As many of you know, I’m a huge baseball fan. Since I was a kid I have really only truly loved two teams: The Chicago Cubs and more recently, the Tampa Bay Rays. (I can already hear many of you with your shouts of, “No man can love two teams, Matt…” All I can say is that they are in two different leagues and the chances of both teams ever making it to the World Series in the same year is, well, shall we agree, NON-EXISTANT!)

Anyway… As the season comes to a close, my Cubbies have found a way to let their 102^nd straight year slip away, and as for my beloved Rays, it would appear that a theme I know all too well from my childhood Cubs teams has crept up on them, namely: Death by Bullpen.

The Starting Pitching for the Rays this year has been pretty good. In fact, it was the lion’s share of their starting rotation that got them to the World Series a year ago. Some new, young faces have stepped up as starters and that has been great to see. However, the problem with the Rays pitching this year is not with their starters, it’s with their Relievers. Too often, what the starters get going, the bullpen can’t finish.

Now before all the non-baseball leaders begin to check out, I’ll give you the Leadership Challenge:

If the Bench of our Organization can’t sustain what our

Starting Leaders can begin, we’re in trouble!

1.  Starting Lineup Leaders can only take us so far.

In the game of baseball, you play 9 innings or 27 outs. If your starting pitching can get you 21 of those outs, you’re doing well, but the game’s not over until the last 6 outs are recorded. Leading in business, non-profit or ministry is the same way. The project or goal isn’t achieved until you get all 27 outs. We can’t record a “Win” for our team until we finish the project 100%.

Rare is the organization who has a Starter who can go all 27 outs for them consistently. In fact, if the growth strategy of an organization is dependent on their starter doing that over and over, their setting themselves up for disappointment and defeat. I would go so far as to say that God hasn’t designed leaders to do that. We need a strong, vibrant bullpen to carry our organizations through to achieving their goals.

What about us? Are we consistently looking to our “Super-Starters” to carry us on their shoulders? If so, then we’ve got some work to do.

2.  We must Develop our Bullpen.

Moses got into trouble with this one in the book of Genesis in the Bible. He was trying to do too much and it took his father-in-law Jethro pointing it out to him before he was able to see the unhealth in his leadership strategy. (See Exodus 18).

As I work with leaders across the country, one of the areas most overlooked is the leadership development of their bullpen. Here’s why: Because there is So Much to Do! The daily demands and pressures of running an organization are tough and most leaders are so IN their organizations that they can’t seem to rise ABOVE them long enough to see the forest for the trees.

Building in consistent blocks of time, energy and strategy to develop the leaders around us seems, on the surface, to be almost counter-productive. It can feel like we’re taking time away from doing work to talk about doing work. However, it has been my experience that placing a priority on developing the bullpen of your organization yields long-term benefits in huge ways.

3.  Our bullpen has the ability to give us a Winning Advantage like nothing else can.

So how do we create a sustainable system for leadership development within our organizations?

* Carve out time well in advance. If we’re waiting for time to just appear in our calendar where we can all stop and learn together, it will never happen. We must get way ahead by strategically placing time in our weekly, monthly, and yearly calendar to intentionally grow together. Jack Welch, former head of GE, said that in the height of his career, he would spend between 30 – 35% of his work week developing the leaders around him.

Here’s how that might look for us:

• Systematically place a 60 minute standing appointment on your calendar with your direct reports each week?
• Zoom out 60 days and block off an entire morning for leadership development.
• Go on a 2 day retreat out of the city to watch DVD’s and talk about leadership.
• Read a chapter of a book each week and discuss it together.

Start small, but do something. Remember, you need them to get those last 6 outs for you and your team.

* Don’t give in to the Temptation to Compromise on it. One of the biggest reasons we don’t develop our bullpens is because we have to focus so much on the first 7 innings. When it comes to leadership development, there will always be things that suddenly come up. Avoid the temptation to schedule over these growth times. They may seem like a hassle in the present, but remember these are precisely the people who are going to be called upon in the late innings of the game to keep the Win alive!

* Make it Personal. Finally, the best way to develop your bullpen is by recognizing that each team member is an individual. No two pitchers are alike. Each one has their own strengths they bring to your team. As the leader, it’s your job to know your team well enough to grow them in the areas where they add the most value to your organization.

So as I watch another long season slip between the cracks for both of my teams, I hope that this off-season, I’ll remember a valuable lesson in leadership: My chances of winning are only as good as my bullpen. I think my teams have got some work to do.

Matt Keller

1.  The Future Facility of NLC. – We are continuing the search and need God’s favor and wisdom to know the next step for NLC!

2.  The Fall Semester of Connection Groups! – Over 75 groups have launched in the last month with several hundred Next Levelites connecting! Pray for Divine Connections as people continue building community together!

3.  The People of NLC:

• Favor in the Workplace.
• Courage to serve those in need around them.
• Strengthen Marriages.
• Wisdom in Financial Decisions.

4.  NLC Missionaries:

• Luke Walters in Sri Lanka and the 10/40 Window.
• Christ for India – Jameson & Johnson Titus – Children’s School, Seminary, Church Planting across India.
• Kelly and Kathy Johnson – Kenya – Their Pastor’s Training Schools.
• Mark and Stephanie Pyles – Domincan Republic – They are starting a “Youth Church” to reach the next generation in Santiago, the 2nd largest city in the entire country!

5.  The Communities of Palmetto Courts & Sabal Palms. – God has given us tremendous favor downtown and we’re praying about what a more permanent presence there could look like.

6.  NLC’s Influence Nationally. – God continues to open doors for our church to influence dozens of churches across the US and around the world. Pray for wisdom to know how to coach these pastors and leaders most effectively.

Thanks for praying everybody,

Pastor Matt & the NLC Team!

Hey everyone!

Our time here in Kenya has been AMAZING! The first full day in Kenya after arriving in Nairobi was spent flying to a town called Malindi, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. There, we were able to experience one of the classes of 30 pastors that NLC regularly helps to make happen. It was amazing to see them being challenged and learning so much. A lot of them have never received any training at all, so this was an amazing blessing to them!

On our last day there, we did an outreach where we purchased food and candy and then split up into 3 separate teams and went into a very rough area with a large Islam population. That was amazing and 6 people said yes to a relationship with Jesus. It was challenging for all of us to see the level of hunger and poverty that this section of the Kenyan people experienced and we’re all still processing how we can help in even greater ways.

We then traveled to Kilifi:
For 2 days where we taught close to 30 pastors and church leaders some of the curriculum that we teach church planters in America. Also, one of our team members, Ajay, is a surgeon, and he got to teach some of the pastors about basic first aid, which is so amazing for these people to know.

On Sunday:
We were at a local church with close to 100 people and the whole team taught, worked with kids or teenagers, and invested into the lives of Kenyan people. It was an amazing sight to see how each team member was used in a HUGE way! I preached on Sunday morning and it was an awesome experience, unlike any other. The challenge at the end of the message was met with a lot of enthusiasm.

In the afternoon, we had lunch with the pastors from that church and then went down to the Indian Ocean (which was beautiful), and while we were there, one of our team members, Danielle, asked me to baptize here for the first time. So, I baptized Danielle in the Indian Ocean, which was a powerful experience.

Today (Monday):
We flew back to Nairobi and we leave early tomorrow for a few days in Kitui. We are teaching local pastors there for 3 days straight and then we are doing revival meetings at night. We are also teaching a lot of medical information and will probably have an impromptu clinic set up. The team will also work with kids and students and will most likely be able to speak in schools as well.

So, that’s our trip so far! We miss everyone at home so much!

Continue to pray for us and that God would move in the heart of these pastors. The missionaries here, Kelly and Kathy, are telling me that what we’re teaching is EXACTLY what they need, which is awesome!

We love you guys! Thanks for praying for us during this time!

Mike Ash

I had the privilege of meeting with a young leader in our church who is about to relocate out west and become a youth pastor for the 1st time! I always love my time with young leaders who are hungry to learn. Toward the end of our time together, he asked me, “What is the hardest thing about ministry?” I paused for a moment and then proceeded to say, “I’m going to tell you this, not as a member of my church, but as a fellow pastor now.” Then I proceeded to answer his question in 3 ways:

• The Hardest thing in Dealing with People
• The Hardest thing Personally and
• The Hardest thing about Leadership at this level.

For those of you in ministry, I hope this will be an encouragement. For those of you who are apart of a local church, I hope this will be insightful for the leadership you serve. Here are 3 things, they’ll probably never tell you, but wish you knew…

1.  The Hardest Thing in Dealing with People:

Knowing what’s right and watching people do the opposite.

Ever since Sarah and I  were teenagers my in-laws, who were in the ministry, told us repeatedly that, “The hardest thing about ministry is knowing what is right for someone and watching them do the opposite.” In the last 16 years of doing ministry, I have discovered that their assessment is right.

More than judgment, it’s about perception. As a leader, there is an anointing God gives you through the direction of Scriptures to be able to see from a far, what many people are unable to see up close in their lives. Down through the years, one of the most gut wrenching things about being in the “People Business” is dealing with this reality. People are what we do. We love them, care for them, pray for them, counsel them, teach them and coach them, but at the end of the day, what they do is ultimately their decision.

It never gets easier watching people make unwise choices that will lead to regret. But we have learned over the years that the best we can do is keep the relationship open through unconditional love and no judgment. As it says in the New Testament, “Mercy triumphs over Judgment.” We’ve found this to be true, everytime…

2.  The Hardest Thing about Ministry Personally:

The Spiritual Attack.

For leaders who follow me and listen to me frequently, they know I’m prone to say often that, “There is only one guy in this organization who ultimately wears the target on his chest… and it’s me.” When people take shots, they’re aimed at me. When the devil takes shots, they’re aimed at me. I have a great team who takes tons of bullets for me on a regular basis, but the reality that hits you hard in ministry is recognizing that though the team may have taken the bullet, the gun was ultimately aimed at you.

I’m not an “Overly-Spiritual” kind of guy who finds a demon under every rock, but I do know that the Bible is clear that, “We wrestle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers in high places.” We can never forget that what we do is unlike any other enterprise on the planet for it is both natural and spiritual. At the end of the day, we are not dealing with natural forces at play only. We are in a spiritual war.

Learning to discern as a leader what is natural, living-on-planet-earth stuff and what is spiritual battle is definitely an art, not a science.

3.  The hardest Thing about Leadership at this Level:

Being Misunderstood.

The larger our church has gotten and the more influence God gives us on a national level, the more I’m learning that “Everyday I make decisions that effect lots of people.” And not everyone is going to agree with the decisions I make. By far the hardest thing about ministry and leading at this level is being misunderstood in the decision making process and yet not having the ability for people to understand your heart.

When a leader makes a decision, it fleshes itself out in black and white. Checks get written, policies get made, people move forward with the details. Unfortunately, the part that often gets lost in the implementation of the decision is the heart behind it. This is inevitably where misunderstanding comes into play. I’m convinced that the vast majority of leaders make decisions that effect the lives of the people they serve with extremely pure hearts. However, the distance from their pure heart to how it effects people individually is often a long one that is laden with opportunities for the heart behind it all to get lost.

As a leader, you have to learn to place it in God’s hands and allow Him to sort it all out in people’s minds. Too often, that’s easier said than done. Too often, it’s the lone dissenting voice that rings the loudest in your ear. It’s the voice of disagreement that keeps you up at night. Processing through being misunderstood is by far the Hardest thing about leading at this level.

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt Keller

twitter: @matthewkeller

facebook: www.FaceBook.com/matthewwkeller

booksite: www.UptheMiddle.com

Alright Next Levelites… Here we go! It’s Prayer-Time! I’m so thankful that so many of us are stepping out in faith and fasting for breakthroughs across the NLC World!

For more info on Fasting go to: www.NextLevelChurch.com/fasting.

Here are a list of Prayer Points to be sure to lift up to God throughout the day:

• The Future Facility for Next Level Church. We are in a Season of Preparation as a church. Our crew that’s searching for a future facility for NLC are working like dogs! Keep praying that God will show us exactly what He has for us!
• Also pray for the next Future Facility Offering we will be receiving on Sunday, September 27th! Pray that God will continue to bless the people of NLC and continue to prompt their hearts to give above and beyond the normal Tithe.
• The Peopel of NLC:

1. Jobs – Every week we hear the stories of how God is opening doors miraculously for people in their careers!
2. Promotions – Keep believing for God’s favor on people in the marketplace!
3. Breakthroughs – There are so many families across NLC that need Jesus to bring a big ole’ breakthrough in some area of their lives. Let’s believe for that together!
4. To Get out of Debt – So many across the NLC World are working to get their financial houses in order. Pray for God’s blessing, favor and discipline to be upon them as they seek to do money God’s way!
5. Miracles in Relationships – Pray for marriages that are hurting, dating relationships to be God-honoring and families to be restored!
6. To Continue to Engage SOAP-ing on a Daily Basis. – When people spend time with Jesus they become more like Him. Pray that the people of NLC will become more like Jesus in the next month than they ever have been.

• NLC’s Fall Semester of Connection Groups. On September 13th, we are  launching 100 Connection Groups all across Southwest Florida! These CG’s are small group environments for people to connect and go deeper in their relationship with God and with others. Pray for the dozens of new and existing Leaders to lead diligently and do the work of seeking out people to fill their groups.
• Pray for every person within NLC to join at least 1 Connection Group this fall. We believe that if people will connect to one another, they’ll connect to life.
• Our NLC Missionaries:

1. Luke Walters – In Sri Lanka right now holding crusades, evangelizing and    training leaders for the Gospel.
2. Christ for India – Jameson, Johnson and Mary (their mother) Titus.  Pray for the Seminary, Children’s School with 800 children, Medical Clinics and Church Planting across India.
3. Kelly and Kathy Johnson – Kenya. Pray for favor as they continue to train dozens of pastors across the nation of Kenya. Pray for our team as we prepare to go in September.
4. Mark and Stephanie Pyles – Dominican Republic. Pray for their “Youth Church” that is reaching teenagers and 20-somethings in Santiago, DR. The 2nd largest city in the entire nation.

• The Communities of Palmetto Courts, Sabal Palms & Southwinds. God has given us favor with these 3 struggling communities of people who are trying to find hope in the midst of some very dark surroundings. Pray that God will give us a presence in these communities this fall that can see hope brought to so many who are hopeless.
• Our Influence Nationally. God continues to give us favor with dozens of church planters across the country who are planting Life-Giving Churches in their communities. Pray that these Churches will stay encouraged as they pursue God’s heart and vision for their communities.

I have never felt so strong that God wants to do Great Things this fall across our church, our community and our nation!

Thanks again for praying, together we’re making a difference!

Pastor Matt

I was recently asked to write a “Guest Blog” for the Assemblies of God Church Planting Blog & Website. What follows is that post…

For 7 1/2 years, Next Level Church has existed exclusively in a mobile
reality. We spent the 1st 200 Sundays in a movie theater, growing from the
smallest theater and eventually ended up doing 2 services in the largest
theater. In nearly 400 Sundays as a Mobile Church, we’ve learned quite a bit
about Creating a “Home-Field Advantage” in our Mobile Reality.

With the vast majority of church plants today being launched in Mobile
Environments, the need to avoid “Mobile Fatigue” is greater than ever.

Here’s what we’ve learned…

1.  “Mobile” doesn’t mean “Less.” Too many church planters unconsciously
let their language communicate that their mobile reality is less of a
church, than a permanent facility church. Being mobile is a mindset. For 7
1/2 years, we have created energy and momentum by leveraging a positive
attitude about our mobile reality from the minute people are interested in
our church.

For example, at every new member’s class we say, “Can you believe the state
of Florida built us a $40 Million Dollar building and all we have to do is
set up some equipment and let them have school in here from Monday to
Friday!?!” Right from the time a person joins our church, we want them to
know, “This is who we are and we love it!”

Our staff embodies this as well. They MUST BE the champions of our mobile
reality. The can NEVER say things like, “Someday, we won’t have to do all
this…” or “This is so much work, I’m tired.” Nothing deflates volunteers
who are creating environments for God to change lives like that kind of
leadership.

2.  It’s what you’re doing, but it’s not ALL you’re doing. Too many
churches spend way too much time on their set up and tear down. When we
coach with some churches now, I am always amazed at how it can take upwards
of 2 1/2 hours to set up and as long as 2 hours to tear down.

We set up 4 main environments, our Foyer & Coffee Bar, a 900 seat Auditorium
with full concert quality sound and lighting, our KidsZone with 10 small
group classes, & 5 Pre-K Classrooms in less than an hour. And the bulk of
the set up is done in less than 30 minutes. Our goal in the Auditorium is 23
minutes, and most Sundays our guys get real close!

We decided long ago that the mobile reality was going to be our reality for
a long time and therefore we had to figure out how to not let it become
overwhelming to us. Constant revision and systemization is huge. (See Point
#4.)

3.  Protect your Key Leader. In the early days of our church plant, I was
highly involved in the set up reality of our church and it was horrible. I
remember well being the “door knocker guy” at the front door of our movie
theater each Sunday morning. It was a good day when Mike Ash, our associate
pastor, told me to “get lost” and “spend sometime with Jesus.”

We recommend every mobile church appoints a Chief Operations Officer, or
COO, for Sunday morning who is the go-to guy/girl for the morning. When
something is missing or a coffee bar wheel is flat (trust me, it happens),
they are the person to call, not the lead pastor. (Believe me, he’ll preach
a lot better if you do!)

4.  Get Systematized. A final component to avoiding mobile fatigue is
through systemization. In our coaching and training we stress the need for
systems like crazy. Everything (& I mean everything) in a church can be
broken down into a system. When we create systems, process sheets and job
descriptions for every area of our church, we create 3 Amazing Commodities
for our church:

First, systems create Predictability. Predictability creates trust in your
church attenders. And when they trust that the “Sunday Morning Product” is
going to be the same week in and week out, they’re more likely to invite
their friends. Systems give you that.

Second, systems create Reproducibility. This means that a particular
environment is not dependant on a particular person being there in order for
it to be created the same. We want every area of our church (including the
sound board) to be able to be set up by a 14 year old teenager. If it’s not
that simple, we keep tweeking the system. Plain and Simple.

Finally, systems create Accountability. Without a system, it’s difficult to
know “Who’s Butt’s on the Line.” And with no system to blame, unfortunately
we end up blaming people. Many good volunteers have been hurt by a leader
who blamed them instead of the lack of an adequate system.

When a system breaks down, it’s easy to examine it and fix the system issue
without offending the person who may or may not have been involved.

For nearly 400 Sundays, we’ve see God use a Mobile Reality to change the
hearts of hundreds of people. Mobile Church is not just a passing fad or
trend, it’s a way of life in the new reality we find ourselves in. If you
embrace it, your people will thank you for it.

Bio:
Matt Keller is the lead pastor of Next Level Church in Fort Myers, FL and is
the author of The Up the Middle Church (www.UptheMiddle.com). Next Level
Church coaches dozens of churches each year across the country and
specializes in helping churches embrace their Mobile Reality more
effectively. To contact them, go to: www.NextLevelChurch.com. Matt can also
be found on Twitter @matthewkeller.

“One of the most difficult skills a quarterback must learn is the ability to listen to the right voices on the field. If you’re a football fan, then you now how loud a football game can be:  screaming fans, defensive players yelling out distractions, referees blowing whistles, teammates shouting commands, the loud speaker booming out music. For a quarterback, learning to tune in the right voices and tune out the wrong ones often means the difference between winning and losing.” – (taken from page 76 of The Up the Middle Church)

If you are a leader of any capacity then you know how true the above quote can be. At the end of the day, the voices we choose to let in and the voices we intentionally keep out will make or break our leadership. Here are a few thoughts:

1.  We choose the Voices we “Turn Up.”

Over the course of my leadership life, I have had to adjust the voices that speak into my life. When we began NLC 7 1/2 years ago, we went on a quest for new voices who could show us a new way of doing ministry. And the voices we found have made all the difference.

Over the years, the voices I choose to turn up have morphed and changed with the seasons of my life.  As a leader, I work hard to find voices who are speaking to where I’m living in my life at the time. It’s not easy to find the right voices, but in the end it’s well worth the effort.

2.  We choose the Voices we “Turn Down.”

In my opinion, one of the most important things a leader can do is identify the voices that no longer fit into the reality God has called them to lead in and Turn Them Down!!!

So many leaders underestimate the power of “Negative” or “Manipulative” voices in their ear. It doesn’t mean we don’t EVER listen to someone who sees the world differently than we do, but for the voice that is “A Continual Dripping” like Proverbs says, or doesn’t fill us up EVER, we’ve got to learn to marginalize that voice and turn them down.

Leadership is hard and having voices that constantly drain the life out of us will wear us out and make us question our vision.

3.  The Voices in our ear affect the voices in our head.

I learned the hard way that when I have given some voices too much volume in my life, they affect the way I view myself. In once incident, I had a leader who was constantly questioning the direction we were going. I truly think he was just genuinely trying to examine our ideas, but I found myself questioning my vision every time I would leave a meeting with him.

So, I ended up having to move him out from my direct ear shot. I couldn’t lead effectively with his voice so loud in my ear. He was affecting how I saw myself and the vision God had put in my heart.

4.  Make a Decision today to Take Control of the Voices that influence you.

Ultimately, it’s up to us to choose the voices we do and don’t listen to in our lives. This may require some hard conversations. This may require distancing ourselves from voices that have played a powerful role in a previous chapter in our lives. All the same, as leaders, there is too much at stake for us to NOT examine the voices we’re allowing in and take control of who gets “Ear Time” in our life.

After all, “For a quarterback, learning to tune in the right voices and tune out the wrong ones often means the difference between winning and losing.”

To order a copy of The Up the Middle Church, go to www.UptheMiddle.com

...playing the game of ministry one yard at a time...

Hey all,

I’m so pumped about this coming Sunday and Vintage Part 3!

It’s going to be amazing. Make sure you’re there & bring someone with you who doesn’t attend church anywhere!

Click here to see a video I just did for my Facebook page.  As you’ll see in the video, this Sunday is going to be perfect for them!

See you Sunday, 9 & 10:45 am at South Fort Myers High School.

Click Here for Map & Directions!

Matt

Yesterday, in our Vintage Series, I talked about how taking a day off, “Never Goes Out of Style.” I have already gotten so much feedback from so many of you about how you felt like I was talking right to you. (Which I love by the way…) However, I also had a few questions about the details of “The Sabbath” and I wanted to share a few additional thoughts that I hope will be helpful.

1.  God gave us the 10 Commandments to keep us free not put us in bondage again.

It’s always important to remember that God didn’t give the 10 Commandments to make us feel guilty or to make us bound up to the little details. Instead, He gave them to us to help us stay free from bondage.  Therefore, when it comes to taking a day off, God doesn’t want us to be all bound up with rules like, “I can’t mow my yard, or clean out the pantry…” Those are rules that put us in bondage again.

2.  The Sabbath is all about Restoration.

I have always viewed the Sabbath as “A Day with No Work.” I mean my typical work. For me of course, that’s ministry. So if I check my e-mail and it puts me into “Work Mode” then I probably shouldn’t do that. Make sense? Here’s another illustration from my life.

I love to write. In fact, I feel as called to write, as I do to pastor, which is a cool thing! When I write, I feel strong. So… for a long time, I used to love to write on my day off. It would recharge me, I would feel like a million bucks, etc. However, a few years ago, when I started writing, “The Up the Middle Church” I suddenly turned my hobby into a job. So for me, I had to stop writing on my day off because it was more like work, then restoration.

3.  Do things on your Sabbath that make you feel strong & restore you.

For a long time, playing golf made me feel strong. I loved being outside and walking around exercising. After a while, golf no longer made me feel strong, instead I started coming home more frustrated than relaxed. Conclusion: I gave up golf on my Sabbath. Spend time on your Sabbath doing things that restore you. If reading restores you, do that. If it doesn’t, than don’t. If gardening restores you, do that. If not, than don’t.

4.  Find a hobby that you can’t turn into a job.

I highly recommend that everyone get a hobby that looks nothing like your life. Something you can completely escape in and you have NO WAY to turn it into a job. For me, it’s baseball. I love to go to Major League Parks because they look nothing like my life. I love the statistical side of the game. I love the history of the game. I love the fullness of summer in the air. I love that there is movement everyday. I love that there are 2,430 games every season and everyone of them matters. Baseball is my hobby. And as of yet, I haven’t figured out a way to turn it into a job.

When it comes to your Sabbath, remember the Spirit of the law is greater than the Letter of the law. If you ever feel yourself being led toward guilt or bondage, that’s not God and that’s not the point.

May you enjoy your day off this week, I’m intending to enjoy mine,

Matt Keller