Servant Leadership

via Challies

"Derwin Gray, pastor of Transformation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, wants his church to be a community of servant-leaders. After all, “servanthood is the essence of leadership and the heart of what it means to be an apprentice of Jesus.” He believes “leadership is embodying what you want others to become.” To have a church of servant-leaders, he and the other pastors must lead the way.
How does Gray display what he wants other people to become? Simple. He and all his staff members park farthest away from the church building. Instead of taking the best spots, they leave those for others, and take the worst spots. The walk from their cars to the church, and from the church to their cars, is a straightforward, tangible display of what they want their congregation to become.

And I guess there is a bonus: They get to meet more people than if they were hustled out the side door and into reserved parking spots.

Do you want to practice servant-heartedness and meet more people at the same time? Consider parking in the farthest spot."

See: Why I Park the Furthest from the Church at Ministry Grid

Possibly Related Posts from the Past

1. A Big brother models Servant-Leadership
2. Habemus papam!

The Caliphate: The New Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)

There are no Christian's left in many parts of Iraq and Syria.

This is the land of Abraham "that ancient Sumerian", and Luke, the beloved Syrian physician. Saul became Paul riding on one of these roads to Damascus.

How did we get to this point? What can we do now?

Read: ISIS: A Living Nightmare for Iraqi Christians

Below. you could watch some footage from within the new Caliphate, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. This is a 42-minute primer to the new agenda, and the methods used to enforce it. (Warning: This is not a child-friendly video. There are some Graphic scenes. That's life in the new Caliphate)



Weep for the indoctrination of nine-year-olds into a culture of violence, intolerance and death. Weep for the hundreds of thousands, including Christians, who are being killed by crucifixion or beheading, or hounded out of their homes, fleeing as refugees. Weep for 35000 square kilometres with hardly a Christian left. This is the land from where Christianity spread to the rest of the world. Even in India, we have thousands who call themselves 'Syrian Christians'

I am a member, together with these suffering Christians, of the same body. "If one member suffers, all suffer together (1Cor 12:26). Lord, show me what I can do to either help them, or 'share in their suffering'!

Philip Yancey remembers and honors Paul Brand at CMC, Vellore.

For those who did not have the opportunity to attend the Ida Scudder Oration this year....

I found these talks by Pauline Brand and Philip Yancey (as they honored one of my heroes, Paul Brand) inspiring, and incredibly relevant to the practice of medicine even today. Do take the time to watch this.