Pan Dulce

Greater Dallas Movement Day Video

Less than one week to go before hundreds of leaders across our city gather for Greater Dallas Movement Day. If you have a heart for the city of Dallas, then I invite you to join us on Thursday, January 23, at the Dallas Convention Center, starting at 9 a.m.

In the brief video below, I explain why Buckner International has chosen to be a part of this historic day.

If you haven’t yet registered, go to the Greater Dallas Movement Day website and sign up today.

 

 

 

Greater Dallas Movement Day

It’s not often you have an opportunity to get in on the start of a movement that holds the potential to be life-changing for an entire city. Later this month, Greater Dallas Movement Day (GDMD) holds for us that exact potential. And, you and I can be active participants in it.

With its ultimate goal of beginning “a gospel movement that leads to lasting transformation” in the city of Dallas, GDMD will be held on January 23 at the Dallas Convention Center. The one-day event starts at 9 a.m. and concludes by 5 p.m.

Movement Day originated in New York City three years ago out of the minds of several pastors, including Tim Keller and Mac Pier. It is designed to address the serious issues of the city head on; issues such as education, hunger, immigration, vulnerable children, and human trafficking. In New York City, this annual event has been linked to a 300 percent increase in the Christian population of Manhattan.

It is fitting that Buckner, with our rich heritage of serving children, seniors, and their families, serve as an integral part of this effort. I, along with Keller, Pier, Rev. Brian Carter, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, will serve as one of the keynote speakers during the morning session.

A team of Buckner employees will lead one of the 12 afternoon work sessions, each dedicated to one of the specific issues and finding real and tangible solutions.

Already, hundreds and hundreds of leaders have registered to join us, and if you haven’t already, I want to invite you to the website so you can register. In fact, the website is full of information about our day’s purposes. Take a look at it and register today.

An historic day awaits us on January 23. Together, we can impact the great needs of our city and celebrate the great things already happening.  I hope you will join us!

Where are the best leaders (Part II)?

This week I presented my first talk of the year to our Corporate Team at Buckner and spoke on the topic of Leadership Selection. I reflected on my own journey to my role at Buckner and remembered a favorite story with principles for leadership selection. I shared the story of David being selected as the King of Israel in 1 Samuel 16.

So where do you find the best leaders?
1. The best leaders are where they are supposed to be doing their assignments. David was tending to his father’s business tending the sheep. He served in compliance and in submission to his father.
2. The best leaders perform for an audience of one and are comfortable with anonymity. David was not concerned about being out of sight and out of mind. God was the only person he performed for. David would later write: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7-12). Leaders who embrace God’s omnipresence never worry about who is noticing their work. The best leaders work as if the Lord himself was their supervisor (See Colossians 3:23).
3. The best leaders have integrity. They are predisposed to obedience and submission to authority. Outward appearance is important but does not trump inward character. Man looks at the outward; God looks at the inward.
4. The best leaders produce results. David protected the sheep and produced results for his father who trusted his livelihood to David’s care and skill. Results speak for themselves. Tenure is important but results speak volumes.
5. The best leaders develop skills when nobody is looking preparing for the day when they will use them when everybody is looking. David learned how to kill Lions and Bears using a slingshot and a stone to defend the sheep. Later he would use those same skills to kill a giant to defend the whole nation of Israel (1 Samuel 17).
6. The best leaders can easily be found. God never loses your address. Worrying about being noticed, meeting the right people, or being caught in the act of doing good only reveals your dependence on yourself. The fingerprints of excellence can always be traced to their origins.

The story closes with the Lord saying to Samuel, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.

The best leaders slay giants, obstacles, problems, and face tough challenges for the organization. The best leaders have courage, compassion, and conviction and offer solutions and recommendations from a skill and knowledge base developed in obscurity. Are you the one?

 

Where are the best leaders (Part I)?

This week I presented my first talk of the year to our Corporate Team at Buckner and spoke on the topic of Leadership Selection. I reflected on my own journey to my role at Buckner and remembered a favorite story with principles for leadership selection.

I recounted the story of the Prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 16:1-13 NIV) and reflected on my leadership assignments over my lifetime. I recall that Samuel was led by the Lord to travel to Bethlehem to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be the next King (v.1). Samuel obeyed the Lord and took a heifer to sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel was to anoint the son of Jesse that the Lord would indicate (v.2-3). The elders of the town thought Samuel the prophet was coming to judge them or pronounce bad new but he quickly declared that he came in peace to make a sacrifice to the Lord (v. 4-5).

At first Samuel saw Eliab and thought he was the one to anoint but the Lord said, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (v.7). After reviewing each of Jesse’s sons, Samuel asked: “Are these all the sons you have?” (v.10). Jesse said “There is still the youngest (David) but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel answered and said “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

Where was David? Why was he not at the sacrificial meal? What was he doing tending sheep? Was he really out of sight and out of mind? Was he under-developed and ignored? He was where he was supposed to be, doing his assignment, his mission, with no audience, tending the sheep, protecting them from lions and bears using a slingshot for defense.

Emerging leaders often wonder if they are in the right place at the right time, don’t you? Some wonder why they are not invited to certain functions and may be offended when they are left out. Sometimes emerging leaders wonder if their work matters, if anyone is noticing what they are doing. Focus on getting noticed sometimes distracts us from doing our best. Some leaders begin to believe that time in position and tenure is supreme and settle into a sense of entitlement while missing opportunities to develop new skills expecting others to move to the back of the line. These behaviors and actions represent inadequate thinking and do not resonate with a biblical worldview. The best leaders with the right skills get matched to the right assignment to produce the right results for the organization or ministry. This was true in the story of David when he was anointed and appointed to serve as King.

So where do you find the best leaders? I will post my answers the question on Friday.