Are you a leader?

Leadership is a process of influence. Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of people toward accomplishing a goal in their personal or professional lives, you are taking on the role of a leader.

- Ken Blanchard, "Lead like Jesus"

Effectively Manage Your Time by Doing It "God's Way"

10 Differences Between Managers & Leaders

10 Differences Between Managers & Leaders | Big Is The New Small

This is a great video by Scott Williams on the ongoing dialogue over the differences between Managers and Leaders. Which one are you?

Pastor: Keep Moving Forward!

I am heavily influenced by the leadership, innovation and imagination of Walt Disney. Sometimes I wonder if Walt Disney were a church planter, what would his congregation look like today? If it were anything like the Disney company is now, it would be a radical world changer!

Clearly his legacy continues today, and to a certain degree, continues to be ahead of his time. One of my favorite Walt Disney quotes is:

“There’s really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward – opening up new doors and doing new things – because we are curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We’re always exploring and experimenting. At WED, we call it Imagineering, the blending of creative imagination with technical know-how.”

Leaders and pastors, we must continue to keep moving forward. Regardless of any obstacles we may face, we are called and empowered by God. We should not live in fear. Scripture teaches us in Isaiah 43: 18-19,

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

God is doing a new thing! God is making a way! So pastor/leader, keep moving forward!

Leading Leaders

I find it is important for leaders to set goals not only for themselves, but also their

leadership team, regardless if they are paid staff or volunteers. As a new church planter,

there’s only one direction I am interested in going: forward! And I can measure how our

group is moving forward and keep accountability by setting goals. Here is a simple

method that I use to help me set goals for a group:

1) Assess group members. Every group I have ever been in has its own identity,

strengths, and gifts. While there can be certain traits that are consistently found in various

groups, there are also certain traits that make each group unique. Take time to identify

them, and use them as strengths.

2) Assess group leadership development. I need to also assess how my leaders can

continue to develop themselves. So while I am also assessing their strengths and gifts, I

am also identifying weaknesses and areas of improvement. This is where you can become

their coach, mentor, teacher, etc. Be strategic about this, and challenge your leaders with

love.

3) Promote teamwork. No one should be taking on heavy tasks alone. Delegate tasks

appropriately, but also create ways that people can work together and collaborate. It not

only enriches the project at hand, but it also builds the group cohesion. This is a

wonderful opportunity for people to learn from each other and can be a very rewarding

moment.

4) Celebrate! When your group accomplishes a goal, take time to celebrate. Humbly pat

yourself on the back, and take time to pat your leadership on the back. Tell your team

"job well done." Be sure to reward your leadership and let them know that you appreciate

them for their hard work and time.

5) Acknowledge God. And above all, thank God, and celebrate His goodness, because

without Him, none of this is possible!

I'm on Tumblr

I am exploring the world of Tumblr.
So far, so good.

Check out my new page at: SamuelRoblesJr.tumblr.com

Thinking/Being Missional ~ Thinking/Being Sent

Ever since we began Arise Christian Church, the topic of "missional" has ran through all conversations. In fact, with just talking about new church planting, the discussion on "missional vs. attractional" is at the top of the list.

Over the last couple of weeks I've come across a couple of videos and blogs about thinking/being missional that I find to be great. They have really affected how I think and what it means to be sent...and I love it!

Romans 10:14-15 says,
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Here are 2 videos and a blog post by Ed Stetzer that have sparked my imagination about what it means to be in the "middle of the marketplace" (using a theater church term).

How to Have Church in a Theater on Harry Potter Weekend

This is Discipling from The Foursquare Church on Vimeo.

What would it look like if, as leaders, we focused less on the things that make our churches entertaining and more on making disciples?

Hope Partnership Interview

Being interviewed at the Hope Partnership booth on leadership, new church planting, and Arise Christian Church.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Forgotten God? Forget God? Remember who?

I have been reading a lot of Francis Chan's writing this year. In fact, our entire church is reading the books of Francis Chan. Our small groups have read Crazy Love, and now we're reading Forgotten God.

As a new church, we've attracted people from various backgrounds, e.g. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic, non-Denominational, and the unchurched. Our church is so diverse! It's beautiful. But with this diversity comes different theological understandings, especially on the Holy Spirit. As a result, we decided as a church to spend the summer in dialogue about the Holy Spirit, and we felt that Forgotten God by Francis Chan was a good conversation starter.

So far we are 3 weeks into our study, and it has been amazing so far!

You can read the Intro and Chapter 1 on the Forgotten God website.

"How Coaching Works"

I recently completed training to be a coach for new church planters/pastors through the Coaching Academy. I find that this video is very helpful in understanding how coaching works.

Abortion...'nuff said

I came across this image from C28.

Powerful!

'Nuff said.

Prayer: talk or listen?

Have you ever paid attention to your prayers? I mean, have you realized what you're saying when you pray?

So many times we are so wrapped up in talking with God, asking and requesting "stuff," that we don't stop and shut up so we can hear God's voice.

I came across this video, and found it not only to be funny, but quite true.

Vision

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Why work hard?

You may ask, "Why work hard?"
Walt Disney had a great response to that question.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Arise in Historical Society

For the last few days, I've been in Nashville, TN. I was representing the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries at the Seminarians Conference. Right across the street from where the conference was being held is the Disciples Historical Society. Since I knew the Historical Society was a short distance from the conference, I hand delivered a folder full of various documents and digital images of Arise Christian Church. It's pretty cool that from an early age, the history of Arise will be preserved here, and can be used for historical research.

Here is a pic of the Historical Society. Arise is now here in Nashville. :-)

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

The 21st Century Church?

What is the Church going to look like? What does the Church look like?

These are some questions that are being asked as it relates to the 21st century.

These 2 videos, though comedic, paint some interesting images of the Church.

As one person recently said, "Where did we go wrong?!"

What are your thoughts?

forever JONES - He wants it all!

This song has been ministering to me for the last few weeks!

I listen to it right before I go do a set at Disney. Reminds me that God wants it all!

In-betweeness: a Lenten Reflection

Luke 23:33

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.

Arise Christian Church is a new church in Orlando, FL that is intentional about serving 2^nd, 3^rd, and beyond generations of Hispanic/Latino(a)s, a population that is often overseen or ignored. It is a demographic that is in search for an identity, largely because the dominant culture of this country rejects them and tells them that they are not from here. Yet, their motherland also rejects them because they were never born there. We are a people in the middle of these two realities: they both define us, yet both reject us. It is a state of “in-betweeness,” an often lonely and sad place.

However, to be in a state of cultural “in-betweeness” is also a sacred place because it is here that we encounter Jesus. When Jesus was crucified, he was placed in between two thieves to die, and it is here that Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Jesus is found in the in-betweeness of our reality(ies) of everyday life. It is here where we encounter a Jesus who knows us and understands us, and affirms that we are not a mistake. It is in this state of in-betweeness where we find wholeness, forgiveness, love, identity and salvation. To be “in-between” is to live with Jesus.

By Rev. Samuel Robles Jr., M.Div.

Pastor and co-planter of Arise Christian Church (Orlando, FL)

Keep strangers dry

The weather in Central Florida has been warm and sunny. There hasn't been any rain. Yet, just the other day, everyone was surprised to wake up to morning rain showers. Thankfully I grabbed an umbrella as I headed out the door, but not everyone was prepared.

I was on my way to rehearsals at Disney, and had parked my car backstage. The only parking left was way towards the back and required a lengthy walk to the cast entrance. As I was walking, I noticed an older gentleman ahead of me in the distance walking with a limp and he did not have an umbrella. I could tell that he was trying to hurry because he was getting wet. I was too far to do anything. I felt so bad. Just then, a woman with an umbrella offered to help him keep dry and walk with him to the entrance. I was touched.

I started to reflect on Matthew 25 and what Jesus says about "the least of these." I don't know if this woman was Christian, but what an example of demonstrating the love of Christ: she outreached to a total stranger who needed help by keeping him dry.


Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Need a laugh?

Reverend Fun cracks me up!

Check out their cartoons. Many of them make me "LOL!"

Levantate y Resplandece - Dr. Samuel Pagán

An amazing sermon excerpt from scholar and pastor, Samuel Pagán.

Isaiah 60:1 is the Scripture text that undergirds the ministry of Arise Christian Church. This is a powerful word!

If you can dream it...

Another Walt Disney quote I came across. So true! I find it inspirational and motivational.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T