There’s A Brand New Jim Wideman Book Available Now!

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Over thirty years ago, I began a journey that I’m still on today—a quest to move past “live well and do well” and to actually “lead well.” After fifteen years on the job trying to do my best and working hard, I realized there was more needed than just hard work, or even smart work for that matter. I realized true authentic leadership doesn’t come from a position or even a title; it comes from who you are, as well as, from who you are becoming. It comes from the inside out, and it is not a one-time choice; instead, it is the result of a daily choice to say yes to all of Jesus’ invitations.

One of the good things that came out of the shut down of 2020 for me is that my first book (Children’s Ministry Leadership “The-You-Can-Do-It-Guide”) that I  published more than twenty years ago, the rights, came back to me. Hallelujah! My idea was to read through it and make some updates and self-publish it and make an updated version of this popular book that has served as a textbook on Children’s Ministry Leadership for many colleges and seminaries.

As I started reading the book I realize more than the information inside had changed in twenty years. I had changed! In fact, I realized quick that I am not the same person I was when I wrote it the first time. I don’t think in the same ways, I don’t lead the same way. Although I am still involved in Children’s Ministry, my role had totally changed.  As the Executive Operations Pastor at my church. I mow oversee the finances, the data base, the facilities, HR, legal, security, guest services and car park, as well as Children’s Ministries. I have known from consulting and coaching with churches of all sizes, that the principles of leadership I live and teach work in every area of church ministry not just Children’s Ministry. 

That’s why, this is not the same book. I ended up not updated old material but totally re-writing the book from a whole different viewpoint and perspective as well as as over forty five years of hands-on experience.  What a wonderful opportunity I’ve been given to have a second chance to add, to take away, and to make the changes that I’ve wanted to make for years, as I have coached and taught through this material over the last twenty years.

I hope that wherever you are on your leadership journey that you’ll listen to Holy Spirit and apply what He will be speaking to you through this new book. We all have been called to be learners, and Jesus is not done leading us and showing us what He wants us to know and become, no matter what area of ministry you are currently leading.

I am so excited to announce beginning  October 5th, 2021 my new book “Authentic Leadership That Lasts” will be available for purchase. Right now you can pre-order it here at jimwideman.com  and be one of the first to receive it. I’ll also include a free digital copy as well for ordering from me. So follow the link and order your copy today! If you’d like to purchase multiple copies, reach out for quantity discounts. This new book is filled with gold, so get ready to dig.

 

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Leading With Help

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Life can be a very stressful and even overwhelming at times! As rewarding as ministry can be it too, can be overwhelming. I worked for a wonderful pastor  who used to say,“Ministry is a privilege, but sometimes it looks a whole bunch like work!  As I have studied people in ministry, especially people in kid’s ministry  over the past forty-five plus years, there are two things that are apparent to me: One, we have a tendency to want to do things all by ourselves and secondly, at times (More times than most) in our own strength. This is not good. I should have listened to “Three Dog Night” years ago they told me “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do!” (google this milenials) or maybe the “Beatles” they not only sang about needing “help” but also “help from our friends.” Better yet I should have listened to Jesus. John 15: 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. God never intended us to do the work of the ministry by ourselves! For that matter He never intended us to live the Christian life by ourselves. Jesus told his disciples that He would send them a helper or another counselor to be with us forever. He also said in John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Verse 27 adds “Peace I leave with you; My Peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This is good news! It’s also the only way to live and lead effectively and handle the stress and demands of life and of ministry.

Mr. Webster defines stress as “the physical, mental, or emotional pressure, pull or force exerted on one thing by another; strain; tension” Pressure is normal and can be helpful at times but not knowing how to handle it causes us problems. Trying to handle it by ourselves is not God’s plan for us that is why he has sent us Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit (who is not a THE, He’s a person) is our teacher, He is our guide, He is our helper and He is our comforter! Just because stress exists doesn’t mean it cannot be managed and controlled. Electricity like stress can be deadly but when it is harnessed and controlled it is a powerful and helpful resource. Pressure is an excellent test of your ability to lead or your current leadership level. But when pressure and problems come, you don’t need to try to handle them in your own strength but in the strength and power of Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of the living God! Just because you are doing the “Lord’s work” doesn’t mean you won’t have problems and challenges. We all have issues of life to deal with. Psalm 34:19 tells us, “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” I believe this verse describes us as “getting up people! When we lead with the help of “our helper-Holy Spirit, we are not leading in our own strength but in the strength of Jesus’ promised power source.

I learned a very valuable lesson about relying on my helper several years ago. One day as I was leaving for work I had an impression in my spirit that I needed to bring my bass guitar with me to church. Rather than be quick to obey I started reasoning with myself and to make a long story short I blew off the leading and went to work. No sooner as I walked in my office the phone rang and it was my Wednesday Night bass player in my pre-youth class informing me that he just got to work and found out he had to work late and asked if I could play bass myself for him. My helper (Holy Spirit) wanted to help me save time. As I drove back home to get my bass I saw that the more I listened to the voice of Holy Spirit in small things the easier it was to hear him in major decisions. I also realized it would have been better for me to brought my bass and didn’t need it, than to blow off the voice of Holy Spirit, my helper. I’ve also learned through the years to never disobey a check in my Spirit. If I sense a strong leading to not go somewhere or to not do something or to pass on a certain worker or team member, even if I can’t explain it, I trust my helper! With these things in mind here are Ten Ways I allow Holy Spirit to help me Lead in ministry.

1. Let the Peace of God rule and reign in your lives. How do you do that? I’m glad you asked. Make time to meditate the Word about peace daily as well as in stressful times. Make time to pray! When you don’t know how to pray let Holy Spirit guide you and lead your prayers. Give no place to fear! Fear is faith in reverse.

2. Meet every situation with a spirit of faith. Holy Spirit gives us boldness.

Be positive and speak faith words! Speak what God’s Word says not your doubts. Remind yourself what God has done for you. One of the jobs of our helper is to remind us about what Jesus has done and said. Don’t go by what you see, feel or hear. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight:

Don’t listen to the devil, his messengers or to bad or evil reports.

3. Be strong and courageous. Acts 1:8 says But you will receive power when Holy Spirit comes on you. I believe a good measurement of the Spirit in us is how strong we are. What ever you are full of comes out of you when you are shaken. When you are full of the Spirit, His strength and courage comes out of you when life shakes you! Don’t be a baby, instead be strong! Thirty-three times in the Bible we are told to be strong, and an additional ten times will are told to be strong and courageous!

4. Ask for the Spirit to guide your plans. The Bible could not be more plain on the subject of Gods plans are different than our plans. That’s why we should be sensitive to the leading of Holy Spirit for God’s plan. Don’t be afraid to be detailed in your planning. Learn to think backwards from the desired outcome and break your plan down into steps. Don’t wait to the last minute. Never equate flowing with Holy Spirit to flying by the seat of your paints.

5. Learn to allow Holy Spirit to help you Identify things that need correcting and ask Him to teach you why it needs fixing as well as how. To me my friend and helper Holy Spirit works in our lives like a spot light He shines or illuminates things that need to be brought to light. I also rely of Holy Spirit to help me identify areas of improvement in my ministry. The Spirit is a safe guide, one whom can always be trusted. The voice of wisdom and the voice of Father God is always the same thing. Our helper Holy Spirit will lead us to all truth and will never disagree with the voice of wisdom or God’s Word!

6. Trust your guide. I used to illustrate this in Children’s Church by blindfolding a child and give them verbal instructions that they had to carry out without bumping into things. It’s impossible to walk by faith and not by sight in our own strength. Then I would ask another child to come be a guide (just like Holy Spirit is our guide) and guide the blindfolded child to safety. It’s much easier with a guide to follow Father’s Word . I have found practice make perfect not only in playing an instrument or developing a skill but also in trusting our guide!

The more we practice walking this out, the more reflexive it becomes.

7. I rely on the help of Holy Spirit to lead me to people I need to develop to be on my team. I refuse to wait on people to show up that I need to lead. I’m on a mission from God to connect with those He leads me to. Jesus was out and about when he found the twelve disciples. I ask the Lord daily to lead me to the right people who need to be a part of the team He is building!

8. Learn how to let Holy Spirit refresh you. The biggest challenge for people in ministry is to learn how to leave the stress and pressures of life and ministry at the church or the office and don’t bring them home. I have learned to pray in the Spirit on the way home and allow Holy Spirit to refresh me. It helps me to be able to enjoy my family more. One of the things old Jim would tell young Jim is to take time off. Rest is part of God’s plan just like work. I guard my day(s) off and use my vacation wisely. Retreat when you are at your busiest. When we study the life of Jesus here on the earth Holy Spirit led him away from work and those he was leading to pray and be refreshed.  I believe when we pray in the Spirit it refreshes our spirit and builds up or edifies us! Holy Spirit still leads Christ Followers to times of refreshing and renewal.

9. Take care of the temple. 1 Corinthians 3: 16 asks “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If this is true and it is then it’s important we take care of the temple. I have learned the hard way as I age I must exercise, eat healthier, take vitamins and supplements as well as get plenty of sleep. I don’t stay up all night anymore.

10. Holy Spirit helps me discern what is right for me to be involved in. What’s of God and what’s not? Learn to be sensitive to Holy Spirit’s involvement and presence and recognize or discern if something is good or God as well as bad or evil. Not every good idea is Father’s will for me now. Not everything that is wrong or bad for now is evil, it’s just not the right timing. If every believer has Holy Spirit on the inside and they do then how much more do we in leadership need  Holy Spirit’s help to be the leaders God has called us to be.

Proverbs 3:5 & 6 tells us “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Aren’t you glad we have a helper to lead us to be the leaders we need to be. Listen to your guide, our helper, Holy Spirit is with us, always. Listen to Him, Learn from Him, do what He says. Every leader leads better with help, no matter what they are doing!

Thanks Holy Spirit, for being our helper, we need your help, more now than ever!

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Living Your Best Life

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I love John 10. It’s such a powerful chapter, so many thoughts to take captive and make obedient here. John 10:10 is one of my absolute favorite verses in this chapter because it sums up God’s plan for us! He wants us to experience life, abundant, wonderful life through Him. Here’s 3 ways I’ve found to live your best life!

Number 1: THINK RIGHT.

I’ve found that my biggest battlefield is located between my two ears. If you’ve hung out here on this blog or if you have read any of my books you’ve heard me say “How we think effects what we do!” In other words your actions come from your thinking. If we want to do right, we have to think right. That’s where God’s Word comes in. It always works and adjusts your way of thinking to His way of thinking when you line your thinking up with what God’s Word Says.

Number 2: DON’T COMPARE

One of my Infusers shared this word with me and my other coaches she heard from another coach it was Comparanoia. It’s when you are paranoid because you compare yourself to others. I know a lot of Christian leaders who have fallen victim to this including myself. It’s not just when we compare ourselves to others but even when we compare ourselves to ourselves from past seasons. I’m finding that the season I find myself in now is different from previous seasons of my life. Instead of looking back and wanting to live in the past, I want to be like a river and look ahead to where God is leading me. I want to choose that where I’m headed is God’s new direction for me toward the future He has for me. I’m not going to compare my life to others or to past experiences and desire God’s present plan and purpose for my life.

Number 3: BE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL

If you can be thank full you can be thank empty, I’ve found that a great way to stay thankful and grateful is to give God glory and credit for everything.  Another verse I love is Psalm 100:3 It says, “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”  One of the mistakes older me doesn’t want to make that younger me made was to take credit for things Father God did in my life. We act like good ideas or even fruit that came from obedience was our idea. I had nothing to do with the results, all good stuff comes from Him. When I major on being thankful and grateful and acknowledge Him in all my ways, He makes my paths straight. Every opportunity I have today I am more appreciate of than any opportunity I’ve had  in a previous season. I don’t take serving at a great church for granted. I don’t take opportunities I have to write blogs, articles, books and speak to parents and leaders as ordinary. I cherish each opportunity to help others as gifts from God and special for such a time as this.

Want to live your best life? I do, more than ever! I dare you… read John 10 then walkout these 3 steps this week: THINK RIGHT, DON’T COMPARE, and BE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL and watch your best life, God’s wonderful, His abundant life come into focus.

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What’s God Been Saying?

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Hello blog world, it’s been a while since we talked. Nineteen months to be exact. In that time many of you have changed churches, changes roles or positions within your churches, or you’ve entered the ministry for the first time. I’m sure you read tons on blogs, listen to all the new podcast and have read all the cool new books about ministry that have come down the pike but I’ve got a question for you…”What’s God been saying to you?” Years ago I realized something that a dear friend and Timothy reminded me of, just this week, “Thus sayeth the Lord works every time!” Every time, Jim? Yep, every time!

I’ve never been sorry for hearing God’s voice and doing what He has told me to do, it always works, yes always. So here’s a question for you, why do we jump on a facebook group or listen to all these other voices and resources rather than asking Jesus what He wants us to do? One of my favorite chapter’s in the Bible is John chapter 10. It says Jesus is our good shepherd and we are His sheep. He knows us and we know His voice. In fact it goes on the say that the voices of a stranger we won’t hear. So when was the last time you sat down and really listened for His voice? What’s He saying? Are you willing to do what He says? I mean are you willing to do exactly what He says? I am, that’s why I back here blogging again. In fact in the days to come you’ll see a lot more of me being obedient to what Jesus is saying to me. I want to hear what He’s saying to me today. That’s why I’m listening with all my heart for my Shepherd’s voice and doing what He says to me. Never quit listening to God’s voice and doing what He says. You’ll discover what God says always works.

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Thankful For Freedom

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As I get ready to celebrate America’s Birthday this weekend I can’t help but stop and say thanks to the countless men and woman who fought and paid for the freedoms we have as Americans. When I was younger I thought there really was such a thing as free stuff in the world but as an adult I know first hand free costs someone.  I love to give the resources I make away free, but the truth is it may not cost you, but it costs me. We live in a day when people expect certain rights and privileges. Most of the time we never stop and think about the costs and sacrifices others make for us to enjoy the freedoms we have. So before I cookout, light some fireworks and enjoy the festivities I want to pause and just say thanks and that I appreciate all those who fought and paid for the freedoms we have. Each year more and more of those freedoms are challenged and many of them are threatened. I am thankful I live in a place where I can still read and practice the Bible. I’m glad I have the right to proclaim the Gospel although it’s becoming less and less popular yet, I am still free to do so and for that I am very thankful. I’m also thankful I live in a place that gives me the freedom to bear arms. I get to vote, although each year there are less people I want to vote for and have to settle for the lessor of evils. I am so honored to be an American and I’m also thankful of all the places I could live in America I get to live in the South.

But no matter what freedoms come or go in this country I am thankful for the freedoms I have in Christ Jesus. I don’t ever want to forget what Jesus did for me. I am free indeed thanks to Jesus and what He did for me on the cross. I am free indeed no matter what the future holds, I know who holds the future and I do not want to take Jesus’ “free gift” for granted because it wasn’t free, it cost Him everything.

So as I get out the BBQ sauce and light up the grill please know this, I realize the freedoms I enjoy today as a Christ Follower and a Southern American where bought with a huge price and for that I am thankful! Praise the name of Jesus forever!  God Bless America! God have mercy on us all and help us Jesus to know that there is no true freedom outside of You!

Enjoy the 4th, go to church on the 5th!

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