big changes today

WOW. big changes today. I definitely need some time to think things through, but here’s the big picture:

Rick Warren and the elders of the church have made some significant structure changes.

First off, the elder team has been redefined to include Pastors who have been at Saddleback for more than 15 years: Glen Kruen, Tom Holladay, Rick Muchow, John Baker, Steve Rutenbar, and Doug Fields. There primary role is twofold: (a) to mentor other leaders on staff, and (b) make sure the pastors management team stays true to the biblical purposes, beliefs, vision, values, and culture. The elders aren’t supervisors, they are mentors and keepers of what it means to follow scripture and be Saddleback.

Second, the pastors management team includes the base pastors and a few others:

001 Erik Reese (Community and Crowd)
101 Tommy Hilliker (Congregation)
201 Buddy Owens (Committed)
301 Pat Giraldin (Core)
401 Brian Harper (Commissioned)
Church Operations Bill Crane
Small Groups Steve Gladen
Chief of Staff David Chrzan
Regional Campuses Matt McGill

What motivated RW to make these changes? One of Saddleback’s values is that the implementers are the decision makers. (he said he learned that from someone years ago, but I don’t remember who that was.)

In short, what’s our role? To manage the affairs of the church. To trouble shoot problems. To ensure that the biblical purposes are fulfilled locally with the people God has entrusted to us.

Rick called today historical, for he turned over the management of the church from the founding pastors to the next group of leaders.

HERE’S WHAT WE WILL BE EVALUATED ON

#1. Our LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. Our leadership isn’t about promoting ourselves and our ministries, it’s about thinking about the whole. Our responsibility is to model love for one another to the rest of the staff.

#2. Our CONFIDENTIALITY. All kinds of leadership has confidentiality, another way to say this is discernment. Still another way to say this is not to gossip. Real life is really messy, let’s not make it worse by talking about things we ought not to.

#3 Our HUMILITY. All leaders are learners, and it takes humility to learn from others. It takes humility to accept advice. Each of us are expected to select a mentor, and we ought to talk to them regularly.

#4 10×10 Goals. This is a while other post…