Greetings in the name of the One who saves, Jesus! What a blessing it is to be serving here at Allendale, and what an exciting time to work with the great "people called Methodist" here in the Saint Petersburg northeast area. We have some great challenges to engage and work through, but nothing too insurmountable if we all pull together and follow the guidance and directing of God's Holy Spirit towards the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. 

 

After several conversations together with Charlie Radigan, your Leadership Council Chair, Joe Deal, your Healthy Church Director, and our Lay Leadership Team, I truly believe God is guiding us to strengthen our leadership, empower our leadership, guide our leadership towards accountability so that our Church Body will be strengthened. I believe for this body to be obedient to Christ's commission to go and make disciples we need to build a strong leadership base. I believe the folks here are faithful and want to contribute to the making of Allendale Church a truly vital and healthy congregation of believers following Christ.

 I ran across an interesting article from www.churchleaders.com, a subscription I enjoy online. I want to share portions of this article because the full content would be too long for this format. The title caught my eye: "6 Warning Signs of Leadership Failure." It is written by Gary Foster. He begins, "Our local churches go down in flames under the guidance of capable leaders with questionable ethics. In the recent past, we've witnessed the public downfall of leaders from almost every arena of society. One day, they're on top of the heap; the next, shame and infamy are heaped on them."

I think some of these might be "words to the wise" for us who strive to grow in leadership as we continue to invite and lead persons to Christ. I will list just 3 of the warning signs he presents:

Warning Sign #1: A Shift in Focus. Leaders are usually distinguished by their ability to "think big." But as their focus shifts, their thinking shrinks. Often, leaders simply lose sight of what's important. They micromanage, get caught up in the minutiae, and succumb to perfectionism in trivial decisions better left to others. Even more subtle is an obsession with "doing" rather than "becoming". A leader's greatest influence flows from inner vision and integrity, but it's possible for a leader to become infatuated with action and, in the process, lose touch with the all-important development of character. Busier isn't always better. What is our primary focus right now? If we cannot write it on the back of a business card, then our leadership suffers from lack of clarity.

Warning Sign #2: Poor Communication. Lack of focus disorients a leader and sets the stage for poor communication. Followers can't possibly understand a leader's intent when the leader isn't even sure what it is! Sometimes, leaders delude themselves into believing that committed followers can sense their goals and carry out their wishes without being told. When misunderstandings arise, managers blame their people for lack of effort (or commitment) rather than recognizing their own communication negligence. "Say what you mean, and mean what you say" is timeless advice, but it must be preceded by knowing what you mean! Clarity of purpose is the starting point for all effective communication.

Warning Sign #3: Risk Aversion. Past victories create pressure for leaders-"Will I be able to sustain outstanding performance?" The longer a leader is successful, the higher his/her perceived cost of failure will be. When driven by the fear of failure, leaders are unable to take reasonable risks. They limit themselves to tried and proven pathways. Attempts at innovation-key to their initial success-diminish and eventually disappear. Which is more important to you: the journey or the destination? Are you still taking reasonable risks? Prudent leadership avoids reckless risk, but neither is it paralyzed by fear.

So, are you with me? Are you (every reader of this Bellringer Newsletter) willing to take reasonable risks for the good of God's kingdom here at Allendale? We will all be growing together as we seek to please God and serve our community in the name of Jesus Christ. Every individual will be needed to contribute his/her prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. We do want to be a healthy and vital church for Jesus Christ. Amen? Alright, let's be in prayer. Prayer for the Holy Spirit to move through this Body of believers as we all seek to become a place where everyone is welcome, loved, accepted and chosen to lead others to Christ.

See you in worship,

Pastor Ronnie

Our Ministry to the

 Women's Residence

The St. Petersburg Free Clinic Women's Residence is a short-term transitional housing program that provides a safe place for single women to stay for one to six months as they work on goals for independent living. The 20 bed residence provides a supportive environment which includes meals, clothing, counseling, skill training and help finding permanent housing.

Our "Women's Residence" Outreach Team enjoys preparing and serving dinner at the Women's Residence on the first Tuesday of each month from 6 pm until 7:30pm. We join the women for dinner and fellowship and also celebrate birthdays of the residents each month.

Our next service date is Tuesday, May 1st and again on June 5th. If you have an interest in being a part of this ministry, please contact the church office (527-6694) or Suzy Hutto (906-9454).