timwolfe.org

Leadership is one of those amazing power packed box of things. There are ton of authors who write about it, and awesome speakers who speak out of real leadership experience in tuff times, on battle fields, in the corporate world, and of course on kinds of sports fields and some leaders who probably do all kind of things secret to provide all kinds of checks and ballances in the world like James Bond you know.

Leadership is also a key part of what people want  in pastors or missionaries who lead missional communities, ministries, and church plants. One of the many guys (New York slang for men and women) who has written some good stuff about leadership in the corporate world or how companies make it happen is Jim Collins who has written at least three good books!
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t
How The Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In

Then you have people like Zig Ziggler who have written books like
Top Performance: How To Develop Excellence In Yourself And Others
How to Be a Winner and Influence Anybody: The Fruit of the Spirit As the Essence of Leadership

And of course you have John Maxwell and a billion books that he has authored
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You

Then there is Dr. Henry Blackaby and his book

So with so many resources how do you lead? Is it a mechanical thing? Is it s Holy Spirit thing? Is it gifting? Or like Andy Stanley says, “leadership is stewardship!”  As a church planter/pastor and working with church planters through the Urban Atlanta Church Planting group I’m looking in the mirror to see how I’m doing as a leader?

I did find this blog article from Michael Hyatt “How to be the More Energetic Leader” here is a link to his blog

So for sure I want to be a good leader and and more ENERGETIC!

What are your thoughts about leaders? Let me know what you think?

leadership

It’s hard to believe but it is almost the middle of May! I have a lot of great things happening in my life since I first blogged “Can I Change!” the first one can be found or read here! As 2010 started in January there where some disciplines and areas of my life that needed to change.
1. my weight
2. amount of time I spend watching tv
3. time in prayer and bible study (more time invested and more discipline)
4. finally doing something about a messed up right hip that has bothered me for 7 years and causes me to limp (which I do not even notice.)
5. improving as a father for my two teen-agers (now one of which is a young lady) and a 11 year old!
6. learning to love my wife with more acts of service
7. working and living in financial freedom vs. debt!

So i did a little check up a while back which was Can I Change Part 2 you can read it here!

So how am I doing NOW, weight wise I have lost a little ground, in other words gone back a step or two actually added back 5 pounds (the scale is not driving my fitness) so I’m working on refocusing on some of the disciplines I was doing a little better at eating wise and getting more time in the gym! So number 1 I took a step or two backwards still on the track I would give my self a – C! As far as the TV I’m improving and and refocusing on reading some books instead of to much time in front of tv, I would give myself a – B! Time in prayer and Bible Study, man I just do not know I can be content with where I am verses where I could be? – No idea grade wise I will continue to ask God! Number 4 – good news I’m headed back to orthopedic surgeon Wednesday/May 2nd! We will see what happens.

Numbers 5, 6, 7 – man I need some more change! I will share some more info about these areas in the weeks a head (just a great way to keep you coming back to this amazing blog with all it’s wisdom, HA!) please pray with me and for me! Please pray for Ariah as she graduates from Grady High School in two weeks and starts Kennesaw State University in the Fall and That God would change me!

discipleship, family, leadership

This past week I got to go to Exponential 2010 a church planting conference in Orlando, Florida. There were all kinds of amazing people there at the conference that God is using to impact the kingdom in BIG ways! All kinds of church planters, networks, missionaries and leaders at Exponential10. I had some great interaction with some of the Church Planting Team from North American Mission Board at a dinner Monday night, Good Stuff!

I got to attend some super break out sessions lead by people like Ed Stetzer, Alan Hirsch, the guys from ARC, Dave Gibbons and others. I listened and learned from super speakers from the platform during the main sessions of Exponential. I got to go to dinner Tuesday night with Dr. Jim Haskell the director of the Urban Atlanta Church Planting group and the UACP’ers Tuesday, what a super group of people. Great conversation.

I had lunch Tuesday with my friend Dave Patterson and Zach from an amazing church plant in Gainesville, FL – River Cross Church. Dave Patterson was a BIG encouragement to me and took the picture above of me Dave Gibbons. The group I rode down to Orlando with was made up of Georgia Baptist Church Planters and leaders was good too! Wednesday night I went to dinner with my friend Brian Hook who works with Bob Roberts and Vision 360. I have know Brian over 20 years and he was a big encouragement to me.

I feel like I’m learning so much right now from God’s word and His Spirit about making a difference in the city Atlanta with the gospel. Thanks God for a sweet week! Now I want to make you famous all over the city of Atlanta, my marriage, my family, in the UACP.net, 1027church, and neighbors!

Tim

church planting, friends, leadership

Today is Earth day, I have to confess that did not mean very much to me until my family moved to Midtown Atlanta in 2002. Now my wife was for sure already a head of the curb and probably much more green sooner.

But I will say the journey for my wife and I to care more about the creation of God has not been because it’s cool but because I believe God moved on our hearts. Over the years I think God has spoke into to our hearts on what it means to be a WHOLE follower of Jesus.

I would say over the past 3 years somebody who has befriended me and my family and 1027church Jonathan Merritt has taught us, modeled, and encouraged us about the responsibility of the follower of Jesus Christ to be take serious our stewardship responsibly for planet earth which is God’s creation. God even says in Genesis the all he creates is “GOOD!”

So my friend Jonathan who is amazing (pardon my man crush) has written a book – Green Like God – Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet. And it is a super book. Jonathan sent me an early copy to read and see what I thought, well before I could read it my mother-in-law who lives with us read it . . . loved it! Than my wife picked it up next before I could read it and she read it and loved it. Well I’m reading it and I love it.

So why is the book so good? Well it’s good because Jonathan is a good writer, he also shared in the book how God taught him to care about God’s creation and how the power of the Word of God, and the spirit of God spoke to him through God’s creation. Jonathan’s book has a very healthy, balanced and the super natural power of God in Jonathan’s life story. Not just a Christ follower trying to be cool or following some kinda of trend.

The book is also good because it has some super content besides Jonathan’s personal story! Chapter 9 for me is one of the BEST Chapters because in my opinion Jonathan did not write to book to be cool, to make Christians cool, but Jonathan is a prophet of God challenging you and I what are we gonna do about stepping up and taking care of GOD’s good creation. How are we doing in the area of stewardship with planet earth? The title of Chapter 9 say’s it all “The Enemy In Us All”

Page 116 is a very convicting statement of the book for me, for us all!

“Most of us live oblivious to any environmental crises so Americans rest easy. Unfortunately, our solace is like drinking rum in a snowstorm. We feel warm, but the warmth isn’t real. Ecological problems are bubbling up both at home and abroad. America has it’s share of environmental problems, and though many of them are localized to poorer neighborhoods and forgotten places, others intensely our children and us. Worse still, other people around the globe pay for the unsustainable life styles that Americans consider normal as we shift the burden to other nations’ citizens and export our way of life. As we realize the American dream. Much of the rest of the world is waking up to environmental nightmares.” – Jonathan Merritt – Green Like God

Wow that passage messes up my selfish life and heart. Jonathan thanks for writing such a GOOD BOOK! Thanks for showing me and our world what God says, for prophetically challenging my selfish desires, for encouraging me and others and loving us into to Godly stewardship of God’s creation. I’m telling everyone “Right Now” you better get out today or on-line and get u a copy of GREEN LIKE GOD and follow my friend @ JonathanMerritt.com and all he is doing.

Thanks God for Jonathan!

friends, leadership, life, the kingdom, worldview

this past week we had the privledge of having westwood baptist church student ministry send some of their best high schoolers, leaders and student pastor micah millican to serve the city of atlanta with the gospel in word and deed.

they arrived saturday and noni @1027church had a home made italian meal ready to feed the eager missionaries, we then entered a time of powerful prayer. sunday morning the westwood crew were just like veritan church planters and helped with set-up and break down of @1027church, picking up krsipy kreme’s and hauling the trailer, good stuff!

the student group worshipped every night where they stayed and had teaching on living as an urban missional person. micah milican and i tag teamed the teaching. good times. monday, tuesday, wednesday mornings a team called the brew crew got to brew more than 20 gallons of coffee to pass out for free at three strategic locations in the city (by the way there are tons of strategic places.)

after short debriefs at krisspy kreme monday – wednesday the students than went door to door collecting food for the atlanta community food bank and all kinds of great face to face opportunities to be Jesus to our city. On thursday the westwood crew picked up all the food from the neighborhoods they had canvased, to God be the glory people gave and they collected 1400 pounds of food.

monday through wednesday from 3-5:30 p.m. the westwood students volunteered at the boys and girls club at kirkwood helping with tutoring and recreations and some awesome snacks. both the students and leaders worked so hard and there literally was no down or waisted time as a matter of face with just a few hours left in the day thursday the students spent and hour and half prayer walking a neighborhood we would love to see God open some people’s hearts to having a personal relatiosnhip with Jesus Christ.

thanks pastor less, pastor rick and westwood church for sending your best to be the gospel in atlanta.

church planting, leadership

okay so it’s tuesday, march 2nd and its snowing in atlanta for at least the third time this winter. it should not get too bad because it’s not that cold outside. anyway i’m on a little journey this year 2010 to make some changes. for me it’s really an issue of being more discipline in the BIG 4 areas of my life; spiritually, physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

back on january 6th i wrote a blog entitled can I change, you can find it here! so here is the follow-up to that post or part 2. oh by the way these blog posts are just me dealing with stuff in my life, if they encourage or help you that’s great but really it just stuff I desperately need God to change in my life.

let me know what you think?

leadership, life

JUNE 1988 (date of picture above)

okay it’s wednesday/january 6th, 2010 about to eat a late dinner (not a good idea.) i’m six days into some needed change and more discipline in my life and I want to blog about some of the change and discipline for just the simple reason of being real. so one of the main changes that needs to take place in my life is that God wants me to be physically healthier in 2010.

i have been on a fitness yo-yo for the past several years. having had the priveledge to play sports growing up and in college which does not mean your fit, it was a vechicle that helped keep me disciplined physically. in the early years of my marriage and during grad school I worked in corporate america for about 10 years doing fitness classes and personal training in corporate wellness centers. so my job kept me disciplined.

but today wednesday/january 6th 2010 i weigh 275 lbs and the doctor says Tim Wolfe is over weight and I need to loose about 40 pounds maybe 50. in the midst of all this i have a bad genetic worn out right hip that should be replaced this year when the dr. says go!

so these real, akward volunerable blogs that i feel GOD has encouraged me to share, are all about GOD dealing with Tim Wolfe. so I am taking baby steps! i pray God can change me physically and help me get healtheir. i’ll be sharing more about the changes and steps and discipline that take place over the next few months.

leadership, life

2 Corinthians 5:17 TNIV • “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

I have been following Jesus Christ since April 5, 1984. January 27, 2010 I will become another year older, as a matter of fact I will turn 46. In the past I think God has made some BIG changes in my life. And I think God is still changing me and I think God wants to see some more change “new is here!” I have made some new years resolutions in the past of hopes of seeing some change, some change I have kept for a while others things did not change or not last long at all. I have learned I do NOT have the power to make changes in my life or make the change last. I know by saying that some people would probably say that’s lazy or it sounds like you are making excuses.

Renewal is rooted in faith, not in resolutions! I cannot make a new me or a new u, but Christ can make you new and me new. (via @KayWarren1) from twitter.

I think Kay Warren is right and renewal is rooted in faith and the work of the Holy Spirit is the supernatural power that changes us through – DISCIPLINE. Not that our discipline changes anything but we have to become DISCIPLINED about the change. I have been praying for a while about some areas I think God wants to change in my life. And for me I feel like it has come down to just being obedient to God or not, so I’m going to jot some of this down in my blog for some accountability.

Really it’s between God and me, but I also believe some of these are things maybe I have tried to not to pay attention to in the past or have hoped to that they might go away. Maybe laying it all on the table would allow me to become completely obedient to the work of the Holy Spirit in my life in 2010.

So I will be blogging about some of the change that I’m praying for God to do in 2010 in my life, family and ministry, in the following weeks as well as other God stuff and life. And I have faith it will happen and the old things will leave the building!

God please do a NEW work in me!

discipleship, family, leadership, life

Here is an article fro Bob Roberts. I read his article and I want to share it with you about missional stuff.

Check it out above or here!

Merry Christmas!
Tim

leadership, missions

church planting, discipleship, leadership, team building