Maurilio Amorim

Month: November 2010

A Church Won’t Grow When Led by a Superstar

Churches stop growing or they plateau for several reasons, too many for one blog post. So I’m tackling them in a series of posts featuring growth barriers for churches I have encountered during years of strategic consulting. I’m calling these posts “Churches Won’t Grow When.” While some of the issues that keep churches from growing can be classified as communication barriers, in my experience, the most debilitating ones are leadership and systematic mistakes that will derail growth or even kill a congregation. Interestingly, these apply to business and ministries as well. Your church will stop growing when its leader put his or her interests before what’s best for the congregation. I call it the superstar syndrome.

I have seen this one play out time and time again. These are gifted communicators who are able to draw large crowds but can never get past making personal sacrifices for the sake of the organization. The superstar pastor bent is to grow the congregation to serve his need for a larger audience–not because a larger audience means a deeper reach for the gospel, even though that’s how they frame the strategy.

I’m not saying that all gifted communicators, pastors of growing churches, or popular leaders fit in this category. While we should never judge a leader’s motive, we can and should consider his or her decisions. Given the chance, the superstar will take the spotlight every time. They will justify unreasonable time away and expense on the premises that “what’s best for me is best for the church.” They will say “yes” to opportunities that tax the church’s staff and volunteers because it might given them more exposure. They will leverage the church for their personal interests given the chance.

Great people don’t stay around the superstar for long. High-capacity volunteers and top notch staff eventually figure out that the superstar only truly cares about himself and will abandon ship. After all he seldom gives credit to the rest of the staff because, well you’ve guessed it, it’s all about him.

So the church led by the superstar grows and implodes, or it attracts a lot of people but can’t keep many of them long term. One of the signs your church might be led by a superstar pastor is staff and leadership turn over. If you’re always seeing lots of new faces but not many familiar ones, or the church seems to always be on the verge of a breakthrough but never quite there, you might just be led by a superstar.

Have you been around the superstar pastor? What happened?

November 15, 2010
What If We Just Gave and Did not Take for a Day?

If we are honest with ourselves, most of our lives is a series of exchanges. We work and we expect payment for it. We exercise and we expect better health and a stronger body. We help friends and we expect gratitude and good will back. We even have this exchange mentality with God: we pray and ask and we expect God to deliver the blessings.

Today I’m challenging myself to go through this day without doing the exchange game. Can I go an entire day just being completely altruistic? Probably not. The human condition is far more selfish than any of us realize, but I’m willing to try not entering into an exchange– just be a blessing to someone. Someone who might never be able to give anything back in return.

Can you truly do acts of kindness without any expectations? I hope you’ll join me today and see what happens.

November 14, 2010
Wearing Your Religion

He was about to give the man at the front desk a piece of his mind. He had some of the worst customer service experience in a long time, after all, these people had overcharged his credit card two months in a row. The fitness club manager was a shady character who wore warm up suits and gold chains and spoke words like “your health is the most important thing to us.” My friend stood at the front desk getting the run around on why the charge discrepancy. As his righteous indignation grew into plain anger, and the level of his voice began to raise he suddenly stopped dead on his tracks.

I stood to the side of him watching the whole exchange go down. Secretly, I was looking forward to the show down between Dickie and the smarmy manager. But it didn’t happen. Dickie, stopped talking and said, “I’ll deal with this later,” and walked away.

I made my way into the club and found him a few minutes later. “What happened? Why didn’t you finish the conversation.” In my mind I was thinking, “I had front-row seats to see you take down Mr. Smarmy.” His reply was not what I expected. He looked my in the eyes and said, “I couldn’t do it. I have Jesus on my back.” The look on my face must have given my bewilderment away because without saying anything else, Dickie turned around and pointed to the large letters resembling an old Coca Cola logo: JESUS CHRIST stamped all over his shirt.

That happened several years ago, but I have never forgotten that conversation: “I’ve got Jesus on my back.” Even before the WWJD bracelets became popular, I always thought of Dickie’s sudden realization that he was wearing his religion, literally.

Since then I have always struggled with the question, “how much differently would I act if I had Jesus on my back constantly?” What would my conduct be if the words “Jesus Follower” were branded on me for all to see? So, maybe it’s a t-shirt, a rubber bracelet, or even a tattoo, but from time to time, I believe we Christians need a visual reminder that Jesus not only has our back, but He’s on it.

What do you think of wearing a reminder of your faith? Is that a cop out or a legitimate help tool?

November 11, 2010
You Might Be Holding to Your Youth Too Tight If

Every good communicator has to be a student of human nature. After all you cannot connect a message with an audience you don’t understand. Some of us, myself included, have decided not to age gracefully. Heck, to some have waged full blown war on aging. But even our best attempts of staying young sometimes backfires. You might be holding on to your youth a bit too tight if:

1. You buy your clothes at the same store as your teenage children

2. You have a punch card for your Bottox treatments (13th is free!)

3. Your “maintenance plan” includes a team consisting of a cosmetic dentist, a dermatologist and homeopathic Chinese Lady with exotic herbs.

4. You crave protein bars.

5. Instead of buying hair color, you’re now buying hair.

6. You run for treats.

7. You have considered having a “six-pack abs” spray painted on your belly, several times.

8. Chemicals are your best friends. You have pills for energy, to burn fat, to help you sleep and to put you in the mood. Without them you wouldn’t function.

9. You asked your barber for the “Bieber.”

10. You’re running out of skin to pull from.

It’s your turn. What else would you add to the list?

November 10, 2010
Before You Make a Career Change

More than any other time in my career, I have had more people ask me how I started The A Group. These are entrepreneurs who for a variety of reasons find themselves in transition. Look around you. A lot of us are in transition right now. Jobs are going away or morphing into something completely different than you signed up for. Jobs that were profitable a few years ago, are disappearing today, so now you’re re-evaluating your options. If you’re considering a career change, here’s a few thoughts.

Be honest with yourself. Yes, the recession has wreaked havoc in the job market, but it’s easy to blame the economy on our bad job performance or misaligned career choice. Ask yourself, “even if times were good, was that the best job for me?” A good friend came to a sober and yet liberating realization recently. He decided that his career path was not a good fit for his skills and personality. The tough job market forced him to rethink his choices and make a change that potentially would have taken much longer to make and keep him from personally fulfilling work.

Remove old labels. What worked in a now failed economy or industry most likely will not work in the new one. Don’t try to use the language of yesterday to created the position for tomorrow. I wrote a post about that here. Think about what you can offer, deliver, fix or create for someone or organization. What need do you see in ministry or in the marketplace that you can meet? When the rules change, there are always new opportunities that arise. Design your new business or position based on the new opportunity. No matter the economic climate, if you can deliver value, you’ll always have business.

Your self worth should come from who you are and not from what you do. The argument usually goes like “but I want to do work that matters, something that makes a difference.” While I understand the sentiment behind the words, I think we might be missing the boat here. Sometimes work done well allow us to find time, resources and tools to serve, give and do ministry. Somehow we have shifted our cultural status quo ideal from a highly lucrative work towards a socially-conscientious, environmentally-friendly and animal-protecting job. But as Christians, our value and personal fulfillment should come from our view of God and His value of us and not from what we do.

We have replaced money with social conscience. While it sounds more noble, it’s no less wrong.

What trends have you notice in your profession?

November 9, 2010
Red Flags Your Business Relationship is in Trouble
The most important work I do as a consultant is to help my clients with strategies in communications, business systems and even creative output. A lot of very cool tools and initiatives come from the work and many of these, my company, The A Group, gets to produce. Recently during an interview, I was asked: “in your consulting work, what are the red flags your deal is in trouble?” It’s not a hard question to answer, but it’s a painful place to be. Whether you’re a consultant, a freelancer, an employee or a partner, the following red flags could mean your deal is in jeopardy:
- Communication Blackout. Your emails, phone calls, text messages and even Twitter direct messages are not being answered in a timely matter or not at all. When people “go under” often means there’s trouble ahead. You better figure out what’s causing it before the deal is completely derailed.
- Justification Inquisition. There’s a healthy amount of information your client needs about what you’re doing, especially if you’re charging them by the hour; however, when you hear something like “I need everything you’re doing for us documented,” brace yourself. Usually this comes about not because your client wants to send you a thank you note for all the hours you’re working on his projects. Trust has been lost and your work is under scrutiny.
- Internal Teamer. Someone figures out they can replace you with an internal position for less than what you cost. Even though it hurts being replaced, sometimes that’s the best thing for your client. A lot of times it’s a bad move for them. They might get cheaper labor but they often discount the true overhead cost of a new hire and the lack of expertise and objectivity they bring to the job. Play nice. I’ve seen clients do a 180 once they realize that the internal position was a bad idea. If you don’t burn bridges, then they’ll come back to you.
- More for Less. Times are tough, so now you’re asked to lower your fees and increase your output, because, well, times are tough. If your margins are healthy and you want to make concessions, that’s an acceptable compromise, but the moment you devalue your work to hold on to a demanding client and acquiesce to an unreasonable request, you have embarked into a non-returnable trip. Your client will depreciate your work while you risk losing money in hopes you can return to a profitable position sometime soon. But you never will.
In your experience what other red flags have you seen before a relationship went bad?
November 8, 2010
An Intentional Love

The old man was out of control and out of order. His wife was taken to the operating room 30 minutes before she was scheduled and we were not there in time to pray with her before the surgery. Now his angry words echoed through the hospital waiting room for all to hear: “you’re the worst preacher ever. How much do we pay you anyway? Whatever it is, it’s too much.” As I was about to defend my boss and put the old man in his place, Ron reached over and waved me back. He knew that the man was in pain and that his outburst was not about us, but about his fears.

A few minutes later the elderly gentleman broke down and began to cry. Ron consoled him as he asked for forgiveness almost immediately. I was 21 years old and I was in my first year of ministry, but I have replayed that scene back in my mind so many times. That day I came to grips with the fact people in crisis, in pain, or in fear, might push me back or reject my help, but they desperately need my love.

The experience at the hospital waiting room has had a profound impact on me over the years. As I make my way to my church today, I know that hurting people will struggle to make their way to a church service, if they make it there at all. One of them could even sit next to me or you. They might not be friendly or engaging, and might be operating out of anger or fear, but like the rest of us, they all need hope.

For the past few months I have made a commitment to be intentional in seeking out a person I’ve never met and to introduce myself to them at the end of the service. It’s amazing how many broken hearts are all around us. Sometimes the walls are up and they don’t even make eye contact. Other times the smiles hide the disappointment that lives within. But no matter the reaction, I’ve learned long ago that my job is to reach out and just love.

What ways are you being intentional about loving others?

November 6, 2010
Men, You Don’t Need Designer or Expensive Clothes to Look Good
Monday evening I was sitting at the City of Brentwood Planning Commission Meeting when an architect approached the podium facing the commissioners’ bench. His pants drooped down the back in large folds as if he were wearing a big diaper underneath. I tried not to pay attention but my mind kept asking the question: “Didn’t he look at his back when he bought these pants?” The answer was obviously, “no.” Today’s Friday Fashion post goes beyond labels. It’s not even about style. It’s about one of the foundations of western apparel. It’s simple and yet one of the most neglected men’s fashion rules in America. Why don’t we wear clothes that fit?

I have seen people take expensive, designer clothing and make them look cheap because they were the wrong size. I have known physically fit and well-proportioned men look frumpy and disheveled because their pants, shirts or coats were too big or too small.

Fellow men, consider this next time you’re buying clothes:
- Always look at what’s going on behind you. You might not see it, but everyone else does. That’s why the Chinese invented the mirror.
- Make sure your shirts taper with your body. If you have large shoulders than buy athletic cut shirts or have them altered to take off the excess material on the side. If you’re working out and have an athletic built, the extra shirt material will make you look bigger in the stomach. And, no, don’t bunch it up and tuck the excess fabric on the back of your pants. Again, we can see your backside.
- The same applies for your suit or sports jackets. But beyond tapering on the sides, make sure the jacket arm length shows just between half and an inch of your shirt cuff underneath. Put your arms down to your side and curl your fingers slightly. You should feel the edge of your coat as your fingers get half-way up your hands. The bottom of the coat should rest on your knuckles. A well-fitted sports coat will make most guys look sharp with little or no help.
- As far as pants are concerned, I wrote about how I prefer flat fronted pants here. But regardless, make sure that the seat of your slacks, the seam that attaches both legs of the trouser together, is not droopy. Otherwise, you’ll get the “junk in the trunk” or “diaper” effect going on behind you.
If you want to see what well-fitting clothing is supposed to look like, watch Daniel Craig in James Bond’s Quantum of Solace. I don’t think he wore anything that didn’t fit him well in the entire movie. Even after fighting the bad guys all night long and blowing up a bunch of stuff, he still looked great, mostly because of his well-fitted suit, as you can see in the picture below.

What other tips do you have to keep a man well fit?
November 5, 2010
You Need a Heart for Business

The man to my left leaned in and with intensity in his eyes asked the question: “I’m contemplating a strategic business partnership; I want to lead my business into outliving me.” Across the table from us sat a veteran CEO with years of experience in multi-billion dollar business. The answer surprised me, but, again, it should not have. The delivery was deliberate and the words were kind but firm: “Check your heart. What kind of person do you want to entrust your clients to?”

For some, this is the kind of answer you expect when one searches for a mate at a dating site. I cannot get passed that statement because it resonated with me in everything I’ve learned about business. Yes, business. A flood of thoughts with tangled emotions attached to them are still swirling around my mind as I think about the times I “checked my heart” and went against the status quo, or the times I ignored it and went with just the business bottom line. I’ve never regretted trusting my feelings.

If you don’t lead with your heart, you’ll run the risk of being deceived by your mind.

I’ve been in meetings with potential partners or clients where my feelings spoke a different, dissonant message than the potential profit number at the end of the spreadsheet:”great numbers, but do you respect and believe in this person?” After so many years of failures, some monumental and costly, by choosing the wrong answer, I am learning to listen and trust my heart in the matters of business more and more.

Interestingly that happens in ministry as well as in business. Everything looks great on paper, references and interviews all have gone as well as they could, but there’s still a murmur in your heart and you are not at peace. Listen to your heart.

Are you in a place where your heart is saying something different than your mind?

November 3, 2010
Why I Vote Today

Today I will vote. I haven’t been voting long, not because of my lack of interest, but because I became an American citizen in late 2004. Prior to that, I could express my opinion and comment on candidates and issues, but I could not cast my vote. Our political system is not perfect and our elected officials often disappoint, but America is still the place where the world comes to find freedom and opportunity, and I, for one, will exercise my privilege to cast my vote. Here’s why I vote today:

To honor the lives of the men and women who fought for freedom. People have given everything so I could be free to cast my ballot.

To preserve the opportunities that the huddled masses of immigrants like me have been given over the years.

To make sure my children and their children will be able to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

To say to public servants that what they have done or not done is more important to me than what they have promised.

To live with the knowledge that I stood for my beliefs and didn’t abdicate my privilege.

Before becoming an American I had an opinion but I didn’t have a voice. Today, I speak only as one, but I will speak indeed.

Do you believe your vote really matters?

November 2, 2010