Every mission faces difficult times, and our ability to navigate through these tough situations can make us stronger and move us closer to accomplishing the vision God has for us or they can destroy us.  The last 20 years have been an incredible ride at Community.  God has truly blessed us beyond what I could have ever asked or imagined.  And while it has been incredibly fun and rewarding, we've also had a few difficult seasons.  I can't necessarily say we always dealt with those situations as well as I would have liked, but I do think we have learned a few lessons along the way.  And yes, some of them were learned the hard way.  Here are three of those lessons.  I'll post the other three tomorrow.

1) Stay Focused on the Mission - This is one of the most common mistakes leaders make.  In the midst of difficult times, it is so easy to let the issue you are struggling through overshadow the mission.  When that happens, not only does the mission take a hit, but the people you lead lose site of why they do what they do.  More than ever, during difficult times, people need to be reminded of what is at stake and why they passionately do what they do day in and day out.  Make sure the mission remains center focus and that the decisions you make to get through the tough time will serve to better help you accomplish the mission.

2) Resolve Conflict Quickly - Don't wait for someone to come to you, tackle conflict head-on.  Tough times only spark more conflict.  Quick decisions need to be made, longer than normal hours are expected from key leaders, and often significant shifts in strategy are demanded.  During these times it's even more tempting to put-off resolving minor conflicts because you're already in the middle of dealing with a major challenge.  During these times I'm reminded of God's wisdom in Ephesians to "speak the truth in love" and to speak that truth as soon as possible.

3) Be Present - During tough times, it is incredibly tempting to avoid the situation.  I have to resist the urge to work more from home or spend more time away from the office, working at Starbuck's or Panera.  Truth is, during difficult times, I need to be present even more than ever.  My team and my co-workers need to see me model how to continue to keep the mission central by going about my work as normally as possible, even in the most difficult situations.  This may mean canceling a trip - work or pleasure or changing the dates of a previously planned vacation.  Avoid the urge to hide.  This is not the time to be away.

If we ever had a doubt about whether or not comments on social media sites like Twitter or Facebook matter, we do now.  I know it not only because of all the craziness in the media regarding NFL players Tweets that followed the Bears' game, but I realized it more personally as well.  Sunday night during the Bears' loss to the Grean Bay Packers I was Tweeting my dismay for Jay Culter appparently pulling himself out of the game because of an injury to his knee.  In the heat of the moment and forgetting to follow my own 60 Second Rule (Never send an e-mail, post a Tweet, or publish a post to your blog without waiting at least 60 seconds to question yourself as to whether or not you may regret it later), I posted a Tweet saying that if Jay Cutler can stand up, he should get in the game.  A fairly tame comment, right?  But I was clearly suggesting that someone who had taken more hits in the first half of the season than some quarterbacks take in an entire career, was somehow not giving it everything he had.  And truthfully, just a few minutes after I posted it, I wished I hadn't. 

Maybe you're thinking that it seems like a harmless comment from an anonymous fan, right?  After all, this is a metro area of 7 million people.  Not so fast.  True Story Alert:  This afternoon we received a call from a pastor in our area.  He said that he was really discouraged by some of the cheap shots that were being taken at Jay Cutler following yesterday's game.  Just when I thought he was taking it a little to hard, he said that Jay's parents are part of his church.  I know that sounds crazy, but he was speaking the truth.  And suddenly it became personal, and for me it was a great reminder that just because you say it on Twitter or Facebook doesn't make it any less real or damaging.  And maybe even more so.  As someone who claims to represent Christ and his church, I have to realize that even a seemingly harmless Tweet could be a poor representation and impact someone personally.  One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three . . . .  

The last several weeks have been some great days for Community's Chicago IMPACT, as our dream for launching three new sites in the city of Chicago inches closer to reality.  We now have two of the three neighborhoods chosen for these campuses.  Our first site will launch in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago.  Lincoln Square is on Chicago's northwest side and is a great family-oriented community.  The heart of Lincoln Square would be at the intersection of Lawrence, Western, and Lincoln Avenue.  Tammy Melchien is the campus pastor for that site.  Tammy has been on staff at Community for 8 years and has been a proven leader of leaders and an extremely capable communicator.  She moved into Lincoln Square in June and has been laying the groundwork for this new campus by getting to know key people in the community, starting small groups, holding open-invitation city dinners to anyone interested in the new campus, as well as leading monthly launch team gatherings.  On December 19th we had a Christmas service at the Theater Wit.  Over 75 people were in attendance.  Last Sunday we held another launch team gathering and the energy and excitement was palpable.  Please keep this launch in your prayers as we are now less than 10 weeks away from our opening day.  For more on-going updates and information about our Lincoln Square Campus set to begin weekly celebration services on March 20th, click here.

At Community last weekend we wrapped up our two-part series 67/20.  Thees numbers symbolize the mission of Community to "Reach the 67% of people who have yet to find their way back to God and come alongside the 20% of people who live in extreme poverty." 

Last weekend, we challenged everyone at Community to set aside several days to better identify with the billions of people who live on less than $2 a day by eating on less than $2 a day.  Lisa and I are wrapping up our experience this evening.  I'm not sure what the lasting impact will be.  We plan to sit down and discuss that in more detail.  But for now, here are a few observations:

1. Saying no to seconds (or thirds).  While there have been moments when I wanted more food this week, I can’t say that I really felt very hungry.  For me, this was more about just not eating as much as I normally eat than it was about feeling hungry.  There is no doubt I could eat a lot less and not only be ok, but likely be even more healthy.

2. Yep, I am ungrateful.  I would say that what surprised me most was how enthusiastic I was about eating very simple meals.  A meal consisting of beans, rice, a quesadilla, and a few orange slices felt like a treat.  With no in-between meal snacks, I was genuinely excited when I saw it on the table.  Ordinarily, I would have thought that was a pretty weak meal.

3. Not getting what I want makes me cranky.  There is no doubt that food affects my mood.  While I wasn’t particularly hungry, I was more cranky than usual.  And I think that was mostly about wanting things to I eat that I don’t need, but normally eat:  chocolate, ice cream, snacks like tortilla chips, and yes, even fruits and vegetables (for the most part fruits and vegetables were too expensive)

4. Weigh less waste or way less waste?  Last night I put something in the waste basket in the kitchen and realized that we've had the same bag in that container all week. We usually go through several bags every week.  An interesting discovery is that we actually waste much less when we eat much less.

For more observations from Community attenders click here.

Community's dream of launching three new sites in the city of Chicago over the course of the next 12-18 months is quickly coming to life.  One way we tell this story is through a monthly e-newsletter that includes information about Community's Chicago IMPACT.  Click here for more news about our new campuses in Chicago's Lincoln Square and Edgewater neighborhoods as well as a very cool story of life-change.

OK, I'M GUILTY!  Yesterday was December 31st and I was looking at my contributions over the past 12 months frantically making sure that I had reached my generosity goals for 2010.  And while I'm a huge believer in being generous anytime of year - January thru December, I couldn't help but wish I had this same level of urgency for giving all year long.  I know that it's better late than never, and I need to get these last contributions in so that I can include them in my charitable giving for my 2010 tax return, but there is something about it this year that caused me to want to have a greater urgency about giving throughout the entire year.  After all, when I look at the various causes that I am generous toward, they are no less in need in June than they are in December.  As a matter of fact, because so many people, myself included, tend to be most generous at the end of the year, I'm sure many of these missions would love to see some "end-of-year-sized" gifts in June.  So, how about a new movement toward mid-year giving, where we have the same urgency on June 30th that we have on December 31st?  And if we take a close look at where we are in June, we'll have time to make some mid-course adjustments if it looks like we're not on track to give as much as we had hoped?  Are you with me? 

2010 has been an incredible year of IMPACT at Community Christian Church.  This past year we had more baptisms, more people connected, more 3C Christ-followers, more people celebrating at our weekend services, and more generosity than every before.  It's amazing to look back at how God has worked through our church to continue to pursue our mission of "helping people find their way back to God."  For a snapshot of the past year, check out Community's Annual Report right here.

Among the many people and things I am grateful for this Christmas are two of the most selfless leaders on the planet.  About 18 months ago when we decided that it was time for Community's vision of launching three sites in Chicago to come to life, I scheduled a meeting with Tim Harlow and Bill Brown at Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park. 

I was well-prepared: had our vision down, knew what I was going to ask, and prayed that God would show up in this meeting.  No sooner had I sat down in the chair across the desk from Tim that he says, "Look, we've wanted to do something in the city for a long time.  You and the team at Community have the horsepower to do something like this.  Rather than us trying to do it as well, we want to jump on board and get behind what God is already doing through you and the people at Community."  Then he said, "We're good for $50k, and I'm going to get as many of my pastor friends to jump on board as well." 

That was a day I will never forget.  Parkview is a great church -- one of the fastest growing churches in the country, with many projects and multiple visions and opportunities at every turn.  Yet they saw Chicago IMPACT as an opportunity to get in on where God was already at work through another church.  What an incredible example of selfless kingdom-minded leadership!  It's just one of the many reasons I'm feeling grateful this Christmas season.

I recently saw where Brandon Hatmaker posted the following list from Exponential:  How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement.  Dave and I put this list together, and it is one of those lists that I go back to over and over again as a sort of personal check up to help me avoid attitudes and behaviors that I tend to fall into when what I need to do is step up and lead. 

The list completes this phrase:  "I Know I'm Not Leading When..."
1. I wait for someone else to tell me what to do rather than taking the initiative myself.
2. I spend too much time talking about how things should be different.
3. I blame the context, surroundings, or other people for my current situation.
4. I am more concerned about being cool or accepted than doing the right thing.
5. I seek consensus rather than casting vision for a preferable future.
6. I am not taking any significant risks.
7. I accept the status quo as the way it's always been and always will be.
8. I start protecting my reputation instead of opening myself up to opposition.
9. I procrastinate to avoid making a tough call.
10. I talk to others about the problem rather than taking it to the person responsible.
11. I don't feel like my butt is on the line for anything significant.
12. I ask for way too many opinions before taking action.

One of the highlights of every Christmas season at Community is our Gift Marts.  Thanks to everyone who has contributed toys.  We have 2,111 toys collected so far of the 11,000 we need for our two East Aurora Gift Marts. So, over the next 10 days, we need to collect another 8,889 toys! Here's how you can help: *Bring toys to the Yellow Box anytime between now and Dec. 16th.  Bring toys to the Yellow Box, DownTown, Montgomery, Plainfield, Yorkville, and East Aurora Campuses this weekend. Make an on-line donation at http://www.communitychristian.org/giftmart and we will shop for you.