Flying ahead of the plane
Ever since he was five years old, my son, Jonathan, wanted to fly. Now in his second year at Letourneau University, he is learning missionary aviation and mechanics.
A few weeks I got to fly with Jonathan for the very first time. What a rush! It was exhilarating and my heart was bursting with pride. (Just for fun, I am including a picture of Jonathan in his plane.)
I never realized how mentally tough it is to fly a plane. In “pilot speak,” there is an adage that Jonathan often uses: “Fly ahead of the plane, not behind it.” He taught me how important it is for pilots to navigate well…to anticipate what is coming next, to always be a few steps ahead and to be aware of weather patterns.
Pilots who fly behind the plane get so overwhelmed with missed calculations that their ability to make wise decisions greatly diminishes. Pilots who fly by the seat of their pants are an accident waiting to happen.
In “pastor speak,” I wonder if the same is true: “Fly ahead of the church, not behind it.” As pastors and lay leaders, part of our role is to anticipate what is coming next, especially when leading through change. Wise leaders think through the change ahead of time…step by step…in sequence. And they nurture that change from beginning to end.
Pastors who lead change from the seat of their pants often see their ideas crash and burn. Trust me. I speak from experience on this one. I was so ignorant and naïve.
We have now developed a follow up workshop to Veritas called EPIC: Empowering People, Inspiring Change. EPIC helps pastors and lay leaders lead change in a way that is civil, compassionate and Christ honoring.
How I wished for something like this when I was pastoring. I could have done a much better job of loving God and loving the people God called me to serve. EPIC would have helped me and the leadership team fly ahead of the church. I can’t turn back the clock, but perhaps I can help other leaders avoid the same mistakes I made.
My goal is to teach EPIC in the places where Veritas has been taught – sort of like Paul’s second missionary journey, where he strengthened and encouraged the disciples and the leaders (Acts 14:21-23).
Everything in EPIC builds off Veritas, so please make sure you have either attended a Veritas workshop or watched the DVDs. One leadership team drove four hours to attend an EPIC workshop and they watched Veritas on the way.
If you would like to host a cluster event for EPIC, please contact your superintendent and let us know here in CGE. EPIC is designed as a Saturday workshop from 9 to 3:30 and is open to everyone in the church.
We now have a dedicated page in the blog for EPIC, so you can check to see when it will be in your area. We have already taught it three times and have received encouraging and helpful feedback.
Reflections on the Journey:
- Are the leaders of your church flying ahead of the plane or behind the plane?
- What are some examples of leading change well in your church?
- What are some examples of leading change poorly in your church?
- How are you equipping the leaders in your church to understand the process of change and to navigate through it?
- What is the relationship between change and reaching your full kingdom potential in Christ as a church?
December 10th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I’m very excited about EPIC and will look forward to having you back in the MidSouth soon.
Mostly, I was thrilled by the idea of you flying with your son. I’ve heard that just DRIVING with a kid on his permit is stressful, I can’t imagine taking a plane ride!
December 11th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Thanks for your comment. I thought about that too. The stakes are higher (pardon the pun). Like you, I am excited about EPIC. I look forward to returning to your conference.