be more confident in bringing people to church. How does that look like practically? You bring the atmosphere with you, you get your attitude sorted before coming to God's house because you understand that it is not about our vision but His Kingdom, not about our fame but His name.

Princess From A Prostitute

You have to read this post, it brought tears to my eyes. Real stories of real lives.

D7 Band - King's Square

After much anticipation the digital version of our album has now officially been released! Have a listen below. Let me know which of these songs you like the most.

D7 Band Album Is Available Now

Exciting news everyone!!!

D7 Band debut album is now available for digital download.

Unity Has No Labels

Fundamentalist, liberal, post-modern, emerging, traditional. These are just a few words some people use in their Christian circles to label others and even themselves.

Here is the thing about labels: You demote yourself from Son of God, passionate follower of Jesus to a fundamentalist or liberal or whatever you want to call yourself. Here is another thing about labels, you also get associated to that group and if their fame is not a good one your reputation also goes down the drain, creating an instant barrier between you and other people, causing instant division. Yet another thing about labels, you feel the need to defend your thesis or point of view instead of talking about the one thing that matters the most - the gospel. Or maybe this is just a subtle excuse for us to talk about our favourite subject... ourselves.

The amazing things He has done in our lives gets replaced by questions, dissections and discussions about methodologies overlooking the core message that is being preached. We get caught up in conversation about labels instead of discussing strategies on how to win those who are lost and (on a daily basis) crying out for answers.

Am I going crazy or Jesus did say that we would be known by our love for one another? Who cares about methods, as long as you are preaching that Jesus is God's only begotten son and the only way to heaven. Should we maybe stop over analysing and start getting busy with loving one another?

I think there are way too many Christians with too much time on their hands in this world. Lets stop the useless talk and start concentrating on what actually matters!

D7 Debut Album

Our worship team has been in the studio recording our very first album. What God is doing is truly amazing, it's been only seven months and we have enough music for three albums. I can definitely see Titus 2:10 coming to pass.

The thing I like the most about this album is that it totally reflects our church and community. In this worship album you will find music that people around us are listening to, we've had an amazing response from unbelievers wanting to buy our music and since God seems to be blessing this side of our church ministry with such overwhelming creativity we've just decided to go for it. The result is an amazing worship album that even the unchurched will enjoy. An album that reflects our passion for life and those who have not yet been filled with Jesus. This is an album that will make you smile and draw you closer to the God.

A Love For The House

I believe David was a man after God’s own heart because he was passionate about what God was passionate about. Check this out:

Psalm 26:8 I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 36:7-8 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

Psalm 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Psalm 92:12-13 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

Love is a decision not an emotion. I don’t believe we have love as default. It’s a decision and we have to aim towards that place where our love is so strong that we will not have to keep on learning to love His house (His church) over and over again.

Are you passionate about God's house?

Focus

This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. Titus 1:13-14

If you want to get anywhere in life you will need focus. Here is the thing about focus: it doesn't just happen, you have to be determined and intentional. Focus is selective, it takes away distractions.

Sometimes we just have to pay no attention. Pay no attention to critics, pay no attention to the economy (God is your provider not your boss), pay no attention to the million things that come our way. Even opportunities can distract you - not all opportunities will take you where you want to go.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

We can learn a lot from the apostle Paul's success. We can be more effective by being more selective.

Focus demands selection. So say no to distractions.

Kings Square

Last Sunday was awesome! In case you don't know we took our church into our community for the first time by having an outdoor service. It took us an hour and a half to get connected to a reliable source of electricity as we had problems with our generator (predictable!), we literally sung and played in the rain but I would not have it any other way!

The air was electric. We were all fighting the elements but were also pumped and everyone had a high sense of expectancy. History Maker by Delirious was playing in the Kings Square Shopping Mall, which added to the atmosphere. I prayed thanking God for the awesome encouragement, "Yes Lord, I want to be a history maker in this land!" By working together our team is writing history. Their history and the history of those involved. Yes we had a crowd, yes we connected and reconnected people to God's house. Someone even wanted to buy our band album (which by the way will be available at the end of the year!).

God is good, hell is too hot and people are dying for something fresh. Something that will not wear out the next day. Jesus is bringing them living water and we want to be part of it! So Well done team for an awesome work.

Gloucester here we come!!!

Our Dream Team

I really would like to say a big thank you to our most awesome team at D7 church (you know who you are). Your attitude, confidence, loyalty, commitment, godliness, courage, perseverance, creativity, talent, servanthood... the list goes on is changing people's lives in our sphere of influence. I can definitely see 1 Chronicles 22:5 taking shape through your excellent work.

When I mention how young our team is people often get surprised, amazed or just laugh in disbelief. However the heroine addict that is now clean is not laughing (if you know what I mean) he is been filled with joy through Christ his saviour. Someone who was mentally ill is now totally healed and in full time employment, enjoying his life and ready to start a family. A homeless man that had never worked in his entire life is now making a living and not begging anymore. The teenager that has been written off by his teachers is going to uni. Another bright teenager that used to spend all of his spare time in front of a computer screen playing games is now part of our core team and having the time of his life. People are getting better jobs, people are getting healed, we literally have seen Psalm 92:12-13 become reality in the life of D7 people.

Even though we are a new church we have already caused major damage to the kingdom of darkness. Our community is being systematically affected by the work we do and the best is yet to come!

Well done team... and remember your best days are yet to be written!

Winners And Whiners

"not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times. not one of them will ever see the land I promised..."

- Numbers 14:22-23

I have noticed that the world is divided into two kinds of people; the winners and the whiners. Whiners can be found on wholesale, the shelves are full of them. They come in bulk. Whiners are always ready to complain and give excuses why they “can’t”. Two million whiners did not see the promise that God gave them because of their whining. They touched God’s heart with their cry, they heard his promise, they saw his miraculous works, they tasted his goodness and smelled the fragrance of freedom. Still they complained.

God was not exaggerating when he said that ten times they tested him:

They didn’t believe. Twice!(Ex. 14:11-12, Nm. 14:1-4)
Disobeyed Him. Twice!(Ex. 16:20, 16:27-29)
Worshipped something else other than Him. (Ex. 32:7-10)
and... They complained... FIVE TIMES!(Ex. 15:24, 16:3, 17:2-3, Nm. 11:1-2, 11:4)
This is what whiners do:
They worship themselves, something or someone other than God. They don’t think twice when facing a crucial decision, they find it easy to come up with excuses to disobey God. They don’t fully believe that he is able and that nothing is impossible to him. And, this is perhaps the most basic and loudest of them all... they whine and complain... ALL THE TIME!
Winners on the other hand are handmade, they are precious rare items found in small alley shops. They refuse to settle for the ordinary, they see opportunities instead of obstacles. Joshua and Caleb are great examples of winners. They trusted God to the core. They brought the minority report refusing to go with the majority. They saw opportunities instead of obstacles. They found reasons to move forward and take ground instead of coming up with excuses to shrink back.
Winners will not only see God’s miraculous power in action, but they will also ‘possess the land’. They may not lead a comfortable life but they will certainly lead a totally fulfilling one. They fully obey and trust God walking in total freedom as a result. And when they die they leave a legacy.
Are you a winner or a whiner?

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