These leadership lessons were created for a group of eight college students I mentored in July 2012 in Tracy, California. As I was praying about what to teach them, the Lord impressed upon my heart the need to give these students a head-start in their leadership, thus these lessons.
1. I’m thankful for a constellation of mentors
In my 20’s I was blessed to have a number of different mentors in my life: Mr. Lee, my first small group leader, who taught me how to handle the Bible; Mike Palompo, who discipled me in my Christian faith and in ministry; Uncle John Lau, who taught my how to drive; Gary Balfantz, my speech professor, who taught me different ways to communicate in front of a large group.
You will need different mentors in all areas of your life, not just in church and ministry, and not just one person. When you are mentored by one person, you run the risk of being one-sided, because what if that one person is off-base? Thus it’s good to have a number of different mentors.
Paul Stanley and J. Robert Clinton wrote a book titled Connecting. They both describe the need to have upward, peer, and downward mentors. Upward mentors are those who will pour into you; peer mentors are those friends who will sharpen you; downward mentors are those you pour into (the reason this is a type of mentoring is because they keep your integrity in check).
Paul had a number of different mentors. In his pre-Christian years he had Gamaliel who taught him the law. After his conversion he was mentored by Barnabas. He had peer mentors such as Peter. He had downward mentors such as Titus and Timothy.
During a recent time in California I was able to meet with an upward mentor, Dr. Clinton; a peer mentor, Dr. Gary Manning; and a downward mentor, Steven.
I’m thankful for a constellation of mentors
2. I’m thankful for a priority to meet with God daily
One of the scriptures that was key in my early spiritual formation was Mark 1:35, “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” The day earlier, Jesus had a heavy day of ministry. Yet the next morning, Jesus made time to meet with the Father. This challenged me to meet with God on a daily basis before my day began.
During college I was challenged in my quiet times particularly on Mondays. I was in a small group with Mike Palompo and the only time our group could meet was Monday mornings at 5am. That meant I would need to wake up at 3:30am to have quiet times and make it in time for the meetings. Then the meetings got moved to 4:30am, so I had to adjust. Then the meeting times got moved to 4:00am, so I had to adjust again.
As I look back I realize I could have done my quiet times later in the day, but it was a personal commitment to the Lord to meet with him before my day started.
Not too long ago I talked with a young man who wants to be a pastor and is attending a mainland college. I told him he needed to be a man of the Word and a man of his word. Grow deep in the Word of God as well as be a man of integrity. This can happen when you have a daily time with God.
I’m thankful for a priority to meet with God daily.
3. I’m thankful for the different ministry skills I learned
I got involved with youth ministry right after I graduated from high school but I didn’t have many ministry skills. So I shadowed Mike Palompo. When he did a game, I would help him. When he did a lesson in Sunday School, I would do the Bible Quiz. When he went on the high school campus to meet students, I tagged along. During those times I learned how to greet people, to do games, to evangelize, to conduct a Bible study, to create a message. Those were key ministry skills that I still use today. When I see a new person on the college campus today I will go right up and meet them, the same way I did when I was in my 20’s.
I am thankful for a number of other skills I learned: how to change a diaper in the nursery, set-up and take-down, keep the facilities clean, count offering, take attendance. As a college student, it was important for me to be a generalist rather than a specialist. I didn’t know where these skills would take me but I was thankful for the opportunity to serve in many different areas.
When David was a young man he was a shepherd. Being the youngest son of Jesse, he probably learned shepherding from his older brothers. With this responsibility, he learned not only basic feeding skills but learned how to defend the sheep from predators such as a bear or lion. He also learned how to play an instrument while in the fields. All of these different skills would be helpful for the man who would be the future king as he killed Goliath, shepherded the people, and taught them how to worship.
I’m thankful for the different ministry skills I learned.
4. I’m thankful someone taught me about servant-leadership
When I became a Christian, I received a book from the person who shared Jesus with me, my cousin Stefanie. It was Chuck Swindoll’s Improving Your Serve. The key verse was Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus had a servant attitude.
We need to be careful with this verse. Some people may think that Jesus is here to serve humanity. Years ago I was walking through the parking lot of Wal-Mart and saw a car that had a bumper sticker, “Jesus Serves Us!” I wanted to smash that window! Jesus is not here to serve us, He came to set an example of servanthood.
One of questions in the book tested my heart: if the Lord called you to wash the feet of an elderly person, day after day, week after week, month after month, and no one saw, would you still do it? Would you serve if no one noticed?
We don’t serve to be seen by others. We don’t serve so that it looks like we are spiritual. We serve out of obedience and calling.
I’m thankful someone taught me about servant-leadership.
5. I’m thankful for the risks I took
I’m not normally a risk-taker. I like guarantees. I like when things are safe. I don’t like surprises. I like to be in control of situations. I’m a planner. But there are times when you will need to take a risk, sometimes it’s a step of faith.
In Matthew 25, Jesus is telling a parable of an owner who entrusted his possessions to his slaves: one he gave five talents, another two talents, and another one. Upon his return the slaves with five and two talents doubled the possessions. But to the one who received a talent and did nothing with it, the owner said, “You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest” (25:26-27). The slave should have done something, instead he did nothing…he was lazy.
There is something I learned many years ago when I was watching a Willow Creek Leadership Summit. Ken Blanchard was asked a question and he said he employs the Break-Even Principle. It goes something like this, “If you ask something of someone and they say No, you have just broken even, as if you never asked in the first place. But if you ask something and they say YES, you’ve hit gold.” Essentially you have nothing to lose to ask and everything to gain.
I remember times when I wanted to meet with different leaders. I once mailed a letter to Elmer Towns, a wonderful Bible teacher, asking if I could meet with him when he was in Hawaii for a convention. He not only responded yes, but he also gave me an advanced copy of a book he was writing. Another time I mailed a letter to Wayne Grudem, author of Systematic Theology, asking for a meeting when I was passing through Phoenix. His assistant mailed me and said no.
Sometimes you have to take a risk. I think the Lord likes when we take steps of faith. I’m not talking about stupid risks such as the type you see on reality shows, but the type when we know the Lord is asking us to do something even when we’re not sure of the outcome.
I’m thankful for the risks I took.
Questions to Think About:
Looking back to your early years of ministry, what are five things you are thankful for?
© Gary Lau 2012
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