S H A P E
Getting and staying in shape
is something that we’re all aware we need to do to keep our
physical bodies functioning at their peak ability. In their
book, The Way of the Shepherd, Dr. Kevin Leman and
William Pentak used the acronym SHAPE to help us remember
what to look for in the people that we need on our teams, in
roles of leadership or in the church to function at our peak
ability.
S – Strengths
“First . . .
make sure each person has the skill set needed to do the
job.” Sometimes they can learn it on the job. Sometimes
they have to have it on the day they arrive. It depends on
the position. The point is . . . always try to place people
where they can operate out of their strengths and not their
weaknesses. So the first step is to understand the
strengths of the people on your team, or the people who are
about to join you.”
H – Heart
“While your
strengths reflect your abilities, your heart reflects your
passion,” . . . “There’s nothing more commonplace than a
company full of bright, talented people who are completely
unmotivated to do their work. It doesn’t matter how strong
you are in a given area if you’re not motivated to exercise
that strength, so . . . know what . . . people are
passionate about. If (you) put them in areas that reflect
their passions, they’ll arrive to work like they’ve been
shot out of a cannon. They’ll begin to think of their job
more as a cause than as a place to draw a paycheck. That’s
a big difference!”
A – Attitude
“You want
positive, can-do people. Given a choice between talent and
attitude, I’ll take attitude every time.” . . . people
with a good attitude are usually team players. . . they
usually have a teachable spirit. People with negative
attitudes tend to be lone rangers. You can’t teach them a
thing.
P – Personality
“Each one of us
has been hardwired with a distinct personality,” . . . “Some
of us are wired to be extroverts; other, introverts. Some
people love repetition. They love knowing that they’re
going to do the same thing in their job tomorrow that they
did today. Others would sooner crawl down into a hole and
die if they can’t have some variety. Some people thrive on
change. The point is to put a person in a position that
reflects his or her personality.
E – Experiences
This last point
is the most vague, but it’s important to mention. Each
person you meet is a product of their life experiences.
Often the key to understanding an individual and the key to
knowing where to place him or her on your team is to learn
something about the person’s various experiences.
Richard Edwards
PRAYER CONCERNS
Sympathy
·
Sympathy is extended to Rick Doyle & family on
the death of his father, Louis. Rick is the pastor of Means
Memorial UMC in Andrews.
·
Sympathy is extended to the family of Marie
Boswell. Marie was the surviving spouse of James P.
Boswell.
Health
·
Please be in prayer for Ronda Greenwood &
family following surgery for colon cancer. She is the pastor
of Stinnett UMC.
·
Please be in prayer for Ann Akin as she
recovers from surgery. Ann is an associate pastor of St.
John’s UMC in Lubbock.
·
Please continue to be in prayer for Bob Karlin
& family. He has now returned home to Abilene following a
liver transplant. Bob is the pastor of Eula UMC.
·
Peggy Lindley is recovering from surgery for a
detached retina.
Congratulations
- Congratulations to Lane & Tamara
Boyd on the birth of their first grandchild, Charles
Anderson Boyd. Lane is the Senior Pastor of Polk Street
UMC, Amarillo.
S.O.S. in the Congo
The District Office recently received the following letter
from Larry Gaumond, Pastor of Fritch UMC.
Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ,
I don’t know whether or not you read
the UM Reporter from July 9th. On page 7A there
is an article titled “Congo seminary struggles to quickly
renew land title.” You can read the article yourself, and
I wish you would, but to make a long story short they
are in desperate need of another $27,000 to pay back a loan
to renew their land title to keep from losing the
Mulungwishi mission station. This includes the Katanga
Methodist Mission University, with its theological seminary
and women’s school, a health center, three secondary
schools, a primary school, a community agricultural project
and the United Methodist district headquarters.
In the fifty years since Congo
gained its independence from Belgium, the UMC has grown from
60,000 to 500,000 members, and I venture to say the work
done through the Katanga Methodist Mission University is
primarily responsible for this. I know this for I was
privileged to go there in 2005 with our Bishop. This is one
of the greater works of the UMC today and we can’t
let the enemy steal it from us for a few dollars.
This
is what I propose; if each of the churches in our
conference alone (all 214) were to donate $125.00 to pay off
this debt they would once again be free and clear. If we
will get the word out I believe that by the last Sunday in
August all the necessary funds will be raised. We can all
forward our gifts to the NWTX Conference Office (1401
Ave M Lubbock, TX 79401) and let them forward the money
to the proper advance.
I know we’re always being asked to
give to something or another, all of which are important in
their own right, but this one for the present must head the
list. Together we can do this, easily! Being able to help
one of our own in a time of need is one of the privileges of
being a connectional church. For the sake of the souls still
lost in the Congo I’m praying for your generosity.
God Bless – Towel in hand,
Pastor Larry Gaumond
Roundup
2010 - August 7
FUMC Lubbock
August 7 is marked on your calendar for Roundup 2020,
isn’t it??
Roundup 2010 on August 7, at First
United Methodist in Lubbock, will offer seven, 2 hour
workshops. Each workshop will be offered in the morning &
afternoon sessions. All workshops will be powerful and
beneficial to all. You can mail your registrations in or
you can register and pay online with credit card, whichever
is easier for you. Go to the following site for complete
information:
http://www.nwtxconf.org/Equip/Roundup-2010
Please note that you cannot register
youth online, as their forms require parent/guardian
signatures. If you have questions, please call the NW Texas
Conference office at: 806-762-0201.
FINALLY-THE MOVE HAS
HAPPENED!!
The Northwest Texas Conference staff
has finally made the “big” move to their new service
center. Although the new building is just behind the old
facility, the address has changed to: 1401 Ave. M,
Lubbock, TX 79401.
Mark your calendars now for the
dedication of the building, October 9, 2:00 PM.
Bishop Whitfield will be with us and we would like to invite
you to join us for the dedication of YOUR new
Conference Service Center.
Second Milers
It’s that time of year again….time for
the Second Milers’ annual ice cream social. This year’s
event will be held Wednesday, August 25th, 6:00
PM at St. John’s UMC, 1501 University. You will be
receiving a reminder post card.
Texas Tech Lubbock Blitz
The Texas Tech Wesley Foundation is
planning a “Lubbock District Blitz on Sunday, November 7,
2010. They hope to have student representatives in as many
Lubbock District churches as possible on that date. If you
would be interested in having a speaker or team of speakers
from the Tech Wesley Foundation , please contact Justin
Hancock at
justin@ttuwesley.org
Discover God’s Call
What are your spiritual gifts & how is
God calling you to use them? Come to the Circle Six Ranch
Camp in Stanton, TX October 1-3 to discover your gifts and
how to use them. Upon completing the weekend you will
realize that churches no longer have one minister and many
members, but every member is a minister for our Lord.
Contact the District Office for a brochure or go to:
www.discovergodscall.org
How to Do Church
A workshop, “How to Do Church”, will be
presented by Rev. Tim Walker, Senior Pastor of FUMC, Midland
on Tuesday, August 17, at FUMC, LUBBOCK. The
goal of the workshop is for pastors to leave the day
confident about doing ministry and to gain new insights
about their specific congregations and pastoral ministries.
There is no charge for this event,
however you must register with Pamela Behr at:
pamelabehr@firstmethodistmidland.com no later than
August 10.
Clif Christopher
Newsletter
Dr. Clif Christopher, our teacher at
this year’s Annual Conference, would like to e-mail you his
monthly newsletter. If you are interested in receiving this
newsletter please send your acceptance of this offer to Dave
Andersen, Director of Stewardship and Conference Treasurer,
at
andersen@nwtxconf.org. Please also indicate the e-mail
address to which you would like it sent.

