Celebrating Lifted Seasons
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Leadership Straight from Bill Hybels
Celebrating Lifted Seasons
As we came to the end of 2013,
we had many celebrations.
Elder celebrations. Executive team
celebrations. Staff celebrations.
I thanked the congregation
many times for an exceptional year.
As I did all the commendations
and grateful to God and encouraged,
I was very clear and said,
"That does not mean every
year is going to be like this year.
Ecclesiastes 3 states there are seasons.
This was a season
of unprecedented blessing.
It does not mean next
season will be like that.
It could be a totally
different season.
We will receive that from
the hand of God with equal joy."
So I kept "peppering" that in.
Now, I will say this.
We did a staff bonus.
That was the most generous thing
we have done in the history of the church.
When we did this, we sat down
with every staff member.
We said, "This is not
an every year situation.
This may be the only
time you will get a..."
We always adjust pay in ways
good HR work would demand.
But in addition to adjusting pay,
giving raises and all of that,
we said, "Here is another check
because God opened the windows of Heaven.
You worked your tail off this year,
and we want you to enjoy some of what God did.
So some of them were "eye popping."
We really blessed them.
We said, "Just repeat after me,
this probably never happen again."
Again, this would be
part B answer to the question.
I have learned this over the years.
When you have one of these
lifted seasons or years,
many pastors have had
so many bad years
they do not know how to lean in
and enjoy a good one.
I have had both kinds.
All year long, almost every staff meeting,
executive team meeting,
I would say, "You do realize that
what we are experiencing right now...
We are going to look back at this
when we are in our old days.
We are going to say,
'Do you remember 2013'?"
We are experiencing it right now.
When you beat an offering by $100K.
When you expect 200 people
to be baptized,
and 150 extra people come from the congregation
and want to be baptized too.
When you have a membership projection
and it goes 50% beyond that.
Every time another manifestation
of fruit bearing would come in,
I would say, "Celebrate! Sushi for everyone!"
Then I would say,
"You do not know how rare this is.
I have been at it for almost 40 years.
I know what the median feels like.
I know what the awful feels like.
This is really different.
Enjoy every minute of it.
Because it will not last.
We will get back to reality."
If you are ever in one of those seasons,
it is your job as the leader
to bring everyone's awareness
to how special this season is
and to continue to have
the mini celebrations around them.
This too. Party!
Lift it and enjoy it
and keep saying, "We will certainly
come into a different reality soon.
But during this season, we are going
to enjoy this special favor every single day"