At 29, John Stickl became the pastor of a church of 1500.
4 years later, the church is 4500 and is growing with millennials who are anxious to connect with God.
John talks about how his leadership team listens for the voice of God and how this journey has stretched him as a leader. Plus, he shares how a new generation of leaders is defining leadership and ministry to people inside and outside the church.
Welcome to Episode 29 of the podcast.
Guest Links
Valley Creek Church on Facebook
Valley Creek Church on Twitter
Links Mentioned in this Episode
OrangeConference.com/SeniorLeader
3 Things You Can Do Right Away
Sometimes God puts you in a position to lead at a very young age, and when you do it humbly in the presence of wise counsel, you allow God to accomplish amazing things through you. Here’s how John stayed encouraged and didn’t let himself feel intimidated.
- Learn to listen for God’s voice in leadership. In the Old Testament, the cloud of God’s glory appeared to the Israelites to guide them. When the cloud moved, they moved. When it stopped, they stopped. John said that he and his leadership team relied on the same divine guidance to conquer the obstacles of transition. “We said, ‘Let’s be more like Acts II where everyone can hear the voice of God in a language we can understand, and if we’re seeing God together, God only has one thing to say about any particular issue.’ ” It forced John and his team to unify and seek God where they learned to trust each other. “If we’re not in unity and alignment with God, let’s stop and wait. Let’s pause and see if we’re hearing different things and hear what God’s really saying,” John says.
- Establish unity in the top tier of leadership. John set a precedence that his team has total authority as a group and no authority as individuals. “When we hear God together as a decision, it’s the ultimate authority as a group,” he says. If you’re seeking God together, you start creating credibility and consistency over time, and it builds trust and credibility in people’s hearts. You also have to look for people who have character, those who listen to God, who pray, who read their Bible, who seek God, and most importantly, have no agenda. If you can take the agenda out of the equation, you can trust that each person is hearing from God, and it creates unity.
- Decide you will not let circumstances define you. Don’t allow your sermons, your failures or comparisons to other church leaders shape who you are. The love of God in your life frees you from the praise and the rejection of man. You can heal your own soul, and the greatest gift we give is the healthiest version of ourselves. If you can be a person of honor, God will honor you because of it.
Quotes from John
CNLP 029: Next Generation MegaChurch—How Transparency and Seeking God Reaches Millennials: An Interview with John Stickl Click To Tweet CNLP 029: Next Generation MegaChurch—How Transparency and Seeking God Reaches Millennials: An Interview with John Stickl Click To Tweet CNLP 029: Next Generation MegaChurch—How Transparency and Seeking God Reaches Millennials: An Interview with John Stickl Click To Tweet CNLP 029: Next Generation MegaChurch—How Transparency and Seeking God Reaches Millennials: An Interview with John Stickl Click To Tweet CNLP 029: Next Generation MegaChurch—How Transparency and Seeking God Reaches Millennials: An Interview with John Stickl Click To Tweet CNLP 029: Next Generation MegaChurch—How Transparency and Seeking God Reaches Millennials: An Interview with John Stickl Click To TweetA New Episode Every Week…Just Subscribe
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Next Episode: Karl Vaters
Is there a ‘best’ size for church? Why do so many people distrust mega-churches? Why do others look down on small churches? Karl Vaters and Carey Nieuwhof engage that debate on this week’s episode.
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