Does anybody know the name of that video, or where I can get a copy?

Dave, Andy didn’t say anything about volunteers not giving time over 45 hours. I know that he honors volunteers greatly and has always volunteered time himself (outside of his official role). I think he was chiefly talking about one’s specific role and the fear we have that success of the ministry or business rests fully on how hard we work. It’s unfortunate if any of your volunteers felt devalued because I haven’t heard anyone else get that from Andy’s message.

Thoughts?

2. I often wonder if “book writing time” comes out of family time or church time.

3. My standard is simple. I work the number of hours my average volunteer works at their job, and add on top of that, what I ask of my people in volunteer hours at the church. I cannot ask my people to do what I am unwilling to do myself. My family time is not more important than theirs.

1) I thought it highly de-motivational – devaluing – to the volunteers I took. In addition to paid staff, I took 30 volunteers. Many of them work 40+ hours each week at their jobs. By the time they come on Sunday morning, they’ve put in their 45. So in other words, no small groups, no volunteer ministry. Seems pretty hypocritical to me to ask them to volunteer time if pastors are not going to. 2) I think it was unbiblical. Andy used Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church” to conclude that it’s our job to love our families, it’s Jesus job to love the church. That is clearly not the intention of that text. We need to love the church and our families. Passages such as Matthew 6:33 make it clear we are to “seek first God’s Kingdom.” There were things I loved about Andy’s message. Concepts such as 1) playing to our strengths, 2) maintaining a sustainable pace, 3) pastor’s being sure they don’t get wrapped up in a messiah complex … were incredible. But the de-valuing of volunteerism bothered me so much that I wished I had not taken my people to the Summit this year. Except Cordeiro’s message changed all of that. I loved it. He recognizes there is a tension between loving our families and seeking first God’s kingdom. Simplifying it to “45 hours” is not the answer. Bono was right, Christians have to stop giving simple answers to complex issues. Cordeiro’s example of “moving the fulcrum” was invaluable. I don’t question the importance of what Andy talked about. Many of us have used church work as the place to get our strokes. Many of us have worked so hard at church that we have brought no emotional energy back home with us. That’s wrong. I understand this stuff from personal experience. My grandfather left two of his children in an orphanage in Hawaii for two years so that he could be a missionary to China. The scars from that decision still affect our families. I’ve listened to lots of Andy Stanley messages and read lots of his books, including Choosing to Cheat. I generally love what he has to say. I left the Summit thinking, “this isn’t something Bill Hybels agrees with.” More importantly, I don’t think Paul or Jesus agree with it either.

Tony Morgan blogged the sessions from Willow Creek Leadership Summit.
Andy Stanley’s session dealt with church planting in “45 hours a week.” This concept was born out of deal Stanley made with…

We also tend to be in awe of success stories from great leaders like Hybels and Warren. But both respected Pastors speak frankly about the cost they and others paid. Warren has spoken about his emotional and mental breakdowns. Hybels has written about his marital and family drift and the the high cost his founding staff paid by going into credit card debt to support the church and staff members that experienced divorce.

I continue to listen to and chew on the great insights of Andy and otherr. But I try to be careful about what I will digest into application.

Tony Morgan is blogging the sessions from Willow Creek Leadership Summit. Andy Stanley’s session dealt with church planting in “45 hours a week.” This concept was born out of deal Stanley made with God: God, I don’t have time to