Category Archives: Leadership

Leadership, Small Groups, Training

Opinions Vs. Convictions

To all my friends who are leaders entertaining the many requests and opinions of others…a little life experience to you.

Have you ever gotten tired of the opinions of others concerning worship,  your messages, small groups,  the elders,  the chair set up and your son’s latest tattoo?  How come everyone has given themselves the job of making sure you are aware of what it is they like and do not like at your local church?  Everyone has an opinion about their brother or sister and how they make decisions for themselves.  Everyone likes to have your ear when it comes to their personal thoughts and direction for you, the elders and the church.  How do we wade through it all?  Who is right and who is wrong?  Do we just close ourselves off and not listen or become numb to it all?

 Jesus was at a Feast one day as recorded in John chapter 7.  He sent  his disciples ahead and then traveled there in secret.  People were talking about Him at the Feast and He began to teach them.  He said something that really stood out to me the other day in my devotional time.  In verse 16 He revealed that His teaching was from the Father, it was not His own.  He then said if we choose to do God’s will, we will find out if His teaching is from God (conviction) or simply from Himself (opinion).  And then verse 18…”He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself (opinion), but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him (conviction).”  It hit me that He was addressing opinions versus convictions. 

 What do I mean?  An opinion according to this verse is to preserve one’s own thoughts and ideas, to gain honor for oneself.  It is made up of this worlds wisdom.  It is spoken at times to protect the one sharing the opinion.  A conviction, however, is spoken to protect the integrity of another; to honor what another has spoken as truth.  An opinion can be offered in true humility and be very helpful, but a conviction is spoken from the spirit because of a greater truth one feels compelled to uphold.  I would not die for my opinions, but I would for my convictions deeply rooted in my faith.

 May the Author of the Holy Scriptures reveal His truth to you today, as well as, His insight and discernment to determine the difference in the many opinions that come your way versus the spoken convictions of truth.

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Leadership

Haiti 2011

I am going to digress from my usual finding a life mate blog this week to let you in on the sights and sounds of my recent Haiti trip.  I hope you enjoy it.

The stupid rooster starts crowing long before daylight.  We awake, we talk, we pray, we shower, enjoy a quick breakfast and experience a genuine Haitian water baptism service and it’s only 6:45 AM once all this is completed.

Haiti begins to move about, starting fires with charcoal for breakfast or hot water; people shuffling around here and there with some place to go, but most have no employment.  Where are they going; what are they doing?  Some are headed to Prayer Mountain while others are foraging for some form of food.  The fortunate children, those with sponsors, are headed to that much coveted place called school.

Overcrowded buses and “tap taps” with bodies and bananas hanging all over the sides are headed down the highway at speeds too scary to guess at.  Most are headed to a market or to Port Au Prince.  The market hucksters are selling rice, beans, bananas, vegetables, dresses and jeans, sunglasses and cell phone paraphernalia.  Car horns are constantly blowing.  It doesn’t take long to discover that it’s the most important part of the car. 

It’s hot.  It’s dusty and in most buildings in the village, it’s dark due to no electricity.  It takes an effort to push through a day sweating in discomfort.  There is no A/C and no fans to push the air around.  Still leaders gather from numerous churches.  They long to hear, to be taught God’s word and leadership principles.  These leaders are very auditory and visual.  If they hear and if they see demonstration, they will usually connect to your point.

We teach our hearts out.  It’s similar to the material we taught the year before and the year before that.  We are asking God for “community transformation” through the value of work and entrepreneurial thinking.  Is it connecting?  Are they catching the words about honesty, high moral character and integrity?  They have not seen these things modeled in their country.  How do we know if the training is effective or the translation correct?  How much information do they actually understand?  Why do only a few young people take notes?  Can they read and write?

This latest trip to Montrouis, Haiti, an hour north of Port Au Prince, convinced me that some are beginning to catch a few things we have been teaching.  This trip encouraged me when they expressed gratefulness that we came to Haiti to see them when they cannot pay us or reimburse payment for our flights.  I was encouraged by the crudely made “Certificate of Recognition” handed to us the night before we left.  That certificate reads in part, “This certifies that this pastor Steve Prokopchak has done a lot of effort to bring…godly life…value…that these children can live in unity…for services rendered during the years that we had benefited from these trips.”  It was all the recognition one needs along with their beautiful smiles across that always youthful looking ebony skin.

Haiti is a difficult place for a North American…well, this North American.  But, just before departing, one of the Haitian DOVE pastors came to us and said, “I am starting to get this…either we change our community or our community will change us.”  I was now convinced that they were, in fact “getting it.”  I look forward to returning to see the change.

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