For years I’ve heard leaders and church workers say… “We know what the problem is, but Pastor just wont get on board.” WHOA! STOP! We quickly forget that we are in a position to serve, and support the vision that God has assigned us to. There is leadership in places for a reason, and absolutely you can believe that if the only “board to get on” is yours then true growth will be extremely difficult. We are told to honor leadership and the roles they are placed in. Dr. Sam Chand wrote a book called “Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code”, phenomenal book! In this book, Chand goes on to explain how leadership is responsible for the lid on your culture. Now this does not throw them into a dictatorship, but allows them to lead the vision in the direction it is suppose to go.

I can bounce a basketball into the air as high as I want, but eventually the roof will force it back down. Your organization has a culture, a set of unwritten rules, the way things are completed; sometimes our incredible ideas never get off the ground because the leadership lid keeps them down. Personal example..

Story Time: In 2009, I wanted to do this enormous text message campaign for all of our campers. “Sign Up For Updates With Discovery Camp” We were going to send them scriptures, devotionals, fun facts, reminders, encouragements, etc… It was going to be great! I remember thinking, out of 25,000 campers surely 18/19,000 of them will sign up. By the end of the summer, I had a whopping 734 campers who were jazzed about it and the other 98.3% could care less. I was shocked! After venting my confusion with “Pastor Daddy” (my dad and my pastor) one day, he turned the light bulb on. “Andrew, we are responsible to help kids find Jesus, it is the churches job to help them LIVE with Jesus.” It made sense! My idea did not work because it was lame…It was lame because it did not fit under the umbrella of our vision! It was the leadership lid that caused it tank! My brilliant idea was fixing to cost the mission of YPs all around the world. I was fixing to step into a zone I was not authorized to fly in.

To own your culture you have to make sure you pulse is in rhythm with the culture of your surroundings, and it is leadership. Wonder why your grand idea has not taken flight? It is probably because it does not sync with the culture. You can occupy against the grain, but it will be miserable. Much wiser and beneficial to find the pulse and get in step.s

Fast Facts:

• The leadership lid doesn’t cramp the possibilities, it makes the target clearer.
• The leadership lid is the river that helps the boat move faster and easier.
• The leadership lid comes in different sizes. (Student, YP, Senior Pastor)
• Sometimes organizations can’t find the flow because there isn’t a lid.