Last week, thanks to the generosity of LIT and Pete Wilson, I was able to attend the LIT conference in Knoxville, TN. Pete was given 3 tickets to give away and I was the recipient of one of those tickets. (I bribed him). 🙂 Anyway, my next few posts will highlight some of the teaching from the speakers beginning with Pat Summit. Pat is the head basketball coach of the girl’s basketball team of the University of Tennessee Vols. She has been there 36 years and one of the most interesting statements she made was that he has been the head coach for 36 years and 36 teams. Not many (translate: none) church leaders can say that. Here are some of my takeaways from her talk:
“We are what we repeatedly do.” This is a saying on the locker room wall. Excellence is a habit. What you give today you have forever. What you didn’t give you lost forever. Learn to carefully select the people I want in my circle.
“How many will leave here with a better commitment?” She constantly asks herself that question year after year. I think it is a great question to ask ourselves when it pertains to our church life.
“How many are difference-makers? How many will make changes?” Every time I study and ultimately stand up before the people to share God’s truth, these must be questions I ask myself.
“Don’t just work hard. Work smart. Put the team before yourself.” It’s okay to be a role player. I remember a pro basketball player named John Havlichek. He came off the Boston Celtics bench as the #6 man. His reputation became the best 6th man in the game. I don’t know if he ever griped about not starting but I do know that John is still known today as arguably the best in the business. Ronald Reagan is credited with saying, “It’s amazing how much can get done when no one cares who gets the credit.” There is no place for ego in God’s game.
“Be a team with one heartbeat. It is not about team ego but team cohesion. “ This is more on the previous thought. How many churches falter because of ego? How many staffs fall apart because the Lead Pastor is threatened by the Youth Pastor or some other variation of that?
“Treat women with great respect.” Pat was asked how she handled things when her world fell apart (she found out her husband was having an affair for 3 1/2 years). This was one of her insights from that time of her life. I think it is one the church would do well to remember. Although a pastor may have definite beliefs about the role of women (right or wrong), he should NEVER treat them as second class citizens or with disrespect.
Plenty of stuff to go around. There was more but space limits sharing all Pat taught. I chose the highlights. My next post will relate some of what I consider the best of the day from one of the speakers.
Which one stands out to you? What one thought can you apply to your life/ministry/family today? I would like to hear your thoughts if care to share them.
Hey Bill, now *I’m* the one at a training camp so can’t comment as often as I would’ve liked to, but anyway.
Considering that I’m at a camp leaders’ bootcamp (it really feels like a bootcamp, but that’s another story)… The quotes you have mentioned above are quite fitting. It has been the toughest training I’ve had but at the same time I have learned a lot about myself and the teamwork. The quote above, the one about the work smart is Soooo true and hits home.
Thanks for sharing, bro. Miss our commenting chats 🙂
“We are what we repeatedly do.” There’s no truer statement. Funny enough I posted this statement on my twitter status this morning, this is what I said, “Lesson #4: Be everything you speak so passionately about. Your words ‘r’ you.”
Zee: Train away! 😀 Working as a team is so essential and yet so hard to do sometimes. Hope you have a fantastic boot camp, come back refreshed and ready to comment back and forth. 🙂
Jaycee: it is so good to have you stop by. Have seen your comments on Michael’s blog.You have an interesting blog and plan to read more of it. I certainly agree with your tweet. Thanks for coming by my and sharing in my world.
Man – I am not sure I can boil this down to just one. They are all great pieces of information. I find encouragement in all of them.
I am glad you got to go and I pray it was a time of refreshment and encouragement for you.
Should have been there trying to boil it all down and take it all in jim. Like eating at a buffet. 🙂
I’m with Jim. Having a hard time picking the one that resonates the most. If I was forced to pick it would be “we are what we repeatedly do.” Wow! That’s powerful.
Michael: should have been there! I had to weed out a lot just for this post. 🙂
I go to a church that doesn’t believe that women should be pastors and because of things in my background, I’m totally ok with that. However, the church treats women well. There are so many women ministries. There are great women in our church mentoring women in the home and in life. There are women leaders who are handling operations of our children’s ministries and caring for the families who have issues with their children. Our church in no way treats women like they are lower class. I hear our pastor often telling men they need to take care of their wives and preaching it from the pulpit as well as showing it as an example in his own life.
I forgot to add that I’ve seen what happens when people don’t respect women. My in-laws are examples of that. They just think women are put here to clean, cook, and have sex. When it comes down to disagreements, my brother in laws have told my husband to “shut his women up”. they just see women as garbage. It makes me really hate men sometimes. (My husband doesn’t USUALLY think that way, however at times his upbringing has indeed affected things in our house, as I’m sure mine has too)
Some great insights up there. Picking one that speaks to me this morning:
“We are what we repeatedly do.”
How true is this. Our priorities and our loves are shown by what we focus on in our living. How we spend our time and money is better proof of who we are than what we say.
Here’s to repeatedly Loving God and People in all that we do.
What repeatedly “DO” is what stood out to me today. You know my love for affirmations but words are only words until we do… Have a great day!
MB: I am glad that you have chosen a church that respects women. I am not comfortable with women preachers but despise making them second class citizens at the same time. Pat was hurt deeply by her husband and I am sure made that statement because our churches are filled with women who are/have been hurt. Hoping your husband takes the initiative to keep loving you the way you need loved.
Dusty: great thought to keep doing what we do. Loving God and loving people is always worth repeating.
Tom: thanks for the comment. doing must always follow words.
MB, Bill – re: women in ministry – my mom’s a pastor and even though i don’t go to her Church (won’t go in detail here), she rocks at what she does. At this training where i have been these past few days, there were times of sharing our testimonies with each other and even though the team was from all over Ukraine, mom’s name kept reappearing to the point when our trainers (who don’t know mom) asked who she is. I said that it’s my mom and it felt awesome. At that point i really wish she could be there to hear the stories. I’m proud of her and thankful that i’ve been so blessed.
Zee: Hoping you are not seeing my comment as a judgment. I realize there are women in ministry. Male or female I am sure it was good to hear that your mom made a difference in someone’s life.
Bill: no worries. i realize that there may be difference of opinions and i still prefer when a guy is a pastor because you guys were MADE to lead, but at the same time i have no problems (most of the time) with women who are pastors.
Thanks Zee. Appreciate your spirit. 😉
😉 anytime.
We are what we repeatedly do….for SURE!!!! Another quote I love is similiar: when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
Catching up on your re-cap. I’ll be reading some over the next few days but wanted to start at the beginning…I read :
We are what we repeatedly do.
And grabbed my journal to write it down. I LOVE this. LOVE it.
hugs~R
Robin: hugs back to you. that seems to be the favorite saying of all. 🙂