2015_02_Feb_PAC_Meeting

February 2015 Segments
Finding Your Sweet Spot
Warm-Up:
Devotional:
Ministerial
Leadership:
Simplify
Church:
5 Dysfunctions of a Team
The Last Day of Your Life
Investment Opportunity of a
Lifetime
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.. Romans 12:6 (NIV)
Simplifying Pastoral Life Through Powerful Peer Relationships.

 Our mutual covenant ...I agree to hold all information shared by all other
PAC members in the strictest confidence such that sharing will not
occur with spouse, staff, other leaders, etc. nor anyone else. Breaching
this confidence should be recognized as a testimony before our Lord.
(from PAC application)
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. Pr 11:13
 Introductions around the table. Take 2 to 3 minutes and provide...
• Name & position
• Church & location
• Number of years in ministry
• If a PAC member, how long. If a guest, hopes for today.
• Interest item for today:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
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INTRODUCTIONS
Simplifying pastoral life through powerful peer relationships. Feb, 2015

Simplifying pastoral life through powerful peer relationships.
9:00 – 9:15
9:15 – 9:30
9:30 – 10:15
10:15 – 11:15
11:15 – 12:15
12:15 – 1:00
1:00 – 2:20
2:20 – 2:30
2:30 – 3:30
3:30 – 4:00
4:00
Agenda
Arrival & Fellowship – Refreshments
Opening Prayer, Announcements, Introductions
-Warm Up: The Last Day of Your Life
-Devotional: Finding Your Sweet Spot
-Praise Reports & Prayer Requests
-Break
Ministerial Leadership: Investment Opportunity
Simplify Church: 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
Lunch (on-site)
Spot-Light Presentation: Extended Open Table
Break
Open Table: On-the-Spot Counsel
Accountability: Action Items & Take-Away
Closing Prayer
February 26, 2015
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to
each of us.. Romans 12:6 (NIV)
Thornblade Club, Executive Board Room

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ACCOUNTABILITY ACTION ITEMS
Due Date Item

5Simplifying pastoral life through powerful peer relationships.
WARM-UP
The Last Day of Your Life 1,2
Feb, 2015
Ric Elias had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New
York in January 2009. What went through his mind as the doomed plane went down? At TED, he tells
his story publicly for the first time.
Three Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed
 It all changes in an instant.
 I regretted the time I had wasted in things that did not matter with people that matter.
 Dying is very sad (not scary) because I wanted to see my kids grow up.
Let’s discuss..
 What should I get done that I’m waiting to do?
 How will I change my relationships and my negative energy in them?
 What truly important thing are you holding back on due to expectations, pride, or fear?
Ric Elias
TEDTalks 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_zk2DpgLCs
In a Commencement Address at Stanford University, Steve Jobs said, “Remembering that I’ll be dead
soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because
almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things
just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”

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DEVOTIONAL
Finding Your Sweet Spot 3
To many people she was simply ordinary. Nothing special. Forgettable.
An “average” student, she didn’t play sports, wasn’t involved in clubs, was never voted into student council.
She never really stood out or commanded attention. But those people didn’t see her quiet drive and
determination. They didn’t see how she worked her way through high school, saving enough to pay for
community college and beauty school. They didn’t see the personal tragedies she endured that inspired her to
work harder. They didn’t see her consistently pushing herself to be better, learning everything she could about
doing hair, fashion, style and running a business.
Although we now live more than 3,000 miles apart, my childhood friend Alysha still inspires me daily.
Today, Alysha owns and operates a successful salon and boutique. Sleek, stylish and full of sparkle, it’s
appropriately named Bliss. Simply walking through the door makes you feel special.
She is not just good at what she does, she is great.
Alysha and I have been best friends since the sixth grade and I’ve had a front-row seat to all the times
people underestimated her. I’ve watched her keep doing what she loved, despite her challenges, until she
found her sweet spot.
Our sweet spot is that place where our greatest passions and our talents or abilities intersect.
It’s that special place where we feel most called, that thing we love, that thing we’re great at that makes life
worth living. Just like Alysha, living in the sweet spot means having courage to follow our dreams, take risks
and work harder than we ever thought to accomplish our goals.
As our key verse in Romans 12 says, each of us has different gifts. Some excel in leading, while some
encourage others or effectively serve in the background, giving, organizing or following through. And while
some gifts might appear flashier or more important than others, they’re all essential. Your sweet spot is yours
alone.
Finding your sweet spot often means a messy process of finding, then learning how to embrace the God-
given talents you already have, rather than those you wish you had. It means discovering what you enjoy and
are truly good at, then determining how to merge talent and abilities with the ideas, dreams and pursuits you
are most passionate about. And sometimes finding your sweet spot means taking a wrong turn — or even
failing along the way.
But despite the messiness of it all, my hope is we become fearless and dare to take the plunge, even when
it means risking failure. Philippians 4:13 reminds us: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Don’t let the fear of falling short deter you from trying. You will make mistakes. You will mess up. You may
have to admit defeat. Keep going. Use them as opportunities to discover what doesn’t work, but always
persevere.
Your sweet spot is there, waiting for you, even if you haven’t quite found it yet, and in the end, it is exactly
where you need to be.
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is
prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve;
if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is
giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it
cheerfully.” Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)
Feb, 2015

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PRAYER- PRAISE & REQUESTS
Month Name Request

MINISTERIAL LEADERSHIP
Investment Opportunity of a Lifetime
As pastors, we are leaders and even business executives. While money is not our primary
concern, we should be constantly aware of the need for operating funds; expenses can exceed
income for only a short time before we’re in trouble! We evaluate this position in various ways but,
at the end of the day, we all know that we’re accountable for the results. Before the Lord and our
members, the buck stops with us!
For our personal finances, we likely concern ourselves with growth. Most of us are reasonably
astute when it comes to assessing our performance against the measures of return defined by the
world’s value system (e.g., growth, net income, cash flow, ROI, etc.). As leaders at home and in
churches, we’re acutely aware of our accountability for managing assets in a way that produces a
competitive return. But how well do we take a corresponding approach in looking at our lives
overall?
How about the investment we make when we dedicate our life – our time, talent, treasure, and
temple – to God’s eternal purposes as His stewards? How about the investment God has made in
creating, sustaining, and providing opportunities for us? When we attempt to look at our lives in
eternal terms – using God’s perspective to objectively evaluate them – we’re inevitably convicted
by our poor handle on this paramount topic! Do we truly understand investments from an eternal
perspective?
The Already But Not Yet
One reason for this struggle may stem from the dual nature of our lives. As we read these words,
we’re simultaneously living on earth and in “the heavenly realm” (Eph 2:6). This challenging
concept is Biblical truth. Scripture clearly teaches that while we live briefly in the flesh on the Earth
– a time that begins with physical birth and ends with physical death – the saved have also begun
our eternal life as God’s children in Christ. The Triune God has known us since before the
foundations of the world! The Bible tells us that even though we may be members of First
Independent Church of wherever, we’re also members of the “church of the firstborn” in Heaven
(see Heb 12:22-24, Eph 1:3 & 2:6, 2Cor 4:18 & 5:7). Although rarely taught or preached, the Bible
describes Heaven as a spatial reality that intersects all created space!
We maintain a dual existence as being ‘in this world’ and yet ‘not of this world’. We don’t cease
being one when we engage as the other. We’re always both! In God’s eyes, our true calling and
identity in Christ never changes (praise God!). However, our moment-to-moment recognition of this
truth (or lack thereof) can drastically alter our effectiveness. One of Satan’s most effective
strategies is to encourage our innate focus on the fleshly dimension of life at the expense of the
spiritual dimension. This is devastating, since the physical dimension is so truly insignificant
compared to the spiritual. We spend a brief lifespan on earth – a “mist” or “vapor” according to
James 4:14 – as opposed to all eternity in the spiritual dimension (i.e., Kingdom of Heaven).
Importantly, while on earth, what we do and the return we earn with our lives directly affects what
we’ll experience in Heaven (2Cor 5:10).
Ironically, the only time we’ll experience confusion over the relative importance of the temporal
versus the eternal is now! In Heaven, the truth will always be crystal clear. Unfortunately, this vivid
clarity will be too late to alter our fruitfulness or increase the return on our lives in the flesh. We
need to see clearly now to fully glorify God and benefit in eternity.
Unfortunately, our modern culture thinks carnally, not eternally, and focuses on the physical
dimensions of life. The world values temporal investments that provide pleasure, power, or
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10 Simplifying pastoral life through powerful peer relationships.
‘security’ without considering eternal consequences. Due to our fallen human nature, we’re
enormously enticed by today’s post-modern, secular, humanist culture that’s heavily biased toward
a physical, pragmatic, materialistic, man centered orientation. This is easily seen in the constant
efforts of marketers to create dissatisfaction with our possessions, amusements, bodies and
relationships. Our society unceasingly teaches that (1) whatever we have isn’t good enough, (2)
there’s always something material that will make us happy, and (3) there’s some man-made
remedy that will usher in earthly utopia. Because of our tendencies toward comparison and
distraction, we rarely live thankfully and joyfully in the moment. This renders us far less effective, in
eternal terms, than we should be. Don’t be deceived, this confusion is intentional and its author is
our adversary. Our challenge is to see through the fog and press forward in faith to build real,
eternal value. As leaders, our ability to do this is vital in influencing the scores of people who follow
and observe us.
A Fresh Look at an Elusive Topic
To better understand this challenge, let’s come at it from a fresh perspective. Since we’re of this
world and mindful of financial things, we’ll use business terms to describe spiritual realities.
Hopefully, we can simplify the topic to better expose the underlying problems.
First, let’s agree that each of our lives represents an investment opportunity. We’re each uniquely
designed by our infinitely loving and creative Father to generate a very high ‘return’ in His Kingdom.
He is fully aware of our complicated dual existence. His design is absolutely intentional. He created
us and planned for us to be here now... not 150 years ago or in the distant future. Now is our time!
This is our hour. Our omniscient God never makes mistakes (Isa 40:27-31, Est 4:14)!
Second, we’re here to do specific things which He conceived before the foundations of the earth
(Eph 2:10). Ultimately, how we understand and apply this truth determines our success or failure as
Christ’s stewards. Many are deceived into believing that God has us here simply to enjoy this life
and avoid committing big sins… a false and incomplete paradigm. The fact that there’s enjoyment
in this life clearly reflects God’s loving nature and grace. Nevertheless, we’re here to work, serve,
glorify, and enjoy Him, while producing a Kingdom return as His fruitful followers.
Many contemporary Christians think they’re ‘blessed’ when God chooses to provide abundant
material resources. This is another simplistic paradigm. Abundant resources are a responsibility,
not simply a blessing. Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be
demanded” (Luke 12:48b). With respect to our true investment opportunity, God created us and
placed us in a specific time, location, and role. All of us are capable of fulfilling our destiny and
doing what we’re designed to do. Sadly, not all of us will. The good news is that we all can and that
it’s never too late to start!
It works like this: if we live as God intends us to, He will provide all we need to sustain fruitful life
in the ‘place’ He calls us to (Php 4:19, 1Jn 5:14). This place – a combination of our location, station,
vocation, and reputation – is where our unique gifting and calling will be maximally used for His
plan and Kingdom, producing the highest return. This is our eternal sweet spot, where we’re able to
return the most on His intentional investment in us. For each of us, there exists that one true place.
What’s so exciting is that any of us can find it. God doesn’t hide it or tease us. He wants us to live
and function in our eternal sweet spot far more than we can imagine. Finally, God decides when
each of His children will graduate from this life and enjoy the privilege of a heavenly “homegoing.”
Before continuing, let’s pause to mention a key aspect of such a pursuit. Earlier, we said, “if we
live as God intends us to.” That’s a big “if!” We must choose to be faithful as His stewards. All of us
can do this, but not all of us will. Such commitment only happens as the result of conscious choice
and daily spiritual discipline. Choosing not to live as God desires is tantamount to rejecting His will
Feb, 2015

for our lives! Living for God and His purposes means actively choosing not to settle for the ways our
world relentlessly promotes. It means adopting God’s values and priorities for our lives and
rejecting many common cultural practices. Only when we see life through the eternal lens will we
choose God and His ways. A godly life is, by definition, a countercultural life. Given our desire to
blend in, not all of us are yet willing to make the choices we’re called to make to live as God
desires. Where do you stand? Let’s pause to discuss the most challenging aspects of this
assignment in today’s world.
Prerequisite for Success
Living a God-honoring life is a full-time job with many components. First and foremost, we must
live in intimate communion with Him to enable us to hear from Him in real ways as we navigate
each day. This communion goes beyond the universal will of God for all of His children by
disclosing His specific will for us as unique individuals living through unique, God-given
circumstances. Through the Bible, we may learn of His universal will, but we can’t truly know and
apply His will for us as individuals without such intimacy. For example, God desires that none
“should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2Pe 3:9b, NKJV) and “You shall not murder”
(Ex 20:13). We don’t require intimate communion with God to understand these points. But knowing
His specific plan for us – how, where, when, and what He wants us to do – requires daily intimacy.
For God’s children, abiding intimately in Christ requires two things: time and honesty. We must
spend enough open and honest time with Him to come to know Him and live as His followers. The
closer we draw to God, the less attractive the counterfeit things of this world become. His will
becomes clearer as competing background noise diminishes. But, there’s absolutely no chance to
live as God calls us to live if we’re not regularly and deeply communicating with Him. The
methodology involved in spending time with God is well-known and is founded in prayer, Bible
study/meditation/memorization/application, fellowship, worship, and serving others. There are no
shortcuts. Like God’s grace, this intimacy is free, but it’s not cheap!
Now let’s return to our investment opportunity. Earlier, we said that if we live as God wants us to
live, He will supply all we need to sustain us in our eternal sweet spot. This ‘highest return’ place
can be anywhere, from the loftiest strata of society to the most humble. For those of us He calls to
lead churches for Him, He gives an extra opportunity to serve as a funnel for His love, grace, and
provision. God will sustain us there if we’re willing.
Staying in our sweet spot requires no extraordinary effort on our part in terms of material
provision, as God always provides all we need to do all He wants. Living in God’s sweet spot
effectively involves relying on Him and putting ourselves in His will and care. Living anywhere else
involves a degree of self-reliance apart from God. Such pseudo-independence causes us to feel
the burden of this personal responsibility, the source of much stress and struggle in life. If we stray
from our eternal sweet spot, God is honor-bound to try to guide us back toward it. He has designed
us to be nowhere else. Because of His love for us, He will do all He can to encourage us back to
our sweet spot. Such correction is what the Bible calls chastening, refining, or discipline. It
increases in intensity proportional to our deviation from His highest and best for us. Symptoms
during such periods include inner tension and reduced spiritual fruit (i.e., “love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” [Gal 5:22-23]). God’s
loving discipline is aimed at shepherding His children toward our sweet spot.
Biblical examples of living in the sweet spot are found in the parables of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30)
and Minas (Lk 19:11-26). In both accounts, the investment returns produced by each servant were
measured. The multiplied returns of the faithful servants were commended and rewarded. In each
parable, the Master represents Jesus and we’re the servants. Jesus used the mina to represent the
Feb, 2015

equal opportunity we’re all given to seek and live in our sweet spot. Our Lord used the differing
talents to represent the varying gifts, opportunities, and resources that we’re each given to create
maximum eternal return. These parables tell us that our Lord is keenly interested in the return He
receives from His investment in us. His chief investment in us was paid through His death on the
cross in our place. Our investment opportunity begins with us giving ourselves back to Him. It
continues as we live for Him by seeking and then remaining in the calling and place He has
sovereignly designed for us. By being diligent in this sweet spot, we produce much fruit – return on
His investment – and prove to be His disciples. Neglecting or turning away from our sweet spot
diminishes our fruitfulness and Kingdom return.
Our Special Calling & Temptation
It’s humbling to think that God chooses to invest an extra measure of potential and opportunity in
those He entrusts with His church. Clearly, our platform offers added Kingdom investment
opportunity. Not only is it a place where He can model His ways and love — through us and those
He calls to join us there — but He can also channel more resources through us than we need to
stay in our sweet spot. As stewards, we can release them to reach and supply others to help them
find their sweet spots as well. If He chooses to provide in excess of what we need to sustain
ourselves, we have the additional investment opportunity (responsibility) to release or multiply it for
the building of His Kingdom. This is the kind of investment Jesus referred to when He told us not to
“store up… treasures on earth” but “in heaven” (Mt 6:19-20). In fact, one definition of storing up
money on earth is accumulating excess beyond what’s needed to be sustained in our eternal sweet
spot.
Our financial needs can differ wildly depending on our specific callings and the targeted groups
we’re called to reach and serve. In some cases, high cost ministry models reflect not excess supply
or poor stewardship, but properly targeted, utilitarian use of money to satisfy God’s purpose for our
lives. Still, to be clear, Jesus told us that we can’t serve (or love) both God and money (Mt 6:24).
Selfishly keeping that which God gives us in excess of what’s required to live in our sweet spot is
hoarding. If we define “mammon” as what we’ve been given beyond what we need to accomplish
all God asks, the best thing we can do with this surplus is invest it in God’s Kingdom. The returns
can be spectacular when we do. Conversely, when we hoard, we’re making money a false idol by
trusting it instead of God to provide and sustain us. Hoarding to ensure our comfort and earthly
‘security’ shouldn’t be confused with appropriate savings or working capital necessary for us, as
stewards, to stay in our God-ordained sweet spot. When tempted to rationalize such behavior, we
need to reread Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Fool (Lk 12:16-21) and refocus!
In light of all this, we have a tremendous on-going need to know and stay in our eternal sweet
spot. Fulfilling our destiny depends on it! We’ve each been created by God to do specific, important
things in very strategic places. When we obediently and faithfully serve in these places (i.e., our
“ministry of presence”), we fulfill our eternal destiny and provide our Father the desired return on
His sacrificial investment. In doing so, we best fulfill His investment and our opportunity! If you’re
left confused concerning your sweet spot or any of the concepts we’ve discussed, gain clarity by
approaching the throne in intimate fellowship and seeking answers from God. Such personal
questions require personal communication and abiding in Him. Ask Him. No wise investor wants to
experience a poor return or miss the investment opportunity of a lifetime!
Feb, 2015

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SIMPLIFY CHURCH
5 Dysfunctions of a Team 5,6,7
Much of the work performed in any organization today is done by teams. It’s hard to imagine not
contributing to at least one team on any given day. Teams are critical to every organization’s
success, including churches. Given their importance, why do so many people complain about their
teams? If you ask Patrick Lencioni, it is because most teams are dysfunctional.
In his book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”, Lencioni outlines five common pitfalls that
prevent teams from achieving their full capabilities. According to Lencioni, most teams unknowingly
fall victim to five interrelated dysfunctions. Teams who suffer even one of the five are susceptible
to the other four. Solving all five is required to create a high functioning team.
Like it or not, all teams are potentially dysfunctional. This is inevitable because they are made up
of fallible, imperfect human beings. From the basketball court to the executive suite, politics and
confusion are more the rule than the exception. However, facing dysfunction and focusing on
teamwork is particularly critical.
Fortunately, there is hope. Counter to conventional wisdom, the causes of dysfunction are both
identifiable and curable. However, they don't die easily. Making a team functional and cohesive
requires levels of courage and discipline that many groups cannot seem to muster.
To begin improving your team and to better understand the level of dysfunction you are facing,
ask yourself these simple questions:
• Do team members openly and readily disclose their opinions?
• Are team meetings compelling and productive?
• Does the team come to decisions quickly and avoid getting bogged down by consensus?
• Do team members confront one another about their shortcomings?
• Do team members sacrifice their own interests for the good of the team?
Although no team is perfect and even the best teams sometimes struggle with one or more of
these issues, the finest organizations constantly work to ensure that their answers are "yes." If you
answered "no" to many of these questions, your team may need some work. The first step toward
reducing politics and confusion within your team is to understand that there are five dysfunctions to
contend with, and address each that applies, one by one.
In Short - The 5 Dysfunctions
Dysfunction One – Absence of Trust. When team members do not trust one another, they are unwilling to be vulnerable
within the team. It is impossible for a team to build a foundation for trust when team members are not genuinely open
about their mistakes and weaknesses.
Dysfunction Two – Fear of Conflict. Failure to build trust sets the stage for the 2nd dysfunction. Teams without trust are
unable to engage in passionate debate about ideas. Instead, they are guarded in their comments and resort to
discussions that mask their true feelings.
Dysfunction Three – Lack of Commitment. Teams that do not engage in healthy conflict will suffer from the 3rd
dysfunction. Because they do not openly surface their true opinions or engage in open debate, team members will
rarely commit to deep team discussions, though they may feign agreement in order to avoid controversy or conflict.
Dysfunction Four – Avoidance of Accountability. A lack of commitment creates an atmosphere where team members do
not hold one another accountable. Because there is no commitment to a clear action plan, team members hesitate to
hold one another accountable on actions and behaviors that are contrary to the good of the team.
Dysfunction Five – Inattention to Results. The lack of accountability makes it possible for people to put their own needs
above the team’s goals. Team members will focus on their own personal goals or recognition for their areas to the
detriment of the team.
Feb, 2015

SIMPLIFY CHURCH
Feb, 2015
In the context of building
a team, trust is... the
confidence among team
members that their peer’s
intentions are good, and
that there is no reason to
be protective or careful
about what is said around
the group. It is not about
a “touchy-feely” quality.
It is about disclosure, not
confession.
People need to know that
they have been heard,
not have their way.

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SIMPLIFY CHURCH
Simplifying pastoral life through powerful peer relationships.Feb, 2015

SIMPLIFY CHURCH
Feb, 2015
Role of the leader is to...
• Focus on collective outcomes
• Confront difficult issues
• Force clarity and closure
• Demand debate
• Be vulnerable
Suggestions…
• Public declaration of
results
• Result based rewards
• Publish goals &
standards
• Progress reviews
• Team rewards
• Review key decisions
• Clear & honored
deadlines
• Contingencies & worst
case discussions
• “Mining” buried
disagreements
• Real time
permission –
discomfort is ok
• Personal history
• Personality &
behavior profiles
• 360 feedback

17
SIMPLIFY CHURCH
Patrick Lencioni identifies that the four cornerstones of success for any organization trying to
accomplish any goal or goals are:
1. Building and maintaining a healthy leadership team.
2. Building organization clarity – this doesn’t always mean coming up with the “right” answer, but
it’s a “cohesive” answer with which all concur and agree to solidly get behind.
3. Communicate the daylights out of these (cohesive goals) internally as well as externally so that
people hear the same consistent message from different members of the team.
4. Put in place a set of guidelines to hire, fire, reward, etc.
Rate Your Team
Use the scale of 3= Usually, 2= Sometimes, and 1= Rarely to rate the items below.
______ 1. Team members are passionate and unguarded
in the discussion of issues.
______ 9. Morale is significantly affected by the failure of the
team to achieve goals.
______ 2. Team members call out one another’s
deficiencies or unproductive behaviors.
______ 10. During team meetings, the most important and
difficult issues are put on the table to be resolved.
______ 3. Team members know what their peers are
working on and how they contribute to the
collective good of the team.
______ 11. Team members are deeply concerned about the
prospect of letting down their peers.
______ 4. Team members quickly and genuinely
apologize to one another when they say or do
something inappropriate or possibly damaging to
the team.
______ 12. Team members know about one another’s personal
lives and are comfortable discussing them.
______ 5. Team members willingly make sacrifices for the
good of the team.
______ 13. Team members end discussions with clear and
specific resolutions and calls to action.
______ 6. Team members openly admit their weaknesses
and mistakes.
______ 14. Team members challenge one another about their
plans and approaches.
______ 7. Team members are compelling and not boring. ______ 15. Team members are slow to seek credit for their own
contributions, but quick to point out those of others.
______ 8. Team members leave meetings confident that
their peers are completely committed to the
decisions that were agreed on, even if there was
initial disagreement.
Dysfunction 1:
Absence of Trust
Dysfunction 2:
Fear of Conflict
Dysfunction 3:
Lack of Commitment
Dysfunction 4:
Lack of Accountability
Dysfunction 5:
Inattention to Results
# 4 __________ # 1 __________ # 3 __________ # 2 __________ # 5 __________
# 6 __________ # 7 __________ # 8 __________ # 11 __________ # 9 __________
# 12 __________ # 10 __________ # 13 __________ # 14 __________ # 15 __________
Total: _________ Total: _________ Total: _________ Total: _________ Total: _________
Scoring. Combine your scores for the preceding statements as indicated below. A total of 8 or 9,
not a problem. 6 or 7, could be a problem. 3 to 5, the dysfunction needs to be addressed.

18 Simplifying pastoral life through powerful peer relationships. Feb, 2015
Dysfunctional Team Healthy Team
Absence of Trust:
 Conceal weaknesses and mistakes
 Hesitate to ask for help or offer constructive
criticism
 Hold grudges
 Dread meetings
 Find reasons to avoid spending time together
Trusting Teams:
 Admit weaknesses and mistakes
 Ask for help
 Accept questions and input about their areas
of responsibilities
 Give the benefit of the doubt
 Focus on results, not politics
 Offer and accept apologies without hesitation
 Look forward to meetings and other
opportunities to work together
Fear of Conflict:
 Team meetings are boring
 Back channel politics and personal attacks are
permitted
 Ignore controversial topics
 Waste time posturing and managing personal
risk
Healthy Conflict:
 Have lively, interesting meetings
 Extract and exploit the ideals of all team
members
 Solve real problems quickly
 Minimize politics
 Put critical topics on the table for discussion
Failure to Commit:
 Creates ambiguity among the team about
direction and priorities
 Watches windows of opportunity close due to
excessive analysis and unnecessary delay
 Breads lack of confidence and fear of failure
 Revisits discussions and decisions again and
again
 Encourages second-guessing among team
 Members
Strong Commitments:
 Creates clarity around direction and priorities
 Aligns the entire team around common
objectives
 Develops an ability to learn from mistakes
 Takes advantage of opportunities before
competitors do
 Moves forward without hesitation
 Changes direction without hesitation or guilt
Avoiding Accountability:
 Creates resentment among team members
who have different standards of performance
 Encourages mediocrity
 Misses deadlines
 Places an undue burden on the team leader as
the sole source of discipline
Effective Accountability:
 Ensures that poor performers feel pressure to
improve
 Identifies potential problems quickly by
questioning one another’s approaches without
hesitation
 Establishes respect among team members
who are held to the same high standards
 Avoids excessive bureaucracy around
performance management and corrosive
action
Not Focused on Results:
 Stagnates/fails to grow
 Rarely defeats competitors
 Loses achievement-oriented employees
 Encourages team members to focus on their
own careers and individual goals
 Is easily distracted
Collective Results:
 Retains achievement-oriented employees
 Minimizes individualistic behavior
 Enjoys success and suffers failures acutely
 Benefits from individuals who subjugate their
own goals/interests for the good of the team

19
SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATION
The Spot-Light Presentation (SLP) gives PAC members an opportunity to prepare and present a
snapshot of their organizational and personal lives to their peers as though they were a personal
board of advisors. In the process a member will receive the benefit of looking at their current
situation and opportunities in a structured way and are able to gain the ideas, counsel, experience,
accountability and targeted roundtable discussion of experts. The PAC peer feedback is a
trustworthy and objective sounding board with no stake in the outcome of their advice, other than to
see their fellow member succeed. This provides the most honest, brass tacks, no holds barred
advice a member may ever receive in any other forum. Of course, all members should seek to
respect and honor one another in offering advice in a loving brotherly manner.
A blank version of the template form utilized for the SLP can be found in the DropBox PAC library.
Today’s Spot-Light Presenter is _______________________________________________

20
OPEN TABLE
A standing element of each Pastor Advisory Council monthly meeting is the Open Table where
members have an opportunity to request group input on current church or personal issues. This is
a facilitated discussion with guided elements as indicated below.
This portion of the PAC is a powerful element of the council meeting. The input of highly
experienced peers, each with different strengths and backgrounds, in a process guided by the Holy
Spirit can be extremely eye-opening and rewarding. Most challenges and issues which you will
face have already been experienced by a handful of peers around the table! Members may come
with a need in mind or something in the meeting may have prompted something off the cuff. The
elements below will help frame the issue for seeking Biblical insight and prepare to
effectively/concisely communicate with your peers.
o The issue is: Organization/Church Personal Family Spiritual
o The issue is: Crisis/Urgent Serious/Not Urgent Informational Only
o Issue & Background:
o Identify others involved:
o Unusual circumstances:
o Identify the specific question for the group.
*
On-the-Spot Counsel
Feb, 2015

21
ACCOUNTABILITY
True personal accountability to a like-minded group of peers is one of the unique privileges of the
Pastor Advisory Council. It is a powerful tool. While in the broadest Kingdom sense we are always
accountable before our Lord for what we do (and for what we don’t do), the monthly accountability
to a group should dramatically increase our ability to effectively follow-through on areas of need or
focus. We could all likely use help to overcome inertia and procrastination on well intentioned
plans.
Key elements of “real” accountability are:
 Transparency: The best items of accountability are those where we refuse to “wear a mask.”
As mentioned with the Five Levels of Communication, we share our deepest concerns, fears,
struggles, and hopes.
 To-Do List: Each member shares their To-Do objectives at the end of each meeting and then
reports back to the group a month later regarding their attainment. To-Do’s may be
organizational, personal/spiritual, family-oriented, or anything God puts on your heart to be
accountable before the group. Additionally, the achievement of To-Do items can be a topic for
conversation for the monthly one-on-one.
 SMART Goals & Objectives: Goals should be written so that their achievement is definitive.
Specific. Fuzzy goals are not goals at all. Saying that “my goal is to be happy” is an
example. What does “happy” look like? A specific goal is clear, as “I’ll hire a new youth
minister by our next meeting” or “I’ll lose 5 pounds in the next month.”
Measurable. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it, teach it, or reward it, since you’ll
never know whether or not you’ve done it. This is a basic maxim. Measurements of goal
achievement should be clear.
Action-Oriented. Goals which are really “desires”, and not necessarily the result of specific,
personally accountable action, should not be used. If a clear outcome cannot be
generated, you don’t have the basis for a To-Do. Such “wishful” goals are not pratical.
Realistic. Goals should be achievable with a reasonable amount of focus and effort. On
the other hand, trivial goals which are “slam-dunks”, requiring no real “stretch” or
accomplishment are worthless. Adopt the philosophy of “eating the elephant one bite at a
time” with a a series of steps toward an objective.
Time-Phased. Worthy goals achieved outside of necessary time constraints can often be
worthless or irrelevant (“too little too late’). Be specific relative to the time phasing of goals.
This is critical for effective planning, management, and setting priorities.
*
Establishing Real Accountability
Feb, 2015

22
1. “The Last Day of Your Life” by Michael Hyatt, Copied and adapted January, 2015 from
http://michaelhyatt.com/videos/the-last-day-of-your-life
2. Ric Elias: 3 things I learned while my plane crashed, YouTube,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_zk2DpgLCs
3. “Finding Your Sweet Spot”, by Ruth Soukup, Proverb 31 Ministries, copied February, 2015 from
http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/finding-your-sweet-spot-2/
4. Adapted from “Investment Opportunity of a Lifetime”, The C12 Group, copied February, 2015 from
http://www.thec12group.com
5. Adapted from “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, A Leadership Fable”, by Patrick Lencioni, 2002,
published by Jossey-Bass.
6. Adapted from book summary by the Mason Consulting Group copied December, 2011 from
http://www.masoncg.com.
7. Adapted from book summary by the TraCom Group copied December, 2011 from
http://docs.tracomcorp.com/TPD/Whitepaper/Social_Style_and_Five_Dysfunctions_Whitepaper.p
df
 Adapted from “Solid Foundations”, The C12 Group, copied February, 2012 from
http://www.thec12group.com.
References
Feb, 2015

2015_02_Feb_PAC_Meeting

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