2nd book: Lead to Follow Intro

INTRODUCTION

 As a little boy, I practically idolized Superman.  I mean, who didn’t?  Who wouldn’t want to be Superman?  He was and is an American cultural icon which has literally fascinated scholars and critics alike as they explore the character’s impact in the United States and the rest of the world.  And when I was a kid, my Saturday mornings were booked--you got it!—right in my living room in front of the television set living my life and my dreams of glory through cartoon after cartoon.  Superman was one of my favorites. 

            One memorable Saturday, I had an epiphany—I could BE Superman!  I ran to my room and donned my Superman cape which I was sure possessed superpowers. Come on, admit it!  I bet you had one too!  I then climbed to the highest point of our living room couch, ready to make my debut.  I was going to fly like Superman!  With knees trembling in fear, I trusted my powers and heroically jumped!  Up and away!  Okay, so I wasn’t always the brightest crayon in the box!  But in mid-air, I realized my Superman cape was no contest for gravity. In a blink of an eye, I was facedown on the floor in terrible pain!  The cartoon echoed in the background, “He’s a bird!  He’s a plane!  He’s SUPERMAN!” and I realized was none of those!  Hours later when I admitted to my parents how bad I was hurt, we discovered I had a broken collarbone.  I learned a hard lesson that day:  There was only one Superman, and I wasn’t him!  I simply needed to be who I was supposed to be and not someone else.

            Sadly enough, this is the same reality for many church leaders.  We read, we observe, and we research what is fueling other leaders and their churches—why they grow.  Then we try to mass produce the formula that worked for them.  We become generic plastic clones of someone else’s convictions and inspirations.  It took me a while but I finally realized that there is only one Billy Graham and I wasn’t him. There is only one Martin Luther King, Jr. and I’m obviously not him either.  I am and only can be Chad Mitchell but I wasn’t becoming the Chad Mitchell Christ created me to be. Please don’t misunderstand me, I wholeheartedly believe that every Christian should have role models to inspire and encourage—that “cloud of witnesses” spoken about in Hebrews.  But if all I do is copycat another person or idea, I myself will become purposeless—empty and burned out.

            As I’ve studied spiritual growth both individually and within the church over the years, one very glaring and apparent theme proves itself time and time again.  The model for spiritual growth is not universal.  One single formula does not hold true for all people or all churches. We are uniquely designed. Churches grow and thrive according to all kinds of methods and formulas but only according to their specific needs and goals.  When I first became a pastor, I would read everything I could concerning church growth: the new worship trends, failsafe outreach methods, and all the megachurch/superpastor success stories.  Wouldn’t it be so much easier if there was a guaranteed method to make our churches grow? Wouldn’t we all want our church to be like Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston?  Or do we really? Over time, I finally realized that there is no single growth prescription that works in all cases and cultures. I was quickly becoming so consumed with modeling other pastors and churches, I began to mold into someone who was not genuine—a cheap imitation of who God intended.  He gave me only one model to follow that doesn’t really have anything to do with worship style, church building, or the clothes we wear. There is truly only one true way to be Christian.  That is to live out the name and to be like Jesus Christ.  I don’t need a secret recipe; I just have to commit to love and to live as He did—an extraordinary life.  Let’s go beyond His story to the ends of the earth. Journey with us as we lead to follow…