5 Leadership Lessons It Took A Long Time To Learn

As our church is making some big decisions right now… I find these 5 tips helpful.

I like them all, but my fav at first glance is probably…

3. Make It Fit On A Napkin.
If it can’t be explained on a napkin it is too complicated.  Make sure everything from your slogan, to your process for disciple-making to how you will create a movement can be explained on a napkin.  If is simple and reproducible you can mobilize the masses.

A good reminder of how important it is to keep it simple… which is *exactly* what we are trying to do with our attempt to establish a church planting movement here in northern Taiwan.

I’m going to spend some time with a pen and a pile of napkins later tonight I think…

Our JUNE Monthly Report is available for download.

In this edition…

• Li Baba – This is the story of the father of one of our Christian sisters.
• Zach’s birthday

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This nutjob is the poster boy for all of the bad impressions people have of Christianity… if you think that Christianity is about: money, power, control, hypocrisy, charismatic figures, tradition, social status, etc etc etc… Benny Hinn should be your very best friend because he embodies ALL of those things.

He should definitely be your #1 strawman when you argue against Christians. Some others you could use would be: Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, Robert Tilton, Paul Crouch, Kenneth Hagin, Oral Roberts, Jack Van Impe, and Paula White… and if you are really desperate… Joel Osteen and Joyce Myers will work to a lesser degree.

But this post is really about 2 things…

1. The Trinity Foundation and their excellent magazine The Wittenburg Door has posted their latest article about Benny Hinn entitled Why Benny Hinn Became Our Wacky Neighbor. I cannot tell you how much I love Ole Anthony and the Trinity Foundation’s work in exposing frauds like Benny Hinn.
2. Unless Hinn’s advance people find this post… which would ruin my chances, I’d guess… I’d really like to find a way to work for his crusade here… behind-the-scenes-like. Does anyone have a way to get their hands on some super secret hidden camera or audio equipment? Does anyone have ties to the Linkou Stadium or the National College of Physical Education? If you’d like to join me in trying to get behind-the-stage access… please contact me. If you’d like to join me, but aren’t sure you can pull off the “church-speak” necessary to get past screeners (if they have them)… I’m pretty rusty myself, but could probably pull together a lesson or two. lol

Read the article… join the crusade…

Our MAY Monthly Report is available for download.

In this edition…

• In the Midst of It (some ways we serve in our apartment complex)
• TMF Spring Retreat for Ladies (or maybe it is the TMF Retreat for Spring Ladies?)
• The Thankful Pigeon

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Our APRIL Monthly Report is available for download.

In this edition…

• “In the World… But Not Of the World”
• What’s Been Happening
• Taiwan’s “Super Toilet”

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Our MARCH 2008 Monthly Report is available for download. We’ve had it done for a bit, but neglected to post the link here…

In this edition…

• Our annual trip to John and Christine’s for Chinese New Year prompts some thoughts about the Year of the Rat
• Why Taiwanese National ID Cards can only have one “4″ in the ID number
• A pic of some boys that come to our worship meetings
• Some disarming tidbits about the fam

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Anyway… Our FEBRUARY 2008 Monthly Report is available for download. Late… but available now!

In this edition…

• Too many things to list!
• 6,000 words just in pictures alone!
• A Special Offer from the Taipei City Government Department of Environmental Protection

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Click to read “In God’s Hands” at Nepali Times.

“This is the most direct proof I have seen that politics kills people,” says Deb Raj Joshi, a Dadeldhura trader, himself a patient.

I hope that this brave man’s life is not in danger for stating such an obvious truth.

In December, the hospital was shut down after the Health Ministry was pressured by Maoists who accused doctors of being “agents of American imperialism”.

Thousands of patients like Dikari Aire from neighbouring Doti, Bajhang, Achham and Baitadi now have nowhere to go. Those with money take relatives to India for treatment. At least eight patients have died because they couldn’t get emergency care after the hospital closed down.

Christians are called to bring hope, peace, and relief to a suffering world.

Christians are bashed because they don’t do it often enough.

But these Christians WERE DOING IT. And Christians must CONTINUE to do it although this world will ALWAYS complain. Don’t give up on bringing relief to those who are suffering!

The TEAM hospital was, by all accounts, a refuge of hope, peace, and relief among a people who have suffered more than anyone should have to. They helped anyone regardless of social status or religious belief.

At the time it closed down, TEAM was treating up to 500 patients a day, and doing nearly 800 deliveries a year. Plans were underway for a Rs 30 million (Nearly US$500,000) expansion.

The hospital’s out-patient courtyard which used to be filled with patients and relatives was silent and empty last week. The wards and surgery theatre were padlocked. The rainwater system was still working, feeding water to overflowing tanks. A VSAT dish recently installed for telemedicine was not in use.

Insanity.

I’m getting ready for surgery tomorrow!

Our JANUARY Monthly Report is available for download.

In this edition…

• The King Has Come
• Christmas Outreach Report
• BASE jumping Taipei 101
• A Note from Team Expansion’s President

Clicking on the image below will open the PDF newsletter directly (about 282kb)

Some of the people in our community asked Angie and I if our church would help organize a Christmas party for the kids who live here. We were very glad to help out and the party went well. We had five stations (skit, songs, craft, game, coloring) and when the kids got a stamp from each station they received a gift. Very fun and *very* Taiwanese!

After the Christmas party, the church met in our home for dinner and to celebrate the coming of the Lord.

Here’s some pics from that night:

First, the promotional flyer that hung in each of the ~15 elevators in our community and the numerous bulletin boards. Like the Jack-o-lanterns?

Sophy scoring big points at the bean bag toss, run by Sandy and Daphne

Josie ran the craft station

Fannie, Sophy, and Bethanie help a psychotic reindeer moose teach some songs

Who but God would have made shepherds the first to visit the baby?

The wise men (Benjamin, Evan, and Dick) visit King Herod (Joseph) as Jones narrates

Bethanie and Joe played “Silent Night”

Our neighbor Andy

Sean and Evan

Daphne with her daughter (Evan trying to hide in the background)

Angie and Lissy

Bethanie with a laughing Lissy mei mei

The Zhao family from L to R: Felicity, Daphne, A-Guang, Joe

Someone didn’t get the memo… WEAR RED!

Finally… a slideshow with all these pictures and several others from that night’s fun!